Wild Wire Women Retreats

I have just returned to New York from a two week trip to California. The first part of this adventure was the most interesting and challenging. Not long before my departure, I purchased a wonderful wire working book Bead on a Wire by Sharilyn Miller. As a jewelry designer, I am always looking for new techniques and classes. New to wire work, I found Sharilyn's book well written and easy to follow. I decided to take a look at her website. When I looked at the photos of her picturesque home in Idyllwild, California I was intrigued by the monthly retreats she offers in her home. I signed up and started to email the other women who had joined as well.

Sharilyn is an excellent hostess and a master artisan, making this an outstanding experience. She provided 3 full days of lessons and wonderful breakfasts,lunches and snacks each day. The delicious first evening's dinner at a wonderful local restaurant was provided by Sharilyn as well. Each afternoon the aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the air as we were hard at work on our creations. The scenery and wildlife surrounding us in this beautiful mountain home could not have been more welcoming and relaxing. The other three women Jill, Grayce and Teresa who joined this retreat were just wonderful and we all had an amazing time together in Sharilyn's home. We are hoping to have a reunion next year. If you are looking for fullfilling, relaxing and reasonable wire working classes in an atmosphere that is truly breathtaking, then don't miss this experience.

Rock a Bye Baby

If you are looking for some adorable items for your baby or need to purchase a baby gift, you have come to the right place. CuddleBaby has adorable handmde blankets,onesies, bibs and other items for infants. The fabrics used for these items are whimsical and brightly colored. Check out this darling shop today for all your babies needs.

Cuddle Baby

I just visited the delighful etsy.shop of cuddlebaby and her is what she has to say about herself.

"Thanks for visiting CuddleBaby! I specialize in making baby to toddler blankets and other items for your little one. I think it's important for every baby to have at least one blanket that is handmade. That's where I come in! I'm continually coming up with new ideas and finding more fun fabrics, so check back often for different colors and designs. So, take a look around. I hope you like what you see. If you have a specific kind of fabric in mind, let me know and I'd love to do a custom order for you. I'm in the process of adding onesies, bibs, burp cloths and pacifier clips that match many of my blankets. So check back often for these fun gift ideas.* Please visit my profile for my shop policies.** I do custom orders!*****************************************************************Proud Member of:Etsybaby, Etsykids, Etsymom, Designing Swanky Moms (DSM)****************************************************************Check out my blog! www.cuddlebabyblankets.blogspot.com CuddleBaby was created out of a passion making blankets and other items for my two children. It all started with my first baby. I liked to swaddle her, but couldn't ever find blankets big enough. So, with my 2nd, I started making my own. I began thinking that others might like large blankets also, so I began selling blankets at our local Gardener's Market until I found out about ETSY. I am always looking for new ideas, so keep checking back for new colors, fabrics and designs."

The Art of Journaling

There are those who blog and those who journal. Expressing one's thoughts ,feelings and maybe knowledge can be very satisfying and rewarding. Sometimes it is easier to "talk" on paper and keeping a journal is the perfect way to do just that. I was fortunate enough to meet a lovely lady through my own search for the perfect journal and would like to share her beautiful handmade,hand bound books with you. If you would like to start a journal , need to give a special gift or want to keep a travel log take a look at the etsy shop of Red Otter. These are a few of the offerings in her shop right now. For additional information take a look at her blog too.

Differences Between Gold Plated Jewelry and Gold Filled Jewelry

"You get what you pay for," is certainly what comes to mind when shopping for jewelry in today's market. As many of you know gold and silver have reached astronomically high prices in recent months with the price dropping slightly in the last week or so. Today's current gold price is $925.17 and silver is $17.14 as of 12:30 EST. These prices fluctuate on a daily basis and determine what jewelry designers must pay for their supplies. I have not ventured into using

14 K gold due to the high prices, but I am determined to offer my customers quality jewelry for the best price. What do I do? I use only 1/20 gold filled wire, gold vermeil and sterling silver for my pieces. Many jewelers will use gold and silver plate for their wire and jewelry components. What is the difference you ask? For starters, the durability of the piece is determined by what kind of components the jeweler uses. Gold plate and silver plate will chip ,peel, and crack, sometimes after only a few wearings. However, gold filled jewelry will not. The reason for this is as follows:

Gold filled wire is produced by wrapping a tube of solid gold around a core of a base metal such as a brass alloy. They are bonded together by pressure and heat. It is about 100 times thicker than gold plate and will not chip or flake off. The part that touches your skin is 14k or 12k gold and is it very hard to tell the difference between solid gold and gold filled. It is durable and much more affordable than solid gold. Gold plate is made by dipping (electroplating) a microscopic film of gold particles on a variety of base metals. The particles eventually wear off and the piece of jewelry certainly does not look the same as it did when you purchased the piece. Gold plated and silver plated findings are much cheaper to buy than gold filled and good quality gold vermeil which is 24k or 18k gold layered over sterling silver. When you look at jewelry to purchased keep these facts in mind. My husband says "When you pay peanuts , you get monkeys. "

New Lady for my Display

I found this amazing Grecian bust for my jewelry display and have been experimenting with her new look. She is lacking shoulders so I have wrapped her in soft beige fabric and tried to hang one of my necklaces around her, but don't think the results are quite right. I would love to have your opinions/suggestions. I forgot to mention that I chose her because she looks just like the head I chose for my business card.

Happily Handmade

I originally designed this necklace in the fall during a wire working class. It had lots of curves and zigzags and never lay right around my neck. I was convinced it was a lost cause until this past week when I decided to take it apart and start all over again. I used dead soft wire and was able to use my wire straightener to take the zigzags and kinks out of the sterling wire I was using. The gauge was fairly large so it was easy to straighten without damaging the wire. Then I decided to use wrapped eye pins to make the links , as well as some spirals and a handmade clasp. I am thrilled with the results and can't wait to do another one. See this and other one-of-a -kind pieces in my shop.