Featured Artists (and other stuff)

Filed under: Handmade Jewelry, Uncategorized

It’s been hectic around here to say the least. I mentioned to my friend Lisa Atchison just last night how I haven’t had any time to work on many of my planned designs, especially since the wedding. I feel like nothing has slowed down yet. That is probably because my son, who will be 10 months (ALREADY!) on the 10th of October is running me all over the place. I’m desperately trying to potty train my 3 year old daughter, and thankfully that is going A LOT better these days, nevertheless, it’s still hard work and it’s keeping me busy along with the rest of life’s daily activities.

OK. Enough about that. Almost a year ago I started a “Featured Artist” program where I featured 5-7 pieces of any guest artist who wanted to participate. I even created a special section in my store called Guest Jewelers & Merchants to display only their items. All that was required along with a Biography is that they send pictures of a specific size, a description for each item, and the price for which they wanted to sell it. I agreed to post the items in the store for a period of one year, free of charge. (Disclaimer: The price on the items has to be slightly adjusted to the nearest dollar so that the artist can receive the asking price, because all new customers on my site receive a 10% discount.) I posted this offer on LinkedIn and received a very positive response. This is not done so that I could directly profit from the sale of their items. This is beneficial to both my site and the Guest Artist as it offers the artist exposure, and me new content perhaps in areas that I do not dabble

For example, although I own a kiln and silver art clay, I have yet to post any of the pieces that I have made. Instead, I leave that to the experts. This piece made by Jennifer Dewey is one of my all-time favorites. It is a handmade sterling silver baby’s rattle. It is highly polished and features a freshwater pearl filled rosette (the pearl is symbolic of purity and innocence), musically rotating upon the sterling teething ring. You can click on the photo to see its full description in the store.

Although my Father is a talented artist, I am not (not in the drawing and painting sense of the word anyway). So, another unique artist I featured back in June is Barbara Yalof. Most of her artwork depicts people or animals rather than designs. What her artwork and jewelry do have in common is knowledge of color theory and a playfulness with color and line. What I love most about Barbara’s work is that it is affordable to just about EVERYONE, and that is difficult to find when you are dealing with quality handmade items of any kind.

This Original Art and Hand Painted Jewelry is the work of Barbara Yalof who graduated Temple U./Tyler School of Art and resides in Narberth, PA. In the past, Barbara’s jewelry has been sold by artist’s rep to boutiques and stores, including the shops of The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. Her one-of-a-kind jewelry was awarded “Best Fashion Jewelry in Philadelphia”, and was given a solo trunk show at Macy’s Manhattan.

After 8 years in business, Barbara took a hiatus from her jewelry and took this time to concentrate on parenthood and other interests. She went back to school to study computer graphics, and took time to paint and draw again. Barbara’s paintings and prints can be seen on her website: www.barbarayalof.com .

When things quieted down at home, she realized just how much she missed creating tiny works of art. Armed with a heightened interest in colors and how they interact, Barbara is back creating the earrings, pins, bracelets, and necklaces that are once again on the market. Hours fly by, pieces are moved around and paired up with other pieces; a lot of thought goes into the production of each of these one-of-a-kind miniature works of art. Barbara currently teaches Color Theory at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in becoming a Featured Guest Artist on my site, please E-mail me with your request and we’ll get you set up right away! I will be posting some new items next week, and I am hoping to get the collection finished on which I started working months ago. It’s really something special and it’s unfortunate that it has taken me this long to complete. I look forward to sharing my new designs with you.

Tags: Brooch, hand painted, handmade gifts, Handmade Jewelry, jewelry, Matisse, paintings, Pin, sterling silver

Handmade Glass Beads

Filed under: Glass Beads, Handmade Jewelry

I love to work with handmade glass beads. The variety is amazing, and the colors are heavenly. And all made from sand and fire!

Glass beads can be made with very little resources. In Mauretania, the Kiffa people crush bottles and jars into a powder. They use their own saliva to bind the crushed glass into cone-shaped beads. They add designs by applying crushed colored glass to the cone with a needle. Then the beads are fired in small containers—often sardine cans.

Furnace glass beads, such as millefiore beads, use glass-working techniques first developed in Italy. Millefiore beads were popular in Roman days, two thousand years ago. Then as now, these handmade beads were formed from rods of colored glass, bundled to form the exquisite designs that give them their name, “thousand flowers.”

After the fall of Rome, Europe made little in the way of luxury products such as glass. When the Crusaders brought glassmaking techniques from the East, Venice became a glass-making center. The rulers, or Doges, kept glassmakers on the island of Murano and threatened them with harsh penalties if they revealed the secrets of their trade.

Artists who make lampwork glass beads first coat a metal rod with a substance called “bead release.” Then they melt a glass rod and spin the metal rod in the hot glass to form a bead. Once they have the base of the bead, they add colors in layers to complete their design.

My favorite maker of handmade lampwork beads is Lisa Atchison. I’ve included a picture of one of her beads with this blog. Nature inspires Lisa, and she often combines glass with electroplated natural objects, such as leaves, to make her beads. Here are two of the designs that I have created using her beads.

Lisa Atchison Brown Bead Necklace

I’ve been stringing Lisa’s beads on Silk Ribbon from Jamn Glass. This is a type of ribbon made for jewelry makers to be hardwearing. I use leather cord, too. And, of course, some of her beads seem to cry out for copper, sterling silver or vermeil.

I love the organic feeling of Lisa’s beads. Her craftsmanship is extraordinary! My Italian soul resonates with the intricate patterns of millefiore beads. Handmade glass beads always seem to inspire me. Perhaps they carry with them the feelings of the artist who made them.

I know that something of myself is within every piece of jewelry I make. As Lisa says, a bead is not truly art until someone wears it.

Ciao,
Mariealena

Tags: electroform, Glass Beads, Handmade Beaded Jewelry, handmade glass beads, Handmade Jewelry, jewelry, ribbon, silk

Welcome to my Blog!

Filed under: Handmade Jewelry

Hello!

Welcome to my blog. I am Mariealena Calabrese, owner of Isabella’s Beads. I design and make all the handmade beaded jewelry you see in my store. I hope this blog helps you to know me better, and I hope through your comments to get to know you, too.

I am passionate about my handmade beaded jewelry—as you might expect. I love searching for new and unusual beads, combining them with the best fastenings and stringing materials, and producing uniquely designed jewelry for you to wear.

I am even more passionate about my daughter, Isabella Rose. I named my business for her. My handmade beaded jewelry allows me to stay at home with Isabella and still build for her future. All the profit from my beaded jewelry goes to her, and it is my hope that this business will bring her profit for years to come.

I have a very special design project in mind right now. It will be in honor of a new addition to our family. Yes, I am expecting a baby in December! It is a boy, and we plan to name him John, after his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. In honor of John IV, and Isabella Rose, I am designing a Mommy bracelet.

Of all the handmade beaded jewelry I design, the Mommy bracelet is most special. I do not want to rush any aspect of the design. But when it is complete it will be available for you to see and buy here at Isabella’s Beads.

Since there will be four of us soon, we decided to buy a small second home in Connecticut. Then, when we visit John’s parents, we will have room for all of us. And, the babies will not disturb their grandparents during the night.

We finally found what we were looking for, and now are deciding which furniture to have in which house. So much to decide!

Creating handmade beaded jewelry involves many decisions, too. Even when I have a vision of the finished piece to begin with, the end result may be quite different. Would the piece look better with the luminous depths of cat’s eye or the sparkle of Swarovski® crystals? Can I find a better color combination to express my feeling of joy?

I hope you will enjoy this blog as it develops. I want Isabella’s Beads to be a welcoming site for you. I would love to read your comments—and please, if you have any questions about my handmade jewelry, the beads and fittings I use or even my creative process—don’t hesitate to ask!

Ciao!
Mariealena

Tags: beaded jewelry, crystal jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, Handmade Beaded Jewelry, Handmade Jewelry, jewelry