I won!

:) :) :)

Year of Jewelry Project - Week 24

Year of Jewelry Project - Week 23

From my class with Lilian Chen....

Year of Jewelry Projects - Week 21 & 22

Year of Jewelry Project - Week 20

Productive weekend in the studio! 

:-)

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 19

What in the world is Fordite?

Reposted from www.fordite.com

"Fordite, also known as Motor Agate, is a unique automotive enamel material with an interesting history. The original "rough" slag consisting of layered automotive paint was created by the now extinct process of hand spray-painting cars in automotive factories. The over sprayed paint gradually built up on the tracks and skids that the car frames were painted on. Over time many colorful layers built up and were repeatedly hardened in the paint curing ovens. Some of the deeper layers were baked hundreds of times. Eventually the built up paint became obstructive and had to be removed.

As the story goes, some workers with an eye for beauty realized this unique byproduct was worth salvaging. It was super-cured, patterned like psychedelic agate, and could be cut and polished with relative ease! “RECYCLE IT!” seemed to be the resounding sentiment. And so it was...

As word got around about this remarkable material, rock hounds began showing up at auto factories, offering to help remove the problematic paint.

Sadly the techniques that produced this great rough years ago are no longer in practice. Cars are now painted with an electrostatic process that essentially magnetizes the enamels to the car bodies. This leaves little, or no over spray. The old factory methods that created this incredible material are long gone. The Fordite “mines” are dry, so get some while you still can!"

I got mine this weekend at the Spring Gemboree in Cuyahoga Falls.... :-)

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 18

I don't love it but eh, it's done....

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 16

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 17

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 15

Two thousand year old recycled roman glass in a "Ring of Fire"...

Bead Fest Spring 2013

See you next week?

The 7th Bead Soup Blog Party & The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 14

Is finally here!!! 

Meet my partner Lyn Foley, an amazing lamp work artist who sent me the most beautiful hand made beads in my favorite color palate of blues and greens. Here's what I received....

As usual, time got away from me and the necklace part of this piece did not get done, but here's what I did with the focal, which my DH suggested might be a Christmas ornament...and no, I did not smack him...
 

The toggle became a "spinner" ring.....

And a few of the beads wanted to become earrings.....

Want to see more? Check out the rest of the Bead Soup Blog Party participants here!

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 13

From the UFO file....started 2011....finished 2013....onward.... :-)

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 12

Fold Formed & Flame Painted

Wanna Get Looped?

:-)

Bling it Sistah!

oh yeah, you can't go wrong with a little bling... :-)

Back in the Saddle...

......I mean studio.  :-)

After the mad dash of the past few months, finally I can relax and get back to playing with metal. There are a couple of techniques I've been wanting to tackle. First; soldering with copper scraps. Years ago, I bought a pendant from a welder who made little abstract faces from his scraps. Although my piece looks nothing like a face, it has some interesting textural and dimensional qualities, no?

The second "Soldering with Scraps" was a cuff, because as you may know, I have a thing for cuffs. And yes, it really is........

The next set of experiments involves a swirly wire wrapping technique inspired by my friend Szarka Carter. I figured out a rather "creative" way to cold connect the cab and wires to the ring and voila!

The Year of Jewelry Project 2013 - Week 10

The patina used was from a recipe on Sue Lacy Designs.

Tucson 2013 Wrap Up

I know this post is almost a month late, but it has been QUITE a month.  On Jan. 28, I closed my retail shop and on Feb 1, left for 10 days of teaching and shopping at the annual Tucson Gem Show.  Upon my return, the next 2 weeks were spent unpacking, organizing, and getting ready for the Open House, which took place last weekend (see previous post). So now finally, onto the next item on the to do list; an update from this years Tucson Gem Show.....

First I would just like to say that whoever decided to schedule the nations premiere gem show in Tucson in February is a freakin' genius!

Day 1: Here's the Cleveland I left on the morning of Feb. 1....

....and the Tucson I arrived to later that day. 

The week began at full throttle and did not let up much, but  it was so much fun I did not even notice being exhausted...

Day 2: Cuff Luv class in the morning, Birds Nest Rings in the afterrnoon, and dinner with Brenda and Kat in the evening.

 

Day 3: Crystal Cornucopia Class

Day 4&5: Worked the WireKnitZ booth at the To Bead True Blue Show, chatted with lot's of jewelry making friends, and even found time to head over to the Best Bead Show for the Swarovski Crystal Ambassadors book signing party.

Day 6: Shopping, then dinner with Lilian and Susan.

Day 7: Fold Forming 101, Fold Forming 102, then dinner with the Orchid Group, a group of online metal workers.

 

Day 8: Rosette Cuff and Bangle Class, then party at Jodi's.

Day 9: Embossed Cuffs Class in the morning, Fold Forming 101 in the afternoon, then packing up and shipping everything home.

Day 10: Up at 3 am for the 2 hour drive to Phoenix and a 7 AM flight home...remind me not to do THAT again next year... :-)