Sara of Sara's Texture Crafts interviewed me recently and here it is along with some tips on getting started making with jewelry.

Tell me a bit about your background and how long you have been an artist/crafter.

I’m actually a Marine Biologist by trade and started making jewelry about 6–7 years ago. A friend got me into making gemstone bead jewelry and now I can’t stop! I have since taken metalsmithing and jewelrymaking classes at Miami Dade College and can honestly say I’m still learning a lot and enjoying it thoroughly!

Where do you find your inspiration?

I start with the seed of an idea and then do iterations of that. Different versions and modifications until I hit on the one I really like. I draw inspiration from many things, for example just last Sunday I took pictures at the local botanical gardens. I am inspired by textures and shapes like the giant pod with seeds inside hanging from a vine and the different textures on three species of palm trees lined up side by side. I find color combinations in fashion and interior design magazines, gardens, anywhere. I cut out lots of pictures from magazines. Not only of jewelry. I look at art magazines and books of sculpture, glasswork, pottery, clothing, furniture.


Do you sell your work, or is it purely for pleasure?

I give a lot of things away as presents! And I do sell my work. I have a shop on ETSY. I also sell at local arts and crafts shows. I have a list of the ones I’ll be in this year on my Myspace page and IndiePublic site.


If someone was looking to take up this craft should they have any related experience before they start?

I recommend taking any metalsmithing class or workshop available. A jewelry or beading class at a local bead store is a good place to start. Then, learn to use and LOVE power tools (drill press, flexshaft) and basic hand tools like hammers, anvils, files, pliers. You can practice on inexpensive metal like copper sheet and tubing you can find in any hardware store.

What would be your top 5 tips for a beginner?

1. Buy the best tools you can afford right from the start. Using junk will only make it more difficult.
2. Economize where you can! Some things don’t need to be expensive and are more disposable (which leads to …)
3. Learn your tools before you start buying anything! Buy or borrow a good book by Tim McCreight or another great jewelry book writer and read up on tools and their use.
4. Don’t be careless and cut corners, good technique is good technique and it shows. File, polish, file, polish. Be detail oriented. Even in pieces that are supposed to look crude it should be on purpose or it will just look junky. Practice your technique.
5. Come up with your own style. There is a lot of jewelry out there and you should strive to make yours stand out from the crowd.

What would be your top 5 items of essential equipment?

1. Good quality saw (deeper 4 inch one)and higher quality saw blades
2. Half round file and set of needle files
3. Ball peen hammer and/or planishing hammer
4. Variety of sandpaper from 200 grit to Emery (the wet/dry paper from Ace Hardware is perfect)
5. Set of better pliers and wire cutter

Can you recommend a technique or ‘tips’ book ideal for a beginner?

Joanna Golberg, Tim McCreight, Charles Codina and Jinks McGrath have all written great basic books with explanations of tools and basic techniques with good pictures and examples of work done using the techniques. Many of these books are similar and any one of them is a great way to learn to do basic things you can do in your home. They also write great books for more advanced jewelers for those that really get into it.

Can you recommend any brands to look out for, when buying equipment or kit?

Not a brand per se but German made tools rock. They just do.

I like the Rio Grande catalog as a source. They have good descriptions, good prices, great quality, fast shipping and if you order you’ll start to get their drool-inducing catalogs! They have tools and supplies such as silver wire and sheet. Most larger cities have a jewelry district downtown and you should find out where that is. You can get a lot of things locally that way. Bead shops are great but they mark things way up.

Indian beads are beautiful but have tiny holes. Chinese beads are more uniform and have bigger holes but they’re not usually as gorgeous as Indian ones.