I used to think that all cubic zirconias were clear, but when I started making jewelry, I definitely learned otherwise. Clear cubic zirconias have long been used as an inexpensive but beautiful substitute for diamonds, but CZs are also made in a wide array of colors, and in many cases are a wonderful substitute for natural gemstones. Artbeads.com recently offered me the chance to try, for free, some of their CZ beads. I had so much fun shopping, because of the great selection of sizes and shapes. Ultimately I chose olivine, amethyst, garnet, champagne, and jet tear-shaped briolettes, although these colors are just a small sample of the shades and shapes available.

Above are sterling silver earrings with olivine green drops. The clarity of these CZ briolettes is amazing, and the light catches them beautifully. Occasionally you’ll run into a CZ briolette with a hole that is even too small for 26 gauge wire, and while making these earrings I did end up breaking the tip off of one of the briolettes. But I’ve found that is true of most briolettes, whether natural or synthetic–the point is so small that you do have to be careful when wrapping them with wire.

Jewelry designers often create pieces in which the briolette, wrapped or unwrapped, is meant to dangle like a teardrop, and that’s what I did with the earrings above as well as the amethyst briolette I used to embellish this rose quartz heart. Again, the clarity of these amethyst CZ briolettes is wonderful, because it can be difficult to find inexpensive faceted amethyst briolettes with this kind of clarity, size uniformity, and richness of color. This piece would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift or a February birthday.

As much as I love dangling briolettes, I also love to create cluster designs, which is what I did in this polymer clay piece with a mixture of champagne and garnet briolettes.

In addition to the wide range of colors, I love the uniformity and the clarity of cubic zirconia, and I am grateful to Artbeads.com for giving me the opportunity to play with these little gems and share my discoveries with you.

Disclosure Notice: All cubic zirconia briolettes used in these pieces were provided free of charge by Artbeads.com for my participation in the Artbeads.com blogging program. I have not received any payment from Artbeads.com, and this post represents only my personal opinion.

Happy 2010 everyone! I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last post, but I’m excited to make this my first post of 2010. I subscribe to the online edition of the print magazine called Bead Trends, and I just found out that the February 2010 issue with my “Go For Baroque” earrings is available online. I don’t know if this issue is on newsstands yet, but if not, it will be very soon. I can’t wait to see this magazine in print! Until then, I was able to get a screen capture of the magazine’s cover and the page with the photo of my earrings. Only one complaint–the photographer didn’t catch the kink in the chain on one of the earrings! But other than that, I’m ecstatic. Can’t wait to receive my free copies when Bead Trends returns my earrings!

My friend Heather, owner of Beads to Beauty in the Four Seasons Mall in Ruidoso, NM, is having a blowout party and sale to celebrate the Christmas season. For one day only, after the Parade of Lights that takes place on Saturday, December 5, Beads to Beauty is offering 50% off all beads, crystals, new arrivals, findings, pendants, etc! Heather has a great selection, so if you’re in the Ruidoso area, don’t miss out!

When: Saturday, December 5th
Time: After the Parade of Lights
Location: Beads to Beauty
Inside The Four Seasons Mall
2500 Sudderth #3
Ruidoso, NM 88345

For more information, give Heather a call at (575) 257-9903

I’m honored to be included in two of Marjorie Oxman’s beautiful 2010 calendars featuring polymer clay work, wire art jewelry, glass beads, and metal clay. Lulu.com is having a sale on all calendars now thru Oct. 11th. Use coupon code FALLFOTO to get 25% off ! Here are the two calendars that include my work. “Cosmic Canyon,” one of my polymer clay beads, is featured in the month of May in Marjorie’s 2010 polymer clay calendar, and “Amber Mystique,” a Baltic amber cabochon wrapped in 12K gold-filled wire with bronze freshwater pearls, is featured in the month of November in Marjorie’s 2010 wire art jewelry calendar.

“Amber Mystique” is available at The Wooden Cow Gallery in Albuquerque. “Cosmic Canyon” is now the focal piece of a wire-wrapped pendant, and that piece is now available at Beads to Beauty in Ruidoso.

Since I’ll be participating in the arts and crafts fair in Schoolhouse Park during Ruidoso’s AspenFest, October 3 and 4, October classes will start a little later in the month. Here’s the schedule:

Sunday, October 11, 1:30-3 pm: “Three Ring Circus” 4-5:30–“Art Nouveau Bracelet”

Friday, October 16, 5-6:30 pm: “Embellished Focal Bead Pendants”

Sunday, October 25, 1:30-3 pm: “Bonsai Tree/Tree of Life”

New class

Friday, October 30, 5-6:30 pm: “Lucky Charms: Celtic Knot Earrings and Pendants.” Celebrate the Celtic roots of Halloween this year by learning the tricks and treats of creating your own lucky charms—Celtic knot earrings and pendants using wire and beads. In this class you will learn how to create a variation of the decorative “Carrick bend” knot. This strong knot was used by sailors, but it can also be found as a design motif at Ormonde Castle in Ireland. First you will practice making your knot with dyed hemp cord, then you will translate what you learn to copper wire and beads in order to make a pair of earrings or a pendant. Cord, wire and beads will be provided.

Location: Beads to Beauty
2500 Sudderth #3 (4 Seasons Mall)
Ruidoso, NM 88345
Contact Heather Kingsmore
575-257-9903 or h.kingsmore@gmail.com

I’m late blogging about this, but last weekend I attended the 2nd Santa Fe Renaissance Fair at El Rancho de las Golondrinas sponsored by Open Hands, a charity dedicated to services that assist elderly and disabled New Mexicans. I had a great time sellling my jewelry there, and I was able to get pictures of some elusive characters, as you can see by my picture with “Merlin” here.

I met “Wishteria,” the Wish Fairy from the “Kingdom of Larkspurshire” (in Colorado), who had an absolutely beautiful costume with wisteria-draped wings. She was gracious enough to allow me to take her picture. It’s difficult to catch fairies on film, you know, but I was successful!

I didn’t get a picture of the king and queen of the fair, and I missed my chance to catch the clumsy traveling scribe, but I did get a shot of the bellydancers, a couple of dragons, and one picture of a very tall peg-legged pirate, who blamed his long legs on an overzealous ship’s carpenter.

All in all, a very enjoyable weekend. Next Ren Fair will be the Dona Ana Arts Council Renaissance ArtsFaire in Las Cruces at Young Park, November 7 and 8, 2009, where I hope to sell lots of jewelry while also taking more fun pictures, like these from a past year:

Artbeads.com is having a Labor Day Blowout! Save 20% with the coupon that’s good on everything.  The only catch is there is a $60 minimum with the coupon and you have to sign up for the Artbeads.com email newsletter to get the coupon code. I just placed my order and saved $12 and got some great deals on Swarovski briolettes, Swarovski pearls, and some beautiful Bali silver beads.

This would be a great time sign up and then pick up something special for yourself, a special gift you might be planning for Christmas, or just to stock up on essentials.

You can sign up for Artbeads.com newsletter here:   http://artbeads.ed4.net/profile/signup.cfm

Sunday, September 6: 2-3:30

“Embellished Focal Bead Pendants” Learn to turn large stone, lampwork glass, or polymer clay beads into one-of-a-kind embellished pendants using wire, seed beads, charms, pearls or small stone beads. In this class you will also learn how to create your own coiled ends and S clasps for use with leather, silk, ribbon or silky “rat-tail” cord—the perfect way to finish your unique new pendant creations. Included in the cost for this class will be one lampwork glass heart bead, one polymer clay focal bead, two 18” lengths of black rat-tail cord, and the wire to complete two embellished focal bead pendants. $45

Class attendees also receive a 10% discount coupon from Beads to Beauty.

Location: Beads to Beauty
2500 Sudderth #3
Ruidoso, NM 88345
Contact Heather Kingsmore
575-257-9903 or h.kingsmore@gmail.com

This week, my EART team members are discussing why we joined Etsy. When I started making jewelry in 2007, I looked into selling my new creations on eBay, but after a little bit of research I decided against eBay. It seemed to me that the really nice handcrafted items were either underpriced or lost in the sheer enormity of all that is eBay. Then I readabout Etsy in one of my jewelry magazines, possibly Step by Step Wire Jewelry. I checked Etsy out, and I was impressed by the professional look of the site and the overall quality of the handcrafted merchandise, and I decided to set up a Kell’s Creations storefront on Etsy. My jewelry still sells best at shows and in galleries and jewelry stores, because people can touch it and try it on, but Etsy is a nice addition to my sales efforts. Plus, it’s a great way for prospective wholesalers and customers to look at my work without the added pressure of having me look on, so it also serves as an online portfolio and good advertisement. Jewelry is still not the easiest item to sell on Etsy, because of the sheer volume of jewelry available and the speed with which new items are added and ”old” items are “lost in the stack,” but overall I’ve been happy with my Etsy experience.

If you’re interested in knowing why other EART team members joined Etsy, the next stop in the loop is Michelle’s Charm World!

After weeks of waiting, the “Big Reveal” in the Use the Muse II contest has finally happened! There were some truly breathtaking pieces in this contest, and while my entry didn’t place, I honestly don’t know how Scarlett chose the winners, because there were some amazing entries. I was inspired by so many, and I would have been hard pressed to choose a favorite. Be sure to check out all the details on the muse, the winners, and the gallery of entrants in the Use the Muse II contest at Scarlett Lanson’s blog. My entry, “Dragonfly Moon,” is in the N-Z gallery.

The ethereal blend of colors in this kit played into my daydreams, and the Lillypilly muse served as the perfect full moon. For the background I created a watercolor painting reminiscent of batik fabric. I transferred the painting to polymer clay, mounted the muse, then embellished it with a polymer dragonfly, a faceted amethyst, and a bouquet of beads and sterling silver ivy leaves. The curving framework is sterling silver wire woven with beads from the kit, along with kyanite ovals to bring the silk ribbon and the focal piece together.