Alabama Craft Guild

Gloria says, "Why jewelry? I love jewelry. I love to buy it; I love to wear it.  I buy clothes to match my jewelry; my husband Steve teases me about this all the time!  Years ago, at a local gem & mineral show, I purchased my first piece of wire wrapped jewelry."

"So many of the wrapped cabochon pendants I saw had too much wire; so much you could not see or appreciate the stone.  So in 2004, I attended the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, Georgia, and learned wire wrapping techniques so I could design my own wraps."

"William Holland became an annual trip, and I've been back for many more classes.  Cold connections, the art of fabrication without soldering, is my favorite skill, and my main focus as of late has been creating copper and other metal jewelry."

"One of my more significant accomplishments was encouraging Steve to learn how to cut cabochons."

Steve says, "Gloria thought I needed another hobby.  So in 2005, I went to William Holland for a cabochons class.  Now, years later, I teach a cabochons class there four weeks a year."

"I'm tickled that my cabochons are the focal point of so many of Gloria's jewelry creations.  While the wire work is what makes wire jewelry 'jewelry,' it's the cabochon in the piece that becomes the star, relegating the wire's role to that of supporting actor."

Gloria says, "Not so fast, Sweetie.  While I design my pendants with the goal of wrapping the cabochons in such a manner as to enhance the beauty of each stone, without the wire wrap, a cabochon is just another rock…"

Gloria and Steve enjoy their collaborative efforts in designing jewelry.  They sell their jewelry at the ADC's Fall Craft Classic every year.  They also participate in the annual "Riverchase Loves Artists" show, which supports three local charities, and in the Alabama Mineral & Lapidary Society's annual Rock & Gem Show.  Gloria is a twice Past President of the AMLS.  Steve designed web sites for both of them.  Gloria sells her jewelry at Wire Treasures by Gloria and at Gotta Love Copper!  Steve offers his cabochons for sale at Bitter Brook Cabochons.