Sundance Calling...

When it comes to jewelry, I am amazed and inspired by the artists and artisan jewelry in the Sundance Catalog.  Honestly, this is what I aspire to be.  What a kick it would be to be featured on the pages next to Jes Maharry! 

While that remains a dream at the moment, I will continue to use the catalog as inspiration for my pieces.  As an artist, I am very cautious not to rip off the designs of others. Technique though, I try and mimic in order to continue to grow my own talent and design capabilities.  

The handmade market is full of wonderful jewelry designers, artists, and metal smiths.   Sometimes it is easy to think of just giving up and letting everyone else have at it.  As a matter of fact, this has been suggested to me.  This is my theory on the matter.  First, everyone has a different taste and style and no one artisan can fill the needs of all the various likes and wants. Second, I like creating beautiful jewelry.  It’s fun. It’s rewarding. It’s my thing! I am not switching gears now!  Third, there is room for everyone!  I have a jewelry box full of jewelry of all different shapes colors and sizes.  I can’t imagine only being able to buy from one or two people.  Variety is the spice of life!  I am if I sat here all typing all evening I could bore you to tears with all the reasons why I believe it is perfectly fine that there are so many jewelry designers, and artisans in the world, but let’s just leave it at this for now.  The fact of the matter is, whether Sundance calls or not, I plan to keep on creating beautiful jewelry. 



Losing My Grasp!

How does time slip away so quickly?  Just when I think I have a grip on it I see how far I have slipped…  So here I am writing my first blog post for February of 2012 and my second blog post of the year…  I do intend this to be more than a once a month blog.  Truly, I do.

I think one of the worst problems I have is time management. When it comes to work, kids, husband, house, jewelry, and everything in between, I don’t exactly have things balanced.  I am trying, but sometimes I really feel like the proverbial chicken with no head. When everything is important how do you prioritize?  My blog is all about stealing crafting ideas, so I want to know…  How do you do it?  Maybe I can use your ideas to bring this picture into focus…

Bailing Out

Let's Make a Basic Wire Bail

Gather all your materials.  You will need wire (I have used sterling silver), a bead or beads ( I am using emerald briolettes), wire cutters, a pair of round nosed pliers, and at least one other pair of pliers of your choice.

Cut a length of wire appropriate for your bead.  (Note: The size of the hole in your bead will determine the gauge of the wire you need.  The higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire.) 

Thread the wire through your bead.

Fold both ends of the wire up creating a triangular shape. Don't fold the ends too tightly. (Note: If you are using a small briolette, as seen here, use caution. They are fragile and will break if the wire is too tight. You want it to "swing" slightly on the wire.)

I apologize for this blurry picture...  Now you should pinch one end of wire between the round nosed pliers.  Bend it at a 90 degree angle away from the crossover point.

Keeping the wire pinched between the nose of the pliers wrap the wire back toward the crossover point over the pliers creating a rounded loop.

Now we are ready to start wrapping.  Pull the leftover end of the loop down and around in front of the other length of wire.

With your other pair of pliers, pull this end of wire tightly all the way around the other wire, as if wrapping a rope around a tree.

Wrap until you are out of that length of wire.  If you have any gnarly ends you can clip it off with your wire cutters.



Wrap the other length of wire in the same fashion around and on top of your first wrap.



Cut any excess wire.  Make sure to tuck or file the end so that there are no sharp edges.

Viola!  Your beautiful bead now has a bail and can be added to your fabulous jewelry!

Green with Envy

After my inspirational journey through my latest Sundance catalog,  I decided that I needed a new leather cord necklace!  Does that have anything to do with all the beautiful leather pieces in the catalog? I plead...Guilty!  I was just so envious of all the beautiful pieces! So here is my quick and easy version of the Sundance inspired necklace.

I used sterling silver for all my metal components as well as semi-precious gemstones, but you can make an equally beautiful piece with less expensive materials. You are limited only by your imagination. I will take better pictures than this too.  Cross my heart!  I was so excited last night I just couldn't wait to snap a couple of quickies.

I learned how to wrap wire for "dangles" by reading beading magazines.  I plan on doing a few tutorials for this for anyone who may not be familiar with how to do it yet.  I will try for tonight.  I say "try," because I work full time and have two rambunctious little boys that sometimes like me to pay less attention to my arts and crafts and more attention to them.  Imagine!  I love, love, love, my boys! I will get the pics up though, cross my heart - again, and just for good measure, pinkie swear too! Stay with me...

45 Days Until Christmas! Oh My!

I know a lot of you are saying, "But what about Thanksgiving?  We haven't even had our turkey dinner yet!"  Well, if you are an arts and crafts person, like myself, then you are probably making decorations and/or gifts and/or gift wrapping and/or Holiday attire.   In which case, you have to start thinking about these things way ahead of the Thanksgiving bird!  If you haven't yet, as we love to say in the South, "Bless your heart!"  You better get to it!

I have recently taken a hiatus from jewelry designing only to be slapped in the face with the creative desire to make all things Christmas.  Now I feel the need to throw some jewelry in the mix as well.  I have been known to sell my one of kind pieces in the past.  I also, when I am able to part with them, which is often just as heart wrenching at parting with a beloved friend, have been known to gift my creations.  Again, jewelry making is no original concept of mine, or anyone else's.  We know cave men/women were some of the earliest jewelry designers, I mean, take Wilma Flintstone for example!  She was the proud owner of one of the most iconic necklaces known today!  So we stole the idea of becoming artisan jewelry makers from our earliest fore fathers and/or mothers. And I stole the idea from another thief who stole it before me.  What makes it original is what you do with it!  So here are a few of my past designs to give you some inspiration.  Now I need to get busy on some new ones! Happy Creating!