Art Studio: Jewelry makes local artist happy

-- Working artist: April Raden, of Bonita Springs, works from home by day and in her spare time runs her own jewelry business. Each piece of jewelry she makes is different from the next, but all contain her own handmade diacrylic glass wrapped in sterling silver with Swarovski Austrian crystal embellishments, all under the name April Dawns.

-- How she started: Raden has been making jewelry about four years ago, but started her artistic efforts in stained glass when she was 18. "I just self taught. A friend of mine did it. I did a lot of windows, items like that," Raden said. "I like the old traditional stained glass."

n Conversion: Customers eager for Raden to create stained glass "little doggies" and other fad pieces didn’t sit well with Raden. "My heart just wasn’t in it," Raden explained. After tradeshows and wholesale sales with stained glass, Raden quickly grew tired of creating the same thing every time. "It sort of sucks the creativity out of you," she said. "I couldn’t do the same thing over and over again. It didn’t seem artistic."

n April Dawns: Raden began playing with the kiln about five years ago and has been hooked ever since. "The glass takes on a life of its own when it comes out of the kiln," Raden said. "I only do one-of-a-kind. I won’t do 10 necklaces the same. I don’t want anyone to ever see their necklace coming at them." In addition to necklaces, Raden also makes bracelets, rings, earrings, and has currently been creating etched motorcycles in the diacrylic glass. She also offers leather vests, beaded leather covers, grips and purses for those who like to ride.

"It’s a passion. Every time I make something, I love it. It’s hard to explain. To be able to do that full time would be great.
Source: bonitanews