My first sale on ETSY!!!

New earrings to post on etsy

I made my first sale on ETSY. I have posted 2 more pieces tonight.  It takes so long for me to get a piece listed.  Im sure it will get easier as I go, but for now, it is taking awhile.  I plan on listing at lease 2 pieces a day over the next week.  Please stop by my ETSY shop and check them out.

Susan Lenart kazmer necklace

My beautiful Susan lenart Kazmer necklace.  I bought this necklace because it just felt like me.  I have LOTS of jewelry, but this is my favorite.  Susan said she wore it a lot when she was going threw a transition in he life.  As I have said before, 2012 is going to be my year of transition.  I feel like I am at a good place in my life.  I have a job I enjoy as a Home Health/Hospice nurse.  I have a home, a car, a man and kids.  The only thing I feel is lacking, is my creative growth.  I have always created art...but over the last 20 years, it has bee in between  raising kids, going to college and working.  I feel like I finally have time to just create. Over the last several years I have only made art for a purpose.  I am either creating for a show, fundraiser or for a gallery.  I always have a deadline. I want to spend some time creating just for the sake of creating.  I want to push myself this year.  I am going to focus on jewelry design, while incorporating the mixed media/found object stuff I love. 
I am trying to get out of my comfort zone.  I work at my Co Op Gallery  several times a month.  Customers come in and look at my work.  Some will come in and ask if we carry "sweet pea jewelry"  some will state they "collect" sweet pea jewelry and I wont tell them that I am the designer.  I usualy smile and say "yea, its nice jewelry"  (Im not a great saleswoman for my own art!)  I am trying to change that. I am trying to meet other artists, apply to call to artist, post on  ETSY  ,submit to new gallery's  ect.  I have work in seveal gallerys but only because they have approached me.  If it was left to me...I wound end up on A&E  hoarders with a house full of  art and jewelry that Ive made  because it would never get sold.

This necklace FORCES me out of my confort zone.  I cant avoid having a conversation with a stranger when I wear it.  Its usualy an artist , designer or a "creative type" that approches me to ask about it. I have met some great people because of this necklace.  I have met artist willing to help me with my blog, with ETSY, and lots of other useful things.  This necklace is becoming  part of my artistic journey,  just as it was for Susan. 

The Beautiful Olive wearing "The Necklace"  I have hundreds of necklaces, but when Olive wants to be "chute" this is what she chooses!

paintings

I haven't posted any of my paintings yet, so I thought I would post a few.  I love to paint but I cant leave it alone!  I am compelled to add recycled/found objects.  I painted  Ice resin over the paintings to get a really high gloss.

 This is an old Image from an 1870'd encyclopedia.  I did an entire series on rare or extinct birds.  I LOVE the dodo.

 This was a 1599 Image.  The artist is unknown but he claimed this was an exact rendition of the bird he saw!  The artist named the bird "Harpy".


These 2 poppy paintings were done for the Art Walk fund raiser.  The Theme was "RED"

 

close up of poppies

first day of wines of the san juan fest

I am soooo tired and full of dust, but I want to post a few pix of the day.  I hear the wine was great.  "Girls are meaner"  seems to be a favorite.  I don't drink.......Alcohol and I don't mix!!  My first swallow is great. I get all warm and  I think "why don't I drink every day...This is awesome..I love this""  I'm the life of the party.. I'm a riot for about 3 minuets.....but I always take that second drink, and as John Cougar Meloncamp says "it all comes tumbling down"!  The room is spinning, I'm nauseous and ready for bed. I have never been able to finish a beer!  Sooo no wine for me!  But I had a great time watching everyone else enjoy the wine!.

 A shot of the crowd watching the Grape Stomp.  I couldn't get close because I could not leave my booth.

 A really bad dark shot of my booth

 My Susan Lenart Kazmer  Inspired necklace on a bust.

Over the summer I took a class from SLK.  She taught a technique on using ribbon in jewelry.  I bought some elk antler buttons some time ago. (antlers found and sold by The Boy Scouts)  I could not figure out how to incorperate them into my jewelry until her class.  I decided to use them as a sort of cap for the ribbon and gem stones.

                                                   the necklace is to long to fit in my light box.

 closeup of the gem stones.  I used rough garnet, a carnelian carved flower, some really cool mexican opal and some red stone (may be quartz)

                         I made some bead caps from sterling silver and stamped words on them

                                                   Shot of the "southwestern" display

                                                       Shot of the "blue" display

 The proud owner of a pair of kyanite, white topaz and leather earrings.  She was so nice.  She loved these earrings and wore them out of the booth.  I love making jewelry that women love.  For me, that's what it is all about. I love being able to making a connection with others through art.  I know how much I love my jewelry collection and how I feel when I get to wear a great piece of jewelry. (like my SLK necklaces!) and it always makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know that my jewelry will do that for someone else.

new work for tomorrows art fest

 sterling sequins disks with GF chain

sterling disks with red silk and gold filled chain.

I made all these disks and connected them to a very fine silver chain....then I was stuck without a way to hang them. I used silver wire on one and  red silk thread for the other.  I like the red silk the best.

Im excited about the wine fest tomorrow.  I have been sick all day so I hope I feel better tomorrow.  Wine,heat and nausea...not a good combo!!

WIP for wines of the san juan

Here are a few pieces I have been working on for the wines of the San Juan festival this weekend.  I still need to clean, buff and polish them.  I need to solder each ring and put text on the back. I will also be posting some new pieces on ETSY after the festival. you can find more info about the festival at wines of the san juan

ETSY listing!!!!!

I made my first post on ETSY.  I have been so worried about the listing process.  It was soooo easy.  I posted a necklace that I LOVE and have been hanging on to for sometime.  You can see my first listing on ETSY
here.  The picture is pre light box so I will need to edit the pix.  Kristi at http://silversparrowdesigns.com
encouraged me to post.  I will post more over the next few days.

new work

I made a cool sterling silver chain and used a Deer Antler as the clasp.  It needs something more.  I will need to put it away for a few days to think on what to do to finish it.

 sterling silver and deer antler

close up of clasp

Sids Jewelry

My son Sid came home from The Durango arts festival so inspired, he asked me to teach him to use the jewelers Saw!!!  He was a natural.  No broken blades!!!He cut out a skull from copper and placed it in a bezel.  He used Ice resin and some old watch components to complete a focal piece.  He has big plans for the chain

Durango Autum arts festival

 I bought this piece from Michele at Sidhe designs.  (pronounced Shee)We have been spending more time at the cabin in La Plata Canyon.  As soon as I saw this Necklace, It reminded me of out time in the mountains.  I is titled "the experience of the hearts journey"  I feel like this is the year of change for me so it was a perfect match.  you can find more of her Jewelry at   www.sidhedesigns.com

 I bought this great piece from Kristi at Silver Sparrow Designs.  She and Patti were soooo nice.  I hope to spend some more time with them.  I have a small stock pile of silver clay that I have not used yet.  Kristi and Patti offered to help me use it up!  You can find more of her great jewelry at  http://silversparrowdesigns.com

pix of Ice resin Jewelry

 Pre made bezwl withe resin, paper, an enamel disk upholstery nails and thread

 another shot

Watch dial, Ice Resin, stamped copper, bee stamp and micro screws

I had fun with this piece.  I placed packing tape on the back and poured the Ice Resin in the watch piece.  It was just a round hollow piece but it had a slight curve.  It worked great for a bezel.  I found the back had lots of adhesive from the tape when I removed it from resin.  I cleaned it with adhesive remover and the resin was crystal clear!!

Ice Resin Creative Team Application

I have submitted an application to Susan Lenart Kazmer's Ice Resin creative team.  They are looking for new desingers for the up comming year.   You can find the link at http://www.iceresin.com/2011/09/09/creative-team-application/.  I need to submit photos and there in lies the problem.  I have not been very good in the past with photographing my work.  I made my light box and have been photographing all new work.  I have made some great stuff  with Ice Resin in the past but I dont have any good photos.  My all time favorite Ice Resin piece is a "boobies" necklace I made to donate to the breastfeeding coalition.  Ice resin cures really nice in a mold.  I cut up a barbie and poured ice resin in the chest.  I ended up with some heart shaped boobies.  I then bezel set it in sterling silver.  It was a hit at the auction and sold quickly.  I am working on another one to submit with my application. 
If you haven't used Ice resin..do yourself a favor and get some.  It has so many applications.  You can use it with every media.  I used it on some paintings I did recently just to get a glossy finish.

 These pix were taken "pre" light box.  It is hard to tell what is going on but the Ice Resin gave them a really nice shine. 

Getting ready for the Winery

I have spent the last 2 weeks cutting, hammering, scrubbing, piercing, doming and enameling to get ready for the Wines of the San Juan Harvest Festival. This is a great show.  It is a weekend full of great music, art crafts, friends and most of all.....Great wine. You can check out there calender of events at wines of the san juan  It is located in such a spectacular setting and the owners could not be nicer.  I dont do may art shows, but this is one I never miss(weather I am selling or just visiting}.   I am hoping to have lots of new enamel work for this show.  If you mention you read my blog, I will give you 20% off any purchase!!!  I am hoping to post items on ETSY very soon and I will be offering free shipping.  To get the promo codes, sign up on my mailing list.

sweet pea jewelry pix with new light box

 Ive been trying to take better pictures with the light box I built.  Sterling silver with turq set stone

 Enamel disk ring.  Sterling band

 Hand forged sterling silver chain with Saki toggle

 Fine Gem mix

found object and sterling bezel set bracelet.  I found these cool old watches in Durango Colorado.  I set them in sterling bezel then soldered rings to the back.  The backs of each bezel is stamped with an "inspirational"" message.  Im not use what "HOPE" has to do with a zipper, but thats what i did.  Maybe I "hope" the guy with the missing zipper dose not live within 50 feet of a school zone!!

bracelet mold

close up of mold

 Stuart Billie mold for Bracelet

Totah Festival. Stuart Billie

My 2 new bracelets from Stuart Billie

Close up shot of the inside of the bracelet.

Stuart won Best In show for 2011 Totah Festival.   I love these new pieces.  He is casting each piece in a material similar to cuttle fish bone.  He gives you the mold when you purchase the piece as They are one of a kind.  The mold is as beautiful as the piece.  I have been silver smithing for sometime now and this is a technique I have wanted to do for so long.  The Navajos are some of the best silver smiths in the world.  Stuart was so generous and offered to teach me this technique.  I hope to get some time off and take him off on this amazing offer. If you ever get a chance to purchase one of his pieces, I recommend you do as I think he will become very popular as he is already winning awards.