Book No. 2 Photo Shoot!

I arose this morning at 5 am for a flight to North Light's photo studio in Cincinnati!  Golly gee, this is a major production!  The bags weighed a ton.  I mean, look at that table of tools, some of which are very heavy!  I don't know how I'd do it all without Jim's help. 

The planning phase is pretty intense because you dare not forget anything.  None of this takes into account the creation of the projects!  But since this is my third trip to the studio, it has become a lot more comfortable.

This is where the action will take place next week.  Christine will sit on a stool and photograph the step-outs (step-by-step photos) while she's peering over my shoulder. Kristy, my editor, will read off what I have previously sent her as the step by step directions. I'll follow along by recreating the jewelry.   

Occasionally, I'll decide to make slight changes in the order of the steps.  But, the whole process is pretty interesting and I'm honored to be a part of it. 

It was exactly three years ago that I was here for the first time. A lot of discoveries have been made in my studio since that first book, "Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: a Workshop in Painting with Fire" featured a new way to enamel that required few tools, some very basic information, and the abandoning of the tedious steps of cleaning metal and using Klyr-fire.  Your enthusiasm for the book resulted it in being named the Best Craft Book of 2011 at Amazon!

This book will pick up where the other left off.  It will have a more extensive troubleshooting section and more information on developing enamel color. You'll be introduced to some unique projects that require very few tools.  These projects will provide an opportunity to talk about enameling brass, what brass works and why, how to get clear gorgeous colors on brass, how to get a stunning turquoise bead with inexpensive clear enamel. 

We'll explore how to  tint liquid enamel, how to use overglaze enamels, how you can use the printer you have in your home right now to make ceramic decals, how to use your die cut machine to create unique and personalized stencils for enamel, how to enamel ceramics, how to cast pewter accents for your enamel jewelry, etc.  The book is going to cover a lot! 

Unfortunately, we both have to wait for the August 2014 release.  But if your life is like mine, time will fly and it will be here before we know it!