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