Hey, Sandra!

by MaryAnn Carroll

"Have you heard that Love My Art Jewelry is offering its first Call-to-Create?"

"I HAVE heard that, Sally...Sounds like fun!".

"I think so too!  Winners will be picked at random to win some
fab beads by Barbara Lewis!"

"Wow!"

"...and there is even more....Each week a new designer will be in the spotlight."

"Really? I'd love to share my designs!"

"You would think it would stop there, but the monthly winner who is picked at random will also get a month on their new website with links to the winner's choice....Check it out!"

"Guess I've got to get busy, but I can't decide on what to make."

"Well Sandra, I've made it easy for you." "Since the focus is on the Pantone winter colors, I've come up with a couple of shades that I think go great together." "Perhaps, you will too."

"Here's some fiber choices from stemellinasupplies, rainydayyarnshop, tealroot and ebrown2503." 

"And then I found some lampwork beads by Suebeads, and Donna Millard along with enamel painted copper by Barbara Lewis."

"Wow, those are great, Sally!"

"And some polymer designs by humblebeads and rolyzcreations..."

"And if that's not enough, I've found some very cool earth clay beads by NKPbeads and ArtrageousClay." 

"So, there you have it, Sandra!"

Sandra is all set.  She will be designing with shades of green and purple.

Have you started you creation?  What pantone colors with you be using?

For more information, click the Call-to-Create link on the sidebar.

like birthin' babies

                                                                                                 mary jane dodd


gestation: n. the act of carrying young from conception to delivery


sometimes taking a piece from idea to execution can be just like that... replete with discomfort, moments of anticipation and planning, hopes for what it may 'grow up' to be... and a lot of anxiety as the due date nears... 


take for example a piece i have been carrying around in my head since may - this is not uncommon for me... my etsy shop doesn't have 4 pages of listings, i don't make things quickly... i admire those people, i am just not one of them... 

meet 'tenacity'... we are going on 6 months now... i know i am closing in on delivery - my chest pounds just thinking about it... 

the sketches are basic - nothing fancy, but it is a way to bring some kind of reality to the project... at night i just put down what i am thinking about... 


the defining components are made - 

resin paddles with antique dictionary paper... 'perseverance', 'tenacity' and 'blooming'... 

glass from patty lakinsmith... 

'tenacity' was born of her meaning - 'holding fast' ... there are things that we at times must hold fast to - if we do and carry it through, we blossom...


and, seriously, who can resist a good meanie?!

Ode to the Artist's husband

by Kelli Pope

Every year, around late August, early September, my dear husband Steve has to hear those dreaded words...."art show season is about to begin". What this means is he won't see much of me until Christmas. It means other than working full time and sleeping, I make jewelry. If I'm not making jewelry at a show, I'm at home making jewelry. It means he cooks a lot more, and cleans a lot more. He gets to help load and unload my Explorer at least a dozen times with my tent, tables, displays, etc etc etc. And, he's even begun oxidizing components for me. (Oh, the smell of Liver of Sulphur in the Fall!!!) He becomes a massage therapist, working on achey shoulders, and the giver of pep talks. He must often listen to hammering late into the night. He becomes my number one fan and supporter. In short, I could not do what I do without him.

So, to reward both of us, and bring a little normalcy and calm into our lives, we grab our 2 furry kids and head for the Smokey Mountains between the October shows (which is where we are now). We try to plan the trip around peak leaf week, so we can hike among the majesty of the Fall colors, and enjoy the beautiful Fall sunshine, and cool breezes. Soaking in the hot tub doesn't hurt either!!! :)

The boys will hike with us, and play in the river. The joy of watching them play in the water is therapy in itself.

Sunsets from the hot tub are magical. And mountain views breathtaking.

All in all, we will come home rested, relaxed and ready for life to get crazy hectic all over again. Thanks honey for all you do for me.

tool time (or introducing you to some of my closest inanimate friends) ~

by mary jane dodd

my grandmother had a goal of learning something new every day - and she was quite serious about it... if she got to day's end and felt she hadn't, she pulled out the dictionary or an encyclopedia... 

it is a quality that i admire & i try to emulate (emphasis upon try)... 

patty's post from the other day on her adventures with metal was really enjoyable... i love when people share themselves... like barbara lewis showing how she enamels...i think it tones down the initial fear people have of trying something new... you know, that 'oh, i can't do that' feeling... which is mixed with an excitement because you really want to do it... 

and how else can you create your own jewelry and components unless you try?!

i have become addicted to playing with metal - to the point that i am known to rush from whatever room i am in to my work area so that i can 'try something'... 'i just need to try something' has become a phrase my kids often hear... 

so i wanted to talk about tools a little bit - because outside of having sheet metal and wire, that is where it begins... oh, and a general idea of where you are headed is nice as well! 

my favorite cannot-live-without basics (we are going to leave out pliers and torches today) for working sheet metal ::

my hammers - jewelry grade to hardware store... and i have more... hammers for shaping, texturing, riveting, chasing, etc... and for striking - one of my most favorite hammers that i didn't even know i needed - the brass head... do you know that my pile of hammers is adored by the kids that come to my house? 'they are sooo cool!"... yeah, so now you know - em, alex, and nick's mom is so cool because she has this awesome pile of hammers... and while i am a mama bear when it comes to protecting my kids - i can get a little protective of my tools as well!

do you by any chance have a hammer whose face is marred? did your kids want to use the alphabet stamping set and unknowingly pick up the wrong hammer to strike them with? no? oh... well, mine did... and instead of setting this off to the side, i discovered that i got a great texture from it... stay open... 

disc cutter - saves time and money... swanstrom makes a big beautiful one as well... invest in the lubricant... 

dapping sets... these curve your discs... 

i happen to have both... different sets for different needs... 

5 lb. anvil... i love it... 

i just want to say that it is only in the past year that i have invested in some of these different tools... i do not have a big fancy studio... i had a very basic plier set for 10 years... but if you are interested in making your own components - even simple ones like bead caps, the tools you choose make a huge difference...  i know that they can be expensive... but they will save you money... a 6" x 18" sheet of copper is about $10 - that is it... 


** mary ann just brought up the question of where to get some of these tools - and it's a good one... i will honestly tell you that i forget the price comparisons for these... but some of the places i turn to are - my local bead shop (not read as 'large craft store chain' - nothing against them, i just like to support my local bead shop and the quality is usually higher), my local hardware store, rio grande, otto frei, fundametals, objects & elements to name a few.... please feel free to share any suppliers you know of in the comments section... **

more than the money, far far more than the money for me - the right tools are a ticket to freedom... they tap right into my lifeblood - at this point in my life, i cannot fathom being without them... 

'logic will get you from A to B.

imagination will take you everywhere.'

~ albert einstein

"Call to Create"

by Barbara Lewis

Have you ever stopped to think, "How is it I got involved in making jewelry?  Do I have talent? Should I continue making jewelry even though it doesn't sell as fast as I would like?"  I remember talking to my first art professor about doubting my "talent."  He said, "Talent is the need to create!"  I found that so freeing ... because there was no doubt that I had the need.  I had been sewing since I was 12 years old and now I was working with a new medium.

My favorite quote, and one that has kept me in good stead, is by Martha Graham, the inventor of modern dance:

There is a force, an energy, a quickness, that is translated through you into action.

If you block it, the world will not have it.

You do not have to believe in yourself or your work.

It is not your business to compare yourself with others. It is your business to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you,

to keep the channel open.

It's a "calling" really.  To deny it is to deny God's gift.  How are we to know whether or how our work may impact another ... what joy will another derive from it. We at Love My Art Jewelry have been inspired by the Art Bead Scene monthly challenges.  Personally, there have been many times that the challenge gave me the impetus to give a little extra so that I could participate.  Even when I thought there was no way to add another thing to my plate, I did.  Thank you, ABS.

Today, Love My Art Jewelry announces "Call to Create," which will be based on a selection from Pantone's color chart. Remember, your work needs to FEATURE handmade elements. Here's how it operates:

• Weekly we will select an artist to highlight based on photos submitted to our flickr group.  Your work will be highlighted in the sidebar for the week, which we can link to whatever site you choose.
• Monthly we will randomly draw a winner from our flickr group. Your work will be featured in our sidebar for the month and on an entire page at our website devoted to you, the monthly winner!  Links will be made to whatever site you select.
• Donors of handmade beads and components will be honored in a sidebar ad with a link to your shop. We want to reinforce our conviction to our slogan: Creating Handmade with Handmade.  

So, here comes the fun part!  Color, color, and more color!  A beautiful palette of rich colors that have been grayed down for the Fall.  November 1 ... it all begins!  

The winner will receive all of the beads that were used in my necklace, "Autumn Bliss," which appears on the cover of Handcrafted Jewelry, just released.  I'm not saying you have to recreate Autumn Bliss, but you're welcome to if you'd like.  Please pass the word ... we'd appreciate it. 

A Lampwork Bead Maker's Dalliance

OK, now that I've got your attention, what I meant was pertaining to my playtime with metal. Since I'm a glass bead maker who also makes jewelry, from time to time I have to drag myself away from the torch to make components to go in my finished pieces. I am by no means a 100% DIY gal, but I much prefer to make my own parts when I have the time and the skill. In the past this has been limited somewhat to PMC and wire work, including fusing fine silver (which I dearly love), but lately I've been drawn to other metals like brass and copper. I love the look of a nice, aged patina, and (shhh! don't tell) I've been coveting Missficklemedia's patina tutorial for a while now.

Part of it might be because of the company I keep - Cyndie Smith does wonderful, organic work with all kinds of great metals, and Mary Jane's creativity and affinity for many materials inspires me. The other cool thing is that metals like brass and copper are a lot less expensive than silver is these days (but if you're reading this blog you probably already knew that).

So, I've spent some time on a new playground, and thought I'd share my results. On the left is how the brass blanks look when you get them. Kind of boring and useless, huh? The rest are finished components - some embellished with fine silver bead caps and rings, and some just textured and dapped. I got the great color by heating the elements to red hot with my butane torch, then dropping them into liver of sulphur (I mix mine from dried chunks). Once I wiped off the patina on the raised parts with my polishing pads the texture was more pronounced and the finish was great. These have been tumbled as well. Some have been brushed with a brass wire brush as well.

Bead caps are a girl's best friend, and these made using brass discs, a metal punch, a texturing hammer, a dapping block, and liver of sulphur are just what I need. They'll look great when paired with a contrasting metal (e.g. silver) smaller cap and then cored for a finished look.

UFO component made by soldering two dapped and punched discs together.
A couple of large jump rings through the two discs and you're off on another jewelry adventure.

So there you have it. A quick summary of my day at the playground. Next time maybe I'll go down the slide too!

LMAJ Monday Giveaway...

This week's giveaway have been donated by yours truly, MaryAnn Carroll. 

Simply follow the directions below and your name will be included in the giveaway.

The winner will be announced on November 1st (1 week from today).

Question:

This week's theme is 'Color'.  What color do you gravitate to when you are designing jewelry, shopping for clothes, or creating your own beads/components?

BLOG, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, ETC. OWNERS:

Leave a comment or post on your own blog, facebook, twitter, etc. about the color give away and then let us know by following us and...

leaving a comment answering the above question AND also letting us know where you posted regarding our color giveaway.

NO BLOG, FACEBOOK OR TWITTER:

If you don't have a blog, etc. please click HERE to get to the website which will direct you further.

A random winner will be chosen from the...

Love My Art Jewelry BLOG POST Comments on Monday, November 1st.

Please make sure to stop back on Monday to see if you are the lucky winner!

Our next Giveaway will be Monday, November 8th.

Thanks for creating handmade with handmade!

So....You Might Think I'm Indecisive if.....

I spend hours making and taking apart jewelry, obsess about the just-right gift for family and friends at holiday time, or......I can't decide on what handmade jewelry to offer as a giveaway on our LMAJ blog.....

It's kinda a funny thing....since I don't seem to have that decision making problem in my physical life.  As a matter of fact, making decisions is very easy.  I'm not the type to worry about what could happen if, what if they don't like that you said that, what do you think they will think of me.....I could go on an on about what I don't have a hard time with...but I will spare you the details...

Choice A

Choice B

Choice C

If you were to win earrings from tomorrow's giveaway, what might you like to wear?

Don't forget to stop by Beads-of-Clay today if you like giveaways....

Today's giveaways will be almost instant!

new additions...soon, so very soon!

marsha neal has an etsy shop set up in honor of her mother which serves the purpose of fundraising... is is called the my mom pattie shop - think of it as a boutique, for the work found there is made by a number of people who wish to participate in this most worthy cause... 


it has been too long since i have made special pieces for the shop... i love marsha's shards - she is a ceramic artist who creates wonderful shapes, textures and patterns covered in gorgeous glazes... 


i am always on the lookout for what i feel is a great design to set off these shards... and then i got 'wrap, stitch, fold & rivet' by mary hettmansperger... and i knew that within these pages were olympic sized spring boards for me... and so for a couple of days, i was cutting, filing, bending/shaping, texturing, enameling, patinating, sealing & finishing, etc etc etc... 


(marsha will often share pics of her mom from the 60s & 70s so i chose the 1960s setting for photoediting)

an order of sheet metal and wire is on its way - these are not quite finished... but they will be soon! i love the versatility of the designs in the book... 

possibly my favorite from the group - these earrings have marsha's shards set with torched copper and beautiful fibers from lisa jurist... 

marsha's flowers set against etched copper discs... 

patinated metal discs, marsha's ceramics, my enamel or resin... the one on the right will be wrapped in fiber... 

be watching marsha's shop - or check on my blog if any of these interest you... i hope to have them listed by monday - 

and thank you for supporting such a worthy cause... 

there will be more photos on flickr - the color here isn't optimal... 

What is YOUR signature color?

Can't you just hear Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias? "Pahnk is mah signatchuh culah!" :)

I remember hearing that line, thinking at the time, that's silly, who the heck has a signature color?? Well, apparently I do! As a jewelry artist or beadmaker, do you find yourself drawn to one certain color, or color scheme? If you've seen my work, you know I love earthy and rustic, but have you noticed all of the turquoise? (Lucky for me it's supposed to be one of THE colors this Fall. It just pulls me in like a magnet. All shades of blues and greens do, actually. My sister attributes it to being a water sign, Pisces. I think I just like the tranquility.

After so many recent shows, I've placed quite a few orders for beads and components the last couple weeks to restock. Tonight I had 2 especially wonderful packages to open. (Don't you just LOVE opening up new beads you've ordered!! ) One from our own LMAJ artist, Barbara Lewis the other from Gaea. I actually laughed out loud when I laid them out on the table. I just knew I'd found my Friday blog post.

Funny, huh? No, I didn't order them all to match. And yes, the first thing I thought of was "Spring", Easter eggs, baby chicks, bunnies..... But aren't they beautiful!!!

These are the other wonderful, enameled beads that arrived from Barbara, which are going to work wonderfully with beads I already have on hand from Mary Ann Carroll and Elaine Ray.

Are you still laughing about my Spring color palette of beads? Well, fear not. I will be able to pair them with some earthier, warmer colors that will work for Fall.

So, what is YOUR signature color?

Step Into My World...

 This Sunday from 2:00 - 5:00 pm EST, Beads-of-Clay will be hosting a BIG event!  Part of the excitement includes shop sales, meet the artists and giveaways.  In anticipation of this, I made sure to have a new firing ready to go!  I walked in the door from work (I'm a middle school resource teacher) and went directly to the kiln.....  Here is what I found!

Under the shelf...

I tried to make a variety to appeal to many different tastes.

I decided to pick groups from this firing to include in my second giveaway.  My first giveaway (at 2:45 - you have 15 min to link from blog to blog) can be seen by clicking HERE.

My second giveaway (4 pm) is where I need some help.....

If you were to win one of these sets, which would you like it to be?  Please help me out by leaving a comment with your choice.....then DON'T FORGET to follow our THREE HOUR EVENT this Sunday!

Thanks!  The one with the most votes will be found on my personal blog this Sunday @ 4!

MaryAnn