Jewelry

I worked on this piece over the last several days and it has been a joy to do.  I had forgotten just how satisfying it is to make something like this.  There is the sound that my wire cutters make when snipping jump rings, the swing of the hammer to work harden the wire, and, most of all, the satisfaction of creating something beautiful out of bits and pieces that seem rather ordinary by themselves but become something very different when finished.

The photo above gives a good indication of length though the colors are not as true as the detail photo below.

I made this copper collar for GFWC Legacy’s Time, Treasure and Talent Auction.  It is on it’s way to a wonderful home.

Vintage and Copper Collar

For my inspiration, I used a vintage earring that I purchased in Texas at a tag sale to benefit the Longview Symphony.  Interesting symmetry there…

As I modify this site, I will try to add some of the old pictures of my jewelry so that I can have more of a gallery later.  Most of these pieces have homes already.

Thanks for looking!

I love this necklace! The pendant was cast by a friend of my parents. He is a WWII vet who took up silver casting in retirement. Isn’t it beautiful? I chose to use pearls and peridot for this piece. They speak to me of spring when the dogwood blooms.

I was doing some product research today when I stumbled upon a bracelet at a very fancy department store.  I was looking at beaded friendship bracelets after posting about some I made on my general crafty blog.

The bracelet I found had 5 or 6 rows of beads woven in a pattern on leather cord.  It was beautiful!  But I am quite bothered by the price.  It was being sold for $10!!!!  The bracelet was clearly marked as imported and was not on sale.  This means that the store maybe paid $3 for the bracelet and company that imported it maybe paid $1 for it.  This is not sustainable!  If you are going to buy a piece of jewelry that is imported, please make sure fair trade policies are followed!  It is not fair trade for anyone when handmade items are sold at a fraction of their worth.  We have to take responsibility for our spending.  Choose to support workers / artisans by purchasing where fair trade policies are followed!  Better yet?  Support your local artisans.  Arts are a vital part of the community and the economy.