Personal Designz

Visit our feature artist and jewelry designer Marge Mills at Personal Designz. Marge creates stunning one of a kind specially designed pieces and creates exclusive items just for you... !

Jewelry Designer ~ Marge Mills   

Personal Designz        
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PersonalDesignz

I started jewelry design about 7 years ago. Although I do all forms of Jewelry Design, my main focus is on Wire Wrapping. I love the technique and have even come up with my own style of "Free Form Wire Wrapping" . This gives me the opportunity to show off more of the gemstone that I am working with than the traditional form of wire wrapping as you do not have to cover as much of the stone to hold it in place.This lets the true beauty of the gemstone come out in the piece.

 I have also tried beading, polymer clay, silver metal clay and seed beadwork. But I always come back to my wire wrapping. Sometimes I will just see a gemstone that calls out to me to make a setting for it. But a lot of the time it is a client who is responsible for my return to bending wires.I love to design settings for gemstones and actually spend a lot of my time designing pieces with stones my clients have that they love but are just not happy with in their present setting. I take out the stones and redesign a new piece for them that they will enjoy with stones that have sentimental meaning to them...This brings me as much joy as it does them to see that stone in the new design.

All of my designs are one of a kind...I like that I can offer that to my clients.



That is what sets us apart from the jewelry found in department stores... handcrafted jewelry should have an individuality about it that the client can not find in just any store. I love being able to give that option to them.

My inspiration in the arts comes from my Mother... she was a gifted artist... and a career seamstress. I never grew to love sewing although I was taught from an early age and can do what I need to when the need arises to sew, but the love for art became evident when I started to paint.I owe that to a client of mine.. I am a retired colorist/stylist. I had a very dear client who was a gifted oil painter. I always envied her ability and one day as we were discussing her latest art piece, I told her how much I envied her being able to put the ideas in her head down on canvas. She quickly told me that she would mentor me in my attempt to paint and that if she felt that I did not have the potential, as a former teacher she would tell me and I would know if I had any ability or not. That was 12 years ago and I still love to paint. The love for the arts spilled over into jewelry design some 5 years later and I have never turned back since. I love what I do and if it gives others pleasure, then it is that much better.

 I urge every person who has that inner desire to create to go for it, do whatever it is that you have that desire to do. You will get such enjoyment out of creating and what you create may
just bring joy to another.We all have abilities that we are not aware of and sometimes it just takes another person to bring out the best in us...

I am fortunate enough to have a 2 story house with a loft upstairs which is my little corner of the world. My office is there as well as my art studio. My first love is oil painting  and I still try to devote time to it whenever I get the chance. The room is large enough that I have a corner dedicated to jewelry design. I love to go to my private space for some real quiet and relaxation time.

One of my favorite quotes:
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
                                                           ~  George Bernard Shaw

Made From Scratch With Passion and Love

All of Andrea's books and paper goods are carefully made by hand from scratch with passion and love. Each one is truly a one of a kind piece.

Enjoy a visit to her wonderful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Nicopapergoods/.

by Nico Papergoods

My name is Andrea Kohler. I am a homesick (occasionally) Swiss Heidi. I grew up in Zurich Switzerland where I met my Swiss/American husband. After a few years back and forth, we decided to move to Seattle, Washington. We live with our thirteen year old son Nico in a 100 year old modest, but character full house.

When I was sixteen I started a 4 year bookbinding apprenticeship in my home town.

For fifteen years I ran a thriving bookbindery in down town Zurich. In the evenings I taught bookbinding in a craft School and earned my living. Today I have the freedom to explore the creative processes. After all these years I am still very passionate about my craft. About a year ago I started to sell on Etsy and it has opened up many new doors for me.

For more information about what I do, please visit my website

http://www.kohlerbookbinding.com/

I am SOOOOO Excited!

I can't believe it! I woke up to a very special treat this wonderful Sunday morning.

I was featured on the Front Page of Etsy! My "Mirror Mirror" pendant from my etsy shop The Red Door was chosen in this wonderful treasury created by botanical theatre , www.botanicaltheatre.etsy.com/ .

Here is the wonderful treasury.

http://www.craftcult.com/vault_list.php?list=8329&page=&userid=&fm=0&esn=&m=0&d=0&st=1&pagenum=0

You can have a peek at the treasury by clicking on the treasury picture to the right!

I am so thrilled that I wanted to share with you!  Have a great day!

Creative Journey

Today's feature "Glad Ragzz" so eloquently describes her creative journey. She is inspired visually by beautiful and artistic pieces and loves to try new things in her work. I can relate to the excitement of trying a new technique and using new materials.
Have fun visiting her shop http://www.gladraggz.etsy.com/ and enjoy her feature!

by GladRaggz

I'm a visual person, and am inspired when I see something that I consider to be beautiful or artistic. I've always loved antiques and vintage clothing, so I also draw inspiration from the look and feel of old clothing and accessories. I find something very romantic, sentimental, and appealing about the fabric and abundant handwork that went into those lovely old gems. For a while I did a lot of needlepoint using the original Berlinwork charts, but now my work seems to be a combination of antique opulence and new materials.

Good examples are my winter handbags, crocheted with a variety of new, "high tech" sparkly yarns, and adorned with luscious vintage jewelry. Since moving to Florida, I've used a lot more color than I used to, and I love bright, happy reds and oranges. For summer, I like to use cool, crisp blues and whites, and try to weave "ocean" themes into my summer work whenever possible. Being someone who bores easily, I love to keep "moving" in my creative journey, always trying new looks, new materials, and never wanting to create the same piece twice. Unless I have a special request for duplicates, all my shop items are unique and one-of-a-kind.

Please visit my vintage shop and blog:

http://rekindledpassions.etsy.com/

http://www.carpetbaggercreations.blogspot.com/