Addlibb

  COUNTRY GIRL TURNED URBAN DESIGNER

“I can do this all by myself….” The mantra of a stubborn and crafty twelve year old.  I’m not sure if anyone knew I was stowed away in the attic, stitching together a mauve jersey knit gown with no pattern, on a White Brand sewing machine that I bought at a nearby garage sale with lunch money leftovers. Improvising my way through a life adorned with countless d.i.y. endeavors is sort of my bag, so when it came time to pick a name for my business of building little works of wearable art, Add Libb just seemed to fit.

This pretty much still describes my creative process. I fall in love with a fabric here, a supple leather there, maybe a great vintage finding, and it is not until I get into the studio that things begin to come together. Sometimes the process takes me on a walk of beautiful Charleston, revealing a curly-q tendril or an architectural detail that inspires me and makes its way into my artwork.

My handbags can be integrated into anyone’s wardrobe. My own personal style ranges from colorful to neutral, and from whimsical to classic. The motivation behind every design endeavors remains the same: to create a statement piece, an accessory with the ability to not only make an outfit, but to beg the question, time and time again, of “Where did you get that purse?”

I was born and raised in Charlottesville, VA, where I attended the University of Virginia, graduating with a BA in Anthropology in 2005. Historically a jack-of-all-crafts, I grew up sewing, weaving and woodworking, to name a few hobbies. After two years in Charleston, a land of artistic individuals and entrepreneurs, I began to wonder what I was waiting for. Add Libb was born in late 2007 and I have never looked back.

Add Libb grew from a true love of the materials themselves and a passion for an artisan lifestyle, immersed in color and creativity. It is from this happy place that I hope to bring a fresh breathe of Southern Artistic Style wherever I go.

www.addlibb.com

Azra Design

Arzadesign is a company based in New York City, specializes in creating unique handbags, combining chick and usability.

We chose classic clean shapes to form modern and sophisticated bags, to fit the variable demands of life in the city. 

Our designs meet different needs with creative solutions, such as transformational size, hand-free bracelet, multiple compartments, expandable zipper bottoms and more. 

We believe in high-end materials, attention to details, and a day-long style. Whether you are running around with a laptop or having a cocktail, you can be sure that your bag is holding everything you need, with grace.

HAND-CRAFTED IN THE USA

We like to know the people we work with, so we make our bags where we live, in New York City. All our products are designed, cut and crafted here.

THE DESIGNER

Arza Gilad founded Arzadesign LLC in 2002, based on her love to art and accessories. After graduating Shenkar college of Fashion and Textile in Israel, she joined Elie Tahari team as a colorist. There, she was responsible to create color stories and prints for new collections. 

Arza loves street art, flea markets, galleries, new ideas, interesting concepts and good people – and she is inspired by them.

www.arzadesign.bigcartel.com

Boyan Pottery

Boyan Moskov was born in Ruse, Bulgaria and was drawn to art from an early age. In 1987 Boyan began his training at Troyan Art School (Troyan,Bulgaria) where he fed his passion for the arts and developed his techniques in painting, sculpture, drawing and ceramics. From all his studies of fine arts, ceramics was the area where Boyan felt that he could express himself the best. He enjoyed ceramics because it included all the elements of fine art; sculpture, drawing and painting. For several years following Troyan he worked in many fashions from production ceramics to private art endeavors. He continued his education at the Sofia Art Academy (Sofia, Bulgaria) and after several years gained additional training and exhibition experience in Sweden where he lived and worked for three years. In 2003, Boyan returned to Bulgaria to start his own pottery business. Developing a line of work popular among tourist areas in the country and showing his work in selected galleries. In 2007 he and his wife moved to the United States and settled in his wife's home state of New Hampshire. Since that time he has been developing his skills as a ceramic artist, gaining recognition among his peers and striving to explore his medium.

www.boyanstudio.com

Cara Romano

After earning a BFA from the University of Maine in 2002 Romano went onto participate in a traditional internship with master Metalsmith, Curtis K. LaFollette in Cherryfield Maine. LaFollette’s wife, Marion was a weaver who taught Romano the rich traditions of textiles and fiber. Romano’s work transformed into a combination of both their mediums incorporating ancient textile techniques into her metal work. Currently Romano owns a shop called (KoT) that showcases a curated collection of American craft by artisans from all over the country. She shares a studio space on Main street in Ellsworth Maine where she makes her one-of-a-kind and limited production collections. In the off season she participates in national juried exhibitions and American Craft Shows around the country.

www.cararomano.com

Dabbah

Sayid Dabbah, who immigrated to Israel from Cairo, Egypt, with his wife and three children, is the scion of four generations of silversmiths. 

While destitute, but with great determination, Sayid with his son Avraham, founded and established Dabbah Judaica in 1974 as his life’s dream, a silversmith with his own factory specializing in Jewish art. In 1985, his youngest son Benny, who was born in Israel, joined his father (Sayid) and oldest brother (Avraham).  With great patience and persistence, the three of them established a studio in Hutzot Hayotzer, Jerusalem, which displayed handcrafted artistic religious articles in silver. In its creations, Dabbah’s Sterling Silver Judaica incorporates many traditional and modern elements which are well known in the field of Jewish art. 

In 2004 Dabbah Judaica opened a new gallery in central Jerusalem on Yoel Salomon Street, in an area of art shops and fashionable restaurants  .

In recent years Dabbah Judaica started exploring new materials and manufacturing techniques. Dabbah’s collection of fine jewelry and Judaica was initiated because of the artistic desire to explore the aesthetic uses of anodized aluminum and its appropriate processing tools further. 

Danielle Gori-Montanelli

I was born in Washington D.C., in 1967. From a very young age I was always drawing, painting, and making stuff. I still have one of my first pieces of jewelry I made when I was little: a bracelet made of movie ticket stubs. 

Later I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, then moved to New York City. I had always considered myself first and foremost a painter, but once in New York I found myself making a living as a jeweler quite by accident. I had taken a weekend jewelry making course for fun and this class sparked the beginning of a silver jewelry making career that I enjoyed for 12 years.

Then in 2002 we moved to Florence, Italy, where my husband’s family is from, just to try it out for a year or two, which somehow turned into ten.   

My years in Italy introduced me to the beautiful European designer felt I use. At that time I was still working in metal, and during a trip to exhibit in a show in Germany I came across a store filled with a dazzling selection of colored “designer” felt. It was so striking: dense, thick, with fabulous colors - a very different look from the the hand felted work I had seen in the U.S. 

I was so excited in that store, that buying a meter of this and a meter of that, I inadvertently ended up getting way too much. I found myself lugging giant bolts of the stuffwith me on the train to get back to Italy, barely able to move it on my own.

From that point on I stopped using metal, and concentrated exclusively on working in this soft, colorful and light material (yet surprisingly heavy in bulk!).

Although the materials were so different, the way that I worked them remained the same. I was constructing things out of sheets of felt, building up flat layers, in the very same way that I had been assembling silver and bronze. But, to my great relief, I was now using a needle and thread instead of dangerous soldering chemicals and tanks of gas, which considering I worked at home and had two very young children, was a welcome change.

After ten wonderful years of living in Italy we were ready to try something completely different, and we moved to Middlebury, Vermont, in the summer of 2012. We went from gorgonzola to cheddar, olive oil to maple syrup, and cappuccino to… oh well, better not to think about that one.

I have a studio filled with rolls and sheets and scraps and snippets and bits of different colors and thicknesses of felt, which I cut by hand with strong scissors and with custom made dies. I construct the pieces sitting at my desk, looking out at my new multicolored friends perched on my bird feeders, a new passion. Between Facebook and birds, not to speak of kids, I don’t know how I get any work done at all. 

www.studiodgm.com

Wendy Stevens

Throughout two decades of creating and making my handbags, the commitment and passion for my work grows. The concept for making handbags in metal began in 1983 in New York City, where an inner artistic potential was triggered by the variety and use of industrial materials that surrounded me daily in the city. Working intuitively, in an environment of artistic friends, I began to create an original, unique style, resulting in a modern, durable and versatile accessory.

After several years of development and refinement, I began to market and sell my handbags to stores in the design and handmade realms. I also participated in exhibitions sponsored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution and The British Arts Council in London. I began to grow a diverse and consistent client base.

A critical turning point in my career was when a fire completely destroyed my studio in 2004. With the expertise I had acquired up to that point in the design and fabrication of my bags, it was clear to me that I had to pick myself up and begin again. Within a year, I rebuilt a more efficient, consolidated studio for my business with the primary focus being the production of refined, metal handbags.

Another important landmark in my career was the invitation from the curator of the prestigious Tassenmuseum in Amsterdam in 2010 for a solo, comprehensive exhibition of my handbags. The museum then acquired four of the bags for their permanent collection. This experience enriched me greatly as it placed my work in a relevant, historical context.

All of my bags are made of stainless steel with leather and metal components and are hand fabricated and assembled in the refurbished production facility outside of Philadelphia. The use of stainless steel as the primary material has been effective in the strength, form and longevity of the product. When paired with the leather elements, the handbags become user friendly and ultra functional. Maintaining quality and precision in the fabrication of each piece is crucial. As the handbag collection evolves, possibilities for creating new models with diverse shapes, sizes and textures seem limitless.

https://wendystevens.com/

Daphne Olive

I design jewelry I want to wear. I like my jewelry bold and elegant and fun.

My jewelry line spans three generations of inspiration. My nature imagery comes from walks in the woods near my home on the Eastern shore of Maryland with my daughter June, and the magical way she sees the world. My lace designs are a tribute to my grandma, who first introduced me to the love of crafting by hand when she taught me to crochet when I was little.
I make each piece by hand in my home studio.
Enjoy! 

eluCook Designs

eluCook Designs was formed by artist Emily L.U. Cook in 2004. Emily originally hails from Frederick, Maryland and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Delaware. Since then, her business has grown into her current line of work, focusing on art, home decor and jewelry, as well as unique custom pieces. She loves the intensity of color and clean lines that glass offers and enjoys coming up with new and inventive ways to use it. 

Each piece is created in fused glass using a kiln in Emily’s Mount Pleasant, South Carolina studio. The fusing process typically involves at least two rounds of firings at temperatures of up to 1500 degrees. In between firings, the glass is often ground or sandblasted to give the desired finish.  Emily loves combining glass with different materials such as concrete or wood.

When not working in the studio, Emily enjoys biking, swimming, running, gardening and spending as much time as she can with her husband Dave, and their two young children.

www.elucook.com

Emily Rosenfeld

In 1988, after graduating with a degree in English, I started working for production jewelers, Lewis and Hubener, where I stayed for two years. Understanding that I wanted to earn my living with my hands and with my eye I moved to the Bay Area, took a few workshops and began making my own jewelry in 1991. 

For two years, in Oakland, I ran my business out of a Murphy bed closet. Since then I have lived, again, in New Paltz, NY, and have now settled in Western Massachusetts. With a view of birch trees and a river we swim in during the summer, my studio is in a converted factory building filled with other artists. I feel continually inspired to develop new designs and play with new materials and techniques. 

I am privileged and thankful to be part of the immensely supportive and loving community of craftspeople and crafts buyers. Making my work makes me very happy; I hope owning it brings a measure of joy as well.

www.emilyrosenfeld.com

Erica Zap

Jewelry designer Erica Zap has been surrounded by art and craft all her life. Her parents owned an international handcraft shop that sold crafts and art collected from their extensive travels around the world. Erica's early exposure to exotic art and culture has greatly influenced her designs.

After graduating from S.U.N.Y. New Paltz with a BFA in gold and silversmithing, Erica began designing her own line of jewelry which is produced in Rhode Island and sold nationally under the name Erica Zap Designs. 

Outside of her studio life, Erica spends most of her time traveling the country participating in juried craft shows where she sells her jewelry to the public. In addition to these shows and her online store, Erica's pieces can be found in numerous galleries, retail shops, and museum stores across the country. 

"My goal is to design a contemporary look which exposes beauty through the simplicity of form. My jewelry reflects the integration of past and present cultures. I use metals, stones, textures, shapes and color to create precious pieces that are as individual as the women who wear them." ~ Erica Zap 

www.ericazap.com

HIlary Hachey

"I consider my work to be architectonic. That is, a type of perceived sensibility to form and design that prefers the simple over the complex, and the well-built over the mass-produced."

I adopted the Bauhaus name for my jewelry because the Bauhaus aesthetic utilizes economy of method and severe geometry of form. My metalwork, hand-fabricated in sterling silver and 18k gold, achieves this through experimentation with the figure/ground relationship. The creation of mechanisms and clasps unique to my designs unites the spirit of both fine artist and craftsman. I often use oxidation to create contrast within a piece. Contrast and opposition combined with repetition are the building blocks of my design. By translating a design into wearable adornment, I aim to find the intersection of fine art and the production of functional objects.

Hilary studied metalsmithing at The Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. She creates each of her pieces by hand in her Baltimore studio.

www.hilaryhachey.com

Kristen Denbow

Although I have been making art and objects for as long as I can remember, I found my love of metal in my first metals class at the University of Michigan in 1993.  It has been my main source of inspiration ever since.  I earned my BFA in Metalwork and Jewelry Design from the University of Michigan in 1997 and my MA from California State University Fullerton in 2001.  I have been teaching art and jewelry since 2007 and love sharing my experience with others. 

I have studied, practiced, played and dreamed.  My work is unique, wearable, sophisticated but approachable, and I always try to add an element of fun.                                                          

My current body of work, focusing on traditional metalwork and enameling techniques, is a reflection of my passion for metalworking and my love of nature. 

www.kirstendenbowdesigns.com

Laura Cowen

Contemporary Judaica designer and Jewish artist Laura Cowan began her career in London after graduating in Silversmithing and Jewellery at London Guildhall University. She now brings her unique ideas to the field of Judaica, working from her design studio and workshop in Tel Aviv, Israel.

All Laura's products are original handcrafted pieces, including Passover Seder Plates, Shabbat candlesticks, modern Menorot for Hannukah, Kiddush Cups, Dreidels and many different mezuzah designs.

Each piece is beautifully boxed making it an ideal gift for Jewish weddings, Jewish holidays, Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, as well as for housewarming and hostess gift giving.

Laura's fresh ideas contribute to a new wave of exciting Judaica design, shaking up the traditional Jewish gift market and generating worldwide interest. Her work is exhibited in galleries and museums around the world Including The Jewish Museum in New York, The Vienna Jewish Museum and the Spertus Museum in Chicago.

www.lauracowan.com

Liz Kinder

1969 Born December 17.

1977 Jealous of 2nd grade classmate's pencil drawing of a deer; give up hope for artistic career.

1984 Go to Phillips Academy as a boarder; start making pottery with Mrs. Bensley to avoid alternative pastimes that may result in expulsion.

1987 Go to Amherst College, no ceramics, get a Fine Arts BA in painting, take a ceramics class at UMass my senior year, am reminded of my calling.

1991 Move to San Francisco and do anything to avoid getting a “real job”.

1992 Get studio space at Ruby’s Clay Studio.

1994 Go on one of those ridiculous trips: cycling for 5 months with Irish boyfriend from Guadalajara, Mexico to San Jose, Costa Rica; have cliché travelling epiphany about making ceramics my life.

1995 Sell bike to chef, Joseph Manzare; during transaction in seeing my fabulous apartment, he orders bowls, platters and a massive vase for his new restaurant in San Francisco, Globe.

1996-1998 Get so many orders from the exposure I have at Globe. Business is booming.

1997 Apply to graduate school and am accepted, have a huge going away party during which I break my arm falling off the bar dancing to Gary Glitter.

1998 Arrive in London at the Royal College of Art in a sling and start my Masters Course.

1998-2001 Live in poverty in London eating ramen (pot noodles as they say) again. 

2000 Trumpets and fanfare (literally) at The Royal Albert Hall, I get my masters degree from the Ceramics and Glass department.

2001 Bunny, my Volvo, martyrs herself to the cause of my ceramics business and gets totaled by a drunk dot-comer in a rented Jaguar. Insurance money goes to buy 2 kilns to set up a summer studio at my mom's in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. I now pot in my bikini for two months a year knowing that both San Francisco and London are foggy and wretched.

2002 Win Merit Award to do Rosen show in Philadelphia and start my wholesale career.

2003 Made pots and tried not to drop friends' new babies

2004 Piled clay, glazes, furniture and loud Siamese cat into my brother's truck and moved to Philadelphia. Had a 5000 lb. kiln installed THROUGH A WINDOW into a
ridiculously massive building that I can't really afford. I am planning to buy it in 2005 anyway...

2005 Becoming one of those boring people who talks about IKEA kitchen options, drywall, plumbing, utilities, mortgages, and the benefits of radiant heat. Despite the cold, I am not missing San Francisco—just my hairdresser, my dentist, my friends
and the scintillating person I was before the above-mentioned topics consumed me...

2006 Gave birth to Jack Peter McDonald on Mother’s Day. (May 14) I married Tim McDonald, his dad, and the love of my life, on October 28 (Jack Peter was the best man). The more you gush about how stunning my son is, the better and more timely your order will be. Don’t hesitate to tell me that I haven’t changed a bit since those pre-pregnancy pictures of me either.

2007 Halloween! Had baby girl, Elizabeth Steel McDonald (Steel)

2008 Trying to keep it all together. Trying to have another baby. Trying not to let my clay/diaper changing induced excema get out of hand. Trying to embrace the fact that my son says the word “backhoe” at least 98 times a day. At least he still will do dress-up too. I think his leotard look is very Bowie...

2009 Had Baby Toby (girl) in October. I decided to stop having employees in the studio because I couldn't have my life be babysitting at home and babysitting at work. What this means is that my studio is a lot messier and I can't blame anything on anyone but myself. We moved from the loft above my studio into one of my architect husband's gorgeous houses. I feel ridiculously fancy although I have to drive at 5 am back to the ghetto to turn kilns on. I wonder if the crack heads all think I'm one of them. I am looking pretty rough these days...

2010 I had Toby in the studio with me for most of the year sitting in her little neglecto-matic listening to Terry Gross. I also started blogging about the chaos of my existence. www.throwingandtantrums.blogspot.com. I spent a good part of the year panicking about the Philadelphia Public School system. 

2011 Did not have a 4th child...not for lack of trying. I instead put my creative energy into making a ridiculous amount of pottery and a kick-ass R2D2 Halloween costume for my kindergartener. There are so many Halloweens ahead of us. I fear I may have peaked too soon.

2012 Got the kids into a good charter school. We are now free to continue living our creative, urban lives. It also means that the kids are stuck on a bus for hours a day. I'm clinging to a tiny little NPR clip I heard on the benefits of daydreaming for children. Tim, my husband, fell off a roof which plummeted him into an early onset midlife crisis.

2013 Make breakfasts, lunches, snacks for school. Go to studio and make pots. Get kids, sort out homework and dinner and hope I didn't scream HURRY UP! too many times in the day. Collapse on couch with Tim in front of something from Netflix. Tim's response to above crisis was to get a teaching job at Temple University, so now he has 3 full-time gigs: daddy, architect, teacher. Things have been a little crazy… 

www.lizkinder.com

Lina's Shop

Lina Zhang is a New York City based jewelry
designer. She as been making jewelry for over
15 years, specializing in handcrafted wire
wrapping works with precious and
semi-precious stones.

As a little girl, Lina develops a eye of color
from her mother a tailor for thirty years.
Lina has been involved in art and designs her
entire life, building from her art & design
degree in Asia.


Her jewelry work is distinctive for its top
quality gems, unique arrangements, 
sophisticated color relationships and meticulous
quality assembly.

She believes that most elegantly convey one's
personal style, her eye for color and careful
attention to construction, result in timeless
modern pieces

www.linashop.com

Little Man

Welcome to Little Man, where we create a collection of handbags and accessories made especially for you by hand in our Massachusetts studio. To help you know us a little more, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions

www.littlemanoriginals.com

Louise Fischer Cozzi

Trained as a graphic designer, Louise Fischer Cozzi (Brooklyn NY) went on to pursue fiber arts and polymer clay.  She has been working in polymer since 1991 and her love for typography and fiber arts inform her current work.

Her award winning pieces and articles have appeared in Belle Armoire, Bead and Button, and Lapidary Journal as well as numerous books. She shows and sells her work at galleries across the country.

A local, national and international teaching artist to all ages and levels, she appreciates the symbiotic relationship between creating and teaching.

In much of her current work, Translucent Colors, she forms simple elegant shapes of translucent clay and infuses them with layers of texture and color that suggest infinite depth

www.louisefischercozzi.com

Lulu Smith

Taking a Hiatus from Jewelry making

www.lulusmith.com

Lush Metals

I began working with metals while studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1997. My jewelry is inspired by an affinity for machine components, kinetic movement and natural geometric patterns.

I use various shapes of sterling silver tubing and wire to create my pieces. These shape combinations make up what often gets described as "delicate industrial". I'm always intrigued by people's reactions to my work. They see quilled paper, benzene molecules and chili peppers. I love this aspect of what I do, seeing the work through fresh eyes and looking at it in a new way. It keeps me excited and always innovating.

Jennifer Chin currently lives and works in Boston's Fort Point Channel neighborhood where she enjoys a supportive community of artists and friends. Her work can be seen at some of the country's most prestigious fine craft shows and at many galleries and museum shops.

www.lushmetals.com

Maria Eife

It started in 2009 with the Binary necklaces...

I made just two at first, for an art exhibit. The necklaces spell out "what?" in binary code. I made them as a statement on digital communication (or really miscommunication, as I wanted them to say, but in binary that was way too long). I began to produce them in different colors and took the show on the road. 

My first year in business I started at close to home, doing the Art Star Craft Bazaar, and then traveled far from it to do the Designboom Mart in Valencia, Spain. I was invited to participate in the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale in 2010, and in 2012 was an invited artist at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore. In 2011, I participated in the World Maker Faire in Queens NY where I was given an Editors Choice Award.

www.mariaeife.com

Mary + LouAnn

Wearable art handcrafted from sterling silver and mixed metals with powdercoating colorwork.  Our work can be found at Art Festivals,Fine Craft Shows, Galleries and Museum shops - and of course - right here...

www.maryandlouann.com

Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith began his creative career as a freelance graphic designer. Through his years in this field, he developed what he terms a “visually concise” design language. He also maintained a long running hobby as a woodworker and furniture maker. When a move to a new city required a dramatic downsizing of his studio, Smith began to focus on jewelry as a compact way to merge his diverse interests. He found inspiration from the jewelry designers of the mid-20th century who’s work emphasized strong design and alternative materials, over precious metals and gems.

Smith’s pieces begin as a graphic design which is worked and re-worked to develop the most concise expression of the concept. Design elements such as line weight, color, and pattern are translated into silver thickness, resin tint, and wood grain. Recently Smith has begun working with a new non-toxic casting resin made from soybeans and peanuts, which he tints with non-toxic painter’s pigments.

Matthew Smith received his BA in Fine Art from Wake Forest University. While there he focused on printmaking and sculpture. His education in silversmithing began by taking classes at the Cultural Arts Center in Columbus, Ohio as well as a jewelry class at the Penland School of Crafts. He has combined basic jewelry techniques with his woodworking skills to create a hybrid method of jewelry making.

www.matthewsmithstudios.com

Meisha Barbee

I am an Artist, currently working in the medium of Polymer Clay. I have my own business; MEISHA Compositions in Polymer Clay, where I create and sell my Jewelry Designs.

Melissa Stiles

Melissa Stiles received her degree in Architecture and worked in the field for ten years before founding her jewelry company. She makes modern jewelry that combines the discipline of her architectural training with the exploration of industrial materials and processes. Her work expresses modern simplicity and flawless execution with the illusion of effortless design. She strives to expose only the intentional form without gratuitous details. The result is design that celebrates the simple and pure form in beautifully wearable color combinations.

Stiles works in various materials including hand-pigmented resin, laser cut stainless steel, brushed aluminum, powder-coated enamel, and silver. These materials lend themselves to blending different means of fabrication resulting in a collection of minimal, durable jewelry in cheerful colors with bold graphic designs.

Melissa works from her home on Portland, Oregon. In partnership with her husband, Dan Stiles they produce a number of products ranging from art objects, personal accessories, to housewares.

www.stubbornstiles.com

Michal Lando

Michal Lando is a jewelry artist living in Brooklyn, New York, who makes work out of nylon mesh. Her work has been selected for exhibitions across the country including Materials Hard + Soft exhibition at the Denton Arts Center in Denton, TX, Kaleidoscope exhibition at Reinstein/Ross in New York City, and Touchy Feely at the Baltimore Jewelry Center. Her work is included in Artistry in Fiber, Vol. 3 Wearable Art, published by Schiffer Publishing. Her work can be found at galleries and museum stores across the country.

Michal began making jewelry after falling in love with nylon mesh, a supple, dramatic and incredibly lightweight material that was once used as a purely structural element in hats and clothing. Her latest pieces are based on a kind of controlled unraveling. The skeletal forms are constructed using a technique she developed by carefully applying heat to shape and structure the material into new forms, and the result is ethereal, delicate and otherworldly pieces. It is the tension between solid structure and fragility that continues to interest her as she explores new ways of working with the material.

Michelle Pressler Jewelry

Elegant.  Fresh.  Natural.  Michelle's Pressler's jewelry expresses her love of color, nature and classical details.

Michelle's fascination with faceted stones began as a child, when she discovered mica in the dirt of the playground, and from there, she began collecting rocks and minerals.  After working in the fashion industry as a designer and illustrator, she began sewing tiny beads onto hand made greeting cards, and book covers.  This drew her attention back to the stones, which led to 7 years of working with a leading jewelry manufacturer, where she learned the ropes of the jewelry industry.  Michelle Pressler Jewelry was launched in 2002.

Michelle takes her inspiration from classical details, nature, and modern design.  Working with high quality hand cut stones, sterling silver and gold fill, Michelle aims to create pieces that balance rich detail with modern simplicity in harmonious colors.  The collection, which includes Bridal, is available in over 100 fine boutiques, and galleries nationwide.

www.mpresslerjewelry.com

Knit Knit Knits

Hello! I'm Nguyen Le, designer, maker, author, and craft stylist. Originally from Lancaster, PA, and currently residing, creating, and high fiving in Brooklyn, NY. I'm the designer behind KnitKnit, a line of elegant and witty knit, felt, embroidered, and felted accessories and patterns - my full time love and job. KnitKnit began with just knitting, and quickly expanded to include anything fiber related. I like to add a playful twist to traditional techniques and give a modern take on them.

My first book, 500 Fun Little Toys, features 84 patterns with 5 variations each, and includes projects for sewing, knitting, crocheting, and needle felting a variety of toys. My second book, Color Knitting With Confidence, includes 30 projects with instructions for 5 color knitting techniques. 

In my off time, I can be found knitting out of my pockets or purse while walking around, paper crafting pop-up cards, drawing and cutting out contact paper art for my walls, and gulping down loads of tea & cookies.

I specialize in soft design - knit, crochet, embroidery, sewing, and needle felting. I'm available for teaching classes in these mediums, and for craft styling. 

www.knitknitknits.com

Paz Sintes

Barcelona born and former apparel designer, Paz Sintes, now living in New York, started to develop her handmade textile jewelry line in 2005. The Paz Sintes collection is inspired by the lightness and freedom of Fred Astaire’s dance, jazz music, retro- cinema, contemporary art and especially the luxuriousness of textiles.

After working for several years in the fashion industry as a clothing designer in Barcelona, Paris and Saint Petersburg, Paz created her light jewelry using Haute Couture European fabrics and vintage laces, guipures and passementeries embroidery. She designs by creating forms, cutting patterns which are then hand stitched, reinforced, dyed, as well as numerous other techniques. Many pieces are produced in limited editions; others are one-of-a-kind.

To Paz, accessories are part of our clothing that move with us and need to be light, bright, airy and soft.

Paz Sintes has been featured at the ART INSTITUTE of CHICAGO; the MAD MUSEUM, the EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO and the WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART in New York City; the PRINCETON ART MUSEUM in New Jersey, the GETTY Museum, the SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER, the DE YOUNG and the SAN DIEGO MUSEUM of ART in California; the ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER in Boston; the WALKER ART CENTER in Minneapolis; the KIMBELL ART MUSEUM, the CROW COLLECTION OF ASIAN ART, the BLANTON MUSEUM of ART and the HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT in Texas; the FLAGLER Museum in Florida; the FALLINGWATER in Pennsylvania; the CRAFT ALLIANCE CENTER in Missouri, the GARDINER in Toronto; among other Museum shops, art galleries, boutiques and jewelry stores in the United States, also in Spain, Canada, Japan, Australia, Colombia, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Her work has also been featured in Bay Magazine (August 2014), Accessories Magazine (2012 and 2011), Talk (July 2012), Sessions (October 2012), Papercut (June 2011), Karen (January 2011) and Marie Claire Australia (July 2008). As the image for the promotion of the One-of-a-kind Chicago show (November 2012) Paz Sintes’ jewelry appeared in American Craft Magazine, CS Chicago Social, Chicago Tribune and Where Chicago, as well as at the main fashion TV program on Spanish Television, "Solo Moda" on December 2013 in Madrid and Levante TV Valencia on April and May 2015.

On April 22nd 2015, Queen Letizia of Spain appears in a public event wearing her pieces.

Sintes is BA Honors in Fashion by the Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton, United Kingdom) and the Escuela de Artes y Tecnicas de la Moda (Barcelona, Spain) with 15 years of experience in apparel design.

Pong Gaddi

Pong Gaddi - No about info

www.pgaddi.com

Steve Czerniel

"I focus on precise craftsmanship, attention to detail and vivid contrast between light and dark in my work. With these raku vessels, I continue to explore the light and the dark, the rough and the smooth, and my obsession with the raku process."

Steve Czerniel’s clay work began in the sixties on the potter’s wheel. By 1980, his pieces became entirely hand constructed. Much of his work at the time was pit fired; it has since evolved with a focus on the raku process.  

His clay vessels are defined by the fact that they are constructed in a very precise technical fashion, yet convey a coarse, rugged impression to the viewer.

For the last ten years, Steve has focused on texture and surface design by integrating individual hand cut tiles in his work.

His current work is constructed with the same focus on craftsmanship and technical expertise. Strong hand built slab forms are constructed in a variety of methods and later filled with thousands of clay tiles, each made and fired individually, then reunited with the frame.

Czerniel’s mother was an artist, and so he is an artist. He is self taught from the age of 10. Steve currently lives and works in Taos, New Mexico as a full time clay artist. He has now operated his own clay studio for over 35 years.

www.czerniel.com

Studio Paran

Studio Paran encompasses many of my creative endeavors. Located in the Schenks Corners neighborhood of Madison Wisconsin I make hand blown glass vases and other functional work as well as custom work. I also cook up some interesting projects in many different forms from lighting to sculpture and installation. 

I have been blowing glass for over 25 years and over that time I've come to realize a very simple thing, vases are meant for use. Making a vase is not just making another object of home decor, but creating an exquisite frame for flowers. It is an opportunity to engage a dialogue between vase, craftsman, landscape, flower, arranger, and guest. It is a bridge between human built architecture and the natural landscape.

My life as an artist began early with drawing lessons from a small town neighbor and propelled me on a path that lead to a BFA in glass from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1988. I've since worked for and with other glass artists and in 2006 took over full ownership of Studio Paran.

When I'm not blowing glass, I try to learn a few things about this world,  current obsessionsinclude Ikebana and a life long commitment to drawing as meditation.

-Richard Jones

www.studioparan.com

Suzanne Q Evon

While attending Parsons School of Design I discovered my greatest skill was in wax carving. With this skill, and a passion for medieval metalwork and architecture, Q Evon Design was born. In 1992, I began as a small production business that grew to several hundred gallery and catalog accounts worldwide. After ten years of production, I realized I needed to expand my skills to move in a new artistic direction. I began studying privately with a master metalsmith and continue this study today. My current body of work includes fabrication, granulation, acid etching, reticulation & casting of gold, silver, and argentium. During this exploration, I found that incorporating a variety of methods brings about a richness in texture that gives each piece the unique and timeless quality that I strive for in my work. My work has always reflected a love for ancient metalwork and architecture. My current collections combine both gold and silver with an emphasis on texture and custom-cut stones. Reticulation, anti-clastic raising, acid etching, granulation, roller printing and the ancient art of keum-boo are combined to create rich metal tapestry. Each piece is as unique as the individual that chooses to wear my designs.

www.qevon.com

Terri Lindelow

Thomas Work

www.thomaswork.com

Victoria Varga

Victoria Varga received her BS in fine arts from Skidmore College in 1984. After completing her graduate studies in metals at Syracuse University she moved to New York City with her husband, Daniel Brouder, where the couple co-founded the studio that bears her name. After fourteen years in Manhattan Daniel and Victoria relocated their studio to the coast of Maine where they continue to hand fabricate jewelry of Victoria’s design. From her early years in New York Victoria has crafted jewelry that combines precious metals with a variety of materials that are often discounted as ordinary. Victoria has perfected a process of combing sterling silver, 23 karat gold leaf, resin, crushed stone and common artist pigments to create her signature line of jewelry. Instantly recognized for its timeless good looks, Varga jewelry delights both men and women with its innovative combination of unexpected materials and whimsical design.

Victoria Varga handcrafts jewelry that reflects in its clean design and bold graphics, the very best tenants of fine art while redefining the modern spirit.

www.victoriavarga.com

Yukimi Matsumoto

Yukimi was born in Osaka Japan in 1973, graduated at Osaka Designer School specializing in Production Design.
Yukimi went to work at Suwa Glass Studio in Nagano, after two years of apprenticing, she went to work at various studio in Japan, Yukimi decided to attend The Studio at Corning, NY in 1999. Shortly there after, she started work with David at Pairpoint Crystal in MA. David and Yukimi started McDermott Glass Studio in 2002.
 Yukimi's impeccable color selection and soft design are second to none.
She enjoys working with colors which creates the feeling of Nature.

www.mcdermottglass.com