Artist Profile: Green Contest Winner - Christine Wentzel

We are very pleased to share the US winner of our "Green" contest, Christine Wentzel. Christine's lampwork and Czech glass beads woven bracelet, "Emerald City" uses a gold tone expansion band with onto the band using stainless steel wire. It is a beautifully ornate piece!

We asked Christine to tell us a little bit more about herself and her work so that we could share it with our readers.

 Tell us about yourself:

I am married to a great guy for 28 years who doesn’t complain when sliding on runaway beads and when bling creations take precedence over everything else. I reside in the beautiful commonwealth of Virginia where the ocean is just a few clicks to my right and the mountains a few more to my left. I am blessed to work from home as a writer for A WORD for Women, the creator/owner of BLING! by christine, and a dabbler in many crafty tasks.

How did you get interested in beading/jewelry making?

Because of a life-long struggle with rheumatoid arthritis, I was given the challenge to stop a 9-5 career and see what a life-time of playing with arts and crafts could net me from home. I no longer could afford to buy jewelry on a whim so decided to make my own. Thanks to the ease of Internet and boutique shopping it’s been an almost-painless transition from hobbying to selling.

What are your favorite materials to use in jewelry making?

I enjoy beads—gemstones, crystals, glass, wood/seed, acrylics and hand-made. In the case of this contest winner, Emerald City, I was intrigued by the expansion band, but wanted it to be more than a simple cha-cha style. After many, many, many hours of trial and error this version became the foundation for my original line of bling over 15 years ago. It’s remained a unique design.

Who or what inspires your creative process?

For me the material usually inspires the design. Sometimes a specific jewelry need inspires the design as well as commissioned projects. Custom orders are my all-time favorite design challenges. Handing over the finished “baby” is nerve-wracking and exhilarating.

Is there somewhere people can see/purchase your work? 

You can find BLING! by christine at www.blingbychristine.etsy.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.


Congratulations again Christine, and thank you for sharing you work with us. We wish you all the best in your future creative pursuits.