DonnaBarnako.com

The perfect gift!

 Some Festive Gift Ideas from
the Jewelry Studio of Donna Barnako
It's Never Too Late! 

Here are some last minute ideas for your holiday shopping list.  I am happy to giftwrap, mail, welcome you to my studio, send other photos, whatever you would like to make your gift giving (and receiving) as easy as possible.  I do take PayPal, too! Below are descriptions of some of my newer pieces.

 

"Camouflage"
 

A freshwater cultured pearl necklace with matching earrings.  It is meant to be worn at the base of the neck, has a lovely sterling silver and matching pearl clasp and unusual paddle shaped pearls that give a ruffled appearance.  Wonderful with a plain cashmere sweater!  $175 for necklace and earrings.

 

"Painting with Fire"
 

This is a classic designed bead crocheted necklace with a stunning handmade glass focal bead.  I purchased the focal bead in Rockland, Maine from a design studio called "Painting with Fire", hence the name.  The bead crochet takes me many, many hours to complete, about one inch in an evening, and this is after I've strung the 15 feet of beads needed to do the crochet.  There are sterling silver accents and clasp and the beads are a Prussian blue with antique gold to complete the effect.  $200.

 

"Crossover"
 

A really fun to make and easy to wear necklace.  It allows me to raid my stash of wonderful antique and exotic findings I've gathered over the years.  The necklace is a long chain meant to be crossed over rather than clasped.  On each end I've assembled some accents.  The close up of either end gives you the idea:  an ancient Berber enameled medallion, an equally old sterling and onyx studded globe, a sterling wire worked bead I've made, quartz, Swarovski crystal  and a really wonderful royal blue "found object" from my endless antique market forays.  Wear it to the super market or to the White House, a real conversation starter.  $180.

 

Photo #276 "Scarab"
 

A linked bracelet that incorporates so many techniques:  cutting with a jeweler's saw, riveting, etching designs with acid, torching for color, oxidizing for an antique look.  The bracelet features a vintage 2cent stamp (Statue of Liberty), watch parts, a bumblebee, semiprecious pumpkin agate and turquoise.  $250.

 

Have a very wonderful, warm holiday.

The best to all for a healthy and happy 2012

Donna 

Looking for a Home

With three venues for my jewelry, private clients, as well as shows through Great Falls Studios, I have been challenged to fortify my inventory. 

Since I will be teaching this wonderful macramé bracelet class at Star's this Spring (details below) and since I have sold every one of these bracelets I've ever made, I decided to get to work!  And this is what I produced:  one completed bracelet, "Sticks and Stones" that fits my 6 1/4" wrist, and four equally fabulous pieces waiting for their "forever homes".  Each will be custom-fitted to the new owner's wrist.  Each is $350.

"Sticks and Stones" features all the colors I love and I would not be unhappy if it chooses me for its forever home.  It's chock-a-block with semi-precious stones in earthtone shades of green, clay, taupe and teal.  There's hidden surprises in all these bracelets and this one features a watch gear, a carved stone bear fetish, a tiny filigree butterfly and lots more.

Number Two is "English Country Garden" with luscious shades of lavender, lilac, sea green and aquamarine.  There are four lovely handmade torch fired glass beads and some very pretty vintage two-toned lavender flowers.

Number Three is "Fade to Black", a dramatic midnight, periwinkle, teal and black number that has stars, several Murano beads and a spectacular dichroic stained glass button as closure.

Number Four is "Antique Lace", with shades of ecru, ivory, gold and a nifty little Sterling hedgehog charm that I found in England.  The gold is 14K and the square button which matches perfectly is from Dublin.  An international bracelet!

Number Five is "Chocolate Obsession" which features copper, brass, crystal and yummy vintage leaves in a half dozen shades of brown and taupe.  Jet black beads set it all off and a cool bronze button I bought in Dublin is the closure.

If you are interested in any of these pieces, drop me an email.  If you're "from away" you can always just send me your wrist size!

My class, "Daggers and Dandelions" will be Saturday, April 23, 10-4pm at Star's Beads in Vienna, Va.  (tel 703-983-7018).  Registration begins tomorrow (January 18).  The class is $60 and requires no previous experience.

I will also be teaching my "Steampunk Style" class again on Friday, May 6th, 10-4pm at Star's.  This class has been full each time I've taught it and includes many wonderful techniques. 

Hope to see or hear from you soon!

Summer in Maine, so far

Our 2010 summer in Maine has started off with great weather, a Fourth of July lobster bake and exciting plans for a trunk showing of my jewelry in Wiscasset, Maine for July 22-23.  Here's a link to the press release.

I am very pleased to have completed Random Acts of Beads, a necklace five years in the making, shown in the press release (and above).  It is comprised of 18 separate beaded components which were then sewn onto a separate beaded necklace base.  It's in shades of caramel and copper with purple accents and made to sit at the base of the neck for all to see.

I have also been very busy making a half dozen unusual freshwater cultured pearl necklaces (above).  They're unusual because of the pearl shapes and incredible iridescent colors.  Shown are Jacks (they remind me of the Jacks game we used to play as kids), Merlot and Hummingbird.

For the many lovers of purple, I made a seven-strand pearl bracelet that is definitely BLING.  The custom two-inch dichroic glass and Sterling clasp is meant to be worn on the front of the wrist, the better to show it off, along with the 14 Swarovski crystal cubes alongside it.

The last photo is NightBloom (above), one of two stunning (if I do say so) bracelets that really need to be seen in person.  NightBloom features scores of beads:  vintage, glass, stones and gems in black, gray, taupe, silver, copper, lavender and teal. The closure is handmade glass in black and white stripes by David Christianson of Providence, Rhode Island.  The second bracelet (no photo) is in lime and turquoise with seahorses, shells and fish with an eye-catching ceramic toggle clasp.  This is a happy bracelet.

If you're anywhere in the midcoast Maine area on July 22-23, please stop by and see the trunk show as well as DebraElizabeth's wonderful shop, right on the banks of the Sheepscot River.  Be sure to get in line for a lobster roll at world famous Red's Eats, right at the end of the block.  Deb's phone # is 207 882 8485.
 
If I don't see you there, be sure to mark October 16-17 on your calendar for the Great Falls Studio Tour.  I'll be opening my studio once again for this event, which gets bigger and bigger each year.

Artifact

My very most favorite thing to do recently is this, making my new design, Artifact. 

It takes several days to construct due to the number of steps involved:  etching the copper or brass which has been stamped with a design, in an acid bath; cutting the shape with a jeweler's saw, drilling the holes for the rivets, applying a patina and antiquing the metal, riveting the piece together, making the chain links and finally, applying a fixative.

The necklace, or pendant version, which I've called Ancient is very special, too.  I have acquired rare and unusual-looking stones and fossils from a stone cutter (lapidarian) in Tucson. 

For each I have custom cut an underpinning with prongs which I attach to a metal base.  The prongs fasten the stone to the underpinning, which I then rivet to the metal base.  There is one on display at The Artisans and I have two more on my work bench in progress:  one is a lovely fossil sand dollar and the second is a very unusual stone called Ribbon Turquoise.  It actually has a strand of turquoise cutting through it like a narrow river.  Quite beautiful.

I will be teaching Artifact, the bracelet, for the second time on Saturday, April 24 at Star's Beads in Vienna.

Hearts Afire

Start with four splendid handmade glass torch fired beads embellished with flowers and dots and swirls in palest lavender and gray, add about 4" of my bead crochet in a wonderful mix of Czech glass in dark grey, deep purple, some stripes and bronze.

Then add some lacey copper bead caps and a cute dragonfly charm and top off with a gorgeous Patricia Healey copper and brass enameled heart. 

This is Hearts Afire and truly, the photo does not do it justice.  8" long.  $250.

Sizzler

Three hot dichroic glass beads by California artist Paula Radke in intense cinnamon and saffron colors, and a spikey antique gold and lime torch made bead are the focus of this bangle. 

All in copper coiling and wire work.

Great for a redhead (or auburn!).  6-7”.  $75.

Copper Dots

A wonderful color combination of soft blue polka dot glass beads (handmade by torch) and a beaded bead focal bead (by me). 

The sea glass blue is a beautiful complement to the copper and champagne colored beads. 

A copper hand-formed bangle.  6-6 ½” around.  $125.

Catch of the Day

A Sterling Silver bangle in a soft sea foam color. 

All the beads are ceramic or Sterling with a cute ceramic fish focal bead and a tiny, tiny Sterling fish charm.

Hand formed Sterling clasp.   6 ½”-7”.  $100.

Santa Fe Sunset

This is one of my rare free form beaded bracelets. 

I love to do free form bead work, but it is so very labor intensive and mentally challenging.  This royal blue and deep orange beauty takes its color inspiration from the Murano focal bead in its center. 

I purchased it on the enchanting island of Murano several years ago because it is not at all like the typical Venetian beads one sees. It is 6 ½” long and has gold and silver foil at its depths along with black, royal and deep orange. 

The complementary seed beads are strung freeform in a brick stitch and I’ve capped it off with a wonderful handmade glass toggle closure from Rhode Island artist David Christianson.  $250.

Found Treasures

A gorgeous “charm” bracelet with all sorts of treasures woven in.  Chock-a-block with handmade Raku beads in all shapes and with a gorgeous dark teal oil slick patina.

I’ve complemented them with vintage copper shields, charms, coins, a special”beaded bead” flower that I made, too, in shades of teal with over 50 beads contained in it, a carved stone bear fetish and a beautiful hand formed copper toggle and clasp. 

This is truly art-to-wear and should not be hidden in a jewelry box! Seven inches long. $250.