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Kathy Richardson of Lindsborg works under the name IBIS WOMAN in designing one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry.
Richardson gathers beads and findings from all over the world to her workbench in Small World Gallery on Lindsborg’s Main Street. The walls, drawers and surfaces of her work area showcase the diversity. |
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There are:
• trade beads -- handmade in Italy, the Czech Republic, and in several African nations -- that have been used as money or are based on techniques and styles that have been used for trade.
• semi-precious stones -- the rainbow of colors ranging from the intense purple of
charoite, found only on the banks of one particular Russian river, to the gentle bands of blues and greens in wave ocean jasper, found only in Madagascar.
• silver clasps and beads, made by hand in Turkey, Israel, and in the densely forested and remote hills of Thailand -- all using centuries-old techniques.
• glass, from master Italian glass blowers, to beads shaped from recycled glass in African furnaces, to the precision mass glassmaking processes in Japan. |
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There also are vintage glass beads, purchased in small lots from German and Czech collections.
Richardson also can make jewelry from beads selected by clients or to match particular pieces of clothing or for special occasions.
Richardson said the sense of creativity in Lindsborg encouraged her to experiment with assembling jewelry. IBIS WOMAN was born in 2002, just four years after Richardson moved to Lindsborg from Denver.
"The talents here seem to be around every corner," she said. "It gets you in the mood to give other forms of creativity a try."
Richardson is a writer by education and profession.
IBIS WOMAN designs are found only in Lindsborg. |
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