welcome

mary jane dodd

malachite azurite 

each month, our very generous readers/supporters donate their wares to our artspark... recently, i was contacted by laura and karl hansen of cabbing rough... she offered to donate to our group every month so that you very lucky people (who need only submit to the artspark challenge) might win one of the beautiful stones they will provide....

think of the techniques you can start learning to use them - prong setting, tab setting, making bezels of beads or metal, wire wrapping... 

cabbing rough has a blog, etsy shop and flickr group... their family was even featured in the etsy blog... for this truly is a family business... you can follow all of the links to learn more... 

i asked laura to share a bit about cabbing rough so that we could bring people to the name... 

My husband Karl and I work together cutting our stones, it started as a hobby but we now work full time from home. We have 4 children Dylan (12) Tyler (11) Molly (6) and Charlie (4). Our kids are the center of our world. They are all very involved with what we do as well - rocks are fascinating to kids! Especially our daughter Molly, she can cab a rock herself with almost no help, and can identify more stones than most adult collectors!

 

Karl and I are both completely self taught. In fact, we tried cutting our first rocks with a tile saw because we did not have the money for lapidary equipment. It was just about 6 years ago I ran into a 92 year old man at a flea market that sold us our first grinder and saw for $90.

 

Cutting stones is the greatest job I have ever had. It's amazing to be able to take something that looks like nothing, cut it open and find the amazing colors and patterns that are possible. I love the thought that the rock I just cut may have sat for a millions of years in one spot. A dinosaur could have stepped on the rock I cut this morning!

 

So we take rocks and cut them to look beautiful, then send them all over the world to become something amazing by some of the most talented artists. When I work on a rock, I often imagine a finished jewelry design for it. My favorite part of my job is too see our stone in a finished piece of jewelry.

 

We sell our stones on etsy. My mom actually pushed us into etsy about a year and a half ago. We never thought there would be any market for our hobby. Since then we have cut and sold over 3000 stones through the marketplace. And through etsy I have made so many very good friends.

there is even an article on how to cut a rock on their blog... 

dinosaur bone

so welcome laura and karl to our little village... and many thanks to you for your generosity... 

august's artspark theme will be announced shortly - be on the look out for cabbing rough's beautiful donation for the month... 

'simplify,

mary jane dodd

simplify.' 

~ henry david thoreau

sometimes in the simplest things we are most challenged and most rewarded... 

during the course of this past week, i tried something new... 

making leaves...

this experiment, while novel to me, felt anything but... instead it was as if they had been there all along... the techniques i had been applying elsewhere finding their true purpose in these types of pieces... 

'the clearest way to the Universe 

is through a forest wilderness.'

~ john muir

my artspark challenge entry

Art Spark Designer of the Week....

by MaryAnn Carroll

Not exactly a bead story..... (The story follows at the end)....  Thanks :O)

......I love this piece that was created with a memory that many of us can relate to.......

It made me smile.... and for creativity.....

You get an A+, Mallory!!

Thank-you Mallory for taking some time to reflect and come up with this fantastically creative bracelet!!

Mallory Hoffman

A study using aluminum discs
Bent discs
As a child we played lots of kick the can
The cans were very much dented when we were finished with them.
I also loved then and now
charm bracelets.
Red is one of my 10,000 favorite colors
I've always loved sparkly things.
This piece works for me.

This month's Art Spark Challenge

not exactly a beady story...

I guess this challenge was a tough one.  Every day when I'm at my teaching job, my friend Cathy and I walk during our lunch.  I told her about this challenge, and my reasoning behind it.  I won't go into my life story, but after experiencing a very unfortunate time for my children and me, I was able to turn that around. One part of that journey was when I was asked by my sister, Colleen Carroll, a published author to write a dating violence curriculum for New Jersey Battered Women's Services in Morristown, NJ.  I always believe that things happen for reasons and this could not have come at a better time.  I was not only fortunate enough to be able to reflect and write about my own young life as a teenager, but I was able to use what I know today to, hopefully, help young people understand when they are in relationships involving abuse. 

Anyhow, I went on to teach workshops on the topic to adults (mostly teachers).  During my opening, I asked that each person (women) write something that they had accomplished and were proud of.  I told them that we would go around the room and share what that was.  What I realized the first time I tried this opener, was that it seemed very difficult for almost every single woman in the room to complete that task. Most responses were really about something that they were proud of regarding someone else...

Of course, like everything else that puzzles me, I reflected on why that might be.  I thought back to going to my own weekly therapy sessions and being asked, "When is the earliest time that you can remember that what other people had to say about you really didn't matter enough to stick?"  I thought at the time that maybe it was around the age of ten.

I'm a middle school resource teacher which simply means that I teach "typical" children in small groups who benefit from different methods of learning material.  They typically come to see me one period a day.  Sometimes, I go into the classrooms as well.  Since they are in small groups and I always have them for at least two years, I get to know them at a personal level.  I can assure you that the time that what others have to say definitely starts at the end of 6th grade and intensifies in 7th grade.  At that time, so many of us start to define who we are by what everyone else says we are. 

Here is an example:

Little Susie comes to school proudly adorned with her new hair cut and outfit.  She walks down the hall looking and feeling great.  She meets up with some "friends" and no one comments.  She goes to morning classes....  a few whispers are exchanged and then it is time for lunch. Time passes and then someone says to Susie, "Why did you get your hair cut so short?  It makes you look like a boy.  I would never have come to school looking like that...especially with that shirt on!!!"

OUCH!!!

I'm not saying this is true for absolutely everyone, but it is for many.  And for many, those little "stings" continue.

As Cathy and I talked while walking around the track, she thought perhaps the reason that people have a hard time talking about their successes is modesty....

Perhaps?  Perhaps, it is more than that.

We still have one more week to enter this challenge and I hope that you can think back to those times when life was not as complicated.

Pick out just one.....one little snippet of your life, whether it was home, in school, etc. that you were proud. 

Maybe it was that morning before you headed out to school with your new hair cut and brand new outfit.......

Thanks for reading.....

MaryAnn

Friendly Reminder.... and a Giveaway Winner.....

by MaryAnn Carroll

Happy Monday morning.....

You can scroll to the end of this post to see if you are the winner of Jennifer Heynen's book from last Sunday's giveaway located to the left.

Just a little reminder about helping us get our NEW CHALLENGE IDEA
"Art Spark" off the ground.  For a little encouragement, a nudge of sorts, I am going to show you what you can win this month.....  if your piece is chosen....

Why not take the PLUNGE?  Try something DIFFERENTI!!!

We will display weekly winners (may be more than one) for weeks two and three of each month.

The ArtSpark Challenge winner for June will win the fabulous donations shown below.  In addtion to these great prizes, the winner's creation (with links to your shop) will be included on our website (which does come up in jewelry searches) for one year.  Here is a link to one of our recent winners Lu Behrman:

http://www.lovemyartjewelry.com/april_ctc_winner.html

...and the winning design will also be shown off on the sidebar of our blog for one month.....

So, why not join us?  Create your design (based on the monthly theme) and share a little about

your thought process while creating (story form, poem, song, maybe a picture of what inspired you, etc.).  It's as simple as uploading to your own flickr account, writing a description under your picture and then add that to our flickr pool.

Fab polymer clay beads by Barbara....  Check out sidebar for more creations by Barbara.

Adorable wood-fired turquoise lidded container (1 3/4" x 2 1/2").  Check out the sidebar for more work created by Bill.

And this great book for those of you who are interested in learning more about soldering.  This book is sure to take any fears away about learning metal soldering techniques!!!!  This was generously donated by Mary Jand Dodd.  Click the button to the right to see  some of the techniques that Mary Jane uses in her beautiful jewelry.

And now.....

the winner of the book by Jennifer Heynen located on the left sidebar is.....

CYNTHIA from Cynth's Blog!!!

Please contact Kelli with your address.

mcpeanuts@aol.com

Thanks for supporting those who create with handmade.

Art Spark for June...

by MaryAnn Carroll

Put on your thinking cap and join us for

Art Spark...

In this new challenge that we are hoping is going to get you thinking about your thinking.... 

Pretty deep, huh?

and

This challenge extends to those of you who do more creating of art beads/components (like me) as well as jewelry designers who create handmade using handmade.

We hope that you share your creative experience with us.  If this is your first time participating in our challenge, please be sure to read through this entire post.  Or, if you are like me.... and you are NOT new to this, you might need to read through the entire post too....  since... you know...

what was I saying?

I forgot....

Oh yeah...  about reading through the post.  You might need a refresher.

We have some absolutely FABULOUSLY unique prizes too!

Before getting to that...  (no sneaking before you finish reading.....)

Let me see if you can figure out what our June ArtSpark is going to be about.... 

Here is your clue:

When I was young, I grew up in a neighborhood where we were fortunate to have six weeks of arts, crafts, games and more every summer.  I made many a boondoggle (lanyard) keychain, a never ending supply of potholders for my mother, paintings and more.  I have very fond memories.  Another fun activity during those years was tetherball.  There were 3 poles set up, 2 little and 1 big!  As I got a little older and more skilled, I graduated to play on the BIG tetherball pole court. Well..... not only was I able to play, but I kicked butt played well and bragged was proud to admit it.

 When I spent some time capturing that tetherball memory in a piece of handmade jewelry, here is what I came up with.

Now it is YOUR turn.

Think about a time when you were a teenager or younger that you felt very proud of something that you did well.

hopscotch champ, best speller, top reader, had solo for a chorus concert,

best chalkboard eraser clapper...

 huh?

You get it...  I know that you do, because you are smart as well as talented....

Can you do it?

I think so and here is a peek at what you might win..... But remember..... read the directions at the end of this post veeeerrrryyyyy carefully.... and have fun!

This adorable small wood-fired lidded container was made by Bill Perrine (my husband).  This adorable piece (with a slight defect under the lid) can be used to store your rings, favorite beads or anything else that you might like to keep in it.  For more unique wood-fired pieces, visit his shop:

http://splitfirepottery.etsy.com/

 Barbara Bechtel donated these beautiful polymer clay components.  Check out Barbara's Etsy shop for some more fabulous beads, pendants, earrings and more:

 http://floridity.etsy.com/

Our very own Mary Jane Dodd donate the book on beginning soldering.  If you have been interested in learning more about soldering but might feel a little intimidated by the process this is the book for you.  You can see what Maire has done with her soldering skills by visiting her shop:

http://mairedodd.etsy.com/

So.....here is the best part....  The RULES!!!

A game without rules is like intersections without any traffic lights....

One last mention before I go on.  If you are interested in more detail about our ArtSpark Challenge, click ArtSpark on the navigation bar above. 

And......
in addition to the FAB prizes above, you will also win one month on the sidebar of our blog showing off your piece as well as ONE YEAR on our website along with links to your shop and/or blog.

Once you have your creation ready, here is what you do:

1. Take pictures of your creation and upload it to our flickr account.

2. Leave a description of your thought process while creating your jewelry or beads/components. We really want everyone to share their creative thinking related to the theme so please make sure that you description is thorough.  It does not necessarily have to be in paragraph form.  Be creative.

3. Since we are a group promoting 'creating handmade with handmade', your jewelry consist of at least 75% handmade. This doesn't mean that you have to create everything that goes into your piece. You could use beads/components created by other artists. Please give credit to that artist in your description.

4. If your submission will be loose beads/components created by you, it may include any medium that you prefer to make those in. These submissions would also require a description of your creative thought process. 

5. Please only one submission piece per artist. Up to three views of the work are allowed and encouraged.

6. Have fun an come back often to check out the entries!

7. Links to our flickr site can be found on the blog sidebar.