JET Jewelry on Etsy Team: June 2011

Friday, June 24, 2011

Vote NOW For Your Favorite Ankle Bracelet or Anklet!!

Shave your legs girls, it is ankle bracelet season!

In celebration of the start of Summer, The JETS are having another friendly competition. Many members of the JETs have designed and submitted their take on a Summer staple, the ankle bracelet, or anklet.

We need your help to decide on a winner!

Vote for your favorite! And guess what? The artisan who created the winning anklet is not the only winner, you could be a winner too! We have SEVEN prizes to give away and it is all jewelry, and one jewelry shop gift certificate.

Here's how you enter to win:

Follow our JET blog publicly.
Then, leave a comment on our blog that you have done so, and that you voted!
If you are already a follower, leave a comment on our blog telling us this, and that you voted.
This is equal to one entry

Want more than one chance to win?

"Like" the team Facebook Page from your profile, (not from your Page.)
Leave a comment on your FB page that you are a new fan, AND
Come back here and leave a comment on the blog telling us that you have done so.
This is equal to another entry.

The prizes are really great, and you may want to up your chance of winning, so...

Write a blog post in your blog about the Anklet Contest, with a link to this blog. (http://www.jewelryonetsyteam.blogspot.com)
Then, come back here and leave a link to the post
This is equal to another entry

If you don't have a blog, or want another entry:

Tweet about the Anklet Contest with a link to this blog.
Then, come back here and leave a link to the tweet.
This is equal to another entry!

How you win: Voting ends Friday, July 1st. Each comment that meets the criteria is assigned a number. So, if you have entered more than one way, you will have more numbers.Think of each entry as a raffle ticket. The more tickets you have, the better your chances of winning.

We will count all of the entrees that meet the criteria and the numbers will be entered into the random number generator at www.random.org. The number that the randomizer chooses will be matched to that entry, and thus, the winner chosen. We will do this SEVEN times for the seven prizes.

Winners will be posted on this Blog on Sunday July 3rd.

You can check for your name. We will also contact you by email if it has been provided. If you see you are a winner, leave a comment with your email so we can get to you.

Now, it is time to vote!

The poll is in the upper right hand corner of the blog. Take a peek at all of the anklets and choose your favorite. You can click on the shop name to get linked to the listing for more photos, price info., materials, etc.

Down at the bottom of the page are photos and links to the prizes you may win.

Thank you for voting, and participating in our Summer fun!

Dashery

Satin Doll Co.

Designs by Cher

Debras Divine Designs

Rough Magic Creations

--------That is all the entrees. Now for the prizes!-------

1. A $20 Gift Certificate to Emotional Oasis

2. Crackle Quartz Earrings

3. Real Butterfly Wing Jewelry Pendant

4. Fresh Water Pearls with Garnet Earrings

5. Antique Lemon Yellow Earrings

6. Blue Topaz Quartz and Pearl Necklace

7. Sterling Silver Blue Beaded Dangling Earrings

Thank you again for voting, and participating in our Summer fun!

JET Interview - Art Made by Tammy

One of the things I love about making jewelry is that it is universal across all religious and cultural boundaries. We, as artisans, do not need to focus on one specific culture in order to create something that will appeal to people all over the world. Jewelry is a universal language that speaks clearly to anyone willing to listen.
For me, color is the language I am most fluent in. I seem to have a knack, or maybe a stubborn determination, to be able to create pieces that are balanced, regardless of the materials used. I truly enjoy finding the often elusive color balance. When the perfect shades are found, the pieces just look "right", like these Antique Copper and Aqua Crystal earrings:

If the blue were a shade or two lighter, the crystals would appear washed out, and if they were a shade or two darker, they would detract from the beautiful tone of the copper.
As you can see in the wings of the butterfly below, solid colors are not one of my specialties. Even on a piece as small as this, I will continue adding shade after shade until the piece finally "pops".

Regardless of the shade, a solid color in the wings of the butterfly just wouldn't look natural.
What was I thinking?
I decided one day that creating wearable art in glass jars would be really fun. What better way to show off my artistic abilities than in a small glass jar, right? Well, when I ordered my first batch of mini glass bottles, I thought to myself, I'm going to do this, and that, ooh, and that too. When the bottles arrived in my workshop (empty of course) it hit me like a ton of bricks - these bottles are TINY! What was I thinking? Well it didn't take me too long to come up with some pretty cool (if I do say so myself) creations. The Owl Necklace below is one that I believe shows off my color balancing ability as well:

Notice how the green plastic leaf brings out the faint greenish tint of the antique brass? Even the hand-drawn tree contains multiple shades of brown to bring as much natural feeling as possible to the piece.

So there you have it. A brief glimpse into the world of ArtMadeByTammy on Etsy. Please take a look around my shop, and if for some reason you don't see what you're looking for, shoot me an email. I love creating special orders.
And if you are looking for supplies to create your own artistic creations, stop by my supply shop at TammysTreasures on Etsy.
Have a Wonderful & Creative Day!
- Tammy

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

JET Interview - Adroit Jewelers

I remember collecting shells and sea glass as a child. Back then my family always asked what I was going to do with all of my “treasures”. I think it might have been their way of saying “enough already”. But I didn’t let them dissuade me. Little did they, or I, know that I would never outgrown my love for this kind of treasure hunting. Give me a beach and I’m a happy girl.

Can you find the sea glass in this picture?

Don’t be fooled by running water. There can be glass there, too. Do you see it?

A closer look.

Voila!

And now onto the finished pieces… When the fun of finding the sea glass is over, I get to go home and have more fun creating one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry.

This sea glass ring remains one of my favorite pieces. This color blue is not as common as some of the other colors, so it’s always an extra special to find.

Genuine Cobalt Blue Sea Glass Ring

I’ve had quite a few compliments on this genuine beach glass bracelet. The glass has RC written on it, so I assume it came from an RC Cola bottle.

Genuine Sea Glass RC Statement Bracelet

Sometimes I will add some sterling silver wire for a different look like I did with these earrings.

Genuine Sea Glass Soldered Earrings

I have always liked stained glass and thought it would be fun to put pieces of sea glass together to create a stained glass jewelry type of look.

Genuine White Glass-Stain Glass Look Necklace Pendant

As well as necklaces, I’ve made some sea glass pendants that people can put on their favorite chain or necklace cord.

Sometimes I know what the sea glass will become when I find it on the beach and sometimes I have to get it home and start playing around with it before I get direction. I enjoy the entire process from start to finish. I hope you have enjoyed this little peak into this part of my world.

Thank you for reading,

Ida