Nala is the Featured Artist of the Month

Nala is a self taught crafter who is a member of the Handmade Artist's Forum (HAF). (For more information about HAF, scroll down to article). Her jewelry is featured on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jewelrybynala and on nin.com: http://jewelrybynala.ning.com/
She likes to make jewelry that is "dark and mysterious" as well as jewelry which is light. All of her work shows her incredible attention to detail and to color and composition. She is a jewelry maker par excellence. To view her work: http://www.etsy.com/listing/46040706/leaf-pendant-necklace

Dreaming of the Desert


My newest necklace, "Desert Dream," harkens to my six year sojourn in Silver City, New Mexico. For a year I lived in the requisite adobe, actually up in the mountains in Pinos Altos, an old mining town. Silver City itself was a copper mining town, though the industry had shut down. Artists began to move in and a vital and diverse artist community developed. There were about fifty-five galleries in and/or close to Silver City. It was an artist's dream. I was affiliated with a number of galleries while I was there, showing both my mixed media art work and my jewelry.

The sand colored stone in "Desert Dream" is Magnesite. The fine veins of dark brown are very much like horsehair pottery, which was becoming very popular throughout the southwest. And of course, a necklace inspired by my past in Silver City wouldn't be complete without Turquoise and Copper. The Copper beads are vintage, and I love the little bumps on them. They add texture to the design. My "artists residence" in New Mexico continues to inspire me today.

To see more of my work, visit my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Raedawn

HAF Featured in Online Journal

The Handmade Artists Forum and Shops, started by Andrew and Kimberly Kitchen, was recently featured in an article in "The Beading Gem's Journal," an online publication. According to the article, Andrew and Kimberly literally started from the ground up, first teaching themselves the ropes of selling their own jewelry online through their web sites, then by starting the Hand Made Artists Forum (HAF) to support and promote the work of other jewelry makers.

(Please note that HAF is not solely for jewelry artists, but features all types of handmade items.)

According to Andrew and Kimberly, "The HAF shop as it is known is set up so the members of the forum have another option to sell their wares, most of our members sell on other venues as well but many are warming up to the shop as it is small and relatively manageable." To visit HAF: http://handmadeartistsshop.com/
To check out their websites - http://makinthebestofit.com/ (painted stem glassware and beach glass jewelry) and http://chainmaillebymboi.com/.

For those interested in "The Beading Gem's Journal": http://www.beadinggem.com/2010/04/handmade-artists-forum-and-shop.html

I just completed a fun spring/summer necklace set. This one I made for myself. The beads are Milleflore and Blue Howlite. I love the way each Milleflore bead is a little different, no two alike. It may look like it was made for a doll. I have a very thin wrist and neck. Once at a craft fair, a lady was looking at some of my chokers. She said, "you've got to make these to fit the rest of us; we don't all have a tiny neck like yours." I always appreciate feedback from customers, so that one really sunk in, which is why this set is not for sale.

New Necklace ~ Mayan Princess

My newest necklace is an experiment in using two different metals in one piece, in this case, copper and sterling silver. The stone is Botswana agate, which I love for its swirling colors. The sterling silver beads, handmade by the Hill Tribe in Thailand, reminded me of the stepped architecture of the Mayans, hence, the name. So far, I've been getting some really good feedback about this piece, which can be seen in my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44308663

Kris, of Albuquerque, NM, also know by her art name as LisianBlue, makes beautiful stained glass and painted glass pieces. For more about her: http://dreambubblesreverie.blogspot.com/

Sweet Spring

This necklace is my latest creation. The stones are faceted Aventurine rondelles. The faceting adds a sparkly affect to the necklace. The flowering leaf reminds me of the sweet peas that used to bloom at my grandmothers. They don't look the same, but they "feel" the same. All the Sterling Silver is made by the Hill Tribe in Thailand. To me this is a soft understated piece with a promise of more to come.