Artist: Irene Lenihan
Blog: Flights of Fancy Creations
I take a lot of photos of things. Indoors and out. I love to try and duplicate the color combination that I find in the photos. I am attaching a photo I took (I scrapbook them) and the jewelry piece it
inspired.
No trees were killed in the making of this email…however, a large
number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.

If you buy supplies from Fire Mountain Gems, then you should seriously think about entering their contest! I did for the last three years, and won a first, second, and third place in three different categories. Not quite as nice as being the grand prize winner, but hey!  The closing date is April 15, so get moving. And beading! Here’s a link to all the information available.  Check out the brand new categories!
From the website:
Gold medal winning designs in each category will go on to compete for the Grand Prizes and may be showcased in the following:
* 2010-2011 Jewelry Maker’s …read more

As part of our on-going emphasis on education this year, I want to share some previous posts that may help you fill in some gaps! From creativity to color, from design elements to jewelry school, these resources can point you in the right direction.
Do you want to design for yourself?
This is the conclusion of my series of articles, with links to all the previous articles
Beadwork basics online
Dictionaries, glossaries, and encyclopedias of jewelry making info online
Creativity online
Color training and tools online
Jewelry design tools and articles online
Jewelry class listings by geography
Beading shows with classes
Design school directory

What’s Up Wednesday!
It’s not that easy to do ugly. I mean to do really gut-twisting ugly.
It’s easy to make a necklace that isn’t that great, but how about to make one that breaks all the rules of good design and leaves your viewer feeling squeamish? I can’t show you a picture of my entry from two years ago here, because I used plastic vomit as the base. If you’d like to see it, it’s on their website as a semi-finalist from 2007. It’s called “Queasy”, and you’ll have to scroll down just a bit. You’ve been warned!
The …read more

Artist: Jamee Jones
Business name: Jonara Blu Maui
Location: Makawao, Hawaii
Websites & Blog:
http://www.jonarablumaui.com
http://jonarablu.etsy.com
http://www.jonarablumaui.blogspot.com/

How do you describe your work, Jamee?
Fresh and Funky with an island twist. I also create romantic, feminine beach bride jewelry that has a beachy-organic appeal.
Originally my sister Kimberlee Aihara partnered with me before she became a wedding photographer here on Maui and so Jonara is a mix of our last names: Jones and Aihara. Add the Blu to represent the blue ocean that surrounds us and we’ve got ourselves a cute little name for our jewelry business!
What is your creative process like?
I think creating is …read more

Sample bracelets by Tammy
Back a couple of years ago, Tammy Powley wrote about a bad experience she had in sharing information with a “friend”. We can probably all relate to the feeling that someone else has used you…it stinks.
My personal feelings on sharing and copycats have always been mixed. On the one hand, I do write about making jewelry for a living, so when I’ve put a tutorial out there, I expect to answer questions about it, including sources, and I obviously want people to feel free to follow my instructions and make a piece for themselves. On the …read more

Artist: Phaedra A. Torres
Business name: Lluvia Designs
Location: at a bead show, preferably, but in West Covina, CA when not.
Website:
Lluvia Designs

Phaedra, how do you describe your work?
I usually like to say that I specialize in “unwearable” jewelry. Mostly because it’s the easiest way to describe it, and partially because I just like to see people’s reactions to that. When I tell people I make jewelry, I usually add the disclaimer of “but not normal jewelry” because I can see the pictures forming in their heads of the jewelry they think I make. If I don’t steer them away from that …read more

Gloria Jean-Browne, of Beading Design Jewelry, has some excellent advice posted on the Creativity Portal. If you have seen your sales go into a slump, don’t automatically blame the economy…sometimes we have to take a good hard look at what choices we’ve made!
Read her excellent article here: What to do when your handmade jewelry isn’t selling

Read the full report by Pantone and see the glorious colors they’re predicting for fall fashions.
Best described as a season of change, fall ’08 is defined by rich, elegant hues that offer a vibrant selection. New York’s fashion designers emphasize cooler blues, greens and purples in the top five tones used in their collections, followed by variations of warm red, orange and yellow.

Zac Posen for Pantone

Tammy Powley, the guide of About.com’s Jewelry Making site, and experienced designer/author, has written a piece on how to get going with sales. It is appropriately titled, Jewelry Site But No Sales?
Most of us who’ve been in the business awhile can relate to the pain of this stage. Keep plugging!