Reworking Jewelry Designs

I love designing rings. I remember my first interest in wanting to make jewelry when I was young. I was with my mom at Johnny Apple Seed Day in Paradise California. This fair was once a year and in the heart of Paradise. There was a park that had some booths where venders were selling arts and crafts. So my mom and I were looking at a booth that had some jewelry in it and my mom had purchased from this vender before. I was intrigued by all the jewelry and wanted to see if there was a way I could purchase some sterling silver wire so I could maybe try and make some crystal wire wraps for pendants. I’ve always been into making things so it’s always been apart of me and who I am. The vender did not have any wire to sell us, but it really got me wanting to get some silver wire. I cherish that memory because now that I think about it, it was my mom that really introduced me to the jewelry field without knowing. Then as a teenager I found a shop in Chico California that sold everything hippie like style items. I asked and they said they could get me some. I eventually got my hands on some silver wire and it was my chance to start wire wrapping. Such a fun time creating more crafts related to all the other hobbies I had including leatherwork, cloth woven bracelets, and anything else I could think of to create. Well, through the years I after that I never knew what I wanted to do for a career. Eventually I got married and was working at Anasazi Foundation (a wilderness survival treatment program for youth). I had to find a new career and that was when I started working in a real jewelry store. Since then I have learned to design jewelry in a whole new way. CAD (computer Aided Design).

I love working in CAD. It’s something I still have a passion for and love the freedom it gives me to create what I have tucked away in my head. Developing a design can be quick or it can take a long time. I have noticed though, that when I have to rework designs, they become better and better as I rework them. At times I am unwilling to rework a design because I feel I have put my all into it and it’s maybe good enough. Each time that I end up reworking the design it truly does become better and I’m always glad I made those changes. It a bit like life. For those of us that like routines and don’t like change, it’s hard to make changes. My daughter is also the same way. Change is difficult and we don’t want to have to go through with it. We will fight it and deny that we need to progress and make the changes in life. Once we do it’s really wasn’t so bad and things just got a whole lot better. Not all change is great, but I feel that many times it does or can help us to grow into better people. When jewelry changes happen, it’s for the better and I’ve learned that everyone is their own designer. How often do I make a custom piece of jewelry that is fully my idea or deign? Not often. Most people have something in mind that they want and so even though I throw my own flare into the design, the overall idea is the customers. They are the designers and even if I don’t fully love the design it’s what they want. There are only a few times, here and there, that a customer loves my style of craftsmanship and design enough to where they can trust me and I can pretty much design anything and they would love it. Just give me the topic or a little guidance and let me free. That’s what it’s more like at Dana Arts. As I am able to just freely design what I want. That is why I wanted to start Dana Arts. It’s a place where I can design what I like in hopes that others will too. A place where I can showcase my art and ideas. It makes me feel good when someone can wear a piece of jewelry that I’ve fully designed and created and have joy in it. That’s why I love music as it is one of those areas that can touch so many lives. Although jewelry is not the same as music, I would hope I can also touch lives though designs that are enjoyable to wear. Something you can feel proud to wear and show to others. Quality well made custom jewelry is a so breathtaking when you love to wear it. Beautiful rings can bring moments of joy to your life. Wedding rings are one of those categories. Wedding rings and wedding bands are jewelry that we wear daily. I know that you should love what you wear for wedding rings. They mean so much and remind us of our commitment to our partners in life. Finding the right design or having custom made the right ring design can be a decision that stays with us throughout our life. That is why it’s so important to choose the right ring as it reflects upon us as couples and becomes a part of who we are.

If you are contemplating buying a ring for any occasion, remember the joy a quality handmade ring can be as it will journey with you throughout your life. I will always be making jewelry and if you haven’t noticed I never delete any designs. I will always come up with new ones, but if you ever lose a ring, it will be there to order again. Most companies phase out designs and always keep the new. I strive to keep coming up with new, but keep the old as they are classics too. You can count on me to do the best I can to create quality jewelry that will last through the decades.

It's Christmas Season

Christmas season is a fun time of year. It means different things to different people and I love different aspects of Christmas. It has also changed over the years as I have grown up and after I got married. More changes came when I had kids and then now as they have grown up it also has a different feel. Here are a few examples of the different stages of life and the Christmas season.

My mom is from Denmark and we had what I feel were Danish Christmases. She would always decorate the house with danish ornaments and little scenes. Small little figurines that were made of string or wooden figurines that all had red and white colors to represent Danish colors. The Christmas tree was the best. It had lots of ornaments with the touch of little stringed paper danish flags that would wrap around the tree. We also spent time making those danish hearts that were woven together and had a handle on them. You could add candy to those too. :) I remember dancing around the tree signing songs. Also the food was traditional foods like pork and pork rinds, the red cabbage, and the pudding that has the almonds in it. You know there were only one or two whole almonds in it and whomever got them would win a prize. The pudding was always so rich that I could not eat a lot, but tried so I could maybe win. lol . She always created a magical time. I’ll always remember Christmas at home.

When I got married things had changed. No more Danish Christmas. I tried, but not too hard to keep the traditions going. It was hard because no one else had these traditions in the Latin culture and I felt out numbered and gave up early on. My kids didn’t grow up with the same feeling of magic that I grew up with. I’m sorry kids.

As I’ve grown up and my kids are older I’ve been trying to center Christmas more and more on the true meaning of Christmas and about Christ and his example and role in this world. I mean, Christ was born and that is very significant. So even though we can create a lovely time during Christmas and enjoy all the decorations it’s also important to remember the Christ and his purpose here on earth. I won’t get into any depth on this, but I’m hoping you know what I mean.

So yes we still decorate a little, and things have changed, but it’s still an enjoyable time to be with family and share giving and thoughtful times with each other. One fun family tradition we do every year is to buy a Christmas tree permit and go out to the forest together and cut our tree down. It’s a fun day that we all enjoy.

Our Christmas tree 2023 - simple forest tree

So what are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

I have to say that leading up to Christmas day is a busy time for me working in the jewelry field. I usually don’t get vacation during this time of year, but making jewelry and being able to see the joy other get when wearing jewelry makes me happy too. I have not designed any specific designs for Christmas this year, but may I suggest some fun rings to look at.

Petals Scale band - a unique silver ring that has these like shield sections or scales that go around the band. Then it has these leave petals or stems that are on each scale. It creates a very cool nature like ring. You can see it by clicking here.
This Life Cross pendant in sterling silver. A must see.
The Tree of Life pendant is also another one that has some great meaning behind it. This pendant is cool because it has the leaves and a tree next to a little flowing creek and on the back it shows the roots and a more winter like tree above.
Or this sooth and rough band it sterling silver. The smooth surface next to the rough organic surface makes a unique ring that also reminds me of nature and Christmas.
This square ring that has leaf like patterns on the edges is a truly lovely ring. It is comfortable with the hidden side designs that bring that cool festive factor to it.

So I could keep going as I have a lot to share, but these rings are some of my favorites that are natural and have a good vibe about them. I love nature and what has been created for all of us to live with. Getting close to nature definitely helps me get closer to God. Hopefully some of these rings can bring that type of representation to you as you wear them.

Pendants

I love designing pendants because most of the ones I do are larger than rings and it allows more space for the design elements. Lately my favorite shape has been the round medallion pendant shapes. I have a few in the works and lots already done. I know they are big and heavy and not everyone likes that. I will try and design a few smaller and thinner ones in the future so that there is a pendant weight for everyone to choose from. My personal favorite is the “Paradise Pendant”. That’s the one I wear most often because it has to much significance to me. I like adding a thick leather cord to them because it is strong and will wear well with the pendants. Of course you can also put them on a thick silver chain, but they will wear out faster than the leather cord would.

Pendants can be so creative. There are so many shapes that can be used. For me I like to find what I feel is a cool shape in the moment and then start the design or idea for the middle. As I develop it I push and pull things around until I like it. I’m a very visual person so I usually can tell what will work and can see it in the metal as I design on paper or in CAD. Most of my design I start with and design totally in CAD. I think that’s funny because when I went to college I took many art classes. They always taught to design on paper first because you have more freedom to do anything you want. You mind can open up and be creative. That may be true, but for me I am able to be free even though I’m limited to the tools and my knowledge of the CAD program. I’ve used CAD for a long time and the tools are not really a hindrance anymore. If anything I can do things and be creative in ways I could not if I were to just use pen and paper. We all work different and have different skills and this is just how I’ve developed mine. I enjoy doing it in this way. I’ve also learned that I am not the best 2D artist. I love to draw and love to design on paper so don’t get me wrong. I just don’t feel I’m great at it even after all these years. I’m not a natural at it like some people. When I discovered CAD and started to learn sculpting in the computer, I fell in love. I’ve never sculpted clay other than making pots, but in CAD I love the ability to sculpt and save your file, then continue with it at any other time. I feel I’m a better 3D artist than a 2D one. It just makes more sense to me and 3D shapes are like real life so it comes easier to me. I’m still not perfect at it, but enjoy doing it.

So back to the pendants. This is why I design my pendants in CAD. The 3d environment make sense to me and it’s easier to do than draw my awkward 2D drawings. It’s interesting how we develop our skills though life. Everyone different with different paths. We do what works best for us and our families.

I hope yo enjoy my ideas coming to life in the form of pendants. I sure do. I get excited each time I’m able to spend some time building a new one. If you ever have a request for one let me know. I’d love to explore the idea and you will have had an influence on the design process. Thank you all those who actually follow me on social media or even read this blog. I doubt there are many, but everyone is important to me. As I try and grow my business please help out by sharing my posts with your friends. I just recently did a giveaway for a silver ring. I will be doing more in the future. Stay up to date and follow me on Instagram. @danaarts

Ring Giveaway

Introduction

I have been thinking a lot about ring giveaways. I’ve decided to give it a try and I am excited to announce that I will be partnering up with @delaneymay.designs for this giveaway. They will be giving away a beaded bracelet and I will be giving away a ring from the “Impressions of Nature” collection. I will do this every so often per ring category from my site. If whom ever wants to participate they will just have to follow the rules to enter. At the end, the randomly chosen person will win a free ring of their choice from that category. How about that. My goal, of course, is to help spread the word and grow Dana Arts following both here and on Instagram. Please help by spreading the word and you might win a free silver ring. So lets just get right into it.

Rules to enter:

Like the contest entry instagram post/reel.
Tag a friend in the comments of the Instagram post (separate comments for each tag gives you more of a chance to win)
Follow Anja @delaneymay.designs and me @DanaArts on Instagram.

Dates: October 7th 2023 is the first day to enter. Winner will be randomly chosen Saturday night October 14th at 7pm Arizona time. :)

Winner: Once the winner is chosen and they chose a ring, it will take 3 weeks to make it and get it to you.

Rings from my collection “Impressions of Nature”

Garden Beds

I love gardening and I wish I had more time for it. last weekend I was able to make one more garden bed 18’ x 5’. I had planned on making two more of them, but only had time for the one. The next few weekends are busy. I had to get some seed into the ground for this growing season. My family and I were able to plant more carrots, some lettuce, three or four types of tomatoes, broccoli, onions, sweet snap peas, sun flowers, basil and thirteen types of peppers. I think that’s all. Hopefully something comes up. I’ve never had much success with tomatoes from seed, but I did a whole row of them. I hope at least a few come up. Anyway, if all of it grows we will have more that we need. I plan on doing what I can to preserve extra and then give away the rest to family and friends.

Ok so another week passed and I didn’t post. There is another garden bed as you can see. This time my daughter Anja wanted to learn and took the initiative to do it herself. I helped and guided, but she did most all of it from pick axing the ground, mixing the dirt, making the frame, adding more dirt and then the water spraying system. So proud of her. We had a freeze one day that I think was the last, but it did some damage to the citrus trees. The leaves are falling and since they are just freshly planted I hope they can recover now. Because of the frost I feel no seeds have come up after the time frame they should be coming up. I may plant more just in case or maybe the seeds know and are waiting for the right time to pop up.

new garden beds — added another garden bed to the right

Slowly but surely we will get this garden dirt better and better every year and hope this all works out. I did run into a slight problem. Finishing off the water system by adding the last spray heads dropped the water pressure too low to work for these three beds. We took out a few spay heads to try and spread out the water. We managed to get it pretty good, but not perfect. I’m thinking I may just take out the water pressure regulator that is set at around 30psi and just not have one. The pressure is low anyway at around 42psi. That just might fix the pressure though. This also gets me to worry about the water pressure in the house. Hopefully we can maintain a nice pressure from the street that is so far away. We’ll see when that time comes. For now the garden is starting to take shape. A place to come to and take care of. It has taken almost a year to get to this point, but it can only keep improving from here. Until next time. :)

So the Adventure begins.

So the Adventure begins! It’s official. We just sold our house and in exchange bought 2.5 acres of land with no home on it. We are excited and a little scared at what comes next. There is a lot of change that will go on in our lives for many years to come. My family and I will grow together through this new and exciting times for us. I hope we can make it happen, meaning that we can build a house that we are happy with. Last night (3/28/22) I dropped the 1967 VW bug off onto the property. I will keep it there. That was day one. Today is day two is today as I write this. Not much happening besides some planning. My plan so far is to get rid of a tree that is going through our electrical line. Once that is gone I hope to get the electricity on so I can then move my shop onto the property. Dana Arts will live in a new home. Cramped, but with lots of room to expand as I am able. After shop is set up we will start making plans to clear the lot a bit, find the leach field, grade the land in some areas, and start to look at plans for a house. My days will be full from here on out. I will do my best to share here on my blog my progress with the land and hopefully my Dana Arts expansion over time. Thank you for supporting me and lets keep Dana Arts alive and growing.

Now to explain these images. lol. So the property use to have a manufactured home on it that burned down. This shed and the backyard walls were still remaining. There is a lot of cleanup to do all over the whole property and to save some time and money I will get this shed up to speed for Dana Arts shop. At a later time down the road I will hopefully build a bigger better shop, but this little thing will get me going for now. I hope to post pictures as I progress through this growing/transition period.

For the ruins I already have plans to save money. I plan on keeping them to save money and time so I don’t have to do all the work myself or pay someone a lot to get rid of it. I’ll clean the area up and then I plan on turning this into a garden. I can envision a garden within the ruin walls. I’ll modify it a little bit, but once cleaned up it should come out beautiful.

I love the dream. I hope that my family and I can make it happen. The first step is complete and now to do the hard work. Stay tuned for more progress at “The Garden House”. (what my family and I decided to call the property).

Audio Block

Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Propagating and Grafting

So I love gardening and I know this has nothing to do with my art, but just a fun thing to do that I’ve recently started experimenting with propagating and grafting. How did this idea get started? Well I had a Modesto ash tree that had a disease. Over the summer all the upper branches died except for one and all the upper branches had very small leaves. It had no growth that season. At the base of the tree I allowed some new growth to start up above the graph. The leaves were three times bigger and they looked like how the tree should be. So I have since replaced the tree with a fan west ash. I took the Modesto ash and cut it down. I then took that new growth branches or scions and stuck some in the ground and some in a jar with water. I also took one and grafted it to the root stalk of the same tree. that is now in a pot.

To not get this confusing I’ll just list my other experiments.

Put into jar with water - bonito ash, modesto ash, apricot, nectorine
stuck into the ground or in pots - bonito ash, modesto ash, nectorine, grape vine, apricot
grafted - a branch of apricot to nectorine, a branch from the nectorine to the apricot, a branch from the bonito ash to the fan west ash.
as I explained about the Modesto ash I grafted into the original rood stalk it came from

I did not use any root hormones. I just used honey on the ones I shoved into the ground. I’ll have to do a follow up, but after over a month now looks like there is grown on the majority of the sticks. The grape vines and the Modesto ash are the two with the most growth. I notice in the jars that the upper growth is coming along just fine, but still no roots. I’m sure it’s concentrating it’s energy to new growth and not the roots, so I’ll wait it out and see if the roots will start at some point.

I’m so excited to see how all this works out. I’ll do a follow up in a few months.

So Many Patterns

Over the years I have been building up a library of patterned rings. I first started out doing these because I felt it was safe and cheaper than working with large diamonds that I could not afford. As time went on I have continued building these rings and have found a real joy in making them. I get inspired in many different ways and try to create a variety of styles hoping to have a little something for everyone. Although I’m not very known and have a long way to go, it doesn’t stop me from continuing to create what I love. Owning a variety of rings is fun and brings a different feel for different occasions.

Ok so lets get into passion. My hope is that other people will also develop a passion for this type of wearable art. When I create a pattern that works it uplifts me and makes me admire the beauty. I could say the same about any art out there. I guess if you are an art lover you can appreciate the talent, inspiration and hard work that goes into making a piece. I like to mention again wearable art. I love this concept because it means that you are able to keep it with you and enjoy it on the go. It doesn’t have to be something that just sits at home, but can be enjoyed in those small moments when you glance down and see the art right at your hands. I don’t just love what I do or create. I also love all those talented people out there that have their own passion whether it be music, art, crafts, engineering, gardening, or anything out there that someone just loves and has a passion for. When someone has a passion for something you can see and feel the affects of it reflect in their work. The attention to detail and the way it all flows together is magical and just uplifts the spirits.

As an artist it’s not always all that wow and powerful inspiration that explodes out and creates these wonderful works. More times than not I’m looking for inspiration and there are many days when you have to work hard for it and even then it goes no where. That is when all the hard work comes in because as I struggle to find what works the journey carries me to find something that finally flows together and it beautiful. Those are the moments when I feel the best. When I can look back and be happy with what I’ve done. Now there are times too when I look back at old pieces I’ve created and really don’t like what I’ve done anymore. I have to also admit that there are pieces of art that I’ve created that I’m not all that satisfied with, but I put it out there and move on from it. Interestingly sometimes other people find those pieces as something they like and are inspired to gravitate towards. Or I feel like this is the one and I so love it, but other people don’t seam to care for it. So I guess the best thing is to keep trying and trying. And that is what I’ve been doing over the years. As you can see I have developed a wide variety of patterns. Some are better than others, but when I look at this image and see the diversity in them I can’t help but to feel a sense of wow. Look at that. In those days of grinding and making I at times loose that sense of what I’m doing and when I look back I can now see it is mounting up to something.

I don’t know the future and don’t know if I’ll ever be successful at being able to do what I love full time on my own. I do know that I have a passion and that drive to keep going. So even if I keep going til the end of my life I’ll be satisfied with the knowledge that I at least tried and never gave up. That may be bad business practice, but as most artists this is more than a business. It’s my passion and I can’t stop and will always find a way to create some form of art that can be worn or shared with others. Inspiring and uplifting to the soul.

More about me

So I wanted to share a little more about who I am as a person and business. I grew up in Paradise California. It was a great place to grow up. I had a small creek behind my house where I play in a lot. I had friends within walking distance. Hills and trees everywhere making it a beautiful place to be. Early on I was interested in art. I remember going to Johnny apple seed day as a kid. I loved seeing the floats go down Sky Way and seeing vendors with handmade crafted items. I have always made little things out of leather or bracelets out of string. As I grew older I ventured into even more. In college I studied art and loved learning new techniques and new ideas to be more creative. I love camping too. I moved to Arizona to work at Anasazi Foundation which is a wilderness survival treatment program for youth. This is where I learned not only to help youth to see and hopefully find the right path in life, but to grow myself in new amazing ways. I also learned a lot more about primitive survival and crafts as a way of life along with leather working, pottery, bow making, flint napping, and survival.

When I got married to my beautiful wife I moved into jewelry making. I have never looked back. It’s fun and creative. I now design in CAD software where I’m allowed to be free to create anything and have it made into reality. I would love to turn my hobbies into a business, but I have never really had the time to make that work out. Lots of these crafts take up so much time that they really are not valued as they should be.

I have been making jewelry for over 20 years and still love it. For years I’ve wanted to make an about video to explain about me and my business. I’ve always wanted it to be more than just jewelry as I love so many crafts. I hope to share some of what I like and for you to get to know what I like. This way you might be able to understand me better as an artist. I did not include everything, but hopefully it captures a little something interesting about me. Enjoy!

Get to know me - Dana Arts

Bridal Show and Craft Fairs

So I’m always trying to improve. I am always pushing and pushing to grow my business and most of the time feels like I’m having fun even if it’s not really growing. As long as I’m enjoying the ride, I think that is what’s important.

So I’ve decided to try something new. For those that have never seen my art in person, now’s your chance. December 21st 2019 I will be in a 10 x 10 booth over at the Queen Creek Family Market. 21802 S Ellsworth Rd., Queen Creek, AZ 85142 which is outside the Queen Creek Library. Come and enjoy looking around and pass by if you’d like to see some of my rings and other crafts on display. It’s open from 9am to 2pm and it’s a Saturday.

I will have some new makeup bags or whatever you want to put in them bags available along with many other products. I so wish I had more time to make more, but I’ll bring what I can. :)

Also I will be going to a bridal show over in the Phoenix Convention Center. This will be January of 2020 on the 11th and 12th. I’m in booth #644. Come by if you’d like to see or try on some rings. It will be a fun time. Mark your calendars. I think it’s $12 to get in.

This is something new to me and I don’t have it all figured out yet. This is one way I’m pushing myself to grow. I could use your support if you will be around during those busy times of year. I’ll post about this again as it gets closer to the event, but I just wanted to get this out early on so you can plan for it. :)