My Competition

Look at what my Hubby created!

Yes! You read that correctly...my Hubby!

An amazing necklace!

And gorgeous earrings to match!

 Should I be worried? I think I should!

I'm kinda afraid that he just might take over my studio.

Not really...he assures me this is a one and only for him.

Why did he make these beautiful pieces?

His work has a fund raiser for a charity every year and I usually create and donate jewelry. However, this year I was swamped with projects so Hubby took on the challenge and I must say, he did a fabulous job!

The design and work is all his. I gave him a few suggestions and a quick lesson in wire working and then left the studio and let him soar!

I made a sign for his display at the charity event. His name is Rick but at work he is often referred to as Ricardo so it seemed appropriate to label his work the Ricardo Collection.

Pretty impressive work from Hubby!

I may just have to head out to his woodworking shop and see what I can create in his world! Or then again...maybe not!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fabulous Fibers

I've recently discovered how fun it is to incorporate fibers into my jewelry and mixed media art projects so imagine how excited I was to be the lucky winner of these fabulous fibers! 

They were a generous gift from

Kathleen at Modern Nature Studios. 

I love the blacks and grays. The pom pom fringe is super fun!

The creams are always a favorite of mine.

 Of course, the purples, blues and greens are gorgeous too!

I can't wait to use them!

Thanks, Kathleen!

I hope you will hop over to Kathleen's blog 

and check out some of her beautiful jewelry creations.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Jewelry Affaire x 2

I'm so excited to have - not just one - but two articles

published in the summer issue of Jewelry Affaire!

Notice the "from SHOES to JEWELS" caption on the cover?

That's one of my features... not exactly a cover photo

but it's as close as I've ever been!

The "Shoes to Jewels" article features designs from my

"A Girl and Her Shoes" series which include,

Biker Chic, Geometry, Butterfly and Spider.  

Remember my salt & pepper shaker necklace?

It also has a feature in the article "Shake It Up".

This is the first time I've had my work featured in Jewelry Affaire

and I have to say I'm pleased with both articles. It's such

a beautiful magazine! I had the good fortune of meeting

Beth Livesay, the managing editor of Jewelry Affaire,

earlier this year at an art camp retreat and she is just the

nicest person! Thanks, Beth, for adding my designs alongside

the beautiful work of so many talented jewelry designers!

Thanks for stopping by!


 

Fun To Wear Hardware

What do you get when you pair a
rusty piece of hardware with a vintage bottle cap?

Jewelry, of course!

 I found some cool old hardware at the thrift stores and from a fellow blogger who just happens to have a store only three miles from my house. Barbara Jean at Treasures From the Heart has some of the best rusty, chippy pieces of anything and everything.

I found some bottle caps from another blogger friend.
Linda at Itsy Bits and Pieces had a fabulous collection of them
and I was lucky enough to snag a few.

The first step was to hammer the bottle cap. I used a regular carpenter's hammer to lightly tap around the edges of the cap.

I continued working my way around the cap

until the edges had curled up.

Then I hammered the center area with the ball end of a ball-peen hammer to create a concave area or a "well".

The cap looked like this once I finished hammering it.

I filled the "well" with ICE Resin®. I rubbed the hinge with wax and buffed it. And then once the resin was cured I used

an epoxy glue to adhere the cap to the hinge.

I glued a piece of brown suede to the back of the pendant to cover the glue that showed through the holes on the back.

And then the fun began!

I embellished the hinge with wire and gemstones.

I added a black suede cord and finished it off

with a handcrafted hook and eye clasp.

I've designed several more of these Fun To Wear Hardware pieces but I have plans for them and I will have to keep them a secret for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing With: I Gotta Create!: Wildly Original Roundup, Lil Pink Pocket: Show & Share, One Artsy Mama: Shine on Fridays, Too Much Time On My Hands: Get Schooled Saturday, Funky Junk Interiors: SNS, Knick of Time: Knick of Time Tuesday, Here Comes the Sun: Fabulous Friday, DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier

Want to be on the ICE Resin® Creative Team?

ICE Resin® is searching for designers for their 2012-2013 Creative Team.

WAIT!

Before you say to yourself,

"No one knows who I am.

Why would I ever have a chance at being chosen?"

Remember, I said the same thing last year when I heard about the opportunity. I went for it anyway...what did I have to lose?

And here I am, a member of the 2011-2012 Creative Team.

  Here is a short description from their blog post

of what they are looking for.

You might wonder what we are seeking in a Designer; we are looking for someone with not only a keen eye for design but also a strong understanding of trends as well as individuals with the ability to think outside of the box while remaining cutting edge, trendsetting and true to their own style. Keep in mind while we are seeking artistically minded Designers we are not necessarily narrowing our vision to those who are widely known in the industry. Rather, it is our hope to create a team of Designers with various skills and design aesthetics.

 You can find more information

along with the application form on their blog.

Be Brave...Go For It!!

Good Luck!

 

It's Heating Up! Step 6 - JA project for June

Yes, I've fallen off the wagon a little bit. My last project of my JA (Jewel-aholics Anonymous) 12-step program was March.

I completely missed April and May but I'm back at it with June.

You can find my original challenge to myself here.

It's been chilly and rainy the last few days so I'm trying to give the sizzlin' summer weather a boost with a series of necklaces I'm calling, "It's Heating Up!"

Notice the center?

 I've been picking up these needle and dial type thermometers at thrift stores for the past few months. They're super inexpensive - I never pay more than a dollar for them.

To make the necklace above, I chose a thermometer

and a vintage pin that I could use as a surround.

I did a Google search to make sure it was safe to cut the stem off - I certainly didn't want any hazardous substance or dangerous liquid oozing out. I found out that the dial and needle style of thermometers are just two different metals that heat at different rates to cause pressure on a spring which in turn causes the needle to move.

Bottom line - safe to cut! I used a jeweler's saw.

(The thermometer pictured is a much larger one than the one for the necklace.)

I hammered the center of the pin a bit to create a bigger well for the thermometer to sit in and then used an epoxy glue to secure the thermometer at the center of the pin. (I applied the glue pretty thick to make sure it would hold well.)

Once that was cured, I glued a small length of chain around the edge to cover the glue. I also placed a small rhinestone at the center bottom. Once that cured I wired the chain together where they met to secure and attached small rhinestones to the tails.

I drilled holes at the top and attached a handcrafted chain from dark annealed steel wire, glass beads and a couple of small vintage jewelry pieces. Finally, I added a strip of muslin and some purchased chain and finished it off with a handcrafted hook clasp. To learn how to make a link and a clasp, check out my tutorials.

Here is a look at another necklace I made for my

"It's Heating Up" series.

Below is where you can check out my previous

JA (Jewel-aholics Anonymous) projects.

January - "Snowflake"

February - "Tin Heart"

March - "Good Luck Wishes"

July - "Golden Dreams"

Bonus Project - "Masquerade Mask"

My thermometer necklaces were featured at Knick of Time

Sharing with: I Gotta Create!: Wildly Original Party, Fireflies and Jellybeans: Show Off Your Stuff, Funky Junk Interiors: SNS, COM: Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Knick of Time: Knick of Time Tuesday, Ginger Snap Crafts: Wow Me Wednesday, Not Just A Housewife: Show Me What Ya Got

 

On The Road Again!

Those of you who check in on my blog every once in a while might remember this mixed media necklace I created last year called

 ROAD TRIP

I created it from - what would be considered - unusual jewelry components. You can find out what those components are

and the process behind the creative journey here.

I'm thrilled to say that somewhere along the roadside

this unique piece was picked up and hitched a ride into the 

Summer Issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

This issue is packed full of interesting jewelry articles including one by my good friend, Cat Kerr. Cat and her sister collaborated together to create a heartfelt necklace called

"A Sister's Bond"

Linked to: Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Thanks for stopping by!

New Beginnings - a necklace for spring

I LOVE SPRINGTIME!

All around me I’ve been hearing faint chirping sounds
coming from the baby birds nestled high up in the treetops.  

One determined mama even managed to build her nest
in the rafters of the indoor building where I play tennis! 
 When I go to serve, I can hear her babies cheering me on
to victory or at least reminding me that the long damp
winter is over and the promise of a warm summer
is just around the corner.

I encased the letters N-E-S-T in ICE Resin® 

and wired them onto blue satin ribbon.

I created a “nest” using wire “twigs”, blue pearl “eggs” and a cage bezel and used a hook clasp to hang it from the ribbon. 

I finished the piece with another hook clasp and a pearl “egg” dangle.

My "New Beginnings" necklace was recently feature
on the ICE QUEEN blog.

Sharing With: Craft-O-Maniac: Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Not Just A Housewife: Show Me What Ya Got, Knick of Time: Knick of Time Tuesday, Ginger Snap Crafts: Wow Me Wednesday, Southern Lovely: Show & Share, I Gotta Create: Wildly Original Roundup, French Country Cottage: Feather Your Nest Friday, One Artsy Mama: Shine on Fridays, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes, Funky Junk Interiors: SNS 136, My Turn: Freedom Friday

 

Enhancing and Protecting a Rusted Metal Patina

I love using metals with rusted patinas in my jewelry designs.

If I can't find rusted metal, I'll create my own.

A steel washer that I rusted, stamped and hammered is the focal piece in this necklace that I designed for an ICE Resin® Technique Tuesday Video that recently aired on the ICE Resin blog.

In the video I share with you how to enhance the color of a rusted piece of metal and how to protect the finish

using ICE Resin®.

Rusty washers also make interesting connector pieces. I used them in this same necklace to attach the leather neckband to the copper chain.

I finished the chain with a handmade copper hook and eye clasp. You can learn how to make your own hook and eye clasp from my tutorial.

My necklace made from rusty washers, a rusty piece of metal measuring tape, and a couple of rusty nails may not be for everyone but it suits me perfectly and it certainly is unique!

You can find a great tutorial at Altered Alchemy 

on how to rust iron/steel.

Sharing With:

Not Just A Housewife: Show Me What Ya Got, Southern Lovely: Show & Share, Ginger Snap Crafts: Wow Me Wednesday, French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday