Two New Pieces & A Peek at The Process

Stormy Seas Shield Ring 

in sterling silver and natural turquoise

Luna Ring

in sterling silver, natural turquoise, and yellow turquoise

Here are a few new big pieces I have been working on...I love them both very much.  (Click on the links above the photos to find them in my shop.)

I have found that the familiarity of contour, shape, and line...those friends that I made so long ago; sketching, painting, doodling, attending art school, cutting hair, sewing scraps of fabric together...find themselves comfortably working once again, beside me at my bench, as I work as a metalsmith.

Every piece starts as a line drawing.  I see it in three dimensions. I draw a pattern.  I etch its idea into the metal.

I cut, solder, and file away at the work until it is the vision I could have painted on paper..the moment I knew just what I was going to create.

I love the creating.

“Let the beauty we love be what we do. There 

are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the 

ground.”

~Rumi

It's October, and that means scarf weather! DIY: multi strand infinity scarf

You'll need a combination of fabrics that compliment and contrast each other.  I used 100% cotton.

Cut 4 inch strips of each fabric.  Each needs to be about 5 1/2 feet long.  For my scarf, I had two black and three patterned fabrics for a total of 5 infinity strands.

Sew each strip together length wise, sewing with the right sides of the fabric facing each other.  You will now have a long tube of fabric.

The trickiest part of the whole project is now turning the strip inside out.  It just takes some patience.  Now you can fold the ends into each other so that the unfinished edge is inside the tube.  Sew the ends together.

Pretty easy, and super cute!

Happy Fall, everyone!

Happy Tort

Remember when I got the tortoise I have always wanted for my birthday a little while ago?  The first thing I realized was that having a Tort is a lot more complicated than I had expected.  I did some reading and discovered some things that I needed to do to upgrade his lifestyle, and make his habitat more Tort friendly.

In other words, his house has gotten an extreme makeover.

Here is Jarvis, happily finishing his dinner in his new home:

In creating a living space for my Russian Tortoise, I wanted to provide an optimal environment, and also build a beautiful terrarium.

Supplies For a Tortoise Terrarium

1.  Two light fixtures are necessary.  They can sit atop the wire lid of your terrarium or clip onto the side.

2.  A basking light which provides temperatures up to 90 degrees is important to keep the Tort warm and aids in digestion.

3.  A UV-B lamp helps your tortoise to absorb calcium, important to proper shell and bone development.

4.  This coconut fiber is a great substrate for a Tort.  It keeps moisture content in the terrarium, is ecofriendly and compostable,  and has the look and feel of actual soil.  Great for digging into.  This should be used as 50% of substrate.

5.  A Tort needs to have a little privacy, a retreat to hide in.  I like the look of this half log.

6.  White sand is used as the other 50% of the substrate.

7.  Two of these shallow feeding dishes are a natural looking option for feeding and water dishes. A tortoise should always have fresh water available, and feeding is a daily adventure with a huge variety of greens offered.


To give the terrarium a wild and natural feel, I picked out some artificial greenery and some stones.

The kids helped mix the substrate mixture of coconut fibers and sand.

We added the dishes, stones and plants in an arrangement that mimicked nature.

Then Jarvis got a bath.  Did you know that Torts should have a little bath once a week?

Jarvis was introduced to his new home and went straight for his log where he dug himself into a cozy hole and took a long nap.  When he came out the next day, he tried to nibble on a plastic flower!  

Now he is a happy little guy and looking handsome in his new surroundings.

For a really extensive source on caring for Russian Tortoises, please visit here.

DIY: How To Do A Hair Wrap, Demo

I gave MyGirl a hair wrap as part of her back to school preparedness.  Fifth grade finds her the artsiest little hip girl!  She picked out all of her colors and we sat together, watched a chick flick, and spent some quality girl time together.  I think her hair wrap goes especially well with her striped knee highs.

I made this little step by step in case anyone wants to try it out.

Planting Roots

Sedums have become quite the rave lately, which makes them really easy to pick up for a steal!  I found four five gallon pots, each a different variety, for only twelve bucks.  And then I hit up a Goodwill for some pots and found some really nice pottery for hardly anything.

All of this was in preparation for adding some greenery to the new house, and more symbolically, some roots.

Mygirl tagged along for the whole adventure and learned all about separating plants, potting plants up to a bigger size, and getting artistic in her arrangements.

I think they all turned out beautiful, and each unique in its own way.

Summer Fun: Bubbles!

MyGirl came home on the last day of fourth grade with a great recipe for summer fun, making giant bubbles!  All you need you probably have lying around the house...

Needs:

Plastic straw
Dish soap
Tub
Vaseline
String

Cut the straw into two pieces and thread a string through them both and tie it together.  In the tub, mix the soap and a little vaseline with water.  You will have to experiment with the consistency to get good results, but that is half the fun!

To make great big bubbles, hold your bubble maker by the two straws, one in each hand.  Dip the contraption in the bubble mix and gently separate the strings as you pull your hands apart.  Now either blow into or try waving the bubble maker to make a bubble!  Way fun.

What do you do for summer fun?

Grafitied Fridays: A Decade of MyGirl & Make a Paper Doll

I just love birthdays, and making crazy creative fun birthday cards!  You may remember some of my pop-up cards from here and here, and the little paper movie I made here.  

This week was a birthday week.  MyGirl turned ten!  (Happy birthday you sweet, beautiful, smart, talented, sassy, girl!)  

Instead of a card, I made MyGirl a paper doll with moving parts (brads are fun, especially these tiny little star shaped ones).  I thought it would be a cute way to give MyGirl the necklace I made for her, and a fun way for her to start her birthday morning.

This doll is how I see MyGirl in a few more years.  She has grown so much, I am very grateful for her beautiful presence in my life everyday, for the past ten years, and for many more to come!

Ready For The Roller Rink!

MyGirl is turning a DECADE this week.  So proud, amazed, shocked....no little ones in this house any more.  

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we have secured her the "Sparkle Room" at our local Skate World.  She is a complete bada** on skates, so this is going to be a blast for her!  I just hope her friends can keep up.

Speaking of friends...MyGirl and I made these neat-o invitations:

Step 1--->>>  Cut paper for card, and create and cut informative insert for the inside of the card.

Step 2--->>> Design a template for your card.  Then trace and cut out as many as you have guests.

Step 3--->>>  Color and decorate design.  (We just loved the dimension the ribbon added to the skate laces!)

Step 4--->>> Glue design to card, and also glue insert to inside.

Step 5--->>>  Hand out to friends!!

Now on to the cake planning!   I bet you can't guess what animal will be gracing MyGirl's cake/cupcakes this year!  Hint:  it isn't what we did last year.

Xmas Cards: Block Printing

I cannot wait to send these cards out (now that all the fun part is complete, I have to find the time to address all of them and mail them out)!

I actually found some time this year to do one of my absolute favorite kinds of art....block printing.  It is a really great way to bring handmade to the realm of the annual christmas card.

When my kids were very small, I made cards similar to these and sold them at a local shop for extra money (nothing like mouths to feed to inspire the artist within).  I've been hooked ever since.

If you like cutting things up, and design, this might be a fun project for your cards this year if yours aren't made/sent already!

>>>Tools/Supplies

Brayer
Speedball Ink (water based)
Printing paper cut to size
Linoleum Block
Linoleum cutting tool
Table spoon
Iridescent powder

>>>Method

Think of a design and draw it out on some paper within the correct size of your block (remember that anything you print, like a word, needs to be designed backwards).

Using the cutting tool, carefully cut into the block, removing all negative space from the design.

Apply some ink to your palette (I use a piece of cardboard) and evenly distribute it to the brayer.  Too much or too little is no good, so just do some practice prints until you figure out the consistency.

Roll the ink onto your block.

Carefully lay your printing paper with the absorbant side down onto the block.

Using your spoon, rub (burnish) the printing paper onto the inked block so the paper absorbs the ink evenly.  Make sure you 'burnish' all areas.

Lift the paper from the block and enjoy your work!

I like to wait until the ink is tacky dry and add iridescent powder to key points of the design, which you may or may not be able to notice in the photos.


Are your cards in the mail?  What card traditions do you have?

Very Hip Wrap Bracelet (BFFs)

Over the long break we got crafty!  MyGirl and I made some new bracelets from a DIY we found here.  I love sitting down with her and making things, it makes us both happy.  This is a really simple bracelet to make with only leather cord, waxed linen, and ball chains which you just wrap around each other.  We mixed it up and used some funkier beads for the clasp.  They turned out totally cute, and neither of us have taken our bracelets off (Besties forever).

These would make a fun handmade gift for her gilfriends at school, don't you think?

Gratified Friday: They're Crafty!

I am so lucky and grateful to belong to a crafty little family.  I love it that they all enjoy participating in the crazy projects I dream up.

Usually, this time of year I make a christmas wreath for the front door by wandering around picking up fallen evergreen branches and looping them around and adding a big bow.  Simple.  

But this year, I decided to get crafty and make a wreath that will last.  The best part is that I didn't make it.  We made it together, all four of us, one crafty family.  A bit more complicated but a lot more fun!

Believe it or not, we had no prior experience making felt flowers at all!  They are surprisingly easy and fun to make.  Look here for some felt flower tutorials, and here for wreath ideas.

Now I just need to get the wreath hung on the door!

Happy decorating!

Art Smart

Remember those posters I made for the fall carnival?  Well, after that project, I was asked to help teach the after school art program!  Years ago, I taught watercolor classes part time to teens, so I figured this would be a fun opportunity, and one that I could really help with.  So I was given free reign to come up with four different projects.  As an extra bonus, my two kiddos get to attend for free.  :)

Last week we worked in oil pastel and watercolor and masking tape.  I taught the kids about using 'resist' techniques to control the paint...they were so into it!  We only have a bit over an hour, and these kids couldn't paint enough!  Some of them made at least three paintings, and they all were really inspired by the process.

>>>How To:  Abstract Watercolor Painting Using Resists


Materials

Cold pressed watercolor paper
Oil pastels
Masking tape
Brushes
Water

Method


Tape the paper to the table to keep it from buckling.  Before painting, first use masking tape and oil pastels to create your design.  Using generous amounts of watercolor paint and a 'wash' technique, paint over your design.  Watch as the oil pastel and tape control where your paint goes.  Let your work dry a bit, and then take off all the tape.  Notice the clean white border around your paper, and the clean white paper that was hiding under any other tape lines!




It's a shame that art is always the first thing to be cut from a school's budget.  These kids are so lucky to have volunteers willing to come in after school (and once a month during school) to make sure there is still art in the curriculum!  I am very happy to be involved, and so appreciate the other moms and volunteers that make these programs a success!