Bead Fest Wire

Calling all torch-bearing artists!  Oh, you say you're not working with fire yet?  OMG, get with the program!  If you are east of the Mississippi, you MUST join me at Bead Fest Wire in April.  I'll be teaching a Painting with Fire Workshop where we'll enamel over 50 beads and several pendants in an afternoon.  We'll work with millefiori, cat whiskers, and learn to embed metal shapes into the enamel.

Learn how to adjust your torch to get crispy edges, enamel flows, bubbles breaking through the surface.  You'll leave with over $300 (retail) in beads and pendants ... not bad for an afternoon's work.  Plus, you'll have the knowledge to continue your exploration of torch-firing from the comfort of your own home.  

Registration is now open.  Let's make a date for April 10, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.!

But you say you live west of the Mississippi, well then ... join me in Tucson during To Bead True Blue and the Gem Show in end January/early February.   I know y'all are so anxious to shop that I kept the workshops shorter in length. You'll learn the same things ... make fewer beads ... but go home with a new skill. This small group setting will be ideal for lots of individual attention. Workshop details are available at my website ... and you can sign up there too!  You can also click on the button in the right sidebar that says, you got it, "Tucson Workshops!"

Minimalism ...

Here's a quiet piece for a quiet Sunday.  

Quiet Rite, detail

Quiet Rite, detail

Brocade

Brocade, detail

Brocade, detail

Have a great day everybody!  

More fun in the studio ...

I love to hand-knot bead strands!  It is so calming and restful.  I'm on my way to Florida and have hand-knotted two pearl necklaces while in the car! It goes pretty fast and is not hard to do.  The drape of the beads is indescribable ... it is almost like liquid. Not only that, but those little knots add a separation between beads ... to set them off.

What follows are some really long necklaces, which I enjoy wearing.  You don't have to worry about necklines, because it's more about waistlines ... which is almost where these necklaces reach!  But, we're not going to talk about waistlines, especially with Thanksgiving on the way! This necklace is called "Big Help!"  I wonder where I got that name?  It's like my Bench Collection necklaces, only quieter.  The necklace features a lot of the different enameling techniques ... millefiori and lump enamel in the center pendant, a decal on "Big Help," Nile Green transparent enamel on sterling silver, and the little piece you can really see in this photo because it's turned is an example of champleve.

Big Help!

Big Help!, detail

"She seams to like it!" has a sewing theme.  The decals are from a 1935 Montgomery Wards catalog.  Imagine dress forms for $10.98?  The advertising is hysterical ... Have lovely lashes like the screen
beauties ... The buttons are held on with waxed linen.

She seams to like it!

She seams to like it!, detail

More to come tomorrow!

A Crystal Clear View of Etching ...

As jewelrymakers, when we hear the word "etching" our thoughts immediately turn to toxic chemicals and metal.  But, how about sandblasting on crystal?  Oh, yeah!

Gary, my friend and computer guru at the Painting with Fire Ning, has just opened an etsy shop.  Isn't this the loveliest thing ... perfect to commemorate special occasions you have celebrated this year.

Gary has an artist's eye ... he gave our ning a beautiful facelift and set up special pages for things like our recent Bead Swap, of which I know you are aware.

His work speaks for itself ... it is beautiful ... but I would like to speak about Gary.  When you order a personalized object, you're expecting that your item will be ready when you need it.  Since history is the best predictor of the future, I can guarantee that if Gary makes a commitment, he will follow through AND he is a pleasure to work with.

So, please keep Gary's beautiful work in mind when you're decorating your tree this year ... and remember the special things you want to commemorate ... in the process you'll be helping an individual artist. Visit Gary here.

Florals for an antique shop

My sister-in-law is opening a shop in a larger antique store. It's in a very quaint farmhouse building with a welcoming front porch.  We went to lunch last week and then to the shop, where we looked for places to put my jewelry.  As I started to work on some things for her, I remembered some vintage flower components and my pop rivet gun.  Here are some pieces I think will look wonderful in her space ...

Aix en Provence

Spring

Pretty in Pink

Posey Patch

Partners with Fire ... a Bead Swap

There's eye candy galore at the Painting with Fire ning as members post their Bead Swap pieces over the next two days.  The project, called Partners with Fire, involved our own Bead Soup Swap Queen, Lori Anderson, organizing the swap.  There will be three random winners for prizes, including a $50 shopping trip at my website for enamels and other goodies.

My partner, Camille Knutson, also sent me some awesome lampwork beads that I'll be using in a future project.  Her color combination for the Bead Swap centered on red and blue/gray.  I added some orange and here's what we got ...

Why don't you consider joining us at the ning?  There's always something fun happening ...  new discoveries being made ... newbies creating gorgeous beads during their first time at the torch ... a lot of fun!

More Art from the Fire!

I had a chuckle last night when I was working with these photographs.  It seemed as though nearly every name I came up with was reminiscent of good times.  Like "Dusty Springfield,"  I mean, really!  And, the letter pendants ... all I could think about was Sesame Street.  By the time I got to "Festivus," I nearly roared in laughter!  Some of you Seinfeld fans will remember that one.  Actually, Wikipedia has a pretty good entry on it.

I'll be listing these at my website, plus I have some other neat pendants that are like the Dandelion earrings.  They are enamel pendants with images of antique dress forms, vintage Underwood typewriters, 1935 deodorant commercials ... yes you heard me right!  I'm still laughing!

Dandelion Earrings, with 1/2 round sterling wire

Ring Around the Rosy

Ring Around the Rosy detail

Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield detail

And?

Brought to you by the Letter "A"

Brought to you by the Letter "S"

Letter "S" detail

Brought to you by the Letter "C"

Festivus

A Weird Kinda Day!

I never got out of my pajamas yesterday!  It was raining all day.  I just couldn't get moving ... but I did get my brain in gear!  In the background, the scary movies played I had recorded during the month of October.  I finished writing the last little bit of my manuscript and off to North Light it flew.  Yesterday was my due date, but I had sent 95% of the book already.  My editor has already started placing the text in the book and she says it is all fitting in fine, which is such wonderful news.

Fortunately I didn't have chocolate in the house!  I continued with the paperwork.  We've added so many new enamels to our inventory that I had a lot of labels to make and inventory sheets to change.

Today is a new day.  Although it will be cold, it will be sunny ... I'm fine with that. :-)  I have decals to print and then try on my enamels, the hydraulic press to use ... lots of things in my head swirling around about things I want to create!

Come for a visit to my studio!

If you want a tour of my studio, visit me at Love My Art Jewelry blog.  I'm waiting for you!  Barbara