YOJ Week 39: Fire Dancer (and Spiral Dancer)

Woo Hoo! I'm on topic this week!!!! I've been playing with fire dancer /fire folk in my head (and sketch pad) for weeks now. I keep coming up with flowing, vague flame shaped people. Here is my best attempt in copper. Now the idea of a dancer or a person in wire wouldn't' leave my head, so I ended up making another, only it was Spiral Dancer ( I've mentioned this love affair with spirals right? ) I like them both, but I like the spiral Dancer more.

I'm very proud of myself, I've done my 2nd full quarter of YOJ, and I feel very good about actually making it. Ok, I was late sometimes, and not on topic as much as I liked.. but even when I wasn't on topic, I was thinking about the themes. I was sketching in my sketch book, doodling on my work papers, thinking about jewelry even more than I normally do. This is a fine thing. I can't wait for Remy ( She who is the mistress of YOJ) to put up the new lists of themes for next quarter. And my 6 week break has started, I"m hoping to come up with more elaborate items at least until the break is over from shows. That is something frustrating about the challenge, sometimes I came up with very good ideas, but didn't have the time to get them made. Still a challenge is a good thing, and it's important to remember you can't be "on" all the time, there is always going to be down weeks where I'm not happy or as happy as I'd like to be about my piece. But that's all part of the process of creation also. And sometimes ( like this week perhaps???) you have to let go of the design before you feel it's what you want, to meet the deadline. Letting go, that's a good lesson for artists to learn!!

YOJ Week 38: not on topic (but you will love this piece anyway)

OK, I love this necklace! I have been hording these Botswana Agate beads since March, I got most of them at a Rings & Thing trade show. I also bought these gorgeous large tear drops of Russian Lace agate at the same show. It's funny, I bought the strand of Russian lace for 1 peculiar bead, which I've not used yet. They are gorgeous, Lot's of inclusions and color.. except for the one I used here. it's still gorgeous, but in a monotone grey kind of fashion. Originally ( and I still probably will at some point) I wanted to make a multi strand twisted necklace with Botswana, labradorite, moonstone and pearls. But While twisting various strands together, trying to come up with a nice mix, I ran across the Russian strand and realized how perfectly the color match with the Botswana. After some experimentation, it ended up being all Botswana and the 1 Russian Lace. The oblong Botswana have more color in them than some, a lovely pinkish hue. I wanted to bring more of that to the pendant. I also decided I wanted to wrap the pendant in some way, but I couldn't really come up with a plan that looked right. I finally was going to just frame the teardrop with 1 loop of wire with the Botswana on it, but as I started to work on that, I had a absolute flash of inspiration... and suddenly I had this wonderful to die for spiral in front of the Russian Lace teardrop. I love spirals, love them love them love them!! they almost always look good, the shape makes me think of how the whole universe is put together, the flow of the lines of them are pleasing to the eye. And they are fun to make!! what is there NOT to like about spirals? I really haven't named this one, but now typing this I'm thinking earth dance. I love the earrings 2. The triple spirals are actually necklace hooks, just used for earrings. (I used them on the necklace also to attach my hand fabricated clasp) Actually I want to made make me a pair, because being hooks I could easily change the dangles at whim. hum......

Now the sad part is I actually had a couple of good ideas for Ra, the subject for this week, but didn't have the time. I have my sketches though, and maybe someday I find the perfect bead to be the center of the pendant I've got scribbled out.

YOJ Week 37: Summer Heat

With this piece, actually made only 2 weeks ago, I'm actually caught up again! yeah me! I made this thinking of the themes... I never really got a good handle on the overall theme this quarter, but working with fire opal agate (or fire crab agate, take your pick) at least I'm in the right color zone. I made about 3 different pairs of earrings to go with this piece, but Alas, they are buried right now in inventory. If I find them b4 I actually sell them, I"ll add pics to this entry. Anyway, I'm pleased with this piece, it's very simple and has elegant lines. I also used up an entire strand of the strangest orangy-burnt red pearls I've ever seen, and had despaired of ever using. Now I wished I'd bought 3 strands, as the color goes so well with the fire agate!! (isn't that always the problem with beads??? ) I really need to make more of these simpler type pendant necklaces. They look good and are fun to make!

Now, on Weds (9/12/07)'s blog entry, I whined and whined about not beading all week. Well Thurs I had to make something, if for no other reason than to say I made something last week after all!! So made a deal with the hubby and after supper I got the rest of the day "off" as parent, and I puttered around for an hour or so cleaning and putting stuff away ( not everything, as I had another show coming up on Sat, which went very very well thank you! ) and then got an itch to make something, anything!!! so I made this pendant out of 18 ga & 22 ga silver. I broke out my new set of hammers to make the patterning. Wheeee! what fun!! I like the design also, I"ll have to try a few more like this. I show you the back too, to show the bail loop. Simple, elegant, and wicked fun to bang away with the hammer, it's been 2 long since I've hammered a piece!!

YOJ: Week 36: Another piece a made a while back

In my continually effort to get back on schedule with YOJ, I present another piece I made a few months past, but never got around to posting before. I've been playing around with multi strand necklaces, and came up with this multi strand pearl necklace. I made a fancy wire and pearl bail for it a beautiful pink Peruvian opal bead, it's huge! like 2 inches high. Anyway, I made it, I love the way it draped. And I made the greatest earrings to match, pics of them are also included. Enjoy!

YOJ: Week 35: Gift of the Sea

It's been a rough 3-4 weeks. We had a death in the family; back to back shows; school starting for my daughter; and all the regular mundane things that get in the way of the creative process. I've felt out of sorts, depressed, and darn snarky for the last several weeks. I've not touched beads nor even been in the studio this past week. I have 2 more weekend shows, then a break of over a month. I'm really looking forward to the break... My house will finally be approaching clean ( and believe me, I have low standards to begin with, so don't even think of what it looks like right now). I can actually put all my beads away and my tools, and have an ordered work space again. Right now everything is sort of jumbled, and my tools are packed already for the show this weekend. It really helps me work when things are in their place. It always cheers me up when I can putter in the workroom, even if it's just putting things away or sweeping up the beads. It's very calming and centering, and boy I've missed that feeling!!
I will finally have time to really work on the challenges again. And it will be a new Quarter for Year of Jewelry, with different themes. I have to admit, the themes this quarter didn't do much for me. Course with a full show schedule and extra deadlines, I wonder how much of it is the time squeeze.
It's really funny, in my "normal" endeavors, time pressure is a good thing. I work well under pressure. Mom and Dad are coming over tomorrow? Swell, let's get the kitchen clean, chop chop. "Mom, I need treats for school tomorrow, sorry I forgot to tell you." No problem, lets run to the store. At work, "can I pull you into this meeting without any warning, and have you demonstrate how to do this type of order?" Ek! but sure.
But for making Jewelry, for the design process I like to take my time. I like to clean up the desk for a new project, then dig everything out that I think might want to use. Sometimes i just stare at the pile for awhile, laying colored pearls against glass, imagining what it will look like when it's finished. I really enjoy when I can "spend" time designing, even if I end up making nothing. Some of my kewlest stuff ( IMHO) is the jewelry pieces I got to "dally" over. Sure I whip out stuff for inventory; but lately I hate when I have to do that. More and more I want to explore combinations, try new techniques, just play with them, and that takes time, time I've not had for over a month. I want to expand my boundaries of jewelry making, and it takes that most precious commodity ---- TIME. Sign, 2 more weeks.
In an effort to get caught up on YOJ, I present "Gift of the Sea". I think I made this in march? I took pictures of it, which is a good thing as it's long gone, sold earlier this summer at some show. I love the shape of it, and mixing pearls with amethyst, Yummy!!! The final shape made me think of a nautilus, and with the pearls in it naming it Gift of the Sea felt right. Even though this piece is several months old, I remember very clearly how much fun I had making it. I remember it took me 2-3 nights of working on it. I had to restart at one point because it didnt' look right. And when I finished it, thinking I wanted to make more fun pieces. Sign. TIME. 2 weeks... sign.....

YOJ: week 34 "Passion Flower"

Not on topic again, but I'm very pleased with my results!! The pendant actually started out as a clasp from a tut of Eni Oken (http://www.enioken.com/jewelry/technique.html) but sort of took on a life of it's own. I realized the necklace looked and hung better as a pendant not a clasp. So I made it a multi-strand necklace with a handmade flower pendant as the focus. Made earrings to match.


Here is a close up of the clasp. I figured especially since I used copper, I needed to make my own clasp as I have very few in copper and none I really think are "fancy" enough for this piece.

And here are the earrings. I had bunches of fun making this set.

YOJ: Week 32: Molten Metal / The Alchemist's Crucible

Wooo hoo!! I'm very very pleased with this piece!!! I finished it Weds? last week, just running a day behind getting it posted. Week's 32 theme is Molten metal, and what is better than Hematite and sterling swirls??? I made a few pendants out of donuts with this pattern, and thought at the time it would look pretty kewl as connectors for a bracelet. I found these hematite donuts ( maybe 20mm? ) and I knew they would be just prefect!! I had 7 of them total, 5 to make the bracelet and 2 for earrings. When I got the links done, I looked around in my clasp stash and tried to decide what looked best. I ended up making my own toggle, which I've never done before, I'm very pleased with the ring part.. my bar needs work! But still for a 1st toggle, I'm very please with myself!!!

The earrings are so cute I want' to keep them, but I've carded them. (If they don't sell quickly I'm going to keep them!! heheeheheeh) Made with 20 GA wire. I got a question the other day on just how much stuff I can make in a week. That's a good question. I don't really have a pat answer, and my output varies greatly. I still work full time, and with a family, I sometimes do not get as much creative time as I would like. This pictures shows all the items I've actually finished from Sunday 8/5/07 to Fri 8/10/07. Now I've got several projects ongoing. Below is a sneak peek at Week 34 project, unless i get an idea that's actually on topic! LOL I've got a few bracelet ideas and a pendant I'm actively working on. I also need to spend time each week with administrative chores associated with running a business at home, answering questions, keeping records and ugh! doing sales tax for various states. (1 ugh! isn't enough here: UGH!) Good question, keep them coming!

YOJ: Week 33 - Sunrise, Sunset / Ring of Fire makes "Victorian Sunset"

This is actually a week ahead, woo hoo! I've been working on and off on this piece for months. I love doing spiral chains, it's probably my favorite seed bead thing to do. I love wire work, and that's a love that just keeps growing and growing... I can't get enough of playing with it. So early this year I decided I would combine my loves and make a whole series of necklaces of spiral chains featuring a wire worked pendant. So far I've made 2. Spiral chains are somewhat time consuming, and designing a chain to go with a special piece to be wire wrapped.... anyway, I started this chain back in Feb I would guess, and I had this wonderful freeform agate cab, and I wasn't sure what style I wanted to do the cab in. I finished the chain except for the clasp months ago. I've been waiting on inspiration to do the cab. Last week I ran across the project looking for something else ( don't you love that!! ) and realized I really wanted to finish the cab now!!
I started it, didn't like how it looked, so decided to embellish it with seeds and crystals to more match the chain and hide the "ugly" part of the wire wrap. Next thing I knew I had this wonderful gaudy ( which isn't a bad word in my opinion!) wrap on a sumptuous chain. And I realized the wrap looked Victorian, and then I realized with the color scheme I had a sunset on my hands... and with that topic coming up next week.. well obviously my subconscious knew what it was looking for even if the rest of me didn't!!!! LOL


I finished the chain with a vintage MOP button, seemed just right with the victorian theme. I made earrings, which aren't in the same style at all. I like them but I'll have to make earrings to match the style at some point.

Year of Jewelry Week 31: Off Topic go figure !

This weeks' theme is Volcanic / Vulcan's Forge. Just couldn't get a handle on it, decided not to get so hung up on themes and make what feels good. I just got these copper watch heads in last week, been dying to make something with them.. and I've been dying to make a watch band with wire! I had to look something up in an old issue of Wire Artist, and hit this design! The original used pearls and kept the middle components open, but I like how mine turned out, they make me think of butterflies! Made with copper wire (16Ga + 24 Ga) Venetian style beads, pearls and crystals.





Boy that was such a good mag, wish it was still being publish, wish the back issues I'm missing were not so expensive!! I found this earring design in another back issue, kind of fun to make. I am doodling designs of making a necklace using components like this. Last of the show and tell is a pearl bracelet. This is woven using fireline. It has lovely drape!!

YOJ: Week 30: Sunrise Fiesta (off topic)

I have a feeling I'll be doing lots of off topic on YOJ this quarter... partly it's that time of year, I"m just trying to tread water on inventory needs for summer shows, and partly because so many ideas are just banging around in my head, and I want to get them all done. I started this set, "Sunrise Fiesta" 3 months ago? I'd made this bracelet using chain and homemade headpins and luscious pearls, done in greens, beige and pinks. I loved it, and wanted to make a necklace just like it... only I didn't have enough pearls to make the matching necklace. I grabbed the pearls and made up a mix I liked even better (purples, royal blue, light blue, aqua, greens, fuchsia, pink) and made a mess of headpins. Went to the chain pail and *GASP* I only had about 7 inches Left of chain. It has to be simple cable, in alternating links to work. I bought some chain only it wasn't the same size, and didn't work as well. I finally had to borrow some chain from a friend to work on it.. then the show season started. I would get it out here and there and work on it, but with lots of interruptions. Well I took it on the trip, and got a bracelet done, and about 10 inches on the necklace, and decided while it looked good on paper, the full 22 inches of it would be a very heavy necklace.



I Stopped working on it for a few days, and while I tried to think Salsa, spicy, all I could think of is ways to finish this project. Finally I re found this clasp I bought at B & B and I knew it had to be in the front... and realized I wanted to make it off center. That's all it took, I finished this I think Thurs? night. Made up matching earrings. To Stared at the necklace some more, and added a few quick wire embellishments to the single strand. Just a few touches, below is a close up of 2 of the elements. I just thought it had to have more visual punch, as the chain side is so busy. Called it "sunrise" because of the colors and "fiesta" cause it is a party! and at least that sort of fits in with salsa / spicy eh? Sorry the photos are alittle dark, I think I need to invest in new light bulbs in my Ott lights.

South Dakota part III !!!!

Last entry here, don't get me wrong, I've got 500 + pictures, but I don't want to be like Uncle Ernie and the slide machine at Christmas!! Anyway, here is Jesscera feeding the burros in Custer State Park. There are 2 burrow packs in Custer, descendants of the burros used in the 30's and before to haul people and equipment up to Harney peak. They are quite popular with tourists, as they are the only animals in the park that you can legally feed.... mind you, park policy discourages this by advising you are feeding them "at your own risk" but the way the burros swarm cars they know which side of the bread is buttered!!!
Weds morning was spent with Jesscera frolicking in the waterpark, and I went shopping!! I hit all the bead shops I could find, found great bagels ( the place made their own cream cheese, unbelievably yummy!! ) and hit some antique and art galleries. that afternoon was tour 2. We got to ride the 1880 train (which the oldest part seems to be a steam engine built in 1913 but who's counting?) hit a real gold mine (the above picture, which is the only picture of all 3 of us, mental note on next vacation, hand off the camera more!) and panned for gold flakes. We also visited keystone and hill city briefly, and finally ended up at Mt Rushmore again, this time for the lighting ceremony.


Interesting note about Weds... the weather. Hill city had a freak hailstone storm, we luckily missed it but got to see the damage and stones, some of them as large as a golf balls. This was after an hour of melting! We had fog and rain up on Mt. Rushmore, but miraculously it cleared up just in time for the lighting ceremony.
Thurs it was time to leave our lovely hotel and drive to hot springs. On the way we stopped in Hill City again, checked out the very kewl if *tiny* museum there, which had the largest nautilus we have every seen !! Most of them were gemstone quality, this picture shows the opal in this specimen pretty well, but keep in mind the darn thing was almost 2 FEET ACROSS! really kewl little museum. Here is Jesscera looking through her namesake's. We wandered into Custer State park again, and hit Needles highway, the other main twisty scenic narrow road. Roger said ( the tour guy from Tues) that "scenic highway" is a swear word in South Dakota! I think he's right, or should be! LOL!!

Doesn't that look like fun?? Funny we didn't scare the other cars like the bus did!

Here is Jesscera and Jerry on one of the needle's formations. We also hit a couple of rock shops, got some kewl stones for wire wrapping ( wooo hooo!) and Jesscera and Jerry got some geodes. I had a strong desire to buy rose quartz's rough to put in the yard.. nearly every business out there had boulder sized rock of the stuff, and it's really pretty that way!! Jerry refused to let me haul home 150 lbs of it. I believe it's the state stone, if it's not it should be, and it's a darker pink than what I normally see. I wished I'd bought more of it than the few chunks I got.

We stopped by Jewel Cave, but we missed the last tour, so we bought books and got back on the road to Hot Springs. Jerry has already stated if we go to SD again we are to allot 1 full day to the cave. If you go to SD and like caves, I would recommend Jewel Cave as the top pick, judging by the books we bought!

Hot Springs is the home of the Mammoth Site, which is a most excellent paleontology site. It is a active site, they are actually digging up bones in front of you. Kewlest of all They have a Jr. paleo program, and so Fri we went to the site, and Jesscera got to dig up bones.

Now OK, the bones in the kid's dig are fakes, but they are cast directly from real finds at the site, and I'm proud to say Jesscera uncovered a tusk. The program only lasts 1-1/2 hrs, so she so couldn't completely expose it.. it's 2 big, probably would of been taller than she is!.



Fri we drove to Mitchell, and Sat we were going to check out the doll museum, the discovery museum and the corn palace. However they had a parade and rodeo going on, and we made a family decision to just get the heck out of dodge. To be honest, we all had such a good time on the trip, but it was time to go home. So we did!!

I hope you all enjoyed the travelogue, and seriously if your Christmas actives are little light and you want slides, just call Uncle Kat !! LOL