Silver wire wrapped jewelry set with fused dichroic glass necklace, earrings and bracelet

This weekend, Jon and I visited family in Brattleboro, Vermont. It's a small, artsy town filled with galleries and funky shops. We happened to be there for the monthly "First Friday" celebration, so we took in a ukulele flash mob (so much fun!), a chamber music concert, and then went on the gallery walk.

While on the walk, we stopped by an artisan gallery that's filled with handmade crafts made by local -- and out-of-town -- artists. Most of the work is stunning; there are clay vases, blown glass sculptures, paintings ... and jewelry. I was surprised to see how reasonably priced the jewelry was and ended up purchasing a pair of earrings. Jon then said to me, "You know, you should see if you can get your stuff into this store."

At first, I said, "No" because I was dressed very casually in shorts and a T-shirt, and figured that they only accept Vermont-based artists. But then I was like, "What the hell? I'm IN the gallery and the worst that can happen is I'm told, 'No, thanks.' It won't kill me to ask."

So I did and got an enthusiastic response from the clerk. She was impressed with my glass pieces and handed me an application, explaining that their submissions are juried. I'm fine with that. I just want the opportunity to try.

One of the pieces I plan to submit via photo is this abstract glass jewelry set. I actually made this to include in my application for the upcoming local art festival, but now it will serve a second purpose. Hopefully, it will yield positive results for both the store and fair:

I've made several other jewelry sets, but this one is more complex. This is seven layers of fused dichroic glass, both etched and clear. I carefully planned out how to place each layer, so I could get that particular abstract design.

The earrings and bracelet were harder to design than the pendant because they're smaller. I had to alter the pattern a bit so I could fit the layers into a tinier space. I also used fewer layers -- five for each instead of seven -- because I didn't want the earrings to be too heavy. Still, the designs work as one whole concept, even if the individual pieces aren't completely matchy-matchy.

Since so much is going on in the design, I went with a simple silver wire wrapped chain and band. I added in a couple of spirals to complement the pattern, but didn't want to go overboard with the crystals or geometric shapes.

A lot of people call my glass pendants "stones," which is incorrect. I have to explain that they're not actually stones, but glass cabochons, which I cut, shaped and fused. However, I really do think this pendant resembles a stone -- perhaps an opal?

This year has been all about stretching myself as an artist and businesswoman. My efforts have been paying off, but I still have a lot of work to do. It would be wonderful if I could get my jewelry into this gallery. I'd be in great company.

Check out the rest of my jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Silver wire wrapped and fused dichroic glass jewelry set with Swarovski crystals: glass necklace, pendant, earrings and bracelet

Summer is usually quiet for my jewelry business, with August being especially dead. This year has been crazy, though -- not that I'm complaining! I had my class yesterday, plus I've had a bunch of large orders. Also, August 22 marks the deadline for submitting work to my town's annual art festival.

I was accepted into the festival last year and in 2013, but I was rejected in 2014. There are many talented artists in Queens, so I can't just assume I'll make it in. That was what killed me two years ago: my hubris. I didn't submit my best photos and a blurry picture kept me out of the event. Many more people now know of the fair so there's a lot of competition. I need to step up my game.

A few weeks ago, I completed a custom order for a woman who contacted me on Etsy. She had me make her an abstract fused glass jewelry set containing a wire wrapped necklace, earrings and a bracelet:

I loved designing these pieces, but it was a lot of work -- and a bit stressful at times because the customer had specific colors and patterns she liked. We were both really pleased with the end result, though, and I decided to create a similar glass jewelry set:

I had a lot more freedom when it came to making this and based my patterns around this gorgeous butterfly glass. This was an impulse purchase I made when I was ordering red dichro for the other set. I saw the butterflies and just had to have them! Now I'm trying to get my money's worth and use this glass as much as I can.

I also really like that gold-fuchsia glass that looks pink from certain angles and yellow from others. It's an unusual color, but is so pretty.

The first set's pendant is on a black cord, but I wanted something with a bit more "oomph" for the festival. I added rainbow colored Swarovski crystal bicones to the chain for an extra burst of colors. The crystals repeat in the bracelet chain. I was going to make the earrings with posts, but ended up turning them into dangle earrings with yet more crystals.

I get to submit three photos for the festival, though last year I submitted four since one enamel piece had a different pattern on each side. I'm definitely including this set, which will also be a show piece if I get in. I'm thinking of including a photo of the first set, as well as a picture of a wire wrapped item. We're not required to share photos of pieces that will actually be in the fair; they just have to represent our product.

I'm really hoping to make it into the fair this year. I sold many items in the last two and I'm especially excited to show off my glass. Also, I've become very involved in the community over the last year by working in the two nearby senior homes, and I enjoy being a part of the local art scene. I've met some wonderful artists and musicians and like being involved. Perhaps if I'm rejected, I can volunteer and help out at the festival in another way.

Whatever happens, I'm proud of what I've accomplished as a burgeoning glass artist. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm happy with what I'm creating along the way.

Check out my handmade wire wrapped, fused dichroic glass and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs, Glass By Naomi and MayaGirl Creations.

Adventures in jewelry making: silver wire wrapped fused dichroic glass jewelry set with necklace, bracelet and earrings

A few weeks ago, I got an interesting proposition from a potential customer. She asked if I'd be able to make her a custom, one-of-a-kind dichroic glass jewelry set featuring a necklace, earrings and bracelet. We discussed some ideas and I took on the challenge.

Making this set was a big deal for me, not only because this was a large order -- believe me, that's always nice! -- but because it was a chance for me to truly put my growing glass-fusing skills to the test. This woman was also the first stranger to order glass from me. I've already sold many dichroic items online, but they've all been to people I know. While I so appreciate my Facebook friends and acquaintances for supporting me, I'm happy to see my work making more of its way into the world.

This customer turned out to be a designer's dream. She communicated easily, was really nice... and had definite ideas for what kind of pieces she wanted. She went so far as to send me a colored sketch for the pendant. Now all I had to do was make this set come to life. Here is the finished result:

We began by discussing which colors she likes. She had some unusual ideas for combos: reds and purples, mixed with some patterns. She also liked this fuchsia and gold glass I have. The color is interesting, but a little odd: in some light, the glass looks neon pink, but in others, it appears to be yellow. I wasn't sure how well these colors would match up, but this woman had great ideas!

I first started on the bracelet, which was the easiest piece to make. Also, the links served as test strips so I could make sure the colors would fire properly. I made about 20 different color links and showed her the ones I thought she'd most like. She approved and the rest will be used to make other bracelets and necklace chains.

This customer really wanted red glass included in her design. I didn't have any on hand; plus, red is notoriously difficult to fire. When enameling, red tends to turn orange-y or brown, especially if you fire it for too long. However, I found two potential reds I could use: Candy Apple and Black Cherry. I hoped one would work.

Candy Apple was a dud. It's bright red before firing, but once it's put in the kiln, the glass turns orange. I tried to underfire it, but it still wasn't a pretty red. Happily, the Black Cherry worked and produced a nice, rich color. Even better, my customer loved it.

Altogether, she wanted six colors included in the piece, but also requested to keep the earrings small, at 12 mm each. I didn't want to cram six colors into such a tiny space, so I suggested that we do something funky and use three colors in each earring. They'd be mismatched, but they'd fit into the set as a whole. I came up with a design that would feature each color and prominently showed off the red she liked so much.

Now came the most difficult part: making the pendant. She'd come up with an abstract design, with the glass cut at specific angles and each color in a definite place. I made a few more test strips, making sure I knew exactly how long to fire the piece so the colors would stand out. I then set to work cutting and filing the glass. I was really pleased with the end result and said a little prayer before setting it into the kiln. I just hoped the glass wouldn't break or move during the firing process, or that the colors would end up being wrong. I was so relived when the pendant turned out just the way it was supposed to.

The customer had found me because she liked the way I wire wrapped my glass jewelry. She wanted a wrap on the pendant, so I came up with a very simple design that would frame, but not obscure the necklace. I used pink Swarovski crystals so they'd show up against the red and bring out the pink in the gold-fuchsia glass.

Now I'm just hoping that the set reaches her in the mail and she likes it in person! It took me a couple of weeks to finish this project, but the labor was worth it. I've learned so much just by making this one set. I'm now a lot more skilled at cutting glass into definite shapes and at firing the glass into definite colors. It means so much to me that this woman not only appreciated my work, but had enough faith in me as a designer to create a complex and original piece.

We just received applications for the annual art fair held in my town. Assuming I'm accepted once again, I'm excited to put my glass on display and to continue to get my name out there. I also got some good news from the rec director at the senior home: she says the women enjoyed my class and has invited me back for a second session. So far, this is turning out to be a good year for me on the jewelry front. I'll keep working as hard as I can to make the rest of 2016 a success.

Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped, fused glass and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs, MayaGirl Creations and Glass By Naomi.