Well...

... at 107 followers and holding steady... I think it is time to draw a name from my commenters and give someone a gift certificate to my studio.  I will keep at this until I do in fact get to 150 followers, giving away gift certificates to commenters along the way... randomly.... when I feel the fancy take me.  So.... here's your last entry to comment on to get entered.  I'm drawing a name tomorrow morning for a gift certificate.  Get to commenting, readers!

One of my new wire wrapped pendant pieces

Wire Wrapping~ How did it all begin?

 Photo by Mandala Rain

I am a novice wire wrapper.  I look at some of the artists out there that also work with wire and I am ASTOUNDED by their work.  Absolutely astounded.  However, this does lead me to ponder how and where the art of wire wrapping started.  I plan to explore some of my wanderings through the history of wire wrapping with you today... only some.
Photo from Bohemian Wire Wrapped Jewelry on the Rocks
Upon beginning my research I was astounded to see that many sources site that the earliest surviving examples of wire wrapped jewelry have been dated back to 1000 BC.  I also discovered that many of these early wire wrapped pieces showed signs that soddering had not yet been discovered.  So, essentially these craftsmen had to rely on their skills in their wrapping to hold the piece together.  And the fact that they have survived as long as they have is a true testament to the quality of their work and level of their skills.
Original wire work was done with thin strips of metal.  Metalsmiths would hammer bits if metal into thin sheets and then cut those sheets in strips, thus creating wire.  Filigree was the most common use for this 'wire'.  Bits of it were woven much like baskets are woven to create settings for stones.
Interesting links for further wire wrapping history information: http://www.creationsbycarolladine.com/history.html
http://www.url.biz/Articles/Article-3051.html
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6745842_history-wire_wrapped-jewelry.html

Many cultures have some form of wire wrapped jewelry in their history.  I was fascinated to discover how world wide the artform has been and still is. 
I plan to continue to study and perfect and expand on my wire wrapping designs and techniques in the hopw of someday being half as good as some of the artists whose work I have shown here.  This last picture is my latest wire wrapped creation.

Friday Sept. 3rd~ What's happening in my Studio

1.) I'm hosting a giveaway for another artist on Artfire.  Details about the giveaway, how to enter and pictures of the prize for this week are in the posts below!  Check it out and get entered to win fabulous prizes over the next three weeks.
2.)  I myself have begun working with flat wire in my studio.  I've thus far created a small but elegant pendant with a lovely Flourite stone at it's center.  Pictures to come this evening!
3.)  I will out at my local farmer's market tomorrow selling homemade jams, jellies and of course my jewelry offerings.  Here's to hoping Labor Day weekend brings excellent business to the market.
4.) In other news, I will begin working on some new Renaissance festival costumes for myself and my bf this weekend.  We are attending the MN Ren. fest in a few weeks and like to go to fest in "garb".  I've also opened up my other Artfire studio http://www.artfire.com/users/gypsythreads to take custom costume orders for the upcoming Halloween season.  If you need a child's costume (no stuffed costumes please) or something for yourself, get your order in SOON!  I tend to fill up quite quickly.

That's what's happening here at Fools and Jewels!  Keep watching here for more updates!

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

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.

Featured studio piece 3-7-10

Today I would like to feature a piece I just listed last night. This little wire wrapped cabachon was inspired by my best friend, Amanda. She adores carnelians. Everytime I come across a carnelian in my sotkc, I think of her. She also is drawn to amethyst. She has a LOT of amethyst pieces around and about her wardrobe. Now, if/when she read this I know she's going to disagree with the amethyst thing, insisting she's more drawn to Sodalite (which is another of her favorites). However, I see a lot of purple colored stones in her jewelry drawer and I think subconsiously she's drawn to it. The little bit of garnet in this pendant is my little bit of flair kicking in. I love garnet. It also kind of represents our hair, as we both often have our hair colored red.

This piece is available for sale in my studio on artfire. (http://www.artfire.com/users/divapixie) and comes with an antiqued copper ball chain. Cost is $40.

Snow Day!

Snow days allow me to work on new pieces. I have recently been inspired to do more wire wrapped cabachons by a goo theater friend who ordered a similar piece from me. So, today I have been working on some wire wrapped cabachon pieces. I have also begun to add chain and pearls to the pendant I created earlier this week but have run out of the bright copper chain I was using and have thus been stalled into deciding what to do with the piece next.