One request now keeps jewelry on artist’s mind
\nChicago Suburban News, IL<\/p>\n
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Hinsdale, IL –
\nHinsdale resident Colleen Smith now spends about 40 hours a week working on something that started as a request from her sister: making jewelry.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My sister came to me and said she was going to a wedding, and she wanted me to put something together for her,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said.<\/p>\n
She created a chunky necklace of semiprecious stones.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153She got a lot of compliments on it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said, and her jewelry-making grew from there. The necklaces, bracelets and earrings are part of a collection called Colleen\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Creation.<\/p>\n
Smith recently brought her necklaces, bracelets and earrings to the Hinsdale Art Fair. It was her first year at the show.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expect it to go so well and have so many great responses to my jewelry,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said.<\/p>\n
Most of Smith\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s jewelry is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pretty organic looking,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said. She uses semiprecious stone, wood, sterling silver and gold to create her pieces.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153All my things are wearable,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to create something that was too much of a piece, so people would be afraid to wear it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said.
\nColor and texture are the main inspirations for Smith\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s jewelry, as well as how two different stones will look together and as a piece, she said.<\/p>\n
She keeps some tools and materials in a bag in her car so she can work on her jewelry wherever she is, describing herself as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153kind of nomadic.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Just because I love doing it, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m always thinking about it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about putting that piece together. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something about it that makes you feel so good.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Her brother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death in April gave Smith a new reason to create jewelry. Todd Smith died from Ewing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. She hopes to hold a fundraiser for Ewing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Sarcoma research, as well as donate a portion of her jewelry proceeds to the cause.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It means a lot for me to do something as a benefit with my jewelry for Todd,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s devastating, and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no cure,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith said.
\nSmith\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s jewelry is sold at Urban Sole shoe stores, in Hinsdale and La Grange, as well as home shows. Her work can be viewed online at www.creativestonejewelry.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One request now keeps jewelry on artist’s mind Chicago Suburban News, IL Hinsdale, IL – Hinsdale resident Colleen Smith now spends about 40 hours a week working on something that started as a request from her sister: making jewelry. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My sister came to me and said she was going to a wedding, and she wanted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[411],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n