Featured Studio: AlmondTree

Our featured Ajdjss Guild studio for this week is "almondtree" aka Ashley.

Ashley is quite a mult-talented artisan. She loves creating all kinds of arts and crafts items. Ashely says that the Chinese and Japanese arts and crafts are what she is drawn to the most.

I have to tell you about her studio. Anyone who visits her studio for the first time just has to be impressed by all of her different crafting creations. She is a jewelry designer, a painter, a photographer, and she can also sew. I don't know about any of you but I am certainly at awe with all of her talents.

Ashley likes to make pendants. When you see them you will definitely agree that they are really quite lovely. You can also see that she is not afraid to challenge herself when creating a new pendant. She can solder, cut glass, and wire wrap to make a pendant. Her collection of soldered glass and stained glass pendants are really beautiful. They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. You have to just love all the lovely and delicate wire wrapped designs that she puts on these pendants. Sometimes she even puts some bead dangles that really enhance the pendant.

Ashley creates glass and gemstone pendants that she wire wraps with her lovely unique designs too.

These pendants alone are quite amazing but that's not all the jewelry that she creates. You will find an absolutely enchanting selection of earrings that are wire wrapped with lovely pearls and gemstones too. And some really sweet and whimsical phone charms to decorate your cell phone.

This artisan can sew too. She has some cute purse wristlets that would be great gifts for that younger girl you may know.

Guess what? There's still more! Ashley paints beautiful pictures with water colors and acrylic paints. She's a great photographer too. Many of her photos are made into prints to decorate a wall and she also uses her photographs to create cards.

When you visit her studio you will see that she has a link on the lower right side that says almondtree photos and art. Click on it to see her paintings and photos on

the "Red Bubble" web site.

And last, but certainly not least the "almondtree" studio also has a great selection of jewelry supplies that includes whimsical charms, findings, and beads.

Take a few minutes to visit this wonderful studio--you will really enjoy seeing Ashleys lovely handcrafted creations and as well as her selection of jewelry supplies.

http://almondtree.artfire.com

If you have any comments or specfic questions please contact Ashley through her studio.

Featured Studio of the Week: popnicute

This week's Ajdjss Guild featured studio of the week is "popnicute" aka Kay. Kay has been an arts and crafts fanatic since she was a little girl. She has experimented with many different art forms during her "growing up" years. This love of art led her to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design. Well, kudos to you Kay!

Kays says that jewelry has always fascinated her. When she wears a piece of jewelry it has to be something she feels is really unique. In fact, she often makes a piece of jewelry that is so very unique just to be much different than anyone else. I guess she has a little bit of the "rebel" in her.

Kay's jewelry techniques run the full gamet from stringing, paper clay, fabrics to quite recently wire wrapping. However, it seems that wire wrapping has become a great passion for her. She is so passionate about wire wrapping that this technique is what will be dominating the designs that appear in her studio today and in the future.

Kay's talents do not just revolve around making jewelry alone. She seems to be quite a good teacher and has made some great tutorials for others to learn how to make fabric bracelets and a special wire wrapped toggle. When you visit her studio you will find these interesting tutorials for sale along with her unique and fabulous jewelry creations.

Kay invites you to visit her etsy shop: http://popnicute.etsy.com/ and also to view her complete jewelry collection on Flickr.com and deviantArt.com

She also has a jewelry blog: http://kaysommers.blogspot.com/ that she invites you to follow.

Any questions about popnicute and her work? Please contact here through her studio:

http://popnicute.artfire.com/

Featured Studio of the Week: JSmaz

Our Featured Ajdjss Guild Studio of the week is JSmaz owned by Jeni Smathers. Jeni has been obsessed with creating with beads for over 12 years now and her bead addiction is still going strong.

The absolutely endless possibilities that there are when using all kinds of beads to create with is something that Jeni loves. Her mind is filled with so many ideas for designs that most of her work is either a "one of a kind" creation or a "limited run" one. Jeni really strives to create special pieces of jewelry that are unique and original for each customer to cherish.

When you visit her studio you will be delighted to see her lovely unique beaded designs for earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pendants. You will also be pleasantly surprised to discover that Jeni also makes some really fabulous bracelets and necklaces for men. Kudos to her for designing unique and original pieces that are just for men.

Jeni's obsession with beads goes beyond the creation of new jewelry designs--she is also quite passionate about bringing "new life" to old and outdated pieces of jewelry, as well as, repairing broken jewelry that is still loved. So, if you need to breath new life into some old family pieces or are in need of some repairs just visit her studio and be sure to contact her.

Please visit http://jsmaz.artfire.com/ to view some really lovely and unique pieces of jewelry.
Feel free to contact Jeni through her studio with any questions or comments about her creations.

Featured Studio of the Week: StudioOnTheHill

The StudioOnTheHill is owned by Karen who hails from Rochester Hills, Michigan. Karen is not only an accomplished Jewelry Artisan she is also makes her own jewelry supplies and sells them to other artisans to create their own jewelry with.

The StudioOnTheHill is her original shop which has lots of high quality hand made supplies and jewelry. When you look at the sections in Karen's shop you can't miss the fact that this artisan loves copper--whether it is rosy, antiqued, colored, or just plain copper. Need copper wire for your wire wrapped designs? Well, this is the place to come to. Need some copper ear wires? Well, this is the place to come to. Need copper head pins? Well, this is the place to come to. She has a great selection.

Our Karen is not just a jewelry artist. She is also an instuctor that has been teaching private and group classes for a number of years now. She is presently teaching in the "Paint Creek Center Of the Arts" in Michigan. Hey Karen, it would be nice if you weren't so far away!

Karen's latest passion ( and we all know about that) is designing with metal and wire. She also is a lover of Swarovski crystals and lampwork glass

Recently, Karen opened another shop on artfire just for her own jewerly designs. Be patient because she is in the process of adding new creations:
http://artisanjewelry.artfire.com/

Karen says that if you come by her place she will usually be found in her studio with a torch in one hand and a piece of glowing metal on the soldering brick. And of course that metal is definitely copper, oh yea, and silver too.

Karen has a web site so you can keep up with her latest activites:
http://www.studioonthehill.net/

If you want to keep up with what's happening in her studio she has a blog:
http://www.todayinthestudio.blogspot.com/

Any comments can be left here, hers shops, her website, and her blog.

Please take a few moments to look over her fabulous artistry.

Featured Studio of the Week: DWhiteCreations

DWhiteCreations features handcrafted jewelry that has a definite ethnic flare. Dawn, the owner of DWhiteCreations prides herself in designing and creating pieces of jewelry that are creatively different.

Dawn is a trained goldsmith. Unfortunately she doesn't have a bench to work on at this time. However, she is quite resourceful and is currently learning new jewelry making techniques that do not require any soldering. Actually, learning new jewelry techniques happens to be something she loves to do, as well as, working with all kinds of beads.

Dawn is really quite a multi-talented artist. Her talents range from being a free-lance artist, a photographer, and a journalist.

Recently, Dawn was promoted to teacher status at JewelryLessons.com. Kudos to you Dawn on this new role. On March 23rd of this year she had her first tutorial on how to make a "Jewelry Stand" published. How exciting is that??? This great tutorial is available to see at:

http://jewelrylessons.com/jewel/node/18640/

This tutorial demonstrates, in detail, how to make a jewelry stand. The total cost for the materials are only 50 cents. What a bargain for such a necessary item to have when selling your jewelry at fairs or home parties. This tutorial is for free so it's a great idea to check it out. If you have any questions or comments you can contact Dawn through her artfire studio.



Please take a few moments to look at the lovely jewelry pieces that Dawn has created at her artfire studio---

http://dwhitecreations.artfire.com/