Gale Franko's Dichroic Glass Jewelry

After 30 years as an Emmy-award-winning television producer, writer and editor, Gale Franko had had enough.  Along the way, to combat stress, Franko began making jewelry from glass beads.  It was not only therapeutic, it was addictive.

Determined to learn how to make glass beads herself, Franko invested in a torch, glass rods, and other necessary equipment.  The first attempts were exciting, but a final element was missing.  In order to prevent easy breakage of the glass, the beads must be held in a kiln at a specific temperature in a process call annealing.  This ensures that all the glass molecules heat and cool at the same rate, preventing the glass from cracking after it has cooled.

In the end, it was the kiln and it's multiple possibilities that won over Franko's heart and lured her into glass fusing.  The magical sparkle of dichroic glass was irresistable.  Thus began her part-time business of Looking Glass Designs, making pendants, earrings and other jewelry.  She began to build up some wholesale accounts, developing relationships with boutiques and galleries that sold her jewelry.

Dichroic Glass pendant by Gale Franko

The high stress of the job finally got to be too much, and a few years ago, Franko took the plunge into being a full-time artist.  Always a big leap, this required a big move into growing those wholesale accounts.  That means doing wholesale trade shows, and coming up with new and clever ways to get in touch with galleries and boutiques.


Selection of dichroic
glass rings

The recession has been a particularly difficult time for artists.  The most resilient ones continue to grow and innovate.  Franko is among those, and came up with a line of home decor objects to expand her potential sales and potential gallery representation.  Fused glass votive holders, spoon rests, cheese trays, picture frames and more are now a regular part of her line.

Glass cheese tray

To differentiate herself from the myriad other artists doing such work, Franko creates the glass designs herself, by melting powdered glass and thin glass rods onto clear glass, and making things out of that.  Check out the gorgeous lime-aqua-purple cheese tray pictured here.  It's a wowzer!  And because she creates the glass, no two will ever be exactly alike.

Franko now shows her work in  34 states around the country, plus the Virgin Islands.  The sparkle of the dichroic glass, combined with the simplicity of her shapes, has an ever-growing group of collectors always on the lookout for her latest colors and shapes.

Come see Franko's jewelry and home decor items, and meet the woman herself!  She'll be our featured artist at the December 20 Art Walk in Edmonds, and on hand to answer questions from 5 - 8 pm that evening.

"Rain Forest House" pendant
of dichroic glass

Exceptional American Artisans

Each year since 1989, a contest is held to determine the very best works in a variety of categories for Fine American Craft.  An industry magazine, Niche, hosts the awards each year, selecting a panel of judges from within the field to work through the many applications they receive to choose the very top in each category.  The goal is to celebrate excellence and innovation in American and Canadian Fine Craft.

Over 1000 applications are received each year, with only 38 winners chosen - one for each of 38 categories.  Truly, this is the best of the best our country has to offer.

Since this only happens within the retail industry, most of you don't even know such a thing exists, or get a chance to see the amazing work being created by artists right here in our own backyard.  I am blown away every year by the beautiful pieces selected by artists who have mastered their medium so much that they are expanding our idea of what can be done within it.

I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you this year, as well as the link to see all the winners.  Be sure to let me know which one(s) are YOUR favorites!

by Peter Muller and Joe Peters

This piece amazingly combines blown glass with flame-work glass.  First the vessel is handblown and then, following the cooling cycle, cut, polished and acid etched to create a weathered, sea glass finish.  At that point the flameworked sculpture is created to fit within the lines of each piece.  Look closely to see bees hard at work in their beehive.  Created by the artistic team of Peter Muller and Joe Peters and their Furnace & Flame company.

"Brindille" by Felix LaPierre

In the wood furniture category, Canadian artist Felix LaPierre won for this amazing table/bench that uses branches to hold up one end.  The beauty of the wood comes through in spectacular style, yet the group of branches cut flush with the surface, and cascading gradually down to finally touch the ground is beautifully done and very innovative.

Necklace by Lisa Hawthorne

Metalsmith and enamelist Lisa Hawthorne won two awards this year: one for this necklace, and another for a brooch.  I loved the detail and intricacy of this necklace.  She told me it is made of enamel on fine silver with 24k cloisonné.  The enamel is given a matte finish.  It's set in a 22k gold bezel, and the rest of the piece is combo of oxidized sterling and 22k gold, along w/gemstones.  What a show-stopper it is!

Be sure to check out all the other award-winners, and then let us know what stood out for you.  We are excited to hear!

Jeff and Manya

ManyaVeeSelects.com

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Yes, yes.  We've heard it hundreds of times before.  And indeed, diamonds are a pretty amazing stone!  The hardness and clarity make it capture all the colors of the rainbow, even without having any actual color inside the stone.  This optical illusion has mesmerized many of us over the centuries.


And they take a while to get such beauty, too.  According to Wikipedia,  "most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of 87 to 120 miles in the Earth mantle.  Carbon-containing minerals provide the carbon source, and the growth occurs over periods from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years (25% to 75% of the age of the Earth).  They are brought closer to the earth's surface through deep volcanic eruptions."

Rough diamond crystal in matrix

First recognized and enjoyed in India possibly 6000 years ago, where their use in religious iconography, and also for engraving tools, dates back to the earliest human history.  But what we now think of as a rather ubiquitous stone, hasn't always been that way.


It was the discovery in 1867 of large diamond deposits in what is now South Africa that radically changed our conception.  In the subsequent 10 years, diamond production increased more than tenfold.  Several fortunes were made, and we now think of diamonds as an easily-available stone.  


And now it is April, with diamond as the birthstone.  As you well know, we at Manya Vee Selects enjoy how artists use these amazing materials in unusual ways.  So of course, you can find some beautiful diamonds for both men and women.  Check out this 10-point diamond set in white gold by Seattle jeweler Michelle Logan.

10-point diamond in white gold

The white gold chain is diamond-cut, so it sparkles in such a way as to enhance the diamond.  Truly amazing.


We just received five rings from master metalsmith Sarah Gascoigne, all of which include diamonds.  Two are wide-band rings for men, and three are delicate and unusual rings for women.  Simple, but far from boring.  Come on in and check it out!


ManyaVeeSelects.com

Emily Hickman's Timeless Hammered Silver Jewelry

Sometimes, an inclination toward something takes hold very early in life.  For Emily Hickman, jewelry was just such a thing.  Picture it if you will: little Emily, forming rings out of aluminum foil, and trying to figure out how to make them even shinier by adding rhinestones!  I bet you can just see a cute little blonde girl walking around, proudly holding out her hand for all to see her gorgeous "diamond" ring!

"Moondrops" bracelet from
new 2011 summer collection

Emily was lucky enough to have a metals program in her high school, where she took classes and got her first taste of using a torch and working with metals a little more precious than aluminum foil.

But as happens with so many, she believed the starving artist myth and felt she had to pursue a career with a stable paycheck.  Many dreary years later, and now in her 50s, she returned to her first love by taking jewelry-making classes at North Seattle Community College, and Danaca Designs in the U District.  As she describes it, "I had too many design ideas floating around in my head."  Apparently, they wouldn't be ignored!

Emily Hickman Designs

Emily took as many classes as possible, while maintaining a full-time job.  She wanted to get her skills down quickly so she could focus on making those designs floating around in her head become a reality.

And thus, Emily Hickman Designs was born!  Emily is inspired by her love of the water, as well as ancient hand-forged jewelry.  Simple yet classic shapes are the hallmark of her sterling silver jewelry.  What sets her work apart from the crowd is her use of various hammer tips to create different textures on the surface of the silver.

Earrings from 2011 collection

She also likes to use two different finishes.  One is a highly polished surface that glistens and dances in the light.  The other is a brushed finish that is very subtle and contemporary.  She created the tool she uses to make that brushed surface texture, so it is unlike others out there.  Whatever your personal style, Emily's classic designs is likely to have some choices for you.

Emily can't imagine leaving the house without some jewelry on.  She wanted her own jewelry to be the kind that a woman could wear with jeans, or feel confident wearing to a special event as well.  Her classic shapes with their wonderful textures achieve that goal brilliantly!

Very long necklace can be worn singly, doubly,
or even tripled

Please join us Thursday, July 21 from 5 - 8 pm when Emily will introduce her newest collection, which features open circles and coin-shaped silver elements in a variety of combinations, as seen in the pictures here.  You'll be the first to ever see them!  Wearing them is sure to elicit comments from your friends, and even complete strangers, giving you yet another opportunity to share a moment of beauty with the world.

Manya Vee
www.ManyaVeeSelects.com

Aquamarine - March Birthstone

Aquamarine has been a popular and meaningful stone for many ages.  It's lovely blue color is reminiscent of crystal clear ocean waters, and that is, in fact, where it gets its name.  Some fun legends of the past say that mermaid's tails were made of aquamarine.

Another popular legend said King Neptune gave aquamarines as gifts to mermaids, which gave them a certain aura as a gift of endearment.  This makes it a lovely anniversary gift.

Aquamarine is a type of beryl, which is a very hard stone.  As we all know, diamond is the hardest of all the stones.  Right beneath that are emerald, Ruby and Sapphire.  They are just a little less hard than diamonds.  Emerald is a type of beryl as well.  So, while aquamarine cannot be considered a "precious" gem, since only diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies fall into that category, it is still a highly prized stone, and can be quite expensive.

Romans and Greeks of ancient times believed aquamarines brought about a sense of peace and tranquility.  For ages now, people have believed that aquamarine attracts positive energy into their lives.  Isn't that a delightful gift to give someone with a March birthday?  And even better if it's a piece handmade and unique, like this one made by Manya Vee herself (aka me!).

This beautiful pieces features two strands of lovely aquamarine stones.  One strand has smooth round stones while the other has tiny faceted stones.  The contrasting smooth and faceted aspects are visually pleasing, and enhance the pendant, which is a very amazing labradorite pendant.  This pendant has the most amazing fire in it, and seems alive when it moves on the wearer's body.

Labradorite is said to repel negativity, so paired with aquamarine and it's ability to attract positive energy, this necklace is a piece to wear every day!

Manya Vee

Manya Vee Selects

What it means to inspire others

We just received an amazing email from a customer.  Sue C. has been visiting us for years.  Never in much of a position to purchase much, she would come in for inspiration.  Well, this is what she sent us today to let us know how we've changed her life these years:

"I keep coming back to Manya Vee Selects because,  I feel a special connection with you. I love it that you always remember me when I come in. I love it that you once let me wear a piece of your jewelry on art walk night to the other venues, trusting that I would return it, and not get it 'lost'. 

"I love the variety of art that you carry, with my favorite always being Chris Romine, and I can always count on seeing her newer peices when I come in.  

"I love it that Jeff is a playwright, and I can always get the latest on his projects when I drop in. I love the encouragement I get from you. I love the inspiration I get when I walk into Manya Vee Selects. 

"I love your jewelry, and have become somewhat inspired to make my own jewelry, taking a metalsmithing course to learn new techniques. Manya Vee is it's own little world and when I enter through the doors, I am transformed into someone special, a friend of a couple of very talented and famous artists, and I love you two so much!!!"

Thanks, Sue, for letting us know this!  It is a note we'll cherish!

Manya

ManyaVeeSelects.com

Getting the color right

What do you do when you lose faith in your own judgment of yourself due to long-term put-downs?  Well, you do what most anyone would do.  You start shopping for those things that attract the least amount of attention to yourself as possible.  After all, choose something that speaks to your heart, and you are guaranteed a barrage of negative comments enough to make someone want to hole up in a cave for a bit longer than a hibernation season.

That's what had happened to a delightful customer visiting from Illinois.  Debbie M. has endured many years of having her creative juices squelched.  And squelched hard.  As we spoke about it further, more and more examples were brought to Debbie's mind about how so many aspects of her life had squelched what had been a vibrantly creative mind as a child.

She desperately wanted help learning how to choose clothing and jewelry that would be attractive and fun.  She came in dressed in a white top with a black cami, a tan skirt, and tan thongs.  It turns out that her coloring is far more suited to warm tones like coral, mossy greens, turquoise, warm browns and such.  The white washed out her skin completely.  Her silver jewelry dampened the lovely peach-tones of her skin too.

We played around with a variety of things - especially those with gold-tone metals in colors that complimented her skin tone.  The best part of all was that as soon as we put those colors next to her skin, she herself could immediately see how much better the colors worked!  She'd just been told so many times that she made bad choices, that she didn't trust her judgment anymore!  Well today, she learned how to trust herself all over again.  And she went home with some lovely new jewelry to prove it to herself!  Check it out!

What colors look best on you?  Not sure?  Come on in and let's play a bit!

Manya Vee
manyaveeselects.com

Watching artists grow - part 1

One of the greatest joys of my life is watching artists grow and develop.  First of all, it's quite difficult to become an artist.  It's one of the most difficult things a person can do.  (Check out this earlier blog for another example)  So watching it happen is sort of like watching a miracle.

Case in point - Emily Hickman.  I first met Emily when she contacted me for an Art Business Consultation.  She'd been honing her metalsmithing skills for several years, and wanted to learn how to get her work into more shops and galleries.  She had four "lines" at that time.  For the uninitiated, a "line" is a group of pieces that work together based on similarities.  Emily's four lines were 1. sea creatures, 2. items featuring a cats eye shell, 3. simple shapes brightly colored with enamel on copper, and 4. hammered silver pieces.  All were quite different from each other.  Each would have to be marketed separately to a different clientele all together - which makes producing marketing materials rather expensive, and typically drives an artist to distraction trying to keep it all together under one roof in her head.

Narrowing the scope was imperative.  But bodies of work were already created in each category, and it seemed so wasteful to just give up without trying.  So we crafted a temporary plan to market the other liens, while turning all her creative energy to the hammered silver line.  And thus, Hammering Woman was born.

Interesting things happen when an artist focuses on one area.  I hear artists all the time balking about this because they feel it limits their creativity.  But an unexpected thing happens by imposing this limitation: the creativity within that limitation expands exponentially.  Secondly, by focusing on this area, the skill level increases dramatically.  Thus, the confidence to create ever-increasingly challenging work grows.  Thus the line grows because (confidence in technical skill) + (time spent creating new work) = increased creativity.

So Emily has been sending me photos of her newest pieces, and they are simply stunning.  Her earlier pieces in the Hammering Woman line were characterized by classic shapes (rectangles, teardrops, circles) with slightly organic edges.  The simple shapes and lines are very popular, and among our best-sellers at Manya Vee Selects.  The newest pieces still retain the classic shapes, but have a new elegance to them - a refined quality that is quite breathtaking.  She's even experimenting with incorporating bits of 18-karat gold with the sterling, such as a little gold ball on the surface of a silver earring, or an amazing stone bezel set in 18-karat gold.

So keep it up, Emily!  Now we are all watching to see how you grow!

Manya

www.ManyaVeeSelects.com

Manya@manyaveeselects.com