Featured Artist – UnkamenGifts

Last Updated on Sunday, 23 August 2009 03:49 Written by lisianblue Sunday, 23 August 2009 06:00

The Helmrich Family is a creative bunch! They have taken the Buy Handmade Pledge, and love to make ALL their gifts for each other.

LEAH, now 16, began making jewelry in 2005 after a fellow RV’ing friend showed her a few of the basics. She took right to it and loved making jewelry for herself, and friends. Shortly after, she started selling it locally. She now also makes FlowerChildren and Fuzbudjits but is pretty busy with her studies so her shop, favmoongirl.etsy.com is reserved for special requests and special purchases.

About the same time, her brother BYRON, now age 12, started collecting interesting rocks and polishing them with his dad’s help. He found that he enjoyed selling them as gratitude rocks, because the root of true happiness is being grateful for everything that you have.

About 3 years ago, RALPH made a necklace for their mom, Karen and got such a charge out of seeing her wear it that he decided to learn more and make more! He specializes in chainmaille and Leah is starting to work with it too! Ralph is a semi-retied engineer who occasionally enjoys consulting and troubleshooting aerosol manufacturers.

KAREN enjoys it all! In previous lives she was a RN, Registered Yoga Instructor and Certified Personal Trainer. She does most of the photography, “test drives” the jewelry and occasionally helps with ideas for the marvelous creations.

We call both Livingston, Texas and Rolla, Missouri home, and enjoy traveling throughout the United States-46 states, so far!

The kids are and always have been homeschooled and love their homelife and travels.

Traveling along are 2 Goldfish ( Jake and Goldie Hawn), 2 Dogs ( Ivy, a Doxie and Hookah, a Basset) and 1 Nutty Cat (Triangle).

We are proud members of Schooling At Home Etsyians, Etsy Texas Crafters and Etsy’s Chainmailler’s Team.

You can visit the Chainmailler’s Blog at: http://chainmaillersguild.blogspot.com

You can visit the Schooling At Home Etsyians’ Blog at:
http://sheetsyteam.blogspot.com

Most of our pieces are made entirely by us, but we love to work with other Etsyians and friends and will make note in our pieces if others helped with any of the components. We also love to recycle old jewelry, buttons AND packaging!!
Learn more about The Helmrich Family……
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(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤~  www.unkamengifts.com

Visit UnkamenGifts on Etsy.

Featured Artist – MailleEtc

Last Updated on Friday, 24 July 2009 11:40 Written by lisianblue Friday, 24 July 2009 06:00

For you maillers out there, this will be no big surprise – but keep reading anyway, and for those of you who admire chainmaille but don’t know much about it, but want to learn  - I’m here to tell you a little more about it, by introducing you to Bonnie of  MailleEtc on Etsy. 

Although  I have been a fan of chainmaille for a few years, one thing I did not realize is just how important the gauge and inner diameter of those little rings are!  And, that is where Bonnie comes in.  You see, Bonnie not only makes some very beautiful jewelry, she also makes those little rings that are woven  together to make that beautiful jewelry.   From reading all the posts on the Handmade Artists Forum, I have learned that the gauge and inner diameter of those rings are usually critical in order for all those little rings to come together as a stunning piece of jewelry, instead of a twisted up jumble of rings. 

Bonnie states that “Maille Etc was born out of necessity… necessity to support my endless bead and wire addiction.”  After discovering loose beads in the mid-nineties, Bonnie has found that her “fascination with all things beady and wire only increases as the years cruise by.”
Although Bonnie has ventured down other artistic avenues, she states that “beads and wire have continued to keep me riveted and very happily amused.” 
Bonnie not only creates beautiful jewelry, and those little rings to make that beautiful jewelry, she also teaches chainmaille, beading, and wirework.  If you live in or near the Central Ohio Area, be sure to  contact Bonnie through MailleEtc to set up a class with your friends and family.  

You can find different gauge and inner diameter sterling silver rings, copper rings, kits, pliers, polishing clothes and other little goodies necessary for the art of chainmaille at MailleEtc.

Upon ordering, Bonnie will ”coil and precision sawcut your jump rings using state-of-the-art power. Your rings are then thoroughly tumbled until they’re clean, hardened, burr-free, and blindingly shiny!”
If you are looking for 14K gold-filled rings or Argentium rings, you can custom order these, just send her a convo (or message) at her etsy shop, MailleEtc.

Not sure about what size ring, or how many rings you need for a certain weave or design?  This very talented lady will be happy to assist you.

Ready to host a party? – Be sure to check out Bonnie’s profile to learn about her special for the host of the party!

You can see some of  Bonnie’s beautiful jewelry creations here: 

 http://www.beadcreator-family.com/profile/Bonnie

A Brief History of Ancient Jewelry Wire

Last Updated on Saturday, 18 July 2009 11:55 Written by Manic Butterfly Sunday, 19 July 2009 12:00

Interesting facts about the earliest evidence of wire use in jewelry:

Although the art of wire wrapping is often credited to the Phoenician Empire, about 1000 BC, there is evidence of wire use in jewelry far earlier. Biblical scholars have identified wire sculpting as an art form dating as far back as 1446 BC, nearly 500 years before the Phoenicians. They site the event in Exodus 28 of Moses being instructed to create Aaron’s breastplate. The breastplate included gold rings and chains as well as 12 gemstones: ruby, topaz, beryl, turquoise, sapphire, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, onyx and jasper. These gems were all set with gold filigree.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines filigree as ” ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces.” In ancient times filigree was made from gold, silver or copper that had been hammered into fine thin sheets. These sheets were then cut into narrow strips. The edges of the strips were filed smooth thereby creating the wire. This method is generally recognized as the earliest technique for creating wire. There is later evidence of these strips being pulled through holes in stones or shells causing the strip to curl onto itself becoming a thin tube that was then used as wire.

Predating both the Phoenician Empire and the creation of Aaron’s breastplate were the Sumerians of Mesopotamia during the Ur Dynasty dating approximately 2560 BC. Some of the jewelry artifacts from this period clearly show the use of wire. The British Museum, the University of Pennsylvania Museum and the Iraq Museum have pieces of jewelry found in the Royal Cemetery of Ur(Iraq) that include gold sheet, beads and gold wire coils and hoops. Both men and women wore large amounts of jewelry in Mesopotamia as well as using it to decorate idols. Mesopotamian jewelers also practiced other techniques such as granulation, filigree, cloisonne, engraving and the art of carving gem stones.

The Ur artifacts were excavated between 1922 and 1934 by C. Leonard Woolley. Photos of many artifacts from this excavation along with the impressive Sumerian headdress of the Lady Puabi can be viewed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum website in the online gallery “Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur”. Recently a 2000 year old gold wire earring, set with emerald and pearls, was found in Jerusalem. It was discovered in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Giv‘ati car park at the City of David, in the area of the “Walls around Jerusalem National Park”. A photo of the earring and excavation site can be viewed at the Israel National News website.

Article written & submitted by Bonnie of Gravel Road Jewelry.