Jewellerymaker

Interview with YouveGotMaille

This week’s interview is with Deanna of YouveGotMaile, from Tennessee, USA.

1. How long have you had a website/blog?

I opened my Etsy shop May 24, 2008, my blog a few months after that, and my website around September. I keep the first two up but the website needs attention.

http://youvegotmaille.etsy.com and http://SecondRenaissance.etsy.com

http://youvegotmaille.blogspot.com

http://www.youvegotmaille.net

2. How did you get into jewelry making as a business/hobby and how long have you been doing it?

I took a metalsmithing class at Appalachian Center for Craft (an amazing place!) in February 2008. For the class, I acid-etched a brass triangle with heiroglyphs, and I wanted to make a chainmaille collar to set it in. So I did some research on chainmaille and found the fantatic websites with tutorials out there – http://www.mailleartisans.org and http://www.cgmaille.com They’re both free. I was hooked. I’ve since become obsessed with wire wrapping as well, and then seed bead weaving, and am just now getting a workshop set up so I can come full circle and do some metalsmithing again. Funny thing is, I still haven’t finished the maille colar for that acid etched piece.

3. Who are your favorite online jewelry designers?

For maille, Corvus Chainmaille, IKOW Designs and Maille Mystique (and MANY others). For wire, I’d have a hard time choosing among the amazing ladies of Etsy’s Wire Artisans guild – which I was honored to be accepted to this February! I also greatly admire Shaktipaj Designs, Gailavira, My Wired Imagination, Wire Bliss Mei, of course Eni Oken and a lot of others. For bead weaving my favorites are Sand Fibers, Sandra Halpenny and Time2Cre8. I spend lots of time visiting jewelry websites (too much, really).

4. What is your favorite medium to work with?

Whatever catches my fancy at the moment? I’d still probably have to say chainmaille. You work into a rhythm and it’s relaxing the way needlework or crochet is relaxing. Plus, I think I need more miles on my wire work, bead weaving and metalwork before I’m really comfortable in my own creativity.

5. Are you self taught or have you studied jewelry making professionally?

Mostly self-taught, except for the eight-week metalsmithing class I took. I’d really like to take some more classes at the Center for Craft, the people and atmosphere there are amazing. Possibly even a certificate or degree in metalsmithing at some point.

6. What has been your favorite creation?

The ones that are still in my head are my favorites. I’m enchanted with the creative process. But, if I had to choose something I’ve done, I’d say the Celtia chainmaille choker I sold a few months ago http://www.flickr.com/photos/youvegotmaille/3024818870/, and of the things for sale now, I love the ribbony look of the “Gaia” pendant that’s in my Second Renaissance shop. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19308509

7. What site do you use for selling your products on?

At the moment, almost exclusively Etsy, although I have plans for my shops on Artfire, Fine Art America and Winkelf, and of course my own website. I’m excited about an opportunity to join a local gallery that’s opening for artisans in my area and I’m hoping they’ll have some sort of online presence, as well.

8. What type of jewelry do you make?

I have two distinct styles. In the You’ve Got Maille shop, there’s a lot of colorful maille items, lots of fun items that are really popular with young people in my area, and there’s also a lot that fits the Renaissance Faire-going crowd, including chainmaille chokers, wire ear cuffs, and I hope to do some circlets and torcs and such. In the Second Renaissance shop, the aura is more sophisticated, mostly precious metals and semiprecious cabochons, my wirework and bead weaving with a Victorian bent. It feels more like art to me.

9. Do you belong to any online jewelry making groups or forums?

I administrate Etsy’s Chainmailler’s Guild (currently having an awesome contest, check out the blog: http://chainmaillersguild.blogspot.com) and Etsy’s Wire Artisans Guild ( http://thewireartisansguild.blogspot.com ). I’m also in Artfire’s Chainmaillers Guild. I’m a member of jewelrygeeks.com ( http://www.jewelrygeeks.com/youvegotmaille ) and Maillers Worldwide ( http://corvuschainmaille.ning.com/profile/Deannayouvegotmaille ). I also recently joined Creative Wire Jewelry’s Year of Jewelry and will be making my first piece very shortly ( http://creativewirejewelryyoj.typepad.com/cwjs_year_of_jewelry_2009/ ).

10. Which is your favorite jewelry making website/blog?

Tough call! Can I pick one for each thing I do? For wire jewelrylessons.com has great tutorials and a nice community. For chainmaille mailleartisans.org for sure. For bead weaving I love bead-patterns.com, lots of free and for sale patterns to get you started. I also have a massive blogroll I visit on a daily basis

Add comment April 5, 2009

How to make copper clay

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Copper Clay Suppliers

Copper clay is very new and seems to be only available in US, Australia and New Zealand at the moment. Copper Clay comes in 100gm packs.

Both Copper and Bronze clay comes in powder form.

Metal Adventures, the company who brought you BronzClay, will be bringing out a copper clay version.

Watch this video clip for more info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPER4UJvbmo

Here are the links where you can buy copper clay in powder form:

The Eclectic Studio – Australia

Hadar Jacobson – US http://www.artinsilver.com/blog)

http://www.silverclaycanada.com/ (soon to bring out copper clay in Canada)

Check out these links for more info:

http://cs.artjewelrymag.com/artcs/blogs/artjewelry/2009/02/18/we-know-you-love-bronze-clay-but-have-you-tried-copper-clay-yet.aspx

http://dailyartmuse.com/?p=9720

http://gaillannum.blogspot.com/2009/02/did-someone-saycopper-metal-clay.html

http://gaillannum.blogspot.com/2009/02/more-on-copper-metal-clay.html

1 comment March 26, 2009

How to do Beadwork

feature-of-the-week2

This weeks feature is on Beadwork: find all about beadwork weaves

and stitches from Emma Warrillow, an Australian living in England

and has been beading for many years; as well as beadwork she has

dabbled in wirework and bead stringing.

Visit her Website/blog: http://glitterglowbeading.com/

Gallery: http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=389

Learn how to do netted beadwork, peyote stitch, brick, herringbone as well as

right and left angled weaves, (scroll down the page to ‘Learn Beadwork Links’ )

http://www.squidoo.com/learnbeadwork

Free Beading Tutorials http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=380

Beading Forums and Groups

http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=385

Beading Book Authors and Their Books

http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=378

2 comments March 23, 2009

Interview with BeadingGem

This weeks interview is with Pearl from http://Beadinggem.com in Canada.

1. How long have you had a website/blog?

I started my blog in January 2007. It sort of grew to encompass two other hub pages – my squidoo site on coloured gemstones called Gemstone Place Names (2008) and more recently in 2009, Jewelry Making Tips both of which group several of my past blog posts in different and fun ways.

2. How did you get into jewellery making, as a business/hobby and how long have you been doing it?

I had always wanted to learn to make my own jewelry. Whilst on holiday in Florida several years ago, I was introduced to the craft at an informal craft session. I was immediately hooked. Jewelry making soon became an important way for me to express my creativity – the other is blogging. About five years ago, I decided to start my own small business teaching jewelry making through beading parties and workshops. How else could I feed my bead addiction?

3. Who are your favourite online jewellery designers?

I have so many favourites it’ll be difficult to list them all! They all share one important trait – they are the kind of jewelry artisans who approach the craft in truly innovative ways. They stand out above the crowd and INSPIRE.

4. What is your favourite medium to work with?

I like working with wire – all sorts of metals although when I first started, I did a lot more bead work.

5. Are you self taught or have you studied jewellery making professionally?

I am largely self taught.

6. What has been your favourite creation?

My favourite creation is the one I just did! The excitement of completing a new design usually makes that piece special…..until I create a new one!

7. What site do you use for selling your products on?

So far, all my sales have been local, at my own bead parties and at craft shows. A few friends and I have banded together and formed the Bead Sisterhood. We have had a number of local showings over the past year. We are in the midst of creating our own website.

8. What type of jewellery do you make?

I love making earrings. I never tire of them as there are so many ways to make them fun and unique. I also make bracelets and necklaces. Wire work, chain maille and bead work are the techniques I am most interested in.

9. Do you belong to any online jewellery making groups or forums?

I do lurk around in several places but the two I belong to and visit as much as possible are Jewelrygeeks.com, a social site of like minded people as well as About.com Jewelry Making Forum.

10. Which is your favourite jewellery making website/blog?

I enjoy reading many blogs and am an avid follower of many of them. The full list can be viewed on the Blog List in the left side bar of my blog.

Add comment March 18, 2009

Precious Metal Clay findings suppliers

http://www.metalclayfindings.com/

Metal Clay Findings LLC was formed to provide .999 fine silver findings to the Metal Clay community including users of both PMC® and ArtClay®.Our entire product line is made in the U.S.A.

http://www.argentice.co.uk/shop/metal-clay-findings.html

Argentice has been supplying PMC and associated tools to metal clay artists since January 2005 and is one of the oldest Precious Metal Clay suppliers in the UK.

International Distributors:

Australia & New Zealand

The Eclectic Studio

Belgium, Netherlands, & Luxembourg

Gardym Creatief

Add comment March 16, 2009

Bead pattern program

ebp1

The best little free bead program for patterns on the net by Michael Hemphill!

http://www.easybeadpatterns.com/

ebp31

Add comment March 12, 2009

Bead-space.com social networking site

This great social networking site includes a bead store directory, groups, quizzes, gallery, auctions, e-store and more: http://bead-space.com/

Add comment March 12, 2009

Interview with Jerry Scavezze

This week’s interview is with Jerry Scavezze a goldsmith living and working in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA.

1.How long have you had a website/blog?

My jewelry website www.scavezzegoldsmith.com has been up and running for 8 years. The School website www.ColoradoSchoolofJewelryandMetalArts.com for about 3 months, and my blogs http://coloradometalarts.ganoksin.com/blogs/ and http://coloradoschoolofjewelryandmetalarts.wordpress.com/ for a few weeks. Very new to blogging. I’m much better with a hammer than a mouse.

2.How did you get into jewellery making, as a business/hobby and how long have you been doing it?

I fell in love early, at the age of 20 or 21. Still love it today 38 years later. My jobs have changed, from bench repair jeweler to diamond setter, to designer, to retail store owner, to artist/craftsman, my current incarnation. My current work is anticlastic raising, made famous by Heikki Seppa and Michael Good.

3.Who are your favourite online jewellery designers?

Jacob Snow, Tom Herman, Toni Tischer, Samantha Freeman, and of course myself, Jerry Scavezze.

4.What is your favourite medium to work with? Gold,14 K or above. It is a wonderful metal, very strong and versatile. Open design option up with very few limitations by the metal itself.

5.Are you self taught or have you studied jewellery making professionally? A combination. I was initially self taught. Trial and error, just playing. I learned alot, but became frustrated with my slow progress and many struggles. I went to work for a trade shop doing jewelry repair and custom work. A great education. I got to learn from a master, they payed me, and I use their gold. What a Country! After I wanted to go out on my own and develop my own line I studied with both Heikki Seppa, and Michael Good. I love the forms and movement anticlastic raising produces. It also makes very lightweight and wearable pieces yet structurally very durable.

6.What has been your favourite creation? Probably one of my Black Pearl Necklaces, it is style # 82 on my website under the necklace category.

7.What site do you use for selling your products on My own website, www.ScavezzeGoldsmith.com

8.What type of jewellery do you make

Anticlastic Raising is the technique I use. It is a technique using hammers and mallets to deform sheets of gold or silver into compound curves. A saddle shape rather than synclastic, a bowl shape. The pieces become very work hardened, which makes a very strong heirloom quality piece. 9.Do you belong to any online jewellery making groups or forums? www.ganoksin.com and http://www.jewelryartistsnetwork.com/

10.Which is your favourite jewellery making website/blog? www.ganoksin.com because of both the forums and the many different blogs by some of the finest jewelers in the country. The amount of information, help and resources on this site is incredible.

Add comment March 10, 2009

How to make beads from Polymer Clay

This weeks feature is on Polymer Clay; find all about Polymer Clay Bead Making withTips, Pics and Tutorials by Cindy Lietz from Canada.

Visit her blog :http://www.polymerclaytutor.com
Polymer Clay Bead Making Tips, Pics and Tutorials by Cindy
Lietz… “I learned by making the mistakes… Now you don’t
have to.”

Visit her Website below:
By subscribing to Cindy Lietz’s email newsletter at
http://www.beadsandbeading.com/ you will receive 3 free polymer clay bead making videos plus weekly color recipe cards.