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.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Featured Studio: SilverBirchDesigns

This week's featured Ajdjss Guild studio is "SilverBirchDesigns" aka Elizabeth. Elizabeth has had quite a lot of experience in designing jewelry. Her first attempt was when she was 11 years old when her grandmother gave her some of her "junk" jewelry and asked her to make pretty new things with them. Well, after this she was just plain "hooked".

"SilverBirchDesigns" is filled with many natural materials such as stone, bone, glass, silver, gold, and gold fill. Her interest in designing with many kinds of stones comes from her belief that they have "healing" qualities. She even provides her clients with information about the metaphysical/healing properties of the stones.

The different techniques of beadwork are also of great interest to Elizabeth. She has learned a number of techniques in this genre. She can do the right angle weave, African net, odd count peyote, even count peyote, brick, square and lazy stitches, spiral, tubular peyote, tubular brick, and herringbone. WOW, what an impressive repetoire of beading techniques!

Elizabeth also likes to do use other jewelry techniques in her creations. Among them are wire wrapping, braided stringing, and she likes to work with multiple strands.

Here are some lovely examples of the jewelry for sale in "SilverBirchStudtios":









Elizabeth shares her love of beading by teaching beading classes. She is in the process of putting together a lesson so that she can teach an on line class. How exciting that must be. Good luck Elizabeth and contact us when you have it completed. We can all benefit from learning some new beading techniques.
"SilverBirchDesigns" offers mostly one of a kind designs. However, the studio offers a less expensive line of stretch bracelets, wire rings, and earrings that are can be duplicated.
Custom designs are always welcomed here.
Elizabeth is a proud member of Self-Representing Artists in Jewelry Design and the International Jewelry Designers Guild.
Give yourself a treat and visit this wonderful studio filled with wonderful jewelry.
If you want to reach Elizabeth of "SilverBirchDesigns" simply contact her through her studio:

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Guild Events



"Valentine's Day" Challenge

Recently the guild had a Valentine's Day Challenge in the Artfire Chatterbox forums--http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=forums&op=view_topic&tid=437

There were 12 pictures of Valentine items posted on our Guild's guild event blog from 12 different guild studios. We challenged sellers and buyers of artfire to identify the studio that each of the valentine items were listed in.

You can read all the details here: http://ajdjssguildevents.blogspot.com/

We had 4 winners who were sent a package of vintage beads as their prize.

It seemed liked everyone who participated had a good time.

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"Lampwork Bead" Contest--ongoing until Janurary 31st


The guild is currently having a contest on the Artfire Chatterbox "Contests and Promotions" section. We are asking that both artfire sellers and buyers search through the guild studios to post lampwork beads and jewelry made of lampwork beads. We also have asked for the entries for this contest to be promote,on twitter or facebook, the items that they have posted.



There has been a good turnout for this contest so far which I am happy to report. The topic has 4 pages of posts so far. This contest will end on January 31st. There will be 3 winners each receiving a prize. All this is discussed on the link above.

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"Valentine's Day Promotion"


The guild's 2nd annual "Valentine's Day" Promotion starts on January 29th and runs through February 14th.
Participating guild studios are having a separate section for Valentine items.
There will be many specials for this promotion. Free shipping, discounts on items, and free gifts. Each participating studio will have it's own special.
Visit our guild's event blog for the participating studio's and more info: http://ajdjssguildevents.blogspot.com
Don't miss out on all the lovely items that are going to be for sale especially for Valentine's Day and the specials too.
THE AJDJSS GUILD~~~Studios with with unique and beautiful handmade jewelry and fabulous jewelry supplies~~~

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Featured Studio: LaBellaLuna

Our featured studio of the week is La Bella Luna aka Evelyn. Evelyn is an authentic "Jewelry Artisan" who specializes in creating very lovely handmade silver jewelry. When you visit the "la bella luna" Artfire studio it is very apparent that Evelyn has a genuine love for creating her jewelry and accessories. Because of this genuine love she created "la bella luna" in 2006 to share her lovely handcrafted creations with others.
The name "la bella luna" translated from French is "the beautiful moon''--Evelyn says, "what was once moonlighting is now my favorite full-time occupation". Thus, it is a "fitting" name for her jewerly studio.
Evelyn is a denizen of Connecticut and is a graduate of Paier School of Art located in Hamden, Connecticut. She is a certified jewerly artisan and is a member of several artisan guilds.
I don't know what anyone else thinks--but I am definitely envious of Evelyn's skills and talents. How truly wonderful it must be to be able to design and make your own pieces to create jewelry with! Kudos to you Evelyn your creations "ROCK"!

The lovely handcrafted jewelry of "la bella luna" is made of fine silver, sterling silver, and 22 carat gold overlay. Evelyn's favorite creations are made by creating silver charms combined with fused or forged wire.

Here are just some examples of the truly lovely handcrafted creations found for sale in "la bella luna" by this very skilled and talented "Jewerly Artisan":
















And here are some of the pieces that can be viewed in her special gallery:






With the way fashion is today styles of jewelry change quite often. What is popular today is often "outdated" in just a few months. With this in mind, it is a real pleasure to say that the jewelry created by Evelyn is "a little bit cool, a little bit funky", but alway classic and in style.
Please take some time to visit this truly lovely and "classic" studio of jewerly designs, you will be most impressed with the talent and skill of this wonderful "Jewelry Artisan".
You can find Evelyn at these websites also:
You are invited to leave a comment here for "labellaluna" aka Evelyn!