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Creativity Expressed Through Adornment

Friday, April 20, 2012

Buds of May - Third Artist is DP Creations Jewellery and Design




My name is David Danial Peters and I am the artist behind DP Creations Jewellery and Design. Though Regina born, I now live in Grand Coulee, a mere 10 minutes west of Regina (towards Moose Jaw). I have been around jewellery for much of my life as my mom led me shopping from one jewellery store to another. As I always say… her hands made Liberace’s look bare! Naturally I became just as enamored with jewellery as she was. 

Over the years I have worked at Birks, Paris Jewellers, and was in management at  Ben Moss Jewellers. I grew tired of the cookie cutter designs from “Production” stores and decided I could create unique jewellery! I started my jewellery schooling at the Neil Balkwill Centre taking Jewellery Classes 1 and 2 along with Enameling and Casting . As continual learning and education is important to me, I applied and was accepted to the Ashworth College’s  Jewellery Design and Repair course, a one year course, which I completed in seven months with honors. After receiving my Certificate from Ashworth, I start creating unique pieces of jewellery for family, friends, and vending at the local Arts and Crafts shows. That was almost three years ago this April and I have been learning, growing and evolving my own unique style of Jewellery ever since.

I would say I make a mixed variety of jewellery types and styles. I endeavor to be unique and artistic, but my years in the industry are echoed in my more production-oriented pieces. I work mostly in sterling silver, but am not opposed to working in gold! I also work with copper and a bit of brass. I love to use gemstones and always try to stay true to the quality of true natural gemstones, yet I do use lab-created ( grown crystals) in order to provide my customers with a wide variety of colours and more unique types of stones while still keeping within a reasonable cost.

If asked what inspires me I would have to say everything and nothing all in one. I seem to find some inspiration in nature and how natural things evolve as in my “Melt” pendants, but I also love the rigid shapes and mechanical designs of our modernist society. I do treasure historic and antique styles which I also echo in my creations.

The thing I most like about designing jewellery is that each person’s perspectives of what jewellery is, or should be like, is different. Therefore I can create jewellery how I see it with hopes of connecting it with a like-minded person. This way I do not limit my designs by pre-existing views!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Buds of May - Second Artist is Joanne Pelletier




Joanne has been an avid beader for over 30 years and started making jewelry after participating in a workshop on quill and seed bead earrings.  This inspired her to learn more about beaded jewelry and, using how-to-bead books, was soon was making necklaces, earrings and bracelets.  The first time she attended BeadExpo in Santa Fe, she was blown away by the sheer volume and variety of gemstone, pearl and designer beads.  She also discovered the benefits of on-line shopping, which makes the high-end supplies that she uses in her jewelry readily available.  She has been selling to family, friends and colleagues for the past 25 years and plans on making her hobby a full-time job, with retirement coming up in the next few months.  One of the things she enjoys most about designing and making jewelry is the excitement and joy of seeing the pieces come together, resulting in a wearable piece of art.   Joanne says her jewelry is for that woman who truly enjoys a lot of bling!!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Buds of May - First Artist is Surrayah's Jewels

JewelleryWon would like to welcome one of our new artists to this year's Buds of May - Surrayah's Jewels:




My name is Elaine Gill and I’ve lived in Moose Jaw all my life. I started making jewellery about 3 years ago when I won a strand of gemstone beads. It was love at first sight and there has been no turning back!

I started simply stringing; learning things as I proceeded, picking up new ideas, techniques and awesome new supplies!

I love working with gemstones in as many ways as I can.…with wire, seed beads and incorporating them into other designs! There is something very special about handling these stones. It is the stones that inspire me.

I have tried a lot of different techniques but there are many more I’d love to try….time permitting!

I’ve been asked many times where the name ‘Surrayah’ came from and the answer to that is that it is a stage name used by me years back when I was Belly Dancing. I loved the name so much that I kept it. At that time I was making costumes with all of the sparkle that is Dance and this love for all things colourful and shiny has spilled over into my jewellery making….a natural progression, I think!

I’d say that my style is very eclectic because I have tried so many things but I find that creating something special with the earth’s gemstones to be very peaceful and calming.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

3rd Annual Buds of May Jewellery Exposition

Mark your calendars and spread the word!!

JewelleryWon is hosting the 3rd Annual Buds of May Jewellery Exposition on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

We've outgrown our previous venues and are moving to the Verdi Room at the Delta Hotel on Saskatchewan Drive in Regina.

This year we are featuring 18 talented local jewellery designers and we have a special guest - Miss Southern Saskatchewan Petite - Danielle Nicole Rands. Danielle has been working with one of our artists, Holly Ripplinger, to design jewellery pieces specifically for wearing in her pageants!

Don't miss the Buds of May Jewellery Exposition on May 5 at the Delta Hotel in Regina!

Check out our JewelleryWon page on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/pages/JewelleryWon/147217551967530