There is nothing wrong with the materials in my scrap bowl, I frequently pull bits and pieces and recycle them as part of new work. But when I throw a new creation in there I feel I failed to achieve my goal for this day.

Today I got a wonderful surprise with great potential:) I see a few places to tweak and polish before I add it to my listings but I am very pleased, what do you think? This piece is reversible,I would wear it either direction. This is a freeform piece of silky polished moonstone with a sweet peachy pink color and fabulous luster not showing in my photos. This will look great on a leather cord with one of my hand wrapped forged clasps. Watch for it to appear soon in my Handmade shop NancysWildWire

Thanks for your interest:)

Back view Do you like my doodles?

My doodles

In order to create my art, I first cut the stone that will go in the piece, then design around that.  Here are two stones cut in the lapidary in the past week.  The first is a piece of Lapis Lazuli about 2.5 inches long and it is very heavy.  Will probably use it in a horizontal position in a necklace.  Way too large for a ring.

The second is a free form cabochon made with “Pudding” jasper.  Feel free to change the adjective ‘dding’ to anything that you think describes the stone.

I will wait, but am currently working on a mixed metal pendant (gold and silver) with a highly included rutilated quartz *16 mm round faceted stone.  Another project is a ring to ask Debbie to marry me “again” next October on our anniversary. A friend is cutting this as I certainly can not do it in my shop.  Any way, that is the news so far for the day after Thanksgiving.

John

John has always had a love of collecting rocks and minerals, but only began creating wearable art in the last few years.  John did major in geology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York where he earned both a B.S. and a M.S. degree.  After this, he put in 42 years of service starting as a volunteer firefighter and later working for Emergency Medical Services.  While putting his time and energy into working for the community, he taught geology at a local high school and later teaching EMS at University Hospital and Community College.

While this kept John busy; he also has a wife, four children, and eight grandchildren to fill his days.  In his spare time, though I can’t imagine where that would be, he loves lapidary, reading, chess, football, soccer and ice hockey. 

So how does one go from firefighter/teacher to wearable art creator?  According to John, his darling wife bought a batch of gemstones and dropped them on him stating “You’re the geologist, identify these!”  Well, now that they are identified John had to find something to do with them…and GemLover was born!  Since that fateful day, John set up a complete gem identification lab and learned wire wrapping and then lapidary cutting.  Not happy to stop there, John began to combine sheet metals with his stones and wire to create stunning works of art.  He continues to learn about his art through self research as well as taking classes from the International Gem Society, Gemological Institute of America and Penn Foster Career School.  If all this wasn’t enough, John is the current President of Western South Carolina Gem and Mineral Society in Greenville, SC and Guild Master for Artfire Artisan Jewelers Guild not to mention an active member of the HandmadeArtistsForum.

John is passionate about his work and offers this advice to all those that are considering selling their own handmade creations, “Do not expect to be able to sell without a lot of work in marketing yourself/shop/work.  Do not underprice your work just to sell it.  That devalues all our work.”

John does not have a brick and mortar shop, but can be found on various places on the web.  You can check John out on the Handmade Artist’ Shop, Artfire, Blog, Facebook 

We can create unique pieces to match something you already have or a new outfit.  I use a lot of gemstones like malachite, lapis, tigereye, etc.  I like to mix the medias so that we get lots of variation in color and depth.

I am new to Handmade Artists Shop and the Forum blog.   So I though I would give all of  you  a short blog to start off by, providing my links to where I sell and what forums I belong to:

Handmade Artists’ Shop:  http://handmadeartists.com/shop/MyriadDesign

Etsy:http://www.etsy.com/people/Myriaddesignjewelry?ref=si_pr

Blogspot: http://myriaddesignblog.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Myriad_Design-Artisan-Crafted-Jewelry-and-more/211888015504463

Artisan Jewelry Designers: http://artisanjewelrydesigners.ning.com/profile/LindaEkblad

Twitter: http://twitter.com/myriad_design

Check these sites out to find out a little more about me, what I sell and my interests.  I am glad to be a part of another Artists’ forum.

Myriad Design Jewelry

Several people have asked over time to see what I start with and then what has been produced.  While Debbie and I were in Helen, we went gem mining.  One of the rough stones we found was a piece of amazonite (feldspar).  I decided to make a cabochon (18×13 mm oval) that would fit a cabochon head that I already had in stock (purchased from Tripps).

In this thumbnail (click to see larger image) are the amazonite rough stone, the purchased head to mount the stone after making the ring and cutting the stone and a section of 8 gauge half round half hard Sterling Silver wire.  These items are made into a ring size 7.  I took the wire, wrapped it around a ring mandrel and sawed the wire to be size 7, then marked the width of the head and opened the wire to match that size and ground the wire ends to match the angle of the head.  Meanwhile, yesterday, I went to our gem society workshop and cut the cabochon.  Combining everything meant soldering the wire to the head, pickling this and then polishing the ring without the stone in it.  I do this by hand (no tumbler in my shop).  Then the amazonite cabochon was mounted in the head and the ring is completed.

That is the story of how I make a ring.

John

The rest of the 20 inch necklace was made with fluorite chips and silver colored ball chain. The next necklace was made with an amethyst cabochon. I had an amethyst crystal about 5 inches long. I cut the crystal into two pieces along the c-axis and then cabbed each stone. One has been completed with wrapping with 22 gauge Sterling silver square half hard wire in a criss cross pattern. The resulting pendant is about 3 inches by 1/2 inch. Here are my two pictures of this beautiful wire wrapped pendant.

Now I am watching the first game of the finals for the Stanley Cup, Boston playing Vancouver. Even though Boston beat the Flyers, I will root for them as they are one of the original six teams.

The next two, the last finished this morning, were crafted from prismatic beads in the shop inventory.  The first was made with copper goldstone beads and copper chain and findings.  The second was crafted from specular hematite beads using brass plated steel wire and findings to complete the necklace.

Today, one of my friends will be coming over to the shop to begin his journey toward gems and jewelry.  He is young and wants to begin learning.  So today he will start learning about gems and their properties.  With temperatures predicted in the 90s this weekend, I will enjoy staying inside to work in the shop at my bench.

Hearts of Stone creates lovely one of a kind (OOAK) handmade jewelry. Her shop name says it all hearts as she uses a  lot of hearts in her design and stone as most of her work is just that stone.

Such as these beautiful Love Never Gets Old earrings.

Dramatic coral fossil squares sit between ocean jasper squares and hearts. Each stone accompanied with a Swarovski crystal. Gun metal hardware, nickel free.

These Spicy Love Earrings leave your imagination wondering as they are just plain hot!

Carved cinnabar coin inbetween deep red crystal rondelles, Accented by a shiny onyx heart, jet bicone and coral rondelle. Nickel free hardware.

For the best in handmade earrings make sure you check out Hearts of Stone on the Handmade Artists’ Shop!

It is the dream of many to combine their passions into their business but not many are able to accomplish it.  Cheli, a resident of Ontario, Canada has managed to combine her love for history and her love for creating beautiful jewelry into stunning works of wearable art.

One of the beauties of handmade is that you work directly with the artist.  Cheli is always willing to work out custom sized and personalized designs for her customers which means your piece will always suit your personal style.

Necklaces, bracelets and earrings…one more beautiful than the next would make a perfect gift for men or women or, even better, a treat for yourself.

If this isn’t enough, this multi-talented designer is also a talented painter.  Trays to brighten up any room are available.

Need to see more?  Check out Enchanted Jewelry on the HandmadeArtistsShop and prepare to be stunned at the glittery array of precious metal and gems that you find.

Hailing from Arizona there stones are well traveled though, here is a quote from their site “We sell all natural stone in sterling  silver and gold custom handmade jewelry.  All natural cutting rough stone for the cutter.  All stones are hand -cut in our (in-house lapidary shop).   We feature the finest  Pink,  Green  and  Bi-color Tourmaline Crystal Specimen’s ,  Faceted Stones and Cabbing Rough from San Diego, California, Koroit Opal Boulder rough and finished stones from Queensland Australia .  Concave Cut Faceted  Stones of Peridot from San carlos, Arizona.   Specimens from many famous locations”.

This piece is just amazing “This is real, natural Gold in Quartz. This piece came from Gympie, Queensland, Australia. Gympie is an old gold mining town situated along the Bruce Highway on the Fraser Coast. You can find out about the mining industry in Gympie at the Gympie District Historical and Mining Museum.”

Make sure you stop by and take a look at their shop

All in Vein on The Handmade Artists’ Shop there are too many stunning pieces to mention so you have to look for yourself

http://tuscanroad.etsy.com

Tuscan Road On the HAFshop

http://tuscanroad.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuscan-Road-Designs/87318699378

My handcrafted pieces my also be found at www.missvalscreations.artfire.com and www.missvalscreations.1000markets.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/missvalscreations

Blog:  www.missvalscreations.blogspot.com

Creating jewelry is a “pleasurable madness.” My designs range from traditional, classic, elegant and timeless, to whimsical and fun. I use only high quality AAA semi-precious gemstones with 14k and 18k gold in the Luxury Gemstone Collection. The Swarovski Crystal Collection and the Classic Stone Collection are made using 14k gold-filled, sterling silver or Argentium silver, while the Fused Dichroic Glass Collection incorporates gemstones with 14k gold-filled, sterling silver or Argentium silver. Other precious metals are also used. And, of course, custom requests are always welcome. 

Find my collections at Sirona Jewelry.

My art and design background inspires me to create unusual pieces composed of faceted gemstones in a stunning mixture of colors and shapes. My creations are designed for customers who appreciate high-quality pieces that transcend time.

My original handcrafted jewelry is composed of faceted precious and semi precious gems that have been purchased from all over the world. Most items are one of a kind because of the limited resources of some of the gems. My work has been featured in Tammy Powley’s latest book titled “Mixed Media Jewelry”, as well as Sandra Salamony’s book titled “1000 Jewelry Inspirations”. 

Buy jewelry at Classic Designs

Miki is known to the world as Michele Stewart. She is a graduate of the HS of Art & Design, an avid reader, cat lover and artist in multi-media. Beginning with a passion for needle arts, she has wholeheartedly embraced the art of jewelry. Using silver, gold, natural and simulated gemstones, Swarovski crystals and anything else she can get her hands on, Miki’s designs are delicate, original and improving all the time. You can also contact Michele for one on one design consultation.

Cat a.k.a. Cat Nissenfeld a.k.a. Madam Miau, is a renowned Psychic, Reiki Master and burgeoning Shaman as well as an artist extraordinaire. Her designs are bold, full of color and verve as well as healing and infused with her own vibrant personality. Cat has been designing and making jewelry for over 20 years, using everything from delicate seed beads to sterling silver one-of-a-kind castings in lost wax. Every one of Cat’s pieces are infused with healing energy. You can contact Cat to consult or order Chakra or Healing pieces.

Check out the Mikicat Design Store.
We’re also on Etsy

While hiking in the Adirondack Mountains of New York several years ago, Bill and I discovered our first piece of garnet. Thus, the birth of Jems by JB & Company (Judy and Bill), our hopes for an early retirement!!  We have since worked with many other semi-precious gemstones and have brought some of our stones from their raw state to the beautiful finished pieces that we now offer for sale. We try to create pieces that will appeal to all ages and fashion trends.

Our five children and their respective spouses, Jeff and Chrissy, Kyle and Scotti, Allie, Michelle, Jen and Matt, serve as our “testers” and give us advice on what they feel will sell. Although we both have full time careers that keep us pretty busy, we spend our free time designing new pieces. I am considered the creative genius behind this operation and Bill is manufacturing.

We still enjoy our rides to the mountains where we continue to find treasures that inspire our creations. We are featured at many of the craft shows locally and can design anything based on your budget and taste.

Check out our bead supplies at our other Etsy shop, ‘Beaders Booty’. We are proud members of JET (Jewelry on ETSY), BBEST (Boomers and Beyond) Street Teams!

Check out Jems by JB on Etsy.
Find supplies at Beaders Booty.
We’re also on Artfire.
Read our Blog.

Elena has recently  expanded her repertoire into metal smithing and Precious Metal Clay, taking classes from renowned Bay Area artists such as Iris Sandkühler, Tom Colson, and Virginia Huffman.

Elena frequently incorporates semiprecious stones, untreated and undyed specimens, along with sterling and fine silver. 

Elena Adams  website has as a wonderful  sample of her  designs.  She  welcomes custom designs and more designs are available for viewing on request.

We use only the best materials and we take pride in every piece we make. We use everything from silver, gemstones, crystals and just about anything that catches our eye! We will also do requests and customize size, color, etc…to your specification. 

Find our work at LuSanda Jewelry Artisan Studio at Artfire.

For me creating is a way for me to nurture and rejuvenate my spirit. As a caregiver and nurturer to my husband who was diagnosed with ALS, better known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” in 1999, these are talismans that soothe and heal my soul. When I step into my studio I am able to create pieces from my heart, my mind goes places that I’ve never been.

I see colors and textures merging into one and my little creations are born-and it is so rewarding! Each one of my pieces tells a story-a story I could only envision in my mind.

Whether with energy boosting Carnelian, through the protective & soothing qualities of Jade, or in the strength-giving spirit of Agate, my Vintage Inspired Jewelry has given the ancient art of story telling a fashionable makeover.

The languages of love are not always found between the covers of a book. Instead, for me they are often spelled out in beads and baubles; with colorful crystals and gemstones and illuminated by glimmering glass.

Find my work at my Etsy shop.
Follow me on Twitter.
Read my blog.

I’m Laura, based in Toronto, Canada. I’ve been creating and selling jewelry for a few years, ever since a friend taught me the basics. I threw myself whole-heartedly into the venture and get quite a thrill when someone admires an item that I have created. I love to travel and get inspiration for my designs from places and people I have seen and met along the way.

My jewelry is both beaded and chainmaille, some of it a combination of both. All of my jewelry comes from a smoke free home. I’m a proud member of the Etsy team: Chainmaillers’ Guild. 

Find my creations at my Etsy shop.
My Artfire shop.
Check out my blog.

Although the art of wire wrapping is often credited to the Phoenician Empire, about 1000 BC, there is evidence of wire use in jewelry far earlier. Biblical scholars have identified wire sculpting as an art form dating as far back as 1446 BC, nearly 500 years before the Phoenicians. They site the event in Exodus 28 of Moses being instructed to create Aaron’s breastplate. The breastplate included gold rings and chains as well as 12 gemstones: ruby, topaz, beryl, turquoise, sapphire, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, onyx and jasper. These gems were all set with gold filigree.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines filigree as ” ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces.” In ancient times filigree was made from gold, silver or copper that had been hammered into fine thin sheets. These sheets were then cut into narrow strips. The edges of the strips were filed smooth thereby creating the wire. This method is generally recognized as the earliest technique for creating wire. There is later evidence of these strips being pulled through holes in stones or shells causing the strip to curl onto itself becoming a thin tube that was then used as wire.

Predating both the Phoenician Empire and the creation of Aaron’s breastplate were the Sumerians of Mesopotamia during the Ur Dynasty dating approximately 2560 BC. Some of the jewelry artifacts from this period clearly show the use of wire. The British Museum, the University of Pennsylvania Museum and the Iraq Museum have pieces of jewelry found in the Royal Cemetery of Ur(Iraq) that include gold sheet, beads and gold wire coils and hoops. Both men and women wore large amounts of jewelry in Mesopotamia as well as using it to decorate idols. Mesopotamian jewelers also practiced other techniques such as granulation, filigree, cloisonne, engraving and the art of carving gem stones.

The Ur artifacts were excavated between 1922 and 1934 by C. Leonard Woolley. Photos of many artifacts from this excavation along with the impressive Sumerian headdress of the Lady Puabi can be viewed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum website in the online gallery “Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur”. Recently a 2000 year old gold wire earring, set with emerald and pearls, was found in Jerusalem. It was discovered in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Giv‘ati car park at the City of David, in the area of the “Walls around Jerusalem National Park”. A photo of the earring and excavation site can be viewed at the Israel National News website.

Article written & submitted by Bonnie of Gravel Road Jewelry.        
                                                         

As for what I create, it’s easy to see that I’m most attracted to Swarovski crystals and pearls, but I adore gemstones also.  I really enjoy wire wrapping, so my goal is to perfect my skill in this technique.  I recently purchased a Wig Jig and am eager to take it for a test drive.  Over the past year I’ve made a number of pieces using copper wire in order to practice with wrapping. For now, I’m highly rewarded by, and having a good time just making jewelry that I find appealing, and that suits my level of experience. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this little story about me, and happy creating to you!

Check out more of my work at my Bead-space profile.
You can also follow me on Twitter.