Ruby Lane's Creative Hands Newsletter for March 2005

Creative Hands
Ruby Lane's monthly newsletter celebrating the Arts & Crafts
community
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Welcome to Creative Hands!

IN THIS ISSUE:
o The Wonders of Gemstone Jewelry by Regina Santerre of
Sundancegems
o March Shop Sampler
o March Art and Craft Shows
o Share Creative Hands With A Friend

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THE WONDERS OF GEMSTONE JEWELRY BY REGINA
SANTERRE OF SUNDANCEGEMS

Looking back, I realize that I have always been drawn to natural
gemstone jewelry. I have traveled extensively and my choice of
a souvenir purchase was almost always jewelry made from natural
minerals and gemstones. I bought them because they were pretty
and caught my eye, but had little knowledge of the stones
themselves.

Then a few years ago a good friend gave me the gift of a
necklace she had hand-crafted using Swarovski crystals and
silver beads. It was beautiful. She would also wear different
pieces of hand-crafted jewelry made to match her wardrobe.
Little did she realize that she had kindled a spark in me! The
next thing I knew, I was surfing the internet checking out
beads, and what a world opened up for me. I was drawn to the
natural gemstones, semi precious, of course, because they were
affordable, and soon I was checking the countless variety, their
sources and the suppliers. Then, a bead show came to town.

My visit to a Bead Show in Tampa, Florida was a wonderful
experience. I was thoroughly overwhelmed by all the colors,
shapes, sizes, and textures of the beads, and also to see all
the people sharing this fascination with beads. There were
classes in basic jewelry techniques being offered and I signed
up to learn. Thus began my hobby of handcrafting jewelry.

At this point, I must tell you that I work as an Administrative
Assistant in a local community bank, a job that takes up pretty
much 10 hours of my work day, including the commute. My job gave
me a wonderful outlet to show-off my jewelry creations to my
co-workers and friends, and before I knew it I had a business,
Sundancegems. The name comes from the neighborhood I live in
south of Tampa, Florida. I have been successful in marketing
and selling my jewelry at home-based jewelry parties and local
craft shows. Opening my shop on Ruby Lane offered me an
opportunity to expand my world and still be within a circle of
people who shared similar interests.

I primarily work with natural gemstones and minerals; I marvel
at the endless variety of colors and texture of nature's
creations and enjoy incorporating some information about the
beads with my jewelry. The history and folklore surrounding the
gemstones fascinates me. Organic gemstones such as pearls,
coral and amber, used through the ages as adornment for women
continue to provide all of us with such beauty. I particularly
enjoy working with pearls; they can make any piece of jewelry
look special. The beads I choose for my jewelry make an
impression on me, and challenge me. My jewelry is all original
designs, though inspired by much around me, and all handcrafted
by me. My husband has become quite interested in my craft and
as visited many bead shows with me. His eye is drawn to
patterns and textures and helps me find that truly unusual
strand of beads.

I want my jewelry to have a timeless quality and to that end I
always use materials of the best quality, the metal findings are
always silver (0.925 or sterling) or 14K gold-filled. I have had
friends tell me they hope to hand my jewelry down to their
daughters and grand-daughters someday. It has brought me
immense pleasure and satisfaction to see my customers enjoy my
handiwork so much. Another source of pleasure has been the
appreciation for nature's beauty that I hope I transfer to my
customer. Will my jewelry provide the wearer with the positive
energy and goodness it is said to bestow on them and will it
protect them from harm? Well, I think the mind is a powerful
thing and if one believes so, so be it. I add Swarovski
crystals to my jewelry for some sparkle, and have begun to
incorporate some glass artist's beads as well.

We invite you to visit Regina's shop: Sundancegems.

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MARCH SHOP SAMPLER

Visit these Ruby Lane Artisan and Artisan Jewelry shops for
inspiration:

Artistic Differences: Unique dolls, Fairies and Mermaids

Contemporary Concepts: One-Of-A-Kind Handcrafted Wire-Art
Jewelry

Distinctive Designs: Artisan Beaded Jewelry ~ Handcrafted by
Denise

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MARCH ART AND CRAFT SHOWS

Here is a list of shows around the United States during the
month of March:

March 4-30: Winter Thaw, Madden Arts Center, Decatur, IL

March 5-April 3: National Juried Art Exhibit, Arts Center, Cedar
Key, FL

March 16-17: Cape Corals Snowbird Arts & Craft Show, Jaycees
Park, Cape Coral, FL

March 16-20: Art & Craft Show, Upper Valley Mall, Springfield,
OH

March 17-20: La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta Civic Center, La
Quinta, CA

March 17-26: Art & Craft Show, Lake Square Mall, Leesburgh, FL

March 17-26: Arts & Craft Easter Show, Wilton Mall, Saratoga
Springs, NY

March 18-20: Craftsmen's Classic Arts & Crafts Festival, Dulles
Expo Center, South Hall, Chantilly, VA

March 18-20: Greater Cincinnati Folk Art & Craft Show,
Sharonville Convention Center, Sharonville, OH

March 19-20: Arts & Craft Show, South County Family YMCA, St
Louis, MO

March 19-20: Art South Miami Art Show, Sunset Drive & US-1,
South Miami, FL

March 19-20: Palm Bay Artfest, Palm Bay City Hall, Palm Bay, FL

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SHARE CREATIVE HANDS WITH A FRIEND

Did you enjoy this issue of Creative Hands? Do you know others
who would enjoy receiving it? We invite you to forward this
issue to those you know who also appreciate and enjoy arts &
crafts.