Artisan Clay Design Team Reveal Day

I knew when I opened the box that I was in for a challenge.

I've honestly never bought and/or owned a donut of any kind...ceramic or otherwise, so I knew this was going to be interesting.

I didn't want to do beads.

Mostly because I'm trying to develop a new set of skills, and the best way to do that is to practice, practice, practice.

So, I pierced and sawed two little medallions out of a copper sheet, sanded and patinaed and then riveted them together, using the tension and tightness of the sheets to hold the donut in place.

I was really inspired by art deco architecture.

I like the lines...how they kind of arch and flow...it reminds me of a suspension bridge with passengers trying to stare up out of their car windows to get a better glimpse of the details.

 I'm also so pleased with how the little tube rivets came out. I finally broke down and bought a good set of tools for making tube rivets and it was well worth the $20 that I spent on it.

The rivets came together so easily and I'm so pleased with the little flairs around the edges.

I've put this little ode to American History in the shop.

I call it Suspended.

I do hope you'll check out all the creations this month from Kristie's team.

Thanks for stopping by!



Stellar Obsession

My sweet little nephew has developed an obsession for all things astronomical.

I think it was my fault.

I brought home the giant book of planets, galaxies, moons and nebulae that has had him enamored for the past week.

The Eagle Nebula

To tell you the truth, I think we're both enamored.

And it's starting to creep into my creative mind, I can't help it....

Flat sheets of copper are becoming nebula when I'm not watching, emerging from under a jeweler's saw and exploding into the air with flames of dust and gas.

Capturing the heat of a thousand stars and the infinite bigness that is our universe.

My first set stone...

in honor of nebula with a thousand suns and a little boy with a stellar obsession.

Wednesday's News

The newsletter goes out today!

Here's a sneak peek of what you'll find in this issue:

I've also added some important information on my bead embroidery tutorial called Embroidery Made Easy.

If you haven't signed up for the newsletter, be sure to do so, it goes out this afternoon!

Open for Business, Closed on Sunday.

I came across something interesting a couple of weeks ago.

It was an online shop with....business hours?

I thought the point of online was that it was open 24 hrs.!

But I started thinking,

it makes perfect sense...

the shop owner simply didn't want to do business after 7pm EST time and because it was her shop she didn't have to.

So, yesterday I put my shop on vacation and didn't think about it all day.

It was nice not to think about sending out tutorials on time or worrying about missing a transaction and I found myself passing by the computer more than once and not checking my e-mail at all.

But, what if I miss a sale?

I figured, anyone who really wants a piece of mine or a tutorial will come back and get it later, and they'll know that they can come on Monday when the shop will re-open.

It was a true weekend with no "work" involved.

So, from here on out, my shop will be closed on Sunday and will re-open on Monday morning.

It will say so in the announcements and I'm planning on going back and working it into my shop policies.

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful weekend and that you have an equally wonderful Monday!

Studio Saturday: Where I've been

Now is normally the time of the week when I get to show you all the new things I've been diligently creating. The beautiful pieces of embroidery, the set stones lovingly oxidized and polished by hand....

yeah...I got nothin'.

The metalworking has been a slow and creeping process. It seems so easy when I'm at my teacher's studio. The solder flows fluidly, the seems line up perfectly...and then I get home and wonder how many times you can actually pickle a piece of metal and not change its molecular composition.

Anyway, when I'm not working on metal, I've been working on another little project:

A bead embroidery e-course!

I field a lot of questions about my bead embroidery and it dawned on me that I could pass on all that knowledge at once when a wonderful bead buddy suggested to me that I create an e-course!

Here's what the course will contain:

- Instructions for creating bead embroidery projects from start to finish

- Videos, created by me, illustrating every step of the process

- Specific instructions on creating my Sound of the Sea Pendant:

- Information for bead embroidering in headbands, rings, bobby pins, pendants, bracelets, anything you can imagine.

- Specific edging techniques including picot and the chain edging that I've used above.

- You'll also be able to ask and answer questions about the process while trying out all the stitches.

It'll basically include everything I've learned and created in my process of working with Bead Embroidery.

I'll post more information later about the specifics of when it will start, cost, etc., but for today only I've opened it so that you can have a little sneak peek at the course site.

Click the link to take you to the sneak peek:

Embroidery Made Easy

Have a great weekend all and I'll keep you posted next week for more details!

No News Wednesday

No news today.

Last night was mostly frustrating and unfruitful.

Couldn't get the solder to flow...messed up a tube rivet...just frustrating all the way around.



Un recuerdo...

A reminder...

of the intention behind our creation...

of being purposed...

of being bella...

Studio Saturday: New Tutorial!

Okay, yes, it is a new tutorial, but not published by me.

This one is currently in the Quick and Easy section of Beadwork for the Aug/Sep issue!

I totally agree with the fact that it should be in the easy category, but there really ain't nothing quick about it. It's like my Fire and Ice Cuffs design in that it takes a lot of perseverence to get all the way through the pattern enough times to create the little pieces for the bracelet.

It really does look great when you've got it finished though.

It's wide and kind of chunky and you're only limited to your imagination when it comes to the colors.

It features 4mm round gemstones which are probably my favorite size gemstone and about the only ones that you can beadweave with.

It also has the instructions for the three-bead herringbone toggle that a lot of you had asked me about previously.

Just as a side note: In case you're thinking, "Didn't she create that ages ago?"

The answer is yes. The date on these photos is October 10, 2010. Almost a full year ago, which, if you're interested in submitting to a magazine, is something to think about.

If I publish a tutorial myself, I can usually have the tutorial completed within one to two weeks of creating the design, however, if I decide to submit it, the process could take anywhere from six months to a year.

Beadwork is not as seasonal as some other magazines like Stringing or Bead Trends.

What I mean by that is that they are always looking for good submissions and a beadwoven piece can usually be transformed by simple color choice into something appropriate for the season.

(Unlike a Stringing piece that may have a snowflake pendant or art beads in the shape of autumn leaves)

So, if you decide to submit to a beadweaving publication, definitely look at their submission guidelines to see in general what kind of pieces they are looking for for each issue, but also, create two versions of your piece in very different colorways so that if they choose it, they can see it's potential regardless of the season.

Have a great weekend all and be sure to check out the newest issue of Beadwork, it's on newsstands now.

Oh, and also, I'm still taking submissions for my Customer Gallery! I hope you'll check out the work of the lovely artists who have submitted so far, and if you've created a piece from one of my tutorials (even if it's out of a magazine), I'd love to have you as part of my Gallery!

Enjoy the weekend!

How to Fail Gracefully.

I blame it on the technological age.

Instant gratification and perfect results have taught us that failure is unacceptable and that something should be done right the first time no matter how difficult or arduous the task.

Or...maybe it hasn't taught us that and we've just come to expect it.

Either way, it's hard to fail at any task and I think too often we equate the failure of an activity with the quality of the individual.

Untrue.

Sometimes it's the necessary result because there are very few lessons learned in success.

Most successes are just another attempt after a string of failures.

So....how to fail?

First of all, don't get angry...it serves no purpose.

Secondly, figure out what you did...go back and think about the steps you took to get there.

Third, try to figure out what went wrong...if nothing comes to mind, then try changing something to see if you get better results. (remember what Einstein said..."The definition of insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results.")

Fourth, write down what you did...it may be the lesson you needed to learn.

Fifth, try again...eventually you will succeed.

I think the most important step is the fifth one.

I'm also learning that just because I've learned how to do "A" pretty well and could probably do it in my sleep, that doesn't necessarily mean that I can do "B" and the two are probably not as closely related as I had previously imagined.

Metalworking is hard and the more I try, the stronger my admiration for metal artists grows.

Try something new today, and don't be afraid to fail, there are lessons to be learned.

all photos via antontang

Monday's Muse: The creative heart

A couple of weeks ago, on a whirlwind trip to Raleigh, I found myself killing time in Artspace, a museum-ish gallery of "studio" apartments. (Studio in parenthesis owing to the fact that these artists are actually renting tiny apartments for their studios.)

Because it's open to any artist that wants to join, I was amazed to see a wide variety of artists working in paints, ceramics, textiles, and yes, even jewelry.

But I think the thing that struck me as most interesting was how the art of the artist reflected their space (or maybe vice-versa).

For example, the cleanest space in the building was a modern artist who painted on the floor. His little corner room had a sofa and one table holding all of his paint and that was it. The rest was open space where he could lay down a canvas and just start to work.

Others had some pretty crammed spaces, artists who worked in found materials with bits and pieces piled high along the walls of their studio. Their work was also a collage type conglomeration of bits and pieces. But, regardless of what the space looked like, each artist had one, a place where their heart could move and roam designing and creating what they wished.

Fatima's Necklace -

My idea was to use Tila beads to create a row of embroidery.

I was so surprised when they lined up perfectly around the focal like little rays from the sun.

I'm fortunate to have the same thing, a little desk on the inside where I can put together beads and a corner of an outside garage where the hammering of metal won't disturb the sleepers.

African Turquoise Pendant -
I wanted to take a little piece of bead embroidery and turn it into a

statement necklace without over-beading it. Shannon's chunky metal pendant was just the thing.

But lately, I've been feeling a little crowded, a little cramped. My little shop is full right now, more so than it has been in a long time. Each piece representing an idea a little movement of the heart towards a color or a shape or an inspiration and each piece well-loved by me for being so different from the first piece or for being so like the thing that inspired it.

A Heavy Load Necklace-

This one comes with a story.

But, I'm ready to give them homes. I want them to be loved by someone else as much as I have. I want them to become the little splash of color that cheers someone else's heart. (I can't be the only person who picks jewelry first and then finds something to match.)

Flamenco Fan Pendant-

This was actually one of my first little metal experiments.

I sawed a copper washer in two and used it as the base for this tiny little fan.

So I'm extending an offer to you that I haven't extended in a while, and while I've talked to you before about pricing and setting value to your work, I feel that right now, I need the space and the cleanliness that a fresh shop will bring. 

So, for three days, I'm offering 25% off of jewelry purchases in my shop. 

Use this code:

ACHEERFULHEART 

When you purchase, let me know if it's for your heart or for someone else's, I can send their surprise right to their front door wrapped in a ribbon and packaged with a little cheer.

I hope your week is off to a wonderful start.

Studio Saturday: YOUR Studio

If you'll take a glance to your right, you'll notice I've added a new button to the site.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and a recent purchase from an extremely loyal customer really made my mind up.

I'm adding a Customer Gallery to the blog for my tutorial customers. 

 I'm still amazed by how many of you have put your trust in me and my ability to translate my designs into a teachable format. And after last year when I found out that someone was e-mailing my designs to anybody and everybody that wanted it, I wanted to come up with a way to reward loyal customers who respected the authors of the designs and were willing to honor them by purchasing their materials.  

I've also enjoyed seeing the pictures you've sent me with my creations and your color combinations or modifications that have made the piece your own.

You know how much I believe in using tutorials and patterns as a starting off point to help you understand beads and how they're woven together and then branching off from there to create something uniquely yours, so here's how the Gallery will work: 

If you've created something using one of my tutorials, simply send me an e-mail with: 

- the best picture you can take of your creation, just the picture, no text or anything like that, please.

- your name as you'd like it to appear in the gallery 

- some feedback on my tutorial (what you thought about the instructions...something that was confusing or especially easy to follow...I want this to help me improve as a designer as much as to help you improve as an artist.) I may or may not post the feedback with your picture, it depends on space.

What you'll get in return:

- Membership to my Artist's Gallery for 2011.

-A membership card that you can print off and hang in your space and which will entitle you to special offers on future tutorial purchases.

Thanks so much for your support and for those of you who have already sent me pictures, we're starting fresh here, so if you'd like to be included you'll have to resend your picture and the information above.

I hope you guys enjoy your weekend!

Wednesday's News and a New Voice

It's Wednesday!

That means that the newsletter goes out today! This issue is a little sneak peek of what I've been doing this summer when I'm not beading. If you haven't signed up, be sure and do so to the right. (Subscribers will also be getting a HUGE deal, so....)

Also, kind of a sad announcement:

No Margie and Me this month.

I told you a couple of weeks ago that I've been playing around with metal, and I really want to spend some time focusing on doing just that. I've ordered this:

and this:

and these (in glass) to practice with.

What do I plan to do with them?

Glad you asked! I'll probably start with something like THIS, and then move on to something definitely less complicated, ya' know like THIS. Of course afterwards, I'll need something to keep me busy when I've got so much free time, which means I'll probably create something like THIS.

In all seriousness, I'm finding myself back at the place I was a few years ago, asking myself, do I have a voice to add to the conversation?

Can I create and design something in metal that is entirely me whether it includes tiny seed beads or not?

I'll never know until I try and I'm very eager to try. I've got a shipment coming in from Fire Mountain Gems today and I'm looking forward to getting set up and just trying.

We did enamels in my class yesterday and I fell in love with the addition of color on metal, and I really want to see where it takes me.

Thank you for your support over the past couple of months, you have helped to make this journey possible.

I hope you enjoy your Wednesday!

Margie and Me: SoBe Style

My intention for this Margie and Me was to buckle down and create something awesome for both color palettes. Well, it didn't happen.

Let's just say the second palette (which I was actually more drawn to) ended up a failed venture.

I didn't like how the piece was turning out, so I just ended up junking it, but on the upside, I really like how my first project turned out!

This color palette was a true challenge for me, as I don't really work with pink, and I don't think I've ever used these colors in combination with each other.

I started with a round saffron hoop from Shannon over at MissFickleMedia and I chose some seed beads in light blue, teal, mustard, soft pink and white to go with the color palette.

The beading around the ring starts with brick stitch and then turns into peyote along the edges. It's not perfectly flat, but has a little arch to it that makes the white beads kind of flare towards the back.

The center bead is a bright and textured piece of vintage lucite from Reduction Nation.

I call this pendant Miami Vice (of course) and I've added it to the shop here.

I'm keeping this second palette as a reference and I fully intend to create something with the colors. It's definitely a palette that is very "me" and I have the perfect focal bead just waiting to become the center of an embroidered pendant.

A few things before I go:

- First of all, if you created something for Margie and Me, leave me a comment with the link! I'd love to see your piece!

-Also, thanks so much for your comments on my work from Friday. It was very encouraging.

- I'm sorry that I haven't been able to comment on all of your blogs! Blogger has me in time-out for a while and unless you have the "name-URL" option turned on in your blog, it won't let me comment.

That's it for now! I hope you enjoy your long weekend!

Celebrating and Postponing

We decided rather last minute to hop the ferry this morning and cross the mouth of the Cape Fear into Southport, a quaint and very old little town at the tip of North Carolina.

Why?

There's an Independence Day Festival that's supposed to be one of the best.

I've never been, but I'm looking forward to it.

There's also supposed to be quite a few of North Carolina's best artists at the street fair.

So...

Margie and Me will be tomorrow!

In the meantime, Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans, may it be filled with barbecue and fireworks and red, white, and blue and the memory of the men and women who fought that first war to make us such a great nation.

Have a wonderful weekend all!

MissFickleMedia Mania

It's Friday and my MissFickleMedia challenge is over and here's what I've created this week using Shannon's beautiful components.

The first piece features her saffron yellow oval links.

For this pendant, I embroidered rows of seed beads around an african turquoise teardrop and then suspended her oval pendant from the base of the embroidery.

I created a complimentary chain using soldered links in an oval shape that mimics the pendant and included bright little seed beads to compliment the colors.

This piece is in the shop here.

My second piece features another of her hammered and colored pendant pieces. This one was a large chunky circle in rusty red and bright copper.

To compliment the colors of the pendant I created this little beadwoven bauble with leopardskin jasper rounds and seed beads.

The little center bauble is a 3D piece for a little extra texture. The pendant hangs from a chunky tribal chain that I assembled from soldered copper links and a handful of beaded links that I created myself.

If you'd like to see more, this one is also in the shop here.

The third piece features no beadweaving or bead embroidery (I know...strange, huh?)

I took Shannon's copper pendant and used it as a backplate for Nancy's art deco connector.

I had to drill a couple of extra holes for the clay connector, but the result has a very earthy feel to it.

And because I couldn't leave the seed beads out entirely, they've shown up in the little dangles at the bottom of the pendant and also in the chain that I created with aventurine rounds.

This piece is available here.

My last piece is very special for me. It represents a change, a shift in my work to include the things I'm learning and the new skills I'm adding to my abilities.

To compliment the large leaf that I received from Shannon, I coaxed a smaller leaf from a blank copper sheet.

With the tiniest of blades, I sawed out the little copper charm and pierced the center to create spidery veins.

It's the tiniest of charms and may seem insignificant, but every vein represents the grip of my hands on the hilt of a jeweler's saw, coaxing curves and lines from a blank canvas of copper.

I've antiqued it and polished it to hightlight the flaws and perfections.

Little beadwoven leaves serve as a backdrop, a reminder of where my work has come from and where it is going.

My first metal piece is also in the shop here.

I so enjoyed working with Shannon's pieces and I'm not done.

Tomorrow is Margie and Me and you'll see Shannon's work again.

Have a great Friday!

See ya' tomorrow!