*YAWN*

I started a temp. job yesterday with the company I used to work for. I've been out of the 8-to-5 grind for over three years, and to say it's taking some adjustment is an understatement!

Now to figure out when I'll be able to make jewelry during the next 4-6 weeks...

Random Stuff....

The toggle! I gifted it to Lesley Jones of Bead Genie Creations. She is a dear friend and fellow jewelry designer with excellent taste. She just went nuts over the toggle when I showed it to her, so I knew it had to be hers! Lesley is always doing really thoughtful, kind and unexpected things for others, and it was such a joy for me to be able to surprise her this way! She says she is making something special with it for her private collection... I hope to have a photo to show it off when she's done.


"What Inspiration?"

I think my hopes of finding tons of inspiration on vacation were a bit too optimistic. The beach was just...enh.... and the water was greyish with lots of seaweed. The temperatures were nice, and we did get in lots of relaxation. Despite my application of SPF 50 sunscreen, I managed to acquire many, many new freckles on my face. Funny as I get older, the freckles are becoming less endearing. *smirk*

I did create part of a new necklace which I will (hopefully) finish today. I think it will be the launchpoint for a line of color-cohesive pieces. The name? Something to do with raspberries and peaches.... maybe.

Exciting News - I've Been Published!

We returned from vacation this evening and as I dug through 1532 emails, I found a note from Rena Klingenberg of Home Jewelry Business Success Tips letting me know that she published the article I submitted to her.

The article evolved as I responded to someone's questions about "doing jewelry shows." There is just so much to say on the subject, and there are no really short, concise answers to many of the questions, so the 'answer' grew and grew and grew. I shared the final product with some fellow jewelry artists, thinking it might be of some use to them. At the urging of several peers, including Susan Midlarsky of Aspiring Arts, I submitted it to Rena!

If you're interested in reading the article, you can find it on Rena's website - the title is "Success at Juried Shows". Caveat: Unless you are in the business of selling your handcrafted jewelry, you will probably not find the article very entertaining.

Vacay!

We're heading to Port Aransas, TX for a week on the beach. I'll have my sketchbook with me so I can take notes while I (hopefully) soak up the inspiration! I'd love to find some really cool objects like stones, shells, etc., to use in some of my work.

Hasta...

Tool Addict

I finished my 8 week jewelry fabrication class last night. It was at the Creative Arts Center of Dallas which is a great nonprofit in southeast Dallas.

During the course of the class, I finally admitted to myself what my husband has suspected for a long time...I'm a tool addict.

I recently planned out a day-long errand-running marathon so that I would end up at Harbor Freight. (Tools are nice, but cheap functional tools are even better.) I started to suspect I might have a problem that day when I found myself bribing my 5 year old son with promises of ice cream cones and trips to Toys R Us if he would just let me shop a little longer. Hmmmmm....

So anyway, what exactly is the "draw"? What causes an average middle class chick to develop a tool addiction???

As a jewelry designer, I've always imagined the possibilities. The awesome fabrication techniques would swim around and taunt me, building excitement as I poured through instructional texts. The class I just took only enabled me further, confirming that my suspicions were correct...with the proper tools, I can make some really COOL stuff.



So here are the results of what I learned in class. This is a bezel set leopard print jasper cuff bracelet. I started with sterling silver sheet and wire, cut, shaped, soldered/brazed, oxidized and polished it.

I think the back is pretty
nifty, too...

Our very first project for the class was to create a pendant. I was still too chicken to introduce my saw blade to the sterling sheet, so I used copper for this one. It's kind of neat, but I don't love it enough to re-create it in sterling right now. I used several different shaping and texturing methods on this pendant. The upper portion is domed and hammered with satin margins around the cutouts. The lower portion is a simple texture. I think it looks sort of ethnic or primitive.

Next we tackled rings. This one required a bit more precision. The cuts had to be straight, and the joint had to be completely flush. I sawed the appropriate size strip of sterling from my sheet, formed it into a round shape then soldered it. After soldering, I filed it smooth so the solder joint disappeared, smoothed the edges and added a fun hammered texture. That's it up there at the top of the page.





I also created this toggle that I'm pretty proud of. I showed it off to a couple of my peers, and they wanted to take it from me! Those silly ladies....little did they know this one already has a very special purpose. More to come when that purpose has been fulfilled.



If you'd like to see the kind of stuff I do when I'm not fabricating, have a look at my RazzyJewels website or my Etsy Shop.