Endings and Beginnings - By Karen McGovern

A blur. That's what time is these days. A blur of energy and emotion. Time has FLOWN and we find ourselves on the cusp of a brand-new year. 

Are your living rooms still hiding shreds of wrapping paper and ribbon? Are your refrigerators overflowing with Tupperware and Zip Locks packed full of holiday leftovers? Do you still have the odd relative snoozing in the guest room? If so, you are lucky. Sometimes it's in the aftermath of a big event that you finally find the time to take a deep breath and reflect on what just happened....savor that.

To all that celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a phenomenal one. To everyone in general I wish you peace and joy during this time and into the new year as well.

The new year. I love opening a brand-new calendar. Crisp pages unmarked, the year divided into 356 neat and tidy identical squares--all blank but for their numerical identifier. Days full of potential--good and bad, but days that mark the passage of time in which we flow like salmon in a stream. EXISTENTIAL, MUCH?

Are you exhausted yet? I am. 2015 kicked my butt. Great things, terrible things, overwhelming things and intensely BORING things happened in my life during 2015 and while I have done my best to learn from all the lessons 2015 felt obliged to SHOVE DOWN MY THROAT, I am looking forward to a gentler, kinder 2016.

NO RESOLUTIONS. Just...stop already, okay? DO NOT GUILT-BUY THAT GYM MEMBERSHIP. Do not set yourself up this year. Simply accept that yes, a new year is about to begin, but that does not mean you have to force yourself to swear by some list of promises you may or may not be able to keep. Resolutions piss me off. Why? Because being forced to make a list of self-improvement implies that from the get-go YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH AS IS. Crap to that, I say. Take the new year for what it is...12 more months to exist and do the best you can as a human being crammed on a planet with 8 billion other human beings. Keep it simple. 

My goals? To be kinder. To be quieter. To listen more and speak less. To make more art and give it away. To eat really good food. To smile more. To listen to more great music. To see more of my friends. To buy art from artists I love. If I have one "resolution-ish" thing to add to the list it would be to try---ugh---to not spend so much money on shoes. (Screw that, we know it's not going to happen. At this moment I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of FOUR NEW PAIRS OF SHOES I DO NOT NEED BUT ARE SO CUTE!!!! Seriously, Nordstrom Rack is having an UNBELIEVABLE year-end sale....) 

I took quite a bit of time off artistically at the end of this year. My real life job is exploding--so many new and exciting events going on within our organization (Rare Species Conservatory Foundation). My role has expanded and so has my husband's. It's exciting and terrifying. I built our new website from scratch using WIX (more on that in another post--I love WIX!). We have new staff, new programs and babies everywhere. Baby primates and bongo antelope--the best gifts and more than I could ever ask for. My focus has been here, on the farm, not in the studio, and that is really okay. If 2015 has given me anything it is a bit more clarity of purpose. Art will always be my refuge, but I find I don't need to bury myself in it in order to feel better about the world. As a conservation biologist, I am deeply aware of what a perilous time we live in for humans and nature alike. A terrible time, to be honest. But I can't hide from that and if what we do here at RSCF can help a fragment of our natural world survive and hopefully THRIVE, then I am doing good work. 

Yes, this is the world's cutest family of pygmy marmosets.

I haven't really been in the studio since October. Considering I finally got a brand-new stand-alone studio on our property that may seem odd. You'd think I'd be in there 24/7. In a way, the new studio has relieved the pressure I felt before to create frantically, whenever I had a moment to spare, standing over the overflowing bench in the garage, working in 20 minute chaotic spurts. No more. My studio is there, waiting. It's not going anywhere and neither am I. I've got time.

So, in this rambling post, I offer you all a few pieces of totally cliched, yet good advice. Slow down. Quit hating on yourself. Accept who you are at this moment and love that person. Make art when, where and IF you want to. Give some of it away, and buy somebody else's. Go outside and look up. Breathe.

To start 2016, I am giving away a bit of my art. A set of two hand-forged, 8 inch copper bangles. Comment below how you plan to make 2016 a better year for YOU, and next Tuesday I will put your names in a random name generator to pick the winner. My gift to you!!! 

I wish us all a fantastic 2016--NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING AMAZING!

Steel Clay: A Peek into my Playtime with a new (to me) Metal Clay

by Staci Louise Smith

I have been playing in metal clay for almost 13 years now.  I just dabble really.  I started out using PMC and have moved to copper and bronze clay with the rise of silver prices (and the size of my pieces growing each year!)

I found that when I started PMC there was a world of books and tutorials and information on the clay- how to use it and fire it.

However, when the base metal clays began to take stage, there was barely anything out there on them.  I think because there are so many, and some of them, like bronze, can be finicky, there is just no sure fire way to get it right each time (pun intended!)  Firing bronze takes some real trial and error to figure out how to properly fire your pieces.

(one of my bronze moons below)

In the process, I have tried white copper clay, because I wanted a silver substitute.  I didn't like it.  It tarnishes a bit like silver plate pieces do, and I didn't like the look of that (sort of a brown tarnish).

So I finally took the plunge and bought some steel clay.  I have been checking into Hadar Jacobson's steel clay on and off for years, but it always was a deal breaker for me, because it said it was brittle after being fired.  To me, steel should be strong, and I want my metal clays coming out of the kiln with all the qualities of the metals they are. 

http://www.cooltools.us/Hadar-s-Clay-Quick-Fire-Steel-XT-50-gram-p/stl-011.htm

Well, I checked recently to see what is new in the steel clay world, and found she made low shrinkage XT steel clay now, and it says its sturdy enough to stand on its own as a base.  So I bought some- back in August.  I was hoping to have some NEW steel pieces to sell at Beadfest, and jumped right into making a batch.  However, when I went to fire it in my kiln, I realized it fires WAY higher then bronze and my kiln wouldn't go that high.

(Steel clay low shrinkage XT fires around 1700-1750 degrees F).

So, after Beadfest I invested in a new kiln for myself.  Not only can it do steel clay, but it can also do ceramic.  (I bought ceramic clay as well, I can't wait to play with that!)  

Last week I finally hooked up the new kiln, made some more steel clay components, and tried out my new ceramic firing vessel at the same time! 

I must say, I LOVE how they turned out.  

Now, I know that steel rusts.  So, I wasn't sure how quickly this would rust, or how much I would have to seal it to prevent it from rusting.  

Well, let me tell you, it rusts pretty fast!

After tumbling the steel, I took it out and set it on a paper plate and paper towel to dry out a bit.  I didn't get in to sand and polish it right away.  By the time I got in here, about an hour later, it was already rusting.  It didn't rust much on the pieces, but the water that was draining off was rusty.  You can see here on the plate the rust that was left.

So I put them back into the water in hopes they would stop rusting.  I pulled each one out as I was ready to sand and polish it and dried it off really good.

Then I used a fine sanding pad to buff the high spots

.

Then I used a polish cloth to shine it up a bit

then they looked like these

After that I used Clear Guard to seal them.  I left two unsealed, and lightly sprayed them with water.  After a couple days, they look like this.  There is some slight rust in the unsanded recessed areas.

 I need to put another coat of sealer on the others before I test them.  Once I have sealed them a few times, I want to spray them, and put some in water, and see how it holds up to rust.  

In the meantime, here are my thoughts so far on the Low Shrinkage Steel XT:

1.  It is easy to mix and work with.

2.  It fires in one stage at full ramp, so that is a perk for me

3.  It does require a kiln that fires up to 1750 F

4.  It must be fired in carbon

5.  I really like the antique look of the metal once cleaned up and can see it fitting in with my work

6.  My only hesitation about it is rust.  So, I will work on making sure I find a way to create with it and not have it change over time.  (I will do a follow up on the post once I experiment some more)

For more information on Hadar's clays and how to fire them, check here

http://www.cooltools.us/v/vspfiles/assets/images/hadars_clay_instructions1.pdf

Stay tuned for a follow up post about how the steel clay holds up once sealed!  

Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine GIVEAWAY!

Carol Dekle-Foss

WINNER UPDATE:

First, I wanted to say thank you so much to those of you who commented. I asked this question for selfish reasons really. I am struggling and it helped so much to hear what you all are grateful for. My son is 'over there' in harm's way, and not coming home for the holidays. This has left me in a grumpy grinch mood. I know, like the grinch, I will snap out of it at the very last minute and begin to enjoy the season. Probably when we light a huge bonfire for the tree. Ha! 

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed holiday season!

Andd the winner is...

LINDA PRAIS. 

CONGRATULATION Linda! I will be contacting you on Facebook for shipping information.

~

I've always been amazed at how Stampington & Company can create magazines that are drool worthy and dripping with creative, inspiring articles. Every magazine has thick, matte paper, minimal advertising, and well thought out photography. It makes reading a delight, and being published even more special.

I love their technique based format, and have learned so much by exploring every detail of past magazines.

This latest issue that just hit the stands on December 1st, is chock full of unique techniques and many great tips. Along with the magazine giveaway, I get to share with you just a couple of my favorite artists and their creations. It was hard to choose! There are so many talented artists in this issue.

First up, Laura Guenther shares where she gets her inspiration for her gorgeous Time Passages components and how she makes them. I love the soft color palettes and elegant shapes and textures!

I was mesmerized by Carol Ognibene Kornievsky's creations using prismacolor pencils. How crafty is this? I can see many design possibilities using this technique. She also gives a great tip on using double-sided tape to tape together two pieces of metal when sawing out a pattern for earrings. I will be trying that out for sure!

I couldn't help but falling in love with this article by Barb Solem. Rock beads!? A water spigot used for a pendant?? You have to check out the rest of her article just to see how she uses more of these yummy beads.

Just look at these acorns made by Brooke Bock! I love how she was inspired to create them. I learned a lot from her article on different finishing techniques for various materials, including how she got the acorn caps to look so rusty!

Lastly, yours truly. I'm at it again with my sandblast cabinet. But instead of sandblasting stone, I experiment with bisque-fired porcelain, and these pendants are the result. I did a post on my blog explaining the process here. 

It's such a great feeling when you first see your work published and among such talented artists. If you have ever considered sending your work in, go for it! What's the worst that can happen? They say no? It happens, but you just keep trying! They are always looking for fresh designs to publish and embrace unique work. I was nudged by MaryAnn Carroll to submit and I so appreciated her support. Without her encouragement, I would have never submitted. Now I'm encouraging YOU. It's easy, you just send them your work, and if accepted you write up your article. Here is a link for the calls and challenges.

Okay, let's keep this giveaway simple. Just tell us what you are grateful for or what makes you the most happy in your life. That's it! If you are more comfortable leaving a facebook comment, feel free to leave that here on the Love My Art Jewelry page. I'll announce the winner on December 23rd on facebook and an update to this this post as well.

Thank you everyone for reading. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed holiday.

Cutting Jump Rings

by Patti Vanderbloemen

One of my least favorite tasks in making jewelry is cutting jump rings. If you were to google "jump ring cutter", I guarantee you will find tons of links for products that promise you the easiest, and fastest way to cut jump rings. Some of these tools will set you back some $$ - and if jump rings in bulk are needed, say for chain maille, it may be worth your while.  

I have read many ways to cut rings - make a coil and place a piece of tape around it. Cut the rings with your jeweler's saw while bracing this coil stack against the bench. I have tried this method several times, and I simply cannot get a grip on the coils with my saw - my rings turn out misshapen as I am holding onto that coil for dear life while sawing!

Personally, I have not attempted to use a cut-off blade in my flex shaft, as some of the pricier jump ring cutters suggest. I keep reading the "danger" signs involved with flying metal, and then I simply stop reading and move on!

I also refuse to use flush cutter's - even if I only need on jump ring. Due to the notching caused by the cutters on one side of the ring, it requires two cuts - and for me - rings cut this way do not produce a perfect join.

When I make jump rings, I typically use 14 or 16 gauge wire. The easiest way for me to cut these rings is to coil the wire and slip the coil on a wooden dowel. I buy the wooden dowels in various sizes in the wood craft department at Joann's or Michaels.

I then clamp the wooden dowel in my vice and use my jeweler's saw to start cutting. By cutting them this way, a notch is made in the dowel, which helps guide my saw blade. This is a "one jump ring cut at a time" process.

This works perfectly fine for me, but I wanted to see if there were any other products that could make this process just a little bit faster.

I have seen this coil cutting tool before online (photo courtesy of Beaducation - link here), where the coil is slipped inside the tool.  I assume that tool is supported by the bench block when sawing as opposed to holding up at this angle, as in the photo below. But, I have not tried it. It still looks to be a plausible solution, and one of these days, I may try it.

While up late one night with insomnia, I found this nifty little wood block on Etsy (link here).

It comes with very good, illustrated instructions.  Make a coil of wire...

Slip the coil onto your saw frame...

Insert the coil into one of the "V" channels in the block. The instructions state that you do not have to clamp this block in a vice - using your left hand, hold the block and the coil and saw with your right hand.

While the method above does work, I have the world's smallest hands. So, I clamped the block in my vice for a bit more stability. This way, I only had to gently hold down the coil.

Voila!

I suppose if one possesses wood working skills, a similar style block could be easily produced. I do not possess these skills - and for $13.50, it was money well spent!

If you have found other methods of cutting jump rings that work for you, I would love to hear about it - leave a comment!

Thanks for stopping by today - now go make something amazing!!

8 Tips to Improve Your Jewelry Making Skills

by Sherri Stokey

Perhaps I should clarify:  even though I've titled this piece 8 Tips to Improve Your Jewelry Making Skills, please don't stop reading if you don't make jewelry.  Most of these tips (if not all) can apply to other crafts as well.  Either way, I've put a lot of thought into this article and since you're already here anyway, you might as well finish reading it.  Plus it's good manners.  If you get to the end and feel I've wasted your time or you don't agree with me on one point or another, you can always leave a comment and give me a piece of your mind.  With that out of the way, let's get to the list.  

1.  Practice!  Although we all like to think we are the 1% who can pick up something and do it perfectly the first time, it just doesn't work that way.  If you ask your most admired artists, they will tell you that they've come a long way and devoted a lot of hours to perfecting their craft.  Which leads us to #2...

2.  Strive for perfection.   This one might not apply to every art equally, but in some mediums, like micro macrame, neatness counts.  It's all about keeping the knots even with the same tension, crisp corners and straight lines.  In other mediums it might be a matter of getting a smooth solder or a perfectly coiled wire.  Mediocre isn't good enough - strive to do the best work you can.  You won't get this one without #1 (practice).  Fact.

3.  Play!  #1 and #2 make it sound like making jewelry is drudgery and it couldn't be further from the truth.  Allow yourself time to play around in whatever way is fun for you.  Sometimes I like to goof around with random knotting just to see what develops and sometimes I like to try the strangest color combination I can dream up.  Just for fun.

4.  Take a class.  I had never been able to take a class until last year, and I thought I'd done okay for myself with the self-teaching bit.  And I had.  But when I had a chance to take a class I was really excited by the whole experience.  There's just no substitute for learning from someone who really knows what he or she is doing.  I picked up some great tips and got a fresh infusion of enthusiasm for possibilities I hadn't considered.  

Even if you live in the middle of nowhere like me, with no access to local bead shops or experts, there are online classes available. Although a live class is nice so you can interact with the instructor and other students, online classes have some strong points of their own: you can pause them, replay portions and tailor the experience to your own schedule without disrupting other students.  Whether live or recorded, classes offer you an opportunity to grow and develop your skills.

5.  Network.  Find a local group of like-minded enthusiasts or join an online community.  It's fun!  I belong to several groups on Facebook and I really enjoy them.  I love to see the different styles of  artists from all over the world. Plus, having a group of friends who have the same interests can be helpful if you get stuck.  Usually there's someone  who has faced the same issue you're experiencing , or at least someone who can offer some creative solutions.  It's also a great way to find inspiration, which leads to #6...

6.  Look for inspiration.  Whether you find inspiration by taking a stroll through the park or a hike in the mountains or a trip to the zoo, or something more sedentary like scouring the Internet, inspiration is there and free for the taking.  Clear your mind and take a fresh look at everyday objects.  Think in terms of texture or color or lines, then try to replicate even one part of that in the medium of your choice.

7.  Experiment.  Don't be afraid to fail.  Try something different - if you usually work with polymer clay, try your hand at micro macrame.  If you are a knotter, pick up a bead weaving tutorial and give it a go.  Try torch fired enameling (make sure the blinds are out of the way first and don't ask me how I know that).  The point is to step outside your comfort zone, color outside the lines.  Sometimes when you do that, it blurs where you thought your boundaries were and opens the door to some amazing things!

 

 

8.  Find your style.   It has taken me a long time to put my finger on what makes one piece fantastic and another mediocre, even when the two are very similar and I've finally boiled it down to one thing:  authenticity.  The whole point of art is to express yourself.  It's great to learn from a class or follow someone's pattern, but in the end, you need to find a way to make it yours if you want to take your art to the next level.  Find your voice and then sing like nobody's listening (cliche, cliche, cliche - but accurate).  Do you like no one else can!

Photographing My Jewelry and Beads

by Staci Smith

This is how I feel when it comes to photographing and listing my work.




Then the reality starts to set in........................




Then there is the photography




And then there is the editing




and then there is the listing of it (this is about how creative I feel when it comes time to list)




Anyhow, I think we can all relate.  Us creative folk want to make things.  We don't want to do all this boring stuff.

Now, I am no pro photographer by a long shot.  I don't know how to use my camera settings.  I read things and they go right out of my brain again.

So, I have found for me, that natural light is the best.  I have yet to find a bulb that gives the right light with my light box.  At least, not one that doesn't require a ton of editing.

So, I try to keep it simple.  Here are my tips:

1.  Photograph in natural, INDIRECT LIGHT.  I find that a sunny day with slight cloud cover is ideal.  I also have a spot outside that gets indirect light two times a day, so I try to take pictures then.  Also, never use a flash, ever.

2.  For more professional pictures, use a light box outside on a super sunny day.  

3.  If it is cold, find a spot inside that gets indirect light.  

4.  This one is a HUGE one for me.  Frame your picture for the least amount of editing- meaning less cropping.  Get that camera right up in there!!!!!

5.  I prefer to use a grey background.  This automatically adjusts the white balance.  No funny tones.  Here is my FAVORITE background to use.  I use the matte black, which actually looks dark grey.  here is the link to it, it comes with white as well.  This background alone took the quality of my photo's up a notch!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Reflective-Tabletop-Photography-Background/dp/B00CDHJ6SU/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1449150907&sr=8-71&keywords=light+tent+background

Here is what it looks like when I use it.  These are natural light (in a window), minimal to no editing, using my samsung phone.

And that is it.  Just a few of my tricks for quick easy pictures.  

I hope that helps a bit!  I know I am not alone with hating this part of the job!!!!