Metal Patinas.... In My Tool Belt.

I've been haunting metal and jewelry artist Shannon Levarts missficklemedia blog and etsy shop for a while. Oooggling and Ahhhhing her metal and patina wares for a good long time. The hammered metal! The antique textures! The vibrant colors! Turns out she offers several kits to do it your self! My kit included colors, instructions, and color sealer, all tested by Shannon herself. She even sent links to several suppliers! The instructions were easy for even a impatient gal like myself to follow.

Patina colors. Mix well!

Torch for soldering. 

Hammering rings...

Many rings. 

A mix of colors.

The final ring.

New Etsy shop! GaeaExchange

I know I am not the only gal out here to make a mistake, dislike a color, try something new, fail, succeed, or break your only original design and then have a ton of that item on hand....

Here is where my new etsy shop has stepped in. It is full of less than perfect but perfectly useful handmade ceramic pendants. On sale. Lower than wholesale.

I can't stand the thought of these perfectly good little gems just sitting around the studio gathering dust, some for over a decade!

Please help me celebrate the new etsy shop, GaeaExchange, and use the coupon "AlwaysUseful" for an extra 10% off. Happy Sunday!

The key to spring... Earthenwood Design Team Play

I am in a bracelet mood and I have to say that my resistance and fear of stringing wire and teeny tiny fingernail breaking crimp beads has completely dissolved into love. It is quick and easy, which any busy person will tell you is key! Speaking of keys.... Earthenwood studio artist Melanie, has her hands in many pots including metal work, clay and resin. Her new line of resin keys were sent out to the Earthenwood Design Team members to play with. I think I could have used a few more of these lovely keys! One side is the original metal covered with a glossy resin and the other side is a swirly, grassy, sparkly and green! I couldn't help but see spring in that key...

Unlocking spring...

Key - Earthenoxide

Ceramic Beads - Gaea Etsy Shop

Ceramic Clock Face - Earthenwood

Other Earthenwood Design Team Members

Andrew Thornton
Gaea Cannaday 
Denise Yezbak Moore 
Erin Prais-Hintz 
Erin Siegel 
Heather Powers 
Lorelei Eurto 
Lori Anderson 
Jean Yates 
Marie Dodd

A thousand and one words...

Happy Friday!

Blue (and purple paisley) Moon

I try to get the most out of each firing. I try to have the most fun with each firing too... No sense in wasting space or creative energy. I couldn't help but try the paisleys out on just about everything....

What haven't I put paisley on yet?!?!? Come hear kitty, kitty, kitty....

The Devil made me do it... Earthenwood Design Team Update

I know that cleanliness is next to godliness but isn't the devil in the details? I saw Melanie's beautiful dark locked heart that was sent for the Earthenwood Design Team and the fresh out of the kiln Diablo bead just jumped out at me! Some dark chocolate and fiery red polka dot beads plus the awesome stringing wire that Andrew Thornton had sent earlier this year brought it all together! I ordered some red enamel for the hook from Barbara Lewis. I didn't get around to playing with my new enamel colors, so maybe the next project!

Take a look at what the other design team members have been up to...

Andrew Thornton

Gaea Cannaday 

Denise Yezbak Moore 

Erin Prais-Hintz 

Erin Siegel 

Heather Powers 

Lorelei Eurto 

Lori Anderson 

Jean Yates 

Marie Dodd

TV On The Radio...

  

I'm Melting!

I set up a little home for my torch and enamels yesterday. Hammered a few copper hooks and played with some color. I don't want to get too far behind in my clay work so I didn't spend as much time as I'd like but I had such a good time doing it. There was a bit of flaking on the areas where I probably didn't hit it with enough heat or the enamel was too thin, but if any of you smart people out there knows different... I love the idea of the hooks being "dressed up" with color.

Stage One.

I feel like I should just "suck it up" or "keep a stiff upper lip" but I am a mess. And I should respect my own grieving process. My uncle died February 26th and I didn't realize that it was having such a big effect on me. I was trying to be there for my dad. His rock. His shoulder....

Little things are slipping through the cracks. Details are being lost.... How many stages of grief are there?

My first memory of my Uncle Harvey was when I was four. It was night time and I remember the adults voices were a bit stressed. The area of Santa Monica we were visiting was a bit darker than even the hour of day would suggest. Mom, Dad and I climbed a rickety stairwell and knocked on the weather worn door. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling, a bare mattress on the floor greeted our eyes. He had a wild look about him. It made me a bit uncomfortable. There seemed to be relief in the voices around me as I played with the miniature wooden orange crate, given to occupy my little hands. I can still remember how it felt hearing my family worry about uncle, when he took off to wander the world and changed his name to Lance. Why can't I change my name? I would hear stories about how sharp his wit, how clever his poems were when he was a teen. It wasn't until I was a bit older that I could kind of understand about his schizophrenia. At 9, for no apparent reason he gave me $40. A kingly sum for my age that I'm sure he needed, which had the house hold in an uproar. "WHY are you giving her THAT MUCH money?!?!"

I remember his response: "I've never given her a birthday present."

It wasn't my birthday.

His jokes were funny because they made no sense. I think he knew that.

The price paid for a coherent conversation with him was the jitters brought on by his medication.

Throughout the years he would show up unexpectedly. We'd have a sandwich. A couple of bucks would be given, and then we wouldn't see him for a while. The worry faded over the years but never went away.

He had a great laugh. I miss him.

Gold Rush!

 My grand parents lived in gold rush country in the mountains near Yosemite and I would spend a few weeks over summer vacation there. One of the nearby towns was an old gold mining town with actual gold mining, a stage coach ride complete with armed bandits and a handmade sweets shop. I remember spending the day in the old town wandering up and down the old plank walk ways, watching the silversmith work metal and taking the stage coach ride endless times. I was brought back to that town while watching Rango. The colors and textures were so inspiring. Splintered old wood, shards of old glass. Dirt and sky! I had a hard time sticking to the story because the visuals were so amazing!

Paisleyness

Wow! Didn't realize just how many of these I made! I really like the way the glaze sits on the paisley pattern but a few pieces got a bit too much glaze. Live and learn. I am offering the paisley petals as a gift with purchase add on in my etsy shop. For .20 cents you can add one of these to your order! There are 6 listed and I have a few more to list later. Pile on the paisley!

This is cute...

http://bud-pnq.blogspot.com/2011/03/no-79.html?showComment=1299023934189#c5744126392784911679

Tickled Pink!

I have  had a long, long love affair with beauty products. That love was put on the back burner when we decided to have kids. There is never enough time for mama and it was always just getting smeared around the bathroom when my little ones found my secret stash. Good bye Mac Viva Glam lipstick! Good bye Decleor face cream! So, I've found some new pretties that will find a better hiding spot! I found every shade of beautiful in the Noella Beauty Works Etsy shop! Soft browns and pink and even some racy colors that are urging me to "Blame It On The Boogie!" one of these Saturday nights!

Pink Smoke.... LOVE! 

MMMMMmmmm Mango Berry!

It's a Lock!

These lovely and timeless beauties arrived a while ago from the Earthenwood Design Team. I've been hoping to find time to play with these...

I think the disks would be fantastic for earrings with pink hearts dangling below... and I love the timeless love theme. Maybe some copper chain and some turquoise beads?

Perfectly Paisley

I am pleased as punch with paisley. I have always loved a good paisley print so I set out to draw my own pattern and then carved it out of clay. I am giddy with excitement to see how they hold up with glaze! I'm thinking there may have to be a giveaway.... and a gift with etsy orders type deal. I'm just saying I think they will be fun.