Susan Riley, Weaver
Tanya Spicer, Bead Weaving and Metals Jewelry Artist
Tina Siebel, Silversmith, Serendipity Creations
At the age of 25 Susan observed a woman weaving on a loom. She was fascinated watching the threads become cloth and knew that this was something she wanted to learn. Her husband purchased a 68" floor loom for her birthday to start her on this path. The loom sat in her library for 20 years. At the age of 65 she retired and made a commitment to learn to weave.
She started with a beginning weaving class with Sonja Wahl at the Thousand Islands Handweavers Museum in Clayton. She was invited and joined the Wednesday Weavers group at the Museum. She found this an invaluable experience in both learning from these women but also sharing their lives together. She also contributes to working in the textile archives, helping with exhibits at the Museum, and teaching weaving.
In her weaving journey, Susan has added an amazing studio: 4 lovely looms and an enchanting stash of yarn. She loves the challenge of learning different weaving techniques specializing in weaving pieces for her home and textured wall hangings. She is fascinated with other cultures and her interest in weaving adds a new dimension to her traveling.
Susan lives outside Waddington on a 250-acre hobby farm with her husband. They enjoy renovating their stone house, gardening, and spending time with their 4-legged children.
315-322-5826
To see Susan's March 2024 Exhibit interview with NCPR's Todd Moe:
Tina Siebel, Silversmith, Serendipity Creations
Tanya Spicer, Bead Weaving and Metals Jewelry Artist
Tina Siebel, Silversmith, Serendipity Creations
Tina started her journey in jewelry making with beads in 2005. Several years later, she began selling at arts festivals in New York and in Florida. Tina's biggest gratification comes from return customers, especially when they are wearing pieces purchased in previous years!
In 2014 at the Florida Society of Goldsmiths' Studio, Tina became "hooked" on silversmithing. She began taking private lessons from Mary Ferrante, an accomplished silversmith, at her studio in New Smyrna Beach. Many classes later, Tina now completes her own design and fabrication with sterling silver or argentium and stone setting. Crediting her teacher with knowledge she so freely shared, Tina now does the same! She has been mentoring young aspiring jewelry artists for many years and began teaching basic silversmithing many years ago!
"People ask me where I get my inspiration, and the truth is, from anything!" My Serendipity Creations are just that. They are ideas that start in my head, go through my heart and hands and ends with my eyes."
www.etsy.com/shop/seredipitycreations
facebook.com/SerendipityCreationsByTina
Tanya Spicer, Bead Weaving and Metals Jewelry Artist
Tanya Spicer, Bead Weaving and Metals Jewelry Artist
Tanya Spicer, Bead Weaving and Metals Jewelry Artist
Tanya is a lifetime North Country native, who grew up just outside of Massena, NY in a little neighborhood called "Baxterville". She read a lot, played with the neighborhood kids, and really enjoyed watching her mom create beautiful items by crocheting, sewing, painting ceramics, and other crafts as well.
She married and had two children but felt compelled (probably from watching her mother enjoy these crafts) to make things by sewing, quilting, and crocheting baby items, household items and decorative pieces as well.
Time went on, crafts were replaced by working full time jobs until her retirement in her early sixties. She remembered a beautiful string of beads that her husband had and looked around for ways to make something beautiful with them. Thus began the love of bead weaving to design little wall hangings, pouch covers, bookmarks, necklaces, and bracelets. Her sister also moved back into the North Country and joined her in bead weaving as well! While searching for beads and supplies on the internet and in stores, the sisters found other ways of making jewelry. Through taking classes and watching videos, and learning from books and magazines, the two sisters learned to create with other metals as well.
She has had her jewelry sell in other venues in the area, and taught jewelry classes at the SLC Arts Council in Potsdam, NY.
Tanya, along with her sister, belongs to The Gallery at Lake Saint Lawrence Arts, a cooperative art gallery and artisan gift shop where she sells her work, teaches classes, and helps with running the gallery.
315-705-1241