Let me introduce you to this wonderful lady to the left of the screen.She is Mrs.Bonnie Lee of The Familee Jewels.Along with her husband Fred,who does wood turning for the shop,daughter Becky and her mother Ella,The Familee Jewels is truly a family business.Even her other daughter Melissa gets to be in on this act(as the computer guru),she is a very expensive computer consultant(she is paid off in jewelry).The big question right now is if the 3 grandsons,Freddy J.(21 mths)and the twins,Liam and Rory(3 mths) are going to join the team as,the quality control experts(hey Mim lets see if this chain can hold Liam and Rory without breaking).Bonnie's family is from Malta,New York,a small town near Albany.She is a Registered Nurse as well as a Jewelry Designer.She worked for 34 years as a Nurse and says it taught her to be patient,inventive and flexible.Bonnie says these 3 traits are valuable in jewelry design.

Bonnie got started in jewelry design and making when she decided to get out of the house one cold January day.She went down to the local community center and took a class where she learned to make a necklace and earrings. I enjoyed it so much I signed up for another class to make chandelier earrings and talked my Mom and daughter and sister in law into going with me,Bonnie stated.Everything else she has learned has come from online sources,books,tapes and tutorials.Bonnie does beautiful bead stringing but,I think her wire wrapping is just awesome,just have a look at the gorgeous piece to your right.She uses cold connection,like riveting,weaving,and stapling to hold her pieces together.Most of her creation are made from either,sterling silver,brass,or copper.Bonnie is a a pro at mixing gemstones with gorgeous found objects to create some very edgy and creative wearable art.This is what she had to say about where she gets her inspiration,Everywhere.  It's funny but once you start to design things you look at the world differently.  The fold of a drape, the color combinations in a painting, the way a branch moves or the patina of an old coin can stimulate an idea.  I have learned to keep a notebook with me always to write things down or sketch them out before the fleeting germ of an idea is gone.When i ask her about her style her comment was, My style is still evolving but it seems to be settling into a not quite Steampunk Victorian-Industrial direction.   I use vintage jewelry and pieces of hardware salvage and machine parts and combine them with the gemstones and wires.And what a beautiful combination she can make with these simple things.

Making jewelry is more than a hobby for me, it is a passion.  I think about it constantly, and make it for the joy of creating it.  I thoroughly enjoy using found objects and up-cycling them in unexpected ways.The bracelet-ring combination to the left,shows her passion and joy when it comes to jewelry design and making.This piece looks  100 years old but has the modern feel of a piece that a movie star,of today, might wear or maybe it is a magical talisman that one of the  Lady from Avalon wore for a 1000 years and then passed on to her love child.This awesome piece has the look of timeless quality.Bonnie says she has learned a great deal from some of the more than generous great jewelry artists of today like:Preston Reuther the master wire sculptor himself whose detailed videos and down to earth manner made me believe that I could master his techniques,Eni Oken whose inspiring website and incredible tutorials took my work in a more delicate direction, and Sharilyn Miller whose book Bead on a Wire Taught me how to do it right the first time.This statement says it all when it comes to the way Bonnie feels about learning new things:"When you come to the edge of all you've known and are about to step into darkness, one of two things will happen. Either there will be something solid for you to stand on, or you will be taught to fly."
- Unknown

Bonnie enjoys wearing her jewelry.She says she meets very interesting folks when she does,like a lady and her mother she meet while on a recent trip.She meet them during a layover in Washington at Dulles International Airport.While waiting for their connecting flights they struck up a conversation about the necklace Bonnie was wearing,it was one of Bonnie's own creations.Bonnie gave the lady her card and the lady has since bought a few things from her.I believe there is no better way to advertise than to wear your own jewelry.This is what Bonnie said about giving her jewelry as gifts: I make jewelry for my girls all the time.  My favorite has to be the vintage style necklace that I made for our daughter Becky's beach wedding.  It is an Eni Oken inspired choker made of sterling silver wrapped mother of pearl beads with ocean related charms woven into the intricate design.  I almost cried when the photographer thought it was a family heirloom.What a great feeling it must be to know her daughter chose one of her designs to wear on such a special day.Bonnie says she sells mostly to women or to their husband after the wife has told them just where to shop.If you want a custom piece,in Bonnie's great timeless style just contact Bonnie at one of the links below and i know she will do her best to help you out.

 The Familee Jewels can be found at:We have our own website, www.thefamileejewels.com which hosts a blog and links to our etsy store, www.thefamileejewels.etsy.com .  We do home parties and 5 craft shows a year.   The FamiLee jewels also has a  storefront At The Warehouse 20 Learned St. Albany, NY  weekends 10-3.  For anyone living or visiting in or near  the capital district of new York state At The Warehouse is worth the trip.  It is a 10,000 square foot architectural salvage and antiques warehouse that sells it's own line of home decor items made from salvage of course.  On the weekends artisan vendors like myself join them.  It is a fun and welcoming environment that attracts an amazing array of people.Please go and have a look at the GORGEOUS work this family does.You will no be wasting your time.