New Desing team to be anounced

I'm so sad that my time on the Ice Resin Design team has come to an end. It has been a crazy year trying to meet deadlines, make enormous amounts of charms for the Emmys and working with a Wonderful group of ladies.  I have had so much fun sharing this year with these great girls.  Next years Design team is to be announced tomorrow.  I cant wait!

Here is my last post for Ice Resin.  Keep your eyes on the new team.  I'm sure they will have some great projects for us.



Ice Resin

go check out BAJ

My bezel set enamel bracelet is in the winter edition of Belle Armore Jewelry!  I am so excited and honored.  This is my very favorite jewelry magazine and I have been blessed to have my jewelry featured twice!  This is a great issue with lots of beautiful projects.  In fact, I'm going to work on KristenRrobinsons beautiful Iced Enamel heart bracelet!

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving!!

Rue Romantique Christmas blog hop

Welcome to the last day of the Rue Blog Hop.  I hope you have seen all the great ornaments on Friday, Nov. 8 by Kristen Robinson, Jen Crossley,Cindy Cima Edwards and Cindi Bisson.  

Saturday, Nov. 9 was packed full of great bits by Carol la Valley,Lexi Grenzer, Pamela Huntington, Susan Walls and

Jen Cushman.  

Today you can find work by  Thespa

McLaughlin, Lesley Venable, Jo Mama and  Susan Weckesser

For those of you who have been watching my work, you know I'm on this animal kick.  I love to cast animals and incorporate them into my work.  So when I heard we were doing an ornament, I knew it would have to have some sort of animal.  I love finding a sleeping owl nestled in a tree in the middle of the day, so I wanted to bring that feeling into my ornament.

I started by casting an owl with Ice resin.  

I Used golden fluid acrylic to color the surface.  These add color but allow light to come through

I used the interference blue to add some shimmer to the surface.  I then sprayed the piece with a polyurethane clear coat.

Next I drilled a very small hole in the center to the bezel

 just large enough for a head pin to fit snug.  I folded the head pin over so it would lay flat and taped it down.  This helps ensure no resin will seep through

The Rue Romantique bezels are great for adding patina because all the fine detail allows for contrast.  I wanted a rustic sort of look, so I painted the entire bezel with white nail polish and allowed it to dry

 Once it was completely dry, I rubbed off the highlights with sand paper.

 Once I had enough of the polish off, I used the Golden paints to add highlights.  You could also use an Ink pad, oil pastels or anything else that adds color!

I mixed a small amount of Ice Resin and poured a few drops into the bezel.  I covered the Resin with some pink glitter because...well who doesn't love glitter?

While that was drying, I made a tassel with some ribbon, leather, chain and a  stick I had covered in resin awhile back.

TIP: when your not feeling particularly creative but you want to be in the studio, I spend my time creating components.  I will make resin paper, sticks and other bits.  Sometimes I just cut and enamel interesting shapes.  That way, when the mood strikes, you have baubles and bits to use and you don't have to wait around for things to dry!!

I took a pre-made flower ribbon and created a wire wrap on each end.

Once my bezel was dry, I drilled a hole on either side and attached the flower ribbon.

I made a loop on the end of my head pin and attached my tassel, and Viola, a sleepy owl to rest in your tree all season long!!Ill probably wear him around my neck after Christmas!!

Happy Blog hopping

Heartfelt Home on Ice Resin Blog

You can check out my Heartfelt home at the  Ice Resin Blog.  It has all the information you need on how to make this sweet little house

Rue Blog Hop

Christmas ornament Rue Romantique Blog Hop

T’was many days before Christmas and I was planning my list

of sweet gifts to make and ornaments of bliss.

I’d need resin — clear ICE, and bezel from Rue

 for that Romantique look, so Victorian and true!

I’d need rhinestones and charms and oh so pretty papers

photos of loved ones up and down through the ages.

My kitchen table is full of my tools:

jewelry pliers, paint brushes and magical glue.

Wait! I need glitter and scissors and such

I’ll invite a friend over! A working coffee clutch!

Lovely things will appear as as we laugh and create

our Rue Romantique Christmas is going to be great!

Today visit Kristen Robinson,Jen Crossley,Cindy cima Edwards and Cindi Bisson for some great Christmas inspiration.

Tomorrow, You can look forward to these ornaments:(Saturday, Nov. 9)

Carol La Valley, lexi Grenzer, Pamela Huntington,  Susan Wallsand   Jen Cushman

Bringing gifts home is a hassel!!

So my dear Olive requested a Teddy Bear from Germany.  Germany is known for there Steffi bears and we thought this would be a good gift.  About 3 day into vacation we spoke with olive and she said "GiGi make sure it is the softest bear in all of Germany"....Pretty tall order when all the German bears feel like they are made of Muslin!! so we gave up on the Germany bear.

But in Paris we came upon a high end baby store with lots of VERY soft dolls.  after rubbing each stuffed animal, we decided the rabbit was by far the Softest (and most expensive!)

You can tell it a Parisian rabbit by the Counterpoised position!!!  We could have come home an bought a really soft doll at TJ Max and she would have never been the wiser, but she loves it and now she has something for show and tell.  Then she can take my MasterCard bill and use that as next weeks show and tell!

OK Last post about Olive for a while.  I know I think she the smartest, cutest, most well behaved, highly artistic child on the planet, but I get that not everyone else shares my views!!  I promise next post will be jewelry!!

Blessings to you all

Home from Germany and France

I returned home from 2 week in Germany and France (+1 day stuck in Canada!)  I went right back to work, so I have not had much free time.  I Should have tomorrow off so I plan to cast some new finds from Paris Flea Markets.  I did not buy much this year.  I wanted to get lots of stuff for found object jewelry, but that didn't work out!  I was with my husband so I tried to hurry thru the market.  I had planed to go to the Marché aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt, the largest Puces in Paris with 7 markets!  After reading up on it I realized it would take all weekend to get through, so I chose to go the the smaller one.  I found a few interesting things (old metal stamps. old advertisement key chains and some hand tatted lace) 
We rented an amazing flat in Paris and had a wonderful time.  Brian and I will celebrate 20 years together in March and this was the first time we traveled out of the States together.  We still really enjoy spending time together and we have the same interests. So this was a great time for us.  Ill post pictures over the next few weeks.

Brian and I picked out a beautiful lock many years ago at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show.  We found a vendor from India selling old locks from the late 1700 to early 1800's. We dug for about an hour looking for the perfect locks with a working key.  We found 2 locks that we planed on using in a piece of altered art.  But once I heard about the locks of love bridge, I knew where they would end up! 

For those of you who haven’t heard of this, here's the story: A couple writes their names on a padlock and locks it onto one of the bridges. They then throw the key into the Seine River as a symbol of their undying love.  

 Our Lock

Some say the only way to break the seal of love brought on by this love lock act is to find the key and unlock the padlock. Of course, that is nearly impossible, since the keys lie at the bottom of the river.

 We took a picture in hopes we can find it again next year

 Pont de l'Archevêché Bridge

Connies Crystals Blog Hop

I am from the southwest so I love using pieces that are indigenous to this area.  I often use leather, bone, antler turquoise and other rustic items.  But these things can look a bit tough or to "wild west" for me.  I always like to add a bit of bling to my work so Connies Crystals are perfect.

In this piece, I started with an Elk antler and added some fine raw gemstones like carnelian and garnet.  

 I used some ribbon and some yarn made from a local alpaca farm

 The Crystals add just enough bling to make it girly, but still lets everyone know your may have a six shooter in your garter!!!

Don't forget to check out what  Lexi and Pamela have done with connies crystals

Keep on Hopping!!

Germany

The sun finaly can out in Germany today

100 Handmade bracelets is out!!!

Go to 100 handmade bracelets to see all the Emmy bracelets and See how they were made, its a 

really cool book with all the stars bracelets and instructions!!!I had fun making all the charms for the give away,

Iced Enamel Ring

Check out my new ring on the Ice Resin Blog

Super easy and looks cool

Horse For Bonnie-A tale of gratitude

I apologize in advance for this long post.  It is the last post before I leave for vacation and I just wanted to let you see what I’ve been up to since the Emmys!

Several years ago, I cast some animals in Resin.  Not sure what to do with them, I took them with me to France last year hoping to be inspired.  I knew I wanted to mimic the look of "trophies" but was not sure how to do that.  I had cut out several "trophy mounts" and attempted to bezel set the animals, but they were to big.  When we started to work in the studio, I was looking at one of SLK's rings she had prong set a large stone in.  I have been prong setting for years but never crossed my mind to use this setting for the cast pieces.  It was perfect! I don’t know why I did not think of it.  That is why Susan is the Master of connections!!   Susan brought along some crackle nail polish and showed use how to use it as a patina.  This created the perfect aged look to my "mount"  I prong set my Buffalo and carried him home.  When I got home, I finished the piece with an antler tip, bronze wire and chain and one sari scraps Susan had given us in France.  I used a large swarovski crystal to hang from the bottom

 I love this piece.  Its exactly what I wanted and all it took was going all the way to France to get the right Western look!!

I wear him all the time, often with one of my animal rings.  I have a Moose, sheep, dear and horse.

While at a recent art show in Durango Colorado, I wore my Buffalo and Horse ring.  To my surprise, they received lots of attention.  I LOVE them, but who else wants a Deer or horse head on there finger?  Turns out, there are a few other nuts like me out there!  I really took them just to show off what you can do with ice resin, not to sell them.  I had several people ask about price, but I told them they were not for sale.  Finally a lovely mother and young daughter (maybe 13-14) showed a lot of interest.  They bought a cast baby with butterfly wings (nutty) and my cast door knocker from our neighbors in France (even nuttier!)  They really wanted the rings and lived in the area where these animals live.  I pulled the horse ring off my finger and sold it along with the deer. (I could not part with the Buffalo) I was so sad to see them go, but happy to know that someone else out there loved them the way I do. (and I may have created 2 new Ice Resin addicts, as they left talking about all the things they can cast in resin!)

A bit later in the day, a long time customer, Bonnie,  came by and saw my necklace. She asked if I had any other pieces.  I showed her the sheep....not her style.  But when she heard I sold a horse ring she was disappointed.  She asked if I could make another one but as a necklace.  A horse is not the kind of animal you hunt and mount as a trophy, so I was not sure how this would work.  I told her I would give it a go.

She called me daily to check on the progress.  I immediately hit a road block: my granddaughter has discovered my stash of animals and has been secretly  playing with them.  Looks like my perfect horse is gone forever, or at least until we excavate the play room!!  I had to sculpt and bake a new horse head. (thank you Linda Mcnulty for giving me this valuable skill.  Great sculptor and even better teacher. Amazing what she is able to teach)

Anyway, Bonnie wanted the necklace "just like" mine.  I don't make anything twice and I try to push myself each time I make a new piece.  The antler did not fit with the horse theme so I used some beautiful Mountain Jasper.  This stone gives the illusion of a landscape, often looking like our local landscape with mountains, trees and rivers.  Bonnie had expressed how much she loved horses, so I found a beautiful bronze heart chain.  I used a small piece of organza ribbon and secured it with metal clamps that mimicked the bridles used for horses

I used the same prong settings I used for My Buffalo

I feel like I should have only used 3 prongs as it looks like he is being chocked instead of gently held in place!

I used amazonite stone to complement the blues in the mountain Jasper.

 I know these are shitty Pictures.  My husband just bought a really nice camera for vacations so maybe if I'm really nice and I don't leave him stranded at the Metro station(I have the tickets and the map and knowledge of the city!), he will start taking pictures for me

  Bonnie was THRILLED.  And when I told her  it was finished, she made the hour drive down to pick it up. she immediately put it on and walked around the restaurant showing all the diners!!

She also called the next day to report that the piece was proudly laid out on the kitchen counter where she could stare at it all day!!! I do the same thing with some of my pieces.  (Susans druzy heart necklace for example!!)

I know this has been a long post, but this interaction is why I love to create art.  I have had those rings for a year.  I love them, I wear them often (to my husbands dismay..he does not understand why I need a 2 inch deer with antlers on my finger to go out for ice cream!) But Bonnie does understand why someone would need a deer along for an Ice cream date!  Its the feeling we get from having personal adornment. Real PERSONAL adornment.  Not what 100 other people bought from target.   Each of our styles are different and what acceptable to me may not be right for another. But those of use who love jewelry and love to create, know the joy it bring us to have that special piece.  I’m satisfied with creating things I like and wearing them myself.  But to be able to give that feeling to another person is beyond words.  I have always had a passion for handmade items and I’m always drawn to the odd and eclectic so my art reflects that.  Last weekend I was able to connect with others who have similar passions and appreciations for wearable art.   

I LOVE being a member of the Ice Resin Design team for this reason.  Its a group comprised of amazingly talented women who have the same passion for creating as I do.  Our Fearless leader SLK and Jen Cushman have allowed us to create what we feel is ascetically pleasing and gave us a forum to present it.  That is an amazing gift and if someone out there likes what your doing, thats just a bonus.  I was so blesset to share with Bonnie this week and create something for her that she will forever cherish.  So to all my fellow art sisters (and brothers)  Keep on your creative path and one day someone will buy that freaky dear head on a sterling band!!!

Check out all the amazing artist at the Ice Resin ice queen blog site

our apt in Paris

Brian and I will be heading to Europe in a few days.  We will spend a week in Germany and then 8 days in France.  Oh La La.  I cant wait.  I LOVE France.  I have arranged for personal shoppers to give use a tour of all the fleas around Paris.  I cant wait to see what I find!!  Here are a few pix of our apartment we will be staying in.  It  will be so nice unwind in our private courtyard!  It is much cheaper to rent an apartment that it is to stay in a chain hotel.  Who wants to go to France and stay in a hotel that looks just like the one down the street from your house?  Not me.  When in Rome right?




Ill post some on the Art Fair soon. Saturday was Amazing and Sunday was a disaster.  Flash Flood and hail storm!!! Hail the size of my head (OK maybe not that big)  but they were huge!! All my stuff was soaked and I had to make the hour drive home soaking wet.  No Fun!!!