Holiday Sale!

Black Friday Weekend Sale in two of my shops!
Sales runs through Cyber Monday.

Gailavira Jewelry
50% off your order (not including shipping) if you use the code HOLIDAY during checkout.

Stocking Stuffer Shop
20% off your order (not including shipping) if you use the code HOLIDAY during checkout.

For both shops you must use coupon code HOLIDAY during checkout to receive the discount. You MUST put the coupon code in the correct box to receive the discount. Codes put into the notes to seller box will not be honored. If you are unsure where to put the coupon code during checkout, see this image: http://www.gailavira.com/howtousecouponcodes.jpg.

Retiring a few Tutorials from Certain Web-sites

Due to a post I made on jewelrylessons.com I've received a lot of questions asking about the tutorials that I am retiring from web-sites other than my own. All of those tutorials will still be available from my own web-site, http://www.gailavira.com/tutorials. Here is a list of tutorials that have been retired from JL.

Woven Band Ring
Sensu - Adjustable Ring
2 in 1 Filigree Style Bracelet
Spiral Button Earrings
Woven Front Pendant
Prison of Enchantment - Wrap for an Un-Drilled Crystal Point
Glory
Carry Me - Wrap for a Drilled Crystal Point
Rosebud Earrings

The following free tutorials are also being retired. I will edit this post to add new links to them once I have them uploaded to my web-site (and are not available on my web-site at this time).

Wrapped Mosaic Link
Quick and Easy Donut Wrap

September's Student Feature: Cindi Hendrickson of Creative Habits

Cindi Hendrickson is a wire student of mine (and many other teachers) that I have been watching for quite some time. She has the unique ability to take what she learns from one design and turn it into something more than it was ever meant to be in the beginning. Though she has only been working with wire for about a year, she has developed amazing skills and has an excellent eye for design.

Here is what Cindi has to say about herself and her work:

"I was trained in the visual arts (High School for the Performing and Visual Arts-Houston), where I learned design, drawing, weaving, ceramics, and metalsmithing (the metalsmithing I have forgotten!)

"I quit making art for many years; attended college; obtained two degrees. Now, I am a high school science teacher. Despite not "making" art, I found myself needing a creative outlet in my life. I have designed clothing for myself and family; faux painted walls in the house; created a native plant garden; and scrapbooked.

"I started beading jewelry about 10 years ago and discovered wire one year ago. I took a class on setting a cab in wire and that was all it took to have me completely addicted and wanting to create more complicated pieces. I have a love of gemstones (and a background in geology) and have most of my stones cut by one person. I started to attend art shows two years ago and now am attempting to jury into the better shows with my wire pieces.

"I am still a novice and am learning as much as I can. My goal is to re-learn metalsmithing by taking classes at the local college (or at the Glassell School). Hopefully, I can retire from academic teaching and start to share my craft with others by teaching wire classes."








"I think of myself as a stone-talker. My passion is working with interesting cabochons and letting the stone dictate how the wire will embrace the cab. I decided that calling myself a "stone whisperer" would engender too many teasing comments from friends, colleagues, and foes!"

You can see more of Cindi's work on her web-site, Creative Habits.

All images in this blog post are the sole property of Cindi Hendrickson.

Why I Love my Job

I get to play with a torch and hammer.
No one makes comments about gender roles if they see me with a pair of pliers in my hands.
I can blast Alice Cooper at full volume all day long and no one can tell me to turn it off.
I get to play with rocks.
I can shop for lots of little toys and call them tax deductions.
I get to play with a torch and hammer.
I don't have anyone breathing down my neck talking about deadlines.
I can sing along with 100 Monkeys all day long (at the top of my lungs) and no one can tell me to shut the hell up.
I can hang out in my bath robe all day if I want and nobody cares (or even knows).
I get to play with a torch and hammer.
If I mess up I can say "I meant to do that" and nobody knows I'm lying.
I get to do something different everyday.
Even if I'm doing something I've done before, I still get to learn something new at the same time.
When I'm really pissed off at someone, I get to play with a torch and hammer.


Yep. I love my job. ;)

Waiting

I'm the one in the shadows, no one ever sees
slinking through the forest, hiding in trees
searching for a glimpse of me
among the dead and fallen leaves
I see my dreams fly through the air
only to find them dying there
water running beneath the ground
carries my soul to places unfound
through branches I catch a flash of blue
and wonder if it's really true
that the sun may shine upon my fears
but in my face it laughs and sneers
there is no light, no hope, no peace
so I wait again for the rain to cease

____

The ear cuffs and the poem both inspired by a picture I took last New Year's day (below).

Demon in the Dark

She guards the dark with silver light,
the wind blowing through her hair.
Forgotten souls filled with fright,
no one again to care.
She holds out her hand to all who would fight,
beckoning them to her lair.
Woe be to those in their endless plight
hence she lured them there.
Her smile, a knife as she returns to the night,
seeking another to ensnare.

New Free Tutorials

As I said in one of my previous posts, I've done several tutorials since I last kept this blog updated regularly. I posted the ones for sale yesterday, so today I'm posting links to the free ones.


How to make a coiled frame for an undrilled stone
This is a very quick and easy wrap for an undrilled stone. It works great for crystal points (both single and double terminated) as well as tumbled stones. The pendant pictures only took about 30 minutes to complete. I've done some smaller ones in less time than that. This is a style that is great for men's jewelry because it's simple and not overtly feminine, but can also be worn by women as well.


Beaded Spiral Earrings
This lesson teaches you to make a pair of dainty earrings that can be worn for almost any occasion.

Cleansed by Fire

I've walked through the fires and have returned
My soul cleansed in the flames of truth
The guilt of days gone by
The confusion
The fear
The anger
The hatred
All have burned in the blaze
The innocence of youth
The love of a child
The light
The hope
Are once again inside of me
And the flame continues to burn

Most Recent Tutorials

I've done several tutorials since the last time I posted here, so instead of wasting time with a super long intro promising that I'll post more often I'm just going to get right to business. Hope you enjoy them.

All tutorials are available on my web-site, http://Tutorial.Gailavira.com