One Bite At A Time

This is the message board in my kitchen. I like to change the message from time to time to reflect things we need to think about, post messages to congratulate members of our family, encourage each other, or just inspire someone to do their best.

Lately, I've had quite a lot of GOOD in my life -- good news, good happenings, positive outcomes. I've told you some of it already. I'm so thankful for all of it.

Lately, though, I've also had a lot of NOT-SO-GOOD. In July alone, one of our dogs nearly died and required expensive emergency vet care, the master bathroom shower leaked into the living room ceiling and caused a catastrophic failure of the drywall, resulting in a huge 3' square wet hole in my living room ceiling and the total destruction of my master bathroom, and the air handler for our upstairs heat pump backed up and began leaking into the ceiling of the master bedroom. You can imagine how that went.

The work that I do as my 'day job' has slowly crept up to a level that is overwhelming. I've gotten many parts of it under control, but for a while there, I was seriously stressed and managing WAY too many teeny tiny details. Add to that the kids being home, and getting enough time during working hours to handle everything is nearly impossible. Thankfully, my boss is awesome and trusts me to get the work done.

My middle daughter was having a hard time grasping some of the finer points of appropriate school behavior.

Somehow, I hurt my foot enough that walking is painfully difficult.

We have to choose contractors for the bathroom remodel. I have to pick out tile and cabinetry and paint and accessories for a project I wasn't planning on doing.

It's all been a lot (too much!) to handle.

BUT.

In all of this, just when I thought the Universe was all about handing me a big bucket of crap, I realized I was also getting handed a bucket of good stuff, too.

People starting coming out of the woodwork with recommendations for tile guys, and drywall people, and plumbers.

The sales guy at the tile place helped me narrow down my choices and choose a selection of really pretty and complementary tile for our teeny master bathroom.

We found out we might be getting a decent refund from a previous homeowner's policy we weren't supposed to be paying on.

I got a raise at work!

Wren had a great day at school yesterday.

My foot pain (that I thought might be a stress fracture) is actually plantar fasciitis. Soft tissue injury, difficult to heal, but not as bad as a fracture.

I got some copper pieces ready for etching.

And my husband brought me flowers on Monday.

So, when I take everything together, there really has been a LOT of good along with the not-so-good. Staying positive is a good thing, and it helps. I'm so grateful for the support of friends and family, including my virtual 'tribe' -- you guys! Sometimes, it's true. When you have a LOT on your plate, you just have to remember to deal with one thing at a time so it all doesn't overwhelm you. Eat that elephant one forkful at a time!

AND, to bring some focus back on art and jewelry, here's my Bead Table Wednesday contribution...

I've moved things to my sewing space to try to keep my kitchen island from becoming a beady, coppery wasteland of in-process projects.

I hope you all have a terrific Wednesday!

Encircled

I just completed a custom order for a friend that included a necklace and a pair of coordinating earrings. It is one of my 'Industrial Revolution' series pieces that I started a year or two ago. I don't go in for all-out steampunk style, but I do like an overall industrial feel to some of my work.

This is the necklace, 'Encircled':

And these are the earrings that go with the necklace:

Have I mentioned just how much I love working with copper? I love it.

It's Here!

Today is December 1st, and the Winter issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry is now on the magazine racks everywhere!


I mentioned before that I was going to have an article and some work in this issue -- and I do -- but I am also accompanied by some fo the most fantastic artists I have ever seen! I mean, really, MY work in the company of people like Melissa Manley, and Barbara Lewis, and Denise Yezbak Moore and Cindy Wimmer and friends? Really? It's an honor, truly, and I am so incredibly happy to be among them.

(OMG, I am so excited, I can hardly stand it!!!)

Go pick up the magazine for yourself...it's chock-full of fantastic ideas and beautiful pieces of work.

The Green Man

I received a request from a friend of mine to create a Viking knit bracelet that has some beads shaped like the Green Man on them. This friend has an affinity for this Celtic motif and uses it in her home and even has a Green Man tattoo. Of course, I love a challenge and I also love to sculpt in glass. Some of you who read my blog entry from October 7, about soul-filling, have already seen the beads.

The finished bracelet looks like this:


It's on the way to my friend in Illinois right now. Enjoy, Katie!

Edited to add: The lovely wirework endcaps are a creation of the brilliant Kerry Bogert. I want to be sure to give her credit for the design of those!

Hard Candy!!

More about the ArtBliss retreat.....

So, when we last left me, I had attended the Meet and Greet reception for instructors and students. After the reception, in which a glass of Chardonnay and a huge brownie was consumed, I retreated to the utter silence and calm of my hotel room. (side note: if you have not stayed in a Hampton Inn recently, you should. Beautiful!) I poked around on the internet for a while, submitted a piece of jewelry to another magazine, and watched some of a Will Smith movie. It was a bit of heaven for me.

When the alarm went off early the next morning, I was ready and SO looking forward to my class.

Melissa Manley is a fantastic instructor. I can't say enough great things about her, so you're just going to have to listen to me gush about it all for a while. I was lucky to find Melissa Meman was in my class, too, so we grabbed a table together and bemoaned the fact that we did not bring all of the tools we wish we had!

Note to all you who may attend a retreat or other jewelry class like this: BRING YOUR TOOLS, even the ones not officially on the 'required tools and supplies' list!!! I was so clueless, and I didn't realize I should have just loaded the darn entire toolbox up instead of paring down to the bare minimum, especially since I drove to the event! I wasn't without the necessary tools, but having mine would have helped, since we shared a lot of stuff.

But I digress...

So, here we are, all ready to start metalsmithing in a hotel conference room...


(That's my friend, Melissa Meman on the left!)

We listened to Melissa Manley talk about metals and her background and a bit about what we were going to learn, and then we just got on with it!

One of the things I like best about her classes is that she is a very epxeriential learner and teacher -- always ready to try stuff out and not get caught up in "what you're supposed to do".

So, we annealed metal, and cut it, dapped it into domes, enameled it, and then learned how to tube rivet it into beads. Along the way, we learned annealing, pickling, torch-fired enameling, sawing, filing, hole-punching, decorative techniques, tube riveting, and probably a zillion other things! It was amazing! Here are a few action shots compiled together in a collage....


From left to right, top to bottom: Melissa demonstrates sanding the discs; Using the disc cutter (note the hydraulic press and rolling mill!); Dapping; Pickled and halfway finished; Enameling; Assembling; More tools!; So very happy!; Finished work!


And here are my finished beads! I can hardly believe *I* made these! I mean, really. I am on a creative bender now, desperately searching for and ordering all kinds of tools so I can do MORE of these! And the jewelry and wearable art possibilities are amazing! I cannot stop sketching all the fabulous ideas I have that pop into my head pretty much all day (and probably all night, too). My sketching skills are....well....sketchy, at best, so I hope that what I've been drawing still means something to me when I finally get around to making everything.

My actual life keeps getting in the way, though. Very annoying.

Well, not my kids. Or my husband. They aren't annoying (ok, maybe sometimes...).

By lunchtime on Saturday, I was so completely full of adrenaline and creative energy...being there in that workshop and meeting and talking with so many creative souls was like feeding every appetite I have. Well, almost all of them. I felt like I was hyperventilating all during lunch, trying to take everything in, process it, learn, watch, listen, talk, dream, think... talking to people about what we were doing and what *they* were doing, seeing everyone's work from the morning, and dying to get back into the room to do MORE! It was overwhelming, but it a really, really good way. That kind of energy comes from a pure place in my soul. It's exhausting, and I can't live there every day, but when I can get to that place...oh! It feeds me and fills me, and makes me more ME.

I sound slightly insane, don't I?

I wish for a long, uninterrupted stretch of time over several days to get some of this banged out (pun TOTALLY intended!). That's not going to happen, so I really, really, really need to sharpen my focus and hone in on what needs to be done step by step so I can actually make progress on this work, and not just flounder around in a sea of creative angst.

And Barbara Lewis has re-ignited the fire about a book idea I have had for a long time....I need to make that proposal and get it out to someone who can actually help me make that a reality.

And the copper....the metals are just calling me. I have SO MANY ideas.

Thank you, Melissa, and thank you Cindy and Jeanette, for facilitating a wonderful experience!

(and I haven't even talked about the evening class, 'Roll Playing'....but I will. Soon.)

ETA: Most of these pictures were taken by the wonderful Cindy Wimmer, of Sweet Bead Studio and the cofounder of ArtBLISS! Thanks for the great shots!

Remembrance of things past

I'll get back to my adventures in metals at ArtBliss in my next post, but first, I wanted to write about something for my Art Bead Scene Carnival post for the month. The topic is Remembrance.

I have been making glass beads for about seven years, and selling them in my own jewelry designs for about the past three years. It's always funny (funny-haha, AND funny-strange) to look back on my own work from those beginning days.

When I see pictures of pieces I made back in 2007, I don;t know whether I should be alarmed or wistful. I clearly didn't know much about working with wire or metals then, and I certainly didn't feel like I was *really* expressing myself. I'm going to embarrass myself here a little and show a picture from those early days...like this one, a purple and black Viking wire necklace that just....didn't work:

THAT, my friends, is an abomination of photography AND jewelry design. I had a concept in my head, and definitely was going somewhere with it, but somehow it got lost along the way. I probably refolded the map incorrectly or something because we did not reach the artistic destination here. Ugh!

I still have this necklace, and recently, I thought about taking it apart and remaking it somehow. I love the wirework, and the bead isn't too bad, but it looks like a Gothic nightmare when put together!

Over the past little while, though, I have learned a few things about photography as well as jewelry design and my own inclinations as an artist. First of all, I don;t have to try so freaking hard all the time. A lot of my better work springs from not actually wrestling with the materials. Here's a more recent Viking wire necklace that I think works a little better (and has some MUCH better beads in it!):

Much better, in terms of photography, beadmaking skill, and design. I actually DID get to where I was going with this one, and it garnered a lot of attention (alas, but no sale) at my recent show.

As an artist, I think it's important to look back periodically and see where you have come from. Perspective is always a good thing, and it helps you figure out where you are now, as well as see how far you have come. I know that I am always amazed at the difference three years makes, and I am excited to see where I will be three years from now. So many good things have happened in 2010 for me that I think truly anything is possible in 2013!

What do you look back on and remember that gives you perspective for today?

Getting back to it...

Okay, so I think I took the month of August pretty much off. Too hot to make beads, too hot to do much, kids running around, work stuff needed doing, and frankly, I was out of inspiring ideas.

But fall is (finally!) coming, and it's on, now, baby!

My first big (real) art show is on September 26 (Arts Around The Lake at the University of Richmond), and I am in "make" mode, planning the inventory I am going to need. Thankfully the preschoolers go back on the 14th, and I know that I will be spending every preschool morning at the torch, making the beads, and at the table, making the jewelry.

Halloween is right around the corner, and so is Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's early, for the September show, but I am planning to have all 3 holidays covered in some way for my displays.

Right now, I'm working on a series of bracelets and some necklaces in "theme" colors....I am making bead sets in specific color palettes that will be simply strung and turned into earrings.

For example, the 'Hallowscream' line palettes are:
lime green/orange/black/purple
black/white/grey
lime/orange/black
orange/black/purple

I'll make sets in these color schemes and do a simple bracelet, earrings and necklace for each, and then a number of single sculpted pendants: ghosts, pumpkins, bats, etc.

Here are some of the beads from the first go-round:
I'm planning to do a Fall palette, a Christmas palette, and a Winter palette. I think I can manage enough beads to have 6 bracelets, at least 6 pairs of earrings, and 6 necklaces for each palette, plus any sculptural single pendants I think of.

I'll be making many more beads for the 'Bloomz' line I've been doing, and trying for 8 or so bracelets, earring pairs and pendants. Then there will be the rest, which will be my one-off designs, and the work that has been published recently.

God, I hope that is enough. It might not be, but there is my plan, not having done the show before.

I pray that my sales will be sufficient to allow me to buy my new torch, pay (off?) my kiln, and start paying for an oxygen concentrator.

The sales needed for those goals approaches the $1K mark. Realistically, can I do that in one day? I don't know. Should I try for it and set myself up for it? Absolutely.

And so, I pray.

Please let me stay positive throughout this incredibly busy September, let me get done what needs to be gotten done, and please let me not get to stressed out while doing it. And please help me to see the path clear to the goals I have set up for myself so I can finally, finally get to where I want to be.

And I cross my fingers, and I plan, and make, and think, and create, and design, and set-up and tear down and rearrange.

Wouldn't it be something? A new *real* torch, an oxygen concentrator AND a kiln by the end of 2010?

Perspire, Inspire

Good grief, but it's hotter than the surface of the sun around here! We've had temps in the I-kid-you-not 100's for the past week, with 45% humidity. I hate it. I lived in Miami for ten years when I was growing up, and as soon as I graduated from high school, I went as far from Miami as I could. Do not like excessive heat. We've been spending a lot of time finding indoor fun, and also going out for brief periods early in the morning for fun like this:
One of out local outdoor malls has a fountain and they let the kids play in it. It's like a little water park and it's so much fun! It's even better that there is a Starbuck's right next to it so Momma can have her weekly Java Chip Frappuccino while the kids play.

Because the heat has been so ridiculous, I haven't been able to make any beads!! It's just too hot to even THINK about sitting in front of a huge flame, sweating on my glass rods. Yuck. I wish I could say I have been churning out the jewelry pieces, too, but alas, not so much. I've had a lot of great ideas, and I have been playing around with new (for me) types of wire, but not a whole lot is coming together.

This is a tough time for spending a lot of solitary creative time. The little kids are off of preschool for a couple of weeks, so my days are full of managing them, spending fun time with them, and doing things that are not focused on jewelry or glass or business. I've also been working at my 'real' job (which I do about ten hours a week), and between that, and the kidlets, well, there hasn't been a whole lot of creative time.

So one of the things I have been doing is focusing on storing up images for color inspiration for later. I took these pictures at my kitchen window...
That is one of the zinnias from the kids' garden in our yard. I love cobalt blue glass and this bottle always sits on my windowsill. I think they make a very intense and mysterious combination. It makes me think of the deep end of the ocean, or summer twilight.

Playing with the cobalt blue and magenta zinna, I added in this:
The sheer green of the tomato and the bright orange of the washcloth...I like the blue-magenta-orange, and I like the green-orange-blue, but all of them together isn't doing it for me.
This, however, I like. The sheer green, with the olive green and the cobalt is just pretty.

I might have to see what I can come up with later this week. It's supposed to be-- gasp!--in the 80's for a few days! Woohoo! Time to set up the torch!

Okay, I promise, a new jewelry piece this week. I'm working on something right now as I type (yes, I multitask...I have three kids...).

For now, though, a picnic awaits...

How do you stay in touch with your creative-ness when you can't make art directly?

Unbelievable Generosity.....and....MORE SOUP!

Go immediately to check out Denise Yezbak Moore's blog for the details on how to enter her amazing giveaway. She is giving away a HUGE stash of beads to a lucky artist. It's incredible, and I hope you (*I*) win it! :) Seriously, LOOK at all the beady goodness! *drool*

Speaking of unbelievable generosity, thank you everyone who left me such inspiring and loving comments about my Bead Soup creations yesterday. You all are terrific, and you have no idea just how much you made my day. Thank you all so very much!

And without further ado.....check out today's special on the menu....Tuesday Bead Soup!!

37. Filomena, Pink Velvet Bird

38. Lyn, Lyn Foley

39. Tari, Pearl and Pebble

40. Rebecca, Song Beads

41. Regina, Regina's Writings

42. Nancy, The Rabbit Muse

43. Whitney, Whitney Lassini

44. Maria, Garden Path Beads

45. Michelle, Life in the Bead Lane

46. Ann, My Critical Eye

47. Lisa, Lucid Moon Studio


There are SO many beautiful and yummy creations being cooked up....you are really missing out if you don't go see them!

Stay tuned for some new work from me later on today (...hopefully...)!

Hey, Hey, The Party's HERE!!

Okay, so I got an amazing collection of fantastic beads from my Bead Soup partners, Beth and Evie McCord, of EB Bead and Metal Works. At first, I didn’t know what the heck to do with the big enameled frog, but after a little while of sitting with the beads and playing with them, and looking at the gorgeous enameling job on that frog (not to mention the seriously good sawing!) the design came to me.

Ta-DAAAA!

The first of my three projects is this one….called ‘Reach’.

Rather than hang the frog from a necklace, I wired it to a piece of heavy-gauge copper wire that I bent into a branch-like shape. Then I made a length of braided and beaded cord and combined it with copper chain. I added the green beads as accents on one side and to, along with the green beaded cord, suggest leaves or rainforest trees. That’s what I had in mind, anyway.

They had sent me a silver toggle clasp, but I didn’t like it for this design, so I made my own. It’s a toggle of 18g copper wire with a copper washer I stamped. I added the copper tag to the bottom of the necklace, attached to the loop on the ‘tree branch’, and stamped it with the word ‘reach’. I thought it kinda looked like the frog was reaching for the next branch, and it seems a good sentiment to have on your person as you go about your day.

The whole necklace fits over your head, so you don’t really need the clasp, but I liked it as a design feature anyway.

The next piece is a pair of earrings to go with ‘Reach’. Nothing terribly fancy here; I wanted them to be simple, so you could wear the necklace and a pair of coordinating earrings without feeling like you were totally draping yourself in jewelry. Two lampwork beads, each hung from a short section of the same chain in the necklace, and finished with copper earwires I made myself.

For the last piece, I used the remaining set of beads and the silver toggle clasp that I couldn’t put into the first piece. This necklace is called ‘Wise In The Ways'.

I strung the beads on a length of silver 18g half-hard wire (hey, it was all I had on hand! Remind me to never buy half-hard wire again…). I made simple loops on each end, then hammered them slightly to flatten. I cut a long piece of hand-dyed silk ribbon in half (I bought it from JamnGlass), and looped it through the silver bar with the beads, then sewed it to the toggle clasp. Finally, I wired up one of my white owl beads and made him the centerpiece of the work. These earthy beads just reminded me so much of woodland areas, and the layered dot patterns on them reminded me of an owl’s feathers, so I think this is a fitting piece to use these beads in, overall.

This has been so much fun! I feel like I stretched beyond my usual style a little bit, and really got into trying to make a piece that was not only wearable, but different, and captured the essence of the beads and other goodies I was given. I know my partners TOTALLY rocked their design with my beads!

I think I might try to do another swap or soup party again.

This party goes on all week, so there’s still lots more to see! Here is today’s list of blogs to visit. I’ll post the day’s list every day of the Blog Hop!

27. Lisa, Alterity
28. Dale, Dales' Flights of Fancy
29. Melanie, Kookie Designs
30. Christine, A Hot Piece of Glass (MEEEE!)
31. Nancy, Beading From the Heart
32. Laurel, Rue's Daftique
33. Sandi, Do Be Do Bead Do
34. Nicki, Nicki's Reef
35. Virginie, ViviBijoux
36. Janeen, Wild Vanilla

Soup's On!

Here is the list of the first round of chefs in the Bead Soup Blog Party....go check out the goodness!

1. Lori, Pretty Things

2. Lorelei, Lorelei1141

3. Norma, Moonlit Fantaseas

4. Beth, EB Bead and Metalworks

5. Katie, KatieBead

6. Kimberly, Bahama Dawn

7. Debbie, Prairie Emporium

8. Lisa, Joolz by Lisa

9. Kate, Tropical Blonde

10. Janet, Singing Woods

11. Julianna, Juls Beads

12. Erin, Treasures Found

Everyone has got some simply STUNNING work...definitely drool-worthy!

My partner is in the first group -- Beth and Evie McCord of EB Bead and Metal Works. They are number 4 on the above list, and you MUST go there NOW to see the amazing thing they did with the bead soup I sent them. OMG, I can't believe my beads could look so good!

I'll be posting my work with their beads and a cool focal piece on Monday, so definitely be back here then to see what I made!

Mother's Pendants

Now that the gifts have been delivered, I can post pictures of what I was asked to make for two friends. One, a mom of a little boy named Liam, and the other, her sister, new mom to Roman. Katie, the mom of Liam, asked me to make these for her and for Dominique as Mother's Day gifts.

I might have to make something similar for myself.

of course, now I must buy more tools. I need a Swanstrom Disc Cutter, and the Euro-Tool Power Punch, and many, many font stamps, and of course, design stamps and more sheet metal and oh! a rolling mill!!! YEAH!

Um...and a pickle pot and soldering torch...and solder...and hammers....

I love tools.

Soup Goodies!

Okay, so I wrote before about how I am participating in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup party this time around. I've made up my package of goodies and sent it off to it's new home in Indiana, and MY package from my party-partners arrived the other day!

Check this out!
I got TWO sets of yummy lampwork beads:


and the most awesome enameled frog shape, done in beautiful red-browns and yellows and greens:

Oh, and a silver toggle clasp, too!

Now, I have to be honest, at first I thought...hmmm...a frog. A frog? Not really in line with what I normally do. But, this is all about the challenge, right? And it is a beautiful piece and I just knew if I thought about it for a while, I'd come up with something that was spectacular.

The idea is in my head....and almost in my sketchbook....and about to be made into something real....

And I'm not sharing! Nope, not yet!

You'll have to hang on til the start of the party....which is the week of June 19th.

Stay tuned! There are going to be so many just amazing and beautiful works to be seen, I can hardly wait! I'm just dying to see what else everyone is doing!

A birthday

Ok, so I turned forty yesterday.....yep, I was born on the original Earth Day, back in 1970. It's a distinction I have always enjoyed, honestly. I've never had a birthday that I can remember that wasn't sunny and gorgeous, which is perfect for getting into the spirit of celebrating the planet AND a birthday. Yesterday was no different. :)

I think I had mentioned a while back about creating a necklace for myself that would be somewhat commemorative of my milestone birthday. As with most projects, I didn't get it done *exactly* on time, but it is finished now, and I love it.

Here is "The Road Less Traveled":

It's a difficult necklace to photograph, because it's long (about 21"). I wanted something that was busy and full of my favorite things....and I wanted to include beads that represented some of the best or most life-altering things that have happened in the last forty years. The overall necklace shape is a Y, or rosary shape, which for me, says much more about devotion and faith than anything else I came up with.

There is a closer look at the pendant portion:
The pendant itself is polymer clay. In making it, I thought of my favorite poem, Robert Frost's "The Road Less Traveled", from which I usually take a quote to sum up some of my approach to my life:

Two roads diverged in the wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.

The beads above the heart pendant represent, from left to right, my middle daughter Wren (she loves pink), my oldest daughter Kira (she loves the beach), my husband Travis (his 'colors' are black, white and green), and my son, Noah (he just loves).

I made the white dove bead at the top to signify the peace in family life -- having a family, knowing your family is complete, having everyone safe and together.

On one side of the necklace, I hung beads that represent achievement of one of my most important things...education:

Here, the blue and white bead is for my undergraduate degree (SUNY-Geneseo!) and the purple and white, for my high school (Go Southwest Eagles!).
It's not a great picture, but the purple and yellow bead is for my graduate degree (James Madison University).

On the other side of the necklace, are the beads representing other life choices, some that worked out and some that...didn't:
My favorites have to be the BIG hollow beads....there are four of them, one for each decade. In the rosary, there are larger beads interspersed at intervals with the smaller beads. these are called 'decade' beads, and while they don't necessarily represent actual decades in years, the larger beads serve that purpose here. In all my favorite colors, of course. :)

I used hammered copper rings and copper links as the metals in this piece, because the copper is warm and takes on a beautiful patina all by itself as the piece is worn. Circles for the cyclical nature of life, and randomly-wrapped copper links because of the messiness and unpredictability of life.

I didn't get the piece done in time to wear it yesterday, and that's okay. I'm planning to wear it some today and maybe this weekend. I'm just happy I finished it, and was able to put it together the way I want. Even if I don't wear it that much, I have it as a labor of love and to remind me of all the good things in my life.

Happy birthday to me. :)

Better

Today is a better day. Actually it was better last night, particularly after I did a session on the exercise bike with my mp3 player cranked up really loud. It's amazing what throwing your weight around for a while will do for your head. :)

So, today I am working on a wire pendant of the Celtic tree of life. I'll post a picture if it comes out looking anything like a tree.

Also in the works today is some Viking knit. I loves me some Viking knit -- not just for the decorative properties, or for the incredible design opportunity it offers, but because I love love LOVE having a small handcraft that I can tuck in my purse and carry around with me. Long car rides (when I am NOT driving!), waiting to pick up a child, hanging out at the park while the kids play...all of these situations are perfect for a small handcraft. Sometimes I lucet-braid, but if I am going to be at all sticky, sweaty, or in danger of little-kid fingers, I don't work with fibers. Nope, wire is perfect, and colored wire is even MORE perfect!

Most people apparently work their Viking knit over an Allen key, but frankly, I don't understand how that works, and I don't really get why you would do that. I think a dowel is just fine, and MY particular dowel is even better (of course). It was made for me by a friend who is also a jeweler. You'll probably recognize it as a former wooden spoon! The best part is the built-in drawplate at the end of it!
See? Isn't that cool? I love working on this, and since I have had and used it over the last two years or so, the wood has gotten nicely smoothed and well-worn. Perfect.

Anyway, my oldest daughter is enrolled in a spring break art program at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and I have to get her there today and tomorrow, so off I go!

But before I go....tell me....Do you carry any handcrafts with you when you're out and about?......

Have a great day everyone!

New Stuff Day!

I've been working on some new things....bought a ring mandrel from Jeanette at Fundametals, and have been trying it out!
The third one from the left is my absolute favorite in this bunch. I did learn a few things doing these, though....one is, half-hard wire is NO FUN to try to work this small with. It really just does not want to spiral and bend easily. I have no dead soft, hence the trials with the half-hard. :(
I also learned that I need three hands for getting a ring started on the mandrel! I hope that improves with practice.

I'm keeping this one for myself.

Another thing I am working on is my birthday necklace. I'm turning 40 next month, and I am planning to make myself a necklace that is symbolic of my life thus far. I've already started working on the beads for it, but here is a quick shot of my sketchbook with some of my ideas.

I'll show more pix as I get more of the necklace done, and tell you the whole story about it in a few weeks. My birthday is April 22, the very first Earth Day, and even though I am rather bewildered by the fact that I am turning 40 (HOW did I get to be 40!?!), I'm actually starting to be okay with it. I think.

Happy Spring!!

Gallery Show and New Work!

First, tonight is the opening of the show at ArtWorks. Besides the portion of the show my work will be in, they are also showing an exhibit of Korean and American artists, a photography exhibit that shows some really interesting urban photographs, a paitning show, the usual monthly all-media show, and other stuff. The Eggstravaganza show is on, too, and they will be announcing the winners tonight!

I have no idea what to wear. I was thinking of going with all black and white, but the really awesome necklace I am making that is all black and white is not done yet. Hmm.

If you are local, you should try to go see the show, either tonight or anytime before March 21.

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AND, in big new news.....I am getting into pounding metal.

Seriously. I have a friend who is a jeweler in Pennsylvania, and for a while now, he has been giving me lessons and helping me work on my skills. I blame him for the need for more tools.

Anyway, I got a wild idea to try some copper forming and stamping, and here are the latest results:


Hammered copper, stamped with the quote, "The lyfe so short, the craft so long to lerne." It's from Chaucer, and I thought it was fitting for my first metalworked piece.


This piece is a favorite, "Loops". Nice and substantial and really attractive to wear. This one should be in my Etsy shop by the end of the day.


And of course, this one. A mother's bracelet, stamped with the names of my three kids and with three lampworked heart beads as accents. My mom saw this and now wants one with blue beads and her grandchildren's names. No problem, Mom! I will likely be offering this as a custom order in my Etsy shop as well...base price to include up to three names and beads, with a maximum of five or six. Details to come.

I made three more bracelets, but they are not yet photographed and finished. I'll post those when I am done, hopefully by the end of the weekend.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Cheers!

Which came first?

I like to make charitable donations to support organizations whose missions really make sense to me. Easter Seals Virginia is one of them. As a speech therapist, I know all about what great work they do in helping kids (and adults) with disabilities, running fantastic camps and other programs, and providing access to services that some people might have to do without. The local group runs an Easter event called Eggstravaganza, which consists of a black-tie party and silent auction. Easter Seals works with the gallery where I have taught, ArtWorks, to assemble egg-inspired art donations for the auction. I just finished a couple of pieces as a donation. There is a prize awarded for Best in Show, Best Expression of the Easter Seals Mission, and 1st through 4th places in each of Professional, Amateur and Student categories. Here is my donation to the cause:


"Which Came First?"
necklace, made with copper wire and glass beads

...and...


the companion bracelet. Again, made with copper wire and glass beads.

This is a new type of design for me, new components, new wireworking. I'm getting some pieces ready to put in Etsy that have a similar look. It's all about color and quirky unexpectedness. I think you'll like it!

Keep your fingers crossed for me....today is the egg art judging....Friday is the art show opening and winners announcement. I'll let you know how it goes.

Sneak peeks!

I'm working on some new ideas and new pieces for spring. Here are a couple of photos to show you what I've been up to...









Lots of fun wire designs, lots of color....I'm really excited about it all!

More soon...