What would you do?

What would you do if someone contacted you to make them some custom jewelry or art and after following their instructions to the "T" using some fairly expensive materials, agreeing on a price, spending many hours of your time working on them and they've seen what that item will look like in a photo, you send them out $270 worth of custom items. Upon receiving them, they email you and notify you that the colors are too bright and the length is too short and would like to return them for a refund. Upon agreeing to receive the items back you refund them the amount minus the $10 shipping, $9 in paypal fees and $10 in esty fees only to get an angry response threatening to report you and you are cheating them? Dear jewelry designers and artists, what would you do?

Mmmmmermaid!

These just make me say "MMmmmmmmM!"

They are a new color I made and remind me of the watery ocean depths, where a mermaid might frolic! Or how her tail would shimmer and glow in the water....

What is your ritual for Christmas eve? We make cookies all day and hot coco in the evening and drive around to look at lights!
Happy Christmas Eve!

Oh my STARS!

This stars button has been made into a button bracelet which I am particularly fond of. These little art clay buttons are fast becoming a favorite of mine...

So, have you gotten all your holiday ducks in a row? Mine are still woefully running amuck! I'm getting by on too much chocolate and gossip with friends (the friendly sort of course!) But I will tell you, this holiday season has been trying. I've been apologetic to people who may need to hear the hard truth. I'm hoping the holiday spirit stays with me to get me on through to the next year and beyond. If you are feeling the biting cold of the season instead of the warm glow, just know you are not alone and give yourself a hug!

Merry Merry everyone!

I Heart Hearts

To really drive home my love of hearts, I came up with this heart shaped wire hook. I also found my sticker collection from the 3rd grade and you'd never guess the predominant theme... hearts. Foil ones, rainbow ones, spotted and solid ones. Whee!

Love 2 U!

Free love...

Hearts. I Heart them. They have such a pleasing shape and say so much with so little. They can have wings, flames, cracks, flowers, stripes, leaves, swirls.... just love them. I'm also taking the time to enjoy how these themes can translate into the Art Clay medium. The smaller scale seems to make them precious in a way that ceramic clay doesn't seem to get for me.

Enough of that pity party...

I've got beads to play with! And jewelry to make. I would like to complete a December firing in a timely manner. I had an element go out in my kiln for the November firing. Not good. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this firing goes better. It has been a serious struggle not to chuck everything out the window and play with the silver art clay. Can I just say that I've been having a great time learning my way around this new medium. I should have researched what stones will fire with the Art Clay before hand. I'm a gal that likes to throw caution to the wind. And make mistakes. And I'm lazy. And pressed for time. So here are a few triumphs. I'll be brave and show some not so triumphy ideas... later....




Love 2 U.

An open apology...

It must be that time of year. Time is running fast and nerves are frayed. We are only human. To err is human. To forgive is divine. The season is catching up with me and I'm always so grateful for orders. Truly, no order is too small. This time of year many small and wonderful orders can add up so quickly that I must admit, my head has begun to spin. Just a little. Unfortunately when I'm spinning like a top, mistakes are bound to happen. Detail fall through the cracks. Not to make excuses. So to you dear customer, I apologize and ask in this season of joy and light, you can find it in your heart to forgive.

More bracelet love....

Who are you?

David Bowie. Elvis. Henry Miller. Matisse. J. D. Salinger. Muhammad Ali. Dolly Parton. Edgar Allen Poe. Cezanne. Isaac Newton. J.R. Tolkien. Dean. Joelle. We keep good company... Capricorn's that is! Who do you keep good company with?

Fa-la-la-la-la

I took my girl to the park today! It was such a beautiful day and we needed the fresh air and play time! This also kept me from popping open the kiln too early! We had a great Thanksgiving and celebrated with a feast that we spent two days cooking! Life has become increasingly blurry as we approach Christmas and New Years... Time to get back in the saddle and ride! I've had my nose to the grindstone and am ready for some time off... I hope all are well!

Color!

These are the finished ornaments! They seemed to be well received and added a punch of color to my display! They are now over at the Made In Ojai store!

The new hand torch arrived on Friday but I haven't had a chance to bust it out of the box and take it for a test drive! Any words of wisdom on the mini butane torches would be greatly appreciated! I don't want to have a "You'll put your eye out!" moment here! I did of course read the instructions and safety information...



I also had the room to fire up some newish beads in a newish color. They look very mermaidy to me. I'm all about the made up words today. Go right brain! Go right brain!

Playing favorites...

My favorite new necklace (as if I could really ever pick a favorite!) Turquoise, labradorite, moonstone, rubies, garnets and ceramic beads as well as a new bird! YUM! I gave here a title... "Hope she comes my way..."

Loves me!

This is one of those ideas that has been rattling around in my brain for ages! She's ready to roll on out! Of course she'll look more like a petal when she's a soft pink or orange. And yes there is a "Love's me not" one to go with her!

Busting at the seams!

It was a jam packed weekend! It is time to get myself in gear and get going with the holiday ornaments! Next weekend is the Holiday Home Look-in, a local craft show which will be a 3 day event! Here are some of the ornaments!

Years to get here...

I have been wanting to work with precious metal clay for years. Sometimes it takes that long for things to come together. I'm glad they finally did. A fellow Made In Ojai artisan was kind enough to let me sit in with her while she worked with her Art Clay. Andre is an amazing jewelry artist and is certified to work with Art Clay. A few months ago I purchased a small amount of the clay on-line and it has been sitting in it's shipping box waiting patiently for me to get my s#@t together. It really helped to see someone work with it in person. To see how the clay feels and what essentials to have on hand. It was also very motivating to have Enchanted Adornments on hand as inspiration and instruction. I got my tools together, set up a work area after the kids were in bed and forced myself to pick one or two ideas to really focus on. My mind was overly excited and taking me everywhere so a few small sketches really helped me to FOCUS! I choose to do a few freeform hearts and 2 small press molded bird charms. I let them dry over night and instead of firing them in the kiln, I choose, out of sheer impatience, to fire them on the stove top! Did you know you can do that? Just some metal mesh and a gas stove! Amazing. I was dubious. The photos tell the story...


Here they are over the burner. I used thin sterling wire as the bail on the heart.


This little bird before brushing with a wire brush...


A speck of liver of sulfur.


Getting their sulfur bath.


A really dark patina.


Proud mama! After they were tumbled!
I'm really excited to see what they become...

Cramped nubs...

My fingers have been reduced to cramped nubs at this point. Must stop typing... must stop wire wrapping...

Someone STOP ME!

It's like I've got the red shoes on only they are pliers and they keep my hands wrapping wire!!! In fact I'm all out of 22 gauge wire! Someone stop me!

More! More! More!

Just. More.

Newness...

I had a wire wrapping fit over the weekend! Some of these are for a holiday boutique at the end of the month and some to submit to magazines. Shhhh....

Round and round she goes...

Here are some small shots of what I added to the round robin necklaces. They were all so lovely! And nearly done! Some only had room for a charm. Others had room for more...

Ornamental...

This ornament and it's fraternal twin sister are out having a trial run in the Made In Ojai store. We shall see what sort of reception they get before making more as holiday gifts. I had a lot of fun making them and am hoping they will be this years holiday ornament for friends and family...

It was like Christmas!

Only better! Because it was all for me and it was yesterday! I do love giving a gift but I also love getting a gift! Yesterday was the mother load of post office days! My box runnith over....

First was this beauty of a ring from Andrew Thornton's sale shop and with it was this original work of art by Andrew! Thank you!





Then there was the round robin jewelry from Tiny Leaves. I was lucky enough to be included in the round robin as Lorelei can't count in the wee hours of the morn! Lucky me!



and then, and then, and then... I'm almost too excited to say it because I've been waiting since June for this to be in my hot little hands.... Enchanted Adornments!!!! And now it is MINE! And it is so exquisite! I'm really looking forward to trying her techniques for my own designs, starting with some PMC love. I may have to wait until the holidays and I've been pretty good this year so I've asked Santa for a rock tumbler and a small hand torch.



So much postal love! So little time!

As seen in...

I was lucky enough to have two projects published in this years edition of Easy Wire Magazine...

It has some really beautiful projects. I am in great company!