Jewelry Tools by Miland

http://jewelrytoolsbymiland.com/

Miland Suess designs and handcrafts specialized metal forming tools for silversmiths, wire artists, beaders and jewelry repair. Artisans tell us that Miland's unique hand tools clearly save them time and effort while increasing their creativity, capabilities and quality. Each tool comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime warranty.

THE TOOLS ...
Synclastics: Puts two curvatures into flat stock simultaneously without marring. Create a bracelet in minutes, not hours. Also makes rings, bangles and is indispensable in doing jewelry repair.

THE MAN
Miland Suess watched and listened to artisans who were using metal forming tools that have not improved for thousands of years. He then went to work designing, testing and manufacturing a series of time-saving jewelry tools that his customers love because they work.

THE TOOLS...
Anti-Clastics: Similar to the Synclastic tools but produces a concave curve instead of a convex curve. Previously you had to use a dapping tool which was time consuming and did not produce a fine, finished product.

Miland has been an innovator and inventor since he was a child. After working as a Harley-Davidson motorcycle mechanic in his teens, he served in the U.S. Navy as a rear gunner on a Curtis SB2C Hell Diver dive bomber during WWII. Miland married in 1946 and settled in Chicago to raise 5 children. He worked there for 20 years as a well respected Lincolnwood Police Sergeant, saving lives and putting crooks behind bars. As Miland states with a smile: "I used to be in a business where the customer was often wrong. Now I am in a business where the customer is always right."

THE TOOLS...
Dimplers: Puts precise, circular indentations and domes into metal for decorative purposes. Partial indentations can also be achieved by using the tool on the edge of the metal as shown in picture on the right.

After retiring from the police department, Miland began designing and manufacturing hand tools for electricians and metal workers and continued doing so after moving to Arizona in 1984. In 1996, he was approached by a professional jeweler who expressed the need for a specialized tool to form compound curves into metal. In response, Miland designed and patented his first jewelers tool (The "Synclastic" tool, U.S. Patent number 5,513,513) and went on to design and manufacture over a dozen jewelry making tools and jewelry repair tools. Besides designing and manufacturing jewelry tools, Miland also restores classic vehicles including a 1957 Thunderbird, a 1949 Cadillac, and a 1947 Indian Chief Motorcycle. People who have met Miland appreciate his ingenuity, integrity, friendliness and sense of humor.

THE TOOLS...
Double Cylinder Ring Makers: Two different sized cylinders are used to put medium radius curves into flat metal stock and wire. Result can easily be resized on a mandrel. Perfect for making rings, earrings and children's bracelets

Miland enjoys making quality tools, you will enjoy using them, and your customers will appreciate the results.

THE TOOLS...
Texture Hammers: Textures flat metal and wire. Three different faces are available. The back end is flat and polished, like having two hammers in one. The beautiful patterns these hammers put into metal have to be seen to be appreciated.

There are video demos of all of the tools at: http://www.jewelrytoolsbymiland.com

You can contact Miland at:

Jewelry Tools by Miland
Toll Free: (877) 463-8046
MilandTools@aol.com

...and be sure to check in with him at the Tucson Electric Park venue at the Tucson Gem Show this February – look for him in the “Tool Tent”! There are usually new tools that aren’t available on the website and texture hammers that he is experimenting with. Miland also make tools to meet your custom specs!

Bench Television - Upgrade Your Skills Today!

Bench Television http://benchtelevision.com

From Jewelry Designers to Bench Jewelers to Students...you know how much easier it is to learn a technique when you can SEE it!

This may be your favorite teacher – you watch when YOU want (put the kids to bed and pull out the computer), it doesn’t matter because these teachers are always available and the classes never reach capacity!

...and speaking of teachers – this roster reads

like a Who’s Who in the Jewelry Industry:

Brad Simon (Founder and Presenter) Publishes the popular Bench Magazine and E-Bench Newsletter (the online edition).
Gerry Lewy – Canadian Diamond Setter, presents stone-setting
Steve Satow – Tool Genius and Laser Welding
Wayne Emery – Award Winning Jewelry Photography
Jurgen Maerz – Platinum Guild
...and special guests!

From the Welcome:
Welcome! We hope you enjoy this unique opportunity to see some of the most respected Master Jewelers explain their techniques and tips to making and repairing jewelry.

To their NEW affordable MONTHLY Membership!!!

Click on the “Preview Channel” button above to see many of the pilot episodes for free and see the show titles of all the shows now playing on the Members Only Channels. PLUS check out the “Network Affiliates” and “New Product” channels to see product information and tutorial videos.
Members of the Bench Television Network have unlimited access to all of these Channels and shows. Over 50 episodes playing continually.




Bench Jewelers Television Network utilizes IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) to feed high quality video streams to your computer screen. Bench Jewelers Television Network provides standard 720 X 480 resolution television streams of high quality training videos in monthly television episodes, with New Episodes Every Month!

The Bench Jewelers Television Network is a full television network with different channels of interest to Bench Jewelers and is aired over the Internet. Channels include, Shop Management, Stone Setting, Jewelry Repair, Custom Manufacturing, Laser Welding, Bench Techniques, New Products, and more. Each channel has different shows of related topics.

Jewelry Photography~ Great Images
Jewelry Repair~ PUK Welder
Laser Welding ~ Laser Fabrication ~ Laser Retipping ~ Laser Setting
Platinum ~ Platinum Fabrication ~ Platinum Expert
Stonesetting~ Gemz Setting ~ Set Em' Straight
Tips~ Customize Your Tools ~ Favorite Tips ~ Howard Academy

Bench Media is Your One-Stop-Shop

for Educational Information for Bench Jewelers
Bench Media Products:
E-Bench Newsletterwww.BWSimon.com/E-Bench
Bench Magazinewww.BenchMagazine.com
Bench Jewelers Conference & Expowww.BenchConference.com
Bench Jewelers Television Networkwww.BenchTelevision.com
Bench Seminarswww.BenchSeminars.com

Bench Media is Operated

BY Bench Jewelers FOR Bench Jewelers

We Know and Understand Your Needs and Concerns

Upgrade Your Skills Today!
Bench Television can be found at:

http://benchtelevision.com

Shiana - Karen Hill Tribe Silver

Shiana
http://shiana.com/

Our Guarantee
SHIANA provides rare jewelry items and jewelry accessories to our customers. Each item is chosen because it is a masterpiece of unique quality, and has been crafted by people who put effort and care into every element of the piece. We are committed to the quality of our products and the manner in which we deliver them.

SHIANA EXPERTISE
No less than one full decade confirm our expertise in Thai Karen Hill Tribe Silver. SHIANA has dedicated all our resources to popularize Karen Silver from the creation of the first Karen Silver bead. Through our close work with the Karen Silversmiths, the relationship and level of expertise we have established is unmatched. A SHIANA Expert is able to distinguish the work of our Karen silver smiths from imitations and replicas at a glance. Each piece, print, and style has been through our quality assurance process. Our experts are also trained to know all types of tribal silver including Bali, Cambodian (Khmer), and the various styles and markings of Indian silver. In 1995, as the first of today’s Karen Silver pieces were produced, SHIANA created the "Limejuice Standard" -- where we utilize the fact that the acidity in lime is strong enough to clean 100% silver to a shine while still maintaining its oxidized state. This Limejuice Standard has become the preferred way of cleaning Hill Tribe Silver.

Between 2003-2004, SHIANA has also created a method of plating Karen Silver with 24K Gold. This vermeil standard for Karen silver is based on our knowledge of old Thai gold plating methods and the chemical compositions of pure silver. SHIANA is committed to educating the public. If a question arises, please do not hesitate to contact a SHIANA Expert.





Community Goals
SHIANA is dedicated to preserving the culture of our craftsman and artisans. In making our jewelry, we will never compromise their safety or lifestyle. As our business grows, we also hope to increase funding to our many planned projects for the Karen Hill Tribe Villagers of northern Thailand.


Take a moment to visit the Shiana Blog - Karen Village http://karenvillage.blogspot.com/
Karen Village is a Shiana blog about a very special group of hill tribe silversmiths.


Shiana's Mission Statement

The World and Us: Community Mission Statement
The Hill Tribe Silver Program Local Karen artisans who are directly employed by SHIANA make SHIANA Silver. This is standardized silver and is guaranteed to be made from 99.9% pure silver. It has also passed our strict quality assurance and is unique to only SHIANA. Our artisans receive more than the average minimum wage. Through respect and dialog, we ensure not only the survival of this magnificent art, but also the long term welfare and health of our artisans and their families. When buying Karen Hill Tribe Silver or SHIANA Silver, you are ensuring that the next generation of artisans will survive to preserve the works of their forefathers.


Making silver has become a profitable advantage for the Hill Tribe families and an invaluable alternative to growing illicit crops or slash-and-burn farming. SHIANA funds education programs. In association with other charity organizations in Thailand, we wish to see an end to the exploitation of the villagers. Often times, entire villages can be seduced into growing illicit drugs in order to survive. There are also cases of individual families allowing their children to be sent away to large cities for factory work. Many times, they are deceived by the employer, and girls are set to work for the prostitution industry.

As part of our community goal, SHIANA continues to fund the building of schools and training facilities for the villagers. Schools allow us to educate the children closer to their homes. In many cases, children walk miles to the schoolhouse, if there is one available at all. Training facilities are aimed at helping older villagers. Through these facilities, we hope to help the Karen gain experience and employment. The courses range from simple education such as better farming techniques and chicken rearing to mechanic work and tourism hospitality. SHIANA seeks to improve our business in outstanding ways, but we will never compromise the lifestyle or safety of our artisans.


Your Role in Our Mission
SHIANA focuses on sustainability. However, that sustainability also comes from reliability. No man is an island. Every purchase you make is a vote of confidence. Your continued support gives us motivation to fight for the rights of our artisans, as well as our own rights to remain competitive in an industry that does not always welcome fair trade producers.

Diamond In A Pearl!!!!

GALATEA - Jewelry By Artist

http://www.diamondinapearl.com/

Just a quick tutorial for those of you who aren't sure what a “cultured” pearl is...

• most pearls are cultured – even Tahitians & South Seas


• culturing occurs when a mollusk is “seeded”


• most Ocean farms use beads made of shell


• most Freshwater farms use a piece of mantle tissue


• the bead or tissue is “planted” under the mantle – next to the shell


• the mollusk – sensing a foreign object – immediately starts coating the irritant with nacre...rolling it around and coating it until it is smooth

So - let’s take this one step farther...why couldn’t you seed the mollusk with precious gems? Why not indeed...

Best of JCK Las Vegas Gemstones

(By Gary Roskin /JCK Magazine - reprint from Galatea website)

By far the most outstanding addition to the gem world was premiered at JCK Las Vegas 2007. Chi Huynh of Galatea (Jewelry by Artist), located in San Dimas, California, is best known for his Diamond in a Pearl, in addition to his carved Akoya and Tahitian pearls. This year, Chi introduced carved black pearls, exposing the pearl's nucleus. The surprise is that the nucleus is NOT Mother-of-Pearl.

Several years ago, while Chi was carving a Tahitian pearl, he accidentally carved too deeply, exposing the white Mother-of-Pearl bead beneath the black nacre. Lamenting over the fact that he had just ruined a perfectly fine Tahitian pearl, he suddenly got this idea that he could insert gemstone beads into a black lipped oyster, creating a pearl that would be carved down to the nucleus, exposing the gem beneath the nacre.

Chi took that idea to Tahitian pearl farmers who told him that this kind of pearl could not be grown in the French Polynesian Islands. Undaunted by this turn of events, he took the black lipped oyster to waters off the shores of Vietnam. After persuading experts in implantation that his idea could actually work, he attempted to grow black pearls using citrine, amethyst, and turquoise bead nuclei.

Three years later, Chi harvested beautiful AAA quality Tahitian-like (now Vietnamese) black pearls. While it was always his intent to carve these pearls down to expose the gemstone nucleus, he started to question his sanity of carving these beautiful pearls. But carve them he did, and the transformation is remarkable. Carved black pearl nacre over citrine, amethyst, and turquoise nuclei. Galatea has stunned the pearl world.

Finished jewelry featuring the new "Mercy Pearl" by Galatea

_______________________

Just imagine a carved black pearl over a citrine, amethyst or turquoise nucleus! ....OR... a diamond in a pearl!

ABOUT GALATEA USA – THE COMPANY

Galatea is Chi Galatea Huynh
My inspiration comes from nature. I toss a pebble into a pond and watch the ripples gently and pleasantly hypnotize me for hours. I pick up a shell and watch the spiral design travel into my eyes. I watch a child hold a flower innocently in her hands as she watches a butterfly dance in the garden. At these moments nature shares and reveals to us the secret of natural beauty. To me, art is like music, the musician understands key, melody, composition, etc. This enables him to create music rather than noise. Likewise, I have come to understand line, light, shape, color, texture, and the mystic harmony of their relationship in creating music for the eyes. I believe natural beauty is not just based on culture, intellect, or the conditions of life alone. Universal beauty does exist and you can find it in your smile.

Craftsmanship Each design is hand sketched, sculpted, detailed and finished to the highest standard of an old world Artisan, combined with new inventive techniques developed at Galatea.

Metal We formulate our metal to ensure its purity. All jewelry designs are available in 14 karat yellow or white gold . 18 karat and Platinum are available for The Yes Collection only.

Philosophy See the leaves on the vines Seasons changes like life What is truth and pure Will endure the test of time.Galatea carefully chooses is authorized retailers, based in part on their location and clientele. We expect our authorized retailers to use their best efforts to preserve and enhance the image of our originality, artistry and the good will associated with our name and philosophy. “GALATEA” was a statue that came to life, which arrived from Greek Mythology. As an artist, I want my work to come to life.

Trademark Patent #7062940 All Diamond in a Pearl designs come with a certificate to ensure its craftsmanship and authenticity and packaged in a cherry wood jewelry box.

Galatea USA - http://www.diamondinapearl.com

Gordon Uyehara at HonuDream!

Gordon Uyehara

HonuDream
http://www.geocities.com/gtrsolo/index.html


Gordon Uyehara has to be one of the most sharing, gentle spirits on the planet. Several years ago I was “checking out PMC” and joined several forums and Yahoo! Groups...from that experience I discovered this man’s work. His patience with newbies and willingness to share his knowledge in this relatively new medium impressed me. I have since moved on to other media but have always remembered Gordon’s example and have tried to model my journey after his...

From Traditional...




Sun Garden Sanctuary 2 - Why "2"? This second piece was created while writing a step-by-step article for Art Jewelry Magazine (Sept. 2005) based upon the original Sun Garden Sanctuary medallion. My intention was to make the vines more robust but as I became more adept at making coils, I inadvertantly made them more delicate. The original was traveling, so I worked from memory. At least they are no doubt more refined. NFS.

Bio:
Gordon K. Uyehara was born and raised in Hawaii. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After thirteen years in the information technology field, he decided to take some time off for artistic exploration. It was then that he made the thrilling discovery of silver clay in a local workshop. Still residing in Honolulu, Gordon is a freelance artist/designer and an Art Clay Silver Senior Instructor. Working with silver clay led him to reconnect with an attraction to small scale design and wearable art. His motivation is to create pieces that are familiar and yet interestingly seductive and to explore the outer design limits of this relatively new art form. He is gradually incorporating traditional jewelry making techniques into his work as he learns them. Inspiration for his creations arrives from nature and from the visual and performance artists he admires. Gordon actively participates in local, national, and international juried exhibitions. This Honudream Web site, displays my current creations and some older works. The turtle and world on its back logo is based on a Native American creation myth. It surfaced in my consciousness one morning before I learned of the story.

As an artist, the best thing you can do is wake up dreaming.-GKU

...to Child-like...

Castles in the Sand - The Castles in the Sand pendant is pure silver (kiln-fired silver clay). The main shape is a textured sea shell that encompasses a beach scene. The central sun with polished center rises above sand castles, shovel, waves, and a shiny starfish. Guarding over everything is an audacious little crab. The pendant is treated with a patina to bring out the detail.Castles in the Sand was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2003 Silver Accessories Contest (Japan) and is featured on the January 2004 cover of Lapidary Journal magazine. Show piece only, not for sale.


When you visit his website (http://www.geocities.com/gtrsolo/index.html) – and you finally take a breath – between the glorious fine silver and his modern take on traditional Oriental art - you notice the quotes...I could visit this site for motivation daily...

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."- Degas

...to Fantasy...

Ancient Life - is a silver clay creation with eight arms (or legs) and a 6mm amber eye. It is a stylized version of something that might have existed but not necessarily anatomically correct. Along for the ride is a stylized sea scorpion and some stylized trilobites. A spiral pendulum hangs beneath. Ancient Life was awarded second place in the 2005 Saul Bell Design Award Competition (PMC Category).

....to Political and Environmental Statements....

The Last Forest Spirit - This prototype is being developed into a step-by-step project. The body is pure silver created with kiln-fired silver clay. Sterling brooch findings are soldered onto the back. As the forest loses its many spirits to human arrogance and ignorance, it begins to die.

"A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence."- Bruce Lee

Workshop Schedule:
Yes - you can take a workshop with Gordon – he will be on the mainland for several visits this year!

August 15, 2008, 7pm Metal Clay Lecture Art Clay Society of Orange County, CA Contact Brea Bead Works for more info.

August 16-17, 2008 Cosmic Honu Pendant and Mini-Spoon Contact Brea Bead Works to register! Student Supply List

September 12-14, 2008 Cosmic Honu Pendant and Nature Capture Art Clay World EU Conference West Dean College, UK

November 15, 16, 2008 Workshop with Louise Duhamel Art Clay Society of Orange County and Brea Bead Works Details coming soon!

HonuDreams - http://www.geocities.com/gtrsolo/index.html

Jessica Dow of Different Seasons Jewelry

For the Complete Interview with Jessica see my Jewelry and Gem Artisans Blog at:
http://jewelrygemartisans.blogspot.com/


Jessica Dow with
Different Seasons Jewelry
http://differentseasonsjewelry.com/

If you have picked up the new ArtJewelry magazine you will see there is a new type of feature – the cover pendant accounts for three different techniques and step by step instructions in this issue! This is a great idea as it allows the issue to cover more beginning techniques like bezels while also offering the advanced artists a tutorial on engraving!

The featured artist(s) are Different Seasons Jewelry better known as Jessica Dow and Mark Anderson!!

I have known Jessica for a couple years now and in that time I seen her go from an insecure talent to a confident artist that, through her new partnership, will be a force to be reckoned with!

What type of training have you had? how did you get your start and the progression that got you where you are today.

I started making jewelry after attending a couple of basic classes taught by Joe Hesselgrave at the Parks and Rec center in Tucson Arizona. After learning the bare bones of soldering I opted out of the class and started working by myself at home. At the time I was a single mother of a special needs child and leaving home to attend classes was difficult. I found some used equipment and tools through Kent's Tools in Tucson. I also bought some books such as The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight and Decorative Techniques for Craftsmen by Oppi Untracht. I believe I spent under $200.00 setting up the entire workshop. I was almost immediately drawn to the art of piercing. I love sketching and piercing allowed me to draw my own templates and bring those drawings to life in metal. Piercing has continued to be my favorite fabrication technique.




A year ago I moved to Wisconsin and joined forces with my fiancé Mark Anderson. Mark has been working with lapidary arts and jewelry design for about 8 years. He is one of the most talented artists I have ever worked with.


I started out doing my own lapidary work - cabbing my own material expanded my design abilities and enabled me to work with gems that were previously out of my price range. I rarely cut cabs anymore. Mark handles that aspect of our business which allows me the benefit of custom cut gems to fit my designs as well as more time to devote towards jewelry. It's hard to do it all yourself... working with Mark and my mother Martha has allowed me to focus on the aspects of jewelry making that I love most. I am currently training with Mark in the art of lost wax casting. I have been carving my first wax models and have been observing Mark during every step of the casting process. We have also gotten the tools and materials needed to begin adding enameling to our jewelry.... we're both very excited to begin experimenting with various enameling techniques! Mark is also teaching me advanced gem setting techniques such as channel setting and flush setting. I am excited to watch my work transform and progress as I learn new techniques. I feel I am merely at the beginning of an exciting journey.



Give the one piece of advice you wish you had gotten as a jewelry artist just starting out.
When learning a technique, take the time to learn it the correct way! Once I started working with Mark I discovered I had developed some bad habits with a couple of techniques. I not only had to learn the technique again the correct way but I also found it took me much longer due to having to break my old bad habits. If you are not in the position to get professional instruction, be sure you're learning from a good book by authors such as Tim McCreight or Oppi Untracht.

I remember your first posts to the Yahoo Groups that we were both on - talk about the journey from fabricating your early designs to the commission work you do today - how did you get your name out?

I had been making jewelry for just over a year when I sent a photo of one of my pierced opal pendants to Lapidary Journal's Jewelry Artists magazine along with the photos I had taken during the fabrication process. I never expected anything to actually come of it.... I had assumed only an experienced jeweler with a solid reputation could get into a magazine the likes of Lapidary Journal. Lapidary Journal had been one of my biggest sources of inspiration when I first started making jewelry & cutting gems. I had dreams of getting my work within its pages someday. I literally nearly fell off my computer chair from shock when I opened up my e-mail and saw a message from one of the magazine's editors. She told me she wanted to print an article with one of my pierced opal pendants! I was thrilled and intimidated at the same time. It ended up being more work than I had anticipated but it was one of the best learning experiences I've had within this business thus far. That first article was just the beginning... since then Mark and I have had four full length step-by-step articles published, two gallery features, our recent cover with Art Jewelry magazine and we have another article coming out sometime this fall or winter.



Our "Sunstone Waves" article in Jewelry Artist was actually more of an assignment than a submission. The magazine had an issue coming out with a focus on Sunstone. We were asked to carve and set a sunstone gem in a sterling silver pendant. Mark did an amazing job with the carving and I designed and fabricated a pendant to compliment the gem carving. It was a fun project.


Follow Jessica on:
DeviantArt - http://jessa1155.deviantart.com/
MetalChasers - http://metalchasers.com/Different_Seasons_Jewelry
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/jessa1155
Facebook - http://www.myspace.com/jessa1155
Xanga - http://www.xanga.com/Jessa1155

Judaica by Ruth Shapiro

http://growingupjewish.com/ 

Writing this post has taken me longer than most – first because Ruth is a dear friend of mine, second because I don’t know anything about Judaica. So when looking at an object, while I could appreciate it’s artistic value, I had no idea what the object was or how it was used. So this became a learning journey and I am taking all of you with me!

Bio - In Ruth's Words:

      In addition to being a Judaic artist, I work as a part-time nursing consultant, in the legal field. I have been a registered nurse, in some very high-powered fields, since 1970. In 1981, I had a serious accident, which left me unable to continue at my previous pace. In 1984, I went to UCLA Graduate School to take a nursing course, but was unable to get into the class I wanted. I next went to Santa Monica Community College to see if they had a similar course, but was instead drawn to a course called "Lost Wax Casting" in the Adult Evening School.

I didn't have any idea what the subject was, but signed up anyway. Those 6 classes changed my life! I was hooked on this very old, exciting method of sculpture and jewelry-making.

At the same time, I had joined the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework, again a strange choice for me. While I'd always liked embroidery and knitting, etc., I'd also hated meetings and anything as sedentary and slow as a sewing circle! Well, the rich symbolism and visual stories I saw at the meetings fused with my new metal-working skills and my first mezuzah cases were made and sold in only a few weeks. Demand grew, and I was pulled along at a furious pace. I had to pull up any vestiges left of my Jewish education, and furiously read everything I could find, always just a step ahead of (or behind) the next project., from mezuzah to yod, to menorah to breastplate for the Torah. I took a few adult school jewelry classes, and added contemporary jewelry to my repertoire. I’ve taken many workshops in the last 2 years, learning more metalworking techniques from renowned artists, but always, Judaica has been my love.

In 1988, I went to Israel to learn techniques from some silver masters, and to enhance my spiritual development. My work has taken me to shows and exhibits all over the United Sates. My mezuzzot are in Israel and Canada as well. A yod of mine even went into space!

Until a few years ago, I always felt that I'd "ride the wave" as far as it took me; that I was somehow "supposed to be" a Judaic artist. I would keep at it as long as I could keep creating and keep selling. Just as I would start to think about other career directions, a new commission would appear. Just as I think I'll never have another fresh idea, a dream supplies me with a new mezuzah and a new technique. Do I think these events are Divinely created? Of course I do! In the last year, I've come to believe that I will never be "barren". I also don't harbor any beliefs in my own "talent". I believe that I am a vessel, and the spirit of God and creativity flow through the vessel, stay awhile, and move on. I just have to be there and be ready and open.

In the past 15 years as a Judaic artist, my life has dealt me a few curves and twists...a car accident here, a broken wrist there, a few illnesses. Each time, I made some adaptations in my work. Each time, my work grew in a new, unexpected and better direction. Each time, I learned some thing I might not have otherwise seen. Was this bashert?

* Editor’s Note: Bashert: (beh-sheert) destined, fated, meant to be.

Has my work made me more religious? Yes it has. I now collect the work of other Judaic artists. Their spirituality enriches mine. The more I learn in preparing for a project, the more deeply I feel for my religion, and the more I pass it on to my family. I now celebrate Shabbat, and become anxious to create anew. When I feel close to God, I pray. Only in my case, I pray with my hammer, my torch, and my sculptor's tools.

I feel it is a very special gift and privilege to be able to create decorations for the Torah. I was moved to tears the first time I saw a yod that I had made, hung on the Torah. The rabbi talked about the rich tradition of the Torah and the silversmiths who adorned them. He talked about the generations of Jews who would be proud to display them - in no way implying the adornments are as important as what they adorn.

Mezuzah

And you shall write [the words that I command you today] on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. -Deuteronomy 6:9, 11:19

The Mezuzah is a small case that holds a small hand written scroll of parchment (called a klaf). The scroll contains the words of the "Shema Israel" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) passage, in which God commands Jews to keep His words constantly in their minds and in their hearts. The scroll also contains another passage (Deuteronomy 11:13). The passages are written in Hebrew, and contain 22 lines of 713 painstakingly written letters.

The meaning of the Hebrew word Mezuzah is simply "a doorpost". The Mezuzah should be placed on the doorposts of of every Jewish home. The exact placement of a Mezuzah is on the right side of the doorpost (when entering the home or room), on the lower part of the upper third of the doorpost (or around shoulder height for high doorways). The case should be permanently affixed with nails, screws, glue, or strong double-sided tape.

The Mezuzah is affixed at an angle because the rabbis could not decide whether it should be placed horizontally or vertically, so they compromised. The top of the Mezuzah should be slanted toward the room the door opens into.

Yodim, yad, or Torah pointer, one of Ruth’s was taken into space by a Jewish astronaut, Jeffrey Hoffman, about 10 years ago!

You are not supposed to touch the parchment on the Torah scrolls; some say because they are too holy; some say because the parchment, made from animal skins, is a source of ritual defilement; others say because your fingers' sweat has acids that will damage the parchment over time. Instead, you follow the text with a pointer, called a Yad. "Yad" means "hand" in Hebrew, and the pointer usually is in the shape of a hand with a pointing index finger (I always find this incredibly amusing). The scrolls are kept covered with fabric, and often ornamented with silver crowns on the handles of the scrolls and a silver breastplate on the front.

Jewelry
Drawing from the various symbols of Judaica, Ruth offers tiny mezuzahs, hamsa, chai and star of david for women and men.

Hamsa
The hamesh hand or hamsa hand is a popular motif in Jewish jewelry. Go into any Judaic gift shop and you will find necklaces and bracelets bearing this inverted hand with thumb and pinky pointing outward. The design commonly has an eye in the center of the hand or various Jewish letters in the middle.

There is nothing exclusively Jewish about the hamesh hand. Arab cultures often refer to it as the Hand of Fatima, which represents the Hand of G-d. Similar designs are common in many cultures. Why it has become such a popular symbol among Jews? I haven't been able to find an adequate explanation anywhere. My best guess: in many cultures, this hand pattern represents a protection against the evil eye (a malignant spiritual influence caused by the jealousy of others), and the evil eye has historically been a popular superstition among Jews.

Chai
This symbol, commonly seen on necklaces and other jewelry and ornaments, is simply the Hebrew word Chai (living), with the two Hebrew letters Cheit and Yod attached to each other.

The concept of chai is important in Jewish culture and the typical Jewish toast is l'chayim (to life). Gifts to charity are routinely given in multiples of 18 (the numeric value of the word Chai).

Ruth’s Judaica is available online at:
Artistic Judaic Promotions - http://www.ajp.com
...and on her website: www.growingupjewish.com