Love My Art Jewelry

Long Time no Beads

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 13:23:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

I know this blog has been vacant for sometime now. Life gets in the way like that at times. However, it has been calling me back. I miss blogging about my creative life. I miss that interaction with everyone, because you know what? We inspire each other!

I am prepping for Bead Fest Philly again, and have been hitting the polymer clay after a bit of a hiatus. I am both intimidated and excited. This year I have some new work that mixes polymer clay with two part epoxy resin and crystals- I must say, I am loving these so much!

Dragon Eye bead / polymer clay, epoxy resin, crystals, paint, other mixed media stuff

Due to life's complexities, I know I am not going to have the amount of beads I like to at Bead Fest this year. I do know I will have enough. I used to freak out and work 16 hours days prepping for this show making everything I know how to. This year, I am focusing on making what my heart is telling me to, rather than what I think others would want to buy. I am listening to my intuition. I will have a table full of unique items for sale in addition to my beads, like I have in the past. I will have my jewelry, ceramic offering bowls and other things.

You can find all that event info here on my Facebook page. Please follow it if you have not in the past. It is the best place to keep up with where I will be and what is going on in my creative world.

I also recently finished converting y Gold Rush class I did for Craft Art EDU into a PDF file you can purchase in my shop. I was so very sad to see Craft Art EDU disband, but I am thankful they gave us our classes. The tutorial is an entire class in one! You learn to form the polymer clay beads, do the faux gold, cure and paint them with a crackle to make them look like stone, and then it even gives complete instructions to make two different necklaces. You can purchase that here if you are interested in learning some techniques. The best part is that this class is so full of different techniques and tips, you can use them many different ways. I really believe this class can take you on a creative journey to new places!

Well guys, it feels good to be back! I am hoping to also do some posts to highlight some of the wonderful tutorials we have on this blog. Click the tutorial link above to see a list of all the wonderful tips and designs posted by various artists over the years.

Offering Vessels, Alter Bowls........something a little different

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 12:58:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

It has been a long time since any of us have blogged on here. This year has been taxing for many of us, and life is just busier with more important things at the moment (family always comes first!!!).

I have taken some time this year to play and lightend up my schedule. I am not doing spring and summer shows, so that I have time to work on other things and spend more time with the family.

I took some time on our beautiful spring day yesterday to get out my ceramic clay.

I have been wanting to make something bigger than beads with my clay, so I thought I would make offering bowls. I don't do anything formal as far as alters or offerings, but I do have little "alters" to nature of sorts all over my house. I love little dishes full of natures treasures in all parts of my home.

This one is a polymer clay dish I made, on top of a huge slab of petrified wood. In it are bones and skulls that my youngest son has collected on our travels.

This bowl is a piece of natural driftwood, to which I added an awesome stone that is very round, and a piece of arragonite.

This cool bowl is actually a rock I found in upstate PA. It has a natural concave shape, as if it were part of a large hollow form. Inside is little sea treasures we have found in NJ, including the horse tooth.

I made this large ceramic bowl with Kristie the owner of Artisan Clay. (so many years ago.......) It has since been filled with my favorite beach treasures. (are you beginning to see why I need more bowls?)

I have also been collecting some really cool crystals, and would like a place to show them off.

This specimen is tourmalated quartz (aka rutilated quartz). It is one of my favorite stones to use in jewlery. So it was REALLY cool to see this- which is tourmaline, in the middle of being encrusted into the quartz. I am so fascinated by stones.

This little guy is a most heavenly blue- and its called celestitie.

And how could I resist this labradorite?

(I have a rock shop near me, its not good folks.......lol)

Anyhow, I had so much fun making bowls yesterday, I plan to do another batch today. I cannot wait until these are dry and can be fired. I plan to try some different things on the surface too, since I haven't gotten into glazing my pottery (yet)

I put little legs on some of the bowls, because I really like how it looks. It lifts up whatever you want to display on it.

I made a couple of larger pieces, like this one. I didn't add any feet to them, and I think I love the feel of them the best. They turned out very organic.

I did some stamping on some as well, and then went in with hand embellishing them further.

You can see how they are raised up just a bit. I really hope it all fires well. Been a long time since I did ceramics. I think it's like riding a bike though.................

Of course, this is my favorite. I plan to keep it, but I will make more similar bowls today. I love the organic feel of it. I used a cool shell and fossil to make the imprints, and then added my own touch with the spiral center and designs around the edges.

I simply cannot resist things that look as if they were dug up from the earth. There is something about a piece with history that gets me every time.

I cannot express how fun it is to dabble in a new medium now and again. My daughter joined me and she made some bowls too. It has been equally wonderful to be able to spend so much more time with the kids. I really missed that and didn't realized how much I worked until I didn't. I still need to keep $$ coming in though, so, I am still producing, and some of these will be for sale as well. So stay tuned. You can follow my facebook page for updates to see when they are available.

Do you have "collections" of items around your home? Do you arrange your art and findings into little alters in your home? Share your hoards of collections with us on the Love My Art Jewelry Facebook!!! page!

Handmade Beads

noreply@blogger.com (Patti Vanderbloemen) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 21:25:00 +0000

by Patti Vanderbloemen

Boy...it has been quite some time since I have blogged here! It feels good to be back! :)

Personally, I have an affinity towards handmade beads - all mediums. I don't know about you, but I cannot count the number of "subscribed lists" I have signed up for to arrive in my email inbox, but I do at least glance at each and every "blog type" email that pops up in my mailbox feed -- always on the lookout for inspiration.. One of my favorite's is the Interweave Blog.

A couple of weeks ago, Tammy Jones had a post related to 1-hour rings. In this post was a quick, down and dirty tutorial to make a sterling silver ring that resembled bamboo (if interested, here is the link to that blog post). The tutorial (by artist Elizabeth Ann Tokoly) starts with a sterling silver ring already soldered and formed. After reading through the steps involved, I felt a thick gauge wire would work best - so I grabbed 6 gauge.

I will say, the making of this ring took me 1 hour and 45 minutes - but that included forming the ring from such heavy stock - I had to anneal the metal several times just to get it formed for soldering. And then anneal several more times AFTER the soldering to get it round and to the correct size (why didn't I just grab 8 gauge?) :) Also, it is a bit cumbersome to saw the score lines around the ring - but it can be done.

Anyway, it is a COOL ring, which I have gifted to a friend. (Forgive the picture quality - I just took a quick picture for reference purposes only).

This technique would be AWESOME for a bangle - which I will try in the future. In the meantime, I thought I would try making a little bead using this technique. For this bead, I grabbed some thick-walled sterling tubing.

I roughly measured the bead length to 3/4".

Cut the tubing to size using my tube cutting jig and jeweler's saw.

I made two little "end caps" for the bead by using my disc cutter and some scrap silver sheet - it's 18 gauge sheet, so it is thick.

I used medium silver solder paste to attach the first end cap to the tube - this is my set up.

After pickling - you can see that the excess overhang of the disc needs filing.

I used my ring clamp to stabilize the bead against my bench pin while I quickly filed away the excess silver.

The picture below is a bit blurry, but I filed the disc / end cap to be flush with the tubing.

Never EVER solder a hollow bead without first making a hole to allow steam to escape when soldering. Though I have not done it myself, I have read where nasty accidents can happen if the escape hole is not in place before closing up this hollow form. I simply put my bead in my vice and drilled a hole.

Second disc/end cap solder set up.

Pickled, then filed the second end cap / disc flush to the tubing/bead, and drilled the final hole.

Really hard to see in this picture, but I scored two parallel lines close to the ends of each bead, using my jeweler's saw - again using my ring clamp to hold the bead while sawing.

Now - this next step is the reason I used thick walled tubing. I used my tiny half round file to make four slight indentations around the middle of the bead.

I cleaned up the the bead with a pumice wheel on my flex shaft. (These are the pumice wheels I use).

Patina added (I use Midas Black Max - link here), buffed with steel wool, and tumbled. Liver of Sulfur works just as well, but Black Max is quicker and does not stink. :) Always a plus!

One more tiny tip (and of course, I forgot to take a picture). Before you tumble the bead, add the bead to a piece of wire (copper - it's cheap) and loop the ends. This will keep the shards of shot from getting stuck inside the bead while tumbling (this I have done...takes forever to release that shot!)

Now, this is not a perfect bead, but I rather like the organic look to this shape - would look great as a single bead on a bracelet, two beads for earrings, or even an entire chain if you have lots of time on your hands to create! Total time to make this bead for me (not including tumbling) was about 30 minutes. So, while this technique is a bit time consuming, it is handmade and definitely not made in China!

Anyway, the making of this bead was the bit of inspiration I need to kick off this brand new year. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Thanks for stopping by!

Drum-roll Please......

noreply@blogger.com (Karen McGovern) — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 13:42:00 +0000

Happy Holidays!!! I hope each and every one of you had a lovely weekend filled with family, friends and fellowship. I bring you Holiday greetings from Ninita, our deaf pygmy marmoset. As you can see, she got just what she wanted...candy.

Now, on to the giveaway! As promised, I put all the names of those who left Christmas memory comments on my last week's post in a random name generator program (thank you Google). I want to thank all that shared a memory here, I loved reading each post. The holidays are such an emotional time...we all become little kids again. Thank you for your comments. AND NOW....The winner of my Beautiful Beast copper bangle is.....

TERRY REMPLE MROZ

Congratulations, Terry! I'll be tracking you down as soon as possible. Hope you like the Beast!

Thanks to all of our followers and supporters. I wish us all a fabulous new year full of creativity! See you next year!!

Ornaments and a Product Review

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 14:09:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

Every year I make ornaments from polymer clay. This year I was sorely behind. I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. Last year I made my usual styles into ornaments, and did a run of Blue Moons to commemorate the blue moon that occurred in December.

This year, nothing was coming to me. I thought, how can I commemorate this year? Its been quite a year, with the election and all the great singer songwriter poets we have lost.

And then it hit me.

I wanted to make some ornaments to embrace peace, love, and acceptance.

First I decided to honor Leonard Cohen, and make something inspired by his song Anthem. I love the line, "there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in". The other part of that inspiration was Karen's post that included a picture of this sculpture by Paige Bradley, which I LOVE.

So I decided to make a heart, with gold shimmer in the cracks, and wire wings.

I added the lyrics and dated them as well

Then I made some star ornaments, to honor David Bowie, aka Ziggy Stardust, aka Starman

On the back I wrote "turn and face the strange" because I think it really fits for every single day of our lives. They are also dated.

I also wanted to make something to do with Peace. This election has caused so much chaos. So I made a new design, a peace sign, with wooden textured parts. It was really fun to make. On the back, trying to stick with lyrics, I wrote, "Imagine all the people living life in peace".

So, my ornaments are finally done and listed in my destash group. (How my destash group workds: just click that link, ask to join if you are not a member, and then claim items in comments. I invoice you for them and ship)

Better late then never, right? (on top of the normal holiday rush and business, I have had sick kids. I am so behind).

Anyhow...................since I made a new ornament, I had to make a mold for it! Thus, the review portion of this blog....

I have been wanting to try that molding plastic, the one that you put in warm water and mold it. I thought it may capture detail better, or yet, last longer then my typical two part silicone molds.

I purchased this brand, InstaMorph, from Amazon.

I followed the instructions carefully.

I used water that was 150 degrees as directed and poured in some of the little white plastic balls. They are supposed to congeal into one piece.

But they never lost their ball shape textures. So I started again, because the cool thing is, you can re use this product over and over again

I heated the water again, this time making it between 160-170 degrees

These looked a bit more transparent this time and congealed.

So I smooshed them together and tried to make it as smooth as possible, but it was hard to get the ball texture out of them

I went ahead and covered my peace sign anyway, hoping that it would smooth out by applying pressure

While that was setting, I tried again and went a tad hotter. It did get much more moldable- however, the work time is quick, by the time it cools enough to handle it, and you begin to work it smooth, it begins to harden.

When the plastic was cool, I tried to remove my mold. it stuck to the polymer a bit, and it did NOT make a smooth mold at all. As you can see- it never lost that ball like texture- and the sample I did in polymer on the lower right side is terrible

So, even though I think this is a cool product, and it is amazingly strong, not a fan of it for molds. I will find a use for it, but it was way more trouble then it was worth. I ended using my good old trust two part silicone molds.

I actually have an article in the current issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry on making molds with two part silicone.

(I am also honored to be the Designer Collection in the current issue). So grab it if you want to have a copy of my mold article- or take a peek at the issue because I was so happy with the pieces they picked to be showcased in the
Designer Collection (12 pages of my jewelry! squeeee!).

You can pick up the current issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry here, or at some local art and craft stores as well as Barnes and Noble.

I know I haven't been blogging much lately, so I hope you don't mind that I crammed like 3 blogs into one!!!!

Christmas is in 3 days, and I know everyone is just mad busy! I truly hope you enjoy your holiday, no matter what you celebrate, may it be filled with love, and family and friends, peace and wellness.

Jingle Those Bells! By Karen McGovern

noreply@blogger.com (Karen McGovern) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 11:00:00 +0000

Hello all! Hope your hearths are draped in garland, your trees are covered in tinsel, your stockings stuffed to bursting, and your SANTAUR is shiny and bright!

Nice six-pack, Santa! Seriously....dude has been hitting the gym....

I know we are all scrambling to get ready for next weekend and I wish you all a peaceful and joyous holiday. Eat too much, hug everybody, and let's all hope for a better 2017.

I'm not going to bore you with a long post--Instead, LET'S GIVE SOMETHING AWAY! My gift to you--a new bangle bracelet design (for me) that is big, beautiful, bold, burnt, and BODACIOUS. Eight inches around, hammered copper sheet and wire splashed with silver solder, colored with flame. Two inches wide, fit for a Viking Princess! I call it the Beautiful Beast.

Here's what you do...in the comments below share a favorite holiday memory. On Tuesday the 27th I will put all your names into a random name picker and announce the winner here and on our Facebook page. SIMPLE!!!

Enjoy the season, one and all. Remember to hold friends and family close, and take care of each other and yourselves as well. The critters and I wish you well...May we all enter 2017 healthy and happy!!

speaking your truth

noreply@blogger.com (mairedodd) — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 17:22:00 +0000

mary jane dodd

mjd 2015 copper offering bowl

without maybe even knowing it, you are already drawn to your expression of things, your life, your feelings, the world we live in. our world is a visually rich world - pinterest, google, etsy, etc., loads of magazines and craft books. when you are seeking to find your way, your voice, it can become overwhelming and a bit confusing. start by doing what feels right to you, to your insides. if you feel a bit of fear or resistance, you are probably getting close to it. because what we do makes us very vulnerable - this is, in effect, your heart in metal (or the medium you choose). each hammer strike, each small decision is you -

i have always been drawn to words - and would use the quotes of others in my descriptions. (please always give credit where credit is due.) then i began using phrases that resonated with me - and often came from me.

my descriptions became my own writing - and they found their way into metal.

mjd - 2106 your truth shines brass offering bowl

and then onto wall plaques

mjd 2016 morning mantra plaque

i deeply enjoy writing - so the words most recently have made their way into a book.

mjd 2016 offerings - the book

the point being - follow your heart, your gut, your interests. there is a body of work in you, a cohesive 'you' in what you apply your heart, mind and hands to. it takes time. i began this venture into adornment 16 years ago. as a child i wanted to be a poet. but it had to come into being with the physical work. if pieces are narrative in nature - share what it is about. people want to know.

so look at things that inspire you - a pair of earrings can be inspired by spring wisteria or autumn leaves. but don't limit it to jewelry - look at nature, sculpture, painting. when you read, does anything mean so much to you that you have to share it? that happened to me when a passage from aldous huxley's island was shared. the word 'lightly' is now integrated into my personal life philosophy and something i want to connect to others with.

i think most of us start from the place of aesthetics - creating beautiful things that can be worn. but as we learn, it can become more - in so many different ways. your work never ever has to be narrative, it can be sculptural, or influenced by nature.

keep at it - and even once you think maybe you are onto something, keep pushing, expanding. stay curious.

and share it all with us -

in peace,

mary jane

Philly Contemporary Craft Show Part 2: Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 13:30:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

So, I can confess that I agonized over what jewelry to wear to this event. I mean, when you know the jewelry there is going to be out of this world fabulous, you just have to look like you belong.....ha!

Anyhow, I ended up just wearing one of my favorites that looked good with my outfit.

I went to the show for two reasons, one, to enjoy the art, and two, to scope it out, in case I get the courage to apply myself one of these days. I also wanted to see what the displays and booths looked like compared to other shows.

During my visit, as I took in these jewelry artists in all their varied glory, I went through all the phases of self doubt that we artists can go through.

1st phase- "what was I thinking?"

2nd phase- "seriously, what was I thinking? These people are masters"

3rd- "1mm diamonds set in gold......two hundred of them, and I wire together beads"

You get the picture.

But I did also go through some internal pep talk, and decided, that I am not any of those artists. And just because my work is different and made different, doesn't make it less worthy. Besides, they will just say no if I am not ready to be there.

So, I knew that Ford Forlano Jewelry would be there and it would be my first opportunity to take in their work in person. I have long admired their modern polymer clay and silver jewelry. They are masters of colors and textures that delight the senses.

I got to meet David Forlano and he was very nice- he encouraged me to touch the jewelry, and you know I did! It is so bold in person. Yet despite their size, the pieces seemed very wearable and comfortable. An immense amount of thought and planning goes into the construction of their pieces- and it shows.

I also could not wait to meet Kathleen Dustin. Her work graces the cover of Polymer Journeys (quick plug, if you like polymer or just awesome jewelry, you should grab a copy of this book) and I was thrilled that her piece was actually there to see in person.

This is the piece on the cover of the book. Her sense of design and play is obvious. She uses a plethora of techniques. Each piece is like a small sculpture, a piece of modern art. It was so great to see her work in person, and we chatted techniques and clay. She was really cool to spend a little time with.

So, I knew those guys were going to be there, and I was already a fan of their work. The rest of these people, blew me away. I had no time to prepare myself for their awesomeness.

Right off the back, I saw Aleksandra Vali's work in the program and knew I had to make my way to her booth.

this is a brooch that I loved

This was probably my favorite, it was a brooch, that rests on a sculpture when not being worn, and can be a necklace as well.

Not only is the idea fantastic, but the organic sculptural quality of the piece is wonderful

Ok- now take a breather, I know you need one after that.

Now meet Tara Locklear Jewelry. I will be honest, I almost didn't go into her booth, but on second glance, I knew I loved her composition and had to take a closer look. I knew it was wood, but after talking with her, I found out it was recycled skateboards! the paint is original, and so they are often double sided and reversible too.

These are the shots I grabbed at the show, but here are some from her website. I was totally intrigued and loved looking at all the painted surfaces and fun shapes. I think she captures the life these skateboards once lived, as well as giving them a new life as modern jewelry.

We got to see Carolyn Morris Bach's work in person. I know mom and I have pinned her work on Pinterest before. Again, it was so exciting to get to see her work in person. Each of her pieces is like a little fairy tale, with a modern art spin. Folk and modern together.

Sorry- I used the pictures from her site, and they saved tiny. But you can go to her site and see her work for yourself. It's amazing.

There was also the work of Reiko Ishiyama. Anything that requires a great amount of structural planning has my love anyday. And these pieces were no exception. Very geometric, and 3-dimensional, they screamed modern art through and through.

(pictures from their website)

One of the last booths I saw, and maybe my favorite of all (you will see why in just a minute)

was Alex Lozier.

Her work combines all the things I love about nature. The gemstones she uses, I collections of my own at home. So her work really resonated with me on a deep level.

Her sense of composition is dead on, and her combination of materials is surprising yet perfect. Yep, I am a fan for life now.

Cara Romano had some great pieces as well. She combines modern shapes and metal with soft felt. I think I was most taken with her pieces that are felted, but looked like concrete or stone like this one below.

I also really liked her metal forms on their own, like these earrings

I met Brienne Rosner there and her work sucked me right in. She is a mixed media artist, and I could not place right away was her pieces were made from, so this always intrigues me.

(her link goes to her instagram while she works on her site- you can check out her Facebook page here)

From chatting with her, her pieces I believe are wood and paint, and she stitches beads onto them .......and here is the coolest part. She makes jewelry, but she also makes wall art, where the jewelry piece is a part of it, and is removable and wearable.

I have always wanted to make 3-d art that my jewelry is a part of when not in use. So it was really awesome to see other artist who have put that into fruition and their different takes on it.

Last, but not least, was Biba Schutz. I wish I had taken photos of her booth. Everything in it made me want to look closer and drool a bit. So I had to take to the interwebs to grab some pictures. This picture of her booth is close to how it was at the show. I call this the wall that was dripping wire- and I had to go in for a closer look. How could you not?

She also had wire sculptures, used mica and bone and other odd things set in heavily oxidized silver...........it was all right up my alley.

And I leave you here. Probably unable to mutter anything after all that gorgeousness. I do hope you will go to the sites and visit these artists, take in their statements about their work, and enjoy. I know I did.

Philly Contemporary Craft Show Part 2: Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:34:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

Anyhow, I ended up just wearing one of my favorites that looked good with my outfit.

During my visit, as I took in these jewelry artists in all their varied glory, I went through all the phases of self doubt that we artists can go through.

1st phase- "what was I thinking?"

2nd phase- "seriously, what was I thinking? These people are masters"

3rd- "1mm diamonds set in gold......two hundred of them, and I wire together beads"

You get the picture.

So, I knew those guys were going to be there, and I was already a fan of their work. The rest of these people, blew me away. I had no time to prepare myself for their awesomeness.

Right off the back, I saw Aleksandra Vali's work in the program and knew I had to make my way to her booth.

this is a brooch that I loved

This was probably my favorite, it was a brooch, that rests on a sculpture when not being worn, and can be a necklace as well.

Not only is the idea fantastic, but the organic sculptural quality of the piece is wonderful

Ok- now take a breather, I know you need one after that.

Sorry- I used the pictures from her site, and they saved tiny. But you can go to her site and see her work for yourself. It's amazing.

(pictures from their website)

One of the last booths I saw, and maybe my favorite of all (you will see why in just a minute)

was Alex Lozier.

Her work combines all the things I love about nature. The gemstones she uses, I collections of my own at home. So her work really resonated with me on a deep level.

Her sense of composition is dead on, and her combination of materials is surprising yet perfect. Yep, I am a fan for life now.

I also really liked her metal forms on their own, like these earrings

I met Brienne Rosner there and her work sucked me right in. She is a mixed media artist, and I could not place right away was her pieces were made from, so this always intrigues me.

(her link goes to her instagram while she works on her site- you can check out her Facebook page here)

I have always wanted to make 3-d art that my jewelry is a part of when not in use. So it was really awesome to see other artist who have put that into fruition and their different takes on it.

She also had wire sculptures, used mica and bone and other odd things set in heavily oxidized silver...........it was all right up my alley.

Terra Rustica Studio GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Dekle) — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 06:15:00 +0000

Carol Dekle-Foss

A short and sweet post from me. A giveaway, from my hands to yours.

How to win? Simply leave a comment here or on our facebook page. I want to know how you handle stressful times. What do you do that is positive to calm your nerves? I personally venture out into wilderness and vanish among the mountaintops. When I was a young girl and things were stressful or scary, I would climb the tallest tree I could find and sit there for hours. I would return home with the sweet smell of sap stuck to my fingers and a renewed sense of courage and hope.🌲

Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay

I found such solace and peace in those moments, so it's no wonder I escape to the wilderness during uncertain times still to this day. As much as I would love to climb trees, I settle now for just taking their photos.

Winner will be selected on Wednesday, November 23rd, and announced on the Love My Art Jewelry facebook page.

One winner will receive all beads and pendants pictured.

We are having a sale in our Etsy ceramic bead shop! Enjoy 25% off your entire order with coupon code, AUTUMN25.

Let the Light In

noreply@blogger.com (Karen McGovern) — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 14:26:00 +0000

Anthem

Leonard Cohen

The birds they sang

at the break of day

Start again

I heard them say

Don't dwell on what

has passed away

or what is yet to be.

Ah the wars they will

be fought again

The holy dove

She will be caught again

bought and sold again

the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

We ask for signs

the signs were sent:

the birth betrayed

the marriage spent

Yeah the widowhood

of every government--

signs for all to see.

I can't run no more

with that lawless crowd

while the killers in high places

say their prayers out loud.

But they've summoned up

a thundercloud

and they're going to hear from me.

Ring the bells that still can ring...

You can add up the parts

but you won't have the sum

You can strike up the march,

there is no drum

Every heart, every heart

to love will come

but like a refugee.

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

Wishing us all love and light in the times ahead.

Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 13:30:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

I finally got to make to the Philly Museum Art show that is held at the PA Convention Center. It is an hour drive or train ride for me, yet I have never been there- go figure. So my mom, my daughter and I hopped a train and made an afternoon of it.

It was Julia's first train ride and she really loved it.

We got to watch the landscape change from rural to urban on our way into the city. I have and will always love the street art and graffiti. I tried to snap a few pictures, but the train moves fast.

The walk from the train station to the Convention center is all inside a magnificent building. I snapped a few pictures, but Julia did too. I liked seeing what she thought was amazing- she took pictures of the elevator (I think she was amazed at how far up and open the ceiling was- it dawned on me, that she hasn't been in such a large building before? Maybe a mall in her early early years? but no large city buildings). She asked me to take her picture in front of the mural too.

I honestly think I had as much fun seeing her experience the beauty of the city for the first time too.

OK OK- enough about our trip. Let's get to the good stuff.

The art was mouth watering.

I mean, the talent here was out of the world. Not just the concepts, and the colors and the forms and textures, but the mastery of craft........I was in heaven and overload at the same time. Today I am going to highlight some of the sculptures that caught my eye (and captured my heart). Sculpture has always had a special place in my heart, and in school, it was probably my favorite art class. So when I see people just rocking it, like it is an effortless flow from their being (I know it's not effortless), it almost makes me cry with joy. I enjoy nothing more then witnessing others expressions of art first hand. So let's get started.........

There was a glass artist there, Anna Boothe. Her work had the look of old glass, her pieces has a relic feel to them, yet a modern twist. Of course, this spoke to me, because I love all things ancient modern. Most of her work is kiln cast.......and you can read more about her and her work here.

Images from Anna's website

Next up is Nile and Michelle Fahmy. They are master metal smiths. I almost wanted to bow to her. Their mastery of metal is humbling to say the least.

Here is a bit from their artist statement (they are a brother sister team)

Our metalwork is driven by ancient techniques, some of which date back to the Bronze Age. This means that we practice and preserve smithing techniques that are rarely seen in our world today. Every piece produced requires a great amount of focus, control, physical strength, and endurance. A single vessel may require thousands of hammer blows and hundreds of hours of labor. Each finalized piece of art is completely unique due to the nature of the forging process.

We draw our inspiration from the patterns of the natural world. These patterns of growth, erosion, and decay are everywhere around us. By studying these patterns, we can use a hammer to be wind on stone, water on earth, or the gentle unfurling of a young leaf. The metal moves again and again beneath the hammer blow, eventually coming to rest in a new form, and finally the creative process is complete. Nothing is added, nothing is subtracted, there is only the metamorphosis.

I saw their work before I saw their statement, and let me tell you, it rings so true. You can feel the raw energy of their work when you walk into their booth. You can see the deliberate hammer blows that had to happen to create these 3-d vessels from sheet metal.

Do you need a break yet? A cool drink perhaps? I mean, that is just two of the amazing sculpture artists from the show. Ready for more???

Then, there was Wolf Creek Studio, composed of Sharon Matusiak and Robin Washburn. They are mixed media artists who work together. (Please check out their site for amazing works of art)

Metal, wood, paint.........you have to see this video about their studio and art. (the video is done by Ethan Allen studio- stick with it through the Ken Gray plug in the beginning). You have got to see the studio and their works.

Wasn't that an awesome tour???

Next, meet Su Griggs Allen. She was a delight to talk to and her work is something straight out of my dreams.

Her booth pulled me in, and I wish I had more time to take in each and every piece. she was a delight to talk to as well.

It was fun to chat with her, as she shared how she has been desiring to go smaller and make some jewelry. This struck me, because I, who make jewelry often dream of going larger into sculpture. Us artists get bored and need to change things up often I think! One of the things I love about the chance to talk to other creative minds is how much we all have in common.

And last but not least, there was Judit Varga. Her work was by far my favorite, and when you see it I think you will know why. Her form, her colors, her textures.................they were organic and modern, like urban decay. All ceramic, all clay based coloring..........every single piece was amazing (we were there on Sunday, and I heard from her friend that most of her big pieces had sold already).

This piece was my favorite at the show!

I loved the striped and broken form of the circle, the folding and wilting. I loved the rusty box it sat on, the contrast of colors. The organic painted appearance of the base against an almost fabric print stripe. My words don't do it justice.

This piece is hollow. As if it were not amazing enough...........

I also grabbed some photos from her website, in case my poor in person pics were not enough for you to swoon.

I have to stop here. When I say this show is overwhelming, I think you can get the idea. This is only a drop in the bucket.

I really hope you will visit the websites of these amazing artists. Their work is inspiring. THEY are inspiring!

And tune in Thursday to see my jewelry favorites from the show. :sigh: that may take take blogs itself.......................

Ugly Election, Beautiful World

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 13:12:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

As election day draws near here in the USA, things are heating up. It is never a positive thing. Elections are always negative and cut throat. But this one, seems to be the most dirty and ugly I can remember.

:sigh:

I am pretty sure everyone knows what they are doing by now.

Even if it feels like this (this clip kills me every time!!)

I do not want to see another commercial, or get another phone call or be subjected to another Facebook rant. It is just too much.

So, I decided to take time to remember the beauty of this world. I did what I often do when I feel overwhelmed, or underwhelmed and have nothing new to show due to lack of muse.

I turned to Pinterest. And I typed in Beautiful Creatures.

I enjoyed scrolling through the inspiring pictures of animals, and enjoying the creative photography of these majestic creatures.

It was just what I needed. A little reminder that this election, is a drop in the bucket. Life goes on. The beauty in the world does not go away if we don't like the president we get.

4 years is a short time in the large scheme of things.

The world continues to function. It breathes, it grows, it loves, it moves.

So I am choosing to concentrate on that. And for that reason, I need a social media break until this election is over.

I am going into the studio in hopes to find my muse and make some new work.

I am going to look at beautiful images and be in awe and wonder of the beauty that exists.

Sorry I had nothing about jewelry art or making today. Just some musings on life.

Most of all, remember, we are all people, who have loved ones, and have cares and concerns and hearts....we all breathe the same air.....so even if we do not agree, lets try, lets try real hard, to find a common ground with each other, and not create more division in our world.

wishing you love this election season

the evolution of metal stamps

noreply@blogger.com (mairedodd) — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 20:58:00 +0000

mary jane dodd

mj dodd 2016

tools seem to be constantly evolving for jewelers - there is much craft involved in each step of the process. one can buy things that are made or learn to make it themselves.

one of the things you need to ask yourself is what your vision for your work is. with more and more variety in stamps, you can differentiate your work from that of other sellers. this was very difficult to do even a couple of years ago. there were a rather limited number of design stamps and the alphabet stamps were even more restricted.

i use both alphabet and design stamps in my work. this post is going to cover alphabet stamps only. i'll do design stamps next time. design stamps are in a really interesting phase. they are being made by individuals out of rebar, nails, any steel base. and they are made one at a time.

there are alphabet/letter stamps available that range from economy, to mass produced designer fonts, to sets that are custom made. i have some of each. economy sets tend to be a basic font but are great to have.

economy set

impressart and beadsmith have started putting together sets with less basic fonts and at a higher quality than an economy set. here's a set from the website beaducation called lucida. a set is usually sold as upper or lower case.

this set is from the beaducation website

i have an alphabet set that is custom made. to get this, i had to first purchase the rights to the font in order to have it made by infinity stamps. a very helpful company that puts out a great product.

the choices of sizes of stamps is growing as well. the standard is about 3-4mm. but there are sets that are smaller and larger. beaducation even sells single letters if you don't want to commit to a whole set.

if you want numbers, you will have to buy them separately. the impressart line offers coordinating number and alphabet sets. take juniper, for example.

juniper uppercase

juniper lowercase

juniper number set

they are even starting to add little decorative stamps in the sets.

i can get expensive quickly when you start to invest in these tools, so you want to take some time to look at the different fonts available to you. in etsy, i use 'alphabet metal stamps' in the search bar to find them.

to do the stamping itself, you need a brass head hammer and a steel bench block or anvil. personally, i like using an anvil. there are lots of fancy new gadgets to hold the stamps for you. made to protect your fingers (which i understand) i find they get in the way of my seeing the piece of metal i'm working on. instead, i use gorilla grip gloves for control. they are very lightweight and indispensable for keeping the stamps from slipping.

learn on copper - and try to work on 20-22 gauge. thinner metal limits the depth of the impression. look at how clean these letters look on 20 gauge copper.

like any other technique, it's a learning process. the more you practice, the better your impressions will become.

Dia de los Muertos REVEAL!!! By Karen McGovern

noreply@blogger.com (Karen McGovern) — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 11:19:00 +0000

I have been so excited about our Dia de los Muertos design challenge! I have seen sneak peeks of works created and am blown away! Can't wait to see more. I will start by showing my most recent design.

I began with a gorgeous labradorite skull cabochon. Labradorite is one of my favorite materials to work with--it's electric! This skull is so full of fire, I wanted to make something really dramatic and over the top with it, so I created a nature inspired Sugar Skull pendant I call "Madre Espiritu" or Spirit Mother. I set the skull in sterling silver and flanked it with two cast bronze leaves on sterling stems. A steel and brass flower sits atop the skull with a brass bee. A tiny bronze dogwood blossom sits on the bronze bail above and a brass rose sits below the chin.

I strung it on a length of flashing rainbow peacock pearls that match the flash of the labradorite. A tiny sterling silver skull hangs from a 2 inch extender. I love her! She is listed in my shop, just waiting for the perfect home....

Now, show us your designs based on Dia de los Muertos, a truly extraordinary holiday full of tradition and meaning. THANKS FOR JOINING US!!!

Click the link below to show us your designs, link to your blog and share this blog hop. If you do not have a blog, you can still post images of your work!!

Wire all the Way Around

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

Long necklaces have always been difficult for me. I find that when I create shorter styles, the composition just flows for me. However, when you do a long necklace, making it flow together is more difficult. You have many many more elements that need to work together in order for the composition to look right. More shapes to balance, more colors to carry through.......it's a challenge.

I finally took the dive though and began making some for my mom and I think I figured it out. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still take them apart and add and take away....on and on.............until they are just right. But I am no longer intimidated by them.

One thing I have found, that is the saving grace of the long necklace, is wire. Using a consistent wire all the way around, and using it periodically as a design element itself, is crucial. It is the uniting element that carries the onlookers eye through the whole piece.

Remember those wire ball bead from last week? I love adding one of those in.
I usually start with one piece and make a wire frame for it. It's a good starting point.

As I lay the beads out, I often don't think they will look right, but as I add wire to them, and wrap it around them, and between them, it all begins to come together.....

and at the end, it looks cohesive.

I do a lot of taking apart and re-doing on the longer pieces. It takes some fiddling to make sure things lay right, and that they still have balance of color, shape and size. I am enjoying the challenge now though!

AND- I am falling in love with wire all over again! It is not merely a way to connect things, it is a part of the design itself.

While I was on the wire kick, I took time to make some of my wire components for charm necklaces, because who doesn't love a good charm necklace?

And here are a few of them all filled in.

Endless possibilities with wire!

So I encourage you to tackle a design you haven't mastered, and to have some fun with wire. It really can be anything you want.

Check out our tutorial page, and scroll down to wire work. There are many tutorials and blog posts to try out if you are new to wire, or just want to explore something new.

Maybe you can do some new wire work for our upcoming blog hop on October 25th! Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos with us by making a piece inspired by the holiday, or sugar skulls!

Dia De Los Muertos inspiration..and latest fall porcelain creations

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Dekle) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:01:00 +0000

Carol Dekle-Foss

The colorful shades of autumn and the crisp air have finally arrived here in Northern California. This is my absolute favorite time of year for so many reasons. My creative juices are alight with fire and I find myself losing time playing in the studio.

This creative stirring has been very productive!

For one, I have accepted Karen's Dia De Los Muertos, a celebration of life challenge. Are you participating? We would love for you to join us! For me, this holiday was somewhat of a mystery. I knew the basics, but to help me with what I wanted to make for the challenge, I set out to learn more about this special occasion.

Some very cool facts I found interesting:

The Ofrendas or altars, are built inside and are decorated with many obejects, including the loved one's favorite items, photos, Cempasuchil or Marigold flowers, pan de muertos and sugar skulls. The children's altars are decorated in a special way to include miniature toys, tiny food etc. The Marigolds are also used in many other ways including decorating the graves.

They widely display beautiful Papel Picado, or cut paper banners. I love the fact that there are still artisans in Mexico that hand cut these banners. Here's a short video in English on the history the Papel Picado if you're interested.

I think what amazes me most about this beautiful tradition, is they portray the dead as humorous, happy, and fun, and not macabre in any way. Also that the children are included in the celebration honoring their deceased loved ones. I have a new appreciation for this holiday, and plan to attend a local celebration to learn more. Here is a list of events in the United States as well as a few abroad if you are interested in attending one. How amazing would it be to go to one of these celebrations in Mexico!

I was so inspired by Sherri's shrinky dinks and hand-drawn shoes that I thought I would try and draw my own sugar skull. I used common motifs and then embellished with a bit of my style.

These pendants will be included in a shop update tomorrow.

I think they are adorable! I've saved a few for the challenge, and will probably end up keeping the finished pieces to wear during Dia De Los Muertos.

Here are some new designs coming out of the kiln as well.

I love the intricate stained glass look of these leaves.

And more leaves.

Another skull design.

Ronnies beads. He nailed the fall colors!

All beads and pendants shown will be included in the shop update that will be happening tomorrow.

We hope you join us for the Dia De Los Muertos challenge! You can find out more details here.

Shrinky Dinks and Shoe Doodles: Adventures in Coloring

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +0000

by Sherri Stokey

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm still a child at heart so it should come as no big surprise to learn I'm still a big fan of coloring! I hadn't picked up crayons for a long time, although I've been tempted by the whole adult coloring book craze. I have so many projects in my head that I never have time to get them all finished and I couldn't see a real "use" for colored pictures.

And then someone reminded me of Shrinky Dinks.

I went out and bought a brand new pack of colored pencils and downloaded a couple free coloring pages and made this:

Which turned into this once baked:

Squee!!! How cute is that!! I'll bet at this point you're wondering what in the heck that photos of shoes is doing at the beginning of this post? I'm getting there, I swear! I got bitten by the coloring bug and decided to take it a step further and try doodling on shoes.

Now you have to understand - I can't draw. I can look at a picture and sort of mimic a shape, but I really have no talent for drawing and realism and shading are beyond my capabilities. I embraced that and decided to go for fun and colorful doodles rather than anything that's supposed to look like "art" and came up with these:

How fun are those!? I'm pretty "chuffed" (as my UK friends would say)! I took a pair of white canvas shoes:

Cheap white canvas shoes, I might add (and I think that's what allowed me to go crazy without worrying about ruining a "good" pair of shoes):

Then I took a box of permanent markers and got busy. I started with a skull couple:

I'm not all that happy with the way they turned out. I think I was a bit hesitant with my drawing so the lines aren't as crisp. I sketched the outlines lightly in pencil and then went over it with a marker and it was hard to trace the lines exactly. I also wasn't happy with the decorative details on the faces because the area was so small and the markers (fine line ones) do bleed a bit on the canvas. It got better when I started just doodling without sketching first like the flower and vines.

To try to keep the two shoes sort of the same (although I wasn't making a matching pair), I decided I'd better do some on the other shoe and go back and forth so I drew a skull on the other one. This one is larger so I could get more detail in the decoration and I'm much happier with it.

As you can see, I just kept adding stuff and filling in white spaces. I did try to add similar elements to keep them cohesive (like the blue flower with a magenta center on both shoes, etc.).

Can you tell I'm a big fan of the Day of the Dead? I'm pretty excited about the Dia De Los Muertos: A Celebration of Life Challenge by Karen McGovern. It's easy to play along: create something inspired by Dia De Los Muertos and reveal your designs on October 25, 2016 using the hashtag #lmajdod (full details here.)

Wire, Wire Everywhere...........

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

I don't know about you, but I go through a lot of wire. My designs are very free form, and I use wire as a main design element. So that means, when a piece just isn't laying right, or the composition isn't right yet, I have to take it apart, leaving a wire graveyard in its wake.

So, I have been working on some new pieces for my last show of the season, as well as the Bethlehem House Gallery that my work is in. (cruise through their site, its the coolest gallery ever! and you can buy the art online as well. I love being a part of that gallery! But maybe that is a whole other blog post)
anyhow..........

Remember when I was preparing for Bead Dreams at the beginning of the year? I had made this piece, which was a real runner up for entry.

And for all the pieces, I had made these polymer horns as part of the necklace. Well, I wanted to do something else with them all year, and hadn't gotten around to it. So I finally made some more horns to play with.

However when I began to play with them, I just couldn't find a way to use them that was wearable and that I loved compositionally.

So needless to say, I went through quite a bit of wire.

I finally decided to just use chain and the horns together.

(I love them, kinda rock star- biological rock star...lol)

I loved it, but again, still had to figure out how much chain- which chain, getting it to lay right...............I went through a lot of wire, and learned what I will do differently to make the process easier the next time I make a batch of horns. Anyhow, I ended up with lots of piles like this

(and then some.....................)

I have been trying to keep my desk cleaned up so I can be more effcient (said the artist....lol). I also, hate to waste so much wire. I have a recycle bin, but still, its more wire gone that I have to replace. but once it is all bent up like this, its really hard to re-use.

So I have decided to use the bits and ends on my desk to make wire balls to use in my jewelry. It takes a little time, but still, I feel better using it in a way that it still makes it into my jewelry.

So I uncoiled these wire ends I had made and then cut off.............

and then wound them into little wire ball beads

I love these wire beads, they add wonderful texture and some negative space into heavy designs. I am really glad I took the time to do this! I have a video at the bottom of the blog showing my process.

I also got to use some of my new spiky polymer beads in some designs. I think over - all this batch with the horn spike shapes and the spiky shell like shapes, and the heavy gauge chain- it really has a rock star feel to it, while still feeling like specimens off a biologists desk. Rock Star Biology.

So, I am just going with this look for now, because I love it.

Want to make your own wire ball beads? There is not real "way" to do it. But I shot a little video of how I do it if you want to give it a go.

Enjoy!!!!

Don't forget, we are having a Day of the Dead design challenge (basically, show off your sugar skull jewelry designs!!) here and on Facebook on October 25th. You KNOW I am participating!

Stacking ring love..and necessary tools.

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Dekle) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 06:40:00 +0000

Carol Dekle-Foss

I'm obsessed with making stacking rings! I think it's because there are so many design possibilities. I like that any small charm can be converted into a solderable, then be combined with different gemstones and metal textures to make a unique, one-of-a-kind ring. I have so many designs in my head right now! Here are some newer ones I've made and also some I've made in the past.

My lotus charm with textured bands and a white topaz faceted gemstone.

I'm in love with this little owl! I just sawed off the jump ring that was attached to the top of his head. The cabochon is mother of pearl.

One of my cherry blossoms combined with berry wire.

I use a ton of different tools when making rings, but here are my favorites and the ones I can't live without.

This file rocks! It files so smooth, like a babies bottom:)

Very accurate ring sizing chart.

Pepe ring mandrel. I recently purchased one of these and love it! My other ring mandrel completely destroyed the insides of my rings.

Flat and half-round pliers. I use these to round together the ring band wire to be soldered.

Maun flat-nose urethane parallel pliers: I have no idea how I lived without them. The urethane even stands up to my abuse!

Digital calipers from Harbor freight.

Mounted sandpaper roll, 400 grit. For sanding the insides of ring shanks.

AdvantEdge pumice wheel. I use the knife edge to remove metal under the charms so the ring bands fit snugly.

Locking head tweezers. They keep everything held in place and at a 90 degree angle.

Rotating soldering table. With the locking head tweezers, and this table, I can easily look at all angles of the ring to make sure its lined up and ready for soldering. Sorry, I should have taken a photo of a ring about to be soldered!

Photo courtesy of Rio Grande

My newest favorite tool! A stone-setting system.

Tube setting a faceted gemstone like the one above can be challenging. I've chipped way to many using a regular bezel pusher, so I decided to give this stone-setting system a try. It works like a charm and very easy to use. It pushes in the sides of the bezel wall evenly so the gemstone sets perfectly. I love it! Melissa Muir has an extremely helpful video on how to tube set if your interested in learning. Thank you Melissa!!!

Sending positive thoughts and safe wishes to those in the path of this monster of a hurricane!

Sterling Silver Solder Filled Wire??

noreply@blogger.com (Patti Vanderbloemen) — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 10:27:00 +0000

by Patti Vanderbloemen

While trolling the Rio Grande website one evening, I found a "new-to-me product" (no idea how long Rio has had this in stock, but I had never seen it): Sterling Silver Solder Filled Wire (link here). I tend to solder my jump rings when attaching a clasp, and I like to make my own chain...when I can. This name says it all - solder filled. So in theory, just make a jump ring, flux, fire...boom - closed jump ring.

Now I have tried fusing fine silver wire in the past for jump rings and chain, and for every 6 rings I would attempt to fuse, 3 would burn up in my way-too-hot flame, or I would not pull the flame away quick enough. Epic fail. I do know that practice makes perfect, but,I thought I would give this wire a try. Cost wise, the SS Solder Filled wire (as of this writing) is about $2.10 more per troy ounce than .925 Sterling Silver round wire. I ended up purchasing 1 troy ounce of 18 gauge.

This is the description of the wire from Rio's website:

Solder-filled silver wire is a tri-metal wire: a solder core surrounded by a copper shell and a fine silver outer layer (solder core: 6%; copper and fine silver shell: 94%). The overall composition is sterling, but the fine silver outer layer provides a better finish and luster than sterling silver. The core eliminates the need for additional solder, simplifying production. This wire is ideal for making chains and jump rings. Simply flux and use.

I not only wanted to test the ease of use, but also the strength. So, I chose an "ancient" chain link that really puts the links through the wringer. This is not really a tutorial for making the links, but rather I wanted to illustrate the steps I used to check the strength of this wire. The 18 gauge SS Solder Filled Wire is softer than .925 Sterling Silver wire, has a bright and shiny fine silver finish, and is very nice to work with.

This is the chain link I made and the design for this link is typically made from 20 gauge - but hey - I had 18 gauge!

I used one of my dapping punches that was approximately 1/2" wide to form a coil for my rings.

As everyone knows, anytime a join has to be soldered, it must be a PERFECT join. This is especially true for using this wire (and fusing fine silver jump rings, as well). After sawing out the rings, I set them up assembly-line style on my charcoal block, sprayed with Pripps flux, and proceeded to move the flame slowly around each ring. I will say - MUCH EASIER to get the solder to flow with this wire than to fuse fine silver wire.

Because the outer layer of the wire is fine silver, there was no fire scale (no pickle/clean up required) - and that is a huge PLUS.

Strength Test Number 1: To begin forming the links, place the jump ring near the bottom of round nose pliers and pull gently to make an oval shape.

In the picture above, the solder join is inside that little yellow circle. This area will receive the most stress from shaping the round link into an oval, thus a perfect test for the strength of this wire.

Not every jump ring I made was perfect....which is why I chose this chain to test the strength of the wire. Seriously - must have a perfect join before soldering!

Once you have formed the oval shape, grab the oval in the center and pinch with the round nose pliers to make a "bow tie" shape.

Turn the link around over the round nose pliers and bend it closed.

No...it's not perfect in my picture...I tweaked the shape a bit after wards!

Once you have your links formed, feed one looped end of one link through both looped ends of another ring, and rotate the links until they are "nestled".

Strength Test 2: I looped a small piece of copper wire to one end of my chain to act as a pulley and proceeded to pull the chain through successive holes in my draw plate.

I ended up pulling the chain through 5 holes in the draw plate - from larger hole to smaller hole - which not only tested the strength of the links, but it really fine tuned each link so that they were the same size.

I have made this chain several times over the past couple of years, using 20 Gauge Sterling Silver wire. But, I wanted to make a comparison to the Solder Filled wire, so I made a few similar links using 18 Gauge Sterling Silver wire.

After forming my jump rings around the same mandrel, I took a teeny tiny piece of hard solder (for color matching purposes, there is more silver content in hard solder so I typically grab that box first).

Now, I forgot to take a picture but trust me - each link required a soak in pickle and clean up - something I DID NOT have to do with the SS Solder Filled Wire. Also, there is a reason this chain should be made with 20 gauge wire if using Sterling. The sterling silver - even though dead soft and heated (annealed) becomes very hard very fast.

The image below shows the chain made with 18 gauge SS Soldered filled wire on the top (notice that beautiful shine) and 18 gauge sterling silver on the bottom. The chain made with the 18 gauge SS Solder Filled wire is much more fluid.

Top Chain - made with 18 Gauge SS Solder Filled Wire
Bottom Chain - made with 18 Gauge .925 Sterling Silver Wire

I ended up making myself a little bracelet with the completed Solder Filled Chain. I oxidized the chain first, tumbled, then I simply wired a pretty Silver-Flanked Orange bead from Tibet as my focal. I also added a little extender chain, made from jump rings - soldered closed - so that this bracelet is adjustable.

I may actually keep this bracelet for myself, as I really do like the links on this chain.

I will definitely use this solder filled wire again - especially when I need a secure closure, such as a soldered jump ring for clasps, etc.

So tell me - have you experimented with any new materials lately? If so - please share, as I am always on the lookout!

Thanks so much for joining me today - have a great week!

Dia De Los Muertos - A Celebration of Life Challenge by Karen McGovern

noreply@blogger.com (Karen McGovern) — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Can you believe it is almost OCTOBER? I. Can. Not. I live in South Florida so the only way I know the seasons are changing anywhere else in the country is by noting the menu changes at Starbucks. Salted caramel pumpkin spice EVERYTHING is on the board, so it must be AUTUMN! When the menu changes to peppermit mocha I'll know I need to start Christmas shopping.

For those of you that do have the privilege of living where the weather patterns are more than "Hot" and "Freaking Hot", I hope you enjoy the change in temps and colors! I miss that--I'm from Michigan and I do miss the explosion of color October through November...send me some pics, okay??

October is a fun month for me. My birthday is in October. I am a HUGE fan of Halloween, and October leads right into another of my favorite holidays, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead.

Dia de los Muertos (November 1 and 2nd) is an extremely beautiful and meaningful Mexican holiday whose most famous feature is the creation and display of elaborately colored and embellished skulls called "Sugar Skulls". Coming on the heels of our Halloween, many confuse Day of the Dead with Halloween, but the two are completely different. Day of the Dead is a celebration of life, actually. Family members and loved ones who have passed are remembered with offerings of art and food--all in honor of these people's lives and transition through death. It's a beautiful holiday!

So, here at LMAJ we would like to challenge you to create something inspired by Dia de los Muertos. I have posted pics here of some of my past designs inspired by the holiday, along with a fellow LMAJ artist Staci Louise Smith. Staci creates amazing sugar skull beads and pendants! Use the month of October to become inspired, and perhaps to learn more about this holiday, then create something AMAZING. We will "reveal" our designs on Tuesday, October 25th, and encourage you to post images of your designs on that day (on the blog in the comments section and on our Facebook page) as well using the hashtag #lmajdod.

Top left - Alcohol inks on aluminum sugar skull pendant by Karen McGovern
Top right - Bronze clay sugar skull necklace by Staci Louise Smith
Bottom - Dia de los Muertos pendant in tribute to Frida Kahlo by Karen McGovern

It's not all pumpkins and bats--Dia de los Muertos is a holiday rich in tradition and love with nothing to do with our Halloween. Let's celebrate!

What goes into handmade?

noreply@blogger.com (stacilouise) — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:00:00 +0000

by Staci Louise Smith

I never get tired of watching how things are made. It doesn't matter what it is, if someone is making it, or painting it, or carving it, or building it, I can not take my eyes off it.

I think when you are a maker yourself, and you have a process you know, it gives you a respect for the process others go through.

For those of us who do shows, I know that we often wish we could share that passion and knowledge of what goes into handmade with our customers. It is often literally blood, sweat, tears and heart. so I am going to share this process.................

I have been on a new journey of making lino-cut print bags and totes to sell in addition to my jewelry. It has given me that outlet for some creativity that is not jewelry related, that I very much needed- and I also think it will reach a wider audience then my jewelry alone does (cause its weird, and not everyone's cup of tea).

What started out as simple dyed bags with lino-cut prints on them (above), has evolved already (because I just do not do simple very well!!!). So, as I went through the process of this new medium, I decided to document it in pictures to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy watching the process!!

I buy fair trade bags- wash them and hang them to dry. Then, I tye some up to add some variation in the dye.

Then I dye them, which entails, mixing the dyes, and other chemicals in the correct quantities for the correct amount of time, and then rinsing, and rinsing, and rinsing and rinsing them. Then washing them and hanging them to dry.

Each time I do a batch I end up carving some new stamps. This time a added a sugar skull and an elephant too.

Since I got a new style bag that has a flap, I decided to sew some patch style layers onto it, since I could. So I went nuts at Joann's fat quarter sale. Batik fabrics have my heart.

I also decided to do the layers on some of the other bags, and bought this heat and bond to be able to do that.

Then all the fabrics get washed and hung to dry

Next I begin to cut squares of the solid colors to stamp on

Then I stamp, and I stamp, and I stamp...................

I work in my unfinished basement, so pardon the gross background and odd things I use to hang and store my wares on....lol

Once the fabrics are stamped and dry overnight, I stack them by design, and the fun begins.

I GET TO DESIGN THE BAGS!!!!

I had so much fun doing this part!

After that, the flap bags get sewed on, and the others get trimmed, ironed onto the backing, trimmed again, then ironed on to the bag. Then some extra ironing to heat set the printing ink.

and VOILA! I love them.

These are the sewn bags with the flaps

These are the first two iron on's.

Tonight I have to put the rest together, iron and sewing. Tomorrow they all get a little winged heart stamp on the back as a signature. Then that gets heat set with an iron too.

Then they get tagged and priced and hopefully find some new homes over the weekend. So much work goes into each bag, but I really love the outcome.

I hope you enjoyed the process, I know I am. It always feel good to be able to do something new. It revives the creativity that sometimes falls asleep on the job!

New jewelry packaging..just in time for fall!

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Dekle) — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 06:01:00 +0000

Carol Dekle-Foss

I've grown tired of my boring old jewelry packaging you see below and have been working on revamping it for the fall season. I wanted something more simple and professional looking, yet unique, without breaking the bank.

I fell in love with the simplicity of belly bands, so for this post I'm sharing what I came up with using Minc Reactive foil and this cheap laminator I purchased at Walmart.

Later down the road, I might try Rio Grande's personalized hot foiling, but for now I like the belly band look. I enjoy the creative process of making my own packaging, plus it's fun using different foil and paper combos.

Here's how I made the band..

I used cardstock from The Luxury Stack and printed my logo using a laser printer. I then ran it through the laminator using Minc Rose Gold foil. It can be tricky getting the foil to stick. I had a hard time at first, but with a few adjustments to the density of the image, and running it through the laminator a few times, I got it to work. It's not perfect, but that's okay, it's handmade right?? There is a Minc machine that is supposed to work better, but the laminator works fine when you have your image really dark and run it through more than once.

I also made an earring card insert to match.

These earrings are made with beautiful handmade porcelain beads by MaryAnn Carroll of Artisan Beads Plus. They are on their way to their forever home!

Also, my husband and I have agreed we are having a 20% off fall sale through the end of September! Just use coupon code save20. You can find all our porcelain goodies on our website here.

Thank you for reading!

Another use for Copper Tubing!

noreply@blogger.com (Patti Vanderbloemen) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 10:00:00 +0000

by Patti Vanderbloemen

In writing this post for today, I did a quick search through this blog and realized that copper tubing has been used many, many times by the LMAJ artists...hoops, clasps, focals, bezels, bangles, beads, etc. It is a wonderful material - widely available at your local hardware store - and, it is inexpensive. Here is my latest venture using this most versatile metal - bead connectors/links.

Before I start here - please wear eye protection when sanding and drilling metal! I also wear a respirator so that I do not breathe in any little fine particles of metal. (This is the respirator I use - with these filters). I only have one pair of eyes and one set of lungs.

Grab some copper tubing - my sample below is manufactured for use in refrigerators - 1/4" wide.

This is my tube cutter - $7.00 at Home Depot and found on a hook right next to the tubing!

I know it has been addressed before on this blog, but it so simple to use this tube cutter. Slip your tubing into the cutter and use the knob (orange, in this case) to tighten the grip.

Rotate the little tube cutter around the tubing - each time, tighten the knob just a bit more. After several rotations - the tubing is cut and NOT squished! You can also use your jeweler's saw...but honestly...this is so simple!

I cut 7 soon-to-be links 7/8" long.

We are going to flatten these tubes with a hammer, which makes for a nice thick (but not too thick) link. Now, these are tiny links, and it is hard to flatten a small, round piece of metal without the tubing rolling and/or hitting the fingers. I hold one edge of the tubing with my parallel-action pliers (example- here), and hammer the other end on my bench block. Then, hold the now-flattened side with the pliers, and hammer the other end of the tubing flat.

The beauty of using tubing vs. copper sheet is that once flattened, the sides are nicely rounded and smoothed and you now have a nice heft to the metal.

At this point, I use a series of files to slightly round the edges and corners. Sanded correctly - there is NO VISIBLE SEAM on the ends of the copper.

Prior to sanding

I like to add texture to these connectors using hammers or stamps. Texture takes better to softened metal, which has hardened from the flattening. So, I do a quick annealing of each link, air-cool, and pickle clean. Anytime I will be adding texture to my metal, I do not quench the metal after annealing - there is a risk of the metal becoming brittle from the shock of the water.

Clean!

Next, I mark the holes on either end with a sharpie and give a starter tap with my nail punch.

You can use a hole punch to make the holes, but my drill was already set up in my flex shaft. Again, I am holding the link with my parallel-action pliers and drilling into a block of wood. Be sure to drill slowly...nothing worse than flying metal!

Using the drill bit will produce little burrs in the holes.

De-burr the holes with a small, round needle file.

For today's example, I am adding texture via a stamp. I always tape my metal to my bench block first.

If using the connectors for a bracelet, I like to add a slight curve to each link, using my bracelet bending pliers (example here). I love this tool - one quick squeeze, and it's done.

The slight curve allows the links to conform to the wrist...just a bit better fit than if left flat.

Connect the links with jump rings and a claps of your choice. All ready for patina and tumble!

Done!

By varying your textures, the options are endless! The bracelet below features 7 links - each with a different texture.

This bracelet features textured links, with a tiny, sterling silver flower made from my shot plate soldered to the center of each connector. I also used sterling silver jump rings (soldered closed for security) to make this a true, mixed metal bracelet.

These bracelets fit like a dream!

I think these connectors would also make a pretty cool chain, or earrings, too. The uses are only limited by your imagination!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!