Showcase at The Lindsay Gallery

I’m so excited to be able to share with you that my jewelry is currently being showcased at The Lindsay Gallery!

You may wonder why jewelry is being found at an Art Gallery, I know it’s not typical. The Lindsay Gallery showcases local talent on a rotating basis. Each month they exhibit one artist on the walls of the Gallery, and one artisan in their showcase display cases. Lindsay is the area where I grew up and although I don’t call it home anymore I have been staying here for several months while I helped care for my mom. I was lucky enough to have my jewelry noticed at a Christmas Farmers Market where I was a vendor and later contacted with an invitation to showcase my jewelry at the Gallery.

Although I’ve done many craft shows this was a little outside my comfort zone but I was excited for the challenge! I had already begun experimenting with new collections for Spring and this gave me a push to get them perfected and ready to officially debut for the showcase. I’m so excited about these new collections that are completely handmade using fine and sterling silvers and torch fired enamel. Each piece is formed, hammered, fused, tumbled and torched by me making every piece one of a kind.  Currently these new collections are available exclusively in the showcase at The Lindsay Gallery, but soon will be available online through my Etsy Shop. Or if you just can’t wait then please contact me to talk about a custom order.

My jewelry will be on display until April 14th, 2012. If you’re in the area I would love you to stop by and visit The Lindsay Gallery to take a look or pass along the information to anyone in the area who may be interested. For more information about The Lindsay Gallery or my showcase visit their website here.

Local Clothing Designer Melanie Ferrara from Device

I’m so excited today to feature Device by Melanie Ferrara. Melanie is a wonderfully talented clothing designer working out of Toronto, Ontario. She was kind enough to tell me a little about herself and share some information how you as a consumer can make sure you’re getting good value when you purchase clothing.

Even from the solitary suburbs of Scarborough, Ontario, Melanie always had her eye on the bigger picture. Her love of all things artistic led her to discover the craft of sewing as a young girl, and it has remained her obsession ever since. In 2005, she graduated from Ryerson’s School of Fashion in Toronto, Canada. Soon after she started her own clothing line Device.

Device is designed for women who adore the glitz and glamour of high fashion, but whose priorities lie with more practical matters such as versatility, value, and social and environmental impact. It is a self-described “stubborn practical streak” which keeps Melanie’s focus on using only high quality and eco-friendly fabrics, superior construction techniques, and local production on her line of chic, modern classics.

Check out the current fall/winter collection here: http://devicedesignco.com/collections/fallwinter-2010/

If you’re a fellow Etsy lover, you can take advantage of an offer for free shipping within Canada & the USA on selected items in her etsy shop until December 31^st www.device.etsy.com

There are so many great reasons to buy local and handmade this holiday season, and quality is one of them.  Here are a few indicators of quality material and construction to consider as you shop for handmade clothing:

Seams – look at the garment from the inside. Are the seams narrowly serged, or reinforced with a line of stitching as well?  Are the areas which will endure the most stress reinforced?  (ie. seams, zippers, pockets).  Less sturdy seams will eventually pop, creating holes.

Low acrylic fiber content – acrylic is an inexpensive fiber that can mimic just about any natural fiber.  It can look and feel like wool in particular, so it tends to be more plentiful on the floors of many chain stores in the winter months.  The difference is that acrylic holds up poorly with washing and wearing, and will appear aged in a fraction of the time.

Pre-shrunk – all of us have had the unfortunate experience of inadvertently shrinking an item of clothing.  Check the tags and labels for items that have been pre-shrunk so there will be no surprises down the road.

Labels – where was it made?  Garment workers in Canada & the USA generally have higher quality standards when it comes to construction, and are also more likely to be paid a living wage: something you can feel warm and fuzzy about supporting.

Who’s on your “Nice” List this year?

The holiday shopping season is upon us once again. If you’re like me you love to find interesting and unique gifts for the special people in your life. You could spend hours scouring stores and malls trying to find something that will be one of a kind….or you could consider buying handmade. There are so many reasons to shop handmade that I thought I would remind you of a few. 

• Handmade products are more then just an item. They are made with creativity, love and uniqueness and often come with a story about they were inspired or created.

• Buying handmade shows the recipient you made special effort to make sure you found a wonderful gift that was chosen with them in mind.

• Often it means the gift is more environmentally friendly because there is usually less packaging and less waste.

• Buying handmade means support local artisans and crafts people instead of large corporations and chain stores.

• Many artisans use sustainable, chemical free, organic, local and recycled products to make their items.

• Handmade items bring so much joy to everyone. The artisan loves what they do and enjoys making their product. You will enjoy the shopping more because you can avoid long lines and busy stores and it will be a more personal and fun experience. The recipient will love that you spent the time and effort to find them a perfect gift and be proud of owning a one of a kind piece.

• The money spent will stay in your own community.

• If you have questions about how the product is made or what it’s made of and how to look after it, the creator will be available to answer all those questions.

• Buying handmade often means you’re getting a better quality product then something that has been inexpensively mass-produced.

• Handmade items can often be customized to make sure the gift is perfect for the recipient.

• It rewards, encourages and makes us more appreciative of craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and creative thinking.

These are all excellent reasons why you should consider buying handmade this Holiday season. Even if you bought just one or two of your gifts handmade think of the benefits! To help you get some gift giving ideas between now and Christmas I will be featuring the work of some Artisan’s that I admire and am inspired by. Happy Shopping!

Swarovski Crystals….The Real Deal

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love all things sparkly. A close friend and I have often talked about all the things we could make extra fabulous by adding some crystals…the most interesting of which is probably the time we wanted to bedazzle boxing gloves! Maybe we thought the sparkle would give us some super human strength to beat our opponents…or maybe we just thought that way we would still look fabulous in the face of defeat. Either way it’s still a project I plan to tackle one day. That being said it’s no surprise that my favorite thing of all time to make jewelry with is Swarovski Crystals. Anyone who knows the name Swarovski knows that they can be very expensive to buy but it is definitely an item that you get what you pay for. Swarovski Crystals will add a level of sparkle that you won’t get from regular glass crystals.
I have had a project in mind for quite some time that will use over 100 crystals. Because of the large number I need I want to make sure to get the best style for the project and also the best price. This hunt has inspired me to write what I have learned. When there is anything of value you will also find people who will create a counterfeit product and try to pass it off as the original. Because of the method and material that Swaroski uses in producing their crystals there is no one else that will be able to duplicate the quality. There are a few ways I have learned that will help you ensure you are buying a true Swarovski Crystal.
Holes: On the larger Swarovski Crystal pendants you will find beveled holes instead of smooth.
Made In: Swarovski Crystals are made in Austria. If the packaging says any other country that is a clear sign they are not real. The exception to this rule is if a crystal is later attached to a metal component which may be done in another location, likely Taiwan.
Packaging: When buying beads in bulk from a dealer in their original packaging look for the seal which will be an authenticate silver toned hologram that reads “Swarovski Elements”. In the package they will be loose as the real crystals are rarely sold prestrung.
Uniformity: Each Swarovski Crystal will be identical in size and cut. Imitations will likely have some variation between them in size.
Juncture: Swarovski Crystals are machine made using extremely precise techniques. This will ensure that every facet juncture will meet precisely at a point.
Surface Luster: AB finished Swarovski Crystals will have a uniform finish and colour from bead to bead. Imitations will often have swirl marks, an oily looking finish or often appear scratched.
Bubbles: Swarovski crystals will have no imperfections where the imitations will often have bubbles.
Sparkle: Because of the unique production of Swarovski Crystals they will always outsparkle any imitation when compared side by side.
A jewellers loupe is an inexpensive tool that you can take with you to get a closer look to spot the flaws in imitation crystals. Using these tips you should be able to trust yourself to know when you are purchasing a true Swarovski Crystal. Even armed with this knowledge it is safest to buy from a dealer you know and trust or who is known as a reputable dealer of Swarovski Crystals.

Where to Shop

Since my last post I have had a couple people ask me where I find the best selection of beads. I’m happy to share this with you. First I must say I’m not advertising for any stores this is just my personal opinion. I live in the Niagara Region and have the entire time I’ve been beading. I prefer to shop at local stores over shopping online simply because I like to see and feel the quality, size, weight and true colours of the beads. Pictures can be wonderful but they will never tell you exactly what the bead will be like and I have found that out first hand. I have two favorite bead stores in the Niagara Region. First is Serendipity Beads located at 13 Duke Street in St. Catharines. They are a small store with a huge selection of beads. They also offer great classes and the staff there is always willing to help answer questions. My other favorite is Bead-Dazzled located at 211 Martindale Road in St. Catharines. This is the store that I tend to visit most often. Again the staff is absolutely wonderful and is always willing to help make sure you are getting what you need. Also they are now offering a lampworking studio although I haven’t yet had the opportunity to try it out. Walking into any bead store can be very intimidating and overwhelming the first time. Many of the beads are sold individually in these two stores. They provide you with a tray and baggies to package exactly what you need. The prices are always very clearly priced per bead and you just fill out a little slip of paper with how many beads you have and the price per bead and put it in your baggie. There is no need to leave without what you have gone for so be sure to ask the staff for help and they will answer any questions!
When I need a certain item and can’t find it in those stores then I do sometimes make a purchase online. The place I am most likely to turn to is BeadFx.com. They are a Canadian Company run out of Scarborough so still fairly local for shopping online. They have a great selection of everything you could need. They offer fabulous project ideas on their website and also have several great classes. Orders have always arrived promptly and I am always happy with what I receive. The other online resource I would like to mention is Etsy.com. Its a great online resource for everything handmade and the supplies to make those things. Also they have some great vintage finds that would be difficult to locate anywhere else. The last place I will mention is somewhere that I’m sure everyone has accessible….yard sales, flea markets, thrifts stores and antique shops. I love searching to see what great old jewelry or buttons I can find and give a new life to. If you do this you will be certain to have a one of a kind piece of jewelry when you’re done!
There are so many other wonderful places to buy supplies that I would be here all night if I tried to talk about them all. If you have any favorite stores you would like to let us know about please feel free to make a comment here for everyone to read.
Happy shopping!