Resin jewelry pendant pictures

I haven't been making new pendants so much this week as I have been attaching the silver bails to the pendants I have made.  Here's the assortment that will be at the Thornebrook Art Festival next week.

Birds.  Pretty fall colors.  My kids love birds.  But I don't have cardinal pendants...yet anyway.  Those are their favorites (mine too).

Geometric pendants.  A neat little way to be funky without people thinking you've lost it.

Wow, almost looks like a tray of cookies.  With sprinkles.

Still thinking cookies.  Must focus on jewelry.  No cookies until September 26.


There were three more batches of these.  I hope I will be covered.  I never know these things.  All I know is that I will run out of one or two patterns and those won't be the same one or two patterns at the next show.  (Note to self -- invest in a good crystal ball). 

See you next weekend!

Preparing for Thornebrook Art Festival

My next art event is at the Thornebrook Art Festival, September 24 and 25.  I've actually been getting inventory ready for the past month (including Halloween jewelry), so I just need to get my game on and get organized.  I probably wouldn't be thinking about this too much at all, but for all intents and purposes, I'm going to be unavailable the week prior to the event.  Yeah, I know that doesn't sound like a good idea, but an incredible opportunity with my other line of silver jewelry presented itself and I couldn't pass it up.  I'll be out of town selling that jewelry almost the entire week before.

No worries.  I'm getting ready this week and next.  Here's what I have to do:

1. Since I'm redoing the booth to make it as easy as possible for one person to set up and decorate, I need two new tables and two tablecloths.  I might also go with some organza table covers.  Not sure.  Still thinking about that one.
2. Since I have my only sale of the year in conjunction with this show, I need to get that jewelry packaged.  It has worked out well to have that jewelry packaged and priced in a basket for people to sift through.  
3. I will also have wireless access in order to process credit card information at the show this year.  That will be a big time savings and I don't have to worry about declined credit cards later.
4. Of course, I need to get focused on having enough finished jewelry.  That means that I had to be finished with pouring resin LAST week in order for me to finish it this week.  I'm actually doing the best on this one.

Stay tuned for picture updates.

New jewelry making class - corrugated mixed metal earrings

For those who have been patiently waiting for my next class, it's on the schedule!  Learn how to make these earrings at Gifts of Avalon, Monday, March 7, 6 to 8 PM.  Yes, you will be able to get these done in 2 hours.  For you curve buster types, maybe even two pairs.



The example here is done with sterling silver and brass, but copper can be used as well.












If you're a tool junkie, you'll love this class.













Best part - no experience is necessary and you don't need a concealed weapons license.  (Yeah, long story.)  Contact Gifts of Avalon directly to register.

Resin jewelry making experiment

I've done a moderate amount of experimenting with making resin jewelry.  Quite frankly, the stuff can be quite fussy sometimes.  It hates water, needs a moderate temperature, and can be a little weird about curing depending on what has been added to it.  One of the other key items is that a minimum amount must be mixed in order for it to harden properly.  (Read my earlier post on frequently asked questions about resin.)  As I've been working on new sterling silver and resin jewelry pieces for the Downtown Festival and Art show next weekend, I've been mixing a lot of resin.  I hate throwing away almost anything, including unused resin.  I've been experimenting with a few different ideas, and set another experiment into motion a few days ago.


I have a silicone mold made with wells of the same size as the scrabble tile pendants.  As I got done pouring yellow resin a few days ago, I covered the bottom of several of the wells with the resin I had left.  It's an epoxy resin, where the two parts mix in a 2:1 ratio.  The next day, I finished some scrabble tile pendants with a different, clear epoxy resin.  It mixes in a 1:1 ratio.  I decided to see if it would adhere and cure if I placed it on top of the other brand of resin, which had already completely cured.




I added some cute flowers with fake gems and a bit of glitter to the resin pieces.  I gave it the full time to cure and wow!  It worked!!  I haven't decided what to do with these yet.  Maybe pendants, maybe a group of them for bracelet links.  Not sure yet, but I'll post a picture when I figure it out.

Handcrafted jewelry on sale

These are more pictures of jewelry I have on sale between now and the end of the Thornebrook Art Festival. If you see something you want, please contact me to place an order.

In case you missed them the other posts will sale jewelry and bali beads:
Artisan jewelry on sale
Bali beads on sale post 1
Bali beads on sale post 2

Sterling silver and nu gold discs with semi precious stones and glass beads.

Originally $50, will be $20

Semi precious stones on high polish sterling silver loops.

Originally $50, will be $20

Charoite and rhodonite pendant on patterned sterling silver and nu gold

Originally $85, will be $20  (This pendant also includes the chain)

Patterned and pressed sterling silver dome with a red jasper bead accent.

Orignally $40, will be $5

Assorted semi precious stones in diamond and oval shape sterling silver settings.

Originally $35, will be $15

Oxidized and polished sterling silver diamond shape earrings with semi precious stone briolettes.

Originally $50, will be $15.

Glass cat's eye cabochons with patterned sterling silver accents.  Assorted colors.

Originally $35, will be $10.

Assorted color semi precious stones set on patterned sterling silver with glass bead or semi precious stone hanging accents.

Originally $50, will be $20

Sterling silver loop earrings with aurora borealis finish glass chips.

Originally $28, will be $10











Sterling silver earrings with copper and nu gold accents.

Originally $35, will be $10

This fairly well covers everything that will be there.  See you this weekend at the Thornebrook Art Festival, booth 15 (green zone).  For those of you who have been coming for awhile, it's my same spot as previous years.

Jewelry making class pictures - making a metal brooch

I taught my forged wire brooch class at Gifts of Avalon in Gainesville (Florida) this past Monday night.  Once again, I had a dynamic group of students that was a quick learning bunch!

Students start by filing their pieces of sterling silver or copper wire they selected for their finished piece.  At far left is Chris (a perennial class attendee) and Brenda (center left).  Kathy (or at least half of her) is on the right side of the picture.









Derry was also new to my class.  She's filing her metal wire as well.

















In making their brooches, students learned how to use a draw plate.  This is Linda getting ready to use a pair of draw tongs to pull her wire through the draw plate.










Once everyone pulled their wire down to make the brooch stem, it was time to shape and form it.  Brenda used a hammer to give some of the curves of her brooch a flat edge.









Cheryl (another class newbie) used round nose pliers to form the end of her pin to be the pin catch.










And here's the best part -- finished projects!



Brenda's pin, to which she added some beads as she was forming it.












Derry's finished pin.

Cheryl's finished pin.  I couldn't believe how quickly Cheryl adapted to using the draw plate.  She told me she had never done this before.  Quick learner!

Chris' finished pin which she proudly wore.

A closeup of Chris' pin.

Kathy (another new one to my class) was the only one who made her pin out of copper.  My photography doesn't do it justice!  She finished it with a soft, satin sheen and attached an aquamarine bead to dangle from the middle.

Kathy's pin really looked great on her black blouse.

Linda was having some artistic challenges during class, but I hope to help her finish it at another time.  I shared with her that sometimes taking a piece that has bad karma and throwing it in the scrap pile can be very therapeutic.  *smile*

My next class is the first Monday in October.  Hope to see you there!

Questions to ask at an art show

As I'm busy preparing for the fall art shows, I am also keeping in mind what customers have wanted in the past or could potentially have a need for.  There's more to selling jewelry than just selling the jewelry!  One thing I try hard to do is to answer questions from art enthusiasts and take the opportunity to educate them about my artisan jewelry.  It actually got me thinking about questions I WISH people would ask.  I certainly don't want to overload people with information about my resin jewelry if they don't want to hear it, but I do love to talk about what I do.  I brainstormed a few questions that I believe someone could ask any artist at an art show or gallery opening and hopefully get some thoughtful responses.

• What inspires you?
• What is your technique?
• How is your art different from other artists?
• How did you get started?
• Can you take me step by step through a piece?
• Why do you do your art?
• Why do you do this particular kind of art (or use this particular technique)?
• Can you describe your creative process?

Along the line of what to ask, I would like to share with art enthusiasts one question not to ask:  "Did you make this?"  I realize that may seem like a perfectly innocent question on a shopper's part, but it's one that artists are asked MULTIPLE times during an art show or opening. Artists tend to take that question as "Of course! As opposed to my little gnomes or slave labor?" A better question would be, "Are you the artist?" if you are unsure if the person you are talking to actually created the art.  (Just a suggestion to get the conversation off to a good start.)

There are certainly others that I get asked that I'm happy to answer as well.  What other questions would you like to add to this list?

Jewelry making class pictures

Last night, I taught my forged metal bracelet class for the first time at Gifts of Avalon.  This was a brand new class, which is tough for me sometimes because I never know if people are going to want to come and learn a new technique or not.  (The woman at the far left in this picture, Claudia is actually responsible for pushing me to come up with new classes!  Her partner in crime, Judy, couldn't make last night's class).

This was a large class of seven students.  Sometimes they can get a little crazy for me as I try to make sure everyone is being tended to, but this class had some great chemistry and they were really focused!  I wish I could play a sound track for this class.  They all had to hammer bracelets and it sounded just like what I'm guessing it does in Santa's workshop during the month of December.  Lots of dinging and hammering!

I wanted to share the finished projects everyone got done.  Most of the class had no metalsmithing or jewelry making experience, but everyone had a new bracelet in under three hours (some even a little faster)!  This bracelet is made from sterling silver.  Chris, one of my class regulars, gave a shiny, mirror, polish.

These bracelets were done by Rebeccah (below) and Christine (right).  They made both of their bracelets from copper.  I showed them how to finish their bracelets by applying heat with a torch.  They got some beautiful pinks, blues, and touch of gold color on their bracelets.

Chuck was my only guy in the class.  He was kind enough to come and make his wife a bracelet.  (Is that dreamy or what??).  Chuck finished his bracelet with a matte finish using steel wool and liver of sulfur to highlight the details.

Remember Claudia from earlier in the post?  This is her bracelet.  She said was HOOKED on making these and wanted to make one for her daughter.  We also talked about what she wants to me to teach next.  *wink*

JoAnn also took the class but managed to sneak away before I could get her bracelet photographed.  (Probably was so good she didn't want to put me to shame.)

 The last two bracelets are from Trude  (copper one on the left) and Susan (sterling silver one on the right).  Both turned out great and Trude completely amazed me by putting her own flair to her bracelet.  (By the way, Trude is one of the shop owners and is always happy to help customers.)

Wow!  It was a great night!!  There were several people on the waiting list for this class, so I will be running it again in early July.  You can contact Gifts of Avalon now to get on the waiting list.

Why didn't I think of that?

So I mentioned on the KMS Designs Facebook fan page a few days ago that I didn't like the pictures I had taken of my jewelry. Helen, one of my fans and newest friends, gave a suggestion on a setup to try. Once she mentioned it, I thought, why didn't I think of that?? I did some research on the setup she shared and had then idea to make my own. I took a styrofoam cooler and cut it to work for my tripod and camera. I like the resulting pictures much better! Thanks Helen!

Teaching jewelry making classes

I love teaching jewelry classes. It's a great chance for me to meet new people and "get back to basics." I mostly teach classes that don't use a torch (yes, there is a lot of fun stuff you can do without a torch). One of the things I like about teaching is that students look at things with a fresh set of eyes (or "virgin" eyes for the newbies). I will get questions about why you do something a particular way, or why can't you do something a particular way. It actually makes me wonder, "well, why can't we do it this way??" Their perspective is great and I enjoy the listen and learning opportunity.

My class was almost done the other night before I remembered to take pictures. I teach at Gifts of Avalon, which is a bead and metalsmithing shop here in Gainesville. I've known Trude and Rhonda (the shop owners) a long time and they have a great place for anyone crafty! Their staff is helpful and even if you have never done any beading or metal work before, you'll have a new piece of jewelry to wear in no time.





One of the nice things about teaching at Gifts of Avalon is that their student teaching area has ample space. We're not bumping elbows and it's actually a separate part of the store, so we can hammer metal and not disturb the rest of the people in the store. They also have a lot of the jewelry making equipment so I can teach people on the equipment they can buy there in the store to take home and use. I also make myself available to students by email for followup questions and such. (I know I'm guilty of trying to read notes later and thinking, "Now what did she say again???")

Meet Suzanne. She has been one of my jewelry customers for a long time (she's wearing a pair of my earrings -- *smile*) She made a very nice pair that evening that she finished at home with some beads. (I can't wait to see how they turned out.) She also helped me to realize that my house would be cleaner if I didn't spend so much time making jewelry. (big laugh!) Eh, a few dust bunnies never killed anyone.

If you're interested hearing about upcoming classes I'm teaching, you can sign up for my mailing list (right column of this blog) and select the "class and teaching schedule" list.

Starting a new tradition

I get lots of nice comments from people that I meet at art shows, jewelry making classes, and such saying they feel like I'm "one of the family." I think these are some the nicest things anyone could say to me. I always try to treat people with respect and kindness and I'm glad to know that it shows. This got me thinking, why not make them a part of my family too? I thought that I would share, from time to time, some of my family's favorite recipes. My mother was a home economics teacher, so cooking and learning how to cook has been a part of my life ever since I can remember.

This recipe comes from a friend of mine in college. I thought this would be great to share since the Easter and Passover holidays just beg for brunches. This breakfast dish is wonderful to feed a crowd and since you make it the night before, it's the perfect "force me to be organized" breakfast dish.

Breakfast Casserole

1 1/2 boxes of Pepperidge Farm croutons or 8 slices of bread, cubed
3 cups of milk
4 eggs
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of broccoli soup
2 to 3 cups of cheddar cheese (more or less to your liking)
1 pound of ground sausage
Package of ritz or saltine crackers
2 tablespoons of butter, melted

Spread bread/croutons in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix 2 1/2 cups of the milk, eggs, and mustard. Pour over the croutons. Brown the sausage. Sprinkle the meat over the crouton mixture. Top with the cheese. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the soup. Pour over the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Crush a sleeve of crackers. Mix the crackers with the melted butter. Pour over the casserole for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!

Photographing Jewelry

It is a beautiful day in Florida. Lots of bright sun and clear skies. This is the perfect day for me to take jewelry pictures outside. I love the natural light for taking pictures. It captures the colors the best and I only have to crop the pictures once I take them (versus using a photoeditor to adjust brightness, contrast and such).

I find a nice place to set up outside to get a good photograph. I always try to take pictures as close to 12 noon as possible in order to minimize shadows. My setup is a Fuji FinePix S7000 camera attached to a Benbo mini-trekker tripod. My backgrounds vary, depending on what I'm photographing. Today, I used a piece of ceramic tile.







So apparently, no jewelry work would be complete without help from my cat Karma. I hadn't seen her for hours and wouldn't you know it, here she comes to help.

So the ironic part in all this? I didn't like how they looked on the white tile. It was too much contrast between the tile and the jewelry. I dug out a piece of stained plywood I had and took pictures of the same jewelry on it instead.

Today's pictures were of my new acrylic and sterling silver jewelry line on the KMS Designs website. The pictures from today can also be seen on the KMS Designs Flickr page.

How to keep your jewelry out of the repair shop

No one ever buys a piece of jewelry with the intent of destroying it, but sometimes, that's exactly what happens. Unfortunately, I have had to repair jewelry pieces due to neglect or because ladies thought they were actually doing the right thing.

So I realize I don't fix broken-down cars, but a broken or ruined piece of jewelry is kind of like the same feeling (at least to me). You were wanting to wear it only to feel disappointment that not only are you not going to be able to put on that piece of handmade jewelry, but it's going to have to be repaired as well.

This is just a short list of what I usually see and what you can do to avoid mishaps.


1. Stones are ruined after cleaning. I have seen this mostly from people either putting their items into "dip" cleaners or using them in an ultrasonic cleaner machine. Soft and/or porous stones such as pearls, coral, and malachite should be treated with extra care. When in doubt, ALWAYS ask the person you bought your piece of jewelry from.

I only recommend the following cleaning methods:

• A solution of mild soap (such as liquid Ivory) and warm water. Soak the piece for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse. Wipe dry with a soft cloth. This is good for getting grease and fingerprints off a piece.
• Sunshine polishing cloths. These are what I use on my own jewelry. You can very carefully use the cloth to go over pieces while avoiding the stones. I love these things so much I sell them when I do shows.
• Haggerty's silversmith polish sprayed onto a soft cloth. Use these like the Sunshine polishing cloths above. You can usually find this silver cleaning product at some of the large, mass retailers. Don't spray the polish directly onto the piece since it may get into recessions that you won't be able to get it out of.
  

2. Holes or "pitting" of the metal. I usually see this after someone wears the jewelry while exposing the jewelry to bleach. Most everyone thinks to take their jewelry off before using household cleaners, but some women forget about wearing their jewelry in pools and spas. Chlorine is used to keep those things sanitary. It's that same chlorine in the bleach that pits the metal. Unfortunately, there is no fix for this.

3. Severe oxidation or tarnishing of a jewelry. This happens when someone doesn't store the piece properly. Mostly, I see this when women take their jewelry off and think "I'll put it away later" only to forget, then find it in a couple of months looking almost black. In a high humidity environment (like Florida) tarnish can happen very quickly! Jewelry can turn dark enough to where the polishing and cleaning methods above don't even work. I do have an industrial grade silver sterling tarnish cleaner that I use in my studio for such cases. It does a better job of removing tarnish than other methods, but isn't completely able to get tarnish out of deep recessions or up next to stones. Read my article here on how to keep your sterling silver jewelry free of tarnish.

These are the biggest ones I see. Are there other problems you have questions about? Let me know below! I'll do my best to get you an answer.

Spring is here (at least in Florida anyway)

I got to spend several hours in my studio yesterday. It was absolutely wonderful feeling humid-free, sunny weather drift through the room. I rely on a lot of natural ventilation and love those few months when I'm not sweating or shivering.

Some of what I did yesterday involved repairing some jewelry, but I also got to finish another class example for the "Learn How to Rivet Metal" class I'm teaching at Gifts of Avalon in April. (Short plug for this store -- if you're into beads, jewelry, glass, do-it-yourself, they are the place to go in Gainesville. Their staff is attentive and they've always got so much to choose from. I love teaching classes there. By the way, they have classes taught by other people as well.)

These two pictures are an example of what class attendees can expect to make in the class I'm teaching April 12. Believe it or not, you need NO metalsmithing experience to take this class. You will be able to have a pendant like this by the end of the two hour class. I always give class notes for people to take home and I'm available by email for follow up questions.

It's always a good time. I've got a few regular students and it's a small enough class size that I can give everyone the attention they need. If you're interested in taking the class, please contact Gifts of Avalon directly. They handle all the registrations and material fees. If you're interested in being notified of future classes, please sign up for my email list (link at the right side of this blog). I'll be happy to keep you posted on what I'm doing next.