mjd - 2015 - offering bowl on necklace 

thawing is happening here,

revealing 

tender things.

trusting green shoots

and 

hopeful hearts

that will soon belie

their fragile appearance

with a blossoming

worthy only

of the strong. 

------------------------------

one of the things i love most about living in a place with four true seasons is how subconsciously and deeply i am affected by the outside world. each season is welcomed joyfully with its promise of what makes it wonderful and unique. but even my love of tranquility and snow began to give way at the sight of small shoots and woodland creatures seeing if it was time to emerge

9 march - resident chipmunk scouting above ground

if you like to use fibers in your work, be sure they are strong and up to the challenge of where you put them. cotton is not always your best bet.

reinforce your knots - you don't want all that work falling apart!

and if you are interested in stringing gemstones with fine holes, look into a pearl stringing thread like griffin that has a built in needle and comes in many thicknesses. 

Textures, Color and Fibers

As a nature lover and ceramic artist, it is easy to say that I am inspired in my work to create textures often repeated by what I see in nature.

With Ceramics, it is usually in my hand carved texture plates (which I later use when bisque fired - hard and porous) that show the textures. I use those plates to press porcelain or stoneware clay into to create a reverse printed texture.

When it comes to using my ceramic pieces in finished jewelry, I tend to stall a bit.

This I believe is because there are so many possibilities, I have a hard time getting my brain to settle and focus on one technique (talk about ADHD!)

And I'm all about the quality, so I tend to work things through a few times before I come up with something I'm happy with (this bracelet below is still a work in progress).

 When it comes to colors, these Hand Painted Silks (painted by Ute of Silk Painting is Fun) that I have been carrying now for over 10 years, are an endless supply of inspiration.

Marsha Neal Studio presents Silky and Fairy Ribbons

Marsha Neal Studio presents 2mm Hand Painted Silks

 I love to pick through and make specific color palettes from the 80+ colors I carry (in three styles: Silky Ribbon, Fairy Ribbon, and 2mm round).

 And I am seriously delighted with every order that comes through because I get to see a bit into what you are picking out and are working with for your jewelry (or other) designing.

If you are interested in using these in your work to add color and texture, you can shop for these ribbons through my Etsy shop or my Marsha Neal Studio website.

Recently I have been fiddling more and more with Needle Felting Wool Roving and Locks (see SarafinaFiberArt for beautiful supplies). And luckily Sarafina Art House is about 25 minutes from my house/studio and I have picked up working there part-time, helping with orders, stock, and whatever they need me to jump in and do. Which is a whole other chapter opening up in my creative life - working outside of the home around other creative positive people helping run that business is SO what I need right now.

What kind of fibers are you into using?

And what techniques make you giddy?

Look for some posts on fibers (all kinds of fibers) coming up in the next couple of months as we get through the holidays and back to our creative time.

mary jane dodd

loving fully - mjd 2014

upon my last breath
may i know fully
that i have given all 
my heart could give,

loving fully - mjd 2014

that the chips 
and cracks
incurred along the way
served not to weaken it
but allowed the light
to enter
and made it all the stronger.

boot camp - button & fiber closures

mary jane dodd

button closures are often used with fibers, where you create your loop on one end and secure the button on the other using overhand knots.

sounds simple and is.

but there are things to think about.

consider the fibers or materials you are using - 

will they hold up to the wear of passing a button through it over and over?

i tend to use non-metal buttons with fibers,

but feel perfectly comfortable using metals with leather or heavier cotton cording (2mm or so). 

look for strands that can catch or make closing your piece of jewelry difficult. threads and fibers can fray and split. 

i find that wrapping the loop with a finer thread (think embroidery floss weight) adds strength and durability. waxed irish linen thread is particularly durable. 

create a loop that is neither too loose nor too tight. 

you want your button to pass through relatively easily but without so much play that it will slip out of the loop.

i often use e-6000 adhesive to secure knots.

i will also opt for braiding the section of fibers that serve as my loop. again, adding strength but also compacting the fibers to reduce the risk of catching and fraying. 

buttons can add a really beautiful bit of detailing to your work. and the choices are great - vintage, natural materials and handmade abound on etsy. 

long necklaces are quite popular, but it is nice to have the option of adjusting them. i wanted to share a video with you that teaches how to make a secure sliding knot by kate drew-wilkinson. i use this knot with leathers and cotton cording as well.

thank you for joining us here at love my art jewelry - 

we're looking forward to seeing what you teach us in this boot camp!

embracing change

mary jane dodd

 

'release' mjd 2013

releasing can be critical to your ability to rebound. 

metal work is shelved for me right now - 

so i decided to focus a bit

upon my use of fibers. 

a basket for wearing mjd 2013

to allow myself to explore things more fully

that i had wished to try before. 

soft summer whites mjd 2013

finding ways to make the knotting, weaving and threading 

from my youth

a bit more grown up.

grow mjd 2013

thinking of ways to make bits of this and that into something

a designer might like to work with. 

if you are attracted to using fibers in your work,

i encourage you to always think about the strength of your material

and how it will wear over time as it rubs against metal.

how it can support the weight of your pendant or other components.

i personally love using waxed irish linen thread 

for its strength and knotting abilities. 

if you're new to fibers and are looking for some inspiration, 

take a look at 

bohemian-inspired jewelry

a book created around the use of fibers in jewelry. 

i think i speak for most of us when i say 

that making/creating/exploring is not just something 

we like to do, 

but something 

we have to do.

if you find your life turned upside down, 

be open to new ways

of expressing yourself.

then give yourself permission

to sink into them. 

not only will you be learning

a new skill,

but you will begin to heal

in ways

that modern medicine cannot fix you.

it will be the balm 

that soothes your spirit. 

-----------------------------------

for the winner of the giveaway please check the sidebar!

it's a new book blog celebration

mary jane dodd

by lorelei eurto and erin siegel

remember making bracelets from threads as a child and teen - friendship bracelets, macrame with beads?

well, the concept has grown up with us and here is a book full of projects that inspire using leather, cording & fibers... 

beadingdaily.com is hosting a weekend celebration replete with a generous giveaway that includes playing over at polyvore.com... 

stop by and get to hear from the authors, contributors and talented participating designers... there are 4 of us here at lmaj who are involved - you will be able to hear from barbara, staci and stacie and i! all of the links are at the kick-off site...

kick-off: beadingdaily.com

book available here and here

ebook available here

what is calling to you?

mary jane dodd

'all life is an experiment.'

~ ralph waldo emerson

fibers - different kinds used in unexpected ways... 

lying in bed at night thinking about crocheting - even though i have been more of a knitter... my grandmother taught me how to do both... 

lately i have been feeling like a snake about to shed its skin, nearing a rebirth of sorts... on thinking of snakes the nagging biases from judeo-christian idealogy seem to rear their heads... this is unfortunate... in other very old cultures, snakes are guardians entrusted with protecting sacred spaces... the naga in hinduism and buddhism represent rebirth... 

do you experience moments where in the midst of utter chaos, you simply must make something? right then? even though in your right mind you know that it is no time to do such a thing? welp, i did... and i am so glad... i love this - i plan on working with it more - in different fibers, mixed with fine wire... now if i could only order up a little less chaos... but maybe it was the chaos that caused me to focus upon what brings me calm... so it was all balanced after all...