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!

Little House

I have been beyond busy.  Teaching at Bead Fest in Philly, then returning home to do all the work for #craftingfortheemmys, and getting new work for ready for the Durango Art Fair.  Its 11:30PM.  I just got the car packed and ready to go.  I need to leave at around 4AM to finish getting ready and drive to Durango Colorado.  

I wanted to have more cast animals for this show, but I just could not pull it off.  I did make several new pieces with the SLK Art Mechanic blanks.  Im happy with the way they turned out.  I will post more later along with pix of the Art Fair.  But for now...here is one little house.  I used old french text and enamel.  The other side has watercolor adhered to the blank.  It has a gloss finish and I just could not get a good photo. 

If your in the Durango area, stop by and say hi.  If not...Check out all the excitements with the Emmy's!!!

a bit of Beadfest

 Unfortunately, I did not locate my camera until the end of the 2nd class.  Bummer.  The students made  such amazing pieces the first and second day.  I got my camera out too late to get pix of every ones work but several students have offered to send pix so hopefully we have more to come!!  If you were in one of the classes and have pictures please pass them on.  I would love to show off all your talents.  One innovative student enameled drinking straws, a melted fork and spoon and all kinds of bits off the floor.  They looked like a million bucks and no one would ever guess the were the rubbish from lunch!!

Here are some students hard at work Cold Enameling

Lovely ladies and talented artists

hard at work at the enameling station

Her first class EVER! I

 thought she was a pro!!

Hard at work adding texture wire!

The Students made Lots of great pieces to work with!

This piece may be used as a journal cover.  It is so beautiful in person! It just shimmers and glows! 

 These (along with Susans Beautiful pieces) were the class samples they worked from.  We were Blessed to have Susan Lenart Kazmers piece from the cover of her new book Resin Alchemy to drool over!!!

Again, students please get me pix of you work as I im sure everyone wants to see all the great work you did!

Cast Baby

I have been conflicted all day on how to hang the pendant from the necklace.  I tried several different connections, but non of them looked right.  Thanks to SLK's book I came up with a solution.  Not really a "Cold Connection" because it took some heat, but I already had the pendant complete and I could not apply much heat due to the resin and paper.  I am happy with the final outcome.  I just need to sew a little bag for it and Ill be done. 

My next project is a cast resin squirrel.  Its so cute.  I made a mold of a small porcelain squirrel that a patents  gave me.  I have a strand of "nut" beads I think I will incorporate.  It a strand of assorted nuts, drilled for stringing!  It should be a fun piece

New Ice Resin Piece

I have been working on casting Ice Resin.  I have had this great pair of porcelain legs for years.  Im not sure what they are from.  The have a Hallmark "Germany" on the back.  Anyway, I have wanted to use them but was not sure how.  Now with Ice Resin, I can keep the original and use the cast in several different ways.

 Here are the Original legs and the mold

 Close Up of the legs.  I stained them with some dark brown paint and painted the shoes pink

 Shot looking up her skirt

I don't know why this one is sideways.  I will finish and post the completed necklace tomorrow.  I have some green Garnet, watermelon tourmaline and some chain and clasp I received in my goodie box from a drawing on  Ice Resin to finish it off.

New Ice Resin Piece

I found several cool old dolls at a local antique store.

I wanted to use it in a piece, but could not make a decision on HOW to use it....so...ICE RESIN to the rescue.  I was able to make a mold of it and cast several of them.  This way I could use them in several different ways.  I tend to hoard precious items out of fear of using it the "wrong way"

It cast very clear...in fact too clear.  I aged it with stain and a bit of blue and green paint

I used SLK'S great "Birds Nest" wrap to hang it from.

I took some of the chain that came in my industrial Chic Booty.  (I was the recipient of a great box of goodies from a past drawing)  I got a great green/rust patina on the chain with Jax green and peroxide.  Its hard to see in this dim photo.  I have dreams of a new camera for Christmas.

I used an assortment of stashed gems, tea stained muslin, ribbon and leather to finish it off.  I like the outcome.  Im looking for other treasures to cast!!!

ice Resin Blog

I am so very excited to announce that my post will be featured on Inspiration Monday on the Ice Queen Blog, on Monday 12-19-11.  I was given the task of choosing 4-5 pix of what inspires me to create.  I looked back at past posts from other artist.  I found they had beautiful posts on a vast assortment of items (all very inspiring)  I chose to go a different route.  Instead of choosing individual items that inspire me, of which there are many,  I went with inspiring women. I have always had an admiration for women with a voice.  

My family moved away from grandmothers and aunts at a young age.  I would dream of a holiday filled with women cooking and crafting to ready the home for the holidays.  I often watched my mother, alone, prepare for the Holiday season.  


 so Instead of choosing holiday themed items for the post (that would have been the logical thing to do!!) I chose to post about what makes ME think of the holidays.  I chose women who touched lives, changed the rules and made there own way. 

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!