FABULOUS FINDS

                                                        by Kelli Pope

Fall is coming soon! My favorite time of the year.  It makes me think of cool evenings, falling leaves and rich, deep, rustic colors. And copper. My favorite medium.

I was perusing handmade copper jewelry on ETSY and came across some FABULOUS artists.

so simple, yet so rustically wonderful

MetalLuxe

cool bangle!

MadiJAXmetals

incredible jewelry box!

JamieSpinello

Tree Bling. Oh my goodness! It's tree bling!!

monicaspottery

 

copper & aquamarine!!!

This ain't your Gramma's birthstone ring!

from our own Karen McGovern 

www.beadkeepers.com

:o)

(Karen, I love it!!!)

As always, thank you for supporting handmade!

Social Life, Networking and Beadfest

by Staci Louise Smith

I know you have seen me frantically prepping for Bead Fest.  Prepping for this show, is always more challenging then my jewelry shows for some reason.  Perhaps it is just because it is so many small little pieces with small little details to complete.  

It is worth it though.  Here is the booth, all set up and ready!

 set up at the show with Genea and Ricky in the background

 beads

 samples

 sugar skulls

 more samples

I know I have shared this before, but Beadfest is two fold for me.  It's a show, to sell my wares, perhaps gain some new exposure, and network.....and it is a wonderful and fun social time for me as well. The BEST part, is that the fun social part, often leads to networking.  

This year I shared a booth again with Genea Beads, and we shared a corner with Starry Road Studio and Wooly Wire.  So our booths were back to back. 

 our corner

genea and I

 Don running the Starry Road Studio Booth

Starry Road Studio booth

(I did not get as many pictures as I would have liked.....tooo busy selling and socializing)

I love being in a group with other handmade artists whose art I really respect.  Plus, they are friends, and we have a great time together.  It is safe to say we rocked our corner.

Barb B. of Second Surf and fellow LMAJ blogger came out and was my roomie and show helper this year!  It was so awesome to hang out with her, since I had only met her briefly a couple years ago, and talked on the phone with her and had online chats.  She is so fun, and was the best booth helper I could have asked for.  It was really nice to have breaks and know she had things under control.

Barb totally running the booth for me

I think we cannot run a business without the social aspect.  Beadfest is always a good reminder of that.  To just sell online, and never meet your customers gives you a distinct disadvantage.  When you meet them, you get to know them.  It inspires you, it gives you a boost, to keep creating new things.  I never tire of seeing what they do with my beads and components.  To see my beads used in such a variety of styles is always fun for me.  On the other side of it, I think customers like to get to know who they are buying from.  I know for me, when I buy art, I love to know the person who made it.  It helps me to connect to the art....after all, it is a little piece of them.  

very serious shopper / friend Kathleen makes beautiful jewelry with all kinds of gemstones and art beads

Each year Melinda Orr of Creative Bead Chat and Bandana Girl Jewelry / Orrtec hosts a get together for online friends to meet in person.  I cannot tell you how many friends I have made there.  There is just something so magical about meeting people in person.....and really experiencing them, their personalities (learning how to pronounce their names....lol) and just getting to know them in person.  It has given me lots of laughs, as well as encouragement and business opportunities.  
(plus we drink wine and do bead giveaways and laugh and laugh and laugh!!!)

Karen Totten and Linda Landig

Barb with the youngest bead lover!!!!

So, whether you are selling beads, or making jewelry or selling jewelry, I encourage you to get into an online community of like minded people, as well as getting out into the world and meeting some, whether a bead show, vending at a show, or joining a guild or group of some sort.

It's magical.

Finding Your Creative Muse

Carol Dekle-Foss

How do you deal with your creative muse? Can you summon it instantaneously and just begin working on your art? Or is it elusive and fleeting and require moments of solace and peace to show its face? I believe everyone has creative ability, and that some have no idea how talented they actually are. I think it's just a matter of slowing down, unplugging from all the chatter and listening to your inner muse.

We all have our own ways of invoking our creative force as well, be it lighting candles, playing music that lifts our spirits, or even well placed crystals or natural elements collected from a cherished family outing. What helps you to be creative?

My creative muse and I, well we have issues. Sometimes I have self-doubt about myself and my ability, and also, at times the need for perfection overrides my passion to explore and create. But...when I do create something that makes my heart sing, or if I get a compliment while wearing one of my pieces, well those moments make me feel validated as an artist, and give me that extra nudge to create even more.

If you are just starting out designing jewelry or you are trying to create and are in a rut, I invite you to look past your fears and self doubts. Don't worry about perfectionism, and start being open to what your muse is saying to you. Also, just enjoy the creative process. Grab a pencil and paper, and start drawing to see what happens!

I recently discovered or I should say rediscovered what makes my creative muse come out and play. I read that it's a good idea to draw out your jewelry designs. I never fully grasped this concept until I saw this image. I'm grateful to Erin Prais-Hintz for posting this drawing of her necklace and showing one of her creative processes. This picture made me have an aha! moment and helped me realize how to rekindle my inner muse. Thank you again Erin!

I take a journal everywhere now. I have one in my car, in my purse and also by my nightstand. You just never know when creativity will strike. Sometimes I will be driving down the road, working out, or just daydreaming and my mind will drift to a design I am working on. I immediately grab my journal or whatever I can find and start to draw.

For example, I was recently giving my chickens some treats and noticed my roosters tail feathers flopping in the wind. They were long and wispy, so I tried to capture them here in these earrings.

 He is a damn fine rooster isn't he? Such a sweet thing too, not aggressive at all. Although at times I would like to ring his neck for being so loud and annoying!

Here is another example of how drawing out designs was helpful. I have this mound of leather samples from my previous job and wanted to make bracelets from them. The problem is they are only 2.5" by 4" in size. TIP: If you are looking for leather, you can try furniture stores to see if they have any discontinued pieces.

So, while enjoying a cup of coffee this morning, I drew out this design. Drawing it out really helped to see what it would look like and also helped with the actual size because of the graph paper.

Here are a couple more designs showing how drawing helped with the overall creative process. 

The dragonfly necklace was at first supposed to be a ring and then by drawing it out I realized I should make a necklace instead.

I have no idea why the heck I keep creating with swirls and flourishes!

Etched nickel bracelet.

Necklace made with a raku bead from Star Spirit Studio.

 These earrings were originally going to be round! I didn't like how they looked on paper and changed the shape.

This Pleiades necklace took me about 4 drawings before I came to this design.

I would like to share this special box. It was a project in our last metal smith class. I etched the hand drawn image on copper, then fire-kissed it with a light torch flame. The location, Ruth's Pond, is special to my family, particularly to my mom. She passed away in 2004, and it was her favorite spot to go and have fun. I made the box as a tribute to her. She would have loved where my creativity has taken me and sometimes I even think she is here helping me along. I also engraved the inside with her actual handwriting. Hopefully my family will appreciate the box and cherish it as a family heirloom.

I hope this post will help you find and embrace your creative muse!

Some of the above designs are not listed on my website because I have been prepping like a madwoman for the American River Music Festival, my biggest event of the year.

 Over the last couple of months, I have been more focused on creating than marketing. My website has suffered. After the festival, I plan to find new ways to drive traffic to my site, and will share any that work. Stay tuned!

Fabulous Faux - Playing With Iced Enamels by Karen McGovern

I love experimenting with new products.  Especially products that are relatively inexpensive and fun.  Recently, I began working with Susan Lenart Kazmer's Iced Enamels.  Faux enamel powder in a nice spectrum of grungy, cool colors.  The idea is to create the look of enameled metal without, you know, actual enamel.  For me this is very interesting because I am a freak for enameled metal.  Just ask MaryAnn Carroll--I use her gorgeous enamel discs in just about everything I make. 
 

 

Now, right off the bat I will tell you that Iced Enamels in NO WAY replicates the look of true enameled metal.  BUT, for those of us that do not have an enameling studio, the line is fun, easy to use, and can add lovely textural accents and colors to your designs.  Basically it's a three-part system of a liquid adhesive applied to metal, followed by a layer of Iced Enamel powder set with a heat gun.  The third part is sealing, which SLK recommends you do with Ice Resin, her wonderful jewelry grade clear resin.  Since I never do anything I am told to do, I use several coats of Everbrite and have been very pleased with the results.

 

For an impatient person like me, faux enamels are really attractive as an accent.  Don't worry, MaryAnn, I will ALWAYS BE TRUE TO YOUR DISCS!!!  But, the faux enamels add a nice touch to larger pieces, bangles, cuffs and more.  I like the look of the powders--base colors mixed with "grunge" creating a crusty, aged effect.  The variety of colors is very nice as well, although I am waiting for some greens and dark blues to come along....ARE YOU LISTENING, SUSAN??

 

I'll share with you a bracelet design I'm having fun with that was inspired by Barbara Lewis, the queen of torch fired enamel jewelry.  You get an extra "faux" here, in one of the bracelets I also used polymer clay faux beach glass shards created by Ginger Davis Allman of The Blue Bottle Tree. GORGEOUS!!!

Iced Enamels on aluminum with polymer faux beach glass...
 

Basically, I start with a 3 x 2.5 inch piece of aluminum (or any metal, I just love aluminum) and cut it on an angle leaving one end wider than the other.  Round the corners, file the edges smooth, then texture the metal if you wish (I use the paving stones on my driveway as a texture plate!).  At this point you can stamp a message on the inside of the cuff if you like (thanks, Barbara Lewis, for this lovely idea). Drill or punch a hole in either end and curve the metal on a bracelet mandrel or with your hands to fit your wrist comfortably.  

Iced Enamels on copper. Created for the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in support of their bongo antelope
conservation programs.  The colors of the cuff are inspired by the beautiful striped hide of a bongo, and Delilah
is an orphaned bongo that we are hand rearing at RSCF.  I have pics of her all over my Facebook page!
 

My Iced Enamel "station" is an old cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Using a cheap paint brush, coat the top side of the metal with the Iced Enamel adhesive (cleans easily in water so you can use the brush again).  Then sprinkle on the powder in the color of your choice (you can also blend colors prior in a little cup if you want, or apply layers, which I'll explain in a minute), shake off the excess, then heat the powder to melting with a heat gun.  My heat gun has two settings, I use the lower setting to get even, controlled heat.  NOTE:  Clear away any excess Iced Enamel powder that you have over-sprinkled BEFORE you turn on your heat gun.  Otherwise the powder will blow all over Kingdom Come!  As you heat, the powder will bubble and melt in a couple minutes.  The bubbles disappear after you stop heating.  There is a slight odor, but nothing overwhelming.  Do this with proper ventilation, etc.  Let the metal cool, then either seal or add more adhesive and another layer of powder in another color, accent, pattern, STENCIL (oooh, that would be cool, I have to go get some stencils...), allow to cool, seal and you are DONE.  You can also file away some of the enamel to create a more imperfect or grungy look--whatever you like!  For copper and brass I would start by giving the metal a nice liver of sulfur bath to create a dark base to show through, but that's my taste. 

As I mentioned, I use Everbrite ProtectaClear spray to seal.  Two or three coats do a great job, and dry in minutes.  Finish the bracelet with riveted or micro screw elements, beads, chain, leather, ribbon, whatever you have on hand!  I've made a few of these now and am really enjoying the look and feel on the wrist.  FUN!

"But Karen", you say, "Will the faux enamel really stay on the metal?  Won't it rub off?"  Well, this stuff is pretty amazing.  The first time I used it, after heating with the heat gun and melting the powder on, I immediately dropped the cuff on the floor, while still hot and "gooey".  I picked it up (using a towel cause that sucker was hot), and some of the semi-liquid enamel had rubbed off (and also now stains my floor mat), but only a top layer. Cursing, I cooled the metal in the sink, then tried to sand away all of the enamel powder to start over.  I COULDN'T!  I went at that thing with a sanding sponge, sandpaper, and diamond files.  Yes, if I had spent the rest of the day working on it I would have gotten it all off, but by no means was it coming off easily.  And that was before sealing with Everbrite.  So, I am pretty confident that this stuff stays on and will hold up over time.  I also think a textured surface will "grab" the faux enamel better as well.  If you are really concerned, I suggest using Ice Resin to seal.  Takes 24 hours to cure, but then you really have a totally impervious coating.  

So, give Iced Enamels a try and let me know what you think!!  You can find great tutorials and ideas online at the Ice Resin website.  Go nuts!