"the handbook to handmade"

AM Designs' Etsy shop, AMDesignsbyAngela.etsy.com will be featured in Tim Adam's monthly publication..."the handbook to handmade" ETSY ARTISTS Volume 5.

I am so very excited and honored to be included in Tim's beautiful book store quality art magazine along with 35 other incredibly talented artists, one of which is a fellow moderator on Starving Jewelry Artists forum, Allison Raposa of Ali Baubles (msbaubles). Tim has created a not only fabulous resource for Etsians to promote their shops and Etsy as a handmade market, but a beautifully produced volume for buyers to peruse and display for others to enjoy.

Each volume consists of 80 pages showcasing the Etsy shops of 36 artists in a broad range of media. If you are interested in finding out how you can be included in one of Tim's volumes or are interested in obtaining a copy visit Tim's blog here http://etsypromobook.blogspot.com/

The image above is of Volume 1 of "the handbook to handmade" which features 2 designers that I am very fond of...personally fond of, Rhonda Reagan of Stunning Details and Jennifer Casady, on the front cover.

Spreading my wings...The Butterfly Challenge

The jewelry forum that I am a member of held a Color Challenge based on a Butterfly theme...there were several color palettes all based on actual butterfly colors that we were able to choose from and create a piece that had to include a minimum number of the colors. The piece had to either be in the form of a butterfly or have some form of butterfly motif incorporated into the design.

I was very excited to participate in this challenge and decided that I would make it exactly that...it would be a personal challenge...an opportunity to experiment with techniques that I have been wanting to employ...this was the project that I would use to spread my wings.

Prior to this challenge I did some soldering generally only in simple, basic forms...my vision for this project was somewhat more complex and would require a good amount of soldering...challenge #1! The design called for a sterling silver wire framework with multiple sections which would then be filled with colored resin, in the colors of the chosen palette. Resins are a medium that I have little to no practice using...challenge #2. I started with a flutter and was not able to take flight...the framework was not much of a problem, but the resin did not yield the saturation of color that I desired....another flutter, another flap and I was in flight...the result is "Winter Butterfly"


My effort was awarded a "Personal Achievement" ribbon...the criteria for which was to employ new skills and techniques in the fabrication of the challenge piece. Like the butterfly...I spread my wings!!!

Finding my jewelry artist's voice....

In the two years since I've started creating art jewelry pieces, I have developed skills in quite a few techniques. I started beading which helped me develop my some very basic beginner skills; using pliers, opening and closing jumprings, crimping, but most importantly I developed my design sense, an eye for color, textures and balance.

While still fully immersed in stringing necklaces and bracelets, I began to experiment with sterling silver wire...uh yeah I said..."experiment with sterling silver wire"! I began making my own clasps, making coils and coiled beads and incorporating this into the strung jewelry I was creating.

The next steps I took with the wire started me on a path that diverted my interest from stringing beads to creating bead links...wire looped beaded jewelry, on to wire-wrapped hand formed focal with beads, wire woven designs on wire frames wrapped with gemstones...every new technique I learn makes me crave trying something on another level...I have developed an addiction to learning new techniques and I cannot seem to my fill.All of the wire work I have done has been very satisfying but I always want to do more, something new, another challenge!

So, currently my focus is on metalsmithing, creating art jewelry pieces using sheet silver and copper, fabricating using both hot and cold connections...(hot connections = soldering...cold connections = rivets, wire-wrapping, hinges), setting stones in bezels and manipulating the metal into dimensional forms using a wide range of tools from simple pliers to a variety of punches, stakes and hammers. It is in this medium that I am finally finding my jewelry artist's voice. The metal and I are developing a relationship in which it speaks to me, I hear what it is saying and I am able to interpret and communicate to my audience the direction it has given me. Our exchanges are soft-spoken, I wish to learn its dynamics and have it show me how best to have it speak through me, so I do not argue. Maybe later I will gain enough confidence to provide more direction to it...but for now...I'm listening and sharing what I hear...in my jewelry artist's voice.