Design Excellence, for designs that exhibit exceptional creativity, craftsmanship, and marketability.

Visionary Technical Solution, for designs in which specific technical challenges-such as combining two non-complementary metals-were overcome to take the piece from concept to completion.

Laser Distinction, for entries in which the design relied upon the use of a laser (sponsored by LaserStar Technologies).

Gold Distinction, for entries that include a minimum of 75 percent of a karat gold alloy in the design (sponsored by Hoover and Strong).

In addition, students in any jewelry-related program may submit rendered designs for the Future of the Industry Award, which recognizes exceptional design achievement and potential.

Award winners will receive up to $1,000 and will be honored on March 16, 2009, at the annual MJSA Expo New York show. In addition, winners will receive recognition in MJSA Journal, as well as other trade publications, and on MJSA Online.

Entries must be postmarked by Jan. 15, 2010. For submission guidelines and further information, or to request an entry form, contact MJSA Vision Awards at 1-800-444-6572, e-mail info@mjsa.org, or visit mjsa.org.

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Sometimes it makes more sense to use a pre-made sales site rather than set up your own website if you’re just getting started in sales.  Sometimes you’ve got a website, but you want to handle sales separately.  And sometimes a selling site makes sense because of the extra traffic it can help generate.

Please don’t think that using a selling site is a free ride though.  They are not going to automatically bring the buyers to you…you will have to dedicate time and energy into promoting your online shop, or nothing will happen.  Count on it!

Setting Up Shop: Handmade Marketplace Comparisons

Online Venues for Selling Crafts and Handmade Goods

Starting an Etsy Business

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Art Bead Scene
Hello Spring! Goodbye self-control!

Art Jewelry magazine
It’s video madness at Art Jewelry and Addie gives you a peek behind-the-scenes.

Barbe Saint John – New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Cindy’s Beads & Barbe’s Creativity add up to some great necklaces!

Carmi’s Art
Carmi sews crocheted flowered into a soft new collar.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
A special event inspired a special neclace, which now appears in a special issue of a bead magazine!

Jewelry & Beading
Combine wirework with seed beads for a one-of-a-kind necklace!

Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done!
Like Art Nouveau? See this lovely book by Judith Durant and Jean Campbell who explore great works from that period in jewelry projects!

Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off a few beautiful fossilized coral beads.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew shares the new additions to his bead stash.

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John Medeiros, founder and CEO of Tahoe Jewelry, introduced the John Medeiros line in 2000 after having worked in the jewelry industry for many years. In 1984 Medeiros founded Tahoe Jewelry, providing the precious metals jewelry industry with intricate polishing and stone setting services during the day, while at night he was working on what would become the John Medeiros line-real jewelry hand crafted from non-precious metals.

The same techniques used when crafting fine jewelry are employed. In fact, the only
difference is the materials as the designs are inspired by classic looks.  John Medeiros jewelry is the fine jewelry alternative.

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Snap out of it, Jean! There’s beading to be done!
April is Austism Awareness Month. Express yourself creatively!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
A new double-sided sugar skull pendant from Anne Choi, inspires Andrew to create this new bracelet.

About.com Jewelry Making
Oy, may aching back! Tammy is de-stashing her jewelry and other craft supplies while on spring break. Here are de-stashing tips and places that need your jewelry supply orphans.

Art Bead Scene
This month’s challenge is Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.

Barbe Saint John – New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Barbe talks about riveting & finding the right size drill bits

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
A splendid night out at the Smart Shop metalsmithing studio’s gallery crawl inspires Melanie

Jacket Corsage
Carmi sews a few hooked flowers and beads to create a jacket corsage.

Jewelry & Beading
Think that shell jewelry is just for kids? Take a look at Karen Sugarman’s designs, and I guarantee you’ll change your mind!

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Artist: Mayra Orama Muniz
Website: Mio Studio

Using exotic hardwoods as an expression of organic moving forms, self- taught artist Mayra Iveliesse Orama Muniz has created a line of jewelry that reflects on her life growing up in New York City and the more recent influences of the last five years living in Puerto Rico.

The many landscapes of her life — from modern industrial city to the tropical rainforests of Puerto Rico — have become her inspiration.

The miniature sculptures Muniz creates are a melding of richly textured woods and cool metals. Her forms hint at the natural flowing beauty of the lush green mountains of Utuado and the pristine white- sand beaches of Vega Baja. An admirer of celebrated British sculptor Henry Moore, Muniz is also influenced by Asian art and drawn to balance and movement.

The artist selects her exotic hardwoods by hand, choosing each piece for its color, grain, and suitability for the intended design. In the studio, Muniz carves and sands each miniature sculpture for many hours, finishing the piece with hand-rubbed natural oils.

Muniz believes wood is an ideal material for jewelry because as the piece is worn, oils from the wearer’s skin continue to protect the finish. All of the woods Muniz uses are acquired from remnant pieces, making her work very eco-friendly.

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Artist: Christine Haynes
Websites:
Fezelry Jewelry Designs
Fezelry blog

Christine Haynes is an award winning jewelry designer with over 10 years design experience. She has designed jewelry for magazines, photo shoots, fashion shows, and television.

Christine’s artistic focus is to create jewelry that is “uniquely you,” she creates each piece using hand-made techniques sculpting each item of jewelry individually taking great care in highlighting the beauty within the piece creatively incorporating multi-colored gems, sterling silver and sometimes the unusual in extraordinary, wearable art.

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Here are some tutorial links to projects that use pearls, rose petals, and split geodes.  We’ve seen some incredible work so far this month, and I hope that it’s inspiring you to think outside the “glass”!

Making a pearl dangle pendant

How to make rosary beads

Turning a geode into a beaded pendant

Making a wrapped and bead-embroidered paua necklace

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Artist: Theresa Turchin
Website: Turchin Jewelry

Turchin Love and Light Jewelry is as organic as it comes. We are a line of jewelry and accessories for men and women that incorporates natural weaving with hemp, leather, kabala string, all semi-precious stones including amber, aqua marine, garnet, fresh water pearls, black onyx, tourmaline, and moonstone. As well as precious stones including diamonds of all color ranges, rubies and emeralds.  We also incorporate antique pieces that we find in Nepal, Tibet, India, Africa, and Afghanistan into our one of a kind designs again reusing materials that create new art and new design.

Turchin Love and Light Jewelry has a strong message of spreading Peace throughout the world and cross culturally, why have so much war on our precious planet isn’t it time to make a change!!

At Turchin Love and Light we also have a line of handbags that incorporates vintage fabric from India and Afghanistan.  We acquire antique beads from Tibet and Nepal and hand make every inch of the entire one of a kind bags for men and women.

All of our jewelry is blessed at our store at blessing ceremonies by Buddhist Monks that offer Peace and Love as an alternative to hate and violence in the world.  Please visit our website and when in Miami visit us at our store at 130 NE 40th street in Miami’s Design District.

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Artist: Sarah Dircksen
Websites:
Sirene del Mare
Etsy shop

Timeless pieces, that illuminate your inner romantic… Sweeping you away with the organic beauty of seafoam and watercolor skies…
Sirene del Mare jewelry is handcrafted with the finest materials, by designer, Sarah Rose Dircksen.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading