back to basics: ear wire 101

I decided to actually make and embed a video for this and a few other blogs to help simplify the visual process of certain techniques. I could do as I have in the past and put many still images but I think this will help with understanding what I am doing far better.

For a basic ear wire set you will need:

20g or 22g wire

a mandrel of some sort (I am using a ring mandrel in this demonstration)

basic tools; flush style cutter, pliers (I used round nose, bent nose, and plastic tip flat nose)

ruler

de-buring tool or a good file

0000 steel wool

Instructions:

1) cut 2 pieces of wire to the exact same length (I did 3 inches)

2) with a set of round nose pliers place a nice circular loop at one end of each piece of wire as you would for a basic eye pin (I mark my pliers with a sharpie to know where I am working. The sharpie mark comes off with ease when you are done)

3) place your wire on your mandrel and wrap around till you are happy with the shape then repeat ( placed my wire on the size 8 mark on a ring mandrel)

4) take your bent nose pliers and give each of your ear wires a nice little bend or curve at the tip (this is the side that goes through your ear opening)

5) hammer or finish shaping both wires till you are happy with what you have. Remember earrings are not just the artistic aspect of what is being hung on the wire but the wire as well.

6) take your deburing tool or file and smooth out the tips of both wires.

7) finish smoothing out the tips with your steel wool. You want this very smooth before it goes through your piercing as the inside skin is very sensitive and prone to micro tears if you are not using quality smooth materials to pass through.

 

 

When you have stunning ear wires you may find that creating out of this world earrings comes with more joy and ease. If you would like to see a few pieces that we have used this simple steps to create, visit our studio at: Entwined Vines Jewelry

How we celebrated the Chinese New Year

Tammy and I have been experiencing many things over the past few months and have not been able to enjoy much in the way of the down time we tend to look forward to during the two months that the Portland Saturday Market is not in operation. Some of it has been good and some not so much but we have been getting through it all. When one of my (Tina) daughters asked to have a big meal to celebrate the first day of the Chinese New Year, we could not resist.  So to bring in the year of the snake, we had a feast…

The flowers :

Egg Flower Soup:

I browned a pound of ground pork then added sliced celery, cubed carrots, covered with chicken stock and brought to a boil. added an egg per person and a 1/4 C arrowroot powder to help thicken…

Beef and Broccoli:

  I took some sliced pre-seasoned beef that we picked up at Costco and dumped it in an electric wok and some oil beef stock and a bunch of fresh broccoli and sautéed till done.

Hum Boa (sweet bbq pork stuffed dumplings):

This was one of the hardest parts of the meal as half of us have to eat gluten free and most of us choose to eat paleo friendly foods. We took a gluten free pizza crust mix that had only; tapioca flour, sea salt, garlic, onion, and oregano and added eggs, oil, and water to make our dumpling dough. Then Tammy scooped a bit of dough into her hand to flatten then stuff with the filling that I made with diced pulled smoked pork that I mixed with a gluten free (but not paleo) bean paste. We then placed the dumplings onto parchment paper that was on cooling racks set into cookie sheets. Unter the paper we poured water to help steam the dumplings and put slashes in the paper to help with air flow. We then placed these in the oven to steam bake. I think they would have been a little better if we had a spare bamboo steamer to cook these in but our steamer was already in use for this mind blowing feast.

This picture had a ton of steam and I could not clear it up as much as I had wanted but it is a great showing of that filling.

Shrimp With Vegetables:

In a marinading style container about 2 hours before cook time I place; 2# peeled shrimp, 3 TBSP Sake, 1/2 tsp salt, 3 TBSP arrowroot powder, and about an inch of fresh ginger that I peeled and sliced. In an electric skillet I then put a splash of oil, and a bunch of vegetables (my choice this time was; baby bok choy, carrots, celery, cabbage, snap peas (yes these are paleo approved), water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, leeks, and a little white onion), I turned the heat on as hot as it would go then added the shrimp stiring till it was almost done. I then added 1-1/2 tsp honey, 3 TBSP coconut aminos, and 1 TBSP chili sauce (I like the garlic rooster sauce for this). I continued to stir another minute before adding about a cup of chicken stock and in a separate bowl I mixed 3 TBSP arrowroot powder (yes more) and 2 TBSP of water to make a slurry that is then quickly added to the skillet and stired till the sauce is thickened.

Paleo Pot stickers:

2 cups cabbage , finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb shrimp , peeled, deveined and finely chopped
1 lb pork , ground
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 tablespoon green onion , chopped
½ cup kelp noodles, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger , chopped
2 garlic cloves , minced
1/4 cup Coconut oil
1 cup chicken stock (maybe more depending on pan)
Leaves from one cabbage (any kind will do)
Directions:
1) Sprinkle salt over the shredded cabbage and let stand for 5 minutes, then squeeze out liquid.
2) Squeeze out any liquid from the shrimp.
3) Mix cabbage, shrimp, pork, coconut aminos, stock, onion, noodles, oil, ginger and garlic (“filling” can be mixed and refrigerated for up to 6 hours in advance).
4) Scoop a sizable amount of “filling” onto a sheet of waxed paper. At this point you can freeze them individually on a cookie sheet and them place in a plastic bag. Defrost in fridge before continuing).
5) In a large skillets place bamboo steamer and fill to just below slats with stock. Bring to a boil then lay out enough cabbage leaves to lightly cover each tier. Place as many stickers as will fit comfortable on each tier and steam for about 15 minutes till done.
6) If desired use cabbage to wrap your “filling” or toss in stir fry or whatever you wish.

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken:

place Chicken (any amount is good I made about 20 pieces worth this evening) in a container to marinade with 2 diced shallots, 3 lemongrass sticks cut and bruised, 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced, a small handful of fresh garlic toes peeled and sliced, 1 TBSP red boat fish sauce, 2 TBSP coconut aminos, 2 TBSP oil, 2 TBSP coconut sugar (or honey or sweetner of preferance), 3 long red chilis slices, and 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro. After letting sit a couple of hours slow cool these on a medium hot grill till cooked through.

Asian Fried Vegetable Brains (aka fried rice made with cauliflower):

take a head of cauliflower and cut off the top parts into a bowl. Nuke (microwave) for about 4 minutes till tender then mash. In a hot skillet brown a pound of ground pork. Once meat is brown, add 1 egg per person and scramble. Once the egg is cooked add to the skillet vegetables of choice (we used carrots and celery). as well as the “riced” cauliflower. Cook till golden and then add a splash of red boat fish sauce and a coconut aminos to taste.

All in all we had an amazing time and had pleanty left over to eat Monday as a symbol of prosperity. What did you do if anything to bring in the New Year or just for the day in general?

Riding The Crazy Train For November 2012

Entwined Vines tries to stay active in a number of guilds on Artfire. One of the guilds that we absolutly love being a part of is the Crazy Train Guild. The memebers of this guild do many activities to help each other along and one of those includes running two day crazy train rides. Every other day we pay special attention to one of our guilds studio’s. Todays blog we are show casing all of the Novembers riders and we hope you enjoy checking all these amazingly creative and skilled studio’s and then leaving comments about some of YOUR favorite studio’s and items

BAYSIDE PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography started as just a hobby I later combined it with another favorite pastime, riding my motorcycle. I now take long rides with my wife looking for interesting photographic opportunities.

My camera is always with me be it on my motorcycle or in the truck. My eyes and my wifes eyes are always looking for that interesting shot.

Recently I was approached by a store owner in an ocean resort town near where I live about putting my photos in her store. I have and they have been met with a good reception.

It makes me happy to see that my work is admired by others and that my photos are hanging in others homes and offices for them to enjoy.

CREATIVE BY DEFAULT
I’ve always been a creative person, making this and making that. Many people I know have encouraged me to sell my art, so here I go!

Mainly I create creative and colorful jewelry, but I like to dabble in all art forms, so don’t be surprised to see a cute plushie or an art print in my shop sometimes. ^_^

THE HOBBY ROOM

I am a stay at home mom of 4 wonderful kids. I love my kids, and am so grateful that I get to stay at home with them when they’re young, but sometimes I need a break from it all. I escape to the hobby room where I create something, whether it be a sewing project, cards, hair clips, scrapbook pages, bobby pins, or creating some music (I have a degree in music performance.) I’m always coming up with a new hobby or project to work on – not sure whether it’s mommy brain, crafter’s ADD, or a combination, but sticking with one thing is not for me. I just love to create new things

SAMSSTUFF

Embroidery, wire wrapping, beading, photography, art, vintage, recycling, reuse, reinvention…

GIESE DESEIGNS

I grew up in a rural community where I learned to sew, knit, and crochet at an early age. In High School I made and sold doll clothes around the Holidays. I was even featured on a local TV station with my creations. I studied Art, Home Ec., and Design in college. I have always been intrigued with creating things. I have always worked in some aspect of fiber arts. My husband and I live in California. I spend many of my days working in my studio on some project or other. We do quite a bit of traveling and while he drives I knit. He might like me to drive too, but, my skills are better at the needle than the wheel

DISCORD THREADS

I have been sewing since I was a little girl when grandmother piqued my interest. She taught me to sew in her back bedroom sewing area.  I then moved on to sharpen my skills in the costume shop at college and then a tailoring shop later in life.  Always learning new things I learned smocking when my Mother gave me her Pullen pleater and tend to put a unique touch on every creation.

GARDEN GATE DESIGNS

Garden Gate Designs has been in business since 2006.  First selling my creative jewelry and supplies on Ebay, then on Etsy.com and finally here on Artfire.   I am a self taught jewelry artist with a love of vibrant colors and nature.  Gemstones are my passion and unusual ways to present them in a jewelry format.  I am a retired Grandmother of three wonderful Grandchildren.

GILRUTH DESIGNS

started beading and designing Jewelry about 5 years ago.  I make beadwoven jewelry with small seed beads by hand (not on a loom).  I enjoy this the most, but also make other types of beaded jewelry including strung, wired and knotted.  My favorite materials are silver, gold filled and niobium wires, seed beads, crystal beads, pearls and gemstones.

SHY MOUSEE CRAFTS

When I make something, I try to be creative and original.  If you look at some of the candles in my shop, you will notice they have designs on them such as colors down the sides, on the top or embeds.  Some even have different color layers and different scents on those layers.  I will try anything crafty once.

LEELU CREATIONS

One Woman Show Here, Step Right Up!

Who is the woman behind all of this fabulousness? I’m an administrative assistant by day, and a creative spirit by night.

I love anything vintage, from classic and simple to Hollywood glam. I especially love cameos and charm bracelets. I strive to make original pieces that are limited edition. Most pieces are one of a kind! I also like to work with vintage pieces to repurpose them into a fabulous piece!

ME MAW SEWS

Hi I’m Shelia Winstead, owner of Mee Maws Treasures.  It is my life passion to have my own boutique shop.   Most recently, I finished a Colors of Cancer quilt for charity. My husband and grandson both are cancer survivors. A few pictures are located in my bio of this beautiful quilt.  Sewing beautiful items is my passion. Mee Maw Treasures is a shop that delights the young and old alike with items for everyone.

MICHAH5 FIVE

My name is Zelma, I started making jewelry after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in Feb 2007. That was a very hard time for me and making jewelry is very therapeutic and gets me through my bad days. Making Jewelry is my new passion in life along with God and my wonderful family. I have 2 beautiful children and a wonderful Hubby of 11+ years who are the world to me

STAINED GLASS WV

I am Sherri Rhodes; Tamarack Artist from Culloden, WV.  I have a B.A. from Marshall University and studied music & art education.  My husband and I live in Culloden WV with our Alaskan Huskies, cats and geckos.  We camp, fish, prospect for gold, attend bluegrass festivals whenever we can.

My designs are inspired by the wildlife and landscapes that surrounds me in my beautiful home state of WV: truly, a hidden treasure. I am also a certified Picture Framer and I love to create original and functional art combining wood and glass. This combination of mediums makes my art unique and gives me an increased range of design. I specialize in custom stained glass and custom framing designs and love to create original custom designs

STICH CRAZY SISTERS

We are the Stitch Crazy Sisters.  We ARE 2 sisters who love to stitch!  Welcome to our store!

Riding the Crazy Train for October

Entwined Vines tries to stay active in a number of guilds on Artfire. One of the guilds that we absolutly love being a part of is the Crazy Train Guild. The memebers of this guild do many activities to help each other along and one of those includes running two day crazy train rides. Every other day we pay special attention to one of our guilds studio’s. Todays blog we are show casing all of the Octobers riders and we hope you enjoy checking all these amazingly creative and skilled studio’s and then leaving comments about some of YOUR favorite studio’s and items

MY SPICE OF LIFE

Our jewelry is constructed out of 0.45 jewelry bead wire, chain,and glass, stone and other various types of beads, and various types of charms. Our candles are made from soy wax and are all double scented. We currently have Fudge Brownie, Gingerbread Spice and Pine scented candles and will be adding new scents soon.

UNUSUALLY YOURS

I love to crochet, sewing, making jewelry and making hair accessories! There are so many ideas I have, you will  see lots of variety here in my studio, which I hope you like!  I think of it as a one stop studio for all her accessories.

CASASTONE 

UNIQUELY YOURS 12

Specialize and enjoy creating “link” style jewelry filled with vibrant colors and unique dangles; always looking for new ways to challenge myself in the world of artisan jewelry. Also, recently expanded into selling supplies and am working hard to fill my shop with all the must-haves.

FABRICS I LOVE

I’m a stay at home Glam-ma to 4 fantastic grandchildren.  I started sewing at a very young age and love fabric!!

JANUARY GIRL DESIGNS 

I try very hard to get the best “ingredients” for each piece I make. I shop for hours and hours to get the best for the best. All of my items are top quality, whether it’s a gemstone, metal, lampwork, or whatever medium I use. In doing so, I am able to offer you my finished pieces at the best prices possible.   I handmake each and every piece in my Studio. Each order is completely inspected for any possible problems before it is shipped. No item ever leaves my possession until I know it is 100%. My items always ship in a gift box inside a package, never a plastic bag.   If there are any problems, I do my very best to solve them as soon as you contact me. I take my jewelry seriously, and customer service even more serious. My customers mean the world to me and I don’t want to lose anyone!

LITTLE NANCIES

My work is simple, creative and full of love. Little Nancies, named for my mother, are the perfect teeny reminders of the special role we play in others lives as well as our own. Each handpainted item is carefully looked after and time for quality and details are never overlooked, as is your most precious day, event or project.

PALE MOON CREATIONS 

Handmade altered art charm bracelets with glass beads, acrylic, wood and metal beads with digital images for some personality

PATTY ANN

I grew up surrounded by antiques, family heirlooms with interesting stories attached to them and other treasures from days gone by.  My mother’s side of the family, mostly, and I learned to appreciate the history behind such things early.  My father is the one who took me to the flea markets, auctions and antique shops and taught me how to restore and refinish antique furniture.  He called me Patty Ann.

123 GEMSTONES

I really love to create new items and mix gemstones together for a unique look.  Coral is one of my favorites along with Black Onyx and Jade.  I try to keep my pricing reasonable so it is affordable for all.

1 BEAD AT A TIME

I have been a crafter since I was old enough to color.  I credit my mom for getting me started in all things crafting!  In my 30+ years, I have sewn my own clothes, cross stitched numerous pictures, woven baskets, rubber stamped, embossed paper with brass stencils, crocheted, decorated cakes and most recently, I’ve become addicted to beads–especially seed beads.

ACADIENNE

I really am a female Acadian by heritage, on both sides, and moved to the desert from the northeast coast almost 26 years ago.  Currently working night shift at a small elder care facility and have a lot of time to create my needlework. An equal number of items go to local charity each month, preemie clothes, dolls, and chemo hats. There aren’t too many techniques I don’t know how to do in needlework, including  hardanger, and I almost never go anywhere without a project. I put my work down for church choir, work, and to drive my visually handicapped husband wherever he needs to go.

AMELIA ORIGINALS

AMY CRAWLEY

Has worked with polymer clay since 1998. Versed in mokume gane and imitative techniques, basic canework and millefiori, sculpting heads, hollow-form, solid core, and wire armature body construction and incorporation of found objects into artwork. Polymer clay, mixed media teacher and creativity coach.

ANGELQUE CREATIONS
beadweaving, beadwork,bead embroidery, peyote, St Petersburg chain, chevron chain, RAW,  Herringbone, Daisy Chain, Sprial Peyote, tubular peyote, spiral Herringbone, Tubular Herringbone, Celini Spiral and may other beadweaving and bead embroidery techniques to create beautiful wearable art.

Yellow Jade from the Serpentine family

Through the ages Jade has been a challenge for many to definitively type. We have “true” jade from the nephrite and jadeite mineral classifications and then we have stones from the serpentine family that in China had been lumped into the Jade family till around 1863 when society realized that there were differences. The confusion continues today, since the Chinese word for jade, yu, is applied to a variety of minerals that are suitable for jewelry-making and carving.

 

Yellow Jade also known as Butterscotch Agate is in the yellow/orange color family so you will be seeing this popping up a lot with this coming color palate. This gemstone is a golden-colored form of serpentine.

Yellow Jade is truly part of the Serpentine classification and is actually an Agate yet still retains its Jade status to this day due in part to its external appearance. Jade’s appearance is warm, approachable and desirable, admired for both its simplicities and complexities.

 

Yellow Jade is said to have the energy and attributes of both agates and jade. The ancient Chinese believed jade was of heaven and earth that was also a symbol of power for the Chinese, Olmecs, Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs. Jade is said to help protect the kidneys, heart, larynx, liver, spleen, thymus and thyroid. It is also believed to strengthen the body and increase l9ongevity, and is known as a symbol of love and virtue. Jade is mined in China, Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States.

Portland Saturday Market: Keeping Portland Wierd Pt. 1

 

“What does the word weird mean? Webster states “of strange or extraordinary character”. Weird in this case means unique.

Keep Portland Weird is about supporting local business in the Portland Oregon area. We want to support local business because they make Portland stand out from other cites and make it a more unique place to live. They do this by providing consumers a wide range of products that represent the different cultures that make up Portland. Local business also have pride in our city and are driven to make Portland a better place to live and enjoy.”

Portland Saturday Market really is a great place that is full of local artisans that or unique and talented. With this in mind, We at Entwined Vines Jewelry are taking various opportunities to show case this through artisans, crafts, signs, and patrons of this outdoor market that runs Saturday’s and Sundays from March through and including Christmas Eve day (the week leading up to Christmas it is open every day).

 

Many outdoor markets do not allow alcohol at all yet one of the many positive aspects of Portland are the artisan brewers. The market has the availability to purchase alcohol in a controlled venue for all that are ready for a sensory explosion.

Not only are there amazing pieces to enjoy and buy, some artists take “weird” to the next level in creating a booth for the senses such as this booth of wind swirly’s that catch the eye.

Even an artisan market has to take a step on the wild side in creating the following two pieces or art on display at the bottom of the main ramp next to the information booth on Nato…

 

With all the fun and creativity, many people feel the need to join in with clothing, jewelry, and hair. This day we had a family walking around that had this child with crazy cool hair! Cut short and then colored to a “weird” pattern that caught a lot of attention.

So at the end of the day, we were playing Yahtzee and talking with people as they came through, we say this guy walking’ around with a snake around his neck. Figured we could show a picture and so I walked up to him with the handy-dandy camera to ask. He said no problem, grabbed my camera out of my hand, draped the snake around MY shoulders and started clicking away! Now I asked why he did not want to be in a picture, he stated he was not as interesting as the snake and we would “not want him in our blog” now on the surface that may seem different but then I have to paint a picture of how “boring” this guy was: he had tattoo’s all over the place, piercings also all over the place (think huge piece in nose and other facial pieces), dressed in urban grunge, and his hair put the kid above to shame… Anyway, I could not get him to budge so you get to see me (Tina) with a snake, and yes it is a good thing I have no issues with reptiles.

Riding the Crazy Train for September 2012

Entwined Vines tries to stay active in a number of guilds on Artfire. One of the guilds that we absolutly love being a part of is the Crazy Train Guild. The memebers of this guild do many activities to help each other along and one of those includes running two day crazy train rides. Every other day we pay special attention to one of our guilds studio’s. Todays blog we are show casing all of the September riders and we hope you enjoy checking all these amazingly creative and skilled studio’s and then leaving comments about some of YOUR favorite studio’s and items.

 

EQUALS ARTS

“I make handcrafted, homemade products and custom designs. We also take original digital photography and make cards and signed prints as well!”

 

AUNTIECHRISQUILTFABRIC

“We carry quilt shop quality fabrics without the quilt shop prices,affordable quilting/sewing kits and patterns.Quality fabrics will make a difference in the appearance and longevity of your finished projects.I strive to find beautiful, interesting and quality fabrics for less.I have hundreds of items to populate my shop,please check back often.Affordable heirlooms start here.  Will happily ship a fat eighth to a whole bolt if that’s what you need.  Always adding new items and surprises!!”

 

ELLIE GEE

“Crafting has been my passion my entire life.  I have dabbled in many different things; sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, woodworking, beading, metalsmithing.  I am now retired from the business world and able to devote my time focusing on jewelry crafting and metalsmithing along with cold weather accessories.”

 

ANDRUS GARDENS

“A degree in horticulture, and working in that industry have greatly influenced my art. Most of the fabrics I use in my original designs are hand painted and(or) sunprinted by me to achieve colors and textures that can not be found in stores. Sunprinting on fabric can give many surprising results- the paint never dries the same way twice (It really can be fun to watch paint dry), and my gardens supply me with the many flowers and leaves I use for the sunprints. My photos of flowers and more from gardens or in the wild, are now finding their way into my art after I print them onto fabric.    The beauty of this earth we have been given to live in, with it’s flowers, gardens and rock formations is the inspiration for my fabrics and art. I also produce my own Reproduction Prints and Note Cards of my quilts on quality papers with archival inks.”

 

BEAD SOUK

“I have a large collection of silver beads, gemstones, some crystals and cabochons. New items added every day. My goal is to provide buyers with unique quality beading supplies and sell them in smaller quantities. I am also a jewelry artist specializing in unique handmade jewelry in a variety of styles and colors. My jewelry pieces can be found at: http://dianesdangles.artfire.com”

 

CRYSTAL

“I make jewellery, mostly earrings and greeting cards. Please contact me if there is anything in particular that you would like”

 

JULIES TREASURES

“I have made soap for more than 12 years but only for me.  Christmas 2009 I was so discouraged by the lack of nice gifts available to fill my boxes with I made soaps and lip balms as presents for my relatives and kids.  The raves were wonderful.  My mother in law loved the goats milk so I gave her more.  Then I decided to open a shop.  Although I haven’t sold much in my shop I do send boxes of soap to my friends and they sell it at meetings, etc. I also make sugar scrubs and bath salts and they have been popular.    Some comments I have gotten from my products:  “I love it, doesn’t dry my skin like regular soap does”  “WOW! This is better than what I pay US $25.00 for”  “The perfume oil is wonderful”"

 

JILLS TREASURE CHEST

“It gives me a great deal of happiness when someone loves something I’ve made.  I’ve chosen to focus on my jewelry in this shop.  Since I love wearing jewelry, especially earrings, this has been a labor of love.”

 

JUST FOR YOU JEWELLERY CREATIONS

“I was introduced to jewellery making, once again, by my mother.  On her trips down south for the winter, she would learn the techniques and bring home her finished products.  Each year was looking more and more interesting, so I tried it myself.  I picked up a kit from Michaels, and found that I enjoyed it.  There are many avenues you can take with jewellery, but I quickly realized that I was addicted to chain mail and loved to work with wire.  With chain mail, there are so many weaves to learn and metals that can be used.  I like to incorporate crystals and or seed beads to many of my designs to add colour and sparkle. I do not make my own rings, but have researched a premium ring maker located in Saskatchewan called Metal Designz.  My wire work includes “The Tree of Life” which has Swarovski Crystals forming the branches, and I love making finger rings.”

 

MORAVIAN

“I started working with wood in college, but was stymied for a few years. After we moved into our house, I took over a good portion of the garage.  We’ve since added on to the garage and created a separate shop for my tools. I’ve built a number of items for use around our house, including a king sized bed, in solid cherry.  Most of my work, currently, is on the lathe.  I enjoy the short turnaround time from raw wood to finished piece.    I’ve been working in stained glass for a number of years.  I’ve done a number of pieces for friends, family and myself.   We’ve got gorgeous, colorful glass hanging in almost all of the windows in our house. I’ve done a little work in chainmaille, but worrying about the links getting swallowed by my four footed companions has reduced my work in that area.    If you’ve got an idea for a custom piece, don’t hesitate to drop me a note.”

 

MAJESTIC CRYSTAL ROSE

“I was born and raised in New Mexico.  After I graduated from high school, I moved to North Carolina.  What a beautiful state.  So after going to college and working in a job that I really was not happy doing, I decided to follow my dream and went to the police academy in 1991.  After graduating with honors, I was hired on with Hickory Police Department and was sworn in on June 1, 1992. During this time I had been married and divorced once.  I dated on and off until the fall of 2000. I was seeing someone that introduced me to the home computer.  I had no experience with computers so I signed up for everything from email to ICQ.  Now I could go on and on but to make this long story short, the first guy I had fallen for in high school (I was 13 when we met) found me on ICQ.  After several months, we had decided that I would move back to NM and start our life together.  We were married on Valentine’s Day, 2001. Because of numerous health issues, I am now 100% disabled.   I started out making jewelry in 2004.  When I first started, I used the cheap plastic beads.  I didn’t want to purchase the expensive beads if I didn’t like making jewelry.  Now I make one of a kind pieces using real stones, glass beads, sterling silver, and stainless steal. I have improved in my techniques over the last 6 years and I have found that beading wire is a lot stronger and will not break like thread.  Then in 2008, my mother passed away and I needed something different to do because I was suffering from a deep depression.  I took my first quilting class and I found that it came really easy to me.  Now I make a variety of quilts including stained glass, applique, mosaic, and foundation paper piecing. I am still learning new techniques every day. I have done custom work which have included two stained glass Denver Broncos wall hangings and king size quilt, a Celtic king size quilt, and a Messenger Bag.  Just to name a few. If you would like something special, I do take custom orders.”

 

MELEK DESIGNS

“Melek Designs is based in sunny Corpus Christi, Tx, where it is as gorgeous as it is hot and humid!     I began my business in 2006 with unique, handmade creations, after my sisters-in-law introduced me to beading, and a whole new world opened up to me!    Each piece is made with carefully selected materials and great attention to detail.   If you would like a matching pair of earrings and/or a bracelet with a particular necklace, just let me know, and it can be arranged. All orders will be packaged with the greatest of care, ready for shipment via USPS Priority Mail within 48 hrs. with a tracking number, except for custom orders, that may require a little more time.    I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have, just contact me.    Thanks for visiting!”

 

DIANES DANGLES

“Starting out as a hobby in 2006, DianesDangles LLC was established in January, 2012. Making gemstone beaded jewelry satisfied my love of color and design and was my avenue for unleashing the hidden artist in me that I never knew existed.  I quickly learned the skills for making beaded jewelry and then went on to working with sterling silver my favorite metal.  My silversmithing skills were acquired over two years of attending classes. With these newly acquired skills, I could now design and make my own pendant and then add a beaded necklace.

After the loss of my day job, I decided to work on my jewelry projects full time. Initially, art and crafts shows were my selling venues. Then, I decided to offer my products exclusively here on Artfire. Many of my jewelry items are made with gemstone beads. There are also many sterling silver gemstone pendants that I have designed and handmade.  I have been working on a new line of jewelry that consists of coin pendants and bracelets where all of the bezel settings are handmade out of gold filled or sterling silver. Many of these coins represent the places that I have visited.

LLC status was obtained beginning in 2012 and I am very excited to have my own business.  My business goal is to continue to offer beaded designed jewelry and expand on my sterling silver design pieces. Artfire will currently continue to be my selling venue. Eventually I will expand my online presence by launching my own website.”

 

ANDRUS GARDENS QUILTS

“Sue Andrus creates beautiful art with fabric, paint and thread; using flowers, gardens and her surroundings as inspiration.”

 

ANDREA DESIGNS

“  Welcome to my shop. My name is Andrea, I was born and raised in Lima-Peru, Southamerica. I love to knit and create different things like jewelry, cards, you name it. I design scarves, ponchos, shawls, baby clothing etc. In general I handknit,  however sometimes I used a knitting machine.   I was a knitting machine instructor. I did  all my clothing, including dresses, jacquets, sweaters, pants, baby clothing, and more. When I got married (21 years ago) and  came to the USA, I did not bring my knitting machine with me (big mistake); after several years working as a Call Center Supervisor, I thought I could buy a knitting machine to do stuff for me and my husband, and have a small busniness. I started to  research in my city for  places to buy  one, I found out in the States the knitting machines are very expensive, more than US $1,000.00 dollars, depending on the brand, and very difficult to get one in my own city, checking in the internet I got a seller 35 miles from my city, and I got the knitting machine from her. First of all, I wanted to start making scarves, but the end product was not what I was expecting …because I did not know were to find yarn in my city; I again started searching  the internet for places, brands, and..I discovered a new world…I fall in love with yarn that I could not use in my knitting machine, in order to use the yarn that I like it so much, I will need  to  use the needles and crochet again….I design gorgeous scarves, shawls, ponchos, baby clothing, scarfette using beautiful yarns combining differents types of textures, that is soft to the skin, light, comfortable, elegant and breath taking.  My goal is reached when my customer is happy with the product she has chosen and tells me  she was asked… .WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.!..  I am in the Master Knitter Program  to become a Master Knitter”