Dyeing Silks for Custom Colors and Patterns

by Barbara Bechtel


Earlier this year, I took a eucalyptus dying class with Kim Mailhot at my favorite local studio, Art More Place. It turns out, that the green eucalyptus we see in floral arrangements and the favorite food of koala bears, when heated and steamed in dye bath turns a beautiful rusty color.

Here, you can see the beautiful rusty leaves and the impressions they left on the silk bags.

Another useful technique that Kim shared with us is that sari silk and other dyed silks can often used to add pops of color as well. When heated in a boiling steam bath, the dye transfers away leaving a beautiful watercolor effect to the formerly solid silks!

See those little lines? Those are made using tiny threads pulled from sari silk! On the left, you can see some faint lime green lines left from a piece of dyed green silk from Marsha Neal Studio.

I can see so many possibilities with this to customizing and dying your own silks for use, can't you?

Here are just a few of the silks that I dyed in my class!

In the same vein, recently I saw this tutorial floating around Pinterest and Facebook for dyeing easter eggs with old silk ties and that really got the wheels turning in my head because it essentially follows the same method that I learned with the sari silks!

These follow a similar approach! I can't wait to try this method with a silk to silk dye transfer!

Have you ever tried to dye your own fibers for your jewelry? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

New Work and Keeping It Simple...

by Barbara Bechtel


I've had sort of a hard time getting back to jewelry making after 2014's holiday shows. Then for me, procrastination sets in, along with loss of momentum, and it becomes even HARDER to start again. When I work, I tend to get hyper-focused on details, often to the detriment of the big picture. I'll fuss and fuss over little things without looking at the big picture, either in the piece or the whole big picture of jewelry.

In some ways, I enjoy this process. In example, it's led me into the foray of just making components, but I found then I make tons of finished components and NO JEWELRY!

In the last month, I set out to get my jewelry mojo back. For me, this often takes several days sort of sorting things around, playing with elements, and making (and destroying) work....you know, noodling over a piece like I mentioned above only to spend hours on it and find I HATE IT when I'm finished.

This time around, I started out in the same old way, and became disgusted with myself. So my mental dialogue went something like this:

"You're thinking too hard."

"Think outside the box."

"Work SMARTER, not HARDER."

.......wait, that's the problem.......

"You're thinking OUTSIDE the box. You just need to make some jewelry. It's not that hard.....Keep it simple!"

Ahhhhhh, SIMPLE! That was just the kick in the pants I needed to get myself back into gear. The outside-the-box-thing can come later....I just needed to jump the first hurdle.

I started out with going through my stash of vintage findings. I love to peruse estate sales, craigslist, eBay, and flea markets for old components and vintage stampings.

I started out making some bracelet focals from some vintage brass post earrings.

Next, I had these awesome thunderbird stampings that had a bezel tray. They needed cleaning and patina as well as some holes.

Then I filled the bezels with polymer clay and stamped some words. (y'all know I'm a word girl!)

Here you can see the first two finished ones. I wanted to leave a few to fill after I finished a couple to see how the design would work out and maybe get inspired by some different color choices later.

Here's a shot of some of the focals I finished.

And here's a shot of some of the simple finished bracelets. These are just basic simple bracelets. I wanted to have a mixed metal look to the more squarish ones on the top and bottom and so I took bits of leftover matching (but different colored chain) and alternated the links.

You can see that the approach in designing each of the elements is quite simple and used lots of repeating elements, but by changing my mindset and going with simple designs, I was able to cross that first hurdle!

Keeping & Increasing Your Online Presence in Ever-changing Social Media....

by Barbara Bechtel

If you promote your work online as many of us do, then it's probably happened to you. You're getting new "likes", comments, and even sales (we all hope!) and then WHAM! No new likes, no comments, and sales flatline. It's sort of like when you go to a big party and you use the facilities and come out only to find everyone packing up to go home.

If you use Facebook, then you've likely read that recently it has changed the way people see "ads" posted by other sites. This has had many discussing how they can still drive sales to their sites and keep the love coming.

The most recent example that is affecting those who sell on other sites (like Etsy, etc.) is that when you "share" on Facebook the item you have for sale, either by using the button from your item or pasting the link directing into your Facebook status, is that the number of people that see that item will be greatly throttled.

Personally, I've never found that method to be particularly useful for Facebook anyhow, although I've long used it in addition to my other sharing. While I'm not an expert, I thought I would share some insights I've gained over the years that have helped me.

First and foremost, what you ALWAYS need to remember is that sites, whether they be social media (i.e. FB, Instagram) or selling sites (eBay, Etsy) are constantly changing the algorithms that affects what you see in your feed (in the instance of FB) or what you search for (sites like Etsy, eBay, or Pinterest that generate results based on what you search for).

That being said, if you sell or share in this way, you need to keep abreast of your numbers and when they start to fall, seemingly without any relation to what you've been doing, they may have changed their algorithms. It is not unlike a card game. They're not going to tell you what or why they have changed, you just notice that you're losing. Therefore, you have to change your strategy. Don't misunderstand me, they're not necessarily out to "defeat" you, but they are constantly grabbing information on statistics about what generates the most sales and what people are most searching for.

Here are some things to think about when trying to increase your numbers:

1) What you're posting. While it might be tempting to post 1000 pictures of your pet or your smoothie, a little goes a long way. The same goes for your work. If you post the same type of work a 1000 times, it becomes boring. If you've made the same ring in 10 variations, don't post 10 photos. Take one photo all together.

2) Describe your inspiration. It's tempting to be minimalist and say "new rings I made" but people want to know why you made it. Maybe it's a collection or piece based on your fascination with a new color or glaze, the weather, a poem, a trip you took. TELL people about it and how it inspired your new work.

3) Show pieces in progress. People are fascinated by the process and the story. Show your sketches, show the process from raw clay to finished bead, show metal while you're sawing or before it's soldered.

4) Time of day: What time do you post your photos? When do you get the most traffic? Schedule your posts at different or varying times and chart their popularity. Posts in your Facebook business page can be scheduled at different times of day. You may reach different people by trying out different times.

5) Challenge yourself visually. Most of us are not photographers by nature and it can be very easy to continue to use what has worked for us in the past. Put the jewelry on the same background and take the photos. With current technology, it is easier to take better and more interesting photos than it has been in the past. If you feel photography is not your forte, than enroll in a class or schedule yourself some time to play with different backgrounds and lighting. Study photographs of you admire and see what appeals to you that you could emulate in your own photos. Change up your photography by doing something different. Play with different backgrounds, get a friend to model (or model your own!) or take a trip to a park, beach, or new location and take some pictures.

6) Engage the audience you wish to have. If you make handmade jewelry to sell, then you need to finding the audience that likes to BUY handmade jewelry. You may be posting photos and getting likes but if few of those people are actually an audience that will purchase it, then all of that love isn't translating to much more than a pat on the back.

7) Paid ads. With the introduction of paid ads on many sites, it might be tempting to follow this route. However normally for small and niche businesses, this is not always effective. It is an option, that does bear research especially to get the word out locally. If you teach classes or do many shows, it may be an avenue to pursue. Check it out and start small to see if it may work for you.



I hope this helps you think about some of these things in new ways! If you have any advice or tips to share, I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

Regaining your momentum....

by Barbara Bechtel

Some freehand stitching I've been working on in 2015

Are you already on a roll in 2015? Are you off and running and attacking the new year? If you are, GOOD FOR YOU! But perhaps you're already stuck.....Sometimes even though we have the best of intentions of diving into the new year with a new zest and zeal, you go to your studio or your worktable and you feel....

Stuck.

Overwhelmed.

Underwhelmed.

Lost.

Lacking.

If that's you, DON'T WORRY! You're not alone! Sometimes the holidays or any big event for that matter can leave you feeling less than motivated creatively. My own experience is that much of that feeling can be attributed the the break in momentum. All of the build up to the holidays or a big show can leave you feeling depleted and zapped. For me, it's a big factor in my creativity. Although it continues to be a struggle for me, as I continue on my creative path, I thought I would share my tips today for finding your groove again and regaining your creative momentum:

Barbara's Tips for getting UNSTUCK:

NUMBER 1 (AND THE MOST IMPORTANT):
Be kind to yourself. You are not a machine. While you may have just had a holiday "vacation", many times we need a creative vacation. If you're recouping after a big show, close that studio door for a couple days, weeks, months, if you need to. Focus on other aspects of your life for a bit. As the old adage goes, art imitates life, and sometimes when you get into a routine with the rest of your life, you'll feel that pull again on your creativity.

2) Take a class or do something different creatively. You're a creative being but that doesn't mean you have to focus solely on one thing. Especially if your main focus brings in income, your creativity can often be zapped by that pressure to make money. Find a class that teaches a skill you've been wanting to add to your repertoire or take up another creative hobby while your brain recuperates. Cooking, knitting, painting or drawing, whatever!....Free yourself to use your creativity in other ways besides the one where you feel stuck.

3) Find local connections. If you have creative friends nearby, get together for a day of fun. It can be as structured as you wish (everyone works on the same project) or maybe everyone just brings their own project to work on. Sometimes just talking to other creative friends about what they are working on and chatting together over a cup of coffee can really help. No creative friends nearby? Get on the ol' interwebs and have a google hangout or start a Facebook group where you can commune with like minded creatives!

4) Revisit an old or unfinished project. NONE of us have any of those, right? ;) Sometimes those old and unfinished projects haunt our creativity and weigh us down. Dig one out and FINISH it. It doesn't need to end up like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but sometimes the act of getting in there and finishing something you started can be very liberating.

5) Clean/ Organize/ Rearrange your workspace. Shake it up. Get rid of old stuff, rearrange and clear the space. Find some old supplies you forgot about. Commit to using them or parting with them.

6) Embrace the mundane tasks of creativity. Make clasps, make headpins, recycle that old metal or clay, polish your tools, clean the pickle pot. Sometimes in the throes of creativity, we put those things off, but just like doing the laundry, mowing the lawn, and cleaning the toilet, it still needs done, and there is always a sense of accomplishment afterwards.

What are YOUR favorite tips for getting unstuck? I'd love for you to share them in the comments!

Resetting in 2015

Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are officially over and the dust is starting to settle, I'd like to get reacquainted with you all!

Many people don't like to make resolutions or goals, but I always find it a good to reset. Whether you have concrete goals or just like to choose a word to focus on....or simply have a list of things you'd like to accomplish, I hope this year brings fruition to your heart's desires.

Over my show season this past holiday, I decided that one of my goals in the new year would be to make more videos and take more pictures of my process. My work tends to focus on using a lot of second hand or seemingly worthless objects and elevating them in my jewelry.

A good example of this is my penny charms. I really wanted a way that those who follow me could see a part of the process so that they could relate it to what they are seeing in person.

I made this simple time lapse video to showcase the first part of the process. I'm still learning about producing videos like this but I hope to keep refining my skills and making more videos from the studio.



How Barbara creates a unique charm from a real copper penny. from Barbara Bechtel on Vimeo.

A foray into making my own tools.....

by Barbara Bechtel

Several weeks ago while hopping down the rabbit hole that is the interwebs, I came across a link for a youtube video on making your own sinusoidal forming stake. I've been wanting to tackle some more complex forming projects but lack the tools so I thought that this might be a nice project to see if it's a process that I gravitate to before investing hundreds of dollars on forming stakes that I may or may not use.

While you can build this with just a few simple woodworking tools, working in a well equipped wood shop does really help. I happened to be visiting my parents recently and my stepfather has a wonderful workshop that, with his supervision, made this project a breeze! We were able to crank this project out in about 2 hours.

Another bonus of this video is that if you follow her instructions and use a large enough piece of wood, you can actually make 2 identical stakes at the same time. Since they are wood and won't last forever pounding metal, you can keep one for later on! I actually gave my 2nd one to Staci as a gift at BeadFest.

While at BeadFest, one of my purchasing goals was to gain a second Fretz hammer, and armed with my new forming stake, I'm ready to tackle some simple anticlastic forming!




I'm looking forward to sharing my experiments in forming with you! If you try this out, I'd love to see how you use it! 

Summer studio......

Every year, I leave my comfy Florida tiny little extra bedroom air-conditioned studio to venture to North Carolina for 3-4 months....When I tell people this, the common response is, "oh, that must be nice." It is very nice that we both are self employed from the home. However, most people wouldn't live how we live when we're here.

We are very sparse people....so, when we come to North Carolina....we are basically gypsy campers.....We have all the conveniences of home (with some concessions), plus tons of work space, but it's also hot and there are many more bugs here than I'm used to in Florida.....I've gotten used to being terribly hot, being dive-bombed by horse flies constantly (mean SOB's that they are), and all manner of other bugs just landing on you in 105 degree studio heat when you're sweating like a stuck pig....oh, and since we're visiting, that sweaty stuck-pig-frustrated-moment when you're basically in as few clothes as you can get away with without be naked (no matter how fat or bloated you feel at the moment) is exactly the moment when some distant relation decides to show up and say how happy they are to see you (and poke around to see what the crazy artists who live in the garage are doing....)

That being said, I love being here in the summer. My creativity kicks into full swing and I spend much more focused time creating. In just the few weeks we've been here, I already feel like I'm ticking the things off my list that have long been pushed by the wayside. (new and better shop photos? check.) (listing jewelry that has been made for months? check.) that component idea that I worked up months ago? check and made a whole bunch!)

Been playing with riveting polymer clay pieces.

Artists have long sought solitude in the form of retreats and artist residencies as a way to enhance their work and find time to work on new ideas. I'm often the target of poking and jokes from family and friends because I'm always toting along a bag of art supplies or something to work on wherever I go. Often times, I don't get any time to work on things I bring but many times I do and I find these times are when my greatest ideas come along...

Hope you are enjoying your summer so far!

Tassel-ations......

Tassels are a very popular trend at the moment in jewelry design. I love the gentle swaying look of them and they tend to suit the style of the jewelry I create. You may remember this post from awhile back I posted about how to make leather tassels.....

Since I'm a consummate mixed media artist and frequent visitor to thrift stores and estate sales, I've amassed something like this......

As I'm sure some of you might relate. Embroidery thread or cotton perle (the more twisted variety) is useful in many applications.....but today, I want to share with you a way to make your own handmade tassels in a variety of ways....to help you use that stash of threads you may or may not have....


You could make your own tassel caps if you're feeling so inclined....for this purpose, I have used either no caps or pre purchased end caps....commonly sold as bead caps or kumihimo ends or caps.

Here are several different ways to use your tassel jig!


I built a simple jig from finishing nails and a scrap of wood.

Using short finishing nails, I nail them in at premeasured lengths. I made lengths of 4" , 5" and 8". Depending on the way you knot it at the end, you will end up with one fat tassel or two smaller tassels that will be half of the length, or one very long tassel that is the same length of your nails.

Be careful not to use nails that have too large of a nailhead, as it will be difficult to remove them when you're finished. I also marked the half way point to help me find the center.

Begin by taking your embroidery thread and wrapping it around both nails and tying a slip knot in the center and pulling it tight.

Continue wrapping the tassel round and round. I prefer nice thick tassels but it also depends a little on the size of your caps. When you're done wrapping, simply snip your thread off at one of the nail ends. It won't unravel.

If you're using a cap that already has a loop on top, you can use a little more thread to tightly tie a square knot around the center mark. Cut the ends at the nailheads and fold in half to make your tassel. Test your tassel to make sure it fits nice and snug. Add glue to your beadcap and let dry.

If you're using a bead cap, use a length of wire and TIGHTLY wire wrap a loop at the center point. Feed your wire through the top of your cap and wire wrap a loop to connect.

If you want to attach a jump ring, tie a slip knot and begin wrapping the end around the tassel to make a nice collar. I use an upholstery needle to make this step a bit easier. Finish with a double knot using your needle to go back through the last ring on the collar. Snip your thread and add a bit of glue (I use E6000 or GS Hypo) Repeat on the other end to secure.Cut your tassel at the half way point and GENTLY remove it from the nail heads, taking care not to snag any threads. I found using the upholstery need helps me remove it a bit easier. Add a jump ring and close.

Trim the ends of your tassels so they are nice and even! You're done!

Want to use leather and bead caps? Erin Siegal posted a great diy for making leather tassels, with suede and leather lace. 

Cleaning the studio and cleaning the mind....

by Barbara Bechtel

Since mid-February, I've been on a purging binge in my studio. Being a mixed media artist with a tiny studio space, my collections and hoardings have become way out of hand in the last couple years. It's all fine and well to amass many things as a mixed media artist, but the reality comes when I realize I don't use most of it. Even if I'm keeping it around for when inspiration strikes, usually breaking it all out and making a colossal mess, generally results in a feeling of personal overwhelm. Then I clean it all up because my space is small. I like a tidy workspace. Don't get me wrong, in the throes of creativity, I'm super messy, as it should be for me....but my habits are to clean it all up when I mess up every surface and then find myself working on the floor in a tiny 2 ft. space.

I have great plans of renovating and sprucing up this space in the fall when we return from our summer time in North Carolina....so I've been taking time each week to sort, to sell on ebay and privately, to carry "treasures" to the flea market, but I want things to be very clean and trim and lean and mean. I've passed the point in my life where I need to keep collecting things, and I'm happy to work with what I have in the moment.

It's taken me several days of each week for the last 3+ months, but now I'm seeing some headway and it's looking good!

How do you work? Do you like to hoard things? Do you like a sparse creative space? What makes you personally feel most creative?

Art Jewelry Boot Camp: Fine Finishings Week 1

Welcome to Week One of our new Art Jewelry Bootcamp: Fine Finishings!!! If you missed Staci's post last week about this new bootcamp, I encourage you to go read it, because all of our members at LMAJ have a unique and diverse perspective to draw from.

 I'll be back with you tomorrow to share some wordy and philosophical perspectives about fine finishings but today I want to talk about:

 WIRE GAUGES.

 Too Thin?

 Too Thick?

 Just Right?

 Let's talk about basic wire gauges.... There are at least 3 realms of standard gauges at the minimum you need to have in your basic toolbox for basic wirewrapping and art jewelry making. As an artist develops his or her skills and particular style, they usually add more gauges to round things out.

This is a VERY old piece of mine that used very thin (TOO THIN in my opinion now!) wire to wrap the bails of the pendant. I'm guessing it was 24g since there are also wrapped pearls in this piece. You can tell I compensated by wrapping it twice and 3 times through the holes, but I'm glad my work has evolved since then!!!!

20-21g. 
20-21 gauge wire is the widely accepted standard for earring wires. Larger gauges, such as 18 or 16 will stretch, irritate, or even tear the majority of customers while smaller gauges such as 22 will be too thin and will not enjoy longevity or will bend easily. This standard gauge also works well for wire wrapping large hole or ethnic beads. 20-21g when formed and properly work hardened either by chasing, hardening with a mallet and tumbling will produce a sturdy and beautiful finished ear wire.

These are handmade earwires I make from 20g brass wire.

22-24g. 
This is the perfect wire wrapping gauge for most bead stringing and basic bead wire wrapping applications. 22g will fit most gemstones and art beads and has a heavy enough presence to balance the work. Certain gemstones, like pearls and tiny finer semiprecious stones may require even a 24g. You may also find you lean towards 24g if you have a tendency to work very small or do very delicate work.

This is an older piece of mine but has a wide variety of wire gauges. The urn shap was formed from 16g brass wire, the Buddha pendant was wrapped with 20g, and the small glass beads were wrapped in 24g.

This is a more recent piece where I used 16g  copper wire to form a sturdy wire wrapped bail for this pendant while I wrapped the beads in 22g wire.

16g-18g. This is the perfect basic starter HEAVIER gauge wire for beginner smaller clasps, links, heavy jumprings, and beginning heavier wirework. It is generally still malleable enough without a torch annealing to wrap large bails, make wire wrapped links and connectors on their own without the use of other beads.

Staci used 18g to wrap these pieces. It is a bit lighter than 16g but allows her the flexibility to securely wrap these large pendants together.

Once you begin adding and refining your wire toolbox, you'll rely on your own judgement and burgeoning expertise to acquire a broader knowledge of different wire gauges and how useful they are in your particular piece or work!

Do you have any favorite wire tips when selecting the best solution for a piece? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below!!!

Never underestimate....

I started this piece last June.....

I stamped three or four and then, life intervened, and they were left by the wayside.....And quite frankly, I wasn't sure how to finish them at that time....I just had these vintage stampings that I saw a vision for... but I couldn't quite finish them. For many months, I couldn't or wouldn't finish them...I was dealing with some health issues and general malaise...depression I couldn't codify or chose not to...

I had this magnanimous shape....in the shape of a hurricane (which comes naturally to me since I live in Florida)..which at some point in June 2013, I chose to stamp with a quote from one of my favorite novels of all time, Little Women.......that I resonated with....so I made some quotes and finished them with my saw and then... they still just sat there.... For months...almost a year! And then one day, I woke up and they decided to be finished.

The actual point of this message is...Don't Stop! Don't throw away an idea that you feel passionate about....Stick it in a drawer...or put it on your table and just keep staring at it....but the point is...some day, even if you don't feel it today...you WILL come back...and that amazing IDEA you had at one time...it will make sense again...and if it doesn't, you will....

New Polymer

by Barbara Bechtel

Today I thought I would show you some of my most recent polymer clay beads. Admittedly, for most of the last year, I haven't been making much new polymer clay work and have mostly been working in copper. A recent injury has kept me sidelined for several months, and once I started feeling a bit better but still couldn't get into my metal studio, I felt that polymer itch.

This is actually the front and back sides of a double sided focal donut.

Not wanting to burn myself out again, I started in on creating some new color palettes. My polymer clay has always been an extension of my background as a painter and I prepare each piece almost as a mini canvas, spending the majority of the time preparing, building the base, and layering and creating depth through the surface treatments in layers of color and translucency through the careful selection of a color palette.

Transparency and opacity are very important in the colors I select and how much I remove or add to each surface.

At the current moment, I'm not getting to wild with the shapes and forms, but instead using the same or similar forms, really searching for and working beyond the obstacles of each palette. I almost like to think of them as tiny sketches or color studies.

If you'd like to see more of my recent explorations in color, I encourage to pop over to my Facebook page and check out more of the photos there!

Art Jewelry Boot Camp: Easy No Solder Hoop Photo Tutorial

by Barbara Bechtel

I noticed lots of positive comments (here and on our Facebook page) about boot camp posts where no soldering is used.

I rarely solder my hoops and while I sometimes use a tube rivet to add a little something extra, it isn't necessary. This style of hoop is perfect if you're just starting out with a torch since we're only using it for annealing. It also makes a nice petite drop with a lot of presence.

Begin with 2- 2" lengths of 10g wire. You can use up to 14g. for a lighter drop.

Anneal your wire with the torch until glowing and quench.

Using your hammer and bench block, flatten the ends of each wire until they're nice and thin.

If you're metal begins to get tough, anneal again.

File the burs from the ends of the wire to make a nice round curve. Anneal one more time.

Using your round nose pliers, find the center of your wire and bend in half around the based of the pliers to make a U shape.

Using your flat or chain nose pliers, slightly bend the flattened ends out straight.

....So it looks about like this.

Grasp both ends with your flat pliers and squeeze to meet in the center. 

 

 

 

 

Next, using a drill or punch, make a small hole in the top to hang.

Hammer the drop area near the curve to flatten it slightly and work harden it (it should already be pretty work hardened if you're using 10g). Next pickle or clean to removed the fire scale. I wait until the very end to pickle since I usually anneal them 3-4 times. Finish to your liking. (I antiqued mine in liver of sulphur)

Finish simply by attaching to earwires, doing a simple wire wrap as I did. Adding charms to the droplet at the bottom would also be cute!

Hope you enjoyed and I'd love to see what you make! Don't forget! Next week is our Boot Camp Blog Hop! Make sure you add your photos to our Flickr group or post them on Monday and come back here to add your link!