Silver wire wrapped pink marble stone with spiral designs and Swarovski crystal pearls

Tonight, a group of us are celebrating my friend's birthday. She and I have known each other for years but have only recently grown close -- and she's someone whom I really admire. She's a mom of three, runs her own daycare business and is a talented writer. She and I, plus another woman meet up about once a month to read and critique each other's essays, writing clips, etc. This has given us an opportunity to learn more about each other and to become better friends.

She also has great style! She's one of those people who always looks put together, even when she's dressed very casually. Of course, she wears eye-catching jewelry. She's one of my few friends who doesn't have pierced ears, but she almost always wears a pair of cool clip-ons and a funky necklace. I'm constantly asking her about her jewelry and where she got it. She enjoys shopping at craft fairs so many of her pieces are handmade and different from what you see in a department store.

She wanted to do something creative for her birthday so we've signed up for a class at Paint Along New York. For each class a particular painting is chosen and students have to copy the artwork to the best of their abilities. The idea is to experience the different ways in which everyone interprets the piece. I haven't done that much painting, but I'm curious to see how my enameling experience will come in handy. I'll let you know!

Since my friend is having this artsy party, I felt it was appropriate to give her an "artsy" gift -- and I made her a bracelet and one of my wire wrapped stone pendants. I wanted to make something that looks old-fashioned and traditional but has a modern twist, and is unique enough to suit her bold personality. I found the perfect oval pink marble stone as my base and came up with this:

I twisted the 20 gauge silver-plated wire into a series of spirals and swirls and adorned the design with a couple of beige Swarovski crystal pearls. I originally looped the wire back around and had more spirals up top, but felt as if that were overdoing the design -- and so I ended up going with the more simple and traditional look.

I really hope she likes it! I'm a bit nervous to give it to her because she has such particular taste in jewelry, but I think she'll at least appreciate the work that went into it. And now I'm off to paint!

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Silver Wire Wrapped Bangle Bracelet With Blue, Turquoise And Purple Crystals

I wasn't kidding about being on a wire wrapped bracelet kick! This morning I made another one, only this has tri-colored crystals in blue, turquoise and purple:

What I like about these diamond-shaped crystals is that a really interesting looking "frame" is formed around them when I bend the wire to make the bracelet. The crystals are the main focus, but the wire has a unique design, as well. I also like this combination of the blues with the purple. I used only one turquoise crystal and put that one in center because I felt as if that color is the brightest; I wanted to have that pop of light, but also keep the other colored beads balanced.

As I make more of these bracelets, I'm getting better at doing the clasps. Frankly, my older bracelets were a mess. The ends of the wires poked out all over the place and the clasps weren't as secure as they should be. I feel much more confident in my designs and my bangles' durability -- but I do spend a lot of time practicing!

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

Classic Silver Wire Wrapped Bangle Bracelet With Blue And Turquoise Square Crystals

Lately I've been selling a lot of bangle bracelets... and so I've decided to make a few more.

I'd started this wire wrapped bracelet for a customer -- and then realized that she wanted a similar-looking, but not quite the same bangle. I then looked through my bracelet listings and realized I've never actually made one that has blue and turquoise beads. Surprising, given how much I love the combination! I've done several bracelets in blue, light blue and indigo or blue and green, but for some reason, I'd skipped this rather obvious color pattern.

Well, since I was already halfway through with the bracelet, I finished it and really like the result:

It's difficult to tell from these photos, but the darker blue beads are AB (aurora borealis) crystals. Two sides of the crystal are made of a shimmery prism material that sparkles when the light hits. It's a really beautiful effect. I have AB crystals in many different colors, but I especially like them in blue. It reminds me of the sunlight hitting the ocean.

This was a bracelet that sold almost as soon as I listed it yesterday. I love when that happens! Since I seem to be on a "bracelet kick," I'm off to make some more. Meantime, check out my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Enameled Jewelry: Hooray For Champleve!

One of the enameling techniques which I learned last year was champleve. I've written about this before, but basically, you engrave or etch a depression into a thick piece of metal and then fill that space with enamel so that the glass and metal are even. The effect is quite beautiful and allows you to display the metal, which often gets hidden when enameling.

Well, I always get very excited when I see enameling techniques used outside of my class. This weekend, my husband and I visited The Cloisters which are by 190th street, but are part of The Metropolitan Museum Of Art. Believe it or not, this was my first time there, even though I've lived in or near the city for almost my entire life. I enjoyed walking around, but was especially happy when I saw some Medieval champleve pieces on display. Of course, I went into full dork mode as I called to Jon, "Look, look, look!" Him: "OK, that's nice." Me: "You don't understand. It's champleve! I know how to do this!"

Yeah, I do know HOW to do champleve, but I wouldn't call myself "skilled." These pieces were amazing and filled with so many intricate details. The designs were so precise, you could barely tell the metal from the glass; the materials wove together perfectly.

I could've stood there staring at the champleve all day, but we wanted to tour the grounds and make sure we got to see all of the exhibits. Still, I'm proud that I know how to do such an old technique -- even if I have a long way to go before I can make such an incredible piece.

Check out my wire wrapped and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations. And check out my novel, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, on Amazon.

Craft Fair Rejection: Moving On

Now that I've had a chance to adjust to the news and enjoy my weekend, I'm feeling much better about my rejection from the craft fair. Don't get me wrong; I'm not happy about it, but I'm also not as upset as I was a couple of days ago when I first got the news.

My friends have been very supportive. A couple wrote me with notices for craft fairs in their neighborhoods, which I appreciate, but I'm not going to travel to New Jersey. Also, many had some funny things to say, which I'm not going to repeat on this blog. You can use your imagination! They got me laughing, though, which always helps when you're feeling down.

On Saturday, I shipped out a few orders and the post office happens to be right next to the park where the fair will take place. I know this is a little silly, but I was nervous about going near that park. I didn't want the reminder of being a "loser." But as I approached the location, I was like, "Wait a minute. I'm going here to drop off ORDERS. This is a good thing!" Plus, that park is right near our favorite indie movie theater and is across from the restaurant where I had my 40th birthday party. I have many good memories associated with living in my neighborhood and I can't let one rejection ruin that for me.

Plus, I'm already making plans to be in a different fair. I'm going to sign up for the Baldwin Street Fair, which is just 25 minutes from me by train. I go to Baldwin often because two of my closest friends live there. I figure I can do the fair and then maybe see my friends for dinner afterward. I was actually supposed to do the Baldwin fair last spring, but it was rained out. So now is my chance to check it out and see if it's an event worth doing again.

I've never taken rejection very well, but I'm trying not to take it personally. All I can do is move on, put it in the past and continue to build my business on my own terms.

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Silver wire wrapped star earrings with Swarovski crystals

One of the new items I've made are these cute, silver wire wrapped star earrings with Swarovski crystals and squiggles. I wanted to make something that's pretty and playful, and this is what I came up with:

So far, I've made these three sets ... though when I saw a larger version of the blue stars, I realized that the crystals are different colors! One earring is dark blue and light blue and the other is blue and purple. Oops! Right now, I'm listing them as a choice where people can order one set of colors or the other... but I plan to make another pair with correct color combos.

My favorites so far are the hot pink stars. I wore these last week to a friend's birthday party and they got a lot of attention! One friend couldn't understand how I could bend the wire into such precise shapes; it isn't hard with some practice. The earrings are a bit longer than what I usually wear, but they're extremely lightweight.

I'm not sure if I'm going to list these on my kids' line. I think they might be too long for younger jewelry wearers. But they're a lot of fun to make and I'm going to experiment with some more crystal patterns.

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Black diamond enamel pendant with abstract triangle design

Going through my bags of jewelry supplies can sometimes be like digging for buried treasure. I try to keep my stuff organized, but I have so many beads, spools of wire, etc. that things often get lost in the shuffle -- such as this enamel pendant that I found at the bottom of the bag where I keep my supplies for class.

I made this black diamond pendant last spring. I'd been working on a major project all semester (which has yet to be completed) and needed a break. And so I came up with this little abstract piece. The large necklace I'd been designing is turquoise and blue, and I was sick of looking at those colored enamels. This is why this pendant is black, red and yellow. I wanted to work with a completely different color scheme!

I didn't have any fine silver cloisonne wire on hand, so I improvised and used fine silver bezel wire instead. Bezel wire is similar, but is thicker so it can support a stone. I simply cut the wire in half down the center and it worked just as well.

Only two and a half more weeks until class! I'm eager to return and start some new projects, so keep checking back in. Meantime, you can see the rest of my wire wrapped and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.