HappyDayArt!

Welcome! This is a connecting stop in a blog carnival!

It's a blog post about a topic a group of us - in this case, "Ring a Week" - agrees upon and then we all write about it.  At the end of the post is a list of links to other bloggers in the "RAW Challenge" so you can go from one to the other and get an introduction to their blogs and art and see what they think.  It's a great way to explore, especial if you are into RINGS!

The topic of this blog carnival is: 

What was your inspiration for participating in RAW?

Well, my inspiration for RAW began long before I joined.  I was following the "Ring A Day Challenge" that started with the Etsy Metal Team.  I am a fan of many of their 101 members.  I stalk some of their shops for inspiration and also for jewelry I want to buy that in the past I wasn't sure I would ever be able to make myself.  Their blog is the best I've seen for eye candy and for exposure to ideas and techniques.  They share a lot of themselves generously and that's impressive.   

Then I met team member Thomasin Durgin, online through a "Rings for Haiti" ebay auction event in which I won a very cool ring from Sarah Loertscher.  Here is that ring:

and the back cause its very original.

Anyway Tomi (link to her blog) made a ring a day straight for a whole year.  I could barely keep up reading about all the rings the members of the team were posting and there was no way I had the time then to make my own.  The most interesting thing for me about it though was the fact that she had a creative practice that got her into her studio EVERY DAY to work and play, to strengthen her skills and keep her art evolving. (Link to her etsy shop)

So when I was on Facebook one day I noticed (lucky me!) that at the end of that week, the daily challenge would be over and she was going to start a new group on 1/1/11 and you know the rest. 

I really wasn't prepared for how many rings were going to be posted and how many artists were going to join and how my world was going to grow larger than I could imagine . . . and it's only February!

Ring a Week link (AGAIN! for convenience) - you are going to be hearing a lot about this during the year, I'm just sayin'.

To date there are 278 members and 1703 photos posted.  There is the whole range of experience from alternative mediums like paint and wood through beading to metalclay and complete metalsmithing.

So far I've learned: 

+  that if you don't like it, a handful of other people do

+  if you botch a solder job, you can take it apart the same way you attached it and file off the solder

+  you can learn by just looking at the pictures and sometimes there are full detailed descriptions

+  questions are allowed in the comments

+  you don't have to be a member to ogle or comment

+  anyone can join and you can post whenever you want and I'm the kind of person who is trying to keep up for now

+  it's great when someone explains an accident because we all learn

+  I know I am going to look at every single ring as the challenge progresses

+  I have seen some stellar work

+  I have seen some really "outside the box" ideas manifested

+  my skills are improving and I'm taking chances I wouldn't have taken before

+  everyone needs reasons to create and this one is the best kind

+  it's fun to have an excuse for why I am staring off into space - I say "I just got an idea for a ring!"

+  I like going back to read comments about my rings from people I respect

+  I feel capable and appreciated and doesn't everyone want to feel that?

+  I have been exposed to more

+  I feel included and a sense of belonging in something that is bigger than me and I'm there to cheer people along too

All good things eh?

Here are links to all the other members of this challenge who are taking part in the blog Carnival.  Take a look when you have some time.  You WILL be inspired!

Marcie Abney - www.labellajoya.blogspot.com

Joanne Harrill - www.jojobell.com
Thomasin Durgin - www.metalriot.blogspot.com
Amy Nicole - www.rubymtnbeads.blogspot.com
Janice - www.doxallodesigns.blogspot.com
Aleksandra Micic - www.micicart.blogspot.com
Lana Chu - www.ginkgoglass.wordpress.com
Evelyn Markasky - www.markasky.blogspot.com
Kerry Alice-Twigs and Heather - www.twigsandheather.blogspot.com
Lorena Angulo- blog.lorenaangulo.com/
Kate Jones-- www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com
Maria Apostolou- www.createjewelry.gr/blog
Sarah Small - www.bysalla.blogspot.com
Rebecca Bogan - www.Adobesol.com/blog
Elaine Luther - www.CreativeTextureTools.com/news
Rebekah Timlin Meddles - www.lunasadesigns.blogspot.com
Laura M (Zoeowyn)- zoeowyn.blogspot.com/
Kimberly (bahamadawn) - www.bahamadawn.blogspot.com
Erin Austin - www.metalmusing.blogspot.com
Michele Grady- www.michelegradydesigns.blogspot.com 
Joan Furilla - jfurilla.wordpress.com/ 
Kathryn Cole- www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com 

 

Next week - a ring constructed with traditional metal smithing techniques! 

OOOOOOH!

Quiet time and creativity - my favorite things.

Staying home because of the rain is a great excuse to get fun time creating some of the ideas I've had swirling around in my head.  Still, some daffodils have popped out in my yard and I got a picture last week before the rain came

Yesterday was a quiet Saturday because my kids left early to meet up with a bunch of their friends to go hang out in Japantown in San Francisco.  They are old enough now and have had some experiences taking BART and carrying around wallets and ID.  Of course, I still hope it will go off as planned and nothing goes wrong.  Nothing ever has but I'm their mom and some worry comes with the job.  

They had a blast and all that went wrong, if you could call it that, was soaking wet shoes from all the rain.  They went in a big gang and then she went off with her friends and he went roaming with his.  They came home with stories of what they ate, what they saw and what they bought.  It was fun to hear them tell me about the costumes they saw from the "Anime on Display" convention happening there.

******************** 

A week ago I went over to Mona's again and she showed me how to do some foldforming.  It was so much fun.  You know I love to hammer metal and that's exactly what we did.  

This is what I made:

front and back

copper leaves - I especially loved how soft the metal became with annealing

silver earrings

These are rather large for me as earrings so I'm planning to make some smaller that I could wear comfortably but don't they look pretty?  I think I need to get some brass sheet metal! 

Mona and I are signed up for a class at the Crucible in a few months.  It's called "Fred Ball Experimental Enameling Technique" taught by Judy Stone, who is an amazing enamel artist herself and runs the department over there.  I can hardly wait!

I've been working on some things to submit to an online exhibit called "NEW DIRECTIONS: Powder Metallurgy (Metal Clay) In A Sheet Metal World"   I can't show you anything yet because it's not finished and I am still adding and changing my pieces.  But as soon as I can, you know I will . . .

but I CAN show you the last two rings I made.

RAW 7/52 the challenge progresses

cairn ring twins leaning -sculpted from metalclay

They are like the rocks stacked up in the Hawaiian countryside and various other places in the world I've heard.  I couldn't make just one - one is crosshatched and one has 4 little patterns.

Here is my latest ring RAW 8/52:

PMC and Keumboo

I read about a technique where you get the texture for the metal clay from paper so I found some embossed paper, watercolor paper and a piece of plastic with a grid from a box of chocolates since they seemed to complement each other. I always wanted to make a ring with the edges looking like you tore the label off something and the way it curls up

as you peel it off. I also pulled the edges off the top piece so it would look ragged and rough and it's a bit sharp too but putting it on the top with the other two layers just peeking out from behind it, it doesn't hurt you or catch on your clothes, something I'm wary of because I really don't want anyone to ever have to return a piece I made because the top got yanked off. It has a couple of layers of gold fused on there so it's good and bright and they're all held together, shank and 3 layers with argentium rivets that are just barely seen on the top.

This challenge has inspired me so much that I am about 8 rings ahead and it's hard not to post them all but I'm trying to be patient and pace myself. Each week I see more rings and then I make more rings.  It's a great way for me to hone skills and learn.  

Anyway, in my quest for rocks, I got a few pretty slabs of red jasper and Sonora Sunrise:

Sonora Sunrise is a great new find out of Mexico that was the hot new rock at the Tucson and Quartzite Gem and rock shows! It is made up of Chrysocolla, which is a beautiful blue, and Cuprite, which has some great red variations!  (Click on it to see it up close.)

And I found this small thick piece of mica that's pink.

I probably won't do anything with it but look at it.  It's flaky layers make it too fragile for a ring but I love the color and the thickness of it and it was only $4.

 

TOMORROW at NOON:  RAW blog Carnival!  You won't want to miss that!

 

And the winners of the Beaducation Class Giveaway are . . .

 

We had so many great responses that Kate told me I could award two lucky artists with their chosen class.  Mary MacNeill wins "Torch Enameling" and Kalin Stenhaug wins the "Unbreakable Heart Pendant"!

I'll be emailing the winners with the news soon.

I did want to take the time to thank everyone who commented for participating.  I loved all the comments and wish I could have given out a class per person! 

I am just a party girl at heart.

I'm going to go over there and sign up for the "Fleur de Link" class because I scoped it out a few days ago and I love making chains for my pendants.  I think it could look really good with my Unbreakable Heart.  I have a good idea who I could give it to for Valentines Day.

I hope you got a good look at this exiting website and will use them as a resource for learning like I have.

Now go and make something you love!

Beaducation Class Giveaway! Magically delicious!

Have you ever heard of this online company called Beaducation?  It's a great place for learning jewelry techniques by video.

Here you go . . . Take a look around.  Then you sign up with an account and a password and you can put classes into your cart for purchase.  Many basic classes are free and great for people new to jewelry making and also for a quick refresher if you may have forgotten how to:

Use metal letter stamps to stamp on metal

Use a dapping block

Saw metal

Make jewelry with resin

Videos also cover many of the common metalworking tools that Beaducation also sells.

There are a good number of interesting video classes on more complicated techniques like torch firing enamels, wire wrapping projects, riveting projects, soldering rings and bezels (!!!), chainmail, fusing and chain making, viking knit, felting, seed bead work and an intro to PMC class . . . some of the more in depth classes have very fancy results.  These classes all cost $24.95. 

My friend Kate Richbourg is the Director of Education over there and she asked me to review a class on PMC for you all and show you what I made.

I did an intermediate class "Unbreakable Heart Pendant" taught by Emily Miller and I enjoyed it very much.  The video ran in sections and I could work at my own pace.  I get to keep the class forever in my "my classes" section of the site and I can view it as many times as I want.  With the class I also got a detailed 5 page PDF.  I always love those.

Here are my hearts made by following her instructions and adding my own quirky, asymmetrical flair.

I fired them in my little Ultralite kiln today

and then put them together with Emily's thorough instructions.

front and back - I think I did a pretty good job, don't you?

Beaducation hosts some of the premier jewelry making teachers on the scene today and I am really excited to take some more of their classes, especially because I am in a very stay-at-home phase right now and not planning to leave the house much at the moment, you know, I've got a lot of projects I'm working on.

Oh, teachers - they've got classes by:

Lisa Niven Kelly, who is also the creative founder, 

Barb Switzer, Laura McCabe, Dallas Lovett, Kate Richbourg (who I've taken many classes from in person when she owned the amazing store called Beadissimo in San Francisco), Lisa Claxton (love her classes - taken most of them), Kriss Silva (SHE IS BRILLIANT!), Emily Miller, Mel McCabe, Colin Mahler, YES I THINK I DO HAVE TO LIST THEM ALL, Gail Crosman Moore (I've learned so much from her too), Iris Sandkuhler, Liz Jones, Janice Berkebile (!!!), Becky Nunn and Steven James.  The ones I've taken classes from are in bold letters.

So Kate has empowered me to do a giveaway of one of Beaducation's classes to the winner of a drawing I'm going to have on Wednesday February 9th.  The lucky winner will be able to pick any one class from the catalog of all the classes that aren't free.  You can view all the free videos you want between now and when the contest ends to keep yourself busy and distracted.  Just leave me a comment about how much you'd like to win and which class you want to do if the heavens opened up and granted you the wish of the day - POOF!  

Also, there are always sales going on at the site.  Right now it's "Beadily Dee Beads"

and "Wire Framed Beads" for 20% off.  On sale from February 9th to the 18th will be "Fleur de Link" (I've always wanted to know how to do that), "Unbreakable Heart", the PMC class I just took and "Lilies and Leaves".  I wish I could show all the pictures but well that's why you need to go over there and see for yourself.

INSTRUCTIONS (you must follow to be included in the drawing):  Go see their classes and then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which one you'd like to win and I'll do the rest.  The winner will be announced here on my blog on Wednesday night, February the 9th.

Ring a Week

Just an update of the next two rings I made for the challenge.

RAW 5/52 - a sterling silver piece I had cast from a precious metal clay original I made, soldered to a hammered ring band with liver of sulphur patina, resin and little fine silver balls in the bottom.

RAW 6/52 - brown plastic rose, sawed out sterling backing

and a stepped bezel (I mangled it a bit while trying to get it shaped and straight but oh well), sawed out the veins in the leaves after I soldered the bezel on, shaped the bezel at the top last to capture the flower.

The shank was made from and old sterling bangle I had from the 80's.  It's still available as a stock strip over at Rio Grande.  I used my disc cutter to cut out those little tags and then I stamped them with a very cool set of stamps I got from Beaducation a couple of years ago.  They have more fonts than the usual ones you've seen around.  I soldered the tags on there too.  I LOVE SOLDERING THINGS TOGETHER!  I'm obsessed and a whole new world has opened up for me and making things!  It's really exciting for me.

I've been wearing these rings all over the place and I feel so good because I made them.

REMEMBER the Beaducation Class giveaway . . . remember the class giveaway . . . remember the giveaway . . .