Gifts from Unexpected Sources

I big thank you to Mark Teece at Westshore Forge for bringing me a box of tins!  What a wonderful assortment.  Where will these take me, how will I use them?  The journey…..

Jewelry From the Bench - Cazenovia Artisans

Gearing up for the jewelers show at Cazenovia Artisans: Jewelry From the Bench for the month of May.

New necklaces for the show made from brass and tin. Early stages:

and the finished necklaces.

New Designs 2019

Lots of ideas float around in my head: shapes, forms, colors, and textures. Some make it to paper and then even fewer make it to actuality.  My bench time has been limited this year but I have tried a few new directions.  Now to go back and add texture, find other colors and to change the size.

Happy New Year

Next up: It's a Wonderful …Shop at Baltimore Woods

We are reviving this Holiday shop once held in my home. This year it will be held at Baltimore Woods with refreshments and raffles to support the woods.  Lots of great parking. 10 great Artisans, what's not to like?

Check out this wonderful write up!

http://baltimorewoods.org/its-a-wonderful-shop/

Baking Tin Leaves

A customer asked me to make a necklace similar to the falling leaves earrings I had posted in my Etsy shop.

So I started looking around my studio to find some tin to use and remembered a piece from a vintage baking tin.

After playing with the tin and cleaning it up, I found it made a beautiful sculptural leaf.

I finished the leaves put them together with a neat little bail.

So now I am looking for more baking tins.

River Otter Custom Necklace

Another special request, take the river otter, (that handsome gal in the center of the screen):

and add a frame

maybe needs to be cooler in cooler

maybe a different shape

and then start playing with other elements to add on the necklace

with lots to choose from.

And then on to the final necklace:

A happy client and a wonderful solution!

Four Paths In Metals

Please join us tonight for the show opening:

Badger Jewelry Custom Order

I worked with a client this year who had a thing for badgers!  So much so, that she went out and found tins with images of badgers on them and had them sent to me.  Once received, the design process started.

She also had a great sense of the components she wanted to use with the images and had them sent to me as well.  

After many emails we settled on  two designs: one necklace and one brooch.  

Patinas on brass stampings

I have been working on patinas on brass stampings for a client who didn't wish for a gold look on the brass.  These are raw and have not been buffed but it was informative to work on.  Having three of each allowed me really show the experimentation.

The salt and vinegar, no not potato chips, but cider vinegar and salt in a ceramic dish, letting the brass soak for about 20 minutes and then baking it for 20 minutes at 450 degrees gave a beautiful coppery color,  Suspending the brass in a glass jar above an inch of ammonia but not touching it,  really darkened the color.

Snow Days

Snow days are great for getting things done especially when you have new ideas.
New chandelier tin earrings with sliver or copper wire.

Great Mail

It is so nice to open a package and find this…totally unexpected…totally appreciated!

Multidimensional Earrings

New earrings, trying to add more dimensions to the light weight tin.

Winter Fiber Fest - February 19th

Come visit me in Ithaca!

More New Work

Happy to be in my studio and working!

New Year New Work

I have been working with some new shapes and materials: copper and copper washers all tacked together with brass rivets.  In process and completed: 2 bib necklaces and 3 pendants.

Ornament Time of Year

I have worked hard to create many ornaments this year.  See them at Gandee Gallery and Cazenovia Artisans. Such a fun way to start the season!

Custom Order- A Fiber Artist's Necklace

What artist doesn't like custom orders? Joining visions with a client can be a wonderful sharing of ideas which enhance the final project.

So I was tasked with making a necklace for a fiber artist friend.  She liked the idea of incorporating some the tools of her trade not the necklace.  We worked on a length and basic concept.

Then I got to play.  Here is the finished piece.  I used bobbins, thimbles, a Monopoly piece and a vintage chocolate mold plus a repurposed piece of chain.  She is very pleased.

Roseland Cottage Fine Art and Craft Festival

Back in February, when life was much quieter, I thought it might be fun to go to a craft show out of state.  The Roseland Cottage Fine Art and Craft Festival caught my eye with the thoughts of fall color dancing in my head and the church dinner scheduled on Saturday night.  Sounded ideal.  And I hope it will be.  I have been working quite hard to bump up my stock and even obtained a Connecticut tax number.  Doing new shows is a bit like dating, although I haven't done that for years, you don't really quite know what you are getting into.  But nothing ventured nothing gained. So I am almost ready to pack the car!  On my way to Connecicut!

https://www.facebook.com/RoselandCottageFineArtsAndCraftsFestival/

Little Houses

I have been fascinated by little houses I see being built around the nation.  So I have made some of my own.