Enameled runner

    In an earlier post, I shared a pair of earrings that I made for the local cross country coach.  The coach's own drawing was used for them.  A few weeks later, her husband asked if I could make her a necklace to match and maybe add some color.  I hadn't done any enameling since my class in June, so I decided to give it a try with the limited colors I had available.  

   As usual I ended up making two pendants.  (Isn't this always what I do with commissions?)  It wasn't so much that I felt the need to make two.  This time I lost the first piece and rather than drive myself nuts trying to find it, I made a new one.  (And of course I found the first piece; once I had made the second one.)  Both pieces were different.  The first piece was the same size as the earrings and had one bail.   I remade the PPP for the second necklace.  This time I was able to make the runner in a full sprint by making the piece wider.  The second necklace also has two bails instead of just one.  

   Adding the enamel was tricky.  The areas to be enameled were pretty tiny (and you know what I said about my eyes!)  Adrienne Grafton down the hall (who studied with Linda Darty) loaned me a brush she said was fabulous for getting into small places.  She ordered it through Thompson's enamels.  When it was loaded up with the wet enamel, one would have thought it was going to deposit big globs of enamel..... but it didn't.  It worked great.  (Got to get me one of these brushes!)

   When the pendant was finished, there was something I didn't like about it.  Finally figured out that it was the smooth texture in both the sky and ground.   So, I tried out my new salon shaper. used one of the grinding tips and roughed up the sky.  Once I added some texture, the figure popped out.  It was just what was needed.  

   This is a very weighty piece with almost $30 of clay in it.  The back has a pattern which makes it reversible too and I strung it on 2mm brown leather cording.

   Again, I have to apologize for the quality of the photo.   It was taken quickly, as her husband was coming shortly to pick it up.  The photo once again does not do the jewelry justice.  

   Many years ago, when I was in high school, I did copper enameling and loved it.  In fact I still have a couple of pins I made way back then.  Enameling on metal clay is just as much fun.  I've got several books on the subject.  But, I still feel that an enameling class is the way to go.  

The old dog can learn new tricks

   I'm more computer savvy than I realize, but still feel inadequate in the area of computers.  Don't ask me how to do something on the computer.  I have to "show" you.  Sometimes I don't know what I do.   I just do it.  

    This morning I decided it was time to figure out how the blogs and websites of people you admire can be added to my blog.   A little poking around, a little experimentation and WOW..... I did it.  Don't ask me how.   I hope I can do it again.

  Anyway, check out the website of a friend ( my PPP teacher and conference roommate ) Sarah Triton.  She just got her website up and running and it is nice.  Way to go Sarah!!

(Now I have to figure out why this font is so big..... it's always something.)

Swing locket

    I recently got a commission to make a locket for Christmas.  Never having made a locket before I started looking around for some "how to's".    Tim McCreight's book "PMC  Technic" was recommended to me because Celie Fago has a chapter in it on making PMC hinges.  Making a hinge looks pretty involved and since I didn't have the time for such dedicated learning I kept on looking.  

  In Celie's chapter on making hinges, she showed a picture of a swing locket, which looked intriguing to me.  But, she didn't talk about how she made it.  So, I went on the hunt again.  This time I found directions for her swing locket on the Art Jewelry Magazine's website, purchased them and downloaded (or is it uploaded) them to my computer.  Again, this particular style of locket didn't seem to fit the client that I was making the locket for so I started looking again.

  The third find was almost a charm.  I don't remember exactly how I found it, but there was another metal clay locket in a Vintage Bead magazine.  So, I sent for that one too.  (By now I've got major time and money invested in my searching.)  Took about a week for the magazine to come, but the article appeared to be exactly what I was looking for.  Next I had to order some fine silver keys to imbed into the clay to create the hinge.  (While I was at it, I ordered fine silver tubing, just in case.)  That took a few more days, but once they arrived I set to work.  As I worked on the locket,  questions started popping up about the directions.  The directions were feasible, but sometimes I felt they were not practical or very clear.   

  Finally, I put all that aside and started to work on my own.  As usual, when doing a commission, I made more than one locket.  (Actually three in all.... the other two are not totally finished and may now take a different direction.)   The finished locket is simple and traditional in  design.   (I felt the client wasn't into the arty look.)  The finished locket has a front and a back but can be worn either way.  There is room for a photo on the inside of the back piece.  It turned out to be a swing locket after all.  The biggest challenge for me with this particular design was to have some kind of  "lock" to keep it from swinging apart without warning.  What I did was hang a drop from the bottom with a jump ring and notched out the front (circled in red) so the jump ring can protrude through the front piece and hold it in place.  

  The client wanted some earrings too.  They were made by sandwiching the fine silver key between two discs.  

  All in all I was pleased with the way it turned out.  As usual, the pictures do not do them justice.    The locket and earrings were to be picked up in a few minutes (that is another whole story) , so I just clicked a couple of pictures as they laid on the studio table.  

  Maybe some day I'll get a commission that will be a breeze to make.  (Right .... as if that will ever happen.  I always make more work for myself.)

   

With the naked eye

       Metal clay is more porous than sterling silver.  I know that but to my naked eye it doesn't look very porous.  Even as I work with a visor to magnify what I am working on, it doesn't look very porous.  But just wait until it is photographed and then my word, there is no denying it.  METAL CLAY IS LESS DENSE!  

        I've been long over due for my eye appointment.  I finally went to the eye doctor last Friday and found out that my eye sight has changed dramatically.  No wonder I couldn't see how porous my work is.  My new glasses are in and I can't wait to pick them up tomorrow.  Hope I look okay in them.  She kept asking me what I thought every time I tried on a pair; but I couldn't see how I looked in them.  So here's hoping for the best.  What I do know is that it will be nice to be able to see again.... I think.  (It will probably make more work for me now that I can see the flaws I couldn't see before.)

  

Got myself a new ring

    I was working on an applique ring last Saturday, when I decided to change directions and use a rather large CZ on it instead.    As usual, I just worked intuitively playing with the design.  I had already made a zig-zag cut strip around the band when I decided to do something different.  So, I decided to make a shallow bowl shape at the top and decorate it with similar strips, which I did. But, once the CZ was in place I started playing with syringe work around the CZ.   The strips no longer seemed compatible, so I took my scalpel and surgically removed them without damaging much of the surrounding area.  I would have taken them off the band too, but my surgical skills are not that good.  Everything went well, or so I thought.  The bowl shape turned into a dish shape, but that was okay.  What wasn't okay, was the big crack that appeared inside the band.  It wasn't there when I made the band.  It wasn't there when I fired it.  I never noticed anything unusual until after I tumbled it and was polishing it.  It can't be seen from the outside.  It doesn't appear to have compromised the strength of the ring.  But, it sure can be seen from the inside.  So, I have myself a new ring.  (I'm just glad I have a finger it will work on  ........  guess I should make rings that fit my fingers all the time ..... just in case!

All's well that ends well!

   The year long charm swap saga is over.  I received my charms back today along with the other girl's charms and some "sweet" offerings.  My faith in man is restored and I can move on.  (Pretty sad when this is what ties me in knots for a whole year.)  But it won't be spoken of again!!

Transit Studios on YouTube

   I found out yesterday that we were being video-taped during the event at the Transit Studios last Saturday.  Jim Ru was taping the entire event.  He wandered through the open studios, waltzed around and took some video.  I didn't even realize that he was in my studio as I was busy with a class and customers.  

   I don't mean to be critical, but it really isn't very good.  But, by the same token it does give a little view of what is going on at the National Transit Building in Oil City.  The sound and tape should have been edited.  Sorry, but I taught animation for a while and there are so many good editing programs out there.   

   Anyway, if you don't mind sitting through a typical home video (complete with ceiling shots) you might want to check it out.  If not, that is okay.  It gave me an idea to make my own video of the place (complete with editing....... Got to love IMovie.)  But that is a ways off.  (Now I've put pressure on myself to do a really good job, haven't I?)

 Here is the link.  Hope it works for you.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqZV2Qlpzns

Charm swaps

      The Art Jewelry magazine's website was my first foray into an online forum.  I was looking for other people who did metal clay and that seemed a logical place to start.  They had a section for metal clay enthusiasts, both experienced and beginners.  It was through this forum that I tried out my first charm swap.   

    Lucky for me, I'm an eternal optimist or I never would have gotten into another charm swap after the first one.

   The year before, the charm swap had lots of participants.  Last year there were only seven of us and only two of us made our charms and mailed them to the girl who was coordinating every thing.  We waited...... and waited........ and waited.  Our charms never came.  I tried contacting the girl.  But she never answered.  The other girl who sent charms did get an answer and a promise to send her charms back before Christmas (2007).  But, she never did.   

   I just chalked it up to a lesson learned, until I went to the PMC conference in Indiana last July.  Lo and behold, there was the girl who had my charms.  My friends thought I should confront her.  But I remember her picture on the forum showed her in red boxing gloves and she sure looked like she could clean my clock.  So, I opted to wait until after the conference and try emailing her again.  This time I tried to use a little strong arm persuasion in my email.  Didn't work.  I never heard back from her.  

   Again, I chalked it up to a lesson learned.  Today I got an email from the other girl involved.  She decided to give it another try and did get a reply.  She is supposed to get her charms back before Christmas.   And she offered to give the girl my mailing address too.  I also emailed her again.  So.... maybe, just maybe I will finally get my charms back.  We'll see.  

    I've been in two other charm swaps since and have been very satisfied.  I exchanged charms with my friends from my certification class.  At the conference I exchanged about twenty five charms with people from all over the world.   I put them all on a lovely charm bracelet, which gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling when I wear it.  (Which isn't as often as I would like.   Everyone expects me to be wearing jewelry I've made myself.)

  

How hard can it be?

  Now one would think that making a piece a second time would be easier, right?  I have not always found that to be the case.  The latest case in question is a spiral pair of earrings that have a swarovski crystal butterfly dangling off the bottom.  They were tricky the first time.   I had planned to wrap  thin strips of clay around two straws, slide them off the straw, drill holes in both ends and that was all it would take.  I figured I could just turn one spiral upside down to mirror the other one.  Wrong!  I found out that each straw has to be wrapped in a different direction from the beginning.  (Got some extra pieces out of this project which are still waiting to be used in something...... that is if I can remember where I put them.)   Then came the drilling.  Let's just say the earrings are shorter than I planned.

   Anyway they managed to get finished.   I have an order to make another pair.  This time I know to wrap them in opposite directions.  For some reason, all but one of the earrings split when I went to drill them (and remember they each have two holes.)  I was very, very careful (after the last time) and couldn't believe it when they split.  I think it must have something to do with the slight curve at the ends.  I ended up making three pairs of varying lengths and thicknesses.  Figured I'd better make a few more while I was on a roll.    They're out of the kiln now, in one piece and ready to be turned into earrings.  

  It was a successful day at the studio, but not an easy one.  

   My next project is to find a whole box of shiny metal clay pieces that I've somehow misplaced.  (I hate it when I do that.)  I'd better find it as there is a piece in there that I need to enamel before Christmas.  Is it St. Christopher we pray to for lost things?

Applique ring class

  We had another event at the studios on Saturday.  Since I had already set up a ring class for that morning, I had to set up the displays in the outer studio so it looks entirely different from my Open House.  Also, this time I wasn't the sole provider of the food.  I'll post another picture when I take one.    My cousin Debi came to help out since I was going to be busy with the class.  Thank goodness for her.  It would have been next to impossible to do the two things at once.  

   Anyway, the photographer from the local newspaper, The Derrick, stopped by and took a picture of the class..... so we made the paper.  (And, there is a different picture in the Venango Area Chamber newsletter.)  Free advertising is always good.

   We didn't have a great turnout on Saturday though.  Everyone went to the bazaar at the YWCA and spent their money there.  One of the artists thought we should stand outside the door at the YW and offer them rides over to the Transit studios. I suggested we use a bull horn to get their attention.  

It is going to take time to get people to stop in.  All the artists know that, but we are still somewhat impatient.  (It still beats working from my daughter's old bedroom......... no one EVER stopped by there.)

Metal clay artist Alice Walkowski (right) of Franklin teaches jewelry-making to Carol Dickert of Franklin at the National Transit Building in Oil City.  An open house for the Transit's 20 artists was held in conjunction with Oil City's Christmas Past.

  

Tagged

  I'm an old dog, but I am slowly learning new tricks like this blogging stuff.   Today I got tagged by Nikki Pollard from  http://lunidesigns.blogspot.com.   I went to Nikki's site and checked out her jewelry.  Now I have something new to learn, as I loved the slide show presentation of her work.  I want to learn how to do that.

   Anyway,  tagging is an internet game and here are the rules:

1.  Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2.  Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.  

3.  Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.  (Wonder how Nikki gave just the names that linked to the blog?  So much to learn!)

4.  Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

     Okay..... here goes.

1.  I use to have red hair, but now I am a blonde to cover up the gray.

2.  I'm not noted for my housekeeping.  Don't know what I am noted for, but definitely not for my housekeeping.

3.  If popcorn was the only food in the world, I would have no trouble surviving.  (Of course I could live off body fat for awhile.)

4.  I love being a grandma.

5.  Scrabble is my favorite game

6.  I began dating my husband when I was 12.  And, my mother never thought it would last.

7.  I could be a perpetual student.  I love taking classes

Now the hard part is finding 7 bloggers to tag.  I don't know of that many blogs, but I'll give it a try.  I'll add those to this post later.   

1.  Adrienne ........  http://adriennemgrafton.blogspot.com

2.  Heather .........  http://oliviapearl.blogspot.com