Daniela D’Uva: AKA Alkhymeia

I am honestly in awe of this featured artist and secretly hope to someday have even half her talent. 🙂

Daniela D’Uva was born in Germany, but was raised in Italy, where she became an accredited goldsmith specializing in making jewelry. Some of Daniela’s favorite jewelry making supplies are things like copper wire, gemstones, glass beads and recycled items like broken mirrors or plastic bottles. Then she discovered polymer clay just 3 years ago and took to it like a duck to water !!!! Her style is so unique and creative. I love the mix of heavy gauge wire, the wire wrapping and polymer clay. Like the rest of us, she appreciates the versatility, consistency and range of colors that polymer clay provides.

Some of her other designs-

Check out Daniela’s project in the Orange issue of From Polymer To Art !!!!

You can find all her beautiful pieces of jewelry for sale in her Etsy shop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/alkhymeia

View a gallery of her work at Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alkhymeia/

Read her blog ( I suggest using Google Translator http://translate.google.com/ since it’s in Italian)
http://www.alkhymeia.com/

And finally, get a taste of how she makes her fabulous jewelry with this easy to follow tutorial 🙂
http://www.alkhymeia.com/tutorial-e-w-i-p/tutorial-wire-work-and-polymer-clay/

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Smooshers Featured Artist: Gaia Copia

I am proud to present Emily of Gaia Copia. 🙂

Her work is so jewelry unique. I guess you would put it in the mixed media category. I love that she uses the hammered, textured copper and fancy wire wrap in conjunction with the polymer clay. To me it has an funky-organic-medieval feel and I LOVE it !!!!

Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gaia-Copia-Artisan-Jewelry/
Her blog – http://www.gaiacopia.com/

Cold Connections In Jewelry Making

I’ve always been fascinated by Cold Connections. Using things like rivets, snaps, eyelets, grommets, brads, screws or just a piece of wire can be a creative way to connect two pieces together to make an interesting  jewelry statement. Wire wrapping is also considered a cold connection. A simple jump ring or a head pin with a loop on the end – Yes – they are a cold connections, too.

I consider Connie Fox an expert on cold connections. Her work is innovative and creative.  And she has a wonderful web store full of tools and supplies that are irresistible .

Another authority on cold connections is Susan Lenart Kazmer.  She has a fabulous book you might want to check out called “Making Connections” . (Note* – I think the publisher is going out of print on this book) There is a lot of info at your fingertips and a must have for your jewelry making library.  It retails for $48, but follow this link to Fire Mountain Gems and get it for only $25.70, plus $5 flat rate shipping with FedEx. Susan also has a DVD named Metalwork: Making Cold Connections with Rivets available from Interweave for $24.99

Susan’s Blog for those of you who would like to follow her work.

Tim McCreight, the overall master of metalsmithing, also has a DVD that should be very helpfull. I haven’t seen it, but come on ! It’s Tim McCreight 🙂 It’s called Cold Connections and the Power of Found Objects

Goodness, I nearly forgot about Mary Hettmansperger !!! How I don’t know when I own 3 of her books.  🙂

Cold connections is one of her specialties and how I initially got interested in the subject.  I saw Mary on several episodes of Bead, Baubles & Jewels and her work intrigued me. My favorite book is called Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet: Making designer Metal Jewelry. It’s full of interesting projects and fun ways to connect pieces together. I also love Fabulous Woven Jewelry: Plaiting, Coiling, Knotting, Looping & Twining with Fiber & Metal.

I rounded up a list of links to give you some ideas and inspiration. 🙂

Tutorials
ColdRivet
Techniques for Riveting
Setting a stone with no soldering
YouTube video
another YouTube video
Riveting video
Setting Wire Rivets

 
Inspiration
The Cold Connections - Metal Jewelry Sans Flame
Art Jewelry Magazine forum
doxallodesigns.blogspot.com

Wired Polymer Clay

Betty Jo Hendershott has quite the flair for combining wire with polymer clay. Take a look at these beauties.

Then there is Judith Rosales. Her style is so unique. (Looks like I need to learn to solder)

A nice little tutorial by Alkhymeia and her gallery.

Marco Failla is a very talented guy who collaborates with Marina Lombardi to make these amazing pieces.

Gris Bleu has genuinely unique talent