Yesterday I had a blast teaching beginner Friendly Plastic. Ladies, I had a great time! And all of you made wonderfully creative things. Wish I had remembered my camera so I could post photos of what you made.
Considering we only had 2 hours, we covered alot of ground. Inlay, marbling, and alcohol inks! Whew! That was alot of material to go through in a very short time. I would've loved to have had the entire afternoon to explore this with you.
I hope you come back for the second class. We'll be learning Fracture and Fusion, stained glass bezels, and stamping. Another fun filled but busy class!
I'm off to Niagara Falls next week for a well deserved vacation. Hope it isn't as hot there as it is here in Texas. Ugh! When I get back, I'm hitting the studio for some serious design time. Haven't been able to get into the studio and work like I had hoped. So many ideas to play with!! Hope to post some pics of new items soon!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Time to get to work
Hey ya'll.
Got some fun stuff in the mail yesterday. Double drilled bamboo tiles. Hmm... What can I do with those? The small ones came in fun colors - green, blonde, black, mahogany, tan. Got some extra large ones in blonde and black. I know what I'm doing with some of those - art tiles! Maybe a couple tiles done with a certain famous blonde actress... My daughter will love those!
You know what's funny though? I was at Ross yesterday morning, poking around in the housewares section, and found these placemats, made of little double drilled wooden pieces. Hmm, these look like they are just about the same size as the ones I ordered online. At just $2.50 each, I snatch up two of them. Get home and find my package waiting for me....and the tiles are identical! I paid $5 for 24 tiles online, paid $2.50 to get 81 in the placemat. They are a dark wood, but I'm sure I will be able to figure something to do with them!
Don't you just love finding stuff in unsual places? My husband laughs at me when I look at stuff at the hardware store. I'll have pics soon of the new design for a tube bracelet, made with stuff from Home Depot! Gotta think outside the box if you want to do stuff that is unique!
Off to play in the studio, tired of cleaning the kithen. Not that I was working very hard, mind you. LOL I'd much rather be playing!
Got some fun stuff in the mail yesterday. Double drilled bamboo tiles. Hmm... What can I do with those? The small ones came in fun colors - green, blonde, black, mahogany, tan. Got some extra large ones in blonde and black. I know what I'm doing with some of those - art tiles! Maybe a couple tiles done with a certain famous blonde actress... My daughter will love those!
You know what's funny though? I was at Ross yesterday morning, poking around in the housewares section, and found these placemats, made of little double drilled wooden pieces. Hmm, these look like they are just about the same size as the ones I ordered online. At just $2.50 each, I snatch up two of them. Get home and find my package waiting for me....and the tiles are identical! I paid $5 for 24 tiles online, paid $2.50 to get 81 in the placemat. They are a dark wood, but I'm sure I will be able to figure something to do with them!
Don't you just love finding stuff in unsual places? My husband laughs at me when I look at stuff at the hardware store. I'll have pics soon of the new design for a tube bracelet, made with stuff from Home Depot! Gotta think outside the box if you want to do stuff that is unique!
Off to play in the studio, tired of cleaning the kithen. Not that I was working very hard, mind you. LOL I'd much rather be playing!
Friday, June 11, 2010
My last show...
...of the Spring craft show season is tomorrow. Yay! It's been a brutal 6 weeks - the weather has been hotter than usual. I just don't deal with the heat very well and it takes me days to get over being out in the heat at a show.
I love doing shows, meeting new customers and chatting with the other vendors. I love seeing what other vendors are doing, their creative booth layouts, finding out about other shows. I truly enjoy showing my work to customers, explaining how its made, and hearing all the nice compliments. It's exciting and exhausting at the same time. But I am ready for a break.
This summer I have a long list of new projects to work on, ideas that have been bumping around in my noggin for a while. Friendly Plastic rings, filled tube bracelets, and perhaps a new Friendly Plastic technique... Glad my studio is air conditioned and I have the time to play. Can't wait!
Saturday, June 12 I will be at the San Jacinto Art Market, part of the Rockwall Farmer's market, if you happen to live in the Rowlett / Rockwall, Texas, area. I would love to meet you!
Over the coming weeks, I'll be posting all the new things in my online shops. I have tons of new ceramic tile pendants, and I have great new graphics that just arrived for some glass tile pendants as well. I'll be posting pics here, now that I actually have time to come in here on a regular basis.
Thanks for stopping by!
I love doing shows, meeting new customers and chatting with the other vendors. I love seeing what other vendors are doing, their creative booth layouts, finding out about other shows. I truly enjoy showing my work to customers, explaining how its made, and hearing all the nice compliments. It's exciting and exhausting at the same time. But I am ready for a break.
This summer I have a long list of new projects to work on, ideas that have been bumping around in my noggin for a while. Friendly Plastic rings, filled tube bracelets, and perhaps a new Friendly Plastic technique... Glad my studio is air conditioned and I have the time to play. Can't wait!
Saturday, June 12 I will be at the San Jacinto Art Market, part of the Rockwall Farmer's market, if you happen to live in the Rowlett / Rockwall, Texas, area. I would love to meet you!
Over the coming weeks, I'll be posting all the new things in my online shops. I have tons of new ceramic tile pendants, and I have great new graphics that just arrived for some glass tile pendants as well. I'll be posting pics here, now that I actually have time to come in here on a regular basis.
Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Added Link to Facebook
Check it out - I've added a link on the right to my Facebook page. I'd love for you to 'like' my page!
Mother's Day Sale!
All items in my etsy and artfire stores are now ON SALE!!! 25% off everything for a limited time only!
I have some shows coming up as well. I'll blog the dates and locations as they are confirmed. Hope to see you!
I have some shows coming up as well. I'll blog the dates and locations as they are confirmed. Hope to see you!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A kick in the behind is what I needed!
Everyone always tells me that things in life happen for a reason. I guess the events of this week happened for a reason...and I think I am beginning to see why.
Thought I was happy at my place of employment, but the last few months I'd been getting restless and yearning to be someplace other than there. I was working 28 - 30 hours a week and over the past few weeks, my hours were cut to just 6 hours a week. How is a person supposed to meet their financial obligations on just those few hours a week? And my youngest is a senior - with prom and graduation just weeks away. Every time she turns around, she needs more money!
And it appeared that no more hours would be forthcoming in the immediate future, although I was told that if business picked up, I would get more hours again. Was I supposed to just sit and wait? I talked to the manager and told her my intentions of just working until the end of the month, I wanted to cover my teaching oligations there for the coming 3 weeks - but I had not officially turned in my notice. She called me later to tell me that my services were no longer required, as of that day. Hmm. So they fire me before I can quit? And cheat me out of 3 weeks of wages, although not that much money, its still the principal of the thing.
Understandably I was upset - but it's dawned on me that this was a good thing. It's really made me look at my life and where I want it to head - and given me the kick in the behind to get going in that direction. I was stagnant there, never really getting into my studio and doing what I know I can do. I used work as an excuse to not create the things that I could see in my mind - don't have the time or energy. Well now I have the time, and I need to find the energy and motivation.
I'm applying for craft shows for late spring and early summer. Maybe I will get into a couple and that will give me enough money to work on product for the fall and holiday shows. I have so many ideas to work on! And I will be posting more often, now that I have time on my hands.
Thought I was happy at my place of employment, but the last few months I'd been getting restless and yearning to be someplace other than there. I was working 28 - 30 hours a week and over the past few weeks, my hours were cut to just 6 hours a week. How is a person supposed to meet their financial obligations on just those few hours a week? And my youngest is a senior - with prom and graduation just weeks away. Every time she turns around, she needs more money!
And it appeared that no more hours would be forthcoming in the immediate future, although I was told that if business picked up, I would get more hours again. Was I supposed to just sit and wait? I talked to the manager and told her my intentions of just working until the end of the month, I wanted to cover my teaching oligations there for the coming 3 weeks - but I had not officially turned in my notice. She called me later to tell me that my services were no longer required, as of that day. Hmm. So they fire me before I can quit? And cheat me out of 3 weeks of wages, although not that much money, its still the principal of the thing.
Understandably I was upset - but it's dawned on me that this was a good thing. It's really made me look at my life and where I want it to head - and given me the kick in the behind to get going in that direction. I was stagnant there, never really getting into my studio and doing what I know I can do. I used work as an excuse to not create the things that I could see in my mind - don't have the time or energy. Well now I have the time, and I need to find the energy and motivation.
I'm applying for craft shows for late spring and early summer. Maybe I will get into a couple and that will give me enough money to work on product for the fall and holiday shows. I have so many ideas to work on! And I will be posting more often, now that I have time on my hands.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
I've spent all of my free time over the last week getting my two handmade community stores up and running. I hope that you'll go visit them and see what I put out there!
http://www.wolfcreekdesigns.artfire.com
http://www.wolfcreekdesigns.etsy.com
Next project coming up - a facebook page. Plus I have one more website to work on, my main site at wolfcreekdesigns.com, but those projects will have to wait until later this week. I am putting mostly Friendly Plastic things on my handmade sites, since those are unusual and less expensive than my regular, beaded jewelry. I'll put that on my main site.
After the stores are all up and running, I have some fiber bracelets I want to work on. I think you'll like them, they are really different. I'll post photos of them as they progress. Gonna try to figure out how to mix the fiber and Friendly Plastic and beads - should be fun!
http://www.wolfcreekdesigns.artfire.com
http://www.wolfcreekdesigns.etsy.com
Next project coming up - a facebook page. Plus I have one more website to work on, my main site at wolfcreekdesigns.com, but those projects will have to wait until later this week. I am putting mostly Friendly Plastic things on my handmade sites, since those are unusual and less expensive than my regular, beaded jewelry. I'll put that on my main site.
After the stores are all up and running, I have some fiber bracelets I want to work on. I think you'll like them, they are really different. I'll post photos of them as they progress. Gonna try to figure out how to mix the fiber and Friendly Plastic and beads - should be fun!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Yes, I am finally back to my blog! Bet you thought that I'd never come back, huh?
Not sure where it has come from, but I am back making jewelry with a vengeance and enjoying every second of it. I'm making some major changes in my life right now, so maybe that has something to do with it. Whatever the reason, I am back to my jewelry and letting my creativity run rampant.
Want to see some new designs? Head over to my artfire account and see all the new pieces that I've posted for sale. Here's a sneak peak...
This is a Friendly Plastic cuff, made using alcohol inks and antique brass pieces. I adore the art deco feel of this piece, the dragonfly is amazing! This is one of my favorite cuffs so far. I'm gonna hate to part with it but someone needs to give this one a home and love it as much as I do.
Been trying some different finishing techniques with the cuff. I love Jana Ewy's hint on using the resin while the piece is still flat (see her article in the latest Belle Armoire Jewelry issue) - it works great with the ID bracelet pieces. I keep getting the resin too thick on the cuffs (because I love the look of the thick resin) but it makes it hard to get a good smooth bend. And the thicker the resin, the stiffer the bracelet ends up and its hard to get on and off. I need to find a happy medium in there! Next batch I will try the flat resin technique again but not make the resin quite so thick!
Want to see my ID bracelets too? Here's a sneak peek at one..
Jana, thanks so much for the idea on these! I love them and everyone that I've showed them to loves them too! I 'assembly line' the work so it seems to take forever to make them, but once the process is done I have more than a dozen ready to go at once.
I promise I will be back here more often...now that I am excited about jewelry again. I have a few more pieces to upload to Artfire and then I'm be putting some up on Etsy as well, but I haven't finished creating my store there yet - but soon!
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