Annette was innocently waiting on a bus and had a few minutes to kill so she wandered aimlessly into a local bead store.  Can you say the beginning of the end?  Well, she was immediately captured by all the shapes and colors and scooped up a few to take home.  She spoke with the woman behind the counter and added some wire and clasps and then went home to figure out how to use all the wonderful treasures she had.  After some internet searching, Annette was armed with 12 free lessons over the course of 12 weeks, but being impatient to play with her jewels, she ended up looking up info in between and ended up with her first necklace, bracelet and earrings and felt brilliant!  Her course was set and she was hooked.

When Annette is not buried in beads, she loves to sew, which she believes really launched her creative streak while making a patchwork quilt, the movies, walking, and music.  She is a homemaker that claims beading keeps her sane or insane depending on your perspective.

After really getting a feel for how jewelry was put together, Annette began selling to family and friends and was quickly encouraged to branch out and AJewell was born.  A few business cards later, and she was in business.  She currently sells at a local market stall every weekend where she not only shows off her finished treasures, but brings along her supplies so people can see her work first hand at creating a new piece.

Annette is open to help and willingly takes advice from those more experienced in either online selling or jewelry making.  She listens, researches, and then decides if the advice is worth pursuing which is a wonderful sign of a woman willing to grow in her chosen field.  She says that she makes every effort to remain positive no matter what is going on around her and has no regrets about her chosen field.  She would happily repeat the process as she knows that jewelry is what she was meant to do.

Are you ready to see what this talented lady who stumbled onto her passion while waiting for a bus can really do?  Well, she is easy to find on the HandmadeArtists as well as on her own site.  She happily shows off her creativity on Facebook here and here.

I am John Rasmussen. I was born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, but we moved soon after that. My family lived in several different states because my father was transferred from assignment to assignment. As I grew up, I developed a love for geology and natural science. I have taught geology, then became a paramedic and started teaching emergency medical care. Now, I am retired and living in South Carolina for the past 27 years.  As I approached retirement, I started studying gemstones (gemmology) and their optical, physical and chemical properties.  I have also developed a desire to cut my own stones and then using the stone and its properties design a jewelry piece that is inspired by that stone.  I continue to learn about stones, and use this knowledge to produce gemstones, wire wrapped and silversmithed jewelry.  My art can be found at my Handmade Artists Shop.

I joined the Western South Carolina Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. which provided me with more motivation and a workshop for lapidary and jewelry making.  This began the second phase of my education in further work with gemstones.  I began lapidary, cutting cabochons and faceted stones (bought my own flat lap).  Once you have the stones, what do you do with them?  So, I started making jewelry, this started my venture into that venue and silversmithing.  About this time, my wife got interested in producing beaded pieces.  This is a perfect venue for her.  She is disabled and can design and make beaded necklaces, bracelets, etc. while sitting in her bed.

As the size of our inventory exceeded what we could send to family as presents; we established out shop online.  Handmade Artists presented the best investment.  After trying two other online shop sites, we settled on only having one shop.  We have had more contacts and sales through HA than any other venue.  You can find our shop here:  Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

We continue our exploration into the artistry of displaying our loves and passions through jewelry.  Designing pieces takes some time.  Each of our pieces is genuinely one of a kind.  We don’t use tutorials to duplicate someone else designs.  That is where we are now, we will continue to expand our knowledge and techniques.

Mosaic Art with a Purpose

The primitive patterned designs of the early cone mosaics added a decorative element to the pillars of ancient buildings, but the cones served another purpose. In Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeological Evidence (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), P. Roger S. Moorey—British archeologist and historian, specializing in the Ancient Near East—wrote, “At Urak, the decorative cone mosaics were particularly applied to free-standing columns and to walls with buttresses and recesses.”

In citing other resources, Moorey presents evidence that the mosaics were “patterned after rugs and mats hung as decoration on walls,” and that the decorations protected the walls from “wind and water erosion.” Moorey concludes that the cone mosaics, also found at other settlements in Mesopotamia, show that “the intimate relationship of protection and decoration is evident in most uses.”

Egyptian Glass

Small pieces of glass in mosaics were first used by the Egyptians during the New Kingdom (c. 1550 to 1069 B.C.). Very small pieces of dull-colored glass were used to make mosaic jewelry and mosaic stones. The stones were added to wall pieces and inlays, usually in funerary art. It wasn’t until the Roman Empire took control of Egypt in 31 B.C. that glass production would advance to a higher art form in Egypt. With an abundance of sand and soda, and with years of mastering the art, Egypt created much of the glass for the Roman nobles.

Pebble Mosaics and Tesserae

By the eighth century B.C., mosaics of random patterns were being assembled from black and white pebbles in Gordium (Gordion, Turkey). The pebble mosaics added art and design to an area and provided some protection during inclement weather. Six centuries later, mosaic floors—a precursor to the tile floors of today—were widespread among the Greek nobles. Smooth river rocks, with smaller pebbles used to fill in the gaps and create more detailed designs, were used to form floors and pathways. Mosaic art was further defined with the introduction of tesserae, pieces of stone and glass cut into small squares. These mosaic tiles of small uniform pieces made it much easier to create intricate designs.

Mosaic Art of the Roman Empire

As the Roman Empire expanded, mosaic art grew with it. The mosaics at Pompeii are an excellent example of the styles and types of designs the Romans preferred. Marble tiles became a popular choice for floor mosaics and styles ranged from geometric patterns to bucolic scenes. An excavation in Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) revealed one of the largest collections of mosaic floors from the second century A.D. Many are on display at the Hatay Archaeological Museum in Antakya.

Byzantine and Italian Mosaics

By the late fifth century, with the fall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire came into power. With a surge in Christianity, mosaic art turned to religious subjects and the walls of churches, temples, and palaces displayed colorful intricate designs made with smalti, deeply colored glass tiles with uneven surfaces. Smalti were also made with gold and silver leaf, layered between two pieces of glass. While other tesserae were also used, with smalti, the variety of colors and the luster of gold or silver added another dimension to mosaic art.

During the sixth century, under Emperor Justinian’s rule, the Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, was built with most of its walls and ceiling covered with mosaic art. The town has many other exceptional examples of Byzantine mosaic art and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Rome and Venice are other towns in Italy with excellent examples of mosaic art. The art was popular throughout Italy during the late middle ages.

Historic Multicultural Mosaic Art

Mosaic art has a long and varied history, and although it was widely popular in Europe and the Near East, examples of ancient mosaics have been uncovered in China and South America. Mosaics served a purpose of protecting walls and floors from wind and water, as well as adding a decorative element With each advancing civilization, mosaic art advanced with it—from clay stones to colored glass, from smooth river rocks to tesserae and smalti. Today, mosaic art has become even more specialized with varied materials combined in a blending of artistic interpretation.

My Handmade Mosaic’s

Done in what is called Pique Assiette, which comes from the French language, meaning literally translated “stolen from a plate”. However I have never, ever used a new plate rim, all my mosaics are made from already damaged china plate rims, broken, scratched, cracked, with flea bites, enhanced with colored stained glass and other pretty’s, vintage broken jewels and baubles, handmade clay roses, pearls and such.

Monika of Myeuropeantouch

Linda as always a creative person who has always had her hands in something.  Her mother taught her to crochet and she quickly created an abundance of pot holders, scarves, leg warmers and even a dog sweater-while she claims it wasn’t the prettiest dog sweater around it was wearable which is better than I could do!  She advanced to afghans and then added cross-stitch, knitting, sewing, latch work, acrylic and oil painting and woodworking which held her attention for quite some time…over 20 years in fact!

When Linda is not up to her elbows in crafts, she works for Homeland Security and spends time with her family.  She is a wife and mother of 2 and grandmother of 4.  I have a feeling if her husband wants to see her he probably has to visit her in her craft room!  When he does get her away from her creations, she loves to play outdoors whether it is hiking, gardening or working on remodeling their home.  She even claims to have two “non-yapping”Chihuahuamixes…though that I would have to see to believe.

With this busy schedule and an ever growing collection of jewelry, Linda quickly found that she would have to start selling and MixedKreations was born.  She set out to do a few craft shows, but with time constraints found that may not be the best way to get her name out there.  She still plans on doing a few, but hopes to make her primary living selling online.  She spent hours building her own website and is experimenting with various venues to get herself and her work seen.  She admits that it has been a learning process far beyond creating beautiful things…marketing, photography, and social networking are not comfortable places for Linda; but if she is one thing she is persistent!  She has joined us on HandmadeArtists and become an important part of our community…in her words, “I feel like I’m not alone anymore.”

Linda loves it when that perfect buyer finds that perfect treasure; almost like someone else has a piece of you that they will enjoy wearing as much as she enjoyed creating it.  Her dream would be to eventually do her jewelry art full time.  Her advice, based on her own growing experience, to anyone that want to jump into a handcrafted business is to stop and think real hard…are they willing to put in long hours on creating as well as marketing?  If so, research, research, research!  See what others are doing and make yours better!  Read everything you can get your hands on about SEO, marketing, social networking, branding, etc.  This is not for the faint of heart and the hours can take their toll, but the rewards are so worth it.

So are you ready to see what this talented lady that began with a dog sweater and moved into amazing jewelry can create?  Well, she is easy to find on HandmadeArtists of course and there is plenty to read and drool over on her own Website.  Linda can also be found on Twitter and LinkedIn as well as StumbleUpon as well as follow her on FaceBook.  Linda has submitted a few articles and even written some tutorials…I told you she was busy!

Shelley’s creativity and love of pretty objects only grew from there.  She eventually became a pastry chef creating beautiful eatable things!  The only problem with this plan was that she loved to taste her creations (you know quality control!) and loved what she tasted, so she kept on tasting.  This love of pastry resulted in massive weight gain over time.  Realizing that she had to make a change in her life, Shelley left the pastry industry and managed to lose an impressive 100 pounds which she has kept off since the 80’s, never to return in her own words.

Shelley could not leave her creative streak behind, so she made the leap and began working in art full time.  She was lucky enough to study jewelry design with famous stained glass artist Kay Bain Weiner which led to a one woman show at a prestigious Frenchtown,New Jerseygallery.  Shelley also works in oils, pastels, watercolors, pencil, and ink…but nothing has gotten her blood pumping like jewelry.  Guess you can’t take that love of shiny gemstones away!  She is currently adding to her repertoire by getting back into silver smithing so that she can incorporate even more creative elements into her work.

Shelley is a widow with two grown children whom she is very proud of.  She could not leave food behind forever, and still enjoys cooking when she gets the chance and reads anything she can get her hands on, when she is not busy creating beautiful one of a kind pieces of wearable art that is.

This talented lady is not a snob about her own work and readily admits that seeing others creation’s prompts her to create and push herself.  The advice that she would give to another person trying to work in art full time is that you must love what you do, and it will never feel like work and warns that if you don’t love getting involved with people then this may not be the business for you.  The only problem that Shelley has really run into with her passion is that she doesn’t want to part with her creations!  She has found that craft shows really aren’t for her and find fulfillment in online selling.

So, are you ready to feast your eyes on what a former pastry chef turned jewelry designer can create?  Well, Shelley is easy to find on HandmadeArtists.com as well as her own website.  You can also see her creations on Etsy, ArtFire, and Ebay.

I was thinking and decided to try a twisted wire project.  I took three strands of 18 gauge round soft copper wire and twisted them together into one strand.  Showing this to my wife, she said, why don’t you use silver.  I would like something done with this in silver.  I took three strands of 21 gauge square half hard sterling silver wire and twisted them in a similar manner.  When I show this to Debora, she asked what I was going to do and I replied that I was thinking of a twisted drop with a stone set in the bottom loop.  She asked to select the stone, and she selected a 6 mm round peridot.  That set the size and shape of the stone and setting.

The twisted wire was formed into the basic shape, then the top was wrapped with 21 gauge half round Argentium sterling silver wire to form the bail.  A precast head was soldered into the loop with hard silver solder.  The entire piece was then pickled, hand polished and tumbled to a high gloss polish.  The prongs were notched with a square fine file, and the peridot was set into the silver setting.  We have a finished pendant:

These last to views are from the back and the extreme left side.  Overall, the effect of the twisted wire accents the entire design.

Can you Believe it's a Jewlelry box?

Where do you keep these pieces of adornment?  Do you have a jewelry box?  Do you spend a lot of time and money on jewelry only to have it all over the house?  Perhaps, the top of your dresser is loaded with these treasures and trinkets.  “No, I have a jewelry box,” you say in protest.  But let’s be honest, is it organized?  Is it just as nice as your jewelry?  Was it handed down from your great-grandmother or your grandmother?  Is it as great an heirloom as some of your pieces of jewelry?  Is the quality worthy of your treasures?  I pose all these questions because I know a secret– handmade jewelry boxes!  “So what?” you ask.  Here’s the “so what.” These aren’t just any jewelry boxes.  Read on…

Nestled in Cincinnati, Ohio is RDC (Ramon Design Concepts) Woodworking.   Ramon is the artist who creates these wooden jewelry fortresses.  The boxes are exquisite, unique, exotic and some are just downright cute!  There is nothing typical about RDC’s jewelry boxes.  The designs are mind-blowing and the only thing you can say is WOW!  How did he do that?

The Zebra Jewelry Box

The first jewelry box that was sold was made of tiger wood.  The customer was so excited, she looked at her granddaughter and said, “You can help me take my jewelry out of the plastic bags and put them in my new jewelry box!”  I cringed at the words “plastic bags.”  However, I applauded the customer for the serious upgrade.

I doubt if the little girl knew that one day she may own that same jewelry box.   It will have monetary value and a sentimental value that will be priceless.  That little girl will have fond memories of helping her grandmother to place treasures of adornment in a little tiger striped box that brought so much joy.

This is called Queen of the Nile

That’s the aim of RDC’s creations.  We design and create works of art that are functional, beautiful, and intended to become heirlooms that will be proudly passed down with sweet stories and precious memories from generation to generation.  Most of all, these wooden beauties are one-of-a-kind.  So the little girl in this story will have a jewelry box as unique as her memories.

Classic Charm and sophistication! Perfect Wedding day and everyday selections flaunting signature woven pearl style, over-the top design, rhinestone brooches, and fabulous beading…wow factor indeed! Every piece has a story and as you embark on this journey why not participate with such Broochaliscious style…besides, your neck is just too hungry to pass these up! Total Accessorization and timeless style and design. ZiLLA’s QuEeN brings you Wedding Delights & much much more!

Charmed,
ZiLLA’s QuEeN

Shop: www.ZiLLAsQuEeN.Etsy.com
FB: ZiLLA’s QuEeN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ZiLLAsQuEeN

How do you do Vintage? The beauty in Vintage lies within the actual pieces’ ability to speak with you. Brooches are my favorite pieces to “Remix!” As I received these fascinating pieces Broochaliscious ideas took flight! Fabulous brooch finds placed together, offering total accessorization…just scrumpscious! Jewelry transformed with fantastic necklaces with the thinking “your neck is just too hungry to pass these up”! The brooches long lasting appeal doesn’t stop there…Broochaliscious designs from the Queen highlights Vintage-Inspired Handbags adorned with charming gloves, sparkling brooches, & handmade bib flower necklaces that can double as belts! One-of-a-kind pieces to reflect timeless style & design! Lovely accessory & keepsake!

So when the QuEeN wonders, “How do you do Vintage?” please reflect on the history, gift, and legacy behind such pieces as they reach our hands. The journey is what captivates me and sending these pieces on even further is the real gift! Beauty is truly within the eye of the beholder…so kindly BEHOLD THIS and share the love on your neck!

Charmed -ZiLLA’s QuEeN 
As always, The Queen reminds you…”Never leave home without your charm!”

www.ZillasQuEeN.Etsy.com

I just wanted to share with you a short contest I just ran on my facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ShendoeCeramics) that was super fun and easy for my friends.  I was just about 16 people shy of my 2011 goal of having 400 fans, so I ran a contest asking for existing fans to share my site and if one of their friends became the 400th fan, then both of them would get one of my handmade porcelain necklaces.  It worked wonderfully and in two days I had my winners!  To say thank you to all of my friends on Facebook for participating, I gave them a coupon code for my etsy ( FRIENDS11 ).

Just thought I would share this idea with all of you … feel free to use the coupon code and join my FB page.

Thanks for being part of the handmade community,

shen…

www.shendoe.etsy.com

One of the things that make handmade jewelry so appealing is that no two pieces are ever identical. Even if you purchase a piece that has been made several times, it will still be different from the others like it simply because you cannot exactly duplicate handmade design.

In addition, many people who create handmade jewelry opt for pieces that are less common than what is traditionally worn. This allows those wearing the jewelry to create a look that is individual to them and will never end up being just another part of the crowd.

Handmade jewelry is also popular because it is often so affordable. Where some pieces may cost an enormous amount, handmade jewelry is often considered to be less expensive. You are paying for the materials and the person’s time creating a one-of-a-kind piece and that is appealing to many.

The simple fact is that there are plenty of reasons to love handmade jewelry. Whether it be the look or the cost, you are certain to find your own reason to love it.

As with many places, Debora and I tend to work in spurts of creativity.  She will look at her beads and wire over and over.  Then she will see a way to put together a piece.  In the past week, she has made several beautiful pieces of wearable art.  Here are two of her creations (as thumbnails), the first features a seahorse pendant “under the sea.”  The second I called a “Gypsy” necklace due to the pattern on the beads. I had a clasp that would go with the beads. 

Every time that she produces, I have the honor of adding the clasps and chain to her creations trying to maintain her vision.  In between, I try to do a little creating of my own.  My last pieces have been made with copper.  I had cut some cabochons and was trying to think of some special way of making something with them other that wire wrapping or bezel setting.  I saw a piece that Laura Bracken (in California) had made using resin in a frame of wire wrapping.  Applying that simple idea, I made a copper piece (textured, dapped and patinated) then set the cabochons in the bowl that I had made (30 by 40 mm oval) and filled up part of the bowl with clear resin.  The second piece shown here is a copper and turquoise chip “Tree of Life.”  The ring is 12 gauge soft round wire, the solder join is hidden in the base of the tree.  We will be continuing our creation of wearable art.

JR Aquamarine Pendant

Freeform cabochon aquamarine weighing 43 carats in a Sterling silver wire frame accented with glass beads.  The pendant is about 3 inches high

Also did some playing with copper wire, here is that resulting bracelet:

AK Woven Copper Bracelet

12 gauge dead soft round copper wire woven into this 8 inch  cuff bracelet.  After weaving the three wires the bracelet was flattened with hammer and anvil to make a single thickness presentation.

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving.

John

Funky Felt Flowers and More…

You can also just search Halloween on the HAFshop and you’ll see a whole bunch of other creations as well.

Maybe some Halloween Earrings will be the touch you need!

Regardless of what your looking for the Handmade Artists’ Shop has what you need! Handmade from the Artist, everyday.

In another working idea, I took some 20 gauge square half hard copper wire and wound it on a 3 mm mandrel to make jump rings. These were cut from the mandrel with a jeweler’s saw, then put together to make the chain for this necklace. A dichroic glass pendant that accents the copper color in the chain hangs along the necklace.

Please excuse the quality of my photographs. I enjoyed making these pieces, and am continuing in my creation of custom work.

Code of Federal Regulations

Title 16: Commercial Practices, Part 23 – Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals and Pewter Industries

This discussion will briefly discuss part of the above regulations, the entire Part 23 can be found online as the e-CFR™. This will not be the entire regulations, but a summary of the pertinent parts. For this particular discussion, I will limit the discussion to only those parts regarding metals. Future discussion will focus on gemstones and pearls.

These regulations are applicable to anyone who produces a product that is …”fabricated from precious metals (gold, silver and platinum group metals), precious metal alloys and their imitations.” Thus these can be construed to also include the precious metal clays or any plated or filled metals.

Gold must only be used to describe items that products that are composed throughout of an alloy of gold of at least 10 karat fineness. The gold regulations include definitions of what is Gold Plate, Gold Filled, Gold Electroplate and several other terms. The real cruxt is that the Artisan can not use the word Gold to describe the product made, unless it is composed of at least 10 karat gold content. The fineness of the Gold must also be included, the fineness can only refer to any component of least fineness. Thus a product made of two different finenesses must be called the least fine.

The term “Sterling Silver” is restricted to describe an industry product that is at least 925 parts per thousand silver. The alloying metal is not restricted to copper. The term “Coin Silver” can be used to describe a product that is at least 900 parts per thousand silver.

Platinum Group Metals include platinum, iridium, paladium, ruthenium, rhodium abn osmium. Platinum must be at least 950 parts per thousand platinum to be called platinum. This applies to all of the group metals.

Simply put, if your product does not entirely meet the minimum quality to be called gold, silver and/or platinum you can not use that term in any part of your name or description of the product. There are no exceptions for these regulations based on size or type of the jewelry producer. Those of us in the Artisan jewelry industry must follow these regulations.

Before I made the cabochons (today), I had finished my commissioned ring for a geologist who works for an oil company that has many wells in Indonesia.  This man got some rough diamonds from a mine there.  I made him a bracelet featuring 7 of his diamonds.  This is a ring with another of the rough diamonds in a bezel setting on top of a map of the area where the diamonds are found.  The diamond actually is on top of the mine location.  The colored map is visible through clear resin that holds the bezel in place.

John

Featured Artist T.Rusk4u

In addition to the necklace, I have been able to complete a commissioned piece for a geologist.  He wanted a bracelet (17 cm in length) made with Sterling Silver, that shows a cross bedded fluvial environment.  This is the background for the bracelet. The foreground is a river that is meandering.  The 10 gauge round wire shows the river, and also is the wave uncomformity in the cross-section.  In the slow inner portion of the meanders, rough diamonds were placed.  These were set with prongs and a ledge cut into the round wire.  Each of the rock strata were physically patterned, then patinated with Liver of Sulfur to create colors for different sections.  See thumbnail above.  Click on the thumbnails to see a full sized image.

Final item for this edition of my blog is a combination project.  While in Helen, GA, Debora and I went to a fee mine and bought several geodes.  I cut them into slices, them strung them from a crescent of brass to make a wind chime.  Also did a little polishing.  Here it is:

“Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder” showcases 247 images chosen
from entries from over 55 artists representing North America, South
America, Europe, Australia, Central America, Africa and Eurasia.

The drive to adorn the human body is surely as old as human kind.
From pre-historic times this drive has led humans to use the
materials at hand, combined with the technologies and tools
available, to create objects to adorn the human body. The oldest
jewelry found to date goes back to at least 75,000 years ago in
Africa.

Early jewelry was made of bones, shells, sticks, and whatever other
materials the people could find and shape. Over time the ability to
mine and shape metal developed, and jewelry was made from bronze,
silver, gold, platinum and other metals. Gold has long been thought
of as a “precious” metal, and today it is joined by silver and
platinum as the three main materials modern jewelry is made from.

While much jewelry today is made from these three main metals, a
large body of jewelry world-wide is still made from a much wider
range of materials. This exhibition, “Beauty is in the Eye of the
Beholder”, focuses on jewelry made primarily of materials other than
gold, platinum and silver.

Jewelers today are still using found objects such as shell and bone;
they are using “green” materials – upcycled and recycled objects and
materials; they are using cutting edge plastics and newly developed
technology; and they are using older metals such as copper, brass
and bronze.

Some of the more unusual materials include vinyl LP’s, velvet, VCR
components, rattlesnake vertebrae, corian, canvas, paper, crab
claws, magnets, synthetic rubber electrical insulation tubing, and
aluminum grounding wire.

More traditional materials used include copper, bronze, brass,
glass, various types of wood, gemstones, pearls and seeds.

Techniques range from traditional metalsmithing, through a range of
beading techniques, textile techniques, photography techniques and
cutting edge industrial fabrication.

Participants range from professional jewelers with international
reputations to students just learning their craft.

Hosted on the Ganoksin website, the world’s largest internet site
devoted to jewelry- related topics, the exhibition is a snapshot of
what jewelers around the world are exploring, and an inspiration to
all. The exhibition was conceived Beth Wicker, an artist from South
Carolina, in the USA, and curated by Beth and Hanuman Aspler, founder
of the Ganoksin Project.

Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/beb

For more information about the Exhibition please contact: Beth Wicker
onlineexhibition@earthlink.net or Dr. E. Aspler (Hanuman)
service@ganoksin.com

Dr. E. Aspler (Hanuman)
Owner and founder

Rules of the Challenge:

1.) Entries must be directly food-themed. For example: You can carve a stamp out of a potato and enter that into the contest. However, you can’t enter a card that was merely stamped with the potato stamp (unless the card itself is also food-themed).
2.) Entries can be created from food (e.g., a macaroni necklace), can be a resemblance of food (e.g., a “cake” made from diapers), or can very obviously contain food-related materials (e.g., a journal made from recycled cereal boxes; a sorting game made from cupcake containers).
3.) To enter the contest, you must take a picture of your completed entry and post it, along with a brief explanation of the entry. Everyone who sees the picture should be able to tell what is food-related in your entry (an initial explanation of the entry may be necessary, but we shouldn’t have to have a hard time deciphering what is food-related in your entry).
4.) Any entries that do not follow these rules WILL be disqualified!!

Contestants Prize:

We try to be as generous as we can afford to our participants so that their hard work and effort do not go to waste. The winning artist will receive $25.00 cold hard cash to spend on anything they want. The winning contestant will also a win a free shop for life on the Handmade Artists’ Shop!

Voters and Commentor Prizes:

All who vote and leave a comment saying that you voted, will be automatically entered to win  several prizes show below donated from our lovely members as well as a $25.00 cash to spend on anything you want from the Handmade Artists’ Shop! If you vote and do not leave a comment you will not be entered you must do both to be eligible to win the prizes.

The first prize is a plant poker made from copper wire and enamel charms Lovingly donated by BohemianGrove	The second prize is a polymer clay cake donated by one of our earliest members Haffina of HaffinaCreations	The third Prize is a lovely pendant Donated by Bobbiwired of Bobbi’s Imaginations-Jewelry
The forth prize is a 200 page mini journal from our wonderful Blue Highways		ArtsyCrafty is donating this baby dress for a 12 month old

So there are 5 prizes plus CASH! All you need to do is vote and comment

Contest Entries!

It’s a brownie, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry with hot fudge sauce by WelshDragonDesigns
_____________________________________________________________
Three knit Sushi Rolls by Dahlish Knits
_____________________________________________________________
A Pop Tart Journal by Blue Highways
_____________________________________________________________
Handmade Mardi Gras cake by Reef Botanicals
_____________________________________________________________
Mario mushroom bath fizzie by Choshu
_____________________________________________________________
Fairy House plant poke made from bread dough by BohemianGrove
_____________________________________________________________
How to cook Apple-Strawberry Jam by One stroke painting
_____________________________________________________________
Red, White, and Blue Polymer Clay Cupcake Necklace by Karoger87
_____________________________________________________________
The mouse takes the cheese lampwork by Loves Devotion

[poll id='11"]

Voting ends July 31st at 12:00 pm EST!

The ring of course was a bit more difficult.  In this case, I bought the ring shank and the head from a casting company.  Then I had to size the shank, solder the head in place, pickle the piece, then polish it.  Unlike a lot of artisan jewelers, I do not own a tumbler, so I hand polish all my pieces.  Final polishing is done with Dremel and red rouge.  

This is so much fun, sometimes I forget that I have other things to do (like sleep). Everyone, have a great summer.