Candy Cane Beads in Red and White Treasury

Natural Knits and Gems  selected Candy Cane beads for her treasury.  There are so many adorable things in this treasury ... Hey, Santa?

A new studio discovery ...

Take a look at the great new beads at my etsy shop.  These particular beads have been torch-fired by my son, David.  He is a musician and a lyricist.  He used his fine motor control, that has been "finely tuned" by his drum and guitar skills.  He also came up with the names of the beads.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great weekend!

Candy Cane

Crackled Red ... a great companion to Candy Cane

Metallic Blue

Vanilla Bean

Forest Green

Hazelnut

Coffee

Lovely Lavender Beads in a Treasury ...

Chantilly Lace Jewelry left a welcomed message at etsy that she had included my Lovely Lavender  ridge beads in her treasury.  Thank you! But before I leave, there's a big announcement that I'm going to make on Monday ... something for jewelry designers!  Wait for it, wait for it ....

Call to Create

There's a new guy in town!  Take a look at Love My Art Jewelry blog to find out how to win all of the beads that were used in my necklace, "Autumn Bliss," which is on the cover of Handcrafted Jewelry.  Please spread the word about Call to Create.

Fabric and Beads ... a perfect combination!

 Integrating fabric with jewelry is so hot ... and, boy, have I been enjoying it.  I started my college "career" as an apparel design major.  Fabric was my first love.  I used to have a bumper sticker that said, "The person who dies with the most fabric wins!"  That was me ...  

This bracelet incorporates pastel plaid dupioni silk, variegated cording from Japan and, of course, my torch-fired enamel beads.  These are my favorite beads because their ridges give the bead a striped appearance after a couple of coats of enamel.

Starting from the bottom, the enamel colors are: Lichen, Aquamarine, White with Woodrow Red transparent on top, Foxglove with Geranium on top, Marigold, and White with Nile Green on top.  All are Thompson Enamels and can be found at my website. 

I'm also going to be listing bias strips of dupioni silk at my website.  Look for it next week.  I love the amazing colors of dupioni.  I'll also give a little more explanation of what it is and why it looks so luxurious.  So visit next week!

Spice Drops

Spice Drops (detail)

A Shannon LeVart link to hold the whole thing together!

Decorative knotting of Japanese coiled fiber.

Calliope is another bracelet with a more open style.  Japanese-inspired block printed fabric is tied in triple knots so that it takes on the shape of a bead.  I'm especially proud of the sterling oval link in the front because I soldered it, which is no small feat.  I must approach the soldering bench with complete calm and relaxation, which is not my natural state.  But sometimes things accidentally work in your favor.

Calliope


Calliope Earrings with lampworked head pin baubles made by yours truly, New Jade beads, and fabric.

How lucky are we when we can represent our varied interests in assorted media to come up with a single creation?  It's a blessing, actually!

Vergata Rayon Ribbon

For about six months now I've been working with this great variegated rayon fiber called "Vergata."  It is what I used in the "Autumn Bliss" necklace for Handcrafted Jewelry.  It is incredibly silky smooth ... perfect for around the neck ... a sensitive area.  The colors are scrumptious and the price ... very affordable at $6.00 for 12 yards.  You'll find it at my website.  But, just to tempt you a little, here is the crayon box of colors.

Happy Jungle

Into the West

Muddy Jeans

Picking Wild Berries

Rhubarb Pie

School Colors

Sedona

Texas Lupines

Handcrafted Jewelry Cover!

I went on an internet hunt to find the new issue of Handcrafted Jewelry and was surprised when I saw my necklace, "Autumn Bliss," had made the cover with jewelry greats, Deryn Mentock and Sherri Haab!  I can't wait to see the issue to enjoy the work of the great artists in this issue.  But, for my part, you'll find step-out photos of the Painting with Fire process of torch firing and the making of the necklace.

This all took place in the Spring, well before my photo shoot at North Light, which really educated me on the importance of recording "hand movements" in detailing a process.  My son, David, took all of the step-out photos.  He did a great job and also has become an expert enamelist ... without a doubt he's my equal.  I think it's that fine motor control of the musician (guitar and drums) that contributes to his finesse.  In fact, some of the enamel beads in the necklace are ones he created.

Painting with Fire really is a family business.  I'm just waiting for Laura to take over the financial part of the operation.  She's well into advanced statistics and accounting classes in college and wants to start sitting for the CPA exam in the next year.  Boy, do I need her.  I rib her, "Hurry up ... or you'll be visiting your mother in jail!"  I subscribe to the shoe box method of record keeping.  Actually, it's more like the credit card statement of record keeping.  If it isn't on the credit card statement, it didn't happen!

Do you have any record keeping secrets you'd like to share to keep an old lady outta the slammer?

A Red Hot Treasury

It's  always a treat to see a conversation at your etsy site ... and better yet when someone says that they have used a piece of yours in their treasury.  

Thank you,  Alilb.  I wish you had a store that I could promote! 

Jump Ring Jig ...

I want to introduce you to my brother-in-law, John Lewis.  John, a custom homebuilder, just opened an etsy shop, Treasure Locker, and is in the process of learning the ropes.  You remember how that was ... Stumbling toward Ecstasy as Sarah MacLachlan put it!   John has an eye for the unique and unusual ... and he's always on the hunt.  


But what I want to feature is something I've spoken to you about before.  Robert Dancik shows this in his book.  Unfortunately, I didn't remember where I had seen it until after I gave myself a very nasty cut trying to make 14 gauge jump rings!  Before I lost any more digits, John happily made me one of these:

I can't begin to tell you how many jump rings I've cut recently.  Large 11 mm ones out of 14 gauge wire, tiny ones out of 22 gauge and all sizes in between.  With this jig, it is virtually impossible to cut yourself. 


You form a spiral of wire around an object like a pencil, knitting needle ... whatever. Undo the blade of your jewelers saw and slip the blade THROUGH the middle of the spiral. 

 Place the spiral in the "V" notch of the jig. Use the slot in the plexiglass to guide your blade. Press the spiral of wire firmly down in the "V" notch while you cut your jump rings by sawing back and forth. And don't forget to lubricate your blade with burr life or candle wax, etc.  Saw the jump rings with the saw blade on an angle so that you're only cutting through two or three at a time. 

That's it. Perfectly cut jump rings every time and with no danger of hurting yourself. The Jump Ring Cutter Jig is designed to fit perfectly in a vise.

You can purchase the jump ring jig from John at his etsy site.  He'll appreciate your business and because he's a perfectionist, you'll receive a work of art!

New Work ... Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Gosh, it feels good to be back in the saddle again without having to write down every step I take to make work.

I went to Buttons, Bangles and Beads, Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach to browse around for beads for Triple Delight.  It's amazing how relaxing a bead store can be ... or at least how relaxed I can feel in a bead store ... I think that's more accurate.  That long bead to the left of the large nubby silver bead reminded me so much of the ancient Roman glass or Afghani beads that are gorgeous but very, very pricey.  This strand of beads was an affordable $12.

I had some of the rhinestone rondelles in a bead tray that I had brought to Florida with me.  After I put the bracelet together, I realized that it didn't have any torch-fired enamel beads on it and it felt too constricted.  I needed an "outlier," which is the enameled sterling disc.  I used some of the microfine beading thread that is commonly used with kumihimo. It's a bright purple which compliments the other beads.  I'm proud of the fact that I soldered the sterling links ... on a day that I was in a total state of relaxation ... which is what I need to attempt soldering.  Hopefully that will change in time! :-) where I don't need a brain transplant to be successful!

Triple Delight (delight)

Confetti

If you've been visiting me for a while you know that I make these things called "Bench Collection" necklaces.  They were born from times when I make jewelry at the same time as I am attempting to clean up my work area.  Basically, my thought is this, "If I use this bead in a bracelet or necklace, then I won't have to find a home for it."  Now, I've found another place ... in bracelets ... my favorite things to make! And, nothing has to match!!!!

Roman Spice

There's one of those great beads again with some torch-fired enamel ... a small lime green disc and a sterling disc torch fired with Nile Green transparent ... love those rhinestone dealies ... and that is a wrapped bronze wire bead.  I used a drill with a mandrel and slid the wire into one of the slits in the chuck to hold the wire in place.  Press the button and guide the wire.  

This has been fun, fun, fun ... I'm starting to feel like myself again!  Thanks for coming for a visit!  

Introducing Laura Guenther ... talented jewelry artist!

Torch-fired enamel earrings with fiber

I love Laura's work and thought you would like to meet her.  Many times, jewelry artists get lost in the big world of Etsy.  Laura and I have been "talking" (emailing) for about a year.  Then this summer, she and her family vacationed in the St. Pete Area so she could take an advanced enameling session with me ... one on one ... just she and me.  I think she learned a lot, but so did I!  Her husband is a doll ... and a great cook ... and her kids are bright, talented, and funny!  

Torch-fired enamel earrings

During our visit I learned so many interesting things about Laura, like, for instance, she has a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Interior Design.  I was definitely impressed. It was obvious to me that she had a trained eye ... and her education explains her astute understanding of color.  She taught herself to do torch-fired enamel simply by using my tutorial.  Enameling is a great way for colorists to express themselves ... because the options appear to be endless.  

Bracelet of patinated brass

But as far as Interior Design, Laura found the "selling" part of her job less than appealing.  So, first as a volunteer and then as an employee, Laura designed an art instruction program for 75 deaf students at the Central Institute for the Deaf in Missouri.  Laura loved her seven years with the students and explains, "For many of them, art was a way they could express themselves, for the first time, without the limitations of being deaf ... I adored the students ...  my own hearing loss lead me down the path to the job of teaching the deaf. My program was accredited by the Illinois Department of Education and acknowledged as an excellent and outstanding art program in the Spring of 1993." 

An artisan bead with torch-fired enamel

Laura's husband, Kevin, took employment as an aeronautical engineer in the Atlanta area.  This new job and a move from Missouri to the Atlanta Area meant that Laura could be a stay-at-home mom.  Her penchant for making jewelry snuck up on her like it did for many of us.  One year she decided to make earrings as Christmas presents for some of her family members.  Uh oh!  Before you can say "Swarovski crystal," you're hooked!  

Torch-fired earrings

In the process of acquiring metalsmithing tools and skills, Laura enjoys working with silver, brass, and copper.  "I also love the texture of Czech glass beads ... all shapes and sizes.  I like lots of texture and asymmetry in an overall design. I love a rustic, imperfect, natural look and feel to my jewelry."

Antique key with torch-fired enamel

Laura has more than a few vintage collections: Pyrex, Fisher Price Little people, linens from the 40's, depression glass, white pitchers.

Ceramic and picasso beads, sterling silver earrings

She gives us another little known fact about her, "I can read lips very well!   I can tell what people are saying from across the room!  I love doing this at restaurants!  I also love the new forensic science TV shows.  I could be the next Sue Thomas FBI!  Just in case you don't know, she was a Deaf investigator (on a TV show ) who used her ability to read lips to solve crimes...hmmm a new calling?  Perhaps!"  So, my warning to you is to be careful what you say when you're around Laura.  Mmmmm ... I wonder why she didn't tell me this before I met her? 

Laura's Love Bracelet

Please check out Laura's etsy shop with fresh, new work: www.BlueAntiquities.etsy.com    I love that torch-fired enameled artisan bead of hers.  Whether you're in the market for finished jewelry or torch-fired enamel components, Laura's shop has some really nice things.  I know she's adding more as we speak!