The Journey - Part One

The AJE team has been talking about their creative journeys recently.  We've each been looking back on our early creative endeavors and reflecting on early work we liked or disliked, how far we've come and even things from the past that might be worth revisiting.  Many of our members have pursued other art forms besides jewelry components and jewelry design.  We ended up generating a rather large collection of old pictures and related musings.

I will be sharing our journeys in my next two or three posts. Since you are also on a life journey, I hope that some of our reflections might inspire some reflection on your part as well.  What sparked your creative impulse?  How has that impulse expressed itself in different forms throughout your life?  Where do you think the path you are on might lead in a few years?  Are you open to new directions?

Karen Totten
Karen has been involved in creative endeavors all her life.She was working primarily in pottery when she needed to have surgery on her hand. In her words:
 "These were made with my handmade stamps. I made stamps initially for pottery, then when I couldn't throw (pots) for 6 months due to hand surgery, I made these beads to keep myself entertained. That's how I got into beads, it was an accident. Lesson: ya never know what is around the corner; go with the flow and you find new work, new discoveries."

"I had an unexpected discovery (while looking through these old pictures): pretty much all of it (Karen's early jewelry components) was hand formed or stamped from my own hand formed stamps. I had an impression I'd used commercial stamps with my clay - but that was more the case with my bronze work. However, I did use commercial cutters for some (my favorite cutter was a very old ruffled pastry cutter from my grandmother (I used it to make all the gear links and other shapes)."

" Porcelain with melted glass chips and various glazes"

 "Earth and Sky Wrist Amulet - Here's one that I made from hand carved leaf, flower and spiral stamps, in a terra cotta style with underglazes and a clear crackle gloss glaze over all. Very early piece yet I like this style and looking at it now I want to make it again!"

Jennifer Cameron 
Jennifer first bead wasn't too bad for a beginner.  I took a lampwork class once and believe me, my first bead did not look like the one pictured below! This bead is from 2005 and Jennifer wire wrapped it into a ring.  The ring was the first piece of jewelry she ever made, also!

Here's another view.  She says she can't remember if she followed a tutorial for the ring or just made it up herself.  The ring is not especially stable or well made, but she still has it.

Next up are two beads Jennifer made at about the same time as the ring.  She describes the one on the left as being ugly.  It was the first encased bead she ever made.  The bead on the right is "very large, very wonky, off center and totally scorched!".

Here's an early floral bead.  It has a nice "dimple" at the hole.

Leopard designs.

Jennifer says she likes the colors she used in this one, but that "it's a very ugly shape. And chunky.  Not very nice."

 Melissa Meman

First up is my very first lampwork bead ever, wire wrapped into my first piece of jewelry ever. I made it into a ring that I still have to this day. No, I don't wear it. - See more at: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-my-first-time#sthash.IL6JAbJE.dpuf

 Melissa began here jewelry journey by making wire wrapped, beaded chains, like this early bracelet.

Or these earrings.  Of course now she makes not only jewelry, but also a variety of jewelry components.

Niky Sayers

First up is my very first lampwork bead ever, wire wrapped into my first piece of jewelry ever. I made it into a ring that I still have to this day. No, I don't wear it. - See more at: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-my-first-time#sthash.IL6JAbJE.dpuf

First up is my very first lampwork bead ever, wire wrapped into my first piece of jewelry ever. I made it into a ring that I still have to this day. No, I don't wear it. - See more at: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-my-first-time#sthash.IL6JAbJE.dpuf

First up is my very first lampwork bead ever, wire wrapped into my first piece of jewelry ever. I made it into a ring that I still have to this day. No, I don't wear it. - See more at: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-my-first-time#sthash.IL6JAbJE.dpuf

First up is my very first lampwork bead ever, wire wrapped into my first piece of jewelry ever. I made it into a ring that I still have to this day. No, I don't wear it. - See more at: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-my-first-time#sthash.IL6JAbJE.dpuf

Niky got her jewelry making start with PMC, before the prices for silver went through the roof. She says that she was "..seduced by the possibilities..." of  Precious Metal Clay.  Here are three of her early pieces.

Niky goes on to say, "I still really like these pieces, I like the simplicity of them and the sparkle and I loved how easy metal clay was to work with!

I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of reminiscing.  All of us are on a journey.  None of us can know where it will lead us, but we can savor the trip.

I'll share more early work in my next post.  Till then, enjoy the trip!

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Saturday Share - Lessons Learned, or Don't Be Like Me!

Yay, Spring is finally here!  Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, grass is growing, and lots of arts & craft festivals loom in the near future for many of us!  I actually don’t participate in very many, but have one coming up tomorrow, so now is the time for last minute panic and total chaos.

Unfortunately, I have been very distracted this past week...changes in corporate structure and procedures at work, other jewelry deadlines that are looming, bronchitis, and other family/personal events.  So, here is a quick little blog post about what NOT to do!

Last night I decided to work on some pendants for quick necklaces...the main pieces were complete, but I wanted to solder on some little bezel cups and include some tiny cabs for ornamentation.

Rose-cut moonstone, chalcedony and purple chalcedony with sterling bezel cups.

I did the soldering and while I was at my station, worked on a couple of my molten solder pieces that use plumber's solder.  In a hurry, I went up to put my soldered bezel pieces into the pickle and without thinking, tossed all the pieces in, then went about getting dinner ready.

These are what I pulled out..

Copper-plated bezels with sterling ones for comparison.

As you can see, the sterling bezels got copper-plated!  In my rush and distraction, I accidentally tossed the pieces with plumber's solder into the pickle as well which caused the copper to plate to the silver.  While it doesn't look bad, and I could have done it on purpose if I had wanted, I like the look of silver bezels on copper backing.

Unfortunately, the molten solder pieces are a total loss...

Not sure if I can salvage these...the back of the cross was etched as well...I had high hopes for it :(

The pickle is ruined at this point..any silver I put in will get the same copper plating...but, as it turns out, I need to add some more solder to one side of the larger cup, as the last bit didn't flow all the way around.  So the tainted pickle will come in handy to cover the silver solder that I use!

The moral of the story and lesson learned...metalsmithing, torch and chemical use during jewelry making is something that you should save when you aren't tired, sick, or distracted!  Luckily, I didn't have any other type of accident during this session!

Thanks for reading :)

Clay Hoorray!

Its been a wild and wonderful two weeks since my last post.  At the time I was beginning to create polymer clay beads, charms and pendants.  In the meantime I have taken up ceramics!!!  I am so excited about both of these ventures!  But the ceramics story will have to wait until another post.

I promised I'd share the outcome of the polymer clay pieces I had started two weeks ago.  For some reason they came out of the oven very darkened.  Not at all the bright, pretty colors they began with.  I was really disappointed.  I don't know if I had accidentally set the temperature too high, or if the oven temperature suddenly spiked or what.

 I freaked out for a bit, but then my rational mind (I do have one, I think) kicked in and I realized that I could just paint them and the darkening would never show or matter. 

So I mixed up some blue acrylic paint with a dab of green and a dab of white.  I wish I had paid attention to the proportions, because it turned out to be a beautiful, vivid cobalt blue.  But, as usual, I was just winging it, not being precise or systematic. So I guess I can call these "one of a kind" now, because that exact color is never going to happen again!

I added coppery metallic highlights on the raised surfaces and I love how they turned out!  Its always a delightful bit of serendipity when your original plans are spoiled, but things turn out even better in the end!

This is my favorite pair of earring charms from this group.  All of these are in my Etsy shop.

Originally I'd intended to list my polymer clay components on Etsy, but I've changed my mind.  I've decided to put all of the components in my ArtFire shop instead.  I'll keep the three items above on Etsy until they sell or expire, and then I'll move them to ArtFire.

I have 2 component listings on ArtFire so far. This is the pair I wrote about two weeks ago, where I created the texture by just using the edge frame on a Christmas stamp.  I like the architectural look these have.

Since I was "into" painting at this point, but had run out of my super blue mix, I decided to improve on a previous heart pendant that I had made.

I applied several layers of paint on this pendant and I adore how it came out. What do you think?  Paint is my new best friend!

What projects have you botched that turned out better in the end?  I would be fun to hear your stories.

Linda
Linda Landig Jewelry – ArtFire 
Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy