What makes handmade jewelry so special?  Unlike mass produced jewelry, each component is selected piece by piece.  Oftentimes the jewelry I create contains what are called (in this community) art beads.  These beads may be ceramic, clay, glass, or porcelain or made from other materials.  Art beads are all made with skill and attention to detail by someone who loves their craft.   So that you can have a tiny peek behind the scenes around here, I wanted to introduce you to one such artist, Marilyn Jones of Novelty Beads.

Although Marilyn works full time, her favorite joys are her Grandchildren, her motorcycle, and working with glass.  There’s really no stopping Marilyn; if you have a request, she can make it.  She has worked with me to create beads for Easter (she makes the cutest Peeps!), Halloween (my boys loved her “cut-off fingers”), and little girl’s charm bracelets.  I’ve enjoyed purchasing beads from this artist for several years…and now she has opened her own Etsy shop.  Please visit her shop and see the beautiful range of beads that she can create!   Here are pictures of a few of the Novelty Beads I received recently:

I’ve never seen anyone create pinecone beads before…how does she do it??  She can create sculpted beads from turtles and roses to bumble bees and hearts!

Here’s a finished set of jewelry using Marilyn’s beatuiful beads:

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone!