I have been a public school teacher for many years, first in grades 1 through 3, later grades 6 through 12. The later years have been in an alternative school program. I love working with young people. These days I am working fewer hours so that I may enjoy and create my jewelry. I love making jewelry, period! How I got into jewelry creating. Several years ago I developed some educational materials, my company name is Creative Learning Stations.
I would attend educator conferences promoting my learning stations but began bringing along some beaded jewelry items to help defray the cost of the booth and missing a day at school. That evolved into attending craft shows with my jewelry. It seems there are “millions” of people making beaded jewelry so I sent for a kit of PMC Clay and was hooked. I then began purchasing stones, cabochons, to make into pendants with the silver clay. I then learned from a stone cutter that I should learn the art of shaping my own stones, learn the feel of the stone. I acquired the lapidary equipment and with his tutoring I am forming raw stones for use in my jewelry.
Life is an ongoing journey with jewelry making and learning the secrets of stones and gems. I have a studio art degree but never used my past knowledge other that home projects. As time marched on and with the encouragement from friends I have found my niche with metal clay. Nowadays I am having the time of my life creating jewelry, forming stones and attending craft shows. Life, for me, has been an ongoing process. So now the web site is evolving. I learn from and get new ideas from so many of my customers. Write me, if you care to, even suggest an idea. I’ll write you back.
The next step in my jewelry journey has been learning to build pieces from sheet silver and copper and bronze.
taking a variety of classes from experts has allowed me to learn to make rings, chains and pendants using interesting materials such as deer antlers, meteorites, semiprecious stones and other material.
I will always continue to make and develop new charms from the metal clay and that includes special orders.
Take Care, Barbara