word's out -

well, the cat is officially out of the bag... 

and i couldn't be happier - 

all of the patina work i have been doing has been headed here - 

to the uber talented, very very lovely shannon levart - aka missficklemedia!

she is creating a community of makers - and i thank her so much for including me in it... 

this opportunity has forced me to stretch, to experiment and learn more about the patinas, to explore wire forms, and create my own etched images... to push myself to be better than i am - for who would want to have anything sub-par in such a meaningful, high quality venture?

thanks, shan, for being one of those lights at the end of the tunnel - 

experimenting

i am sure i am not alone when i tell you that just when i need to get down to putting some things together that function as adornment (as opposed to the fun i have when i build the focals, etc...) 

i get pulled in another direction... 

but i was also on the phone (which i usually am not) - so i didn't want to make noise (because hammering isn't really polite - though i admit a slipped a couple of times)... and i saw this copper tubing hanging on my board... and etching is quiet... 

so what if?

'all life is an experiment.

the more experiments you make

the better.'

~ ralph waldo emerson

and thank you barbara, for reminding me of where the tired brain had gotten the inspiration from... your book and a takrut i recently used in a necklace i made... 

the student teacher

'curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.'

~ william arthur ward

etching is one of my favorite techniques... you can take plain metal and give it a life of its own... at a bead shop i began noticing the possibilities for a lot of the components they had displayed - trays of vintaj, boxes of brass and copper shapes... so i asked if she would be open to an etching class...

the pieces above were made to place around the store so that people could see another side of what was available... i thought about just asking her if she would like me to etch some for sale... but i thought that teaching people how to do it would be so much more fun... 

and, girl, was it!

busy... i love that about classes... how focused everyone becomes...  how people talk and work together... these 7 wonderful women and i spent 3 hours together... (& i learned that 3 hours is not enough time...)

my favorite question - 'what if...'  it is what drives me daily... and i love to hear/see that in others... learning something new by whatever avenue then integrating it into your personal arsenal is magical... 'what if... ' is why i keep a journal for my work - because surely i would forget everything that flits through my head... 

it was a fantastic way to spend my friday... i feel badly there are no images of finished work... i had forgotten about taking pictures  as the class went on... 


and ai wei wei was released on the 22nd... 

all in a(n x # of) days' work...

stop, start, stop, start... 


make components, set them aside... 


and then you have a day where some of them grow up... 

'moonlight is sculpture.'

~ nathaniel hawthorne

gratitude opens

embrace uncertainty

the nature of a woman

strong and beautiful... worn by time but gleaming with a patina that comes from experience and living... intuitive, soft, wise... moonstone and labradorite used for their metaphysical properties...

keeping the faith

'hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.'

~ george iles

as tiresome as sneak peeks may be for you, they mean (to me) that progress is being made! 

'never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. 

there is always something to make you wonder

 in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.'

 ~ albert schweitzer

new things for my speakingyourtruth shop::

noticing a lot of really rundown ladies out there - don't know what is going around, but i empathize... here's hoping the weekend allows you some time to do what feeds you ~

i can save you money!

i cannot, it's a jest - but it is the best i can do with this ~


you know those beautiful texturizing hammers? the expensive ones? that we want? well, i was shown a way to get one without all of that cost... here's what you need - 


1 - a chasing hammer
2 - metal punches
3- a piece of practice sheet copper
4- a curious & bright child


i know you have this figured out already, but here's how it goes -
'look mom, i got the bird to stamp on the sheet!' 
me:  'that's great, let me come and looooooooooooooooooook. oh... great job hon, but how about next time you use the hammer that looks like the one that lives in the garage.'
breathe in & out...
ok, i have read that you should felt cover your hammer end anyway - it prevents any marking... so now i have this cool distressed looking effect - which i don't mind... who needs that raw silk texturing hammer? not me! :0)


onward and upward!


got 2 pairs of earrings made -

'what we think, we become.'

-the buddha 

dispelling the negative earrings made of turquoise and copper - naturals for healing and purifying... spiral represents the negative being drawn out, copper and sterling wires guide it away...

'life in abundance comes only through great love.'

- elbert hubbard

abundance earrings are made with a wheat sheaf motif... wheat being symbolic of abundance... beautiful green lampwork beads by mary ann at linden avenue designs are added because i thought of van gogh's wheat field paintings with cypress trees included in the composition... 

oh & p.s., i broke down and bought one the other day - when i was shocked at the shipping, i realized - i had ordered a HAMMER! i am very excited... 

here, there & everywhere ~

'don't walk in front of me; i may not follow.

don't walk behind me; i may not lead.

just walk beside me &  be my friend.'

- albert camus

and to friends i am always most grateful!

'magic lives in curves, not angles.'

- mason cooley

was able to make some earrings with the etched charms i posted about... 'where magic resides' features copper wirework & antique looking czech glass...

when my daughter was little, we called dandelions gone to seed 'blowies'... and they have always brought us such delight... what other flower can offer you a wish each time you pick it? i decided to wrap a link with ivory embroidery floss because seed parachutes always look so silky to me...  & i am going to work on fraying them a bit more... the copper links are handmade by cindy at cindy's art & soul... she does beautiful copper work...

 some beautiful beads arrived from mika at pinocean today and the teal was perfect for another pair of awareness earrings... our local kaleidoscope of hope walk is on the 26th and it is always such a meaningful day... survivors, family members, friends & remembrances of those who died are all present - the energy is palpable... i guess that is inevitable with the level of emotion and commitment that is present there...

 and finally a more controlled study into etching... vintaj will etch, but loses its finish... it also did not seem to oxidize in los... the difference in copper (18 ga) discs between about 1.5 hours and 2 hours has to do with deeper relief and sharper edges... a pretty significant amount of metal comes off in that 1/2 hour... i tried writing on one with a sharpie marker... that was fun... and it opens up the door to so many opportunities - another way to get words into my work!

and so it is friday ~ enjoy!