How to Burnish or "flush" set stones Tutorial by Cristina Hurley

MEET THE ARTIST SERIES PRESENTS:

 Dana  Garczewski

of The Patterned Peacock

by Cristina Hurley

 

Our November "Meet the Artist Series" guest will be Boston Handmade member Dana Garczewski of The Patterned Peacock! This event is free and all are welcome. The event will take place at Cristina Hurley Gallery on November 15th, from 3-7PM. The gallery is located at 554 Washington Street, in Canton, MA.

 

 

Dana Garczewski is an illustrator and surface pattern designer. She earned her BFA in Illustration from Syracuse University. After eight years as an in-house designer, Dana started her own company, The Patterned Peacock, which offers a line of bright and colorful limited edition prints that are produced in her studio.

 

 

 Her artwork is inspired by the belief that we are all curators in one way or another. “We go through life collecting experiences, memories, interests, stories, and favorites. The things we love are important; they shape who we are and allow us to connect with others who share our passions.”

 

 

Dana will be at the gallery during the show to meet guests and answer questions about her artwork and her process for making her products!

 

 

Dana has recently branched out into the world of licensing by creating fun novelty patterns for the gift market.

Please join us for this fun event on Friday, November 15th, from 3-7pm at Cristina Hurley Gallery! Hope to see you there.

Cristina Hurley Gallery

554 Washington Street

Canton, MA 02021

781-562-1853

www.cristinahurleyjewelry.com

 

Special Order Sea Glass Ring

Special Order Sea Glass Ring
By
Cristina Hurley
www.cphurley.etsy.com

This ring is a special order for the holidays. It is the most unique thing I made for a special gift. I really hope the recipient liked it!

Watch a Pendant Grow

by

Cristina Hurley

Cristina Hurley Jewelry Design

I got a wonderful custom order from a client who is getting married... He wanted a pendant for his fiance to receive and wear on their wedding day. the client asked me to try to make a piece inspired by a bridge on a local bike path, which is where they met, and will be exchanging their vows. Pretty neat huh? What a special project, I knew I wanted to do my very best, because it was so special and he had put his faith in me to do something really awesome.

I documented the process, as I often do, in photographs. This is a fun way to have a record of the project and to be able to remember how it was made and show the client progress, in case they might want to make any changes or suggestions.

I have a great, simple program on my computer called Picasa which helps me to crop and fix photos, but you can do so many other things, you can make movies and slideshows, collages and so much more.

I experimented with the photos from this project and made a great slideshow which shows the pendant "growing". Really cool! I just added some fun music and Voila! Before I knew it it was up on you tube!

Here is the slideshow:

I sent the slideshow to the client and he really enjoyed it and even left a nice comment on the video. I thought it was a great way to show him the process and give him peace of mind that it was being made and coming out good.

Enjoy the show!

Photo Story:

Custom Order Saber/Epee Pendant

by

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurleyjewelry.com

A client came into the shop about a month before Valentine's Day with a very special request; he wanted me to execute a design he had come up with for a pendant for his wife. Of course I accepted the job and found it to be one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever done. I worked closely with the client and tried to match his specifications. The result was a beautiful pendant with a lot of meaning behind it.

I love doing custom orders and am always willing to talk to clients about executing their ideas into fine one of a kind works of art, that are wearable too!

They met at a fencing class, she fences with a saber, he fences with an epee... Each sword represents them.

We did some sketching to make the piece look like the actual swords. He let me borrow them for inspiration!

The final design takes shape, then the work began.
I shaped the silver into tiny swords...

You can see how they are 2 pieces in this picture. After some elbow grease, a little bit of magic and a lot of love, I hade the end result!

I'm so happy with how it came out, there is nothing like a good dose of fresh inspiration from someone who wants to make a unique, special and meaningful gift for someone they love!

Are you interested in a custom order or have a unique design in mind? Feel free to stop in my shop or email me! I'm always looking for new inspiration!

Cristina Hurley Jewelry

3 Rockland Street

Canton, MA

02021

781-562-0421

http://www.cristinahurleyjewelry.com

The First Piece of Jewelry I Ever Made!

by

Cristina Hurley

I have had this piece back for a while now, but had never had a chance to take pictures of it until now. It is the first piece of jewelry I made. I took a class with 5 other beginners many moons ago in Puerto Rico, with a jewelry designer and metalsmith named Jeannette Fossas. After the course was over, she gave me the opportunity to be her apprentice and that was the beginning of my jewelry career. That was in 1990.

 The piece is a bracelet. It is made out of copper tubing, silver wire, and malachite beads.

 After I made it, I gave it to my mom. She wore it and kept it for many years. she gave it back to me for good luck when I opened my retail shop and studio in Canton, MA.

 It has stayed in really excellent shape and has a nice patina, considering it's age! I can't remember if the holes you see on the left had a wire through them, and fell off, or if i made a mistake and drilled too many holes.

I keep the piece now on my desk in my shop, and I take it with me to shows and put it in my money box for good luck.

You can see this piece and all of my new designs at my shop.

Cristina Hurley Jewelry Design

3 Rockland Street

Canton, Ma 02021

781-562-0421



Custom Order Rings

I've made quite a few custom order rings for clients in the past few months and though it would be fun to share them here in one post. They are all very different and tailored special for each client. I love to take their input and make them something completely unique and original. Many times these pieces become one of a kind pieces, if I never decide to duplicate them; even if I do, they remain one of a kind because of the unique stones. Some were made as gifts for others, and some were made for gifts to themselves. Either way it gives me great joy to make something special for someone who comes into my shop and puts their trust in my abilities.