Do You Use ReUsed In Your Jewelry Making?

I didn't start doing jewelry until after I got out of the Navy in 1999. I started out with my first love, stained glass. Once I had my stained glass studio up and running then I experimented with some jewelry ideas, and that's when the jewelry just fell into place. It was a natural progression.

I loved finding anything unique to work with, stone, wire, bottles, and nuts and bolts...just anything! You name it; my motto is "I can do something with that!” I am always storing things around the house just waiting for the right project to use them on. My husband is always threatening to throw them out, but never does. It's fun to go through the hardware drawer and just look for items that I think I might be able to use. The items that I have collected have come in very handy in my designs.

I also collect and recycle electrical wire, copper pipes, drapery cords, belts, and various metals. All electrical wire can have the rubber coating removed leaving you with workable wire. Sometimes you get lucky and the look and color of the metal is enhanced by the rust or discoloration on the surface. Copper pipes can be used in both jewelry and stained glass for various purposes, as can be numerous other recycled metals that otherwise would be thrown away. Cording can be reused as necklace or bracelet cording or braided into macrame'.

Once I realized the beauty and versatility of using recycled items along with my precious stones and stained glass I never turned back. It was like a new world of creativity had opened up for me. I have always believed that if you can recycle something, then do. Mother Nature is the first and our best recycler, so we should all heed a lesson from the teacher herself! Reuse every chance you get, because you may not get that chance again.

Are You Sick Of Winter?

If your as sick of winter as I am then join me in this last bon voyage to that cold, wet and sometimes white stuff. This is a short adiós to Winter and hopefully a fast, hurry up and get here to Summer!

For all of us who have ever wondered, is there really a winter wonderland out there. Well folks, yes there is. Hyde Park, London is the location of the "official" winter wonderland. The official winter wonderland website is here. So go there and check it out!

Did you know that the tallest icebergs tower over the surface of the ocean at a height corresponding to a 15-storey building, while the smallest are only about the size of a hut. This was only too true for my husband and I while we were in the Navy and stationed in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and had the pleasure of seeing some of the most beautiful icebergs. These icebergs came from Greenland, and we were told, occasionally a polar bear would get trapped on them as they broke away from the mainland and floated down to Newfoundland. When the iceberg would get close enough for the bear to get on dry land it would get off and stroll into town looking for food and a place to relax at the local McDonald's dumpster. The RCMP's (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) would eventually tranquilize and transport him (or her) back up into the Labrador area where it is much colder and hopefully much more appealing to them. What a beautiful country it is up there! For some great photos of icebergs of Greenland and other areas click here. If you would like to see some information and photos on Gander, Newfoundland, Canada click here.

That's it I'm done. Hope your Spring is sprung!

How Do You Like Our New Digs?

Sometimes you just have to dust off the old stuff and rearrange it to see what you have. Yes, it's the same stuff on the walls still, but just wait! We haven't got around to rearranging the pictures yet, so cut us a break, moving into new digs aren't easy. You need to take your time, hire a decorator, ask a lot of "what do I do with this" questions. We're still at the take your time step, so paleezzze cut us a little slack (there's a lot of boxes to unpack!). In the meantime, how do you like the new wall color I choose? I did get that done! Plus, I'll be sending some new designs in soon (like in 24-48 hours), so you can see what I have been really working on. So don't sweat the small stuff guys, life is too short! See Ya!

I Promised I'd Be Better In 2009!

I started off with a bang, but the bang went down hill fast this past week. On Saturday I must have come in contact with some nasty little creature of a germ that has taken out some horrible revenge on me this past week. I am still not over the little monster yet, but after going to the doctor on Tuesday and getting the necessary pills to combat the beast, I am confidant that day will be here soon.

I Was Out Shopping On The Internet Last Night...

Now that's a phase we wouldn't have heard much of twenty years ago. But today it seems it is a pretty common thing to hear. I wonder, do a large part of those who shop and buy end up buying handmade items made by artists like you and me? Are those shoppers aware that they can buy beautiful, handcrafted, reasonably priced quality gifts directly from the artist?

Today I came across a site that is working hard to inform shoppers all over the Internet to BUY HANDMADE! The site tryhandmade.com is one worth checking out and passing on to your friends and family. This truly is the time of the starving artist, so pass it on and help support one or two.

Crystal Wand Creations is the FEATURED ARTIST on Talent DataBase!

Click Here to visit Crystal Wand Creations on Artfire.com!

Since the snow is still falling in the streets of historic Kokomo, Indiana it seemed like a good time to join a great website we had been hearing such good things about. Artfire.com is a new website I recently came across and haven't shut up about since. We are the new kids on the block at Artfire.com, but they don't treat us that way. We've been very impressed with the quality of the website and the versatility of all the tools. We highly recommend it to all you artists out there looking for a place to sell your wares without breaking the bank doing it. You can try their website for free and continue to use it for free if that's what you like, or if you choose you can upgrade for $7 a month and get a all you have plus a lot more to make your shop work even better for you and your customers.

Welcome to 2009!

We are looking forward to the new year and all the opportunities that it brings. We are planning a new line of jewelry and some unique glass ornaments. Keep checking back as we will have our upcoming art & gallery spring and summer shows listed soon. Thanks for your continued support! Crystal Wand Creations.

Here Little Birdie...

This is one my favorite special order pieces. They can be ordered in any color. These beautiful birdhouses are really meant to be enjoyed indoors; however, they can be used outdoors too. Please remember any stained glass pieces used outdoors will be subject to the weather; therefore, causing them to gradually corrode and deteriorate. So bringing in your precious pieces of stained glass during the winter months will always help them to last years longer.

Yes, Kokomo Opalescent Glass IS Still Alive and Well and thriving in Kokomo, Indiana!

I went to the Ft. Wayne, Indiana VA Hospital this morning and had a great visit with a great bunch of people there while getting a mole removed. When asked what I did for a living I told them I made stained glass and jewelry. After we all talked about how beautiful stained glass is, and what pretty pieces some of the ladies there have one of the ladies asked me if Kokomo Opalescent Glass was still in operation. Well that got me thinking, are there any other people out there that think Kokomo Opalescent Glass is no longer making stained glass anymore? I guess if there is just one then I might want to tell that one person, "hey! if you're interested, Kokomo Opalescent Glass is still open and has been since 1888."
As a matter of fact KOG is known around the world for its' glass. Those of us in the stained glass community already know this, but for those of you who aren't familiar with all the various art glass manufacturers then this may be of some interest to you. In fact, in the mid 1880's a huge pocket of natural gas was discovered in Kokomo. The City of Kokomo offered free gas to any business who would locate here and bring jobs. The gas was gone inside of ten years, and now, KOG is the last surviving Gas Boom business, and the oldest manufacturer of opalescent glass in the world. Check out their site sometime you might be surprised at the extensive history they do have. I hope this has helped to clear up any misconceptions about KOG still being in operation after all these years. So until next time remember don't sweat the small stuff!

OK, THE ELECTIONS OVER!

OK...Now that the election is over we can all get back to our stained glass and jewelry making as usual, right? Well, I hope so, but with the economy in such an up and down spin I know it's going to be hard. I try to keep a positive outlook on everything, after all that's really all you can do, your already surrounded by so much negativity. So here is what I suggest. Get back to the basics, or nature if you like. Open your eyes to everything and anything as a possibility for a piece of jewelry, or if it can take the heat of a soldering iron and you can wrap foil around it (or lead, zinc, copper or brass) then you could use it in a stained glass sun catcher or unique creation of your own. Be creative folks! They did it back in the great crash of 1929 with tin foil, sugar and you name it. So I know we can do it with what ever we come up with today. Granted I don't think sugar fits into stained glass or jewelry making, but you get the picture. Look at it like this, we've had since 1929 to prepare for the return of this type of money crunch time, so let's get down to business and show how creative we can be!