2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 13

Featuring treasure mountain turquoise and a lovely little cast succulent, this is week 13 in my 52 week maker challenge. (shown on a lovely piece of wood that became an even more lovely pendant!)

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 12

I spent the evening of the spring equinox making- seemed fitting. This is the most recent ring in my 52 pieces challenge series. 

I call her The Oracle. A lovely cultured opal is set in a crown bezel. Fine silver planchettes flank the setting. The band is stamped with Yes, no, and goodbye, along with some fun stars. All Sterling and fine silver. Will be available in the etsy store soon!

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 10 &11

I was on vacation the first week of March, so I had to play catch up this week. Then I forgot to post, so here are weeks 10 and 11 in one post. :)

I'm teaching a class this saturday on alternative stone setting techniques, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to make some pieces and take photos for my hand outs- here are the two techniques I did- Faceted bezel set stones and 'Fenced' stones (i know there has to be a name for that kind of setting, but it reminds me of those old little wire fences people would have around their flowerbeds back in the day... )

Lab grown alexandrite set in sterling custom stepped bezel

Dichroic glass set in sterling with stamped band

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 9

This week's ring is also a simple one. I started out with 5 White Water turquoise mini nuggets stacking rings (as the plan) and wound up with only one after a variety of mishaps, including sticking a bur into my thumb.
But that's ok, i'll remake the tiny bezels and get the stack made this week.

i also finally made the scrying pendant i've had bounching around in my head for months and did my first stone-on-stone setting, so i would say it was a productive week. Even though some of it was frustrating, i learn from my mistakes.

I'm excited to be working on the instructions for my Bezel explorations class next month and for another step-by-step article for Metal Clay Today. :)

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - Week 8

Last week was filled with last minute work on my Halstead Maker's Challenge piece- it turned out pretty ok (although I crashed it on Saturday during class- i think the succulents survived)

This week's ring is nice and simple -it's a little infinity midi ring. not all pieces have to be 'works of art' and day to day rings are important to make too. so here it is :)

  

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - Week 7

This week's ring is kind of a dud only because there was some silver solder on my brick that I didn't see and it got on my pretty copper bezel wire and messed up the pattern. I guess that will teach me that I should always tap off my brick between silver and copper projects! The back of the stone is open though- it has a little shelf inside the bezel wire from square copper wire that the rounded back of the fossil sits on. I used my whetstone to flatten it out some so it wouldn't jab the finger, but the open back allows the ring to be lighter on the hand and I think it's a good technique to use when you have a stone that is irregular or interesting on the obverse. 

This is my new burl wood statement necklace- I cut the slice of wood from a chunk of burl, sanded it to make a nice smooth surface, shaped the edges and then oiled it to make the figuring pop. I created the frame in a minimalistic way to show off both sides of the wood- they're equally enchanting. The chain is handmade, but not by me. I have a front clasping toggle to make it very comfortable to wear. I'm not sure i'm going to be able to part with this one, but i am DEFINITELY going to be making more!

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - Week 6

Red River Turquoise in sterling silver

This week's ring was truly a challenge! for the life of me, I couldn't saw a straight line, they all slanted to the right- which I guess is ok since they were all slanting at the same angle, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

This lovely Red River turquoise has soft blue-greens (matches my studio) and a kind of hazy, dreamy pattern. I like the way the 24 gauge wall with slight texturing on the edge contrasts with the smoothness of the cab too. I think I'll leave this one bright silver, although it would look nice with a dark patina as well.

I'll be teaching a less frustrating version of this in my class in March- Bezel Explorations.

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 5

I meant to post yesterday, but I had a bad day. Those happen and it's important for me to let myself have them and then deal with it than to try to put it off and turn one bad day into several.

I had a great class on Saturday though- people made some really awesome stuff. My class sample somehow turned into a pendant once I got back to the studio after class, but i think it's pretty swell anyways. :) The turquoise is Treasure Mountain, the CZ is a green garnet and i think the succulent is a cast Hen-and-Chick (?)

But since this is the 52 ring challenge (and I'm up to 9 in 5 weeks) let me present this week's ring. 

It features a petrified limb from the Mississippi Petrified Forest (i didn't know this was a thing until i bought this) that i purchased in New Orleans. The edge is raw and shows where the bark was. I've set it in a hybrid bezel/prong setting (which i will be teaching in my March class at BMB designs). the band has a subtle wood grain texture. I'm super thrilled with it. :) 

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 4

Snow days last week forced a more relaxed schedule. I did not make it into the studio as much as I would have liked as my street, specifically, the span of my street right in front of my house, was a sheet of ice for many days. I did get this lovely ring made though. It's also a sample for my class coming up this Saturday the 27th, at the Memphis Botanic Gardens.

This lovely has an agatized fossil coral teardrop, three white CZs, and a fancy pattern wire band.

And here's a lovely photo of the snow and ice that kept me housebound for 5 days in a row! *stir crazy*

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 3

Ok- this has been a frustrating week. I was supposed to go out of town for the 3-day weekend and spend some time communing with nature. I need it. I need to get down and take up close photos of turkey tails growing on fallen logs, bark textures from bare trees, black reaching branches silhouetted against a crisp blue winter sky. Unfortunately, mother nature had something else in mind and instead of heading out Friday night after work (Saturday morning if I was too tired), I worked from home Friday as I was iced in. I was outside trying to scrape the ice off my car when I watched a much larger, heavier vehicle go sliding through the intersection down from my house. After over 30 minutes of working on my car, and I still couldn't see through the windshield, I gave up. In time to watch another car go sliding past my house and fishtail as they tried to pull into the driveway across from me. I decided NAH..

So.. I was stuck at home. I made it out on Monday and wandered the gardens to get a little bit of nature (and I did at least get a few photos of cool textures and the Big Bugs were still out) And thankfully I worked some studio time in.

Unfortunately, snow moved in again and we got some serious little drifts here at the house. The street was completely covered and I again, enjoyed/cringed-at the sound of cars sliding down my street as I worked from home again today.

Week 3's rings:
1st set were technically done at the end of week 2 as I forgot I was doing this from Monday to Sunday- two men's bands done in 16 gauge sterling silver. they're high polished and quite shiny.

And the other 2-

Ring 1- Bronze cast piece (leaf impression) on hand stamped sterling rectangle band

Ring 2- Unicorn creations Dichroic glass satin finished bead, torch pinned in a sterling silver stamped 16 gauge U band. The bead (and two sterling side beads) spin around in the setting and the bead is reversible with lovely flashes of purple on both sides. The wire that holds it in the U frame was balled up with the bead in place with my Little Smith torch- I think this is the first time I've successfully pinned something with wire this thick.

And because I'm not *just* making rings in 2018, here are some other pieces I've made this year:

Small sterling nebula pendant. It's reversible. I'm trying to decide if I like it shiny or if it needs some patina.

Sterling and Bronze pendant- currently unnamed (but leaning towards Shattered).

The back is as fun as the front. The bronze bits are held in place by oversize textured prongs.

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - week 2

(Note- also back dated due to issues blogging from my phone and forgetting to do it when i was at a computer. lol)

Here's my ring for week 2 of my challenge:

Sterling silver with rainbow dichroic cabochon from Galaxy Glass (on etsy). I made it so it could be easily worn with stackers (as seen on my finger)

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - week 1

(note- I backdated these as I had the rings made on time but forgot to post- going forward, they'll be accurately dated)

I've decided to do another annual challenge. Things have settled down on the travel front for work and I honestly shouldn't be traveling more than 3-4 times, at most, in 2018. I'm sad and happy about it. Sad, because I enjoyed those face paced, 24-hour turn around visits to random cities- exploring them in the middle of the night and sleeping on the plane coming home. It was like speed dating for cities. Pack as much interesting and local stuff into 17-36 hours as possible.

It's good that I'm not traveling like that because it allows me more time to plan my personal trips. I'm doing a class with Sarah Perkins in June and one with Victoria Lansford in July. I'm trying to decide what to do for my birthday this year, as the last few have pretty much been suxxors for various reasons- last year I was flying back from LA on my birthday and the year before, we were in Arizona with the kids and my aunt. And while my birthday itself was good, it felt really off too for some reason. the year before that was awkward for reasons I won't go into. And I get to go to a beach this year and actually do more than stare at it for 20 minutes and take some photos and scoop up a few shells. :)

So- since I think I'll be around, I'm going to try this 52 ring challenge- and if I make more than one ring in a week, I'm not going to save it for another week, unless it's because I'll be at a trade show or out of town.

Without further ado- here's what I made on New Year's Day.
1- larimar heart with fancy gallery wire and a wide, textured band
2- Mokume gane oval cab (made by me) set in plain silver bezel and on a thinner, pattern band
3- Mokume gane round cab (made by me) set in plain silver with a plain half round band
4- Tabasco geode from Mexico set in a plain silver bezel with a thin rectangle band

My tree - A photographic journey

So, I have to drive down to Olive Branch a few times a year to service some printers down there and at some point in 2015, I noticed this tree in a field off Riverdale. I stopped and took pictures of it. It spoke to me- in the middle of this suburban mess, there was a small field on a corner that had been saved from another failed convenience store and on it was this majestic oak tree.

This tree was a bright spot in what was more often than not, a bad day. So, I started making it a point to stop by the tree each time I had to go to OB for a service call. I missed a few- sometimes it was raining too hard for me to get a good shot. Once it was supposed to snow, so I was hurrying to get home before the storm hit. But, I've been pretty consistent- I have 8 images that show how the changes of the seasons dress my lovely. What's interesting is how I'm taking the shot from almost the exact same spot each time... I am not sure how I manage that.

I am so enamored by this tree, I actually looked to see if I could buy the land. It's just north of the state line- so in Shelby County. I would buy it just to protect the tree from being torn down and to make it ok for me to go and lay a blanket under her branches without being charged with trespassing.

Here's the journey from the first shot on December 29th, 2015 to the latest on October 24th, 2017.

Woot!! I can post again!

I have finally found the work around that will let me post photos on my blog. I've been very quiet this year and it's not entirely because I haven't had anything to say or share. I have been to some really cool places this year and I've done and seen some neat stuff.
But I've been in a funk mentally. Energy levels are still low- blood work is fine, but I still feel like I did when I had Mono. I haven't been as busy as I was last year, and while I know that's for the best, I feel like I'm slacking. It makes it hard to make new and meaningful work.
I have mostly filled up my moleskine, so I picked up a few new ones (a watercolor one!! A soft cover turquoise one And my normal black hardcover) I'm trying to get back into writing, sketching and making daily. It's harder than it should be, but I'm working on my self talk and my self care and hoping things will return to something close to normal.

I was lamenting the lack of toad visitors this year and was greeted by this handsome treefrog the same night, my large, garden toad momma this morning before work and tonight, when I came home, momma and a small, bright male were hanging out at the door. The universe answers sometimes. :)

How is it almost June?!?!

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

~ Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

It's been a very fast paced year. It's been going by so quickly, I'm not sure how I got to be where I am at times. And while I think I might at least be close to where I need to be, I can see a vast stretch between me and where I *want* to be. 

My birthday is quickly approaching and that's always a trying time for me. It's my New Year. I try to incorporate all the things I learned, about myself and others, during the time of turmoil (also known as Spring) and make some plans for the next 12 months of my life. It's a pseudo-tradition I began when I was 19 and I've more or less kept up with it. The plans have gotten more open-ended and much less 'strict' as I've gotten older, and hopefully, wiser. And my priorities have certainly shifted since I was a naive teen feeling like anything in the world was possible with little effort. 

I've been focusing more on my art- learning new skills, and trying to work out my visual vocabulary. It's hard creating a 'signature look'- I think it's something I'm just going to have to keep working at. Keep creating all the work I can create and see what repeats. I know what I want to say... it's just hard to figure out how to say that sometimes without being too overt. Maybe I need to be overt for a while.. see how that goes. lol. 

I'm going to have a change of scenery for the next week or so and I'll have an opportunity to dip my toes in the ocean. I'm hoping it will be the recharge I need to face the coming year. 

And here are pictures of some of the stuff I've been working on :)

the finished pieces from my workshop with Joanna Gollberg! i *love* the techniques i learned!

Always making leaves- these are all from the Memphis Botanic Gardens except the tiny oak at the bottom- that one came from Flagstaff AZ. :)

Creative file- Album from San Antonio

For those that don't follow me on Google+ or Facebook, I've published a selection of images from my trip to The Makery in Bulverde and my adventures in San Antonio and Austin.

The album is public here. :)

Creative Life 2016- week 43

October has been a wonderful month in many ways. I've had several weekends now where I've been able to demonstrate metalsmithing and share my knowledge with the public. This weekend, I'll be teaching a class on chain maille at the garden (which I had the experience of promoting on Live at 9 this past Monday! - Click here for the video)

I've become kind of resolved to the fact that I am a living creature with biology that doesn't always match up to what I (think I) want- for a long time, I truly believed that 'humans' were evolved past things like circadian rhythms and seasonal cycles- oh how wrong I was! I am such a slave to my body's sleep and active cycles, and mine are off from what the world expects. Attempts to adhere to this arbitrary and incompatible schedule reflect in my health and mental status on the regular.
I tried the whole waking up with the sun thing, and it was glorious... I was so much more alert, even on less sleep, than when I wake with an alarm. My true lament comes from the realization that no matter what I try, my most creative hours are between 8pm and 2am. I was trying to figure out where my mojo went in the evenings after work when i would go to the studio and try to make. I stayed late one night, and discovered I was leaving the party before the mojo kicked in! I tested it a few more times and confirmed, I can create new pieces with wild abandon, crank out my pseudo-production work and get my Units per Hour to an actual range where I can make a profit selling my art when I work between 8pm and 2 am! However, the schedule for the rest of my life is very incongruent to this block of creative time.

See how productive i can be during the right time of the night?!? And i really need a few more nights like this to be ready for Crafts & Drafts on the 12th of November. (It's a great show- lots of great work and a wonderful, festive environment. I highly recommend attending it)

Creative life 2016 - busy season

So, this time of year is my busy season, both as an artist and just as a person. Most of the shows i do all year are in October and November, and this year I also took on demonstrating for Tn Craft week, which was actually a lot of fun, but it was also rough on my shoulder.. I enjoyed meeting people and hearing stories about their journeys- both the specific trip they were on and their larger, life journey. Individuals are usually pretty awesome, and it's fascinating to me how people's experiences vary so wildly.

As a person, fall is *my* time. My personal magic is strongest now and it will continue to grow until I wear myself out some where between Thanksgiving and the Winter Solstice. I'll hermit a little until the new year, where I force myself to get out, otherwise I spiral downward into taking stock of what I didn't get to over the past year, even though my 'new year' isn't until later, I still find myself harshly judging by societal standards. My resolutions for this year are to be kinder, to myself and others, and to put more effort into eliminating overly processed things from my life, be that food, goods or experiences.

2016 has been a rough year. I'm discovering that it hasn't just affected me and my little circle. It's been wide reaching, especially amongst the empaths. It makes me wonder if all the negativity in the world is just overloading our circuits and we aren't able to keep the walls up to keep the bad stuff out while keeping the plates spinning to keep the good stuff happening.

I've watched my circle of friends shrink as people change and I moved one of my best friends to the other side of the country less than 2 months ago. It's been hard to fight the feeling of isolation and to stay engaged. I would say I've failed more than I've succeeded. The desire to buy some land somewhere secluded and build an earthship and a tree house is strong most days.

Hermiting is not good for me long-term, although i think I do need a few days alone in the woods or on the beach to recenter, recharge and clear some of the debris from my heart and soul of the last year or so. I have a lot of stuff in there trying to get out- visual arts, music, dance, words... But there's so much in the way that it just trickles out in frustrating spurts.

Creative Life - Tennessee Craft Week

I had the pleasure of doing some metalsmithing demonstrations this past weekend at two of the TN welcome centers to raise awareness for TN Craft week and Tennessee Craft.

I was at the I-40 downtown Memphis center on Saturday and the I-155 Dyersburg center on Sunday. I met some really awesome people and heard some great stories about people following their dreams and seeing the world. It was quite inspiring.

Creative life 2016- week 40

Not much studio time since I got done traveling- my nights have been filled with getting things back on track from my month away from home. I did take some photos last week that I thought were worth sharing. :) I have demos at TN Welcome centers this weekend, Pink Palace Arts & Crafts fair in less than 2 weeks, River Arts in less than 3 weeks and then a great chain maille class at the Gardens on the 29th. I'll be on TV the 24th to talk about my work and my classes. October will be pretty busy, but in a good way- for the reasons I like to be busy. Hopefully, I'll be creating like mad over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for new work!

The tree I always stop and visit when I go to Olive Branch for onsite service. 

The view from Cabin 6 at Natchez. It was supposed to be a nice weekend with woods wandering but instead turned into an unplugged weekend of cabining. 

Reflections early in the day on Pin Oak Lake

Reflections late in the morning on Browns Creek Lake