My Double Life...

First of all, I would like to say that I am thrilled to be a part of this group with an amazing group of artists. I am looking forward to see all of the possibilities that can happen with our new blog and website.

Hmmmmm...a double life....Well...It's not really all that juicy...just wanted to get your attention ;o).

You won't see it in the upcoming movie of the week or a new reality show (although there was a time in my life that I think I could have made millions during the years I was raising teenagers), but my double life today is pretty common in the world of jewelry.

I have been a special education teacher for 26 years which means I'm no spring chicken anymore!  Although I really do love my job and feel very fortunate to have some special friends that I work with, I do hope to retire one day.  It's the hope that my husband Bill, also a teacher and artist and I can retire and spend the golden years creating with clay.  He is a wood-fire potter and I am a ceramic bead artist.  I love creating with clay.  I love clay because there are so many choices in terms of shapes, size, styles and glazes that makes this form of creating something I don't think I will ever tire of. 

Okay...I'm going to cut myself off here since I need some material for my next post ;o)

Here are some beads that are a definite favorite.  There is a little story that goes along with these....

The above pictures are the original Lacey Beads....made right from the little artist herself!!!

My granddaughters...Lacey and Chloe

One day approx. 1.5 years ago when my then 2 year old adorable granddaughter Lacey was starting to show an interest in bead making, I tried to teach her to roll a little ball.  Each time I rolled one and tried to get her to do the same by putting it in front of her, she poked her little finger in it.  I'd say, "Look Honey, Watch Nonnie...."

I'd roll again....She would poke again...

This went on until we had about 50 or so squished beads.  I decided that it was her design so I would make the most of it even though it wasn't the plan.  I had so many of them that I decided to put a bunch aside for her to glaze in primary colors and glaze the rest with some adult colors.  Well, I listed my first group on Etsy and they sold in less that 2 hours!!!  Yay, Lacey!  Lacey beads have been re-created many, many times since.

Lacey Beads today... A replication of the original :O)

An Artist in Dreamland ...

Hi, I’m Barbara Lewis and a member of this great group of artists at Love My Art Jewelry. I have a question for you. How does one go from being an Apparel Design college major to earning a degree in Ceramics to being a torch-fired enamel artist with a jewelry book on the way? Who the heck knows … but it’s been one heck of a ride.

Today I’m writing to you from the Hyatt Hotel in Cincinnati, OH, which will be my home base for the next week or so while I go through my photo shoot at North Light Books. Last December I got the crazy idea, with the encouragement of friends, like Mary Jane Dodd, to submit a book concept to North Light on torch-fired enamel jewelry. Lo and behold, on March 5, I got the good news from Tonia Davenport, Acquisitions Editor, that it was accepted! Now what?!!!

Next came several months of fumbling around in the studio, trying to get momentum, writing how-to’s as I made things. How-to’s were sent, projects were sent … and here I am … at a time and place I thought would never arrive. Below are some small close-ups of some of the projects for the book. I hope you see something you like. Please stay tuned to LMAJ for the continuing adventures of an artist in dreamland. I'd also like to invite you to visit my blog: http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/ or my website: http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.com/. And, you can also join me, and over five hundred of my closest friends, at www.paintingwithfire.ning.com if you want to learn more about torch-fired enamel.

Love My Art Jewelry...

Who are we now and what is our hope for the future?

I will start off by sharing our slogan:

CREATING HANDMADE WITH HANDMADE

Without going into too much and risk droning on and on, I think that our slogan speaks for itself. We are bead, component and jewelry artists with a goal of bringing recognition to the unique quality of creating handmade jewelry using all handmade components. Owning a piece of jewelry that has been created by an individual artist or a piece that has been created by the artist using components created by many artists creates a personal connection each and every time it is worn. It is also the kind of piece that makes someone stop and ask, "Where did you get that? I have never seen anything like it before..."

And why haven't they seen anything just like this before?

The following pics don't actually go together, but I just grabbed them for a visual....So...here goes...

You take some copper beads that look something like this...

Use some methods that you can learn from one of our members, Barbara Lewis, to turn them

 into something like this...

And in the end, you create a beautiful one of a kind piece that could look like this......

Now that's original!!!

Or....how about creating with a few different pieces of art (created by other handmade bead/component artists) and taking some beads that look something like this...

Use some of your own methods or a combination of other artist work (findings, metalsmithed components, etc.)  and create something like this one created by Kelli Pope...

Now that's what we call Creating Handmade with Handmade!

What is our hope for the future? 

 It is one of bringing recognition to the unique qualities of jewelry using all or mostly all handmade components in your creations... or...  If you are someone who loves jewelry, but doesn't particularly like to make your own, then our hope is that you will recognize the uniqueness of wearing something that has been created from all handmade.

LMAJ MONDAY GIVEAWAY...

Welcome to Love My Art Jewelry, a new blog, a new website and a new concept in your jewelry designs.  During the week we will go into a little more about the concept behind our group, but in the meantime, how about a giveaway?  These gorgeous earrings were donated by one of our members Kelli Pope.  They could be yours if you just follow a few simple steps.  We will be offering give aways the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month.  We hope that you will join us in our venture.

  Here is all that you need to do:

BLOG OWNERS:

Leave a comment on your own blog about the give away and then let us know by following us and leaving a comment letting us know where you left mentioned our giveaway.

NO BLOG OF YOUR OWN:

If you don't have a blog, please sign our guest book on the Love My Art Jewelry Website and let us know what you like about creating handmade with handmade.  If you haven't yet created with this thought in mind, please let us know what you like about the idea.  

Then, stop back here and let us know that you signed the guestbook.

A random winner will be chosen from the

Love My Art Jewelry BLOG POST Comments on Monday, October 3rd.

Our next Giveaway (porcelain beads) will be Monday, October 11th

Thanks for creating handmade with handmade!

Ceramic beads by MaryAnn Carroll, Pewter Birds by Mamacita Bead Works and Sterling Silver wirework by Kelli Pope.