Focusing My obsessions

I am a bit schizophrenic when it comes to jewelry design.  I love learning new techniques and playing with new materials.  Unfortunately, once I have accomplished a new project, I am eager to move on to the next challenge.  I feel that this has been a hendrance because I never explore and push the boundaries of my materials.  I am currently obsessed with ....wild life, art nouveau. French inspired jewelry, enamel, patina, silver wire, embossing, etching, and, and, and.   I NEED to focus!  I'm going to take some time in the studio to just explore techniques, without having project in mind.  I enjoy the sculpture aspect of casting and the ability to add color and mixed media to the pieces.  I think Ill go in this direction.  Maybe

Winter BAJ

I know it has been some time since I posted.  My computer is messed up and I can no longer get pictures from my camera to my computer.   So... until I get a new computer, Im stuck asking my hubby for help to load pix on his computer, then e mail them to me so I can post.  But the jewelry Gods have smiled on me today and I found out I will be on the Cover of BAJ!  I dont need to transfer pix for this one!

Lexi gave me a heads up that the December teaser for BAJ is on stampingtons web site.  I am speechless.  I am SOOOOOO excited.  I am humbled to be in a magazine of this caliber with all the AMAZING artist.  The cover is more than I could have dreamed.  Cant wait until December 1st!!!

recycled dolls

I know I haven't poster lately, but I have been creating!  I took Michael Deming's Disturbed Dollies class last year but Ive just had time to work of using these techniques.  Ive spent the last year collecting thrift store dolls, golden paints and clay.  Here is the result of my first projects.

I have a few more pieces Im still working on.  Ill post more soon.  Happy creating!!!

New Work from Old finds

I have had a small stash of pottery shards since childhood.  My family moved from Hunington Beach California to the desert of New Mexico in 74.  This was a quite a culture shock! I went from roller skating with the neighborhood kids to being the only kid for miles on a dirt road.  As skating on dirt is virtually impossible, I had to take up new hobbies!   My playmates were the cows in an adjacent field and my new pass time was "treasure hunting"  We lived along the San Juan River about 1/4 mile from Salmon Ruins.   The ruins were just being excavated at this time and the riverbank was littered with amazing finds.  I would come home everyday with a backpack full of rocks, arrow heads, pottery shards and other amazing items.
My mother, not appreciating my finds, would periodically dump my "collection"  I would be upset for a day or two and then resume my treasure hunting. After several large losses, I began to stash my finds outside of the house where they would not be found.

I have kept these pieces for 35+ years.  I come across them during moves or spring cleaning, wondering what to do with them. I knew I wanted to incorporate them into jewelry, but was never sure how to do this.  Ive never really been a big fan of prong setting, but while I was in Tucson this February, I sat in on SLK'S "capturing uncommon object's" class. SLKs class demo were amazing.  I realized it was not the prong I had an aversion to, but what is commonly trapped within in them that I'm not a fan of!  Susans pieces had interesting items caged within the prongs.  It hit me that this would be the perfect way to display my treasures.  Prongs allow for the majority of the piece to be visible.  I tried bezel setting them years ago and I just did not like the results.  Too much of the piece was obscured.

 So here is my first piece.  

 I used bronze sheet, textured with the rolling mill.  I wanted the texture to mimic some of the designs on the pottery. 

 I used sterling accents for interest.  I love how the prongs allow you to see the side view

I used large raw garnet and Turquoise for the necklace. 

 I think the stones complement the rustic look of the piece

I have next weekend off, so I plan to lock myself in my studio and work on more designs.  Let me know what you think of this one!

I may take a walk along the river for inspiration, and maybe ill get lucky and find another treasure!