Artist: Geneviève Crabe
Business name: Amaryllis Creations
Location: St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada

Websites & Blogs:
Amaryllis Creations
Amaryllis Creations etsy shop
Crafters’ Internet
Geneviève Crabe blog

I would describe my work as bold, colourful, eclectic wearable art. I get my inspiration from everything from flowers to architecture; everywhere I look, I see shapes, patterns, and colours to incorporate in my work. I enjoy learning new things so I read books and take classes in a variety of subjects including painting, beading, bead embroidery, polymer clay, and mixed media. I enjoy the cross-pollination that happens, and I like to incorporate a variety of components in my work: hand-painted wood, pen & ink, glass, beads, fibers, Kumihimo braids, etc.

My mother was an artist, and I have been surrounded by arts and crafts my whole life. While I enjoyed artistic pursuits in my spare time, after a 30-year career in hi-tech, I now enjoy being a full-time artist. An important part of my artistic life involves networking with other artists. I belong to three local art guilds, and I attend as many bead shows and decorative painting conventions as I can. I find that just being around other artists, whatever their medium, is very inspirational. I also enjoy teaching, which is often a learning experience for me, and more recently creating and selling kits and handmade jewelry.

I also like sharing my knowledge through writing and I have two published books under my belt. In 2001, I combined my computer and crafting skills in a book titled Crafters’ Internet Handbook: Research, Connect, and Sell your Crafts Online. I am now working on The Crafters’ Internet 2.0, a blog dedicated to informing crafters about resources available to them online.

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Enchanted Adornments begins with a wonderful technique section, where readers are taken step by step through creating mixed-media jewelry with resin, PMC, polymer clay, and wire. You’ll learn Cynthia’s signature techniques for mold-making and stone setting as well.

The projects range in complexity from beginner to advanced. Even the more difficult or time-consuming projects can easily be scaled down to the reader’s ability level. The directions are step by step, and it’s easy to see where substitutions could be made. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking into how to put more meaning into your pieces!

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Art Doll Quarterly is having a special challenge for their next issue: Wooden Dolls.
Wood is one of the earliest known materials used to make dolls because it was easy to carve, sturdy and unbreakable. Most were symbolic and ceremonial figures, often of a religious nature. According to the doll category guidelines set by United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC), the type of doll is determined by the content of the doll’s head. Thus, a wood doll always has a wooden head regardless of the types of materials used in the body construction. With that in mind, we challenge you to create wood dolls and send us your submissions. Deadline for artwork to be received: December 15, 2009.

Submission information

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Deadline for artwork to be received: December 15, 2009. Please read submission guidelines before sending your submissions to: Stampington & Company · C/O: Altered Couture · 22992 Mill Creek, Suite B · Laguna Hills, CA 92653

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Optical lens with image

The DIY network has a video showing you how to use glass paints to create swirled baubles that resemble stained glass.  I’m not crazy about the recommendation to bend the handles (if you’re unlucky, the glass can pop out or crack), but other than that, I really like the way these look.

“Stained glass” optical lenses

It never hurts to have more tricks up your sleeve when it comes to jewelry making!

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Chain Style
by Jane Dickerson

There’s nothing like adding chain to your design, or even designing an entire piece around chain, to make the design work up quickly. Chain is an excellent material for both beginners and those with advanced skills, because the complexity of your projects is only limited by experience and imagination.

The techniques and materials section is minimal but sufficient.  Largely this is because the projects are all so accessible.  There are 50 designs to inspire you, many created by designers whose names you will know.  This gives a wide variety of styles, and I’m sure you’ll find some that catch your eye no matter how experienced you are.

Using chain is also a wonderful way to stretch your beading budget.  A few special beads connected together with chain will make a fabulous necklace that won’t break the bank!

Image: InterweaveStore.com

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What a shame!  It seems this wonderful post has been removed.  No clue as to why

So when Leslie Rogalski, the new editor to Beading Daily decided to share the top contemporary jewelry making techniques that she thinks are essential to master, I took note.  Since Leslie is already a beader, she didn’t list any beading skills at all.  Instead, she focussed on mixed media skills that would suppliment and expand one’s jewelry-making bag of tricks.  I think her list is a good start.  See what you think!

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I made this multi-strand necklace for my friend Sherry. She wanted something that celebrated the fourth day of Creation, and she wanted me to make it for her! I was thrilled and flattered. Sherry is just about the perfect person to work for on a commission such as this: She knows the general style, weight, colors, and images that she wants, but she never crosses the line into micro-managing.

Her necklace became a three-strand affair, but still ended up relatively lightweight. I used a bead embroidered centerpiece, chosing a lovely fused glass bead made by my friend Jeanne Kent (New Terra Artifacts). The piece also features several beads that I bought when we visited Venice and Murrano last year…I hoard these, so you can guess that Sherry is very special to me!

Instructions for construction

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Not that I think Jan Turner Bell would have thrown out this shed deer antler or the wonderful arrowheads that she used in her mixed media necklace (it also doubles as wall art), but she did make at least one person almost pass out when she told him what she was going to use them for!

Jan lives on a farm that has been in her family for over a hundred years.  She has a great support system in her family, who encourage her creativity and art making.  Look at this fabulous mixed media piece that Jan created:

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From the website: If you’d like to share your inspiration and detailed how-to instruction for creating beautiful jewelry with readers, we want to hear from you. Belle Armoire Jewelry covers a broad range of mediums, from art clay to polymer clay to found object to fiber to wire to beads and much, much more. Whether you are a creator of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches, pendants, rings or other jewelry, we welcome you to submit your artwork for consideration of publication.

Please read submission guidelines before sending your submissions to: Stampington & Company · C/O: Belle Armoire · 22992 Mill Creek, Suite B · Laguna Hills, CA 92653

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