Everything you wanted to know about our artist and more

Camilla Walton, Designer
StormRising Designs

I have always been artistic and has always harbored a passion for jewelry and fabrics - anything with color and texture. All my life my friends and family have had to put up with me trotting off to the jewelry counter on shopping expeditions whether in an antique mall, department store or specialty shop. I made home decor and clothing with my sewing machine and altered the appearance of everyday items with faux finishes and stencils but never created jewelry until I retired. StormRising Designs is a true reawakening of my creative side - too long dormant.

With the responsibilities of my software job behind me and my son raised and out of the home I now use my time to indulge my creative passions and nurture my artistic talents to new heights. I have taken many classes to learn beading techniques and nuances of beadwork and I now have an extensive collection of books on the subject of beads, beading techniques, beadwork, jewelry techniques, making wire jewelry, bead embellishment and others. I have created all of the handcrafted beaded jewelry and beadwork on this site. I do not import jewelry from abroad to sell to my customers - I handcraft all of the jewelry in my studio.

I come from an artistic family. In looking at m family history I found many ancestors who were very creative, particularly in stonework. Two branches of the family tree include stone masons and another one includes sculptors and painters. On my mother's side of the family I am descended from sculptors who were active in the late 19th & early 20th century, in Italy and other European countries as well as in the United States. In New York City, check out the statue of Guiseppe Verdi, by Pasquale Civiletti, 1906, who was aided in his work by his brother Salvatore. Pasquale and Salvatore stayed with their younger brother, my great-grandfather, while they worked on the sculpture. It is of white Carrera marble on a granite pedestal, total height 25.5 feet and is located at West 73rd St. & Broadway. Pasquale's brother, Benedetto Civiletti was probably more well known and has many works in public places such as the Teatro Massimo in Palermo as well as numerous museums.

I am a member of the following organizations: The Juried Online Arts Festival, Jewelry Central, Art Space 2000, Art & Design Online. She also exhibits at The Electronic Cottage Online Gallery. My jewelry is being worn in Wales, Australia and Cyprus as well as in the USA.

Here's my little hound dog, Livvy. She's a Doxle (beagle/daschund mix) and she's quite the jumper! Food has to be stored up high to be out of her reach. She occasionally helps out by dragging me away from her beading and computer work, making sure I takes a break. Often she wants to go for a walk or have a little snack but most of the time she just wants a little personal attention. Livvy is helping me become healthier by walking her every day. Livvy leads and I follow - LOL! This is perfect for an 11 year old dog and her mistress as both of us benefit from the exercise!