Each week, we are talking to jewelry designers and/or bead artists who enjoy incorporating leather, ribbon and cords into their work. We will get to know each designer, show off their jewelry creations and ask them their thoughts about using fibers in jewelry.
Today we are talking with Cynthia Deis owner of Ornamentea.
So, Cynthia, tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am the owner and lead designer at Ornamentea.com. I publish 8-10 projects monthly on that website and in magazines and books when I am lucky. I also teach some classes at my store in Raleigh, NC. My favorite materials to work with are artist beads, mixed metals and (usually!) fibers and cording. You can see my work at Ornamentea.com or you can visit my personal blog, 365necklaces.com for flashbacks from my 17-year jewelry design career.
Click the links below to go to Cynthia's project tutorials at Ornamentea.com!
What's your favorite type of cording or fiber to work with in jewelry?
Oh! I have so much trouble picking a favorite! I love leather for the bright, graphic punch you can get with a grouping of leather cords in various hues. I love sewing and wrapping with waxed linen threads. I love ribbons, especially bias-cut silk duiponi for the fraying and aging that naturally takes place and I really love stitched tubular cording because I love to run wires inside it and create colorful, shaped fabric elements. We are importing some new hand painted rayon gemp from Germany that will be here soon and I will probably fall right in love with it as soon as it arrives.
Why do you like working with cords and fibers in your designs? What quality draws you to these materials?
Lately I have been doing a lot of experimenting with putting memory wires inside of tubular cording like kimono cords and I love the play of hard and soft that results. I am especially drawn to the idea of working with materials that are soft and flexible and I love the color and texture that cords and fibers add to designs. I also use a lot of art beads in my work and combining them with hand-dyed or craft-produced fibers seems a natural to me.
Cynthia, I love the creative, stylish jewelry you make. Thank you for talking with us!
You can find more of Cynthia at her blog: 365 Necklaces
And
also the blog for her store, Ornamentea: Shiny Little Things
Visit Cynthia's online jewelry supply store: Ornamentea.com
