Wish list - Check
Tax I.D. - Check
Invitation - Check
Camera - Check
Money - Check
Rings & Things Bead Show Here I Come!!!!!
Featured Post
What Was I Thinking!!
I have been at this a long time! 20 years in fact. I have had a lot of fun over the years and had my share of recognition when this medium ...
Times they are a changin'
I found a bag of some of the original jewelry I made back in 2006, and WOW what a difference. (i am red faced..)
Not that there is a pattern to the path I have taken, it really is random - but what got me was the direction I seem to be going. When I look at my pieces, I am not very innovative. I don't combine eclectic components to create the pieces, but I do show an eclectic style.
I am a fan of necklaces, as anyone who follows my blog would know, and that is due to the size of the necklaces. It allows you to be more expressive when you are working on a 20 inch piece as opposed to an 8 inch bracelet.
Now it seems I am moving away from necklaces and doing more with wire. Oh how I love this path. I can see myself being exclusive to pendants and cuffs at this point, but who knows.
Join me now, back in time to where it all began :)
Back in 2006 -
it was all about stone chips and jump rings
Then I found some fun things at the hardware store
Long about 2007 I started to free up a bit, and get adventurous with my photography :)
2007 also began the love my love affair of big and bulky necklaces
2008 brought on the wire wrapping craze (i wear this one a lot)
And I began to get a bit more adventurous with my designs
2009 began the social networking - blogging, facebook, twitter - I have met some awesome people, received the best support and crazy inspiration. I took a step out again, outside myself and faced my fear of color.
Stayed with random - somethings are too deeply seated, but I never would have thought to use all these colors together.
Now here we are in 2010 and I am re inventing myself again!
I look back on some of those early designs and cringe - What was I thinking!! Jo still wears them and is proud that she was there from the beginning.
Would love to see some of your early pieces and see how you have grown in your craft - I dare you to post about them :)
Not that there is a pattern to the path I have taken, it really is random - but what got me was the direction I seem to be going. When I look at my pieces, I am not very innovative. I don't combine eclectic components to create the pieces, but I do show an eclectic style.
I am a fan of necklaces, as anyone who follows my blog would know, and that is due to the size of the necklaces. It allows you to be more expressive when you are working on a 20 inch piece as opposed to an 8 inch bracelet.
Now it seems I am moving away from necklaces and doing more with wire. Oh how I love this path. I can see myself being exclusive to pendants and cuffs at this point, but who knows.
Join me now, back in time to where it all began :)
Back in 2006 -
it was all about stone chips and jump rings
Then I found some fun things at the hardware store
Long about 2007 I started to free up a bit, and get adventurous with my photography :)
2007 also began the love my love affair of big and bulky necklaces
2008 brought on the wire wrapping craze (i wear this one a lot)
And I began to get a bit more adventurous with my designs
2009 began the social networking - blogging, facebook, twitter - I have met some awesome people, received the best support and crazy inspiration. I took a step out again, outside myself and faced my fear of color.
Stayed with random - somethings are too deeply seated, but I never would have thought to use all these colors together.
Now here we are in 2010 and I am re inventing myself again!
I look back on some of those early designs and cringe - What was I thinking!! Jo still wears them and is proud that she was there from the beginning.
Would love to see some of your early pieces and see how you have grown in your craft - I dare you to post about them :)
Cleaning copper
I have tons of copper pieces and what I have noticed being out at the market and exposing them to the humidity and the constant handling, they tarnish very quickly.
The natural patina of copper is warm and friendly and like an old pair of jeans - comfortable, but not everyone feels the way I do.
So how do you keep your copper shiny and new? It is so easy kids.
I looked at the clock when I walked into the kitchen, it was 8:05 a.m. I went to my craft room grabbed a piece of packing paper, my camera and a tarnished pendant. Went back to the kitchen, laid these things down on the table, went to the pantry and got out the salt, to the ice box and got the lemon juice, to the cabinet and got two bowls. Filled the bowls with some warm water and set everything on the table. Took a picture 8:07 a.m.
Put about a 1/4 teaspoon salt and a cap full of lemon juice in the first bowl, and then put in the pendant. Took a picture (It is still 8:07) Watched the pendant for a second - wanted to see how fast it would change............nothing.
Walked back to my craft room, grabbed my cup of coffee, walked passed the computer and turned it on, into the kitchen and warmed up my coffee, and peeked at the pendant again.
Wow It has changed!! I took the pendant from the first bowl, and laid it in the second bowl and swished it around a sec. Took a picture. 8:09 a.m.
Pulled it out, shook out the excess water and put it in an old towel, took a picture. Patted it dry and it was like new!!
8:10 a.m. This is not the best picture
Here is a side by side view of before and after. You can see a difference in the bail for sure
5 minutes - and that was only doing one piece. I could have done all of my pieces in that one bath. It removed the tarnish from the copper but didn't dull the stones. You can also use vinegar or ketchup. I chose the lemon juice because I didn't want my pieces smelling like an Easter egg or deal with the clean up of the ketchup.
From what I understand electrical grade copper wire, comes in the same gauges, doesn't tarnish as easily as the jewelry grade. There is a coating called EverBright you can get for copper jewelry, a lacquer or varnish if you will. I haven't tried it, but it is on my list. Soon as I do, I'll let you know.
Hope this helps!!!
The natural patina of copper is warm and friendly and like an old pair of jeans - comfortable, but not everyone feels the way I do.
So how do you keep your copper shiny and new? It is so easy kids.
I looked at the clock when I walked into the kitchen, it was 8:05 a.m. I went to my craft room grabbed a piece of packing paper, my camera and a tarnished pendant. Went back to the kitchen, laid these things down on the table, went to the pantry and got out the salt, to the ice box and got the lemon juice, to the cabinet and got two bowls. Filled the bowls with some warm water and set everything on the table. Took a picture 8:07 a.m.
Put about a 1/4 teaspoon salt and a cap full of lemon juice in the first bowl, and then put in the pendant. Took a picture (It is still 8:07) Watched the pendant for a second - wanted to see how fast it would change............nothing.
Walked back to my craft room, grabbed my cup of coffee, walked passed the computer and turned it on, into the kitchen and warmed up my coffee, and peeked at the pendant again.
Wow It has changed!! I took the pendant from the first bowl, and laid it in the second bowl and swished it around a sec. Took a picture. 8:09 a.m.
Pulled it out, shook out the excess water and put it in an old towel, took a picture. Patted it dry and it was like new!!
8:10 a.m. This is not the best picture
Here is a side by side view of before and after. You can see a difference in the bail for sure
5 minutes - and that was only doing one piece. I could have done all of my pieces in that one bath. It removed the tarnish from the copper but didn't dull the stones. You can also use vinegar or ketchup. I chose the lemon juice because I didn't want my pieces smelling like an Easter egg or deal with the clean up of the ketchup.
From what I understand electrical grade copper wire, comes in the same gauges, doesn't tarnish as easily as the jewelry grade. There is a coating called EverBright you can get for copper jewelry, a lacquer or varnish if you will. I haven't tried it, but it is on my list. Soon as I do, I'll let you know.
Hope this helps!!!
Simple summer accessories - Copper wire cuffs
Summer seems to be the busy time when all things slow down and take a back seat to livin' the life of a lazy summer day. I have noticed this is the same for my blog.
I am starting to slow down on my posts because I am busy with back yard BBQ's, pool parties, picnics and everything else summer.
On top of that I am at the market each weekend. I am finding little time to do much of anything these days :)
I had some time this weekend and started to play with a little idea. A copper bracelet, simple, but busy. I started with a length of 14 ga wire. Made spirals on the ends and the bent it around to form a cuff. This is a soft copper and very bendy. If I would have made it at home, I would have tumbled it to harden it. It needs to have some pliability to it so you can fit it on and off your wrist, but not as much as it has right now.
There was that naked piece of wire. Simple was the word, but there needed to be something else. I wrapped the cuff with 18 ga. copper wire. It gave the cuff a bit more of a sturdy feel, but still was easy enuff to form around your wrist. While I wrapped I added accents. Seed beads, facted beads, what ever little 1's and 2's I had laying around.
And these little treasures were born.
They are narrow enuff for you to stack several of them on. Create your own look!
I am starting to slow down on my posts because I am busy with back yard BBQ's, pool parties, picnics and everything else summer.
On top of that I am at the market each weekend. I am finding little time to do much of anything these days :)
I had some time this weekend and started to play with a little idea. A copper bracelet, simple, but busy. I started with a length of 14 ga wire. Made spirals on the ends and the bent it around to form a cuff. This is a soft copper and very bendy. If I would have made it at home, I would have tumbled it to harden it. It needs to have some pliability to it so you can fit it on and off your wrist, but not as much as it has right now.
There was that naked piece of wire. Simple was the word, but there needed to be something else. I wrapped the cuff with 18 ga. copper wire. It gave the cuff a bit more of a sturdy feel, but still was easy enuff to form around your wrist. While I wrapped I added accents. Seed beads, facted beads, what ever little 1's and 2's I had laying around.
And these little treasures were born.
They are narrow enuff for you to stack several of them on. Create your own look!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)