Silver wire wrapped Rhodonite earrings with Swarovski crystals

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday. Mine was pretty busy with jewelry and book-related stuff (not to mention holiday parties!), but things have settled down as they usually do at the start of the new year.

Happily, my enameling class kicks off the winter/spring session tomorrow; meanwhile, I've had time to make several new jewellery pieces.

A woman recently purchased my silver wire wrapped pink oval necklace with pearls and asked if I had any matching earrings. I'd just happened to buy a string of small, pink, oval Rhodonite stones, so I came up with this pair of earrings to go with the pendant:

Though it's difficult to tell from my photo, the stones are quite small; maybe 3/4 of an inch across at the widest point. I tried making them with pearls to perfectly match the necklace, but the crystal pearls I have were just too big for the design on this size stone. The wire kept buckling and the pearls wouldn't lay right.

After a few attempts, I moved on to using Swarovski crystal bicones, which are much smaller than the pearls. I tried to make the design with two crystals, but again, they didn't fit right. Finally, I went with only one crystal, but enlarged the spiral... and voila! I came up with a design that works!

I'm not a huge fan of pink, but I like the rose color of these Rhodonite stones. The pink isn't too bright and the dusty shade gives the stones a vintage look, especially with the oval shape. When I see them, I think of cameo jewelry, which is why I get a vintage feel from these pieces.

I was surprised when I discovered I'd sold all of my pink stone pieces. When I went to purchase a new batch of beads (yes, these are technically beads, even though they're so large), I couldn't find the stones I'd originally bought -- probably about two years ago or so. Thankfully, I came across these large Rhodonite beads at Fire Mountain Gems.

I haven't used pink that often in my work -- but these pretty stones have made me rethink my color scheme. Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations. And check out LOVE NOTES, the anthology which features my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Photo Gallery: My Top 40 Wire Wrapped And Enamel Jewelry Pieces, Part IV

... And here are my very favorite 10 pieces from my Top 40 Birthday Collection! Be sure to check out Part 1, Part II and Part III, as well as my shops Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

That silver ring with the cut-outs is the first thing I ever made in my metalsmithing class. Honestly, I didn't care for the class all that much, but I do like the ring. The metal necklaces -- the copper and silver squares, the copper heart and the copper squiggle with turquoise beads -- are important to me because I made them in my husband's office on the day that I was let go from my job at the magazine. I wasn't sure what the future held for me, but making these pieces calmed my nerves and made me feel a bit better about my life. Once I sold them, I felt as if my choice to go into jewelry making full time were validated.

The silver wire wrapped chandelier earrings with blue crystals are a favorite of mine because they remind me of the jewelry I saw when I was in Egypt many years ago. Meanwhile, I'm proud of the complex enamel pieces that I made: the cat (who's based on my cat, Maya), the hamsa pendant and the champleve fish necklace with turquoise beads. That hamsa pendant took forever to make, but was finally sold. The champleve necklace represents me learning a new enameling technique.

By far, my favorite piece of all is the copper wire wrapped necklace and earring set, Nefertitit's Kiss. This took me weeks to make, but it was worth it. It was a finalist in the 2012 Firemountain Gems And Beads Jewelry Making Competition and was featured on the poster for a local art fair last fall. I've also sold a few -- always a bonus!

Thank you for celebrating my 40th birthday with me! It's easy to feel younger when you have a passion -- and making jewelry is one of mine.

Photo Gallery: My Top 40 Wire Wrapped And Enamel Jewelry Pieces, Part III

This week, in honor of my 40th birthday, I'm posting my picks for my top 40 wire wrapped, enamel and anodized aluminum jewelry pieces. Below is my photo gallery for Part III. Be sure to check out Part I and Part II. Almost everything can be purchased at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

You probably recognize my rainbow "Happy Heart" earrings from the main photo on this blog. I love the bright, fun colors -- and apparently other people do, too, which is why these silver wire wrapped earrings remain one of my most popular items. I also like the purple chandelier heart earrings. I took my basic filigree design and expanded on it to come up with these funky statement earrings.

That spiral silver wire wrapped ring is a favorite of mine because it's so simple and elegant. Meanwhile, that copper ring with the Swarovski crystals is one where I was playing around with copper wire and came up with that design. What's interesting about it is that I only used one long piece of wire to make it; it continues to amaze me how a simple piece of wire can be turned into something intricate.

That enamel skull piece is something that I made for my dad -- and is the only thing that I've ever made for a male. I've had some men purchase my items, like the infinity rings, but I mainly market to women and girls. Perhaps I should make more skull items? It's different from my usual style.

That wire wrapped snowflake necklace is something that I put together during a long, dull craft fair. It was a terrible holiday fair where the CD broke and played "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" literally about 200 times. Meanwhile, the fair organizers basically took the vendors' money and ran, so there were almost no customers who came through. While sitting there waiting, I made this necklace ... so something good came from a bad day.

As for that mixed metal triangle necklace, that was a semi-finalist in the Fire Mountain Gems And Beads 2012 jewelry making competition. It didn't go as far as my "Nefertiti's Kiss" necklace, but I was proud of my work.

Bad News, Good News

First, some bad news: I did not win any prizes in Firemountain Gems' jewelry making contest. Two of my wire wrapped jewelry pieces were finalists, but I didn't win any of the big prizes.

Of course I'm disappointed in the outcome, but I'm not disappointed in myself. I put a lot into both necklaces and came up with some creative wire wrapped designs that I hadn't yet tried. And the pieces that did win are gorgeous. Firemountain Gems seems to favor large, chunky pieces and they also seem to really like work that was done with precious metal clay. I'd consider doing a PMC piece except it's a really EXPENSIVE material and I'd hate to use that much for a necklace that may or may not win. So if I decide to enter again next year, I'll probably do some more wire wrapped jewellery. Even if I don't have a chance at winning, I do like the idea of being creative and testing my limits.

One thing that is really cool is that they photographed a judge wearing my necklaces. I hadn't seem them on anyone other than myself, so I enjoyed seeing it displayed

Meanwhile, I do have some good news: On November 18, I'll be selling my jewelry at the Riverdale Temple in Riverdale, NY. I have to get up really early for this show and it'll be a bit of trip getting to the Bronx from Queens, but I'm looking forward to it. I had such a great time selling at Temple Beth-El in Patchogue, NY, so why not participate at another temple fair? I like the intimacy of the set-up; plus, we're getting into the holiday season so people will be eager to buy gifts.

I think that from now on, I'm going to stick with doing smaller fairs and events. I've done some larger ones and those just haven't been as successful for me. I was discussing this with one of my jewelry classmates and she reasoned that vendors can get diluted at larger fairs. Sure, you may have 30,000 people attending, but if there are 300 vendors present, your stand can get lost in the crowd. Also, many people go to big fairs or flea markets just to look and wander, and not to buy. At the smaller events, people are more likely to come up to you and ask questions, and give you a chance to actually make that sale. Besides, the large fairs always ask for an expensive registration fee -- and the sales just haven't been worth it.

This will be my fourth craft fair this fall. My goal is to do three more. We're coming up close on Christmas so this will be a stretch, but if I work hard, I think I can do it.

To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations. To purchase my novel, check out REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Big News! Fire Mountain Gems' Jewelry Contest

I have some exciting news to share! Two of the three pieces that I entered into Fire Mountain Gems' jewelry making contest have been accepted into the final round for the wire and metalwork category!

The two that made it into the finals are my Middle Eastern inspired wire wrapped bib necklace and chandelier earring set, Nefertiti's Kiss:

And my modern art-inspired necklace, Try, Tri Again:

My wire wrapped earrings, Pretty In Pink, did NOT make the cut:

I'm SOOOOO happy about making it this far!!!! I was hoping to get one entry into the finals and was banking on the wire wrapped jewelry set to make it. So I'm thrilled that two pieces of mine have made it. Obviously, I'd love to win in my division because the prize is sweet: a $1000 gift certificate for Fire Mountain and a lot of publicity. But I can honestly, honestly say that I'm overjoyed just to be at this stage. Jewelry making is still a fairly new part of my life; I haven't even been doing it for two years (it'll be my two year anniversary as a jewelry artist in August), so this says to me, "Hey, you're legit. We take you seriously in this world." It means that my probably crazy decision to work full time in this art and on my business isn't THAT insane -- and that I'm good enough at it that people appreciate my work.

I have no idea what will happen next, and if I even have a shot at winning. I've seen the work of past winners and it's pretty amazing! So to be in that company is an honor in itself.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations.

Jewelry Making Toys!

This week my blogging is a little spotty because my cousin is in town visiting. I actually didn't know that she existed until this past January when she contacted me on Facebook. She'd found an old letter of my mom's and used that information to find me. So she and my mom did a little family tree work and we're second cousins twice removed or something like that.

Anyway, she's around my age and we've been keeping in touch, and thankfully, she's really cool. And she gave me the best present -- a gift certificate to Fire Mountain Gems!

I have another gift certificate from my birthday so I'm now debating what kinds of jewelry "toys" I want to get. A soldering gun? An enameling kiln? Neither is too expensive and it would be nice to be able to work on more complicated projects at home. Although knowing me, I'll end up buying more pretty crystals or wire!

I love that I have all of these options when it comes to jewelry making. Even adults can have fun playing with stuff!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations.

My Fire Mountain Gems And Beads Jewelry-Making Contest Pieces

This year, I decided to take a chance and enter a few of my pieces in the Fire Mountain Gems And Beads jewelry-making contest. They have several categories, including ones for seed beads and Swarovski elements. I entered the one for wirework, metal and metal clay. The grand prize is $1000 credit at their online store. Imagine how many beads you could buy!!!

This contest was challenging for me because I wanted to, of course, make quality items, but they also had to be more than just everyday earrings and necklaces. They had to be art. This forced me to think outside of the box and come up with ideas and patterns that I hadn't yet conceived -- and at the same time, make wearable and functional jewelry. It took a lot of work, but I was happy with my results, whether I win something or not. Anyway, here are the designs I submitted:

Nefertiti's Kiss: This is a Middle-Eastern jewelry set made of copper wire and dark purple Swarovski crystal pearls. It's based on the lavish jewelry I saw when I visited Egypt as a child. Let me tell you -- making all of those tiny spirals was a labor of love!

Try, Tri Again: This necklace is made up completely of triangle pieces, each a different metal (copper, bronze and silver). I liked the idea of using one shape to build a larger structure. The name is not only a play on words, but reflects my approach to making this as it really did take me several tries to get what I wanted:

Pretty In Pink: These earrings are simple compared to the other two, but I wanted to submit something that included some basic wire wrapping. I used pink marble as the canvas and then wrapped each with silver wire and Swarovski crystal pearls.

To see or purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs On Etsy.