Jewelry Affaire Featured Artist and a Giveaway

The Spring 2016 issue of Jewelry Affaire is now on news stands.

It is a really great issue.

And it is extremely special to me.

Did you notice why?

Yup, that is my name on the cover.

How can that be....?

The featured artist.

Wow.

A once-in-a-lifetime moment.

And you better believe I am savoring it...

I bet you can guess my favorite jewelry medium.

If you said polymer clay, you are right...

This is special for the obvious reasons, but this issue means so much to me for more reasons...

I think all artists know little pieces of ourselves and our stories are woven into the pieces we make.

This collection has a lot of my story woven in because of the things in my life that were happening while I created it.

When I asked my daughter if there was anything from this collection that she would like to have, she said the multi-strand bracelets...

She has great taste...

What can I say?

She must get it from her Dad...

One of the reasons I so love this issue is because my daughter also has 2 of her pieces in it as well.

Maybe she has just a little of me in there too....

And to top it off, my dear friend Melinda Barnett has her beautiful work featured on the cover!!!

Of course this issue is filled with over 120 beautiful pieces to inspire you.

One of my very favorites is this amazing bracelet from Peggy Sowers Heckman.

How gorgeous is that?

I am thrilled to give an issue of this magazine away.

To have the chance to win your very own copy of this issue, leave a comment and your email in the the comments for the blog, or on the giveaway also over on our Facebook page Artistic Endeavors 101.

I will be choosing one winner Saturday April 23rd.

If you win, Stampington and Company will send the issue right to you.

Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by....

Buried Treasure Challenge

One of my very favorite blogs is Art Jewelry Elements.

I love that several of my favorite artists are gathered in one place and share things regularly that inspire me.

Recently Jenny Davies-Reazor challenged everyone to use some of our art bead stash.

This is right up my alley.

2016 is the year I dig into all the things I have been "saving".

This is why...

I have decided this little quote says it all.

So I dug into some beautiful components that Melinda Barnett sent me.

You can find her blog, Bees On Pie here.

I was saving them because they were so pretty.

She had sent these lovely clay disk components so I incorporated them into this necklace that has my hopes for the year.

Each disk is hand-stamped with a quality or characteristic like honesty, courage, peace, faith, health.

Things we might want or aspire to have or be.

I made a chain of my own wire heart links and added her components.

The two red bar pieces are from Melinda as well.

And then I finished it off with some silk.

I love silk.

I actually increased my stash of silk recently with a big order of luscious colors.

So this necklace will definitely be one of my favorite pieces this year.

I used components made by a dear friend.

I love the overall design.

It has my hopes for the year.

And it is a reminder to use the things you love.

I also made one more piece for the challenge.

This bracelet also uses a focal from Melinda Barnett.

I believe this one is made from paper clay. 

 It is very light and wearable.

I added my wire links and some silk that I hand dyed.

So that is a great beginning for a new year.

I hope you make something gorgeous with pieces you love as well.

Thanks for stopping by....