Tammy Powley

Tammy Powley is a writer, designer, and teacher. She has been a long time crafter working in all kinds of media from fiber arts to glass. After spending eight years on the art show circuit selling her jewelry designs as well as supplying small boutiques with her work and selling through on-line auction sites, she began writing about her crafting experiences and focused on teaching others how to make jewelry. She is the author of numerous jewelry making books, including The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making, Picture Yourself Creating Metal Clay Jewelry, Jewelry and Beading Designs for Dummies, Making Designer Bead and Wire Jewelry, Making Designer Seed Bead, Stone, and Crystal Jewelry, and Making Designer Mixed Media and Memory Jewelry. In addition to print publications, Tammy has an extensive background in writing for the web and has been About.com’s Guide to Jewelry Making since 1998. Tammy has a Ph.D. in Texts and Technology, and as her "day job," she teaches college English, primarily composition, literature, and technical communications.

Tammy's passion for creating jewelry started back in 1989 when she attended a rock show in a quest for holiday gifts. Many of the vendors at the show were selling stone jewelry. Since she had made jewelry during the 70s, Tammy had some understanding of basic jewelry techniques. She bought some stone beads and findings at the next rock show, did a little research, and made some jewelry items for gifts. After showing a few pieces to friends and co-workers, Tammy started receiving requests to purchase her jewelry. A week later, she had sold all her gifts and was in the jewelry business. It felt wonderful, and Tammy knew she had begun an exciting, creative journey.
While Tammy continued her jewelry making efforts, she began to study her craft more seriously by taking jewelry making classes. She studied jewelry design for two years at the Winter Park Adult Vocational Center, learning a variety of techniques including fabrication, soldering, wire work, beading, casting, engraving, and enameling. Tammy still continues to take classes and has also added the following techniques to her list: fused glass, lampworking, lost wax casting, wire wrapping, metal clay, and cabbing.

Today, Tammy sells her work primarily on commission and through her Etsy shop, but her main focus is writing about arts and crafts and using this medium to teach others how to make and sell hand-crafted jewelry.

Projects on FaveCrafts:

Geometric Gemstone and Pearl Knot Necklace

Shot Through the Heart Necklace

Links:

Etsy Shop

The Complete Guide to Jewelry Making