Stepping Into Another World...

That's how it feels as we near the weekend! I have a full weekend planned including celebrating a friend's birthday but I wanted to show all of you my newest creation before I head out!

Title: What a Steamship Mechanic Wears to the Ball
Ingredients: hand-finished brass and brass filigree, amber, tiger eye, glass, vinyl, thread.






I hand-drilled and distressed the wing as well as hand-sewing the brass filigree that finishes the ends of this vintage-leather-look vinyl.
I envisioned this wing dripping with jewels! and jewels that had their own inner glow!...but sparingly because less is more and this is a creation of both elegance and substance.

So, If you're a steamship mechanic and, for some inexplicable reason, you've actually been included in the invitation to the Ball along with the rest of the crew, what do you wear? Not many opportunities to wear fancy-dancy things come your way...Here is your answer!
An elegant solution that will both impress and not overwhelm. Jewels that have their own inner glow, fabulous, rich and dark colors, so as not to show any stray bits of grease that missed the quick scrubbing.

For more information or to purchase this fyne creation, visit my ArtFire Studio

This ends this leg of our tour of a steamy, turn-of-the-century, steampunk world.
See you on Monday!

Always in Motion the Future Is....

To quote the indelible Yoda.
And my world is definitely in motion!
Yesterday saw me around the Minnepolis and Saint Paul Metro area researching opportunities with Art Galleries and Sprite Services opportunities with coffee shops. The travel was excellent all around and back home, which was a relief. I was uncertain about the forecast of snow and how that would effect the ice already on the road from all the recent thawing.
No worries though!

I am pleased to announce that I have regular Sprite Services gigs at The Edge coffee house (formerly Artist Grind) at University and Raymond Avenues just over the border in Saint Paul every Wednesday evening! Stop on by if you're in the area!
I'll be happy to introduce you to the owner and I've already "tested" some of the yummy treats there for you. Just so you know, they are quite safe to eat and quite nummy. Just another one of those things I do for you-all!! *grin*
I'll try to get a picture of the AMAZING old clock in there and that is the inspiration for the graphics on the awning.

I'm researching future jewelry and adornment opportunities in that as well as other areas and I'll let you know what happens next with that!

I'll leave you with two newer creations. These earrings are: Color in Motion and are really how I feel about now!
I wanted each of these recycled orbs to move on their own, both horizontally and vertically. They are a bit fragile as I used finer gauge wire because I wanted the attention to focus on those fascinating orbs.



The second creation is an earcuff in goldplate. It is titled Winter Wealth. The sparkle in the star didn't photograph as well as I'd like, but I'm sure you can see the idea. I love the warm gold color that we all associate with wealth tying together the deeper, colder colors of this season. The wealth of winter, as I see it, is the warmth of good food and company, the crystal brillance of the snow and ice and the contrasting rich colors of cobalt and navy blues of the winter night.


I included this creation in today's post because I was blessed, as I traveled through my day yesterday, with much warmth and kindness. Many of the folks I spoke with gave me their sincere advice and pointed me in directions they thought might be best for my arts. This is deeply appreciated as I and my creations step out more and more into the world.
My hope is that the same may be said of your days!

Shifting and Thawing...

I decided to capitalize on the momentum of last week and the Blog Hop and post three times a week, starting this week. Monday tends to be a day full of preparation and reflection; goals for the upcoming week and further time ahead, administrative tasks to help me begin the week. Today,in particular, is a day full of thawing outside and shifting inside. Outside, this is a day of sunshine and warm temperatures whilst inside are paperwork and clean-up tasks that go along with the shifting and moving of furniture and other things. I am preparing for electrical work in the house and all of this shifting of rooms and furniture are more steps closer to completing the construction!

So, I'll leave you with a photo of a few goodies I picked up a few weeks back. I fell in love with this lampwork bead of a fish in his natural environment (I seem to have an ocean/fish theme on my mind lately..huh...) and a few fabulous bits of Moss Agate. It is these two fabulous pieces I'll use to tie into the subject of this day's blog. They remind me of the cycle of freezing and thawing. The stone on the left is a tableau of thick, solid ice and what gets frozen inside. The stone at the bottom reminds me of ice that is thinning as it thaws, revealing more of what has been encased all winter long.



I'll leave you today with a warm winter wish! I wish for you a day of sunshine, warmth and beauty of life revealed!

Ice Resin Blog Hop-Eages, Superheros and Kissy-Fish!

So, here we are, at that last post of the Hop. This has been a lot of fun for me and I hope for you-all as well! I'll be continuing to play with the resin in the future. Really, how could I not?!

In wrapping up the week, I wanted to show you a few more of the old buttons created with the cabochon technique seen earlier in the week and a proof-of-concept I'm playing with!

I was digging through my collection of old buttons and spied these plain brass ones just crying out to be fancied up!! I spotted those red star-shaped sequins and voila! I had a blast embellishing these two buttons as they instantly called to mind images of Wonder Woman's earrings and costume!




The second button is stamped brass with a noble eagle holding an anchor in it's talons. This is pretty awesome in and of itself, so I merely accented the scene with some bold red glitter here and there. The glitter lends a bit of different texture to the tableau as well as a little pop of color.




I am excited to present this last pendant to you! The idea is to create a pendant with the resin that uses an intrinsic part of the piece as the structure by which to suspend it from a cord or chain. In this case, I chose a Vintaj starfish charm. I created the base from polymer clay, added the seed beads, textured it a bit and baked it. The star and kissy-fish were added and the resin poured. The visual concept was a mini-diorama of the ocean. The starfish nestled in the light-colored sand of the shore, washing in with the tide...the kissy-fish playing farther below the waves in our ocean and the dark ocean floor at the bottom of our vignette. I'm pleased with this first prototype and am looking forward to refining and expanding upon this!



That concludes my part in this Blog Hop! Thank you so much for stopping by! Feel free drop by, pull up a chair and read this Blog again in the near future! And now, be off with you and see what other lovely posts finish up this marvelous Hop!


Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html

Keecia Frazee Deveney http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Mary Jane Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/" and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/"

Jenny Barnett Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/2010/02/kitchen-sink-stamps-altered-jewelry.html

Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/

And the fine folks at Objects and Elements (Design Team) and Ice Resin's creator: Susan Lenart Kazmer!

Jen Cshman http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

Ice Resin Blog Hop-Thursday!

Hello! We're nearing the end of the hop and I hope you-all have enjoyed this adventure as much as I have!
I'm using this blog space today to show a little more of the unfinished or experimental side of things. There is more of the texture playing I've done along with a few new Popcap Pendants that need the finishing touches and a glimpse into a pendant in progress.

This first pendant is a brass stamped heart with a vintage feel to the styling. I embellished it with a vintage sequin and old watch parts, including a synthetic garnet watch jewel that echoes the vibrant color of that fabulous sequin. As you can tell, the sequin is rather cup-shaped instead of flat like many others. I'm not certain if this is due to the age of it or some other factor. There is no wiggle from the sequin or the resin, so I'm pretty certain that one coat of resin would be good enough glue and protection for this sequin and design. But I like to over-engineer my creations, so I will likely add another layer of resin to ensure the durability.


I'm pleased with how these next two Popcap Pendants came out. They don't yet have a way to "hang out" and I'm pondering the hand-drilling and jumpring method of the previous Popcap Pendants or perhaps attaching a glue-on bail on the back of these two.. something a little different....
Here they are: The first is titled: Mechanics of Nature



And the second is: A Little Bit of Home


Finishing up the post for today is a glimpse into the more 'rough draft' part of this process.
Below is a photo of a pendant I cast from a recycled oriental carved wood landscape. It turned out well enough, but it looks like the pendant became unseated in the mold between the first and second pouring and so second coat of resin pooled at the bottom of the mold, resulting in an additional half-layer of resin at the front of the piece. With this third application, I carefully poured resin on the face of it so as to fill in the remaining space and so that all is flush and as level as possible. It worked reasonably well. The top of the piece is a bit more cloudy than the newly-poured resin and there is a difference in texture when I run my finger from one portion to the other. I'll try another layer of resin over the face to smooth everything out. I'm interested to see how that will visually effect this pendant, too!


So, there is a more detailed look at Ice Resin and how it is applied!
Stop on by my fellow Ice Resin Artists' Blogs and see where they are in their Ice Adventures!

Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html

Keecia Frazee Deveney http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Mary Jane Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/" and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/"

Jenny Barnett Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/2010/02/kitchen-sink-stamps-altered-jewelry.html

Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/

And the fine folks at Objects and Elements (Design Team) and Ice Resin's creator: Susan Lenart Kazmer!

Jen Cshman http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

Ice Resin Blog Hop-Wednesday!

We've reached mid-week on this hop! I hope you've been enjoying this and all the other innovative and interesting blogs so far!

All the shinies I have to show you today use the Ice Resin as both glue and as a cabachon agent. I played with textures and just wanted to see what the Ice Resin would bring to the mix. So here we go!

This is an old button that had deep recesses in the pattern. I wanted to see if the resin would produce a cabochon effect and I wanted to give it a little more life, so I liberally sprinkled green glitter into the dark hollows and then poured in the resin. I'm not certain if the photo shows it, but the resin beautifully filled in those voids.



This next pendant is made from fishing lures!! I had a few laying around from a manufacturing plant here in town that makes these and ships them all over the world! I know most of the folks that created these, so that is a special goodness to me!
Ok, so I layered the two different size and tones of fishing lures on top of each other and then carefully placed the old watch parts into the hammered divets in the metal. Some of the old watch parts are still magnetized, so this was especially tricky at times!! As a last bit of fun, there was a synthetic garnet watch jewel that I found solo, so I placed that at the bottom of the decorations. It was a bit of a trick placing the resin so it would not disturb the watch bits, but I succeeded!! You can see that the resin flowed around the back and ended up completely encasing the entire pendant, adding another visual layer. I might try to keep this effect, if I can!



And the final shiny I have to show you today is a simple and utterly charms me! I think a bit of the romance from Valentine's Day is still with me!!! I thought of this idea in connection with a bigger creation I'm hoping to create and show you late this week. I used the resin again to both secure the two fish beads on a glass pendant and as a cabbing agent over the entire creation. I hope you love them just as much as I do!
So, here they are....... The Kissy Fish!!



Now, go visit everyone else and see what they've been inventing!

Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html

Keecia Frazee Deveney http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Mary Jane Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/" and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/"

Jenny Barnett Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/2010/02/kitchen-sink-stamps-altered-jewelry.html

Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/

And the fine folks at Objects and Elements (Design Team) and Ice Resin's creator: Susan Lenart Kazmer!

Jen Cshman http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

Ice Resin Blog Hop-Tuesday!

Hello Again! Thanks for stopping by!
Today I have a few more Popcap Pendants to show you as well as a few Ice Resin cabachons I cast from molds.

These two Popcap Pendants are a perfect contrast of simple and dramatic versus lush and complex.
I used star-shaped sequins on the bare metal inside of the popcap. I like the simple and spare look of the clear resin, and grey background. It pops the shiny red and gold colors of the stars that much more.


I created this second one with the picture of an ocean shoreline in mind. I scattered the sand-colored seed beads along the bottom, with the blue glitter for the ocean at the top, and nestled a chip of mother-of-pearl and a Czech glass shell on either side of a flip-flop sandal.


The two cabachons were made by pouring the clear resin into the molds, inserting and arranging the old watch parts as needed. I wanted to create focals or centerpieces that mimic the shape of jewels used in Victorian or traditional jewelry. I cast these with an eye towards using them in Steampunk creations and I love the unexpected details that the resin gave to the pieces! In particular, I'm drawn to the bubbles and how and where they formed. There is a half-moon bubble that formed along the spring-coil of the old watch gear in the left-hand cabachon as well as a few small bubbles here and there that have become part of the design.



And now I'm off to pour more Ice Resin creations! Stop back by tomorrow to see what grew to life!
Don't forget to keep hopping and click to see what these other fabulous artists are up to!!


Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html

Keecia Frazee Deveney http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Mary Jane Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/" and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/"

Jenny Barnett Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/2010/02/kitchen-sink-stamps-altered-jewelry.html

Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/

And the fine folks at Objects and Elements (Design Team) and Ice Resin's creator: Susan Lenart Kazmer!

Jen Cshman http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

Ice Resin Blog Hop-Meet the Sprite!

Hello! I'm glad you're here! I wanted to take a moment on this first day of the Ice Resin Blog Hop to introduce myself and my creations to you-all. I've been beading for over 20 years. It started with disassembling and reassembling store-bought jewelry to suit my wardrobe and taste and grew from there! I learn mostly by doing as I create most often from an idea and bringing into the material world. The materials bring their own influences into play as the creation grows.
I love working all manner of materials and particularly those that can be recycled, repurposed or are beyond the realm of what most would expect to find in jewelry or art.

Here is the first photo of what I wanted to share with you today:


I was already intrigued with Ice Resin when I picked these Doorways up at a bead show last year. The doorways sparked my imagination, reminding me of entrances in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Ring series. Doorways that materialize under full moon-light, doorways into places of mystery and adventure!
Though the materials I used are simple,(Ice Resin and glitter)I wanted the effect to be as three-dimensional as possible. I mixed and poured two separate batches of resin as well as applying two layers of glitter.

The second photo is a prototype of of a Steampunk bangle bracelet.

This is my first attempt with this type of mold and I learned a lot about both the resin and the mold.
Those are old watch parts scattered throughout the mold. I think this will be fun to play with in the future with other effects such as pigments. perhaps sanding the resin to create contrasting matte and clear surfaces and so forth.

And the last few photos I wanted to share are part of my Popcap Pendant series.
This is an ongoing series that merges my interest in recycling, upcycling and using unusual materials with whimsical and quality jewelry art. The popcaps come from beverages that myself and my friends drink, so this is another peek into my studio life!


I cleaned the popcap, filled it with green glitter and two tiny pinecones that I brought home from my journey this summer in Montana and Ice Resin. I was amazed by the tiny details of these diminutive pinecones! They reminded me that there is great beauty in even the smallest parts of nature.


The second Popcap Pendant is filled with gold glitter surrounding a hand-carved bone Moon face. This face has been with me for quite some time, waiting for the perfect setting and I'm pleased with how this turned out! You may notice the piece of glitter in the center of the forehead. This was a happy accident when the resin was first poured, and reminded me of some of the Bali masks and costumes I'd seen pictures of. However, the glitter moved away as the resin followed the curve of the face! So, I hovered over this as the resin settled and periodically moved a piece of glitter back to that spot as well as arranging the glitter surrounding the face. I also applied a second coat of resin after the first had settled to make certain that the face was entirely encased.

All of the Popcap Pendants were then drilled by my hand after the resin cured and the jumprings added.
Both of these Popcap Pendants will be in my Artfire studio shortly.

I hope this was a intriguing and interesting visit and I hope to see you again tomorrow!
Don't forget to keep check out the other fabulous artists on the Hop!!
Their links are below for easy clicking!

Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html


Keecia Frazee Deveney http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Mary Jane Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/" and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/"

Jenny Barnett Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/2010/02/kitchen-sink-stamps-altered-jewelry.html

Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/


And the fine folks at Objects and Elements (Design Team) and Ice Resin's creator: Susan Lenart Kazmer!

Jen Cshman http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

Happy Valentines Day! And an update about next week...

I met a lot of new folks at the Ladies Winter Getaway in Minneapolis and have come home with a commission! Thanks to all who stopped by!
There is so much to update you-all with before the start of the new week!that this post is a bit photo-heavy!

On the Road: Supercon:
I attended Supercon (a relaxacon in Hastings, MN) with my beloved last weekend. As is my tradition, I entered jewelry in the charitable Art Auction. The only requirement is that the art be made at the Con. This year, however, I used beads that were gifted with the stipulation that they go to a good home for the Auction. It seems proper to donate gifted materials to charity.. keep the giving going, as it were!
So, here are some of the goodies that I came home with from Supercon:

Earrings: 5 Pairs in all. Titles from top left to bottom right:
Wishes and Bottles, Pink and Fierce, Galactic Seashells, Mining Planets and Infinite Spirals (MANY THANKS to for the title help on Wishes and Bottles and Mining Planets!)

A Pendant of Moonstone and Tiger Eye Wolf or Coyote. Title is: Singing the Moon


The Clasps: Have arrived!!! Here is some of the Shiny Goodness I get to play with!

Next Week:
I'm excited to say that I'm to be part of the Ice Resin Blog Hop (courtesy of Objects and Ornaments.com) starting Monday and continuing through to Friday! I'll be posting photos and tidbits about the new creations I'm using Ice Resin with, as well as links to the other lovely artists who are playing with this medium as well! Stop on by and see what we're up to!

And with that, I'll leave with wishes for a Valentines Day filled with Love and Beauty!

Valentines Kit Beads and a Show Reminder...

I'll be at the Curves at 53rd and Chicago Avenue tomorrow from 5pm to 8pm. I'll be offering mini-classes on making simple earrings. I'll also have kits available to purchase with sweet little (or big) hearts of all sorts of lovey colors... accented with Swarovski crystals!
I've snapped a photo of the beads that you'll be able to choose from for your kits!


Stop by to say HI!, take a look at what I'm up to and maybe take home a present for yourself, a friend or loved one!

Did I mention that there will be free prizes and munchies at this event? Yup! There will!
Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Show!

Thursday, February 11th from 5pm to 8pm only
Curves for Women in South Minneapolis

Ladies Winter Getaway!
Featuring Belling Dancing Demos, massage, aromatherapy and much more.
I will also be offering free mini-class on how to create simple earrings.
I will have build-your-own-Valentine kits available! Take home all the materials you need to create a pair of love-ly pair of earrings for yourself, fabulous friend or loved one!

Details are on the flyer below!

This is really just a place-holder for this photo...

It is from the BBC. Don't know what, if anything, it will have to do with my art just yet... but I'm very drawn to it... It is a street vendor display with stuffed tigers celebrating the Chinese New Year. I love the happy, mischievous expression on the tiger's faces and the colors.

Tigers!