Jewelry Designer Celebrating Her Strides

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Design

Sunday, 15 May 2011 02:30

By D Francis

Antigua St John's - One of Antigua & Barbuda's finest jewelry designers is celebrating a triumph in her quest to further promote her work on the international stage.

Miranda Askie was recently named one of the finalists in the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Jewelry-Making Contest in the US, featuring Swarovski elements.

The piece she submitted was entitled “Bella,” and although she did not win, she is still happy with her progress.

"That fact that I was chosen as one of the finalists, to make it this far among so many international artists, is a great achievement," she told Caribarena.com. "This piece took a lot of time and work, but bit by bit I put it all together. I finished one part, then had to reconstruct. It has been receiving great reviews. I am very, very proud of myself; a lot of interest is being generated in this piece, and from what I’m seeing it may be sold very, very soon.”

Askie began making jewelry in New York in 2004, after her first class in bead stringing.

Recalling her beginnings, she said, “I mentioned to one of my co-workers, Susan Pollicano, about my love for jewelry. She in turn suggested we take some classes at the 51st Street YMCA in New York. I can never forget how exited I was on my first basic bead stringing creation."

Askie gave credit to her teachers and one of her newest clients at the time, Betty Lestello, for playing a crucial role in helping her reach this milestone.

She said it was Lestello who introduced her to Fire Mountain Gems and Beads by offering her some stones and a Fire Mountain Gems catalogue that she had in her collection.

This creative jewelry artist enjoys working with a variety of materials such as bead weaving, precious metal clay, sterling silver, copper, brass and wire bending, but the effect of combining beads, enamel, dichroic glass, and wire with precious metal clay has enabled her creativity to take on a more ethnic tone.

“Each day I see something during my day-to-day activities and knowing that I can transform it into a new PMC creation brings me great satisfaction," she said.

She said many things inspire her as a designer/artist. She is captivated by the changing colours of the earth, sky, and water, and the large variety of music.

"These constant changes have strongly influenced my creativity," she noted.

Her prior experience as a fashion model enabled her to appreciate the value of selective accessories. “In the beginning, I concentrated on original creations based on a style of pure elegance, classical in look, eclectic in design, always accessorizing the positive," Askie explained.

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As for aspiring jewelry artists, she advised, “Follow your mind's eye in your creation, if you can see it. Feel it, then create it. And if you are going to wear it, wear it with the utmost confidence. You can start by selling to your friends and family, and it will spread by word of mouth. Then be prepared to spread your wings like an eagle.”

For a taste of more of Askie's accessories and designs, visit www.mirandadesigns.com.

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