Ruby Lane's Creative Hands Newsletter for May 2005

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BELLA JEWELS BY TRACEY PETTINGILL

Once upon a time, many moons ago..........I discovered the world
of adornment and was thoroughly enamored. My first glimpse into
the sheer power of ornamentation was through National
Geographic, and oh what a world it was - and is still!!
Dress-ups in my home were far more than donning my mom's
discarded clothes and accessories; I had a tool and I used
it....SCISSORS!!! I draped and cut and redesigned clothing
with fervor. (No one was safe!) I even dressed up our goat (my
parents were forever rescuing animals and I inherited that
gene). I used found objects and old rhinestone pins to fit
these regenerated cast-offs. And so it began.

I attended Chamberlayne College in Boston, Massachussetts and
ended at Marymount College in Virginia with degrees in apparel
design, textiles and business. During this time I worked free
lance as a visual merchandiser (window display) and worked in a
silver jewelry shop in Alexandria, Virginia. After a year, I
took out a loan, quit my jobs and created my first line of
jewelry, which I sold at an outdoor market in Washington, DC. I
never looked back. I then moved to Northern California where I
acquired my first wholesale accounts, mostly in San Francisco
and in Hawaii. I returned to my hometown of Baltimore and
continued my business selling to museums, shops and galleries
scattered throughout the USA. I secured these accounts by
participating in many wholesale crafts shows including ACC and
Rosen.

I went from childhood scissors to solder by teaching myself
silversmithing and jewelry designing long before information and
designing techniques were so readily available on the internet.
My inspiration, lending to the creative process, comes from a
multitude of areas which include my undying love for the
primitive arts, gems, and the pure allure of texture and color.
The human body is the canvas on which I work, creating designs
compatible, and ultimately enhancing this form. Actual
designing, forming through use of texture, color, shape, size
and elements comes naturally. The wheels are always spinning
and I have an endless array of creations in my head just waiting
to become tangible. Many of my present designs are evolved
from pieces that I conceived in the 80's. The technical aspect
to making a piece of jewelry is as integral as the soulful
dedication and design skills. It is crucial for long term
credibility of myself and the integrity of my jewelry.

Visual and verbal presentation of my jewelry on Ruby Lane is
also vastly important. I take great care in photographing,
although sometimes I come up short, and even greater care in
unique descriptions that enable the viewer to visualize one step
farther. These are valuable tools in developing the trust of
potential clients; they need to know that I am credible,
professional and take my work seriously.

I have been self-employed for twenty years and wouldn't trade it
for the world. It has allowed me to stay at home with my son
who is now seven, work in an environment that I adore surrounded
by our beloved three dogs and two cats, take off when I please
and grocery shop during the day when everyone else is at work
(grin). And, of course, it allows me to do what I do
best...create adornments that ignite the senses!

We invite you to visit Tracey's shop at Bella Jewels.

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ABOUT RUBY LANE

We are one of the largest Internet sites for collectors, with an
active community of hundreds of shops from all over the world
offering antiques, fine art, arts & crafts, and collectibles.
Ruby Lane displays quality inventory in over 2,000 categories.
Visit us at www.rubylane.com

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CONTACT US:

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or if you have an article you would like to submit or a subject
you would like us to cover in an upcoming issue, contact us at
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