March 2016 Blog Carnival - My Favorite Jewelry

The Jewelry Artisans Community March Blog Carnival is about our favorite jewelry.  I have a lot of favorite jewelry pieces including items that belonged to my grandmother and mother, things that were made by other jewelry artists whom I admire and jewelry that brings back special memories.  In this case, though, I'm going to write about favorites that I have created as doing so is a journey of what I have learned, how much I've progressed and how my own tastes have changed over the years.

In my early days of jewelry making, painting wood beads and stringing them together was what held my interest.  This bracelet is a good example of the type of work I was doing and I so proud of the little dangle that was attached at the clasp.  While this one is listed in my shop, I have a very similar bracelet that I often wear.

From painted beads, I moved to painting miniatures that were turned into pendants.  This is one of the early works that quickly became a favorite because everything came together easily.  The painting just flowed out of the brush and the beads were a perfect match.  It was also one of my first sales and even now, all these years later, I sometimes wish I had kept it.

Wire work had always fascinated me and it didn't take long to realize that I was not a natural at this technique.  Even a simple wrapped loop was beyond me.   After hours and hours and hours of practice, the day came that I was able to make a loop that was actually round!  Determined not to be defeated by wire that seemed to have a mind of it's own, I persevered and eventually little successes were achieved.  I loved the idea that something beautiful could be made with nothing more than a few pieces of wire and some hand tools.

This Celtic style braided cuff is one of my favorites from that time:

These earrings will always be a favorite as they were the first sale from my Artfire shop.  I remember how excited, happy and relieved I was after six months of patiently waiting.  There were even a few tears involved.

This one represented feeling as though I mastered (although that is really not the right word as there is still much to learn) wire weaving.  I wanted to frame one of my pendants and after many failed attempts this was the result.  I also really liked that goofy seagull.  Apparently someone else did too as it sold within a week of listing.

A customer gave me this stunning shell and asked me to make something for her.  She and I both loved the end result.  To this day, I have never seen such a beautiful piece of abalone and often wish it could have stayed with me.  It will always be a favorite even if all I have is a photo.

While this one isn't the prettiest bracelet ever made, it has a ton of sentiment and meaning because it is made from the tags of all of the dogs that have been part of my life over the years and who have gone on to the Rainbow Bridge.  While I don't have any cats, the cat charm is something I found in a jar of change when my sister and I were cleaning my brother's apartment after he died.  He adored his two cats (no worries, we found them a wonderful home) so I added it to the bracelet in memory of him.  When I wear the bracelet, all of the tags jingle together and people often look around expecting to see dogs following me.

Moving ahead to present times, I have recently started working with resin and this is one of my first successfully completed designs.  It was listed in my Etsy shop for three days when I decided I just couldn't part with it, so now it is mine.  Definitely a good decision; it will always be a favorite.  I've shared this a few time in various blog posts and hope people don't get sick of seeing it!

This is another one that was listed in my shop and that I took down.  It never really grabbed people, but I just love everything about it and figured it should stay where it would be appreciated.  It is.

As I was writing this, I started thinking about what would be my favorite in the sense that it is worn a lot.  It came to me that I wear this bracelet more than any single piece of jewelry I own.  It's not a complicated design; simply some beads strung on beading wire, but the beads are so colorful and cheerful that it just cannot be ignored.  It always makes me happy to wear it whether I'm out and about or spending the day at home.

It's interesting to see all of these favorites together; all so different and treasured and special.   I'm sure I'm not alone in finding myself gravitating towards the same items over and over as I think all of us have our favorites that are very meaningful to each of us for a variety of reasons.

To see what the other participants of the March Blog Carnival have to say on the subject of favorites, please click on the links below:

Echoes of Ela

Cat's Wire

Violetmoon's Corner

February 2016 Blog Carnival - Shapes

Circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds, ovals and free forms - the Jewelry Artisans Community February Blog Carnival is about shapes this month.  Shapes are something we see every day often without even registering what the shape is.  They are made both by man and formed by nature.  As a child did you ever look up at the clouds and pick out shapes?

Artists often start a sketch or painting using shapes.  Heads are circles, torsos ovals and a triangle represents a pelvis.  Buildings start out as a square or rectangle, roofs are triangles,  wheels are circles and so on.  Using shapes helps artists keep their subjects in proportion and visualize what the final rendering will look like.

In jewelry, designers and the materials they choose to use determine the shape of a finished piece.   Shapes can convey strength, fluidity, movement and infinity as well as drawing the eye up (triangle) or down (inverted triangle).  Jewelry artists incorporate these characteristics into their jewelry to subtly influence how a piece is perceived by the eye.

As far as how the materials used can determine a shape, a round gemstone will require  a round setting, an irregularly shaped stone will be more of a free form shape.  Stones are cut into tear drops, squares, rectangles and often have facets as well.  Wire is a fluid material and the way the wire chooses to bend will play a part in the finished design.  Metal can be cut, heated and formed into whatever shape the jewelry artist envisions as part of their design.

In the case of the miniature pendants I paint, the subject matter has a lot to do with the shape of the pendant.  A tall narrow subject works best on a rectangular shape, while something that is more circular will be round or oval.

It's not always the subject of my paintings that decides what shape I will use.  Many times, I will have a bezel/component that I wish to use and have to find a shape that will fit, so I can't always have my heart set on a certain subject.

And, then there are shapes within shapes.  A designer may use a square shape to convey strength, while using a round shape for movement.  These kinds of works have a lot of visual interest.

When it comes to free form shapes, wire is a natural due to it's ability to curve, bend and spiral.

These are just some of examples of how jewelry artisans use shape to create and define their artistic visions.  Shapes are a very basic part of art and design and one that is taken for granted.  Next time you are out and about, look around and you will see just how important shapes are not just to the jewelry you wear, but to all aspects of daily life.

To see what the other participants of the February blog carnival have to say about shapes, please click on the links below:

Violetmoon's Corner

The Crafty Chimp

Cat's Wire

Echoes of Ela

January 2016 Blog Carnival - Project of my Dreams

Here it is a new year and the first Jewelry Artisans Community blog carnival of 2016.  This month we chose to write about the project of our dreams which seems fitting for a new year as this is usually a time of reflection, goal setting and new beginnings.

I don't have one specific project that is the project of my dreams; rather there are many projects bouncing around inside my head, however in order to bring these ideas to fruition, learning new skills will be required.  Last year, I started experimenting with using resin to seal my painted pendants and was quite happy with the results.  I knew I didn't want to use commercially made bezels for my pendants and started looking for something unique.  This led me to a little shop where I live that sells all sorts of odds and ends including broken vintage and antique jewelry.  I have found some amazing components that were just what I was looking for to use as bezels.

Some of them have needed modifications or repairs which I have been able to accomplish for the most part using my dremel's cutting, sanding and buffing tools.  But, there are some things that can only be accomplished with a torch.  To date, my only experience with a torch has been doing some form folding which was quite fun, actually.

 This is going to be the year that I learn to solder (I hope - see how I won't commit?), which will really open up some new creative areas to explore.  Not only do I want to be able to modify the parts I've purchased from my local supplier, but I want to try to make my own bezels to use with my paintings.  That would be the ultimate in hand made to me - pairing my original paintings and my original bezels.


Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen.  Do I try to self teach myself or take a class?  The problem with taking classes is that it would involve a three hour round trip which I'm not too keen about.  But, in the end it may be worth it to take that leap in order to learn proper techniques and to see what sort of tools are required and work best for my needs.  I see this leading to setting stones as well.  I'm not really interested in setting stones for making focal pieces, but I could see setting small stones as part of the design of the bezels I want to make.

Currently, I'm out of town but when I am back home my goal is to focus on turning my dream project into reality and take my jewelry to the next level.  Thinking about it is kind of scary and exciting all at the same time - I'm not even sure where to begin, but will break it down into baby steps until it's been figured out.  First step:  contact the local community college to see what they have to offer and then go from there.  Wouldn't it be awesome if this time next year, I could show you some bezels that were made with my own two hands?

To see what the other participants of this month's blog carnival have to say on the subject, please click on the links below:

Violetmoon's Corner

Echoes of Ela

Cat's Wire

JAC November Challenge - Fall Leaves

The monthly challenge at the Jewelry Artisans Community for November was "Fall Leaves" and our source of inspiration was this chromolithograph titled "Fall Leaves" by Olive Whitney.

I knew that given the wonderful colors of Autumn, we'd have some fabulous entries, but as always, this group of artists never fails to amaze with their creativity and talent.

Our first submission was from Gayle of 2FabFristers who treated us to these lovely fall leaves earrings featuring dangling leaf charms and beads in fall colors.

Next up was Carina of Violetmoon's Corner with this fantastic fall leaves bib necklace.  Carina hand stitched many of the individual leaves into place.

Cat of Cat's Wire gave us these beautiful leaf earrings that are bead loomed from different tones of red, amber and orange.  Cat added crystals, not only because she likes dangles, but also because they added the look of serrated leaves

My entry is a pendant that consists of a pair of wire woven copper leaves onto which a mosaic of beads in fall colors of cranberry fresh water pearls, copper colored fresh water pearls, golden glass beads, multi-colored jasper and green beads have been attached through additional wire weaving.

The fantastic submissions for this month's challenge remind me of why Autumn is my favorite season - who can resist these wonderful, vibrant colors?  Not me, that's for sure!

November 2015 Blog Carnival - Time Management and Motivation

The topic of the Jewelry Artisans Community (JAC) for the month of November is Time Management and Motivation.

Well, I happen to be very much on topic this month as the posts were due on November 24 and here it is November 29 and I am just getting started.  What got in my way this month?  Preparing for a major vacation did it; we left for Thailand on November 25 and there were a million things to do and no time left over for blogging.

Now that I've been in Thailand for 24 hours and am getting settled into our accommodations, a small block of time presented itself this afternoon because it is currently too hot to be outside.

The problem with time is that there is never enough of it.  In June of 2014, I retired and looking back I honestly don't know how I had time to have a job.  Now that I'm no longer working, the time has been filled with activities that I look forward to doing, but time is still in short supply.  What I've found helps me most in meeting deadlines such as this blog post is to keep a calendar and try to prioritize based on when something needs to be finished.   This usually keeps me focused and on task except when something like preparing for a big event such as a vacation comes up.

Motivation is one of those things that I find harder to manage than time because it can't be managed.  One is either motivated or they are not.  I'm a great avoider when not motivated.  I will do the most detested of household chores such as cleaning the oven or removing disgusting gunk from the sink drain in order to avoid a project if I'm not motivated.  Other avoidance strategies include doing every single thing on a list of chores except the one I should be doing, spending time on the internet doing important things like reading forums and playing games, deciding to organize the junk drawer, calling a long lost friend, planning a week's worth of meals...I'm sure you get the picture!

I always felt bad about this until I realized that if motivation is lacking, it just is.  Of course, there are times we can't avoid tasks such as important projects for work or filing our taxes, but most of the time it's ok to set projects aside until that creative spark returns.  While it used to make me sad to have a free day to work in my studio, only to find myself unable to find the motivation to even pick up a single bead, it no longer bothers me (much).   Instead of worrying about it, I will do something else like tidy up my studio, read a book, work in the flower beds, take a walk or go out to lunch with a girlfriend.  When motivation returns it brings with it a renewed enthusiasm and desire to get back to the beads and wire along with many new ideas.  Creating jewelry is then a joy, rather than a dreaded chore.   If you find yourself lacking motivation, don't fight it.  It will come back and will be better than ever when it returns.

The best of all worlds is when time and motivation cooperate with each other and there is plenty of both.  I find myself turning out one design after another, experimenting with new techniques and materials and coming up with so many ideas I want to try that I can't write them all down fast enough.  Which brings me full circle with this post - being at that level of creative activity, while extremely satisfying, can be exhausting and often results in all other aspects of life being neglected.  Having those down periods of no time and no motivation allows us to re-charge and a chance to spend time with our families, pets, friends, to take care of our homes and nourish our bodies.  To have this balance in our lives is what makes us well balanced individuals who are fulfilled in all aspects of living.

To see what other participants in this month's blog carnival have to say on the topic of time management and motivation, please click on the links below:

Cat's Wire
Violetmoon's Corner
The Crafty Chimp

Jewelry Artisans Community October Blog Carnival - Favorite Materials

If it seems like it's been a while since the Jewelry Artisans Community carnival, you are right.  We took August off as a summer break intending to return the next month and then completely forgot about September!  And now, here it is, time for October already with our chosen topic - Favorite Materials.

It wasn't hard for me to choose which materials are my favorites.  While I like to experiment with different things such as making paper beads, dabbling in fabric and pounding metal, my true loves are working with wire and painting little miniatures using acrylic paint.

Wire is awesome stuff.  It can be bent, spiraled, looped, wrapped, woven and twisted.  Wire is available in gold, sterling silver, copper, brass, bronze and craft wire comes in every color of the rainbow.  Wire can also be left bright and shiny or given an antique patina using chemicals such as liver of sulfur.  I love how it's possible to take a length of wire and using nothing but my hands and my tools create a fabulous piece of jewelry.

Like these twisted copper earrings for example:

Or, this crescent moon pendant:

How about a braided copper cuff:

Herring weave is a particularly fun wire technique:

This wire woven pendant is based on Peruvian thread weaving and is one of my favorites:

Free form wire wrapping has a mind of it's own:

I mentioned earlier that painting miniatures is my other passion, so I would have to say that acrylic paint is the other material that I primarily enjoy using.  By taking a piece of rock, bone or wood to use as my canvas I have created little paintings that are not much larger than an American quarter.

Like these:

The minis need to be sealed in order to protect the paintings and to provide a glossy finish.  It is a very tedious process of applying the sealer, waiting for it to dry, sanding it and repeating the process on both sides of the pendants several times until a perfectly smooth glossy finish is achieved.   It's also a process that can take weeks to finish mostly because of the drying time.  

I started looking for an alternative that would result in the same beautiful glossy finish but that would be much faster and still hold up to wear.  During this period of research, I came across examples of resin jewelry and thought that this could be the answer.  There is definitely a learning curve to using resin and after much experimenting and practicing, I decided this was the direction I wanted to pursue.

Here are some of my recent creations using resin:

I am in love with resin!  It's not just the ease of use, the quick drying times or the glossy finish that resin achieves .  Resin gives the little paintings a depth they've never had before; they almost seem to have come alive.  My work has been elevated to a new level of craftmanship and the resin has taken me in all sorts of new directions including experimenting with encasing leaves, flowers, pebbles and sea shells in resin.

My jewelry making journey has been one of constantly exploring new techniques and materials but I always come back to wire and paint and now resin has been added to the list.  I don't see that changing anytime soon; working with these materials is when my creative urges feel the most fulfilled and satisfied.

To see what other members of the Jewelry Artisans Community have to say about their favorite materials, please click on the links below:

The Crafty Chimp 

Violetmoon's Corner 

JAC August/September Challenge - Shoulder Dusters

The theme of the Jewelry Artisans Community August/September challenge was "Shoulder Dusters".  In the jewelry world, shoulder dusters are long, dangly ornate earrings that brush the shoulders.  Sometimes, they hang below the shoulders.  Shoulder dusters are often worn by women in stunning gowns at glamorous evening events.

From Carina of Violetmoon we had two entries.  First, this fabulous pair made of chain and fresh water pearl dangles. 

Next, Carina gave us these lovely wire wrapped pale green dusters made of glass beads.

Cat from Cat's Wire caged faceted garnet colored beads using a netting technique and added a ruby colored tear drop dangle for her elegant earrings.

For my entry, I made wire woven copper leaves in three sizes and connected them smallest to largest.  The design was inspired by this birch leaf earrings tutorial from Wire Jewelry.

I'd be proud to wear any of these shoulder dusters to a fancy event - just looking at them makes me feel like getting all dressed up for a party!