Jewelry Artists

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Cathy Hydeck

Cathy Hydeck

Black Widow

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' Jewelry-Making Contest 2010 featuring Pearls, Organic Beads or Kato Polyclay™

Bronze Medal Prize Winner

Category: Holiday

 Meet the Designer-Artist


Where do you live?
Newtown, Connecticut

Describe your artistic style.
It depends on my mood and the season. I like to make things I have never seen, whimsical night, be the night descriptions.

What inspires you as a designer-artist?
Nature and my inspiration. I dream about jewelry designs. I do a lot of planning in my head before I make a new design.

What materials do you most enjoy working with?
I love natural beads, seed beads, pearls, shells and I love Kato Polyclay™. I have used all kinds of polymer clay and Kato is by far the best. It doesn’t burn and I love the finish.

What is the name of the piece you submitted with your success story?
Black Widow

What inspired this design?
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I have always had a fascination with spider webs. This was a design I dreamed about and planned for a while.

How did it come together? For example, did you plan it out or did it define itself once you began working?
I planned it out to enter in your contest using the materials required. I started by making the web out of bugle beads, then baking them into Kato Polyclay. The rest took shape from there.

Share Your Background


When and how did you begin making jewelry/beading?
I started beading on vacation in Myrtle Beach with my children. We collected shells and made ankle bracelets.

Who introduced you to beading?
I kind of just fell into it. I love to craft!

Do you have an artistic background?
Yes. I went to college for art and I am a watercolor painter; I have tried every craft out there, but love beading the most.

How did you discover Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®?
I found Fire Mountain Gems when I couldn’t find what I wanted in the local craft stores. You have the best prices!

What other hobbies do you have?
Watercolor painting, airbrushing, photography, sewing, mural painting, card painting, fabric painting and beading.

Do you belong to any beading societies or beading groups?
No. I teach beading at adult education in my town.

Beading Success


What role does jewelry-making play in your life?
I bead every day. It makes me happy. I have a full-time job--not creative at all--so when I get home, I make jewelry.

If you used jewelry-making as a way to bring in income, how are you selling yourself and your jewelry?
I attend craft fairs, do a few fundraisers a year, teach classes and do some home parties.

Do you participate in any charity fundraisers?
I have donated jewelry I've made to charity fundraisers to be sold.

Any advice for aspiring jewelry-artists?
Be very aware of the construction of your jewelry, so it does not fall apart when you sell it. Read everything you can and look at the info on Fire Mountain Gems' website. It is very helpful.

View all of Cathy's designs in the Gallery of Designs.