About Our Guild

Guild Description:
Our guild represents a wide variety of jewelry artists with unique talents and techniques, as well as the suppliers of beads and beading supplies.
Guild Mission:
To gather together Jewelry Design and Jewelry Supply Studios for the purpose of sharing information, ideas, techniques, and strategies for promoting our Artfire Studios.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Guild Vote for Our Next Promotion

A number of our guild members have suggested that we have a special promotion for a donation to one of the many wonderful causes that help with research, etc. Below is a list of causes that are well known to us that you can vote for by commenting below this post.

1. Breast Cancer
2. Heart Assoc.
3. Humane Society
4. Alzheimers
5. An Animal Shelter
6. Cancer
7.March of Dimes
8.Women's Shelter

Please contact me if you want a specific agency listed on this list.

Thanks, Margo :o)

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Featured Studio: GemKitty Jewelry

This weeks featured studio is GemKitty Jewelry owned by Kathy.
Kathy has been a "lover" of gemstones for a couple of years now. At first she began to collect the beautiful gemstones that "Mother Earth" creates and she also began learning about them. About 2 years ago she decided to try her hand at using her stones to make jewelry. Once she started there was no turning back. "Hooked" she was--sound familiar?
Her studio is filled with unique and lovely "non-mass" produced jewelry items that she has created. She designs each piece of jewelry to be as individual and special as the person who will wear it. Her very personal touch and skill is combined with the beautiful gemstones that "Mother Earth" creates. Kathy wants you to enjoy her jewelry for years to come so she uses only the very best beads and supplies. She also tries hard, whenever possible, to purchase supplies that have been made in the good ole USA. Supporting our economy is important to her.
There is a cute story about how she picked the name for her studio. It seems Kathy has a very discriminating cat named "Munchie" who absolutely loves beads as much as Kathy does. He is often found having a good time nosing around with her beads and supplies--now, this is a smart cat indeed!
On the personal side Kathy is a mother, a grandmother, and she works full time. What a woman of the new millenium we have here. "I am woman, hear me now!"
You are invited to GemKitty Jewelry to browse all the lovely designs that are in the studio. Comments about her creations are always welcome.
If you have a comment please contact her through her studio:
She'd love for you to visit and leave her a comment any time night or day.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Our July Blog Giveaway

Our second Guild Blog Giveaway has come to an end. I am happy to announce that we have 3 winners and a surprise bonus winner. Originally we had 3 donations for the giveaway prizes but then "Cthings" (Cindy) was quite gracious and offered a lovely necklace as a 4th prize.

Our July Giveaway winners are:
1. Lisa--she not only commented about the outfit she would wear but also gave a link to our giveaway on her blog. Thank you Lisa.
2. ElectricGayle--She commented about the oufit she would wear and also promoted it on Twitter.com. Thanks gayle
3. Aik--she commented and promoted on Twitter.com. Thanks Aik.
4. Lithos--she commented and promoted on Twitter.com. Thanks Lithos.
Congratulations to all of you. WooHoo, you're getting some free handcrafted jewelry from our fabulously talented guild studio jewelry artists.

And a very special thanks to "JSmaz" (Jeanette) for donating a lovely pair of green earrings, to "nothingbutstring" (Emily) for donating a custom made fabulous crocheted ring, and to "GemKitty" (Kathy) for donating a "funky" charm bracelet. Your donations for our giveaway are so appreciated. Also, 3 cheers for "Cthings" (Cindy) for her generous surprise donation!

You guys simply "ROCK"!!!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Featured Studio: suzbax or Jewelry to Keep



Our studio of the week is "Jewelry to Keep" owned by suzbax or Suzanne. I was really quite surprised to find out that Suz is a retired pediatric nurse practicioner. Kudos to you Suzanne for the work you have done helping children.

Suzanne has been designing and making jewelry for about 5 years now. She really loves making jewelry especially when it is a new design that she is working on. There is so much excitement in starting something brand new.

She loves to create with many different types of beads but her favorites are crystals, gemstones, and pearls. She also enjoys reading beading magazines to see what's new in designs and techniques. In fact, she frequently visits the library to check out the newest beading magazines.

Suzanne has taken some formal classes to learn her craft but most of what she learned has been self taught. One of her favorite activities is trying out new techniques and experimenting with new stones to create with.
Selling on line is a recent endeavor of hers. Previously she sold her jewelry through word of mouth. However she had a desire to increase the exposure of her lovely jewelry pieces to others. What better way than selling on line to reach a greater population?

Suzanne enthusiastically welcomes custom orders. Making special birthstone bracelets for mothers and grandmothers of their children and grandchildren is one of the custom orders that she likes making, as well as, unique sports themed jewelry items with team colors.

Suzanne truly hopes that her customers will enjoy wearing their purchased jewelry pieces as much as she has enjoyed making them.
You are invited to visit Suzannes studio "Jewelry to Keep" to see all the lovely pieces of jewelry that she has created. If you have any questions for Suzanne please contact her through her studio:


Sunday, July 12, 2009

Featured Studio of the Week: RougeRiverBeads


Our Ajdjss Guild featured studio this week is Rouge River Beads aka as the mother and daughter team, Glenda and April. Glenda has been a crafter all her life. She admits that the need to create is in her blood. She loves sewing, quilting, folk art, and of course jewelry.
You know the saying " the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" well in many ways this is definitely true. Glenda's daughter April has been bitten by the same "bead bug" as her mom. Actually, they call it an addiction to beautiful beads--now, that's something we all know a lot about!

This very creative mother and daughter team work together to bring to all of us wonderful "finds" to "fuel" our creativity. This is very comforting to hear. Glenda and April are in the process of slowly adding more wonderful supplies for our creative imaginations.

Some of the supplies in their studio are a variety of findings like head pins, eye pins, bead caps, split rings, and ear wires. They also have the sweetest little flower beads, lovely faceted fire polished beads, cracked glass beads and more. Shopping in this studio is truely fun because of the variety of supplies to be found here.
You must really take a few moments to check out all that Rouge River Beads has to offer.

If you have any questions for Glenda or April please contact them through their studio:http://rougeriverbeads.artfire.com/

Also check out their blog for more interesting information:

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Featured Studio of the Week: SilverRiverJewelry


Our Ajdjss Guild featured studio Silver River Jewelry aka Sonja is a very passionate lady. Her family, the outdoors, reading, and of course designing jewelry are her most important passions.

Sonja really loves designing jewelry. The entire process of creating pieces of jewelry is quite fascinating to her. Sonja feels that finding the perfect combination of stones or beads is just like a treasure hunt. The manipulation of metal using a hammer and fire is very exciting to her. When she digs an ordinary stone out of the ground and opens it to find true beauty inside it is so really satisfying to her.

Sonja's jewelry designs are made using a number of different techniques. She strings, wire wraps, does metal simthing, and cuts stones. Wow--she does it all and in such a beautiful and skillful way too!

Sonja's creations are elegant, affordable, very beautifully made with a touch of whimsy. She makes a variety of pieces ranging from pendants, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pins and brooches, rings, even belt buckles.

Custom orders are always welcome by this very talented jewelry artisan.

You must visit her studio to see the lovely variety of designs and pieces she has created.

If you have any questions please contact Sonja through her studio: http://silverriverjewelry.artfire.com/

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Ajdjss Guild July Blog Giveaway

July 1st at 11:59PM the Ajdjss Guild's 2nd Blog Giveaway begins--And this time it's all about the color Green!!!
Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green. Green is favored by well balanced people. Green symbolizes the master healer and the life force. It often symbolizes money. It was believed green was healing for the eyes. Egyptians wore green eyeliner. Green eyeshades are still used. You should eat raw green foods for good health.

Okay so here goes:

1.Nine Guild Studios--9 green items--

2.Visit each studio with the special green item. If the item is a piece of jewelry describe the outfit in detail what you would wear with it. If the item is a jewelry supply piece then describe in detail what you would make with it.

3.Come back to our blog and leave your comment and the following: Studio name, name of green item, your name, your email address so we can contact you if you are the winner.---
You receive one entry for the above mentioned info.---
You receive another entry if you have a blog and you mention this giveaway on your blog with a link directly to our blog--must include your blog link so we can check it.---
You don't have a blog? Promote the item on twitter, facebook, google, thisnext.com etc--must include your link to the promotion and receive another enry.---
Buy one of the items and get 5 more entries---must include the info about order for us to check. The "bounty" for this giveaway will be 3 items from our guild.


Prize 1) Is a beautiful ring donated by NothingbutString - Emily
Prize 2) Very Beautiful Earrings by Jsmaz - Jeni Prize 3) Last but not least this wonderful bracelet by Gemkitty75 - KathyTo view the items click on each name.
1. April
2. Heather
3. Bonnie
4. Jeni
5. April
6. Cindy
7. Amy
8. Marissa
9. Margo

All participants who have entered the correct information from above will be placed in a pool using random integer generator.
You can contact me with all your info by clicking on Beadlady5 at the left side of this page or simply including all your info in your comment below.
GOT IT? Now let's Rock "Green !" Good Luck to all. Contest ends July 19th at 12:00 Midnight.