Just shoot me!

If I ever take on another project that involves tiny little beads......... please shoot me.

The top photo is looking through a magnifying glass...... even that didn't help.  The beads were semi-precious stone chips.  Between not being able to see the holes (it's hell getting old) and trying to pick them up with my fake fingernails (but they look really nice) it took me two and a half hours to string 16" worth.  Even being able to see the drill path through the stone didn't help.  Plus, about 25 stones were either chipped or the hole was too small.  I was hunched over all that time trying to see them.  (Guess that's why my back hurts today...... another perk of aging.)

The bottom photo was a repair I did.  The necklace had broken and I had to take it all apart and replace the cord with a fine wire.  I didn't know how long of a wire to use and of course ran out.  Since I had already spent a whole afternoon working on it, I was not about to start over again.  So, I added a jump ring to both ends and continued on with new wire.  Originally it went over the customer's head but enough beads were gone that I added a magnetic clasp to make things easier.  

The repair was the piece I was working on when my hand decided to swell up like the Michelin Man.  I tried to blame it on holding those tiny beads but no...... it was gout.  The doctor said it did not cause my "sausage" finger.  (That's what it looked like and that's an actual medical term for it. )  Either way, I will not be working on teeny, tiny beads anymore!

If I do, please put me out of my misery. 

Yahoo.... finally

Yahoo, I  made my first sale in my Etsy Shop.  It was a long time coming (although to some degree it's my fault as I don't always keep it up.)

Having the shop involves taking pictures (which I'm horrible at), assigning a name to the piece (which I always do with my metal clay pieces but usually do not with the beaded pieces),  and taking the time to sit  down and enter all the information into the computer.  Except for the picture taking it really isn't that big of a deal (unless one is lazy or just downright tired by the time evening rolls around; a hazard of getting older.)

I think part of the effectiveness of the Etsy site is to add new items to the store every day or every couple of days.  I've done this the past few days since I had a call from one of my aqua aerobic friends in Florida.  I promised her that I would post my anklets on my Etsy site by Monday as she is looking to do some Christmas shopping for friends.  (Boy is she on the ball, thinking about Christmas this time of year.  I need to adopt her style.)

I LOVE anklets.  (Just one of the many perks of summer.)  They are fun and sexy.  (Even at my old age!)

Hopefully there will be lots of people out there wanting anklets.   (Maybe I need to get some more sandals so I can photograph them with different colors and styles.  Sounds like a shopping trip to  me!)

A fallen woman

I have to admit that I've been on vacation (for a long time.)  Had a great time in the sun.  Got in lots of swimming (I'm tanner than I've ever been), golfing and lots and lots of shopping.  (If you've ever been to Florida, you know how addicting Beall's is.)

Our house here has a loft which wasn't being used this year, so I set up a metal clay studio up there.  It's a great space, I set the table in a position to view the television while I worked.  I've been so busy with other things that I only got up there a couple of times.

What I did do was beading (to try to use up some beads.)  My friend and I sat for quite a few nights working on beaded bracelets, anklets and earrings.  None of these pieces involve metal clay.  Now there is nothing wrong with beading, but I just never felt that's what I wanted to do.  (Basically I was being a beading snob.)  The reason I felt that way was the amount of beaded jewelry out there is massive.  Basically when I use beads, they are an integral part of the metal clay design.

These past few weeks my art has become a "hobby."  (I'm so ashamed!)

My vacation is over.  It's time to get back to work.  Time to get back to ART.

Making a dent!

My bead horde was out of hand.  It's been in my inventory for way too long and as I said in an earlier post, it was time to use many of them up.  That's exactly what I've been trying to do these past few days.   This time I have an assistant, as my friend Helen has been helping out by stringing and doing some designing too.

We've made a dent in the horde (but just a small dent.)  Nothing major, just some simple beaded anklets.  Now I'm not much of a bead artist (which is why there was such an eclectic assortment of beads.)  Considering that fact that I usually have a good eye for color, it's surprising that I have trouble picking out beads.  

If you've ever been to a bead store, you know how overwhelming it can be.  All those colors and shapes.   It's enough to make your head spin (which is exactly what happens to me.)  My daughter goes in and she can see in her mind's eye exactly what she wants to make.  

I guess I'm also influenced by my pocket book.  Many of the beads are expensive and I'm cheap.  Maybe someday when my ship comes in, I can head to the bead shop and choose my beads by what I really like.  Until then, I'll just keep working away trying to use up the hodgepodge and painting my toenails to match.  

Still cleaning

The cleaning continues.......

This past week I spent many, many hours, trying to figure out what to do with a fairly large (actually to me it is down right huge!) piece. I made the piece probably about two years ago; mostly as a what if project.

When I was teaching, the last six weeks were tough. The students were tired of being in school and were more focused on getting out of school than on their assignments. It was a perfect time to introduce a new medium to them. So, we spent the end of the school year creating with polymer clay. (The bad thing about doing it then was how warm the room was. Not the best thing for polymer.)

Of course, I played with the polymer too. I made a couple of pieces that I used to decorate the tops of some wooden containers. One was in warm colors and one in cool colors. The design reminded me of a Van Gogh painting.

It was one of these polymer pieces that I used for an impression with the silicon mold. It was rather a large mold, but I used Standard PMC since it shrinks 30%. (Even still the finished metal clay piece is big!)

It was also my first try with Aura 22. I used the gold as an accent on the small circles within the piece. But I don't think the consistency was right as the gold came out rather lumpy. Aura 22 requires having a medium mixed in with it and I wasn't sure exactly how much to add.

I really didn't like the piece when it was done. So away it went to be hidden in a drawer. Every so often I would pull it out, take a look and put it back in. Occasionally I would ask someone for some input. It wasn't until Laurie Kulkulski suggested that I turn it on it's side, that I decided it wasn't so bad. A different viewpoint was just what was needed. So, I drilled some holes in it and put it back in the drawer.

Another year would go by before I would pull it out again. Every so often I would take a look, still not knowing what to do with it. But, some ideas were formulating.

I had it laying out in my studio, when Swan, another jeweler in the Transit, said she could see it curved. So, I did just that. Another couple of months went by while I kept trying to find the perfect beads to compliment the piece. (You won't believe how many different strands of beads I bought for this purpose.... most ended up in other pieces.)

Now I am not a beader and maybe that is why this was such a struggle. I finally finished the necklace on Saturday. Even then I had to go ask for help on how to keep the twisted strands from untwisting.

I'm still not sure it is finished. I wore it today to see how it would hang (even though it is not me.) It didn't hang quite the angle I thought it would and it might be too long. I really don't want to work on it anymore, but that is exactly what will probably happen.

But I'm still considering it as one more piece finished. Haven't opened a package of clay in over a week. (I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms though.)

Got Rocks in my head

    I stopped in the Appalachian Rock Shop on Route 19, north of Pittsburgh yesterday.  Haven't been there for a while.  Not sure why, as it is such a neat place for geology and art lovers.  They carry lots of Geodes, fossils and gems; along with finished pieces of jewelry.  And, they offer classes in silversmithing, beading and wire wrapping.  (And, if you are a dog lover, have two adorable dogs!)

    My daughter and I have taken a couple of beading classes there, (probably nine years ago.)  The class was fun and I learned some things I use with my metal clay pieces.  One thing I remember when taking the class was how little I knew about rocks and stones.  (I did take a geology class in college and did very well.  But, like my silver fabrication class, that was so, so long ago that I don't remember much. Except that if you bite sandstone it will be gritty and don't build your house downhill from the neighbor's outhouse.)  Anyway, during those classes the other ladies were all talking stones and they could tell just by looking at it what kind of stone it was.  I felt very stupid and tried to crack some kind of joke about the stones in my driveway, but they didn't see the humor in it.  

     Now that I'm into jewelry it is probably a good idea to get to know what certain stones and gems look like and what their properties are.  (There is just so much darn stuff to know!)  So, I bought myself "The Crystal Bible" which will be my new bathroom read.  (Sorry to share that with you, but that is my favorite reading spot.)   Did you see the Seinfeld show where they wouldn't take back George's library book because it had been read in the bathroom?  Funny show.  Guess I'll have to keep my new book.  

   Hopefully this book will make me more knowledgeable.  For now, any stone I don't know I usually classify as a jasper.  I can't even remember which stones my CZs are representing.  Now that is sad.

Frosted tears

Today is the last day for my friend's visit.  But, before she leaves, we got some more jewelry made.  This time we did some beading.  (Okay, our kumihimo was beaded too.  But, somehow it seems different.)  We saw a beautiful beaded necklace at the beading store in Erie, so we came home and made one.  Cindi bought her beads at the bead shop and I got mine at AC Moore.  (Only because I originally wasn't going to make one and also they ran out of the frosted pink at the bead shop.)  Which by the way was a very nice bead shop in the West Erie Village Plaza on West 26th St.  So, take a look.   Oh, Cindi was creative and added the leaf.  The earrings are hers too.