Mini Marvels - Bellabijoujewellery

It's Mini-Marvel time!

As many know, I have started on the path to learning how to metalsmith. I have been privileged to have the opportunity to meet some AMAZINGLY talented artisans from whom I have learned a great deal and been inspired to aim high and never give up! Bellabijoujewellery is one of those who inspired me to push my limits and aim for the sky...:)

I asked her to share a little about her journey:

I am one of those people who has a ridiculous memory. I can remember lyrics to almost every song I have ever heard. I can remember what I wore to the first day of school when I was 5. I can tell you what song was playing the first time I danced a slow dance at a school dance. I can remember saying I was going to be an artist from as far back as preschool.


Born and raised in Vancouver BC, my parents always encouraged my "crafty" side. Birthday and Christmas presents were always craft and art related - whether it was a paint easel, a sewing machine, or a pottery wheel ( yes, I was the only kid I knew that had a pottery wheel - mind you it was meant for kids and never worked quite right...). My mother ran her own small business, and my Dad was, is and always will be the ultimate build it guy. From houses, to boats, to cars and motorcycles - if you asked Dad to build it, he would. Its no wonder to me now how I grew up to be an entrepreneur with the "I think I can make that" mindset.


I didn't however choose to channel my artistic tendencies into metalsmithing right away. I was at a turning point in my personal life when I decided that the beaded jewellery I was already making and selling just wasn't doing it for me. Some say that is the best time to throw caution to the wind and try something new - and it was the best thing I have done in my adult life. A few months later brought a new place to live, with a new boyfriend (I really wanna say soulmate but am trying not to get too corny here) and support system, and my first set of jewellers tools.


From there I grew - as a person and an artist on a mission. I was going to teach myself as much as I can retain ( remember that memory thing? I think this is where it is finally coming in handy!) I am proud to say I am self taught by trial and error. I feel it proves my perseverance and passion for what I do. Each time I discover a new tool ( or better yet, and old tool), each time I light that torch, each time I put the final touches on a piece of jewellery, then stand back and look at it, I fall in love with metalsmithing a little bit more, and it reminds me that this is what I am meant to do!

I hope you enjoyed sharing in Bella's positivity and beautiful talent! I do every day!
♥

Mini Marvels - VickiDianeDesigns

It's Mini-Marvel time!

As an admirer of those who do for others, I could not help instantly being respectful of VickiDianeDesigns...:) She's vibrant, generous and full of life and it comes through in everything she does so passionately.

I asked her to share a little about what makes life grand for her:

I'm in LOVE with life , colour music and art.
My creations are Bold, Vibrant, Sexy Funique and ALIVE. ( Hopefully as you read -- like me! )


I'm from London UK , where I left at 19 and travelled the world singing the blues and playing the piano. I came from a very theatrical and artistic background. My father being a film director and mum was a nurse but a fabulous pianist. I took up music and acting at an early age and spent a short time at drama school later.
My hobbies now are much the same...music (always LOUD while I'm working )...art, which I've been working at in some shape or form for over 20 years now...painting , fashion and jewelry...(and sport- when I can fit it in if I have any puff left ! )
I am lucky enough now to live between beautiful Southern Spain, Andalucia and the UK....guess which I like most ?


Regarding my designs, I've a HUGE passion for animal print, which I must have picked up on my travels , and also for vibrant rich, exotic and Mediterranean inspired colours, having spent many a moon relaxing on foreign sands and enjoying the amazing stunning sunsets !
I spend FAR too much time on Etsy and Facebook promoting other people (and occasionally myself ;) and love it !
As long as I can get to the gym or play tennis occasionally then I don't feel too guilty. I started a series of Etsy Treasury's nearly 2 and a half year years ago called **Artists Exposed * where I feature the artists from behind their shops and this has proved overwhelmingly successful and had people queuing up for a feature.
Now the format has changed and I have a non- stop rotation going on where there are as I write- well over 3000 views and over 4000 clicks already. I've kept it running since the end of April and it just proves that folk are nearly as nosy as me LOL !!! (I've only 750,000 artists to get through now :)


My designing gives me GREAT pleasure and doing this for you has been such fun. Thank you Shannon x

I hope you enjoyed her generosity, rara-avis spirit and playful work like I do!
♥

Mini Marvels - Bomobob

It's Mini-Marvel time once again! Nothing like starting fresh with some amazing artisans!

I've always loved photography and I was pleased to come across the work of a fellow Montrealer. Bomobob has been around the block some and is a well known photographic entity in our fair city...:) Not only is he a talented gent, he's also a hilarious one and I have been privileged to get to know him.

I asked him to give us a little perspective on what makes him tick:

Somewhere there’s a photo of me at the age of about 5 or 6, at Upper Canada Village. In it, I have a 127 camera hanging from my wrist on a strap. It may be a Kodak Brownie, but I seem to recall it may have been green, which would probably mean it was an Imperial. I know that photo is around here somewhere, because it was always hanging in the stairway when I was growing up.


I guess that’s when it began. I was always fascinated by the idea of being able to freeze single moments in time and save them to look at over and over. Not just people, but places, events. Sure, that’s what photography is all about, but I caught the bug early on.

The local supermarket used to give out bonus stamps, and you’d stick them into booklets until you had enough to trade them in for something from their catalog. For me, it was Kodak Instamatic X-15, which I still use regularly.


I sometimes feel like I’m still back in that era, as most of my 60 or so cameras are from that period. I like the bad optics, the vignetting, the false colour…what’s referred to now as “vintage look”. And yes, I’m obsessed with carnivals, as they also take one back to a time of innocence and false colour and faded memories.


I tend not to travel light when it comes to cameras. There’s almost always one old twin-lens reflex camera for doing TTV photography, a Polaroid, a Holga, an Instamatic, and usually any one of a number of small 35mm rangefinders, along with either a film or digital SLR. And a tripod.

I hope you enjoy his gorgeous photography as much as I do. I have a calendar at home which I LOVE flipping through...:)
♥

Mini Marvels - Mia's Closet

It's Mini-Marvel time! Well, it was yesterday, but I had connection issues because my provider is doing some work in my area.

Have you ever had the urge to find some cute cloths for your pets? To dress them up for special occasions? Well, Mia's Closet is definitely the place to start! She even does bridal and special event clothing for your furry friend...:) Not only is she a talented seamstress, she's a straight-froward and trustworthy friend. You always know that, though she may not say much, what she does say counts and she means it from the heart.

I asked her to share with us and she made a nice little compilation for us:


I hope you enjoy her beautifully crafted pet accessories. I so want a bow for my mom's dog...:)
♥

Mini Marvels - TheEye

It's Mini-Marvel time! Well, many of you are prolly going it's about time! :)

A few months ago, I came across a thread way down in the bowls of the ETC. Forum and the people there were so welcoming that I quickly felt at home...:) Theeye is one of those people. Like her compatriots, she's super sweet and she's also an extremely talented Photographer. I always love coming across Canadian talent and I did in spades with this lovely lady.

I asked her to share a little bit about her perspectives and here's the wonderful things she shared:

Seeing Art in Everything

When Shannon asked me if I would like to be featured on her blog, I thought about what I wanted to share with her readers. I had no guideline to go by, or questions to answer, she just said, talk about whatever you want. So… we’re talking about seeing art everywhere.

Have you ever had somebody say, "Wow, you really have quite an eye for that" ….. I get this comment quite often and I mostly don't understand why. I suppose I think everyone sees things visually the same way I do. This must not be the case, however, as I have shot birds, bugs, flowers, skies and endless other images and upon sharing them with people, comments range from "you gave it a personality" ... "it's so ugly, but you made it look cute" .... "I wouldn't have photographed that in a million years" ... “I would hang that on my wall!” or "I didn't even notice that...."

That last one is probably my favorite. Maybe that's the secret? I notice things. Little things. Often when I watch movies, I'm so caught up in looking at the background, set and the surroundings, that I am not paying attention to the movie at all. Movies in my house must be watched at least twice for that very reason. It’s not that I don’t pay attention. I just pay attention to something other than the story.

Here’s an example of what I mean. A photo of a poppy out in the yard. A simple red flower, a little top heavy... swaying with the wind ... just an average shot, right? Before scrolling down any further, allow the imagination aspect of your organized brain to take control for a sec. Do you really see a poppy?


This particular time, what I saw was not a poppy...an ordinary summer flower ...what I 'saw' was a fish. A flowy goldfishy-koi type of fish.

Poppy Fish
It wasn't that my mind was purposely trying to envision something else, this gorgeous fish is just what appeared to my mind's eye as the images were uploading onto my computer screen ..... Then it was just a matter of applying the right Photoshop skills, so I could share that vision with you. Now any time you see JUST a poppy in the yard:


… someone else might be seeing the beautiful flowing fins of some exotic fish.

Poppy Fish 2
*****

The same principle applies with a lot of my digital photography. I can basically compose what I want my image baseline to be:


And then thru some skills and techniques in Photoshop, I can put into print what my imagination was envisioning:

Pink & Burgundy
Or perhaps I snap this photo...


But in my mind, I’m seeing this finished piece of art...

Dandelion
I'm not talking about seeing the Virgin Mary in a slice of toast, or Michael Jackson's face in a reflection of a cloud, (that would be cool though), but you might just surprise yourself with what is right in front of you.

If you open up that creative channel your brain, the one that lets you daydream freely, your right brain, your inner eye, third eye, your imagination...whatever name you give it, maybe you'll start 'seeing' poppy fish out in the yard, too. They're out there... you'll see. Literally.

Ellen

I hope you see the little things in her amazing work like I do!
♥

Mini marvels - JillMacCorkle

It's Mini-Marvel time!

JillMacCorkle is a wonderfully talented designer and super sweet lady...:) What I love most about her work is her ability to pair something rough with something elegant and come out with classic pieces every time. Her pieces all have something in them that makes them special and removed from the everyday.

I asked her to share something about herself with us and here's what she had to say...:)

I’m honored to be featured on your blog, and among such good company as your past mini-marvels! I love that aside from gemstones and jewelry, we all share a similar view on the importance of honesty and integrity in our work and our lives. I could not “hang” with people who did not share that.

I’ve always been that person who looks at something and thinks, “I could do that!” When I was very young, I truly believed I could – with age, I’ve realized that it takes more than just that belief – you actually have to work hard and fail a lot on the way to success. But my natural inclination has led me to try things that I probably had no business attempting. I’m self-taught in just about every creative thing I do, and that includes jewelry making.

I first fell in love with jewelry as a young child, and I can clearly picture myself in class endlessly doodling designs for rings and necklaces on my notebooks. I was utterly convinced that I could make my designs reality, but I was held back by my lack of a rock tumbler. You know, the ones that show rough garden rocks going into the machine and shiny polished beautiful gemstones coming out? Santa never did bring me one. Sigh.

Over time my creative impulses went into other pursuits, like sewing, art, photography, home remodeling, and calligraphy. I still work at all those when I can, which is not nearly as often as I would like. I’ve also got two kids (twelve and nine years old), a husband, and a dog, so life keeps me busy.

The passion for making jewelry reignited in me about five years ago, after I helped a friend make some bracelets for a women’s conference. It was fun, and I figured maybe I could make a few things for myself and that it would be less expensive than buying jewelry. Little did I know! I went to the local bead store intending to get a few supplies, and ran smack into the gorgeousness that is inherent in natural gemstones. My inner five year old came out to play, still bursting with all those ideas from so many years ago, and I dove in. Somehow a few beads turned into many, many into more, and these days I think I could stock a bead store myself with all my supplies. I’ve learned through trial-and-error, a few good books, online tutorials, and the wisdom of other designers.

The funny thing is, I’m not one to wear a lot of jewelry, and I’ve never been into the jewelry you find in the big fancy jewelry stores. It’s all too perfect! I like a stone with some imperfection, something about it that shows its “life experience.” When I create new pieces, I love playing with color combinations and juxtaposing refined stones with more rugged ones. I’m not necessarily married to one style or type of jewelry – I’m just as likely to make a big chunky necklace as something delicate and light – but I do strive for a look that is classic with just a bit of a modern twist.

My inspirations come from everywhere! I’ve traveled all over. I grew up in Germany, and have also lived in Washington DC, Dallas, Portland, Chicago, Paris, and currently Seattle, so there are a multitude of influences in my life from other cultures and locales. I’m an avid reader of many different genres, love a wide variety of music, and am passionate about subjects as diverse as home birth, politics, history, education, and food. I also work as a freelance copyeditor, which gives my brain its workouts. Somehow it all informs my designing, directly or indirectly.

I feel I am always evolving in my work, and lately I find myself wanting to do things that require fire to shape and join metal. I don't think I’ll try the self-taught route on that one! I hope to combine metalsmithing with stringing to bring more of the designs in my head out into the real world. Maybe one of those sketches I drew when I was just a little dreamer.

I hope you enjoy her beautiful work as much as I do!
♥

Mini marvels - WireYourWorld

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Here's a lady who lives with precision every day. WireYourWorld's beautiful & intricate, yet simple & elegant pieces have long been a source of admiration for me. I keep wondering HOW she does it and keep wanting to learn. She's sweet and so hardworking and has so much talent. I can only strive to achieve what she has with her designs.

I asked her to share a little about herself so we could have a look into HER world.

My interest in rocks started when I was a child. For some reason, I was always fascinated with dinosaurs and the time before man, the creatures that walked the earth, and the death and fossilization of those creatures. This translated over time to the study of how the earth formed, and all the types of pretty rocks created as time passes and the world changes. These interests were helped along by memorable (for me), field trips to the Peabody Museum in CT, and the Museum of Natural History in NYC.

Alongside of my interest in rocks and dinosaurs, around the age of 13, I was developing an interest in the ancient world of humans, King Tut was going on tour so it was all in the media, and talked about in history classes. We lived in CT, my father owned a Dairy Queen, and my mother was a nurse. With four children, money was tight. My mother found that the local Community College was going to have a course about Ancient Egypt, with the field trip at the end of the course, a trip to NYC and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to see the King Tut Exhibit. This field trip was a much lower cost way to get the both of us to the exhibit. So, there was my mom, convincing College Administrators that a 13 year old should be allowed to enroll in the course. They let me in, I took the course, and passed the test. I suppose I still have a college credit on record somewhere for that! Needless to say, I enjoyed the trip, and the glass cube that enclosed the Mask of King Tut, is still vivid in my head.

How does this relate to the here and now? Lapis, ahhhh lapis. I had never seen such a gorgeous stone and there it was, in the mask, finely wrought in solid gold. I mean, c'mon!

Another thing my mother did for me, though I didn't know it at the time, was instill a love of finely crafted items, to be able to see the work, the craftsmanship in something well done, over something mass produced. This came about by helping my mother sell her "stuff" at flea markets. Lugging boxes and sitting for days on end at her table, and wandering around looking at others' "stuff", I learned to discern antiques from nic nacs, and quality craftsmanship from shoddy or mass produced. Somewhere along the way, there was a wire worker, and I was astounded at the work, but yet, time passed.

Enter late 1990's, and a wire worker at a renaissance fair, a tiny bead ring that I purchased and wore, for two years straight. I wanted to know how to make that ring. At some point it occurred to me there might be something online and in books, an lo and behold there was, and I learned to make that ring, then sold my first one at the local flea market, where I was attempting to sell mass produced jewelry. (Long story short, after being unsuccessful in a myriad of jobs ranging from postal worker to insurance agent and stock broker, I gave up on employers, and started my own little business).

After that ring sold, I search for more information on the basics of wire working and taught myself the basic wire sculpt and border wraps. I became a bit of a cabochon junkie as I decimated my savings to buy supplies. I quit looking at the work of other wrappers, and searched for a style that was uniquely me. As I worked I strove for elegant, because that was what I was taught by my mother, that you wear jewelry for elegance. My customers asked for simple, smaller, items that they could wear to the office, so I strove for sleek yet artistic. And at every bend I worked, and cursed at my fingers (but never at the wire!) to make the perfect coils, the perfect finishing touches, to make sure the ends were tucked neatly, to make sure its sturdy and will last. A common thing I say at shows to people browsing, "go ahead and fondle the merchandise! Don't worry if you drop it, if its harmed it means I didn't make it right, and I made it right!"

But, back to my cabochon obsession. I wanted more and more to work on my own stones. My inner child was coming back! Plus, I was aware I needed something to keep my business going when it wasn't craft show season. They say things show up when you need them the most. In December of 2008 I was searching Craigslist for anything lapidary, and found a mention of a yard sale that had already passed. :-( But, the phone number was posted, so, nothing ventured nothing gained, I called. I found the lapidary equipment was owned by the elderly father of the yard sale host, and had never made it to the sale! It was ALL still available. I met the couple and apparently they liked me and for a VERY good price, I was now the owner of equipment that new, would have run me at least $3000, and a small metal drawer unit of slabs. Wow. So, with no education beyond what I read online and in some old old cabochon cutting books, I began cabbing. I'm still very new at it, and I'm humbled that my creative jewelry peers see fit to purchase my cabochons. I cut and polish stones often while visualizing what I would make with that stone, and I try to bring out the pattern and polish so its something I myself would be unashamed to offer my customers as a finished piece of jewelry. Quality and craftsmanship, the way mom taught me. I get to do what I love, without embarrassing my mother!

I hope you enjoy her beautiful work as much as I do!
♥

Mini Marvels - Bushkraft

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Australia is a huge, beautiful place filled with treasures that many a man has yet to see. Pete from Bushkraft has had the pleasure of being able to find some of them for himself and we've been given the pleasure and honor of being able to share in his finds through his shop.

His pieces are stunning and his wife shows off her own talents right alone side him with some gorgeous wire-wrapped pieces. Not only is he one talented lapidary, he's also SUPER sweet and I am glad I had the opportunity to meet him...:) It would be so great for the gang from The Lapidarium to hop across the pond and see the world through his eyes!

I asked him to show us into his world and here's what he had to say!

Well what can I say ..... perhaps I should start with a big hug and a thank you to Sha for inviting me to say a little about myself and my life.

I love my life, I love my planet, I love living in the Western Australian bush and am honoured that other life forms choose to share the experience with me, including of course my wonderful wife, and four gorgeous daughters, I also love kids and old ladies, and just about any thing with skin, fur, feathers or scales, and I also love philosophy (which is a bit like saying that "I love the love of knowledge" which doesn't make sense)

I dislike, bullies, greed, cruelty in any form, the finance industry, corruption in government, pettiness, and people who do not understand why duty, honesty, loyalty, and Integrity are so important, Oh and politicians that think it's OK to tell whopping great lies to the very people that put them in power, and men who use their size or physical strength to intimidate or to give them an unfair advantage.

During my life so far, I have been a soldier, an adventurer, and an explorer, and like most Australians I have traveled extensively overseas, I have no idea if there is a God (sometimes I wish that I did ) but I do believe that life is about learning and passing on that information to others so that they in turn can pass on the knowledge, in this way the accumulated wisdom of experience is passed on down the generations, this is how it has always been and this is how it should be.

I have a tremendous respect for the natural world and greatly admire those indigenous people of this planet who remain connected to the spirit of the land, to me the belief that every creature has equal value makes sense, none should be considered vermin because every species plays its part in ensuring that the planet works, the biggest danger to the planet is man, in many areas we have become an introduced feral species that has reached plague proportions, we have become so obsessed with progress that we missed the chance to learn from the ancient peoples who really knew the ways of nature, and could have taught us things that now we will never know.

I am happiest when I am in my outdoor workshop with a piece of wood or a lump of rock, a dog or two close by, sometimes a cat or a chicken will join us and quite often Tommy our pet goat also will stand watching from his compound, this to me is what makes life worth living, I know that it sounds strange but that piece of wood or rock is somehow able to tell me what it wants to become, sometimes I put the material next to the saw blade or the grinder and it says "no not there" anyway between us we are eventually able to produce stunning pieces that were designed and formed by mother nature sometimes over millions of years, but crafted by man, and I am able to proudly say (to myself of course) "that man was me" !

I am a sentimental but stubborn bugger and I always try to be true to myself, I cry when I see kids in pain or when someone achieves an impossible goal (like the girl staggering towards the finishing line in an Olympic marathon ) I built the house that we live with my own sweat (and the odd drop of blood) helped on occasions by my long suffering wife, I put little value on how folk look I am far more interested in how they think and what they can do.

Take care and thanks for taking the time to read this stuff.

See? What did I tell you...SUPER sweet! I doubt his wife is at all long-suffering with such a wonderful man in her life...;) I'm right about his cabs too so you should run over and check them out before they are all gone!
♥

Mini Marvels - AnvilArtshop

It's Mini-Marvel time!

AnvilArtshop is just one of those shops that delights all the senses and it's run by a super cool lady who also happens to be a fellow Canadian...:) She's so talented and all her pieces have a unique, high quality appeal. Definitely someone who inspires me!

If you love fabrics, she also runs a beautiful shop full of vintage and unusual textiles: TextileJunkies

I asked her to tell us a little about herself:

I wear a lot of hats these days: clothing designer, leatherworker, metalsmith... I love creating something classic, but with an unexpected twist!

My favorite professor taught us that one of the hardest design principles is to keep things simple -- words I try to live by. When you have limited tools to express your design -- whether it's only two seams on a garment, only two pieces of metal, or only two textures of leather and suede -- then each element must be perfect. Precisely what you need, to create precisely what you want.

Sounds a little -- uptight, to put it nicely! -- but it's what I do best, and thankfully my clientele seems to agree. :) Creating custom designs for diplomats, CEOs, and politicians for the past 18 years has definitely been a challenge, as no two pieces could be alike... ever.

I'm always seeking new skills to add to my design work: textile dyeing, leather carving, welding, even blacksmithing fascinates me -- although I doubt I'll be allowed to practice that one in the house! As I believe that the day you stop learning is the day you should just keel over and quit, I hope to be exploring this path for years and years to come... hmmm, pass me that blowtorch, would you?

The texture to be found in her shops is just so fun I wish I could run my fingers over everything to experience it all in person!
♥

Mini Marvels - MmeMagpie

Better late than never...;)

It's Mini-Marvel time!

You know that person who you can always count on for sound advice about stuff you're interested in? Well, MmeMagpie is the person many of us over at Mis-named go to when we're in a bind when it comes to stones. She's always there with advice and she makes such beautiful things!

She's also got a fabulous supply shop in MmeMagpieSupply which I'm sure will be filled with treasures again soon. I sort of emptied it out this morning...*lol*

I asked her tell us a little more about who she is:

I have this memory from when I was much shorter of tugging my mom's skirt, looking up at her, and saying as earnestly as only a very small human can, "I'm going to be an artist when I grow up!" Her gift of seed beads and a loom at the age of eight, or so, got me started on this long road that ends, for now, in a small shed in my back yard.

A combination of beads, thread, and creative ingenuity started this adventure. Formal education doesn’t really figure into any of it, just trial and error and a few books. At 21, when a friend asked to buy something I was working on, a light just came on and that’s when I knew jewelry was the path I should take.

Not long after, I moved to Virginia Beach where I wandered into Silver Stream with a briefcase full of glass bead and brass wirework jewelry and walked out with a job (and a briefcase full of brass and glass jewelry). There I learned the joy of having the flame in one hand and tweezers in the other. And hammers. And drill bits…

Well, I learned the joy of working metal in high school. Sometimes I wish Mr Burkholder would have lived a few more years so I could have showed him some of my early, misshapen silver projects. I think he would have been tickled to know his one female student wound up a working metal. I remember him sometimes, especially when I smell hot steel and scorched lubricants.

Ahem. I ramble.

My gem obsession was a simple side effect of falling in love with jewelry. It started with, “Ooooh, that’s pretty” to “What is this, exactly” to “Hmm. That rhodolite looks a little different from the rubellite, but they’re the same color. What gives?” The last question sent me to California and the GIA for six months. I got my GG for Christmas that year. Best present EVER.

Any way you slice it, I’m a gem and jewelry nut through and through. I can’t even imagine retiring. Stop doing this? I can’t think of one reason to give up working with beautiful things and meeting the people who share my joy.

Enjoy her shop and her knowledge!
♥

Mini Marvels - Peggyhodge

It's Mini-Marvel time!

I'm always impressed when people can make an impact while being soft-spoken. Peggyhodge is quiet, but her photography and her stones aren't. They are filled with life and beauty and I feel that they match her well.

I asked her to share a little about herself with us and I was honored that she complied:

My journey into the lapidary world was an unintentional one. My sister won a free year membership in the Oshkosh Earth Science Club and dragged me to her first meeting. There we learned that she could learn to make cabs in the workshop so she dragged me to the class also. The rest was history, or should we say, written in stone. My photography started to take a backseat to making cabochons.
After being trained in making cabs, spending 2 hours on a Saturday wasn't enough time for me. I soon bought my own machines. I took the intarsia class offered at the club. Then in August I went on my first field trip to the kona dolomite quarry in Upper Michigan.

I have been taking photographs since I was a kid, as you can see from my avatar. That's me at 4 years old. I love taking photos of the beauty of nature. Also The EAA Airventure in Oshkosh offers the opportunity to take fantastic photos, both action and abstract shots.

I am so lucky to have been graced with her presence and that she opened up to us all...:)
♥

Mini Marvels - Jetflair

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Jetflair, the designer behind Distinction Jewelry, knows the benefits of showcasing fabulously gorgeous gemstones behind simple, elegant designs. Her shop is FILLED with absolutely amazing set-jewelry and beaded pieces featuring beautifully cut stones as well as funky inspiration pieces. She's definitely a source of inspiration and someday, when I grow up, I want to be able to make beauties the way she does!

I asked her to talk a little about herself and here's what she had to say:

Thanks for doing me the honor of featuring my work on your blog! I am fascinated (or to put it perhaps more honestly, obsessed) by gemstones; in fact sometimes I think I continue to persevere in the hyper-competitive jewelry market simply to have a valid excuse to work with an amazing variety of pretty rocks.

There are two main types of stones you’ll find in my work: faceted gems and gemstone cabochons. Faceted gems are the beautiful sparkly creatures you’re used to seeing in fine jewelry stores, traditionally cut from transparent gems. Cabochons are often cut from those same stones, but more commonly are hand-cut to show off a remarkable variety of patterns and colors occurring in opaque or translucent stones not traditionally seen in jewelry. These are usually one-of-a-kind and collecting them is truly addicting.

I tend towards two broad styles in jewelry design; minimalist presentations that highlight the natural beauty of the stone by allowing it to take center stage, and thematic or graphic designs which use stones as design elements in, for instance, a desert landscape or a star constellation. I have never been able to draw with a pen and ink, but I can do so in gems and metal.

My primary inspirations couldn’t be more different; one is raw reality as found in the naturally occurring art of nature, and the other is fiction. I am drawn to nature’s extremes and natural power. Lightning. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Deserts. The wonders of outer space. Portraying them using materials created by natural forces seems only too fitting.

Being as I’m a total geek at heart, I also find ample inspiration in the fictional worlds of my favorite characters and stories, especially those from my favorite TV shows like Firefly, Stargate Atlantis, Flashpoint, and Numb3rs. This makes designs like my popular Galaxy Series pendants and bullet shell casing jewelry a natural fit for my work.

One pendant I made recently involved melting down sterling silver in a small crucible and plunging a piece of real iron meteorite into the molten metal. Letting it cool created a unique pendant quite literally forged from the fires of earth and space.

It thrills me to sell my jewelry online; my work is being worn in exotic locations across the world, by celebrities, and in most states in the US. I love writing foreign addresses on envelopes, and one day I’d love to have time to compile a world map showing where my pieces have gone. It’s almost like vicarious travel!

Looking forward to the future, I’m interested in exploring more methods and designs like crushed stone inlay and acid etching. I will also be testing out the idea of using custom-cut stones to increase their usefulness in “drawing with gems.” But more than anything, I’ll be following my obsession with pretty rocks.

It's my honor to have found such fabulous people to be around to learn and grow and laugh with...:)
♥

Mini Marvels - HappyTortoiseSupply

It Mini-Marvel time!

I know it's amazing, but I actually have a SECOND Etsy-Man for you...I know, they are such rare creatures we all think they've become extinct! :)

HappyTortoiseSupply is an absolute sweetheart who has the bizarre knack of being able to hit the 00 count in all our threads. We won't hold that against him though...;) He's a super talented cutter and a super talented designer, as attested by his second shop HappyTortoiseDesigns, with a great sense of humor and a huge Tortoise for a wonderful pet. Sometimes, I picture him smiling when I read what he's written.

I asked him to give us a little taste of his passions and here's what he has to say.

I came into my art through an unlikely source – science. I’ve always been a science nut and math geek. Probably because that’s what I was good at right away, so I went with it. By high school I was doing higher calculus and physics equations in my head, but couldn’t draw a straight line. Unless I was trying to draw a curve. No kidding, that bad.

Which is a shame, because I love art. I’ve studied art, art history, modern art, etc. I can appreciate it in all it’s forms. I always felt left out that I couldn’t participate because what was in my head couldn’t be brought out.

In comes my muse – rocks. When I first started dating my wife, she had some specimens all over her apartment. Geodes, faced pieces of jasper, minerals, etc. I was fascinated by them. I learned their names quickly, and wanted more. That lead me to collect and study minerals. Thousands of them, every type, every formation, every color. Nature is a better artist than any human could ever hope to be. My love of science and art found an unlikely perfect union.

Then at a local rock show I saw someone demonstrating cabbing. I’m good with my hands, familiar with tools and machines, so I thought “I could do that.” I wandered over and watched the guy running through his full routine. I knew I’d want to try my hand at it, but no such luck. The machines were too messy and noisy for an apartment.

Fortunately, we moved into a house (with a good sized garage for studio space) about half a year later, and the odyssey began. Now I cut every chance I get.

I think this background gives me a fairly unique approach to the stones. I can appreciate the patterns, inclusions, colors, and implied images in the slabs I work with. I can look at a slab and see both the minerals and formation as well as the scene. I don’t cut the stone just to make a cab, or try to force a scene. I let the picture come to me and try to free it, accentuate it, and highlight it. The art is already done by the Earth. I just try to translate it for other people. It is a good bridge between my appreciation of others’ work, and finally being able to participate.

Which leads to the metal work. Cutting a stone is all well and good, but then... what to do with them all? Sure, sell them. But all of them? No, I had to do something more.

I enrolled in the jewelry program at North Seattle Community College, and had the honor of working under the tutelage of Lynne Hull. One of the best in the nation, I’m told. And believe.

Again, I found a pleasant melding of art and science. Shaping the metal, soldering, fusing, cutting, casting... hands-on art, no doubt. But also the metallurgy, understanding how the metal reacts, alloys... Oh yeah, I’ve found my art. Rock and metal.

After a few years of limited studio time, I feel I’m just coming out of my artistic infancy. I’m pushing my schedule for more studio time, pushing my skills to expand what I can do, learning how to market and run a business, so I can sell my work. The final goal is to become self supported doing what I most love. But the process of getting there is so enjoyable, that I'm in no particular hurry.

Jason

The joy of lapidary is that the stones are so individualistic so buying from one is NOT like buying from another!
♥

Mini Marvels - Lapidarious

It Mini-Marvel time!

Today I have a totally inspiring, absolutely wonderful Etsy Man for your delight to discover...:) There aren't that many of them out there, so it's good to appreciate the ones we have!

Lapidarious is one of the best sources of fine quality cabochons on Etsy. His cuts are not only technically precise but he also seems to find the parts of the stone that just sing...the parts that truly show off Mother Nature's hidden beauty. Aside from cabbing, Lap also has a GORGEOUS collection of high-end gold/silver-worked jewelry at JoyfulCrow which feature his cabs and he's just started a rough slab shop called LapidariousSlabsEtc for other cabbing enthusiasts to be able to continue the lapidary traditions he so loves.

I asked him to talk a little about what he's about and here's what he had to say.

Its always been a thing between me and the Planet.
Just being here,absorbing the surroundings and seeing how it all interplays.
That dance between elements that goes on continually all
through everything including us serves to fascinate and illuminate.
I am so blessed by this world to be able to feel the things I do and
be able to express it in metal and stone.
The very stuff the world I stand on, is.
When the work is in step with that dance, that makes me feel the most peaceful.
Sometimes its an elusive moment, sometimes its an endless summer.
The rock and metal of the Earth is a powerful medium.
I think it has much to say on its own.
And such a sweet dance partner.
If I can just keep in step.

Lapidarious is an extension of JoyfulCrow, where I couldn't get
lapidary the way I wanted or finished to the degree I wanted.
While collecting stones minerals, gems and fine lapidary rough, precedes my
jewelry involvement, cutting and sculpting gems is a fairly recent
thing for me. I have been around lapidaries all my life , but just
didn't have the hands on. Around 6 years ago I started reshaping small
cabs, and bringing up better shines and removing faults in commercial
stones. Pretty much all with my Flexshaft. Went from there to an Ameritool set up and on to a Titan. And A LOT of cutting. The addition of my own stone work to my jewelry is a big plus. But lapidary is so inspiring to its own, I haven't gotten as much bench time in the last few years. But my cutting is getting excellent.
I guess theirs a balance there.

Thanks so much for letting me ramble a bit about Lapidarious
Barney

So much to choose from at whatever level of craftsmanship you are!
♥

Mini Marvels - Chrissilynn2

Hello gang and welcome to the second first installment of this lovely little feature where I get to quickly highlight some of my friends, team mates and personal inspirations. I started this way back in spring and decided to relaunch it because it's a way for me to share those I consider a part of my family with you...:)

Today we have the super sweet Chrissilynn2 who happens to share a passion for nature's treasures with me. I was lucky enough to meet her and a wonderful assortment of friends through my forum explorations on Etsy.

She's also recently started her OWN cab shop: chrissicabs

I asked her to talk a little bit about herself. Meet Chrissi!

My love of gems and jewelry design started at a very early age, and was heavily influenced by my childhood. My Dad was a wonderful craftsmen with wood and I used to frequently help him in his shop growing up. He taught me how to appreciate the natural variations and beauty within the wood, which I naturally translated into stone. I also learned how to handle the tools with ease and think outside of the box when it came to using them too. In addition to Dad's influence, a Rock and Mineral show would set-up every year at the community center right behind our house. I would spend all day, all weekend admiring all the beautiful gems and was facinated by the fossils. Those poor vendors were probably sick to death of this nerdy kid by the end of the show!

As it turns out, and after a long time of denying it, I started my foray into lapidary design this past weekend. It feels like I've been doing lapidary my whole life! I couldn't believe the peace I felt come over me after I started grinding that first stone. Uncovering the beauty within the stones give me such inner joy and I'm so happy and fortunate to be able to share my gifts and passions with others.

Shannon, thank you so much for featuring me and allowing me to talk about my passion!

Christina

Enjoy her gorgeously organic pieces and beautiful cabs!
♥

Mini Marvels - LindaB142

I've decided Thursdays will be my Etsy-Mini days...;)

Today we have the lovely LindaB142

She's a totally lovely lady and I asked her to briefly talk about herself.

My interest in beading was revived about 4 years ago at a women's meeting where we made beaded ribbon bracelets for a holiday. It's so fun and relaxing to design and bead a piece of jewelry using different colors and shapes of gemstones and glass. I also get into the characteristics of the gemstones and color combinations to enhance: serenity, healing, communication, etc.

I love glass and gemstone pendants and bold colors. I'm learning to make bottlescap pendants and hope to begin designing my own glass tile pendants soon.

Shannon, thanks so much for featuring me.
Linda



Enjoy her lovely jewelry!
♥