Ariel moved with her husband to Phoenix last year from Cut Off, Louisiana. She had been into jewelry making through beading and was getting a lot of requests for her great rosaries. It didn't take long before Ariel wanted to branch out and so she decided to take our Jewelry I in May. She has been metalworking ever since! She's a joy to be around and uplifts the general mood of the studio whenever she's in. Visit Ariel's shop Beni par Dieu to see more of what she has to offer!...

Michelle has a definite eye for color and it usually shows in her jewelry. She first became interested in jewelry making through bead work. Michelle took our Jewelry I class a few months ago and has been fabricating ever since. Her pieces usually feature clean lines with a twist and no matter what she makes, it will be in a beautiful hue. Right now, you can see her work on her etsy site White Dog Studios . ...

One of the favorite pieces of jewelry is the engagement ring. Watching future grooms and brides dive into the world of diamond rings trying to find the perfect symbol of their love. As romantic as that sounds the thought of endless glass cases and an overwhelming number of choices is enough to bring the average individual to tears. A male friend of mine asked me to address the basics he should consider when looking at a ring for his future bride. In this blog, I will address the two very basic characteristics of a diamond ring that someone should consider when looking into this lifelong investment. Starting to look for an engagement ring? That's exciting! The first place I would start looking for a diamond is Blue Nile . Especially if you are here locally in Phoenix, Arizona. You can start getting an idea of what kind of stone you want and they are an amazing place to buy from because you can get all of the stones GIA certified, which is something you will want to do. ...

This may be hard to believe, but Chris from Cross Currents Studio has only been making jewelry for the last 6 months. She has been an artist for many years and it definitely shows in her beautiful work. She took our Jewelry I course and has been making amazing pieces ever since. She has a show with the Arizona Art Alliance starting this week and will be at the gallery Friday, November 25th. If you're lucky, she may have some pieces left! She even has other jeweler's at the studio wanting to buy these....

Last weekend we had an amazingly productive workshop etching and forming many bracelets. NC Black puts on a fun class while working the tar out of people! Everyone did an amazing job and the silver pieces were especially stunning. These blanks are etched and ready to be formed. Below, Les is demonstrating how to form the bracelets on one of NC Black 's signature stakes. The bracelets after they've been formed and etched! Andrea and Les showing how to safely reclaim the metal that was etched. This was such an amazing class and a great way to learn how to safely etch without using nasty chemicals like nitric acid. ...

We recently had a contest on Facebook for the next 30 people to like our page. Well, we've got a winner and they got $30 toward studio time and classes or workshops at the studio! Thanks to everyone who has liked us. Be on the lookout for our next contest. We'll be giving away The Art of Enameling in conjuction with our Enameling workshop at the studio. ...