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!

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

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

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!!!

#craftingtheemmys charms

A few charms I made for the Emmys. To keep up with all the excitment go to Ice resin blog.  You will find a link to the twitter chat so you can Hear about tomorrows event and a link to the instagram site to SEE the excitment

Charm Envy!!

Go check out the Queen Zine  for all the details on these beauties!!  Its going to be a wild weekend!

Emmy Bracelets Final product

My "process!!!

I worked so hard on each piece.

Nancy tried to keep he awake

 But this is how I looked by the time the sun came up the next day!

Emmy Ice Resin Twitter Chat

Twitter Chat at 7 PM PST This Saturday 9-7-13  twitter.com

Chat with the ICE Resin Creative Team as we reveal our top secret gifts! We've been working hard, annealing, resinating, and cold enameling to bring you an amazing array of uniquely inspiring mixed media jewelry pieces. See what we're putting in the celeb gift bags at the Prime time Emmys Gifting Suite Party!

Our designers will explain how they made each piece - ask them questions and learn how to create these pieces for yourself!  You could make the jewelry of the stars!!! 

We are going to have a blast, so put on a good movie on for the kids, put the dogs up, pour yourself a glass of wine (Ill be having Chai!)and come to the party.   Your first chance to get a good look at the beautiful creations from the Ice Resin Design team. Its just a bonus that we are all pretty good party guests!! cant wait to see you there.  

I will have post's on my blog to coincide with the Twitter chat.  My first chat, how exciting.  Follow me on my blog and or twitter to be sure you don't miss it

This is what happens when #craftingtheemmys, #IceResin #CHA #handmade #Jewelry

My dining room is no more "Key kids, wanna go out for dinner?"

sneak peak at Emmy Bracelet

anther sneek peak

My living room has also been taken over.  No living going on here!

My poor Poor Studio.  Its always cluttered but Ive never seen it like this!!

My hands AFTER I washed them!!

another studio shot

The jewelry is off to the Emmy's.  Overnight delivery.


I think I heard that the runner up for best actress will be coming to help all the artist clean!  Thats what 2nd place will get ya!!!