I believe it's beneficial to the artist and the potential customer to know a bit about the person behind the work; the inspiratons, battles and ideas that bring about the unique product made.
So sit back, enjoy your coffee or tea and if you can take a moment after the interview to show some love and visit the artist's shop, that would be much appreciated.
Karen Jones of MoArk Jewelry!
Welcome to my world of OOAK jewelry! I started a jewelry business, MoArk Jewelry, with my sister 6 years ago. Our name came from Missouri (Mo) where she lives and Arkansas (Ark) where I live. We travelled the craft show circuit for a few years; over two years ago I started my online shops. I couldn’t use our current business name so I ended up with Second Sister at MoArk Jewelry. The
I am a retired Occupational Therapist and an active EMT on our volunteer (unpaid!) ambulance service here in Greers Ferry. My husband and I are avid gardeners and have a home-based garden business which competes with my “jewelry” time!
Semi-precious gemstones are a favorite of mine and are featured in most of my designs. Collecting crystals has been my hobby for years and branching out to include gemstones just seemed a natural course of action. I love the fact that they come from Mother Earth and represent the beauty that is present everywhere.
I make OOAK because I believe that jewelry is an outward manifestation of who we are that we show to the world. We choose certain pieces based on an inner recognition and a piece that resonates with us. If we see our jewelry coming and going, its meaning lessens and the sense of ownership lessens also.The world of jewelry offers so many avenues to explore but I haven’t singled out one that seems to represent me. My style is eclectic and diversified and I am always looking for new techniques to try. My next foray into the unknown is designing clay beads and adding metal work into the mix. My dream is to one day own a kiln and have a bonafide studio in which to work!
Thanks.
Karen Jones
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G'morning everyone! I am very happy to say that we have a featured artist this week...there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of interest in being featured from other artist, so I am not sure how consistent this post will be; as long as they come, I will feature.
Today I bring you a very accomplished artist........I am honored to feature her. Here is a bit about Harriet in her own words....please show your support and check out her shops, maybe even drop her a line, saying you saw her feature.....so without further delay....
Greetings all and welcome to a new edition of Featured Artist Tuesday...
Today I present Adele from Starfire Jewelry...with all the Sterling Silver she uses, she is a gal after my own heart! So give this wonderful gal some love and check out her store....
Welcome to Starfire Jewelry. My name is Adele and I am the creator of Starfire Jewelry.
I love the shine and sparkle of sterling silver and that is why all my pieces are silver. I design my pieces with Fantasy in my heart. I make my jewelry with resin, Fairy & Moon dust, AB stones, silk flowers, turquoise, and silver charms.
I design and with the help of my husband, Tony, we make each divine piece. These pieces are Magical, unique, and downright fun.
Thank you for entering my world of Starfire Jewelry.
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Today I bring you a very accomplished artist........I am honored to feature her. Here is a bit about Harriet in her own words....please show your support and check out her shops, maybe even drop her a line, saying you saw her feature.....so without further delay....
Harriet Warkel
I was a curator of American art for 25 years at the Indianapolis Museum of Art before layoffs hit in July 2010.
Now I am a jewelry designer. I took lots of classes before I decided what type of jewelry I wanted to focus on in my business.
I chose wire wrapping and metalwork, both of which I love. There are so many different techniques in these areas that I find I am always being challenged.
I try not to repeat my designs, because I think uniqueness is one of the things that make customers return. It is nice to be the only one wearing a particular piece of jewelry.
I love handcrafting jewelry and, although I miss being a curator, I am now the artist. My art historical background serves as a stimulus to my designs.
You can find Harriet's beautiful creations at:
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Today I present Adele from Starfire Jewelry...with all the Sterling Silver she uses, she is a gal after my own heart! So give this wonderful gal some love and check out her store....
Welcome to Starfire Jewelry. My name is Adele and I am the creator of Starfire Jewelry.
When I began designing jewelry, I wanted to design jewelry that was different, jewelry that would bring out the grownup in a woman but also bring out the little girl in her.
I love the shine and sparkle of sterling silver and that is why all my pieces are silver. I design my pieces with Fantasy in my heart. I make my jewelry with resin, Fairy & Moon dust, AB stones, silk flowers, turquoise, and silver charms.
Thank you for entering my world of Starfire Jewelry.
You can find Adele and her beautiful creations at:
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Hello there! In case you were here earlier today, you might have noticed I didn't have Tuesday's featured artist.
I forgot it was Tuesday.
Go ahead laugh...I am!!
Today I present to you a wonderful gal who had creative skills forming in the womb!
Some of the most creative, expressive artists have explored many different mediums, therefore finding, in the end, the one that fuels their passion.
So for your viewing pleasure, I present....
Stacey Peterson of Stormflight Designs!
Ever since I was a child I have enjoyed art in all its myriad forms. My parents encouraged me to take every art class I could while growing up. I started out with a magic-marker class and progressed through each medium of drawing and painting, and then into ceramics and bronze modeling.
In my teens I began finding my style through fabric – clothing design and quilting where I strengthened my skills with a degree in Home Economics where I focused on fashion and clothing design. I love geometric shapes, colors and the practicality of a nice warm quilt.
It wasn’t until my family and I did some gem mining in North Carolina that I finally discovered how much I love gems and rocks…that's when my creative spark began to flame in a big way. I finely found an art form I could sink my teeth into.
I took a gem faceting class and then realized I needed to learn how to set them into jewelry! So, my journey into the wonderful world of metal began and has become my passion.
You can find Stacey's beautiful creations at:
(geeky jewelry)
(all items from both etsy shops)
(blog)
(facebook)
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G'morning! Today I present, for your viewing pleasure, a gal that loves her craft work and is inspired by many to keep learning and building her already wonderful skills....
So without further ado...I present....
Angelique Proprietor of Drunkenmimes Ecclectic LadyLand!!!
Hello, I'm Angelique a.k.a. 'Drunkenmimes Ecclectic LadyLand. I've been artsy and creative since I was a little kid, but beading is the one thing that stuck with me, and that I have put the most effort into. It's a good thing that I don't have any children because I'd probably forget their names while I'm busy doing my crafts.
The bulk of my practice has been in the last two-three years, and I enjoy the challenges of trying to 'step outside the box' to create new designs. I like to think that I have a lot of different styles to choose from-every piece is one-of-a-kind, but I'm slowly evolving.
Thank you reading my ramble, and if you want to check out my latest creations in my studio, it's drunkenmimes.artfire.com I also have a blog here Ecclectic LadyLand on Facebook, and Twitter
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Happy Tuesday all!
I have a new Artisan to share with you today, she is a very "crafty" lady who loves helping out her fellow Artisan......So sit back and be dazzled by......
Diane of Diane's Dangles!
Crafting is a full time endeavor for me and my favorite is jewelry making. I started out by making beaded earrings then went on to necklaces. I found that working with my hands was a stress relief from my day job. It also was a way to express my love of color, gemstones and metal. 
Sterling silver is my favorite metal so I started studying silversmithing and combined my bead work with my sterling silver pieces. Initially, I made jewelry as gifts for my family and friends and then moved on to sharing my artwork at Art and Craft shows here in Michigan. Currently, I work full time creating jewelry pieces and adding more and more of my jewelry artwork to my Artfire studio. I also started a second studio on Artfire where I sell smaller packages of beads and findings so that my customers buy only what they need to complete their project and not have to spend a lot of money. I travel to different places and always end up finding a bead store or rock and mineral shop so I have quite the collection of unique gemstone and metal beads.
Just recently, I started a blog where I choose a theme and encourage artists to post their image and links so that they can get some extra exposure. Posting is open to anyone who knows about my blog as long as their product fits the theme. I enjoy doing my part in helping out our handmade community.
My links.
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G'morning everyone!
Are you ready for "Featured Artist Tuesday"? I hope so because we are in full swing here!
I am very excited to announce today's featured Artist....Even though I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, I can tell she woul have a lot of interesting things to share about life.
So without further ado, I present............
Tish proprietor of "Just a Tish Jewelry Designs!
Let's hear about her in her own words......
I have been making jewelry for 5 years and crafting all my life. It is always more fun to create than to buy it pre made retail, don't you think? If I had to choose, I would say wire working is my favorite. I love weaving patterns around stones and creating individual works of art. 
There is a freedom when working with wire. You may have a design in mind, but the wire and the stone can conspire against you, and take it to a whole other place, but it always comes out beautiful! Like Bob Ross says - "There are never any mistakes, just happy little accidents!" Those are great words to live by in our lives as well - don't dwell on the mistakes, use them as a stepping stone for your next journey. Embrace who you are and work with it. Don't hide behind social standards. Stand up and stand out! 
Creating jewelry was another way for me to express who I was. I love jewelry, and have a passion for taking accessories to a new level. Sure that pendant matches your blouse, but what does it do your your mind, body and spirit? Why not make jewelry that accessorizes your whole being? Choose what you want to wear and then add some love, or some wisdom with your jewelry. I have been blessed to have shown my work at two Art Council's, published in Bead Trends Magazine, on the catwalk at a local fashion show, and this year I am doing a joint show with my brother, creating jewelry inspired by his paintings. There is so much more in store! I can't wait!
I have the hardest time writing about myself, it always comes out hoakie, so to break it down:
I have been making jewelry for about 5 years.
I love working with the metaphysical properties of stones.
I love working with wire.
I am an avid animal activist.
Often give portions of my sales to help with different animal causes.
Prefer being outside walking rather than watching t.v.
Love my motorcycle :)
My site - http://www.justatish.com
My blog - http://justatish.blogspot.com
Twitter - http://twitter.com/JustATish
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G'morning everyone!
Are you ready for "Featured Artist Tuesday"? I hope so because we are in full swing here!
I am very excited to announce today's featured Artist....Even though I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, I can tell she woul have a lot of interesting things to share about life.
So without further ado, I present............
Tish proprietor of "Just a Tish Jewelry Designs!
Let's hear about her in her own words......
I have been making jewelry for 5 years and crafting all my life. It is always more fun to create than to buy it pre made retail, don't you think? If I had to choose, I would say wire working is my favorite. I love weaving patterns around stones and creating individual works of art. There is a freedom when working with wire. You may have a design in mind, but the wire and the stone can conspire against you, and take it to a whole other place, but it always comes out beautiful! Like Bob Ross says - "There are never any mistakes, just happy little accidents!" Those are great words to live by in our lives as well - don't dwell on the mistakes, use them as a stepping stone for your next journey. Embrace who you are and work with it. Don't hide behind social standards. Stand up and stand out! Creating jewelry was another way for me to express who I was. I love jewelry, and have a passion for taking accessories to a new level. Sure that pendant matches your blouse, but what does it do your your mind, body and spirit? Why not make jewelry that accessorizes your whole being? Choose what you want to wear and then add some love, or some wisdom with your jewelry. I have been blessed to have shown my work at two Art Council's, published in Bead Trends Magazine, on the catwalk at a local fashion show, and this year I am doing a joint show with my brother, creating jewelry inspired by his paintings. There is so much more in store! I can't wait!
I have the hardest time writing about myself, it always comes out hoakie, so to break it down:
I have been making jewelry for about 5 years.
I love working with the metaphysical properties of stones.
I love working with wire.
I am an avid animal activist.
Often give portions of my sales to help with different animal causes.
Prefer being outside walking rather than watching t.v.
Love my motorcycle :)
My site - http://www.justatish.com
My blog - http://justatish.blogspot.com
Twitter - http://twitter.com/JustATish
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I just want to say, before we begin, how honored I am to be able to feature so many great artists.
With so much corporate mishandling of the people's trust, I believe it is more important then ever to support your local (and not so local ) handcraft artisans. Not only do you have better pricing, due to lower over-head costs, you also know your item was made with love instead of machines mass producing.
With that I present today's
...........Judy Goddard
My name is Judy Goddard. I’ve been an artist all of my life. From the time that I was able to hold a pencil!
I’ve drawn on just about anything I could find, like the side of the hamper. the venetian blinds, but mostly the margins of my school papers.
As an adult I started my career as an artist by batiking T shirts. I put myself through community college.
After several other less than successful artistic endeavors, I tumbled into Etsy. I was equally less than successful for the first year and a half.
She instantly loved it and the more she showed it around the more folks asked me to paint one for them!
Now, with the canes and my handmade, hand painted canvas growth charts I feel like I’ve finally “figured” it out!I’m planning on extending my exposure and including high end craft shows to my opportunities to bring beautiful and functional artwork to a population that continues to grow.
You can find Judy's wonderfully unique items @:
www.JudyAGoddardArtisan.blogspot.com
www.JudyAGoddard.Etsy.com
http://www.facebook.com/judyagoddard
Dec. 21, 2010
Hello Everyone and Good Morning!
I bet I don't even have to tell you what today is....
Yep!
Sharon Harris of Gypsy Jewels!!
I've been a confirmed "Jewelry Junkie" for seven or eight years, but I made my first necklace as a young child when my Grandma gave me wooden spools, buttons and string for play. 
Long after I had forgotten about those early creations in favor of pursuing education and career, I was walking down the hall at work and a co-worker came from the opposite direction. Immediately, I spied her gorgeous necklace of blue and green stones and I stopped her to ask where she had gotten it. When she told me she made it herself, I had the thought, "I could do that." It took me about 25 years more years to get around to "doing that" but it was worth the wait. 
Like many people, my Gypsy Jewels are most frequently inspired by something I've seen in nature. My goal is to come home from a vacation with a variety of natural "found" things in my pockets. When I'm near the water, I can't resist picking up pebbles, wave washed glass, shells or fish bones. If I'm visiting the mountains, it's rocks to tumble and flowers to press. A walk on the prairie produces milk weed pods or Indian tobacco, and in the woods, it's acorns and leaves. These natural treasures, hidden away in my jeans pockets, have clogged up my washing machine more than once after I arrived home.
Living in the land of 10,000 lakes (Minnesota) all of my life provides endless creative idea. We all need to find out own "special place" where we go for renewal and peace. Mine is Lake Superior or "Gichigami" as it was named by the Ojibwe tribes. This vast "inland sea" has the largest surface of any fresh water lake in the world.
It's many moods, unpredictable weather, rugged scenery and magnificent changing colors are all-consuming. Over millions of years, this unpredictable environment has produced the Lake Superior Agate, one of the many natural stones I use in my jewelry.
From the earth comes the great bounty of many gemstones for us to admire and treasure. Finally, in retirement I have the gift of time, to create adornment for others that express my lifelong connection with the mystery and enchantment of nature.
You can find Sharon at:
www.rubylane.com/shops/gypsyjewels
What a wonderful story Sharon!
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Dec. 14, 2010
Dec. 7, 2010
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Dec. 1, 2010
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November 23, 2010
Yes it's Tuesday! Today's featured artist is pretty darn amazing!
She takes beautiful pics, makes lovely jewelry, writes and draws...is there anything this charismatic woman can't do?
I have a feeling the answer is a resounding "NO"!
So let's show her how much love we can give to someone who shares so much of herself to this world of
Handmade By The People; For The People!
~Peace~
Jennifer of Jennifer Lynn Productions!!!
Let's get to know a bit about Jennifer from her own perspective...
I have been artistic in many different media since I could hold a pencil. I have always had a desire to create and experiment and tell stories. My mother still has some of the earliest items I made and some of my early poems and stories.
I am a mixed media artist. I do decoupage, I paint, I photograph, and I draw. Sometimes, I incorporate all of these elements into one piece. In addition, I hand sew, I make jewelry, and I write. Because my products are so eclectic, I am branching out and test marketing my items on different sites. Where I have all of my items blended together, I make sure to make copious use of categories and accurate tags.
If someone were to ask me to pick just one art form and focus on that and only that, I could not do it. My moods change, and my ideas come to me in very specific ways. My vision does not easily translate across media. I simply work on whatever I am in the mood to work on. When I have deadlines, I schedule my projects, and some take me a long time to complete when I have to re-prioritize.
In addition to my various art and crafting products/projects, I have several writing projects I'm interested in pursuing. I plan to work on some of those things over the winter, when it's quiet, and I don't have the craft show/art sale frenzy to worry about. (Outdoor shows, etc.)
I have two chapbooks I want to get published, I have an idea for a prose book (coffee table book, I hope,) and I've been tapped to write a short screenplay. If things go well for me financially this winter, I'm hoping to take some writing classes and get my work in front of some other writers. When I'm busier with my visual art, I try to let my blog be my outlet for the writing, but I don't always make time.
You can find Jennifer and her many unique items at the following sites
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Okay...now for todays artist...drumroll please.....
Peggy Pasko!
My jewelry designing began with a good friend of mine who asked me to take
beading classes with her.
beading classes with her.
Of course, I said sure! And that was that!
I've been creating jewelry for about nine years, I use mainly glass, wood or crystal beads.
My favorite beads are African Trade Beads.
I feel creating is a wonderful freeing experience and our hands and minds keep busy when we use our talents and gifts for the right thing.
You can find Peggy at the following locations:
http://artisanjewelrydesigners.ning.com/profile/PeggyPasko?xg_source=msg_wel_network
facebook:
linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?id=53258871&trk=hb_tab_pro_top
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G'morning everyone....it's my favorite day again; when I get to show off someone special! I am doing something a bit different today. I figure an artist is anyone that is dedicated to their craft, well this young lady is very dedicated to her craft and very talented to boot!
So without further ado....I give you the pleasure of reading about .......
Amanda Trisdale! Dedicated, aspiring writer! Let's learn a bit about her in her own words:
Sherri asked me to write about myself, and I can’t seem to figure out exactly how to.
Maybe it’s because I’m so shy. You know the person who is hiding against a wall at social gatherings? That’s me. I hate talking to people about myself. I have no problem describing the characters in my writing, just who I am.
I’m a twenty-nine year old Air Force wife who just moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico. My husband was gone long enough for me to finish my first novel that I thought others might read. You can imagine his surprise when he came home to me querying agents in an attempt to get published.
I love writing. I tend to break the rules on writing all of the time. This is probably because unlike most writers, I have not spent years listening to professors tell me how I am supposed to write.
Supposedly, before you write a story you are supposed to sit down and figure out where the story is going. I tried, but my characters just won’t let me. I wasn’t even planning on writing about these characters in the novel.
One day, I was just sitting at the computer and the next thing I knew I had two hundred pages about Alexandria Houston (my main character.) I tried to figure out where Alexandria was going, but she obviously had other ideas. Yes, I kind of think of my characters as people I know.
I also break the rules about how to write. One of the other rules I break is writing so that your reader feels they are a character in the book. Besides, I get in to my writing. I tend to start feeling what my characters are feeling, especially my main character. I still haven’t figured out why this is a problem. I don’t know about you, but if I can feel attached to a character I am more likely to continue reading the book.
I don’t write at certain times of the day. I’ll write for hours some days when the plot bunnies start running wild. I’m the type that will forget to eat and sleep if the plot bunny starts to lead me down a trail. I can’t sit down and force the words on the page. Oh, and I write too much and have to break it up in to smaller bites for the general public. (You can probably tell I am a little wordy.)
You can find samples of my writing on my website, or my daily blog. I am trying to chronicle my journey to becoming a published writer. Obviously, that hinges on me finding an agent and being published.
Sounds like a best-selling author is in the works ey?
Here are a few links to find out more about Amanda:
Twitter @antrisdale
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My name is Sonja and I have been designing and making jewelry since 2007. It all started when my then 13 yr old daughter displayed an interest in
a beading kit. I bought the beading kit for her for her birthday. She enjoyed it for a couple of months and then decided that she was no longer interested in doing it.
One evening as I was watching tv, I picked up her beading kit and started playing. ( I can't sit with nothing in my hands to do, it is pretty much torture lol). I was totally and completely hooked within an hour and ended up making a necklace and several pairs of earrings.
I started doing some research online and at the library and taught myself to wire wrap. It didn't take long for me to make so much jewelry that I had to find something to do with it all so I started selling online.
As many of you know, jewelry is a tough category to sell in. There are many, many talented jewelry makers out there. I quickly decided to learn to make as many
of the components in my jewelry by hand as I could.
I learned lapidary first (how to make stone cabochons from rocks) and quickly took up metal smithing so that I could set my own stones. I also learned beadweaving (what can I say, I want to know how to do it all!) metal etching and finally took up lampwork bead making last year.
My goal is to make well made, long lasting, unique, handmade jewelry, where as many of the components are handmade by me as possible. I am working on a new line of pendants that actually incorporates most of the different techniques I have listed above into one piece.
I sincerely love what I do and hope that people enjoy my work and find it to be elegant, whimsical and just a little bit off the beaten path.
You can find Sonja at:
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Small Footprints aka Cindy.....
This chickipoo is an awesome, considerate, "always looking out for others" type of person and I am very pleased to be sharing her with you all today.
So please give some your undivided attention and show her some love by visiting her shop and blog...
My name is Cyndi, but most people know me as Small Footprints.
I write a blog called Reduce Footprints (http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com) which is all about the easy ways we can each walk a little gentler on the earth.
One of my favorite features on the blog is a weeky Eco-challenge ... we call it Change The World Wednesday
(http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/p/change-world-wednesday.html). It's a lot of fun ... everyone shares new ideas and we push ourselves to try something new.
Now you might be asking yourself what that has to do with an artisan feature. Well, somewhere along my "green" journey, I decided to start making things. I started with Eco-friendly cleansers and furniture polish ... and then aftershave for my hubby.
One day, while digging around my jewelry box, I noticed some broken pieces at the bottom. I decided, right then, to take them apart and see if I could create something with them. And my earrings were born!
Most of my earrings are created from broken pieces of jewelry. I find them at garage sales and thrift stores. It's fascinating to imagine what they once meant to someone ... to imagine that they were an adored accessory.
When I get them home, I take them apart, clean them up and voila ... they take on a new life. More importantly, they stay out of landfills.
My husband and I own an Etsy shop called Appealing To You (http://www.etsy.com/shop/appealingtou). He sells his wonderful art
(oil paintings, photography, etc.) and I sell my earrings. While selling our art is always fabulous, we create for ourselves ... and the planet.
I'd like to thank Sherri for giving me this opportunity. It was great fun to be here!
Oh No Cindy...Thank You for giving me the opportunity to showcase someone that loves Gaia aka Mother Earth.
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Hello, my name is Shannon Schow and I started making jewelry in 2008. I started out making jewelry for myself since I have a rather small wrist and could never find bracelets that fit.I went on to make more jewelry and then my friends started telling me I should sell some of this jewelry. I started selling my items at very small craft festivals.
I do want to say my favorite kind of jewelry to make is custom. Many friends and customers come to me with an idea of what they want and I go from there and design a piece.
Every time I make a custom piece it makes me so happy because they always love the piece, plus it's one of kind. I am now into wire wrapping and trying to perfect my skill in wire wrapping. I am also working with clay and it's many uses.
I want to learn metal smithing and cabachon making. I also paint with oils but I still have not listed any of my paintings on the web. I have sold a few but I want to concentrate more on my jewelry and paint for a hobby.
You can find Shannons's shop at....
She also has a wonderful blog at....
Shannon's a proud member of...
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August 31, 2010
Today's featured artist is....
Passion For Beads...Here's a little about her in her own words...
Each piece of my jewelry is carefully handmade by me with great attention to detail and quality workmanship. They are suitable for all occasions and will sure add some sparkles on you or your love ones. I hope you will like them as much as I enjoyed making them.
You can also find Passion For Beads at:
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Agasunset!!!
" Hello everyone, my name is Angie and I'm in love with lace!
From a very young age I was looking for a way to make lace myself by crochet, knitting or even macramé, but it wasn't until I learned tatting that I lost myself in this fine art.
Tatting, the knot lace, is mostly used in doily or edging making. It's so delicate and strong at the same time that people use it for many heirloom pieces. Since I was always thinking outside the box, I don't use this technique the traditional way.
Now my lace looks nothing like traditional table cloth but still is an amazing heirloom.
The most outstanding conversational piece is my collection of foot lace. As a huge shoe lover I am constantly looking for new designs. Living in NY limits my closet space so I designed lace add ons that I keep in my dresser. That way I can have 10 new pairs of shoes in one drawer.
Angie can be found at the followng links
Good Morning! Tuesday has arrived and I am very excited to say it is time for "Featured Artist Tuesday"!
Today's artist brings the word beautiful to unique wearable art...she has talent that I would like to posess someday...
So without further delay......(drumroll) I present.......
Anna Blair from DichroicGlassWorks!
 |
| I just love this bracelet she made! |
I'm a retired High School art teacher, living in Fort Worth Texas, with a husband and two cats, Hyacinth and Nemesis (and a plethora of animals, raccoons, possums, armadillos, etc. outside that I feed.)
I've been engaged in working with stained and fused glass the past seven years. I took a fused glass class during art teacher inservice one year and returned to the craft after I retired. I really enjoy working with glass!
I've been engaged in working with stained and fused glass the past seven years. I took a fused glass class during art teacher inservice one year and returned to the craft after I retired. I really enjoy working with glass!
I started with stained glass and created lots of windows and other projects before moving to fired glass. It's always fun to open the kiln after eight hours of cooling to see what the layers of glass have fused into. I use dichroic glass as one of the layers and how it looks after it fuses with the stained glass layer nearly always creates surprises.
Some of the pieces I do are;
Fused dichroic glass necklaces with sterling chains
- Fused dichroic glass bracelets with silver plate round links
- Fused glass purse hangers with stainless steel hardware
- Soldered glass pendants with silver plated ball chains (Many to choose from, or will do custom photo pendants)
All work is handmade, done one at a time. A piece of wearable art, hand crafted for the special person who appreciates craftmanship.
You can find Anna's creations at:
www.ab2255.etsy.com ( free shipping sale )
www.artfire.com/dichroicglassworks (Free Ship & 5% off)
Hello everyone! It is one of my favorite days....
I am really honored to feature this lovely lady as we have alot in common.
Both of us love what we do, we both have debilitating illnesses that tag along with chronic pain, just for spite.
Neither one of us can bare to sit around whining with nothing to do; we decided to do what we love:
Helping people feel confident and beautiful (without spending an arm and a leg) When wearing our jewelry.
So with further chit chat I present to you..........(drumroll)
Faye of "Twisted Imaginings"!! (What an awesome shop name!)
My name is Faye and I am the heart behind 'Twisted Imaginings'. Most of my work is one OOAK (one of a kind) and some of it isn't so much. That is I may use the same design, but with different gemstones or beads. (Usually, that category only includes rings.)
I have recently been diagnosed with many chronic illnesses and mental health conditions, but we muddle through - together. We have 2 grown up children and 2 beautiful grand- daughters. Both the children and our daughter live with us, which makes for a very busy household!
I am inspired by a lot of what I see around me - advertisements, nature and the beads themselves. I like working with copper and one day, hope to be able to afford some real silver to work with!! LOL!
You can find Faye's creations at:
I am married to a wonderful, supportive man, who has held my hand and my heart through many of my life's trials and all the best bits!
I have recently been diagnosed with many chronic illnesses and mental health conditions, but we muddle through - together. We have 2 grown up children and 2 beautiful grand- daughters. Both the children and our daughter live with us, which makes for a very busy household!
I am inspired by a lot of what I see around me - advertisements, nature and the beads themselves. I like working with copper and one day, hope to be able to afford some real silver to work with!! LOL!
You can find Faye's creations at:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/TwistImagine
Blog - http://www.twistedimaginings.blogspot.com
Artfire SHop- www.artfire.com/users/Twistedimanginings
Facebook - www.facebook.com/twistedimaginings
Artfire SHop- www.artfire.com/users/Twistedimanginings
What a great time doing this I had; if you have a sec to spare, how about showing Faye you enjoyed it as well, by checking out shop, following her blog etc...
I am really honored to present this wonderful family owned business. I think it is becoming rare to see family get along so well and create not just a business for themselves, but happiness to all that wear their beautiful and unique creations.
So without further ado ....
JEWELRY BY LUET AND CO
JEWELRY BY LUET AND CO started out with two sisters making jewelry for friends, family and themselves several years ago. As of 2010, we are sharing our talents with the world. Since deciding to turn our jewelry making into a business, one of our daughters has also joined in on the fun. The three of us love designing and creating all of our pieces and hope to be making jewelry for a long time to come.
We makes handmade jewelry necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, anklets and jewelry sets and sell it on E-Bay and Etsy, we also make custom/special pieces upon request. We use many different types of materials in our designs such as semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, (as well as glass pearls), different varieties of glass and acrylic beads and various metals in our jewelry findings. Please note in your order if you have allergies or sensitivity to certain metals.
We also participates in The Handmade Craft Show. We are currently in the Artist Spotlight and for many weeks, we have been listed as the Shopper’s Favorite!
We strives to maintain a balance of high quality and beauty in each piece of jewelry, while keeping our prices affordable. We base our pricing on how elaborate, labor-intensive, and what materials are involved with each piece. We price our vintage pieces according to value and desirability of materials, labor involved and overall complexity of the design of each piece. We hope you enjoy wearing our jewelry as much as we enjoy making it.
Today I have the honor of featuring a wonderful woman who has been through it all; up and down.....It sounds to me like she had the calling to "make people beautiful" through her creations since a tot....so reward her for all her dedication and hard work by reading her feature and then visiting her links....
~Peace~
Growing up I never considered myself an artistic person. Mama was an expert seamstress and made all our clothes, so it was natural that I learned to sew at an early age. Unfortunately I was never as good as Mama. In my early 20’s I took an interest in crafts and tried my hand at crochet and counted cross stitch. Neither held my interest for long periods of time. Having married a historian, quilting seemed fascinating and I gave that a shot, making a full size quilt for our bed. But soon life got in the way. There were kids to raise and a full time job; and my crafting days became sporadic at best.
But the kids grew up and flew the nest and I gradually found myself with small bits of spare time. I don’t remember exactly what inspired me to start making jewelry. As I recall it was quite by chance and a “spur of the moment” thing. In the beginning, about 5 years ago, I started making little things for myself; mostly bracelets and necklaces, nothing fancy or elaborate just glass and plastic beads strung on a wire. At the time I thought they were beautiful. But we’re talking “self-taught” here and I didn’t even bother to read a book! But soon after I started making gaudy trinkets, my time was consumed by something else.
In July, 2007, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The following 2 years were devoted to doctor’s appointments, chemo, surgery, radiation, reconstruction and most of all…healing! March, 2011, will be my 2 year “cancer-free” anniversary!!
By summer of 2009 my life slowed down and I once again found spare time on my hands. The previous two years had changed my entire outlook on life. I found myself looking for the beauty in everything life has to offer. Once again I was drawn to designing jewelry. Only this time I found beauty in gemstones and crystals, lamp work and pearls. Don’t ask me where I get my inspiration because I have no idea. When I see beads or stones I like, I buy them. Eventually they find their way to my design tray and become beautiful treasures.
I
n August, 2009, I opened my first online shop on Artfire and shortly after found Zibbet. Since then I took the “Etsy” plunge and also started a blog and my own website. The inspiration for my shop name??? Simple, my given name is Catherine Annette, which I shortened to “Caty Ann” and “Caty Ann’s Creations” was born. In addition to my online shops I try to do as many local craft shows as time allows, usually in the weeks before the holidays. You can follow me on Twitter, my blog, and Facebook.
Here is where you can find me online:
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