Sunday, October 20, 2013

Linked by Friendship and by Art


For the Blog Book Tour for Cindy Wimmer's first book - “The Missing Link” I decided to revert to what I do best, be it polymer or writing-- tell stories.

When Cindy accorded me the great honor of writing the Forward to her new book, I had the happy task of re-visiting our friendship and how we first became aware of each other's work. To celebrate the publishing of her book, I'm going to show you some photos of my favorite Cindy pieces.

Many of you may not know that I started my work in jewelry with bead stringing. I loved jewelry but had a pretty tight budget-- as a single woman with a mortgage--so I decided to make my own pieces. I found beads to string at the local Ben Franklin store and then started adding chain, wire and found objects. Eventually, I couldn't find the beads I wanted so I started making them with polymer clay.

About that time I decided that polymer beads could be greatly enhanced by more coherent design and wire skills so I was determined to learn more about what made a great necklace. Chain and wire seemed important to the final look so I started buying the “Step by Step Wire” and “Easy Wire” magazines to find more instruction and ideas.


I kept seeing the same contributor turn up in each issue-- “Cindy Wimmer”-- and noticed all the pages I tore out of my magazines to keep and study were her designs. Finally, one day I left a comment on her blog and won one of Cindy's pendants, “Joy”. At the time I was at a difficult place in my life and this little pendant kept me going with its hopeful message. I bought a pair of Cindy's earrings to go with it and they are still my go-to everyday earrings, just copper wire twisted into one of Cindy's simple, iconic designs.

"Joy" pendant and earrings by Cindy Wimmer
 
So we began corresponding about life, jewelry and everything else and in August 2009 we did our first collaboration for a contest called “Summer's Colors” on Susan Lenart Kazmer's blog. Cindy stamped the names of each of the colors onto a unique metal pendant and I did my polymer color thing with the focal bead. I still love this piece.

"Midnight in Mumbai" - Wimmer and Damm collaboration

When I first started making polymer beads, I started noticing that few well-known wire artists used them. One actually told me that people liked beads that were “more natural”, like gemstones or lampwork. Cindy had no hesitations at all about using my polymer beads in her projects that were featured in national magazines and popular books. In fact, she championed them with editors. I was thrilled that her wire could so enhance the beads I was making and show other jewelry stringers that polymer was a design force whose time had come.

Bead Trends collaboration
 
 
Cindy's tutorial in "Wire Style II" - "Fallen to Earth"


My version of Cindy's piece from "Wire Style II"
 
I kept seeing Cindy's work and design style evolve over the next couple of years and was not surprised at all when she told me her book proposal had been accepted by Interweave Press. Cindy's wirestyle always surprises me with its classic yet bold curvatures. I see tribal echoes in them, which I appreciate more than coy filigree and dainty curlicues. Yet it's adaptable to pearls and antique elements as well. I don't know how she does it but you will appreciate her thoughtful and thorough approach when you set your pliers to the wire and start to form her designs.

I chose the bold look of the Sliding Rings link to pair with my rugged polymer “Molten” beads. I could see some mid-century shapes complementing this link as well, something in the style of Matisse perhaps.


 "Molten" necklace - using Sliding Rings links
 
The thing is, Cindy's links make you think. Of new designs. Of pairings you never would have imagined. Of fabulous chains. Of possibilities. And for me, that's the best kind of book.
 
Leave a comment including your e-mail address on this post to be entered into a drawing to receive a copy of “The Missing Link”. Then go to Cindy's blog www.sweetbeadstudio.com for more chances to win giveaways and to find links to all the other posts about “The Missing Link” by the other contributors. I will randomly draw a number at the end of the day on the 20th from the comments below and pass the winner along to Cindy. She'll announce the winners on October 21st and the winners will receive their books shipped directly to you from the publisher.
 


 
 



45 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the wonderful story about your and Cindy's friendship! If we could all be so lucky! :-) Your work is beautiful! Thanks for being on the blog hop and giving me a chance to win a copy of the book!

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  2. It is so inspiring to see both of your unique styles go together to create such stunning pieces! :)

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  3. Christine, thank you. Thank you not only for writing the foreword for The Missing Link, creating the stunning pieces of jewelry, but for writing such a thoughtful blog post that really brought back memories. Reading your post today was like finding a surprise present, waiting for me unexpectedly. I remember these projects well ...little did I know where our friendship and collaborative adventures would lead us. Thank you for inspiring me all these years & I look forward to seeing where our travels lead us next.

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  4. I enjoyed reading about your journey and how you got into making polymer clay beads. Your necklace is stunning. I make lampwork beads and thought that Cindy's book would help me turn them into one of a kind jewelry. Thank you for adding to her blog hop and the chance to win a copy of her book.

    rrunner444@triad.rr.com

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  5. Beautiful tribute to Cindy. I too have admired here work for a long time.

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  6. Hi! I love the combination of your polymer beads with Cindy's links! I'd love to win this book as well.

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  7. I so enjoyed reading the story of how you and Cindy first met, and how your friendship has evolved! Both your work, and Cindy's, is superb!!

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  8. What a great post! And what a great tribute to your friendship with Cindy! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  9. Wonderful story about your relationship with Cindy! I love the necklace "Midnight in Mumbai" that you and Cindy worked on together. Thank you for sharing!

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  10. Your art is amazing! Thank you for the post and the giveaway.

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  11. What a lovely story...I love Cindy's work, and your creations are very lovely! Great partnership!

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  12. I love hearing stories of friendship that blossom from ones passion. Your work is amazing and I can not wait to read and be inspired by Cindy's book.

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  13. oh my email addy is micheladas68@comcast.net

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  14. What a great collaboration between the two of you. It is fun to see how artists' styles evolve and techniques improve over the years. Beautiful work! I'd love to win the book. My email is jewelryprt@yahoo.com

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  15. Love the story! You and Cindy make a wonderful, inspiring pair!!!

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  16. Great story! You and Cindy make a wonderful, inspiring pair!

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  17. I absolutely love your polymer beads. I haven't really been able to make anything yet with my polymer that I'm happy with, but I'm hoping to keep trying and practicing. And I love your "Molten" piece. The links are fantastic and your beads are wonderful with them. What a great story, too about both of your's evolving in your jewelry and friendship. I can't wait to get a copy of this book. All the stories and pictures I've seen of this book during the blog hop have been amazing. Hoping I win a copy, but if I don't I'll be ordering one ASAP. kaythomerson(at)Hotmail.com

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  18. What a wonderful story of collaboration between two artists! I'd love to win this book!!!

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  19. So many styles and such pretty links ... going to be one very good book to own (or win).

    ~cryssT

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  20. You do tell a wonderful story. I still have pictures I cut out of those magazines that are of Cindy's pieces. Her wire work is amazing. I love the collaborations that you two have done - your styles and components are wonderful together.

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  21. You do tell a wonderful story. I still have pictures from those magazines too that have Cindy's work. Her wire work is amazing. I love your collaborations - your styles and components blend so well.

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  22. Your work is lovely. And what a beautiful story about your friendship with Cindy.

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  23. Hi Christine. I'm glad I had a chance to meet you in person at artBliss this year, as brief as it was, and I love how you have shared your history and friendship with Cindy. It's a really special story. Your beads could not go better with the sliding rings you chose and the whole necklace came together just beautifully. Your work is truly art!

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  24. So very well said. This book is amazing and I feel the same that looking through it makes me think. I don't always get that from other jewelry books I've read. When I saw the sliding rings link I was intrigued but couldn't quite see how I could use them. Then, there it is. Your design is gorgeous!

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  25. Christine, So nice to read about another collaborative bead buddies story here - and blossom into a book.
    And very inspiring to know you started making yoiur own beads out of need !
    The pieces above are stunning and "Midnight in Mumbai" is tryly intriguing for me...

    I had a chance to peek into the book, and yes - "Cindy's links make you think" !
    Thanks for providing an opportunity to win a copy of the book here - and id love to win it :)

    Kaushambi
    kaushambis@gmail.com

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  26. Great to see some links from the book that I haven't seen before as I've been following this book tour all week. Really lovely creations.

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  27. That was so cool to read about how you two met. When I first met Cindy, we bonded over her wire link necklace. And your polymer clay transcends what you normally see out there. Your work is lovely!

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  28. It was so cool to hear how you too first met. When I first met Cindy, it was over wire, too! And your polymer clay transcends what's normally out there. I can't even imagine you using Ben Franklin beads, what with all the cool, tribal finds you have. Excellent work, Christine.

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  29. Such a nice post! It is nice to hear about friendships that bloom from creating things together. Thank you for the opportunity to win!

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  30. Love your story. Beaders are a wonderful community. I would love to win this book. My wire work would improve dramatically.

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  31. It seem that the links can be use on many different jewelry making technique. I hope I can win one of the book, so i can try the link for may beaded bead =)

    LiliKrist
    l1l1kr15t@yahoo.com

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  32. Beautiful story. It was only fitting that Cindy selected you to write the Forward. You are both exceptionally talented creators of beautiful designs. The Sliding Rings was one of the must-try links on my list as I was reading the through the book. Your fantastic beads and those links deserve each other in every way... the colors, the textures, the balance of elements ... just lovely.
    Thank you for your gifts of inspiration!

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  33. Good "bead" stories and great book. I'd forgotten about Ben Franklin!

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  34. I agree, polymer clay is a fabulous medium and can really compliment wire jewellery

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  35. Congrats! Love the book!

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  36. Congrats! Love the book!

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  37. Oh, I just love collaborations! They are my favorite thing! I didn't realize that you two had collaborated so much. And I just got my copy so I haven't rally dived into it yet, so I can't wait to read what you wrote about Miss Cindy! I feel like all my very best friends are in this book, since I have met all but two of you, and I think that it looks marvelous. I am itching for some play time when I can work on wire and add them to the beads I started in your class! (By the way, I just got my crayons!!!!!!) Thank you for sharing your joy and your friendship with Cindy with the rest of us. Enjoy the day. Erin

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  38. Those are beautiful pieces of jewelry. I would love the book.

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  39. Beautiful marriage of pc and wire...

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  40. What a wonderful story of your friendship and collaboration with Cindy! Your talents and creativity blend beautifully. My favorite so far is the molten lava/sliding ring necklace...red hot!

    Lynda @ lyndacarson@cox.net

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  41. What a wonderful story of how you two became friends. And great designs.

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  42. Love your pc beads. Will have to rethink learning to make own. Do you recommend any particular book? Thanks, Susan cornish2175@gmail.com

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  43. Love hour pc beads. Will have to rethink making my own. Do you recommend any particular book? Thanks, Susan cornish2175@gmail.com

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  44. Love your pc beads. Will have to rethink learning to make own. Do you recommend any particular book? Thanks, Susan cornish2175@gmail.com

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  45. Christine, you telling of how you and Cindy got to know each other is so moving. Your works go together so well. I am smitten with your necklace of the molten beads and the sliding links and your comment "The thing is, Cindy's links make you think. Of new designs. Of pairings you never would have imagined. Of fabulous chains. Of possibilities. And for me, that's the best kind of book. for me too. Thanks so for telling us your story today.

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