breathe -

mary jane dodd

mjdodd 2016 - morning mantra plaque

as the moon sets

and the sun rises

may i begin my day

awake.

mjdodd - 2016 

may i move through each moment

mindfully

lightly

and

with clarity.

a heart bursting with love,

a mind propped open,

mjd - finished, sealed and mounted

morning mantra plaque

may i shine to lessen the darkness

of another being's

suffering. 

mjdodd

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

this plaque was the result of a customer request and for which i am most grateful. adapting skills and techniques i'd developed as a jeweler, i was able to enlarge the scale. 

Taking a look back on Boot Camps

by Staci L. Smith

We had so many great boot camps last year! 

We already took a look back at Balled Head Pins. 

After that we covered Textured Metal.  We used letter stamps as texture, found object textures, textured earwires- as well as projects to try and information on metals! 

Maryann Carroll

Gaia Copia

 

 

Carefree Jewelry

video by Barb B.
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/art-jewelry-boot-camp-textured-metal.html

alphabet stamps as texture by Staci S.
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/boot-camp-alpha-texture.html

hammering to distress metal by Kelli P
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/hammering-to-destress.html

textured earring tutorial by maryann C.
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/textured-earrings-tutorial.html

textured wire spiral donut connector by staci s
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/textured-wire-sprial-donut-connector.html

textured metal slide bail by Barb B
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/texturing-metalnow-what.html

textured metal frame
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/04/textured-metal-wire-frame-pendant-form.html

found texture by Kelli P
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/04/finding-texture.html

more found texture by mary jane d
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/04/texture-boot-camp.html

textured ear wires by Stacie F.
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/boot-camp-how-to-texturize-earring-wires.html

metals you can texture by Staci S
 http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-kind-of-metal-can-i-texture.html

Then we took on wire in Wire Work Out. We leanred to twist wire, to wire wrap objects, makng rings, and tips on wire! 

 Fresh Baked Designs

Super 67 (Erika)

 

wire bead and ring by Kelli P
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/05/bootcamp-3-wire-work-out.html

wire wrap for beginners
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/05/wire-wrap-for-beginners-video.html

tips on using wire
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/06/basic-tips-on-using-wire.html

twisted wire
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/from-road.html

free form wire work staci s
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/05/free-your-mind-for-free-form-wire-work.html

wrapping briolettes by staci s
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/05/boot-camp-3-wire-work-out.html

After that we had a fun boot camp: Securing the Perimeter

all about claps

There were some great tutorials and tips of everyone's favorite clasps

Fresh Baked Designs

silver nick nats

 

wire clasp tutorial
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/boot-camp-securing-perimeter-aka-clasps.html

button claps by Mary Jane D
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/boot-camp-button-fiber-closures.html

twisted crusty toggle by Kelli P
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/twisted-crusty-toggle.html

snap closure for beadwork by Carol Dean S
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/its-snap.html

copper tube clasp by maryann c
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/copper-tube-clasp-boot-camp-tutorial.html

adventurous clasp design by Stacie F.
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/adventures-in-making-new-clasp-design.html

wire toggle by Staci S
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/boot-camp-tackling-toggle.html

clasps- secure or pretty or both by staci s
http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2013/07/clasps-practical-pretty-or-both.html

 

So I hope you will have fun and browse back through some of these great tutorials and informative posts from last year!

 

I also have a question- did you have a favorite boot camp last year?  if so, which one was it, and why?



the queen of cold connections

mary jane dodd

in my world is susan lenart kazmer - her book 'making connections' has inspired and educated me more than i could ever quantify. 

i love fire and torches, i do. 

but the challenges i find with cold connecting - from both the technical and design aspects - are very satisfying. 

this book has spent many a night on my belly, as i have fallen asleep while trying to absorb all that i could - desiring to find ways of integrating her knowledge into my language. 

she teaches rivets of various kinds, prongs, hinges, staples, etc. 

there are times you may want to set something that doesn't work with fire - like a resin cab or fibers - 

mjd - portal to awakening 2011

staci showed us a great example of cold connection yesterday in her halloween post - 

winkartisans

see how she linked her chain segments together with the spiraled wire?

while inspiration abounds and much is learned from personal experimentation, having a solid source of information can be invaluable. that is what this book has been for me.