A Thousand Flowers

In Italian, "millefiore" means "a thousand flowers." The green beads in this recently completed "ladder" bracelet are wonderful examples of contemporary millefiore beads. See those little flowers? Each center, each petal, is comprised of a separate rod of glass, all compressed together and fused with heat to create the pattern. Very beautiful. Very labor intensive. Guess that just goes to prove the old saying about anything worth having being worth working for...
The alternating beads are contemporary Czech glass and believe me, the Czechs are no slouches when it comes to glass, either.
Some people tend to discount bead jewelry, but look more closely next time you see a piece constructed with beads. The larger work of art that is the jewelry is composed of many small works of art that are the beads. Hmm. Not unlike millefiore. 

Thinner, lighter, cheaper

This is a piece I just completed. It is a first in a limited production run that will build on this theme.

This piece is made of 20 gauge sterling, with a handmade 18 gauge chain. In the jewelry world, gauge means how thick the metal is. Hence the title of this blog -- thinner, lighter, cheaper. That's the credo of the commercial jewelry world. Make it thinner, make it lighter, make it cheaper -- for the producer and retailer, not the consumer. So, we have abominations like hollow gold and silver that dents if you look at it wrong.

20 gauge is fairly hefty. This piece has a little weight to it, you feel like you have something substantial. It has been hammered, and the rings attaching the discs have been soldered closed. There is a matching hammered toggle for closure.

There are lots of advantages to buying artisan jewelry. First, it is someone's original design. You won't see it everywhere. Most of my pieces are "one offs," one-of-a-kinds, that is. Or, as with this one, limited production pieces. There will be others in this line that will resemble it, but not be exactly like it. And most importantly, I don't skimp on materials, or attention to detail. You won't find this piece making the trip from high-end "gotta have it" Tiffany's to "everybody's got it" Walmart wear.

Something to think about ... 

Just getting started ...

I have never blogged before ...

I decided to get started to give visitors to my website a new way to experience my jewelry -- by sharing some of my thoughts, hopes and dreams with you. Artisan jewelry is very different from commercial jewelry -- it is a process, a goal, a journey, a dream. I hope that by sharing the personal experience of creating my jewelry, it will be more than just a pretty ornament to you, you will begin to understand the "personalness" of it.

I also hope to keep you posted on my teaching and workshop schedule. If you live in the Mohawk or Chenango valley, maybe I will see you in one of my classes! I love teaching, and it thrills me to see how happy the process of creating jewelry is to my students. I especially love how differently everyone's stuff turns out.

So stay tuned, visit often. My website, www.kissingdog.com is about to undergo major changes. Let me know what you think!