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| A Do It Yourself Kit - Learn To Make Jewelry - Braclet Kit | | By: | Robyn Rosen (click to see more) |
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| Studio: | Robyn Rosen Handmade Jewelry |
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| | Specifics: | Sterling Silver | | | European 4 on 1 is the classic chainmail weave! This kit will teach you the basic weave, using fully illustrated step-by-step instructions. Chainmail looks complex, but with a little practice, you will find it to be relatively simple and enjoyable. Many who have tried this project found it to be completely addictive and fun, and this weave has so many variations that the jewelry design possibilities are virtually endless.This kit contains:
*Fully illustrated step by step instructions including a guide to the proper method of opening and closing jump rings.
* Enough saw cut bright finish aluminum jump rings to make a bracelet up 8 ½ inches.
* Jump rings are packaged in a reusable gem jar that is ideal for storing beads and other jewelry findings.
* 1 silver plated lobster claw style clasp.
* Everything comes in an attractive velour pouch - great for giving this kit as a gift and perfect for storing supplies.
* This kit does not contain tools, you will also need two pairs of chain-nose pliers to use this kit *
Weaving chainmail is such a versatile and enjoyable way to make jewelry chains. Since it requires only simple tools and materials (two pairs of chain nose pliers and some jump rings) you can take your kit with you and work on the go. You can weave chains while waiting for food to arrive at restaurants, while riding on trains or while relaxing in front of the TV. | | | | Weight: 10 oz
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| | | About the Artist |
| Robyn Rosen | | | | | Robyn Rosen Handmade Jewelry | | Background: | Robyn Rosen has been crafting jewelry and wearable art for more than a decade. Ms. Rosen began her artistic career in 1994, having long nurtured a passion for all things beautiful. Her travels to Europe were her inspiration. "When I was 22, I took a trip to England. she recalls. “As a collector of knick knacks and art work, I wanted to be able to keep all of my cool stuff with me. Sure, I could have scaled down to small pewter figurines, etc., but those would add weight and take up precious space in my baggage. But then -- Jewelry! I could collect all sorts of pretty pieces of silver and beadwork that reflect ‘me’ and my ‘me-ness’ and wear those wherever I went.” Her desire to share that epiphany is what now drives her work.
Her first foray into jewelry making resulted in a pair of beautiful Native American “dream catcher” earrings; the creative process of jewelry making hooked her instantly. Her early pieces were primarily simple beaded pieces but her talent was undeniable; friends, family and co-workers immediately began purchasing and commissioning her unique forms of art. Visits to local renaissance festivals introduced her to more forms of jewelry making, notably the craft of chain mail and how gorgeous, intricate pieces could be created by weaving small metal rings (“maille”) into elaborate forms. She set out to teach herself the craft immediately and enjoyed more success with her elaborate headpieces, chokers, hand flowers – a bracelet/ring hybrid piece that sits on the back of the wearer’s hand from wrist to finger – and bracelets. Her work in chain mail was noticed by fashion designers and has been showcased in several runway shows.
The world of jewelry design is a wide one and Ms. Rosen works hard to perfect her craft and to consistently learn new methods. Her work evolves with this knowledge and her pieces reflect the years of experience and study she has dedicated to her craft. Her practical jewelry design knowledge encompasses a wide variety of styles, including peyote stitch beadwork, hand-formed wire jewelry, hammered metal, and polymer clay sculpting. Chain mail and woven metal elements often appear in her designs; one is likely to see pieces where delicate maille is coupled with bright beads and hammered metal to unique and beautiful effect.
Ms. Rosen sees her designs as wearable art. “We spend so much of our lives outside of the home, at work, traveling, or out with our friends,” she explains. “Why buy art that will go unseen for all that time? Wear your art and personally enjoy at all times, while being able to share with all who view you. The beauty of wearable art is that it makes you a work of art. [The piece] becomes a part of you more than a piece that you would put on a wall would.”
Ms. Rosen’s jewelry has been featured in a number of fashion shows, including the Balance Between Worlds and La Bella Lucretia shows in New York City. She was also a featured artist at the Serpent’s Circle fashion competition and orchestrated her own show for the The House of St. Eve in 2000. Ms. Rosen has also been the focus of fashion features in the magazines Morbid Outlook (cover story) and Gothic Beauty (designer profile). Several models, actresses and musicians have purchased her jewelry and fashions creations for use in promotional photographs, including Elizabeth Gracen, former Miss America and star of “Highlander: The Raven.” Ms. Rosen’s work has been sold at area boutiques, including Twin Lights Gallery in Highland Park, NJ; Eco Galleria in Teaneck, NJ; The Uptown Peddler in Cranford, NJ; Ian’s NYC in Greenwich Village, NY; and The SoHo, NY boutique of internationally-renowned fashion designer Pierre Garroudi. | | | | Artist Statement: | "Each bead gives me a vision of what the finished piece should be,” says Robyn Rosen. “Many times, the piece evolves on its own into something completely different than it started out. I take inspiration simply from the process itself and let the design fall together as I work.” Ms. Rosen has been designed unique wearable art for more than a decade. Her work with metal, beads, and woven maille (metal rings linked to form patterns for jewelry and apparel) has been showcased in fashion shows, online galleries, craft shows, and New York City boutiques since the late 1990s. “My tastes have always been outside of the mainstream,” she explains. “My art is my form of self expression and creativity, but when the customer takes it home and wears it, the piece becomes his or her form of self expression.
The entire process of creation is important and inspiring; according to Ms. Rosen, every step along the way is a part of the final piece. “Nothing is more satisfying than the combination of the creative process and the pride of seeing the finished product. Simply knowing that each piece has evolved from simple raw materials, such as a straight piece of wire or a bag of beads, into wearable artwork is what I truly love.” This is especially evident in her beadwork pieces; the beads themselves, once just visions in an artist’s mind, bring more expression and personality to every part of her collection. “The beads started as a lampworker's or artisan’s expression of her own unique vision. I incorporate that vision into mine to create the finished piece, and the wearer pairs my jewelry with his or her wardrobe to complete the cycle of creativity."" | | See more of their works: Robyn Rosen (click to see more) | | | | Technique: | | Ms. Rosen works in a number of techniques and styles in order to create her innovative and original designs. In fact, most of her pieces are either limited or exclusive editions, ensuring that her clients and customers will always have a truly special piece they will be able to treasure for many years. The first step of the design process is, in Ms. Rosen’s opinion, the most involved -- the layout and design of a piece. Many hours are spent arranging beads into various patterns until the most pleasing one comes together. Wire is then hand-twisted into coils and shapes for bangle bracelets and chokers; further wire-work is involved in hand-forming clasps or in attaching hand-crafted Balinese clasps to the pieces. Her work in maille is also very intensive; in addition to the actual weaving of the maille rings, all of the rings – sometimes called jump rings – are hand-cut by the artist before being formed into circles for weaving. “I prefer to work in sterling silver, using the finest lampwork, gemstone and glass beads, but also enjoy working in metals such as nickel silver, copper and brass for added color and variety.” Many of the finished pieces incorporate more than one metal in order to create a play of color that is beautiful and distinctively a design by Robyn Rosen. |
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