What is Next? Boot Camp: Fine Finishings

by Staci L. Smith

First of all, I think we had a great turn out for our end of Boot Camp Asymmetry Blog hop.  If you haven't had a chance, you can check it out here, and see what people made!

http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2014/03/love-my-art-jewelry-asymmetry-bootcamp.html


Thank you for joining in and pushing the boundaries of jewelry design.  Though we touch on a lot of basics on this blog, it is Love my Art Jewelry, and Art Jewelry is wild, and bold, and shocking.  The only way to get there is to push the limits of your comfort at times, and try to something new.
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The new Boot Camp is called Fine Finishing's. 

We all start somewhere.  

can you believe this teeny tiny little pendant is a staci louise?  lol!


Most of us have the same goal, to become artists, who can make a living, doing what we love.  We want to get into better and better (juried) shows.  Maybe we want to make a statement with our jewelry, be in magazines, or even hope to be in a museum some day.  Who knows how high your goals go?  There is no limit!!!

I think that our very own Karen McGovern's work is museum worthy!  She is always pushing the limits between wearable and art jewelry.  She is fearless in her combinations, and always growing in her knowledge of the mediums she uses.  Her pieces have meaning as well.
 

But it is a  loooong road, from starting out, to these goals.
Most of us here are somewhere in the middle of this road, and along the way, we have learned A LOT of things.  Tips, tricks and advice on how to make the best, highest quality product, and what to avoid as well.

MaryAnn C. is wonderfully thorough when it comes to quality in her work!

  Artists work hard to perfect techniques, to fine tune their skills.  They are open to critique, they problem solve, and they put out products that people are willing to pay for.  Because they are unique, and because they are quality.  Art should last forever.

Maire Dodd is a great example of how an artist changes, grows and evolves over time.  Her work is always evolving, but never loses that depth of emotion that she has such a gift for being able to convey through her work.

We all started out at the bottom.  We all made mistakes, learned from them and grew.  We all took harsh criticism from peers, rejections, and critiques- and learned from them. 

Marsha Neal may be known for making beads, but she is a true sculpture- I loved seeing her branch out into new directions.  She is always pushing the boundaries of where she can take her business!!

This Boot Camp, Fine Finishing's, will hopefully give you guys some tips and tricks we had to learn the hard way through years of trial and error. 

 you may know Barb B. as a bead maker, but she loves to branch out into other inspiring art as well, and you can see how her painting and color knowledge crosses over into both forms of art for her.

Painting by Barb Bechtel

We as a group, will be touching on areas that we all are knowledgeable in.  So throughout the next 8 weeks, you will get tips on everything from wire work, closures, ceramics, and polymer, to soldering and even some advice on shopping for quality components for your jewelry.

Kelli Pope's work is always asymmetrical, and has a look that is totally unique to her.  You can always tell is her design before you even see who made it.  Having a signature style is another thing you acquire over time as an artist!

This is not just geared towards our jewelry designers.  We also seek to inform everyone as shoppers of jewelry and components.  After all, you want to make sure to use quality products in your work. 

For me (Staci) doing my own soldered chain, like in this piece was a huge step toward making my jewelry more finished, more of my own.

We hope you enjoy this Boot Camp, and will learn some information that can save you some trouble and heartbreak that we have all had to endure at some point or another.

With show season upon us......

MaryAnn Carroll

This post is a rerun. This time of the year is really busy for me at school and trying to get ready for some upcoming shows that I do with Bill (the organizer of them), so I didn't have time to get creative with my blog post. Therefore, I thought, "there's nothing like a rerun."

And here it is. This was written by me three years ago.

Note: Today, my picture taking might have been a little better, but that will lead into future posts regarding practice, practice, practice to perfect your art!


From March 13, 2011

For any of us who make beads and/or jewelry, I would guess that this is a reaction that you have probably heard, whether mumbled to their friend or made directly to you at some time.

Well.... I say...

"You get what you pay for!"

After my most recent glaze firing, I was once again faced with the dilemma of pricing.  I try to be fair, but also, I put a lot of time into my work to make a high quality product, so I'm not going to give them away.  What I do is this... I base my prices on the amount of time that I put into each bead.  Beads that are basic rounds with one glaze take the least amount of time so they are the least expensive.  If a round bead, however, is large, then it takes up more room in the kiln which means fewer beads in that firing (beads cannot touch each other during a glaze firing).  In that case, that bead would be priced higher do to that fact.

Then, we have the beads above which were created from porcelain clay at the same time.  They are basically the same size (I don't measure while making beads) and both glazed.  The beads on the right cost more than the beads on the left.  Although you might think that the beads on the left look like they have two glazes, they don't.  They have one glaze that "breaks" on the edge of a ceramic piece.  This simply means that while the glaze is melting in the kiln, certain areas will puddle in greater amounts and edges, bumps, etc. will not.  Both very cool.....  but the time invested was different.

And then we have these expensive little babies that you see above.  Well....I LOVE the look (picture doesn't do them justice, but the time invested far exceeds that of some of my other beads.... 

And they all came out of this little kiln shown above.  This is a doll kiln, which is perfect for the amount that I am able to create at one time.

I also own these ceramic beads above.  I believe that they are manufactured in China.  While there is nothing wrong with them and some do have some of the same effects as my handmade, they were most likely produced in a factory, which is why the price is considerably lower than handmade ceramic beads.

Those, most likely, came from a kiln such as the one above.

So.... I hope that you learned a little more about why those of us who create handmade might need to charge more......

Like they sometimes say, "Wow!!  That is expensive!!"

I say.......

"Yup! You get what you pay for."

To see a funny little video about pricing at shows, click HERE for one of Patty's posts.

Love My Art Jewelry Asymmetry Bootcamp Blog Hop!!!

Welcome to our ASYMMETRY Art Jewelry Boot Camp BLOG HOP!!!!

If you have been busy whipping up new asymmetrical designs, we want to see them!  Please share your link below by March 29th. 

If you would like to share your creations, please link your URL below using the inlinkz widget. 

You also might want to check out  LMAJ Boot Camp on.....

FACEBOOK

PINTEREST

FLICKR

Or share on Instagram by using hashtag: #ajbootcamp
So, do you have something to share? Please do.....

Please make sure that you link to a post that includes the current boot camp on asymmetry. Also, on your post or other site, please leave a link back to LMAJ for easier maneuvering.

All of this for Wood-Fired Beads?

MaryAnn Carroll

I must say that I am pretty lucky to be able to include beads in regular wood-firings. It is definitely a rare happening, since, who would build a 34 cubic foot kiln to fire beads in? My husband, of course. I think he does this just to keep my happy! Yes, I am SURE he does this to keep me happy!!

The truth is that there is quite a process that goes into wood-firing. The first part of the process is the same for all ceramic artists who use a wheel and fire with methods such as electric or gas. You start off with clay...... and a wheel....

Then, a few steps follow.... like skill, knowledge, artistry, practice, more practice and more practice, until you get it just right. Nothing can replace the time to perfect an art like practice.

This is Bill at a recent "throwing" event near our home.

Once the piece is thrown, it is left to dry until leather hard. At this time, the thrown piece gets trimmed.... Well, MANY pieces get trimmed. To fill his wood-fire kiln, it takes about 300-350 pieces depending on the size of the pieces.

A leather hard bowl that has been trimmed.

Now, it takes about a week or two for the piece to dry completely. At this point, they go into his electric kiln to be bisque fired. A bisque firing basically prepares a piece so that it can be handled without breaking during the glaze process.

This is one shelf prepared for a bisque firing inside of the electric kiln. Typically, 4-5 shelves similar to this are stacked.

A grouping ready to be removed for glazing.

 After they are bisque fired, it's time for the glazing....

As you see, he has a little of the female appeal going as strongly encouraged by me....

This group shows the wadding on the bottom of some pieces. I will explain that more when I post Part II of the process.

Look at the picture below. Do you see where the arrow is pointing? That is one small rack of my beads. You might be able to see why wood-fired beads are rare. These kilns are not built for beads and most who go through the labor of building a wood-fire kiln are doing so for the love of this form of pottery making, as well as for larger works of art.

Bill is preparing for another firing now. I will keep you posted for the 2nd half of the process. It's even more involved that the first half. You can learn a little more in advance by visiting his website and/or his shop.

Here are some beads from some past firings.

 

 

Thanks so much for reading and for supporting artists who create handmade with handmade.

MaryAnn

Storage Wars

by Staci Louise Smith

Storage has always been a problem for me, especially in the realm of art supplies and beads.  Over time, the problem has only grown (due to my ever growing collection of supplies- due to my ever growing desire to learn and take on more and more mediums).

Although the pictures may make it look big, my studio is quite cozy.  I can sit at my desk on one wall and reach onto the work bench on the opposite wall.  So efficiency is a must.

When the hubs and I re-did the studio last year, we ripped out the carpet (and I painted my floor- best decision ever) and he built me workbench's I didn't have much $$ to invest into furniture. (below are pictures of the studio after we totally re-did it.  my hubs built the workbenches and I painted the floor).

below is the corner that got the new drawers- the end of my bench here had files and papers and junk all over it- the drawers gave me back the bench)

So I got the plastic drawers from Walmart (the rainbow ones, and the white ones) and went a long my merry way.  Downside, they are flimsy, and the drawers are deep on the white one, which I don't need.  The other one is just tooo flimsy and the drawers don't even stay in the racks. 

These were the ones I replaced

We did build the workbenches so that they were high, this way I could work standing, and I could store beads underneath of it.  At that time, I did invest in these bead cabinets on wheels.  (ripping up the carpet served a couple purposes as well.  1.  I was ruining it anyway 2.  I could now store things on wheels, and wheel them out as I need them...and wheel around in my chair as well)

bead cabinets under the workbench

This winter I started to pull out my old art supplies, and get into painting and mixed media a little bit more.  Then I bought more supplies, and paper, and canvas's.....and once again, I needed more space.  I don't have pics of how cluttered it was.  Let me just tell you, I could barely see that floor.

Thank goodness for Ikea and the Alex collection.  The Alex collection is perfect for arts and crafts rooms and studios.  The drawers are shallow but deep (reach far back) so there is plenty of space, and you can see what is in it at a glance. 

I got two of them, and can't be happier with them.  I was very surprised at how easy they were to assemble, and how sturdy they are.  I marveled at the sheer genius of Ikea- the people who design this furniture, like a puzzle, from the assembly to the packaging.....its pretty cool.

So I organized and cleaned and purged.  The nature of these pieces allowed me to re-arrange many things, and unclutter a bunch of area's.  

These aren't the best pics, but here is the corner that had the rainbow drawers, all re-done.

I not only fit everything from the drawers in there, but I also fit all my spare cards, bags and show supplies that were on a shelf before, and I fit office papers, reciepts and income stuff that used to just pile on my desk.  PLUS- i was able to move the magazines and files from the workbench to the top of the drawers.  

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......that feels so good.  I hate cleaning, but I do love organizing (once in a blue moon).

My beading desk got a tall Alex dresser next to it, and instead of having all my tools on my desk, they fit nicely into the drawers next to it, in perfect grabbing reach.  I was able to not only transfer everything from the plastic white shelves, but I fit all my wire and tools!  Look at all that space!

Now I am ready.  I have a couple really big projects to complete this week /weekend......and then its playtime again.  Nothing like a clean studio to make you want to work!

Here is the link to the Alex collection on the Ikea website.  (I get no money from them to promote it or anything, I just love them)

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=ALEX

No more storage wars in my studio, at least for the rest of this year.



Tips and Tricks—Working with Plexiglass by Karen McGovern

I add a lot of weird stuff to my jewelry designs.  Found objects, paper and botanicals are high on my list of cool things to work into a design.  Old photographs are one of my favorite things to incorporate into lockets; and bug wings, dried leaves and flowers are lovely in pendants, cuffs, earrings and so much more.  BUT, how do you encase and protect these fragile materials for use in jewelry???
 

Another version of the "Guilt Free"
diamond ring, this one has a tiny
starfish in with the diamonds.

There are several options.  Thin, delicate items like papers, wings, feathers, leaves and flowers can be laminated, placed under glass, in a vessel, or even in resin.  These options are great if you have the materials, which can be tricky to find in exactly the shape and size you want.  I love working with glass (I especially love vintage optic lenses) but this works pretty much only for pendants, and glass can break.  I once created what I called a “Guilt Free” diamond ring using a copper bezel and glass test tube end.  In the bezel I placed a pile of diamond dust (real diamonds, ground to be used commercially, like the coatings on diamond drill bits, etc.  Mined in the US, less expensive by far than “gem quality” diamonds, but still NOT CHEAP).  The effect was really lovely, a pile of glittery diamonds moving around under the glass dome.  Then it was dropped on a stone floor in the gallery I was showing in.  Smashed the glass and scattered all the teeny, tiny diamonds.  FROWNY FACE!!!!!  Glass test tube ends are great for domes in rings, but you must caution your clients to HANDLE WITH CARE.

 

One of my FAVORITE optic lens pendants.  Gorgeous
photo from around 1820, cicada wings.

 

If you don’t want the hassle of working with glass (you have to cut the test tubes, grind them, etc.), don’t have the time for resin (most have to set for 24 hours at least), don’t happen to have a laminator handy, and want the freedom of creating your own shapes for different uses, I recommend hitting your local hardware supply store (Home Depot, Lowes, whatever) and buying some clear plexiglass sheet.  I love plexiglass!  Comes in a variety of thicknesses, and is super cheap.  I just got a thin, flexible sheet of glare-resistant clear plexiglass, 12 x 12 inches, at Home Depot for under $5.00. SCORE!  Thin plexiglass is a breeze to saw, drill and cut (if it is thin enough you can use an exact-o knife) and can be used in so many ways.  Create a template using craft paper, tape it to the plexiglass, then saw or cut out the shape.  Rough edges are easily filed smooth with a flat file or sanding sponge.  Great for cold connecting, you can sandwich paper, photos, leaves, feathers, insect wings and more with ease.  I especially love it for working with butterfly wings, which are created from MAGIC and stick to NOTHING.  AND, since the thin stuff is flexible, you can curve it to overlay on a metal cuff!  Simply drill holes in the cuff and plexiglass, rivet or micro screw in place on one end, curve over and finish the other end the same.  Note:  If your plexiglass is thicker, and not easily bent by hand, use a heat gun on low, heat the plexi, then curve it over the cuff.  WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES, MASK and VENTILATE...more on that below.

Two favorite designs in a series I created using vintage photographs.  The
photos are under thin plexiglass, cold-connected behind "windows" of brass.



Real butterfly wings under plexiglass on brass bases.

Plexiglass can also be formed using heat.  If you cut circles, you can dap (curve) them by placing the plexiglass circle in the dapping block, then heat with a heat gun (on low) for a few seconds.  While the plexi is warm, simply press with a dapping tool (I use a wooden dap and block for this) and the material will conform to the curve.  If you over-heat the plexiglass you can get some pretty awesome bubbles and deformities in it.  Experiment!  NOTE:  Plexiglass will give off a chemical fume when heated, so be sure to do this in a WELL-VENTILATED AREA OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE!!!  WEAR A MASK!  You know, do all of the grown-up, cautionary, safety first things you are supposed to do.


A ring I made using a butterfly wing under a dapped disc of clear plexi.

A brass heart pendant I created
backed with red plexiglass.

Plexiglass also comes in opaque and transparent colors, which is a whole other ball game.  You can create stained glass effects, dreamy filter effects, you name it!  Clear plexiglass can be made to appear aged by scratching it with sandpaper or a needle file, then rubbing a bit of shoe polish over the scratches.  Wipe away the excess and you get a cool, aged effect.  Shoe polish comes in many colors as well, so you can add scratches and spots of color to whatever you create.  SO MANY THINGS!!!

 

Nothing makes me happier than working with a new material, especially a new material that doesn’t break my bank and offers multiple uses.  Plexiglass is fun, cheap, and endless in the possibility department.  So, what will YOU create with it????