New Classes: Lost Wax Casting & Metalworking I & II In the 3-day Lost Wax Casting Workshop, you'll learn this age-old art that dates back to 4500 BCE.  You'll participate in creating your own wax jewelry or component pieces, attaching them to the "tree," and casting them in sterling silver. The Painting with Fire Team has been enjoying casting organic pieces as a part of a ring.  A pistachio shell on top of a ring with 2410 Copper transparent enamel in the interior is our new favorite. One of the wonderful things about cast jewelry is that you can eliminate solder joints, which prove to be somewhat problematic when enameling pieces.  I find this to be a very big deal!  Casting offers options for creating jewelry that would be all but impossible using fabrication techniques. You'll experience the ease of carving, filing and polishing wax, which will then be transformed into sterling silver.  The cast tree! Look at all the pieces one tree can hold! It's amazing! Let's shine it up :-) We have also added Metalworking I & II to our class schedule as well as other new project workshops. Please register here and pass along to a friend.

True Confessions: I was a color-phobe!

I know, it's hard to believe that I really disliked color ... in the past!  I used to wake up and wonder what shade of beige I would wear that day.  It wasn't until I was introduced to over-fired enamel that I became enamored! 

Over-fired white enamel features subtle color with added texture being added by copper oxides that bubble to the surface.  I was in love!

But over time, more color crept into my work ... 

Although, currently, a little less color appears  ...

Now I find that I want a BALANCE between having color that will KNOCK your eyes out and no color at all, plus now I want BLING!  But I know very little about stones because, like I said, I never liked color.  I mean, my birthstone is Diamond so I guess I could  have been working with Diamonds!  LOL!

Today I signed up for the Accredited Jewelry Professional course offered by the Gemology Institute of America.  Shane Socash, owner of David Reynolds Jewelry and Coin, can be credited with bringing this information to the students of the Jewelry Making and Repair Program at Pinellas Technical College.  AJP classes begin July 7, 2015.  I've always loved being a student.  Thank you, Shane, for sharing your information and experience. 

The beauty of Liquid Enamel!

I absolutely love the versatility of liquid enamel!  I also love the satin surface of the fired enamel, which is very unlike other enamels. The porcelain clay in liquid enamel contributes to its buttery smooth surface.  

Liquid Enamel over Copper Pipe, Copper Mesh, and Copper Sheet

I use liquid enamel ... 

• as a replacement for Klyr-Fire.  You can apply it to the entire piece of copper and sift 80 mesh enamel onto the surface before the Liquid Enamel dries.  This approach gives you a good foundation for other techniques
• when I want to do sgraffito.  Sgraffito is a technique where you scratch through the unfired surface of the enamel to reveal either a different base layer of enamel or the metal beneath.  The lines of the sgraffito design remain dark as a result of the oxidation of copper during firing. Sifting colored transparent enamels on top doesn't budge the toasty brown color of the oxidized copper.  In fact, the transparent enamels can be layered upon each other to create shading and entirely new colors. 
• when I want to accent etching. You can dip an etched piece into liquid enamel, allow it to dry, and finger sand the enamel from the high points of the etched design. 
• when I want to preserve a very delicate material, such as copper mesh.  Because glass is an insulator, applying liquid enamel to delicate metals will protect them. 

Pictured below is "A Mother's Heart," by Kathleen Kilgore, Tampa Bay Sculptor. Welded from strips of steel, Kathleen wanted to add color.  White liquid enamel was handpainted by Kathleen on each of the strips.  Orient Red (1870) and Sunset Orange (1840) with a smattering of Raspberry (2836) enamels were sifted onto select areas of the sculpture. The heart received multiple firings.

"A Mother's Heart" by Kathleen Kilgore

  

This is a "first look" at liquid enamel.  Stay tuned for more. 

Enameling Clay ... Who Knew?

You know what really gets my juices flowing?  It's when I get a fabulous result from a "what the heck?" idea!  That's what happened when I decided to enamel ceramic beads. I mean glazes are glass; enamel is glass.  Made sense to me; in addition to the fact I had at lot of these ceramic beads hanging around from another lifetime.

The things I discovered ...

• You have to give them a hefty warming-up period
• A bead with a small hole is more likely to crack because the heat transmitted by the mandrel to that small area gives it an early dose of of concentrated heat before the rest of the bead gets warm. 
• The beads stay "hot" longer after firing than do metal beads, so be careful not to burn yourself
• The beauty of transparent enamels over white ceramic beads is hard to describe!

Slip cast and hand-built ceramic beads fired with Thompson Enamels 

Orange and Teal Leaves and Orange Flower fired by PWF Teacher Judi Nystrom, Sprinfield Illinois

Because it is so much fun! ... we decided to offer a workshop on making and enameling ceramic beads in The Studio at Painting with Fire.  Check it out!  We'd love to have you!

Before I go, let me ask you, what has been your unlikely discovery and is it still in use?

More enameling fun and a giveaway!

Hi friends, I'm sitting in my room at the Hilton Hotel near the airport waiting for our departure flight to Florida ... and reminiscing over the past week.  It started with two days in Austin.  My husband is a avid fan of Diners, Drive-Inns and Dives so dinner on our first night in Austin was at the Monument Cafe, Georgetown, TX.  The food was great, but we also enjoyed the surrounding sights and smells at the vegetable/herb gardens and market of the Monument Cafe.

Monument Cafe, Georgetown, TX

Traveling for me always includes scouting out craft galleries where I can breathe in the creative energy of local artists.   This happened during a stop at Oxidize Metal Art Gallery.  Oxidize Gallery is a tiny space! But don't be fooled.  It is filled with lots and lots of spectacular jewelry! I had an opportunity to meet the lovely jewelry artist, Elizabeth Boswell.  Guess what we talked about ... enameling!  She's currently adding color to her jewelry with the technique of powder coating. Elizabeth explained that powder coated metal would not chip, even when flexed.  She's very interested in enameling, though, especially after I told her how easy it was!  While in Austin I saw her book order come through the website!  

photo: Elizabeth Boswell

From there we headed to Guero's, a highly-recommended Mexican restaurant on South Congress Street, which is alive with craft vendors, food trucks, and people merrily buzzing throughout the unique indie shops.

Adjacent to the restaurant was a small, but bustling craft show.  Who would I run into there but Carol Bradley, an online friend and registrant in two of my upcoming classes.  Carol's enamel work is gorgeous and we had fun talking about colors and techniques. 

Two hours later would find me at an evening of "performance art" at a creative hot spot for jewelry ... Creative Side Jewelry Academy, where lots of happy campers were finishing up a fantastic metal casting workshop with Kate Wolf.  Jim and I absolutely were enthralled with Kate's hour and a half demo of wax carving.  Like all professionals, she made it look way toooo easy.  I mean, 40 years in the business has a way of doing that!  

photo: Creative Side Jewelry Academy

The following day we fled the traffic congestion of Austin and headed for Texas Hill Country and Rachel Ashwell's The Prairie.  The countryside reminded me so much of my former surroundings in  Maryland, with rolling hills and pastures sprinkled with lush green trees.  Art Retreat at The Prairie was where we would teach our students, learn from our students, and mix and mingle with other students and teachers.  What a beautiful setting to relax and learn something new! 

Carol Myers, Barb Solem, Julie Panusis, Barb Solem, Deryn Mentock, Diane Cook

Results of the Shield of Faith project, which emphasizes overfired white enamel, gives the enamel artist two necklaces in one!  Each side of the pendant is so different, you'll be able to wear it on one side one day and then reverse it for a whole different look!  A necklace for each of your personalities!  

From left to right:  Cynthia Hill, Shonna Estep, Leslie Todd, Carol Bradley, Mary Word, and Gracie Albright

Barb Solem through Vivi Magoo Presents! hosts a well-planned event at a great location, with wonderful food.  Her dedication and planning of the event gives her students and teachers the ability to relax and do what they love to do most ... create beautiful jewelry!  I would definitely do this retreat again in a heartbeat! 

Vivi Magoo Presents will be hosting Art Retreat in the Desert in Tucson,  but don't forget that Painting with Fire will be there, too!  Somehow I think Tucson is big enough for the both of us ... plus a million other people either selling or teaching!  

Now on to the Craftsy class giveaway!  All you have to do is to leave a comment at Stacey Merrill's blog, Artsnark Artifacts.  

Thank you, Stacey, for hosting this giveaway.  I've been getting great reviews from students and I particularly like how students can ask questions at any point in the video.  Their question indicates the lesson and the time in the video when the question was generated.  How genius is that?  Those guys at Craftsy have it goin' on! 

Have you been wanting to learn torch-fired enameling?  Now's the time!  

So let me ask you ... when you travel, are there particular types of places you look forward to visiting?   Have you been to an interesting place lately that just fed your soul?  I'd love to hear about it!  

So what's in the Craftsy class, you ask?

"A lot!" would be the answer!  Take a look at what we'll cover ... 

photo:  Craftsy

Lesson 1: 
We're going to start with learning all about the different types of enamels (transparent and opaques, 6/20 enamels, threads, etc.), the types of metal you can use, including how to shop for brass, the setting up of your workstation, assembling the torch & safety tips, lighting and using your torch. 

photo: Craftsy

Lesson 2:
I'll introduce you to enameling iron beads,  how to troubleshoot your results, how to blend transparent enamels to create new and exciting colors, how to create a tri-colored bead. 

photo: Craftsy

Lesson 3:
We'll work with steel wire to create a gorgeous link: form it, how to fire a larger piece, and the importance of flame annealing.

photo: Craftsy

Lesson 4: 
Now we'll use some of the decorative enamel supplements,  like 6/20 and enamel threads,  on copper and also create round head pins and flower head pins. 

photo: Craftsy

Lesson 5:
We're on to enameling brass and how to achieve clear, juicy, and luscious transparent enamels.    We'll shape and enamel free-form brass flowers, explore the blending of transparent enamels and finally we'll enamel a large brass angel wing. 

photo: Craftsy

Lesson 6: 
In this lesson we'll be working with liquid enamel and learn how to create a design using the sgraffito technique.  I'll also teach you how to refire a piece.  Remember, with enameling, you get do-overs! 

photo: Craftsy

Lesson 7:
I'll introduce you to the different types of decals, how to apply them and how to fire them. 

photo: Craftsy

Plus, the great part is that, even though I won't actually be in the room with you, it's almost as if I am.  You'll be able to ask questions at any point in the video.  I'll check the site daily and get back to you with the answer to YOUR question.  Not only that, but you'll be able to view questions asked by others.  

Craftsy is a very COOL platform developed by some techie guys.  They're the tech behind the gorgeous work being created by all kinds of artists.  You'll find classes in photography, painting, drawing, quilting, crocheting, knitting, jewelry-making, cake decorating, woodworking, gardening ... sorry, I need to take a breath ... but that's only the beginning!  

Tomorrow we talk more about the workings of Craftsy and how it benefits you! 

photo: Craftsy 

Craftsy launch Tuesday, November 4!

How would you like to work in a place like this?

photo: Craftsy

Yes, there are people who actually have jobs like this ... over 200 of them!  It's in a place called, "Denver," which has the distinction of being a "mile high" up in the sky and to being home of Craftsy where you can ...

photo: Craftsy 

I learned of Craftsy in July when an email appeared in my inbox announcing a class. What caught my eye was their great graphic artwork!  I went to the site and thought, "Hey, what's this?"  The wheels started turning and before long I was sending a email saying, "Wouldn't you like to offer an enameling class?"   A few days later came a response, "Of course we would!"

The detail to which Craftsy produces a class is like nothing I've ever experienced before.  I had two lengthy conversations with Grace, their acquisitions editor, where we discussed the content of the class.  I submitted a formal class proposal backed-up with photographs. A contract was signed and I was passed off to my producer, Amana.  

Over the few weeks, Amana and I talked on the phone for 4 hours, going over the class outline.  Because I was teaching in Denver in late August and the filming was scheduled for mid-September, Amana came and spent several hours observing the workshop and reading my first book.  Her intent, before filming, was to know as much about my topic as a student leaving a workshop.  She sure accomplished her goal.

What I guess I'm trying to say is that Craftsy's preparation through all phases of the class development, starting with their interactions with the instructor,  insures that you have a great learning experience.  

photo: Craftsy

The launch of the class is Tuesday, November 4.  Please visit my blog every day until then because I'll be posting more information about my experience, what you can expect to learn in my class, and information about the learning powerhouse known as "Craftsy!"  And, guess what?  We'll be having a class giveaway!  So, come back for the next episode ... "Craftsy: How it All Began."

White is White ... Except for When It's Not!

Thompson Enamel produces 9 different white enamels, which gives the enamelist some nice variety.  So, if you're looking for a more translucent white, you can find that with 1040.  If you're looking for a very opaque white, you can find that with 1055 and 1060.  But, if you're looking for one of my favorites, you'll find that with 1020, which is also very opaque.

While I like 1055 and go to it often, I find 1020 to be much more reactive to copper when torch-firing the enamel.  To me this means that with just a little over-firing, you can get gorgeous blue-green freckles peeking through the surface of the white enamel.  If you've got a big lampworking torch like I do, I can over-fire enamel all day for special effect, with very little effort.  If you have a smaller torch, the fact that 1020 is so reactive will make a big difference.

Today I took a break from packing for Art Retreat on the Prairie to play with some Titanium White.  Here are the results ...

I really got into decorating #1.  You know the old joke, "How many artists does it take to do a painting?  The answer is "two."  One to do the painting and the other to shoot him when he's done."  Yes, it's easy to continue to play with color because it's so addictive! 

#2 was simply several layers of 1020.  When you over-fire enamel, it pulls away from the edges, leaving you a rusty, crusty frame around the piece ... which I LOVE!  This piece is sans decoration now, but will probably get a ceramic decal!  

#3 is given the same firing technique, but is decorated with Flame Orange and Raspberry (transparent).  

Speaking of 2836 - Raspberry ... if this is one of your favorite colors, please know that it is currently unavailable and will not be available for AT LEAST a month.  There are issues with the availability of the ingredients that go into make the glass.   Now for the shameless plug ... We have some in stock. 

One of the perks of being a Thompson Enamel distributor is knowing what's available, what's in the pipeline, and what's dried up like a cracked river bed ... at least temporarily. 

Working on a commission

I had a customer purchase a bracelet from me the other day.  She wore it over the weekend and called to say it needed to be lengthened by "two safety pins!"  I thought, "Hmm, were they big safety pins or regular safety pins?"  Anyway, when she came in we adjusted the length of the bracelet.

While she was there I pulled out my laptop and showed her the article on Jewelry Making Daily detailing how I made the bracelet.  She had purchased the alternate project that is shown toward the end of the article.   She wrote to me later that day and placed an order for this one, which was the featured project.  

I'm really grateful for the work Tammy Jones did on publishing this project. It will be fun working on it.  Isn't it a great feeling when someone appreciates your work?  Are you working on a special project?  Whether it's for you or a specific person, I'd love to hear about it! 

Fuji X100S

I'm playing around with my first DSLR camera.  It's a Fuji X100S.  

It reminded me so much of the camera my husband gave me on my 30th birthday.  My Nikon FE was beloved by me. I'm very sentimental about that camera. 

About 7 years ago, I bought a DSLR, but I had trouble making sense of the electronic readings in the manual mode, which is how I always shot with my film camera. The camera malfunctioned and I returned it for a Nikon P-90, a capable little camera, which took great close-ups of jewelry, but was not a DSLR.  

So, when I started looking at reviews of the Fuji camera, and especially this video by David Hobby, I thought to myself, "I think I can figure out how to use this camera!"





I hope you'll read about David Hobby here.  He was a Baltimore Sun staff photographer who took a buy-out in 2008 and created a league of amateur photographers who, by all accounts, are horning in on the business of the professionals!  David teaches amateur photographers how to create professional lighting environments from inexpensive materials, like cereal boxes, found around the house.   One of the best parts is that he does this for free at his blog: http://www.strobist.blogspot.com

Yesterday was the first day I got a chance to play with the camera.  I used autofocus, but the aperture and shutter speed were set manually.  The camera can do so much, it's a little intimidating, but David takes you step-by-step through a review of the features of the camera.  I appreciated his video so much! I took notes and I know I will view his video many times in order for things to really sink in! Remember, for about 20 years I've been lazy in my photo taking!  

These are photos of a bracelet I made yesterday using copper.  The center section was put through the rolling mill and enameled with liquid enamel.  The end pieces were etched and patinated. 

Which photo do you prefer?  Why?  I would love feedback ... just be gentle ... :-)  

Yelp's Event at PWF!

Oh, what a night! It all started when Jim and Laura met Brett Nehls, Community Manager of Yelp, at an event sponsored by the Tampa Bay Concierge Association.  A few days later Brett visited the studio, where we talked about activities we could offer his Elite group of Yelp members ... members who are the most active by leaving the most reviews of their experiences at shops, restaurants, events, etc.  Throughout the whole planning process, Brett was on top of it, which is a major reason the event was so successful. 

With Caroline Calcote's permission, I hijacked her blog post.  You should really visit her blog, "My Fascinating Life," where she shares details of her incredibly rich life, including her journey of losing 100 lbs! I know this is a long blog post, but you have to read to the end.  You find yourself laughing, I promise!  Caroline is a really funny lady!  

Thank you, Caroline for capturing the event so beautifully.  On to Caroline ... 

"Last night was my fourth event as part of Yelp Tampa Bay’s amazing eight day PASSPORT to downtown St. Pete extravaganza.

I have been excited for all of these back to back downtown St. Pete events, but I thought this one was going to be really special because we were going to get to create jewelry! My friend Kelly agreed to be my date for the event and we met up with my friend Charlotte (of Charlotte Smiled) just as we were arriving. (Editorial comment: Charlotte is our amazing dental hygienist!)

(Charlotte & Kelly…dang I have pretty friends!)

Painting with Fire Studio is located in the Grand Central district amidst an enclave of creative businesses.

They rolled out the welcome mat, or put up the welcome sandwich board, for us Yelpers!

One of my favorite things about Yelp events is getting to see lots of friends. It is my wish that all of my BFFs would become active Yelpers and attend events so that every event would just be like a private party for my friends and me. Sounds good, right? Well, I’ve gotten to know quite a few of the regular Yelpers already, so it kind of already is like that. But I’m on a mission to get all of my friends to a Yelp event with me at some point!

My friends Joe and Crystal:

When we first arrived I met Jim Lewis, one of the owners of Painting with Fire. He is a foodie and a talented chef…he made all of the amazing food for this event!

It was beautiful and there were so many options that I could eat (NSNG…no sugar, no grains). Jim also told me that all of the produce and food items came from Keep St. Pete Local business members. I love how KSPL businesses support each other.

(Cream cheese, marinara/cocktail sauce, shrimp)

The cocktail sauce did have some sugar as it contained ketchup, so that was my splurge. Otherwise, this was a fabulous NSNG dinner for me. Thank you Jim!

Later in the evening dessert appeared…

but I was so happy and satisfied with the copious hors d’oeuvres that I was not tempted…much. Yelp provided craft beer and red and white wine at the event, but I just stuck with water since I’ve had several NorCal margaritas lately.

As we ate and drank and mingled I wandered around the store taking in the eclectic and cool mixture of jewelry, pottery, and art.

All of the workspaces and jewelry/art supplies on display were inspiring me to get my guest room/craft room in order and play with my stuff!

But soon enough we were directed to the FIRE room where we were going to get to play!

Painting with Fire is a family business started by Barbara Lewis. She enlisted her husband, son, and daughter into the business and you can tell that it is a passion project for all of them.

Barbara also wrote the first book ever to focus on torch-fired enamel. “Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: a Workshop in Painting with Fire” was named the Best Craft Book of 2011 at Amazon. It has a five star rating on Amazon with over 240 reviews!

Barbara was so welcoming to all of us and she explained about the unique work station/ventilation system and the bead pulling system that she created (patent pending).

Her son David gave us all a tutorial on how to use the torch and create the enameled beads.

Charlotte creating her masterpieces:

Joe and Crystal in deep fire-play concentration:

David explaining to me how to light a match:

Me torching the entire studio:

Just kidding.

(What’s with my claw hand?)

You roll the bead in the apex of the torch flame until it is glowing red then roll it into the ground glass and then torch it again to melt it.

Then you slide it off into the cooling tray lined with gravel (the stuff that they use in auto mechanic places to absorb oil on the floor, so it is heat proof).

Then you have to fire up the stainless rod to “clean” it and then dip it into water to cool it before you use it again.

Kelly getting crafty:

My beads and Charlotte’s beads (ok, David actually made two of the blue ones in my tray):

We really were all proud of our creations.

There were quite a few pieces on display to give me inspiration for how I can use my beads to make something beautiful:

After playing with fire we went into the other workshop room to create sea glass pendants.

All of this sea glass was actually collected by Painting with Fire employees (no Shell Factory sea glass here).

This was our inspiration piece:

Crafting is fun, ya’ll.

When it was my turn I picked out three small pieces of sea glass from the tray.

I used a little E6000 glue to hold the glass together while I wrapped it with silver wire.

I’m quite happy with my pendant.

This was a really fabulous Yelp event. I had so much fun. Good friends, good food, good entertainment. What else could you ask for?

Thank you to Barbara and her family at Painting with Fire for hosting us! And thank you to Yelp Tampa Bay (especially Brett, our Yelp Tampa Bay Community Manager) for another great event.

I am FOR SURE going to attend a workshop at Painting with Fire.

Who wants to go with me? Let’s plan it!

Be sure to check out the Painting with Fire Studio Facebook page to see what they are up to!