A Memorable Gallery Reception

I had the privilege to be in my first gallery reception at Birt's Bistro & Bookstore located within Interfaith Community Care on August 14th. I will admit, I was a bit timid and too quiet in the beginning, not sure of what I was supposed to do. I focused my attention on the curator Elayna Alexandra and the other artists to get an idea of what was expected of me.

Meeting the other talented artists was inspiring which helped my situation immensely. As the evening progressed, I started to mingle and became more relaxed in this new environment. I answered questions about gemstones and the different metals in my jewelry, not only making me feel very confident in my work but more importantly confidence in myself, realizing guests were here to view my work and to meet the artist...to meet me.

My jewelry indicated by red arrows.

Elayna helps to relax me by making me laugh :)

All in all, Birt's first gallery was a success resulting in a great turn out of guests, beautiful live harp music, a pretty table of hors d'oeuvres, tempting treats, wine and wonderful conversation making the evening complete. Elayna Alexandra, artist and volunteer curator did a fabulous job with the event making it enjoyable for everyone with her friendly and vibrant personality. The extremely friendly volunteer staff, did a terrific job with the food and serving wine to the guests. You couldn't ask for a better group of helpful individuals on such an important evening.

Photos taken & approved by Elayna Alexandra.

I am excited and looking forward to the next gallery opening reception on October 9th with my new self confidence and best of all a new friendship with Elayna has blossomed from this unforgettable opportunity. No matter how many galleries may be in my future, the first will by far be the most memorable to me.

Gemstones - Answers To Questions Often Asked

Gemstone Grades
Gemstones are graded by letters and/or plus or minus. Grades can vary depending on a variety of situations. Gemstones are graded on clarity or color, polish, cut & inclusions. You can get perfect coloring in a stone, however the cut may not be uniform giving a true handmade look instead of machined perfection.

I personally use different grades for a unique style in my jewelry whether it be for a one-of-a-kind look or a luxe higher end piece.

Pearl Grades
Pearls are graded on their size, shape, color & thickness of nacre (the pearly outside of a pearl). Pearls, however have increased in popularity so much, even the lower grades and especially the odd shapes such as a coin pearl have dramatically increased in price.
　
Why Are Gemstones Dyed Or Stabilized?
Gemstones are sometimes dyed for even color or low quality beads. Rubies at times are dyed which can give a nice variety of hues compared to the totally natural. All are still quite beautiful & give the jewelry maker a different color range to uses with other stones.

Stabilizing protects some gemstones as well as enhance their color. A perfect example would be Chrysocolla which is a soft stone, is stabilized for more durability, however it is best to used these stones in necklaces and earrings rather than bracelets which receive more abuse. Treat your chrysocolla jewelry as if they were delicate pearls to prevent damage.

Understanding Turquoise Varieties Before You Buy

Left: Green (apple) Mojave turquoise

What Is Turquoise?
Turquoise starts out as a white porous chalk form. The colors differ depending on metals which mix with water. Blue turquoise is created by the combination of copper mixed with water, green turquoise is created from lead mixed with water.

Because turquoise is a porous stone, it needs to be stabilized with treatments such as wax. This helps to harden the stone, polish and protect it, making it somewhat resistant to most chemicals such as chlorine. It helps turquoise become less prone to staining or discoloring. Please be aware, turquoise can eventually fade in sunlight and do not use harsh chemicals when cleaning. Use a damp soft cloth to gently clean when needed. Turquoise benefits from wearing because it is porous, the oils in your skin can actually help polish it.
　
Differences In Turquoise - Know Before You Buy
Turquoise can be dyed when its natural colors are not quite developed and chalky, still resulting in a higher price range but giving the turquoise a nice even color. Think of it as turquoise that needed a little help.

Sleeping Beauty turquoise is one of the most sought after today. It is mined here in Globe, Arizona. This turquoise is very expensive even for the lowest of grades. The higher grades are a perfect, beautiful sky blue in color without any matrix. I still have yet been able to afford these beauties, but one of these days they will be mine ;)

Other varieties of turquoise are not turquoise at all but dyed magnesite, which in its natural state is white to cream in color with brown or black matrix (veining). This turquoise has an almost perfect, even color. Howlite is often used due to it taking dye very well. Howlite in its natural form is white with a gray matrix.

Turquoise that is white & chalky is ground up, formed & dyed in a variety of colors with or without matrix (veining), this is known as chalk turquoise. It is cheaper than the natural form but can still have a medium range price. African Turquoise is merely a dyed jasper having more of a greenish tint to it. I can not find reliable resources for mosaic turquoise. It looks like small pieces of turquoise that are pressed together like a mosaic tiled table. A unique but fun stone which is gaining popularity.

All turquoise listed above is quite beautiful ranging in different colors, cuts and price ranges. These tips are to educate those to make a wise purchase whether it be jewelry or beads. Some sellers may try to pass off chalk turquoise for expensive Sleeping Beauty turquoise. Always ask questions before purchasing from any seller unless you know you are purchasing from a reputable one.

Turquoise has been an extremely popular stone for centuries having many meanings. It encourages enthusiasm, prosperity, success, communication, life, and help balance the blue throat chakra. It is also the birthstone for the month of December. This is not to deter you from buying the lower priced varieties of turquoise. Please experiment with all of them and have fun with it. I know I do.

Blue magnesite turquoise

Natural blue turquoise

Natural green turquoise

Blue mosaic turquoise

What Is Etsy?

Etsy is a website dedicated to handmade items and crafter’s supplies. Here you will find talented artisans given the opportunity to sell their items under one roof to the rest of the world without the hassles of an auction. Imagine a huge arts & crafts fair or a gallery allowing you to leisurely browse or shop in the comfort of your own home anytime of the day or night.

Etsy allows you to add sellers or items to your favorites, read customer feedback, ask a seller a question, jump into a forum and securely pay for your items through Paypal. Depending on the seller, there are optional ways to pay for an item using a credit card, e-check, personal check, Google check out or money order.

Who Are We?
Regular, everyday people who want to share our creative, talented side with others. We are crafters, artists and designers. We are fun, helpful and friendly. We have an uncontrollable passion and love for the art we create.

What Do We Sell?
Drop by this friendly environment to shop for one of a kind (OOAK) gift items or to pamper yourself! You will be amazed at the variety of handmade items available on Etsy.
Small examples of items for sale: soap, candles, clothes, quilts, jewelry, paintings, digital art, sculptures, ceramics, baby items, purses, wood items, metal items and the list keeps growing everyday. See an everyday item, turned into a work of art.

What Makes Etsy So Different?
Simply put…the sellers. Aside from the differences of the arts & crafts available on Etsy, all sellers have the same things in common: talent, creativity, passion and indescribable love for their expression of art. Each pours their heart and soul into their art forms to create a unique item with one goal in mind, having someone else love their art just as much as they did making it. This is by far, an artisans best compliment and accomplishment.

Etsy sellers stick together to help one another accomplish their goals rather than treating each other as a threat, resulting in a tight community. Come see the creativity of these wonderful sellers or use your own talents to join our ever growing family. Either way, we would love to see you and give you a warm Etsy welcome!

My First Gallery

I was shocked when I was asked to show my jewelry in a local gallery coming up in a couple of weeks. I have never before had my jewelry displayed anywhere except in my own studio for friends or family to see. I will admit, I was excited as well as nervous. I also wasn't aware of all the prep work involved in a show like this.

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the work involved in what seems to be a quickly approaching date but I am sure I will get through it all just fine. My time seems so limited with having a full time job and work around the house as it is, although I'm sure many artisans go through the same thing somehow pulling it off. As if all that wasn't enough pressure, now I am having a creative block which does not help my situation. I'm not sure at this point if its just my nerves or coincidence. I may be just trying too hard and over thinking it all which is characteristic of me.

I would have never had the guts to approach a gallery on my own. I know this will be a great opportunity for me to experience as well as shake the shyness of hiding behind a computer screen. I do love selling on Etsy but it will be nice to get some recognition outside of the website alone. Having a face behind the name and the jewelry. I do wish Etsy would let us put pictures up on our profile page so others can easily meet the artist at work.

I will keep everyone updated on my status. I just wish the the creative block would lift already as I am running out of time. Time to start panicking! I will post when and where the show will be located as well as other artists. I will also post pictures from opening night as well. Click on the title link to see the items already picked from my shop by the curator Elayna Alexandra.

Boy...Did I Get In Trouble - by Denise Geigner

I was 7 years old and the neighbors had recently laid decorative rock along side their house. The rocks were so beautiful, I decided to take some. After the careful inspecting and selecting of each rock, I came up with an idea. If I thought they were beautiful then surely others would too.

I immediately went to work on my new rocks. After a good cleaning, I priced each rock according to the size, shape and color, then strategically lined them up along the stairs of the front porch. Once satisfied with my display of rocks, I put my "for sale" sign up. I was positive my new store would do much better in sales than any lemonade stand I ever had. Sure enough, kids stopped by wanting to buy my rocks. They went home to get money out of their piggy banks while spreading the word about my new store resulting in excellent sales. I was so excited! I knew what I was going to buy with all that money…candy!

My shining moment did not last long when my Mother found out. I had to apologize to the neighbors, return the money to all the kids and take my punishment. I learned a lesson that day, but I also had the opportunity to learn what each kid saw in those rocks…whether the rock was perfect or not, each was chosen by individual taste and the beauty only he/she saw from within. Watching their reactions from the feeling their new rock gave, it made me realize how unique our personalities were just like those unique rocks…somewhat the same, yet so very different.

I still have a fascination with rocks to this day, only now it is my husband who tells me to put them down. In 2004, I moved from Illinois to Arizona where I am surrounded by rocks, boulders, mountains & mines with gold, silver, copper, turquoise, peridot, Chrysocolla...the perfect environment for my passion. Naturally, this is where my love for gemstones comes in.

I studied Earth Science in high school (no surprise there) where I learned to tumble and polish my own rocks, making jewelry out of them. It amazed me how the average-looking rocks turned into something so beautiful. I loved the class, the teacher, the rocks…not so much the homework. In 2004, I decided to take my passion for rocks to the next level by designing gemstone jewelry.