Weekly Challenge - Week 26

I sat down last night and redid the samples for my upcoming class at the Memphis Botanic Gardens- Alchemy: Fused glass and fine silver pendants. You don't have to make pendants- you can make earrings, charms, even a ring, if you want because there's plenty of clay, lots of glass options and a few techniques that will help incorporate fire in place glass cabs.

Pieces prior to polishing.

I also started back on my Tree Rings collection by cutting and 'polishing' some gorgeous oak slices for some silver statement rings. I love the little stars in the centers and the way the rings have gotten darker and more defined as the branch has sat in the corner of the living room for 2 years (lol) I have some cherry to cut for beads- mostly for earrings, but if i find a really spectacular slice, i'm going to combine it with a lovely piece of petrified wood in a pendant. (i'm hunting for the perfect slice!)

They're a little over 1/2 inch across

I thought i had been having a hard time feeling inspired lately- but i realized that i'm VERY inspired and i have hundreds of sketches and projects that i really want to work on, but i'm lacking the energy to execute, which translates to frustration and depression. I need to remember my stress management techniques and get back on track with my affirmations. I'm working on getting out more because i *do* need socialization and interaction with others. Hermiting, while i think it gives me more time to work on my art, seems to be counterproductive. So- i'm going to focus on getting things back into balance and keep on making. :)

Weekly challenge- Week 25

this week's piece came together very quickly and exactly like i had hoped (very close to the sketch i made on Monday). I bravely assembled a 3 inch by 3 inch sheet of 24 gauge sterling silver, 18 inches of 12 gauge sterling square wire, fine silver bezel wire, 26 gauge sheet, a Wild Horse Canyon agate cab and a dark aqua larimar cab into a statement neck piece.

The forming of the metal was finished in one 3-4 hour session and it would have been completely finished in less than an hour more except my perfectionism kicked in and i tried to 'fix' something that no one would have ever noticed and made another 4 and a half hours of work for myself, cleaning up the damage i did. Check out the progress pictures below with the finished piece down at the very bottom.. I'm wearing it today to try to make adjustments to the neck wire for comfort. I think the wire will need to be trimmed a bit as the ends overlap now that i've put bends in it for the collar bones.  It is very comfortable so far - the air chased piece is extremely light (but super strong) and the 12 gauge square is a very comfortable size, especially since i took some 500 grit sandpaper and rounded the edges a just little.

The finished piece.. now to decide if i will oxidize or not.. 

Weekly Challenge - Week 24

Birthday month has been a roller coaster this year, mostly in a good way... 36 isn't treating me too badly and i am looking forward to 11 months more of mostly positive things.

I haven't been working in the studio as much as i would like- other responsibilities have been eating up my creative time. They're good things though- i'm now the treasurer of the SW chapter of TN craft, which is fulfilling my desire to be more involved in the professional art/craft scene here in Memphis. I also took a class from Lana Chu of Ginkgo Glass on Thursday and made some blown glass ornaments and some lampworked beads. It was a lot of (hot) fun with fellow members of TN Craft SW.

2 ornaments and 2 beads that survived annealing

We have been 'borrowing' some kittens to see how the girls feel about adding another 4 legged child to our household. So far, the results have been less than encouraging. Shadow is curious, but whenever the kittens get too close, she hisses and runs off. Aziza is completely uninterested and hisses at me, the kittens and anything nearby when they're in the house. we'll keep trying here and there, but our girls have the final word. (the little calico is a gamer kitty- she loves sitting beside The Boy while he plays and watches the TV screen intently)

Calico kitten in her gaming position on the ottoman

Weekly challenge - week 23 - birthday week!!!

I've started this week off right! New Knew concepts  saw and three Fretz  hammers for my birthday were enough to inspire me to stop hoarding the tiny geodes I bought for rings (like 3 or so years ago!!) And make some stuff.

I had to flatten out a spot on the backs of the halves, 1 to make them easier go set and 2 so some weren't quite so tall. I ground down 5, my goal is to get them all finished this week. :)

My first layout for MCT is completed and approved. Pretty exciting! I'm also taking over as treasurer for TN crafts SW- thrilled to be even more a part of an organization that does so much for artists and craftspeople across the state. Things are moving along well on the brandy is an artist front. :) now if I could just get that bus going!!!

Weekly challenge - week 22

Hello June. This is for week 22 (may 31- June 6)

I found a bus in Hollywood Florida that i think would be perfect for my Mobile Metal Studio. It's a clean slate ready to be customized. And it is teal.

I've been doing some skill swaps with some friends of mine- metal for leather. I learned some basic tooling techniques last time the were over and this time I learned how to round and burnish edges. It was very zen. :) I like how this piece is coming together. Airchased  bronze with Latigo leather cuff.

Weekly challenge - week 21

Here's last week's post (may 24-30). I lost one of my fur babies Tuesday, so the mood to create hasn't been there. I alsi had stuff going on at work and was getting ready for my class so even if i had the energy, i didn't really have the time. I did work on a pierced cuff of my swirly doodles. Gave the pattern to my class so they could do it too.