West Wind Designs, Rapid City, SD
I started my love for stones and artifacts as a young girl, as my father became interested in Indian artifacts and we spent many a weekend in Wyoming hunting for them, and the love has grown over the years. My father went on to become an accomplished silver/gold smith, and taught my younger brother the trade. He opened a rock shop in Buffalo, Wyoming and upon visits to them I would find myself going thru each bin looking at the different stones, and being amazed at what Mother Nature creates.
After my father’s passing I decided to try my hand at creating jewelry, (and am sorry I didn’t do it while he was here) so I took a wire wrapping class, got my brother to cut me some great cabochons and began creating. I found the art of wire wrapping is just that and art, I can create something very simple or very elaborate and a lot of it depends on the stone. No two pieces ever come out the same which make each piece so unique.
I find that my new favorite stone changes almost daily, and pride my self in using the best Mother Nature has to offer, from the Russian Simbersite to the beautiful patterns in the Crazy Lace agate, and being able to sculpt wire around each stone to bring out it’s beauty is so very gratifying.
