Ruby Lane's Creative Hands - April 2010

In This Issue

• YOUTUBE VIDEO: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM RUBY LANE!
  
• JOIN RUBY LANE on Facebook and Twitter
  
• CELEBRATE SPRING! New Jewelry Artisan Shops and Spring Bling
  
• Nouveau Art Gallery: PLEIN AIR PAINTING is Important for Artists & Art
  
• IN FULL BLOOM
  
• RUBY LANE: Get Paid to Blog
  
• Share Creative Hands With A Friend
  

YOUTUBE VIDEO: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM RUBY LANE!

Mother's Day is May 9th! Click here to see a special Mother's Day message from Ruby Lane, or go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMgwK8z9ImA

JOIN RUBY LANE ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

Ruby Lane is now active on both Twitter and Facebook, and we invite you to join us. Both services are free to join and participate.

Follow us on Twitter: Twitter

Become a Fan on Facebook

CELEBRATE SPRING! NEW JEWELRY ARTISAN SHOPS AND SPRING BLING

Marcus Berkner Jewelry Fantasy, Nature, and Botanical Jewelry

Marcus Berkner - Oregon

My jewelry designs rely heavily on organic and architectural themes. Self-taught, more or less, I work primarily in sterling silver, using lost wax casting techniques. I tend to add more realism to my work than is traditionally found in artisan jewelry. An example is Pearl Pod Ring, which is made from castings of wild rose twigs and oak leaf galls - oxidized, and in-the-rough.









Julishland Leather Jewelry Leather cuffs, leather bracelets, leather necklace, leather pendant and hair barrettes, etc

Julia Goland - Israel

Hi! Welcome to my shop! I'm 28 years old, living in Israel, happily married with a daughter named Alice. I started making jewelry a few years ago and enjoy every minute of it. I love to create jewellery pieces that are unique and original.







Ambient Venice Jewelry Vintage inspired designs lovingly created with Venetian lampwork beads other fine components

Toni Lee Fiore - Michigan

Ever since I was a young woman, I dreamed about visiting Italy, the homeland of my parents, my grandparents and everyone before them. I especially imagined visiting Venice and since realizing that dream in 2004, I have fallen in love once again with all things Italian.







K Marlies Designs Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry -- Because Life is in the Details

Karen Rominger - New Mexico

In a favorite exchange with a new client, I was asked, "Just what is a bead?" Without any hesitation on my part, I replied, "Anything you can string a cord or wire through!" And so it began -- my journey into the world of beading with an emphasis color, texture, and the use of woven precious metals to create one of a kind pieces of jewelry, each with their own story.

K. Marlies Designs offers eclectic, handcrafted jewelry, with designs ranging from earthy to elegant, and with a dose of whimsy thrown in for good measure and fun. An evolution of my earlier business, Studio 1980 Designs, this gallery shop reflects my ever-emerging personal style with a strong emphasis on custom work in addition to limited edition production pieces.



Reckless Rocks Handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces that quickly become favorites!

Marilyn Ballard - New Mexico

Enhance your look or Rock it Out! It's easy to get hooked. I walked into a gem shop in Venice Beach and the next thing I knew, I was traveling to trade shows, meeting friends at the LA Jewelry Mart and setting-up a jeweler's bench in my living room. Wax casting and metalsmithing classes weren't far behind.

I have a freestyle, intuitive approach to making jewelry and allow the materials to guide the outcome. I'm working with some very powerful stones, so I design with a light hand. The jewelry is classic, but with a side of funk. Cool combination's of rough-cut gems have become my signature.

NOUVEAU ART GALLERY: PLEIN AIR PAINTING IS IMPORTANT FOR ARTISTS & ART

Painting outside is not for the faint of heart. The artist needs to finish a rendering in about one and a half hours. That takes training and special gear. We work small and fast keeping up with the light. The reason I chose to learn how to paint was because I fell in love with the action en plein air painting demands.

It is an adventure with a win/ win result. If I end up with a finished painting that sings, then hooray! If not, I have good field notes for a studio painting. Just getting out is so important for artists because we need to study the environment. Stare at the clouds. Take mental notes of the color of water. Look at rocks and shadows. Observation is key.

It is fun to do with fellow enthusiasts. Meeting, getting set up and then all quietly working until the light changes is our idea of fun. When the paintings are done, it's amazing to see each personality jump off the canvas even though depicting the same scene. This is a perfect place to share and improve techniques. Great painting groups have formed in this manner.

As a collector, you may enjoy hunting for certain groups and eras. There are also famous locations that most artists hope to have the chance to paint such as Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine where time stands still and the light is spectacular. Right now, California artists from the 1930's are very sought after. Look for your local plein air artists-you may be amazed to discover great talent. Also when traveling, find the
plein air artists in local galleries and studios. What a wonderful way to remember a trip. Support living artists and have fun watching your investment grow.

by Laurie Warner - Owner of Nouveau Art Gallery and a plein air painter

IN FULL BLOOM

H H Jewelry Designs

Fiesta Vintage Flower Pin Pendant Cluster Necklace

This bright and fun necklace will be perfect this Summer! We have used a beautiful Vintage enameled flower pin, done in matte black and bright ...

Holly Cottage Designs

Black Onyx and Sterling Silver Pendant on 19 Necklace of Onyx Beads

This beautiful necklace of black onyx beads with shiny silver-plated bead stations holds a gorgeous Sterling Silver pendant with faceted black onyx ...

A Whimsical Place

Elegant White Rose Lampwork Bead Vermeil and Swarovski Bracelet

The focal bead in this elegant design is a hand crafted lampwork bead by glass bead artist Carolyn Conley. Complimenting this lovely bead are 6mm ...

Throwin' Stones

Apatite Mystic Quartz Earrings

Golden hoops and loops are accented with gorgeous, vibrant colors. Each is composed a Vermeil flower accent centered in a ring of 3mm Caribbean Blue ...

Treasure Trove New York City

Sterling Silver Flower Cocktail Ring with Citrine Cabochons

This ring comes as an inspiration from my 4th jewelry collection of all cocktail rings, since they are popular now in New York. Made of sterling ...

COPPERTINA

Victorian Reproduction Rose Cuff, Soooo Very Unique and Gorgeous, A one of a kind piece of Wearable Art

WOW...I the artist am impressed how this lovely turned out. I saw a Victorian cuff bracelet in a book I was dreaming in and this cuff stood out to ...

MB Signature Designs

Fun Flower Power Leather and Beaded Pendant Necklace

This is a fun necklace. It is made of leather flower and glass beads in different colors I add a fabric flower and finished with a button. It hangs ...

Eve Dove Gems

Rainbow Lei - Lampwork Glass Bangle Bracelet

I hand-made every one of these unique, original lampwork glass flower beads using Italian Effetre Glass in the flame. Each of the thirty-one beads was...

Jewel Art Studio

JAS - Andy Warhol's Daisy - Altered Art Dangle Earrings

Here is a whimsical pair of Altered Art Scrabble Tile Earrings, inspired by Andy Warhol's Daisy . The Earrings begins with vintage wooden Scrabble ...

MamaDivine Designs

Autumn Rose Lampwork Glass Sculpted Rose Seed Bead Necklace

I love this design. I created a similar one last year for the holidays and decided to create another one. Featured in this necklace are the incredible...

RUBY LANE: GET PAID TO BLOG

Jewelry Artisans and Fine Artists of Ruby Lane we invite you to express your creative writing 'side' and submit topic ideas to be considered for publication in the Ruby Lane blog, Notes from the Lane

Need topic ideas? Here are a few to consider:

• Topics relating to artisan jewelry and contemporary fine art
• Your personal stories (not self-promoting infomercials)
• Your selling or show adventures
• Your observations on the state of the marketplace
• Your artisan jewelry or fine art craft and how you do it
• Your artisan jewelry or fine art studio set up
• Opinion pieces relative to Fine Art & Artisan Jewelry
• How to succeed as a seller in the online marketplace
• Best and Worst shows for your medium What's hot, what's not
• What is a "Call for Entry"
• What you are doing to go 'Green'
• Any other suggested topics are welcomed for consideration
• (Video submissions are also welcomed)

Before submitting a topic idea for consideration, please read the guidelines for submission in the Shop Owners Blog section of the Knowledge Base FAQ. What is the Ruby Lane Get Paid to Blog Program?

SHARE CREATIVE HANDS WITH A FRIEND

Did you enjoy this issue of Creative Hands? Do you know others who would enjoy receiving it? We invite you to forward this issue on to others. Happy reading!