SNEAK PEEK! Partners With Fire Bead Soup Swap!

Hello!  Tomorrow a group of us at Painting With Fire will be revealing the jewelry we have made from our Partners With Fire Bead Soup Swap beads.  So here's a sneak peek at some of the gorgeous beads I had to work with:

Come back tomorrow to get a proper look at these gorgeous beads and the piece of jewelry I made with them!

Happy 70th Birthday Mom!

(I am posting this a couple of days past her birthday to make sure Mom has received it before she sees it online.)

I can't believe that my Mom is 70.  She looks and acts so much younger, that it just doesn't seem real to me.  They do say, however, that 70 is the new 50, right?

So, now that she's opened her gift, I can share with you all what I made to give to her:

I am still playing with enamels in my new kiln, and this combination was perfect for Mom.  I love the delicate greens, yellows, oranges and reds mingling in the blue of the focal, and the leaf accent brings out these colors beautifully.

So, Happy Birthday, Mom!    Thank you for teaching me how to be a mother who shows compassion, love and joy.  I love you so much and am so proud to be your daughter.

Creative Sparks Fridays: 10/1 - 10/8/10

FINALLY we are starting to see some cooler weather down here in Phoenix - I'm so excited to be able to leave my windows open during the day again!  The colors in this week's *sparks* were perfect for the project I wanted to make to honor this beautiful fall weather:

I pulled out the new kiln and got to work, and here's what I came up with:

I love the crazy color combination of the inspiration picture, and was able to manipulate the enamel to give the desired 'disorganized' effect.

I have been inspired by Becky Caldwell's handmade chains in her past few designs, and decided to make my own chain for this project.  boy, has it been a while since I made my own chain!

The earrings turned out just great as well.  All in all, I am super-happy with how this set turned out.

As always, huge thanks go out to Becky Caldwell of The Gritty Bird for hosting these great *sparks* - go out to her blog and check out the other participating artists' works as well.

If you are interested in purchasing this necklace or the earrings, you can find them both in my etsy store sorry - they have sold!.

Happy weekend to all!

New Kiln...

My wonderful hubby bought me a new enameling kiln, and I have been playing with it today.  I wanted to share the results of my "play-day":

Have a great evening!

A Couple More For My Etsy Shop...

Just a quick post to share two new items for sale in my etsy shop:

"Just Peace"

"This beautiful copper enameled peace sign is a little rough around the edges, showing the unique effects of torch-firing with lavender enamel. It measures approximately 1.75" in diameter, and hangs on an 18" brown leather cord."

 

"Musical Heart"

"This beautiful and versatile necklace features a pendant made from a 1.5" w x 2" h patinaed and sealed copper cross that has been etched with a unique collage design, hanging from an 18" black leather cord."

 

Happy shopping!

Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge: August

Well, I finally took the plunge and am participating in my very first Art Bead Scene Blog Monthly Challenge.  Here is the inspiration piece:

"Sunrise" by John “Jack” Savitsky (1910–1991)

I absolutely love folk art, and the color combinations in this painting are some of my favorites!  I am drawn in by the texture, colors and repetition that the artist worked into the image.  For more information on this painting and on the challenge, you can visit the Art Bead Scene Blog.

My interpretation of the piece is fairly literal:

I took the opportunity to work on my torch-fired enameling skills, and am pleased with the results.  This focal is my third attempt, as I wanted to get the colors just right.  In the painting, they range from delicate to bold, and I wanted to maintain the balance of the two like the original artist did.

I also wanted to make sure that the sun was the main feature of the piece, and that the pendant, as a whole, included the texture that almost tactile in the painting.

For the accents, I dangled small charms from the bottom of the pendant to represent the repetitive quality of the houses in the painting.  In addition, I wanted to add texture to the chain while still keeping it simple, so I added only three of my handmade enamel beads to it.

Take some time to check out the Art Bead Scene blog for their Featured Designer of the Week, who will be chosen by the editors of the blog. The one featured this week is EB Bead and Metal Works, and their piece is just amazing!

Totally Twisted Project #5: Beautiful Chunkiness

I am SO digging this bracelet!  It is my version of project #5, "Chunky Monkey", in Kerry Bogert's book, "Totally Twisted".  The techniques used in this project are: wrapped-loop links, wrapped loops, chunky-style, wire bead, and wire clasp.

The gorgeous aqua and lavender torch-fired enameled beads are set off beautifully by the antiqued copper wire and handmade bead caps and clasp.  In addition, there is a handmade crazy wire bead that has been incorporated into the design.

I was super-excited to incorporate some of my torch-fired beads and handmade bead caps into this project, and I know I'll be making more of these bracelets.   You can find this bracelet for sale in my etsy shop.

:-)

Copper Wire Jewelers Online Magazine: Issue #3

Hi all!  If you haven't already, take a few minutes and look through this beautiful online magazine featuring some fantastic artists, as well as some great articles on the  business side of jewelry: Copper Wire Jewelers:  Issue #3.

I have a piece in the publication that I'd like to share with you called "Tide Pool":

 

The inspiration for this set comes from a visit to Key West some years ago. I remember worn and peeling paint on rows of pastel colored homes with decks overlooking the ocean. Each peeled-off paint chip was a work of art in itself, revealing years of color upon color as the cottage was reinvented by successive owners.

I pictured weathered Adirondack chairs on the back porches where they could sit and drink iced tea as they watched treasure hunters stoop to pick up shells washed up on the  beach.

With that memory as my inspiration, I wanted to create the same weathered beauty in my jewelry. I started with layers of torch-fired enamel to build up the color on the copper that I chipped off and re-fired, revealing the copper and other color layers underneath the top layer as they all melted together.

 
The center of the pendant features beautiful aqua blue enamel with a small shell encased in ICE Resin.  The result is exactly what I had hoped it would be: a weathered set that is comfortable to wear and is as casual as an afternoon in Key West.

I will have this set up in my Etsy shop soon now!

:-)

Summertime With Artbeads.com (Part 1 of 3)

When I heard that the new Artbeads.com Blog Partner theme was "Summertime", my mind immediately went to two completely opposite places:  to the bright, bold cobalt blues, emerald greens and turquoises of water lapping up onto the beach and then to the lavenders, golds and olive greens of the lazy days of late summer, watching the sun set on the sunflower and lavender fields of Provence (ok...so I've never been to France, but a girl can dream, can't she?).

This set, "Summer in Provence", is the first of three sets that I'll be sharing with you over the next week or so:

The focal for the necklace is made from etched and antiqued copper sheet with a handmade copper bezel soldered to it. A Summer-themed collage is the backdrop for antique jewelry parts placed into the center of the bezel, which was then filled with ICE resin.  Fastened to the top of the pendant are handmade torch-fired enameled headpins with Czech glass beads shaped to resemble a bundle of lavender.

The chain is made from wire-wrapped Czech fire-polished glass beads in shades of lavender, topaz and olive, and it closes with a hand-made copper wire clasp.

The bracelet is made from three strands of wire-wrapped Czech fire-polished glass beads in shades of lavender, topaz and olive that compliment the colors in the necklace, closing with a beautiful copper toggle clasp.

The earrings feature pale lavender and olive Czech glass beads that hang as a charm from handmade sterling ear wires.

ArtBeads will be posting all of their blog partners' designs in their “Summertime” Facebook Gallery starting June 21st, so stop by and check them all out!

If you are interested in purchasing this set, you can find it in my Etsy store.  Stay tuned for more "Summertime" designs!

Necessary Legal Stuff:   I am honestly reviewing the products above which I have received free of charge from Artbeads.com,  I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to them.

Fun New Stuff For The New Year

Hi everyone!

I have a New Year’s post I’m writing, but want to mull it over a bit more…

In the meantime, let me share some fun things I’ve been working on.  First, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with Barbara Lewis’ enameled beads and jewelry (check them out in the Winter Belle Armoire Jewelry – fantastic!), and I asked for money or Christmas so I could invest a bit in trying it out myself.  I ordered the Bead Pulling Station from her Etsy shop, Painting With Fire, and I purchased Thompson Enamels in 12 colors.  With the Bead Pulling Station, Barbara sent detailed instructions on her process, which are awesome and very easy to understand!  I’ve gotta confess:  I’m absolutely addicted!  Here’s some pictures to show you the results:



I am excited to use my new enameled creations in some new jewelry pieces!  Thanks Barbara!

Secondly, I’m listing some new items on Etsy, and here’s a preview:



In addition to these copper pieces, I’ve made another necklace using ICE Resin (yet another addiction, I’m afraid!):



The necklace is 36” long and is made from copper, picasso finish glass beads and labradorite, and can be worn long:



or short (18”):



  

I love how it turned out, and am in the process of making even more pieces using the ICE resin.

That’s it for now – more to come soon!