Stained glass window ornament

My show schedule has been wearing me out lately, and I decided to take a bit of time off to regroup and recuperate.

In addition to reorganization of my work studio, which slowly took over most of the lower level of our house and ended up being also a storage space for every craft imaginable, as well as a dumping ground for random odds and ends; I decided to take some classes which can be crossed off my “bucket list”.

Stained glass class is one of them. My main goal, in addition to trying something new and harnessing a new to me medium, was to learn how to apply stained glass techniques in my vintage glass button jewelry.

Some of the buttons in my stash are transparent, reverse painted or antiques made of fragile glass, and I had to find a different way to use them without risking damage and properly showing off their beauty.

I believe, that applying stained glass techniques with help me with achieving this goal.

The class I took at the Art League of Long Island was so much fun. I found glass much easier to work with than I anticipated. The truly hard part for me turned out to be soldering, which I figured initially would come naturally, since I have some experience with metalsmithing. I imagine, it will take a lot of practice and patience, but even though I can see every mistake I made while creating this lovely tulip suncatcher, I think, I did a pretty good job for my very first try;O)

I’m planning to take another class in the fall, which concentrates of applying stained glass techniques as well as fused glass techniques in jewelry making.

I’m planning to take another class in fall, which concentrates of applying stained glass techniques as well as fused glass techniques in jewelry making. 

Can't wait!

Glass button bangle bracelets

My obsession with buttons got a bit out of control. I might be at a point, where weekly meetings might be beneficial, but I know, I'm not the only one in need of them;O)

In a meantime, I keep coming up with new ways to use them, which springs on a need to get more of them, because I might need a different size or a specific shape. It's a vicious cycle, I tell you, and I love every minute of it.

Last year, bangle bracelets became one of my favorite items to create, and there is quite a bit of them in my stash which will grace my show table as well as Etsy shop.

Blue Sunflower

Gilded Fern

Red Leaf

Gilded Midnight Blue Gerbera Daisy

What's new at Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry?

I might have gone nuts for the expandable charm bracelets;O) I have introduced a couple of designs at shows last year and they became an instant hit. Every single one is "a story" as one of my customers mentioned, every piece carefully selected and added just in the right spot. 

Best thing about them? They are so much fun to make! and the possibilities are endless...

Afternoon Tea

Seaside Escapes

Beachcomber

Let The Music Flow

New Vintage style jewelry on Etsy

New items will be added this week to my vintage style jewelry shop. Come and check it out!

Button Jewelry on Etsy

Button Post Earring Collection

The idea to transform little vintage buttons into earrings kept nagging me for quite some time, but taking a crack at it sure took even longer. The logistics of removing and sending down the shanks off of tiny buttons, which when held down between my fingers leave very little space to maneuver the Dremel sanding attachments, took a bit of brain burning. None of the sanding tools in home improvement stores or pliers seemed to be helpful, but I finally figured out the best way to prep the buttons.

To minimize the horrible glass dust cloud, which used to banish me to my back yard, I purchased a Plexiglass grind box. I wish it was a bit bigger since maneuvering the Dremel and the buttons needs some finessing, but I love the fact, that I was able to get rid of the dust mask and goggles. My fingers still get sanded, burned and poked with flying bits of glass, but the final effect is so worth it.

Some of the buttons I found are modern, made using the same old molds used even back in the 19th century. They are truly stunning, especially in the lovely shades of blue with golden yellow aurora borealis finish.

The vintage and antique buttons are my favorite, some near 100 years old. I get a bit nervous, when working with them, since not all of them survive the assault of modern day power tools...

This last pair of buttons is 80-90 years old. I love how the hand painted background makes the raised flower design pop.

To check out more of the button post earrings, visit my flickr page or my Bonanza shop

I'm back!!

After two-year long hiatus, Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry is resuming a show schedule with first appearance at Broadway Festival on September 4th 20011 in Manhattan. My booth will be located between 10th St. and 11th St.

It has been a long time. Hopefully, difficult times are behind me and I really look forward to what the future holds for me.

My newly acquired Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts sales tax licenses are "burning in my pocket", so I will be participating in street fairs and craft shows there also.

I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my old craft show friends, I miss you guys! I apologize for dropping of the face of the planet, but looking back, I know, it was necessary. As they say, what does not break you, makes you stronger...

Lots of great things happened in my studio over the last few years. New designs came to life and I had to pack up my studio and move it into a new space on a very short notice. My new studio has more natural light and there will be no more risking frost bite during winter time;0)

I will be sharing my new designs little by little, so keep checking my blog for new posts.