A magazine feature and a new giveaway!

I may have mentioned this in a previous post but it bears repeating.

I am going to be the featured designer in Bead Trends magazine for February.  This means I get my head shot, bio, and 10 page spread of my jewelry in the center of their February issue.  I am beyond excited about this opportunity and have been searching for the perfect way to celebrate this momentous event.

I have found it.

I will be once again hosting a giveaway.  But this time.... it is HUGE.  I will be giving away a $100 gift certificate to not one but TWO lucky people on February 10th.  Entries will begin on February 1st at midnight (12am CST) and end February 9th at midnight (12am CST).

How can you enter to win for a chance to win one? 
1.) Tweet about the magazine issue on Twitter (send me a copy of your tweet). 1 chance
2.) Post a link to Bead Trends magazine on your FB.  Make sure you tag me in the post (Cynthia Thomson). 3 chances
3.) Send me a photo of you with the February issue of Bead Trends magazine. Let me know if I may use your photo in my blog or FB page. 5 chances
4.)  Make a comment on this blog about which featured jewelry piece from the magazine issue you like best and why.  5 chances

So, get out there and check it out.  You can find Bead Trends magazine online ( http://www.northridgepublishing.com/store/issues/bead-trends-magazine ) and also in craft stores.

Some new pieces....

I have been a very busy bee on many fronts lately.  Jewelry is included in those.  I've created a whole flock of new pieces.  I would like to take some time to feature a few of them here.  For the sake of picture sanity, I'll divide them into multiple posts.

This cameo is a tortoise shell vintage cameo surounded by a rose gold colored copper wire crocheted into a sort of basket.  I then wove colored freshwater pearls around it in two layers.  I have plans to do a Viking crocheted copper chain to accompany it.

In stark contrast to the above piece, here are is a simple pair of earrings.  I used swarovski bicones, freshwater pearls and faceted glass beads along with the silver plated wire and findings to create these lovely drop earrings.



Spring Fever

I was featured recently in a collection based on Spring items!  And I totally have a case of Spring Fever right now too.
Would love it if some of my wonderful readers would go check out the collection on Artfire and give it a comment or rating.  Pretty please?

Longing for Spring

Curated By: daffydill

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Paintings

Briolettes~ faceted wonders

One of my absolute favorite materials to use in my jewelry making is the faceted briolette.  Whether made of gemstone, crystal or glass, the shape and sparkle of a briolette is magical to me.  And it's the shape and sparkle of these that capture the imagination of many a artisan as well as their customers.

To better understand the history of briolettes, I decided to research a litle more about the process of faceting.  Lapidary, or the art of cutting and polishing gemstones, has been around for centuries.  There is evidence that as far back as 5000 BC humans were utilizing lapidary skills to create smoothed and carved gemstone pieces and tools.  There are also referrences that say the earliest proof of faceted gemstones occurs in a piece of literature referring to crudely cut gemstones in India.
The technique of cutting gemstones to certain shapes as well as the refining of diamond cutting techniques were developed in Europe.  Many of these same techniques are still used in lapidary work today.

The process of cutting, shaping and poishing briolettes and other faceted stones involves some very specialized equipment.  For example, there is a cutting and grinding wheel that can vary in size from a desk top sized one (pictured right) to one the size of a potter's throwing wheel.  And there are several steps in the cutting process before the shaping and polishing even begin.  I attribute these as factors for te expense of briolettes.
Here are some websites for more information on the process of faceting stones.
http://www.gemcutter.com/getstart.htm
http://www.faceters.com/beginners.shtml
http://scienceray.com/technology/how-to-facet-gems/
I still adore using briolettes in my jewelry work but always have marveled and dismayed about their expense.  I know have a clearer understanding of why they are so expensive.  And one look at them gives you  clear understanding of why they are worth the price.
The definition of briolette literally is "a pear-shaped or oval gem, especially a diamond, cut in long triangular facets."  However, briolettes have evolved to include smooth tear shaped gems as well as many other shapes.
 Briolettes traditionally are shaped like teardrops, rounded on all sides and pointed at one end.  More shapes for briolettes have evolved. There are pear briolettes, which maintain the tear drop shape but are flat on two sides instead of round all the way around.  Heart shape briolettes are similar to pear brios except they have a shorter and wider shape. 
Onion briolettes are short and wide like heart shaped ones but are rounded all the way around like the tear drop shaped ones.  These are by far my favorite earring fodder as far as briolettes go.   I would like to close this blog entry about the briolettes saying this... if you have not yet tried using a briolettes in your jewelry making, by all means spend the money and give them a try.  It is well worth the investment!

Moonstone

Moonstone is certainly an intriguing stone.  Whether it's the opalescent grey moonstone, the white whine with the blue flash of rainbow moonstone or the soothing smooth color of peach moonstone, it's certain to catch the eye and entrance you.
I first became interested in this stone in high school.  I had a strange dream one night about being trapped in a cave made of some kind of opalescent stone with hints of blue.  I wasn't sure what it was but I was fascinated by it.  The following weekend, I found a pendant at a local festival made of the same stone as the cave in my dream!  I was absolutely in love and purchased the stone at once.  I still have that necklace (and matching earrings I purchased later) to this day.
My new found fascination led me to research the stone further.  I discovered that moonstone is supposedly a stone of dreams.  It brings peaceful, restful sleep if placed under a pillow.  It's a stone of divination and psychism.  This is because it is associated with the Moon Goddess.  It is a sacred stone in many religions.
Moonstone is also thought to be a protective stone.  People wear or carry moonstone with them on long journeys, especially over water. 
Moonstone also comes in different color varieties.  Rainbow moonstone is a beautiful white stone that have a shimmer like mother of pearl.  It also has a flash of light blue when the light hits it just right, much like labradorite.   Peach moonstone also has this mother of pearl like shimmer but is a much more smooth shade of peach or light orange.  Grey moonstone has a quality like trapped fog.  It almost seems to swirl in the light.
Whatever your reasons, I hope you will add this stone to your jewelry repetoire.  It is definitely a stone with wearing and working with!

Bead Trends May issue

I have a necklace featured in the May issue of Bead Trends magazine! I am super excited about this. I've had a ring featured previously. Its always a thrill to have someone else out there validate your work as an artist. I just listed the piece in my Artfire Studio this morning. I've also submitted about 14 more items for publication in the October issue. They are featuring "Wire Artistry" in that issue and I feel my items more than fit that category. Maybe if I keep submitting pieces, they'll ask me to be their featured artist in an issue.... Dream big right?

So you wanna learn to do wire work?

Well, everyone has to start somewhere right? First thing is first, what tools are you going to need?

When I first started wire working, I had a very basic set of tools. I bought a very cheap set of "jewelry making tools" at a local Michael's craft store. I quickly discovered they were not the right kind of tools when I saw that the pliers I purchased had teeth. Teeth on plier are great if you are using the to loosen nuts and bolts or grip something. But they mar and scratch your wire when making jewelry. So, I ditched my beginner set and bought a better one. The pliers I purchased the second time around had no teeth and were made specifically for jewelry making.

The first pair of jewelry pliers a beginner needs are a plain pair of needle nose pliers with no teeth. They are a simple but essential part of wire working.

The next set of pliers you will absolutely need to do simple wire work jewelry are bent nose pliers, again without teeth. These are excellent for holding jump rings andother wire pieces in place with one hand while you work on the piece with the other hand or another tool.

The third tool that you will need is a good pair of round nose pliers. These are used to make jump rings, twists, turns, or other rounded shapes with your wire. I have two pairs of these that I use, a smaller pair for small twists and shapes and another pair of larger ones that have multiple sizes for different size round shapes.

And last but definitely not least, every wire work jeweler needs a good pair of wire cutters. I use a pair of flush cutters. Flush cutters ensure that at least one side of the wire you are cutting with them will be completely flush. Now, a word of assurance and warning... you will go through wire cutters. You will wear them out and need to buy a new pair. If you are like me a good pair will last you maybe two years before they need replacing. I've tried sharening a pair or two before.... sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

And there you have it. The tools you will need to begin working with wire to create unique and lovely jewelry.

Carnelian!

Another of my best friend's favorite stone, the bright and cheery orange and red of carnelian is definitely enchanting. Orange is the color of happiness and red is the color of passion. This stone truly encompasses both.

Often considered a stone of protection, carnelian is actually a red form of chalcedony. It was worn in ancient Egypt to still anger and jealousy. It also counteracts negative thoughts.

Carnelians are most often worn by those who are a bit more timid to promote courage. It brings out self confidence and can also attract people to you. Its also said to promote sexual impusles. RAWR. ;)

I normally use carnelian in cabachon form. I think this is the best way to see its agate like variations, which I find VERY appealing. I also use small carnelian beads to enhance the look of paler stones, like moonstone.

Metal magic #1

I'd like to blog today about how the metals a designer chooses to use can also effect how a piece of jewelry feels. Gemstones are not the only minerals out there with supposed "magical" properties. Metals do too!

I'd like to talk about my favorite metal to work with, COPPER! I spent a portion of my childhood in the Rocky mountains of MT in a city called Butte. Butte was a mining town... and what did they mine? COPPER! My mother always loved copper so I grew up seeing a lot of it. Its bright orangey color just sparkled to me. When we moved to northern MN, I missed seeing copper everywhere. The only place it was displayed was my mother's kitchen then.

Copper was regarded and linked to gods and goddesses of the sky and/or heavens in many ancient cultures. It was said to be a link to the divine.

Its also a known conductor of electricity. Many people believe that wearing a copper bracelet or other jewelry piece can ease arthritis and other aches and pains. When worn for its healing powers, copper piece are said to be worn on the left side of the body for those who are right handed or on the right side of the body for those who are left handed.

Copper is also supposed to attract love to its wearer.

I use a lot of copper in my jewelry designs. It is a soft, easy metal to work with especially in wire and sheet form. If I am going to be doing a piece in sterling but want to do a mock-up first, I will often do it in copper. There are several examples of my copper pieces pictured here.

Whatever your reasons may be, copper is definitely a metal worth wearing!

I've been Indiespotted... AGAIN!

This is the 3rd time that Indiespotting has used one of my submissions. I keep submitting one every 7-14 days and they keep adding mine! That must mean they like my work... or they put everyone in the rotation but I'm going to pretend its the first option! YAY!
Check it out!
www.myshoppingconnection.com/indiespotting/2010/index.php

Sodalite

This is hands down my best friends FAVORITE stone. And its easy to see why! With its deep blue hues and the bright white veining throughout, its a beautiful contrast or colors. I use a lot of sodalite in my custom jewelry work. People tend to be drawn to the sodalite rings I make more than anything else.

Sodalite properties center around being receptive. Its a stone that is used for meditation and healing. Many associate the stone sodalite with wisedom. I have personally used a ring I made myself with sodalite for its calming and stress relieving effect.

I like Sodalite for rings because of these properties. Being able to glance down and see the deep blue colors and white swirling reminds me of water. There's a calming effect that looking into pools of water provides for me and this stone creates that same effect. I also like to use sodalite in rings because it is held right up against the skin that way. It also makes it easy for the wearer to reach down and touch the stone or rub it to help relive stress, the same way one would rub on a worry stone.

Whatever your reasons, sodalite is a wonderful stone to include in your work.

Quartz crystal

Today I would like to blog about a stone I have had a long time love affair with: quartz crystal. Let me start with my childhood, since that is where I first was introduced to this LOVELY shiney rock.
I spent part of my childhood in a town called Butte MT (please spare me the jokes about the name). Its nestled in the Rocky Mountains and its a lovely place to be. Butte is/was sort of a dying town but being up in the mountains, there were all sorts of mineral goodies to be found. I used to walk along the railroad tracks, much to my mother's dismay, and pick up shiney clear quartz crystal points on my way home from school. As I got older, my grandparents and aunts and uncles would take us camping up in the National parks. There was an entire park set aside just for the digging and finding of quartz crystals! I was in rock heaven.
We moved away from Butte when I was still in elementary school but we often go back to MT to visit family. And every year I go back I make sure to visit Crystal Park and dig for more shiny rocks. I bring them back to Kansas with me and do my wire wrapping magic on them.

Now, quartz comes in all sizes shapes and colors but the kind I want to focus on today is that clear, terminated variety, the crystal point. Crystals are more highly valued if they have what is known as a termination, or a naturally occuring point. Double terminated crystals have a point at each end and naturally double terminate crystals are very rare. Many companies and stone workers often grind the terminations onto a chunk of quartz crystal to increase its sale value.

Quartz crystals are often called the "Witch's stone" and are said to have many magical properties. It is supposed to clear the mind and allow for true visions. This is perhaps why the sterotypical gypsy fortune teller used a sphere made of clear quartz to looked into people's futures. It has even been used as a milk stone to cause more productive lactating in nursing mothers! Quartz crystals are most often used to balance the mind and body as well as increase psychic abilities.

No matter what your thoughts or beliefs on the quartz crystal are, they are a beautiful stone that I continue to mine myself and wrap.