Well, it is winter here in lovely New Jersey and it seems it came in with a vengence! Snow the day before Halloween! I personally LOVE IT. Here is my ode to winter earrings. I keep singing "Ice cubes dangling from your ears" to the tune of Merry Christmas to You, by Nat King Cole whenever I look at them. =) teehee

Wow, tis the season!

Infinity means forever. On and on. No matter what, it keeps going. Such a mysterious and elegant symbol. What a statement of love or friendship. Friend, lover, son, daughter, fiance, husband, wife, mother, father, even a mathematician or math lover. No matter who is in your life, you can tell them they made an impact, no matter what happens in the future they have influenced your life forever. Isnt that what life is about, our relationships, the love and friendships we share or have shared.

Pursuit of Beadwork-Umoja Uaso Women's Group

Wonderful article in Beads & Button magazine by Wendy Ellsworth (August 2011, Issue 104) about the Samburu women of northern Kenya. They have an all women community of around 40 to 50 women with around 80 to 100 children, no men allowed. They call it Umoja Uaso Women's Group. They are all there fleeing different atrocities that patriarchal society has thought up. They find refuge in this little village and create. They all make amazing beaded jewelry as their primary source of income that allows them to live on their terms, not the men in their lives. Empowered women!! I always will support women who are active in their own destiny and do not wait to be handed things. What an amazing way adornment can change a way of thinking.
If you would like to know more about these amazing women they have their own site at
UmojaBeadedJewelry.com

Inspiration

I just love opening up a new jewelry magazine!! There is something so exciting for me. I don’t know what new ideas will inspire or what will stir something in me. It is like treasure hunting, finding a gem in the sand. Opening your mind and seeing the immense creativity that is out there, inspires me in with my humble training and studio to stretch myself and my way of thinking about jewelry. Magazines like Ornament, Art Jewelry and Belle Armoire Jewelry are just some of my favs. So I will take some time to expand on my favorite articles, or ones I found interesting. Maybe just a sentence I read or colors an artist used to express themselves may move me to write or create! I love to know about what moves artist to create or sparks their internal flame. So look for more to come!

Can't make a class? Just ask for a new date!

Don't let the confinements of your schedule stop you from taking a class or learning a new technique you have been wanting to learn! If you find you cannot make a class
that is scheduled, just call me or email me to pick date and time that works for you. I would be more than happy to accommodate you around your busy schedule.

A Quick "How To" Open and Close a Jump Ring

Finding Our Own Way

I was reading a little post in ART Jewelry Magazine Vol. 7 Issue 4 by Jeremy Dunn. He was struggling with a project,it was just not coming out the way he wanted. He went home and went to sleep disappointed with his work that day. Dunn woke up the next day with a new perspective on the piece and was able to finish it. How many times has that happened to you? I know with myself, I have at least 3 or 4 pieces going at one time. I like to create, then sit with the piece for a few days. This is a process I go through fairly often to develop new eyes. I seem to get a clearer prospective of my work when I don't see it for a day. Some people need to finish from start to finish without breaks, to each his own. As a jewelry designer and instructor I show and teach my students a specific technique but always follow up with letting them know that is only one way, they may find over time they develop their own process to create.I love to see students and former students who find a passion along with a new or different way to make a beautiful piece. That is the beauty of life, everyone has their own way of doing things and looking at life in another fashion.

Do you do Smoothies?!?

I am on a smoothie obsession now!
I just came off the lemon juice fast and thought I would
try blending my veggies instead of juicing them. I was a avid juicer fan.
I was very put off by the idea of drinking a whole lot of veggies just blended
whole instead of juiced, but I was feeling adventurous one morning. It was also a little bit laziness too. I just cannot stand to clean the juicer! So messy. Ick!
So, I had a bag of frozen spinach, a frozen banana, frozen grapes and some ground flax seed. I put it all in my blender wondering if the motor could handle everything or would it start smoking. I added some OJ, held my breath and hit the button. It whirled and made lots of noise, but it did the job with flying colors! I was so proud of my old blender. And speaking of colors! wow, what an incredible green! I put my daughters in a dark color cup in case of complaints or "What the heck is this" comments. I guess she is used to my experiments on her(poor thing), because she drank it up without too much of peeping and finished with a loud "YUMMMM"! Husband sucked it up without a blink. It was cold, so smooth (hence the name Smoothie!) and wonderful!
I couldn't help but pat myself on the back for giving my family and myself
such a nutritious start. I seem to crave them now.
I can't wait to experiment with other fruits and veggies!
More to come....

Radiance, Love after Death by Debra Jayne East

So Exciting!!
I just created this necklace for a talented author, Debra Jayne East for her fist book, a paranormal romance novel "Radiance, Love after Death". The butterfly and the pink stone are all in the book.
Sounds intriguing! Can't wait to read it.











http://www.etsy.com/listing/73273897/heart-stone-rose-quartz-and-leather

Rise of precious metal prices

How crazy is the rise and fall of silver and gold prices?!
Six months ago, I was paying $17. for an ounce of silver. Now I pay $45.!!
What fuels the rise? I don't know and I think not many people do.
I have tried not to increase my prices, but I had to just by a dollar or two on some pieces. I hope silver prices will come down, which would mean my prices will come down too. I am happy myself and my customers like the look of alternative metals, like copper and brass. I LOVE the look of mixed metals. Silver with copper and a touch of brass. Keeps costs down, but still looks ROCKIN! I try to keep up with
my customers likes, so if there is anything you can think up, but don't see on my site, let me know and I can try to bring your idea into reality.

CLASSES

Basic Earring Class

Learn how to wire wrap earrings just like the professionals!
You can use these skills for the basis of almost every jewelry project.
We will begin by learning and practicing hands on techniques to transform
wire into works of art with beads that you have chosen from a large selection.

I supply the beads and tools, you just need to bring your creative self
or your want to FIND that self.
By the end of the class you will be a pro at wire wrapping loops!

1PM-3:15PM

$38.00



Sunday May 29th


Bracelet Design Class


Do you want to begin making bracelets and don't know where to start?
In this class you will learn how to use a design board,
how to attach clasps and figure out proper length,
and what tools and materials are needed to start your bracelet.
Create a one of a kind piece made by you, just for you!
and be able to take those skills home and practice.

1PM-3:15PM

Call classes are RSVP only.
Seating is limited.
Please call 609-379-1750 to register

Silver filled wire?!?!

There are soooo many different wires and variations on metals out there! I have just come across a new one to confuse people even more! Silver filled wire.Not really new, but gaining more popularity and with the rise of silver, it seems to some jewelers an economical way to make jewelry.
Many of you may already be familiar with gold filled. This is a "new" take on it.
So, what is it? Fire Mountain defines it as "wire made of a durable outer layer of sterling silver bonded to a copper core." it has a thick bonded plating of sterling on the outside, unlike plated which is just a thin layer of silver on base metal. Plated will tarnish and turn as the layer of silver wears. Silver filled wire, if you take care of it, will last a very very long time looking new. You must be careful not to scratch or nick the outer layer, though. The copper will show through and there is nothing you can do to fix it.
I think Fire Mountain Gems is the original distributor of it, but many people are selling it as the middleman on Artfire and Etsy for those of you wishing to work with it. It also comes in many gauges and tempers. They make jumprings and earwires that are premade.
Fire Mountain touts it as being cheaper than sterling. If you look at many other stores on the internet, Monsterslayer for one, you will find the price is not a whole lot different than sterling. I would rather pay the extra couple bucks and get the real deal. Gold filled, on the other hand. is a different story. With the prices of gold soaring higher and higher, using gold filled makes sense. You get the look of gold without the outrageous expense. I'll check back later after I have tested it out and let you know what I think.

More Than Bend, Hammer and Fire

I was fusing circles to put in a necklace or bracelet and my mind kept wandering as it has a habit of doing when I create. So, after I made the first circle, I shifted to a state of mind I refer to as autopilot. I wanted to make a few, because they take some time to do and it is nicer to work on them all together. Hammering on the copper and silver circle got me thinking about the universe and I saw it swirling, continuously, around and around like the connected circle I was working on . It made me feel very connected to the Universe and those around me in the beautiful moment. Funny how moments sneak up on you like that! So now fusing circles and hammering them is my favorite thing to do. Look for lots of cosmic circles coming in my jewelry.
With my jewelry there is almost ALWAYS a story about what inspired me or what I was thinking as it came into existence. I am so blessed to do something that I so truly love and have passion for even after 22 years. The process of bringing a new design is always more than just bend, hammer and fire- voila you have a piece of jewelry. There is a philosophy. Yes, I am the philosopher with a propensity for tools!