Riveting Show & Tell

A couple of weeks ago I splurged and ordered this set from Interweave.  I was lucky enough to see a FB post reminding me that the Interweave Store was offering a limited 40% off sale.  Wow, I thought that was too good to pass up.

My physical haul from the kit...plus my earrings!

 The kit arrived and included everything you see here...the first obvious perk is a wonderful little Fretz riveting hammer.  I have to admit, this is my 1st Fretz and it is so sweet!  It also included the DVD by Tracy Stanley, Making Jewelry with Metal Tubing, a Bead Smith punch and riveting tool, 2 packages of hollow rivets to use with the tool and a variety of Vintaj blanks to play with.

Earrings made from Vintaj blanks and brass stampings...riveted with sterling.

The kit also included 3 digital products, Making 3 Perfect Rivets and Riveted Earring Project, both by Tracy Stanley, and Bodacious Copper Bangle Project by Kim St. Jean.

Now, I have done rivets before, but am by no means a pro at it.  Tracy made it look so easy and was really engaging in the videos.  I had to put it all on hold until I got back from my beach vacation, but this week I played a bit.  The above earrings are Vintaj blanks from the kit, raw brass stampings I had on hand that I riveted with sterling wire following Tracy's instructions.  The Fretz hammer worked like a dream and I think made all the difference.  These are still a bit rough!

Next, after watching the Tubing DVD, I decided to try a bracelet, but didn't want the dangles, so I opted to streamline and make a bracelet bar with chain.  I had 1/4 inch copper tubing on hand, so that is what I used.

My 1st riveted bracelet!

 I flattened the tubing and textured it as in the instructions.  I opted to shape the ends, rather than folding over, as Tracy did in the DVD.  I was going to create the chain with my own links, but when I found this big copper rolo chain, I opted to use it instead, just adding my own sterling connector links and clasp.

Wow, the Fretz hammer even makes a great prop!!!

 I didn't want this novice piece to be blingy...I knew it would be staying with me, and I don't really do bling!  Mixed metals?  Yes, please :)  I decided to add 3 of my white copper metal clay components,,,2 flowers and a heart.  As you can see, they are askew, but Tracy says in the DVD, "you meant to do that"!

How it hangs on my wrist...don't like the big jump rings at the sides....must. fix. 

I have to admit, these wire rivets were harder to do than I remembered from ages ago.  A couple of things I would take away from the DVD and Tracy's other video...make sure your hole punch and wire match!  The wire should barely fit in the hole!  I made a few mistakes and am not showing the back side because of that!

I didn't use the punch/rivet setter yet...I wanted to on the brass earrings I showed earlier, but rivets in the kit were not long enough.  Tracy also suggests using brass escutcheon pins/nails for taller stacks, but I didn't have any in  my stash.

I lucked out and got a great discount on this set.  I think right now it is marked down to half price, but the DVD alone is a great resource.  Now, I am off to practice!

***Disclaimer...this is just my 2 cents on this kit!***

Putting my own "stamp" on things...

I inherited my Dad's boyhood stamp collection. When I was a kid, sorting the stamps, deciphering foreign names of countries, identification... it was a treasure hunt. To me the stamps were miniature works of art, exquisitely detailed, hinting at history and events beyond my awareness. They evoked travel - would I ever see the places where this slip of paper had originated? These stamps encouraged my inquisitiveness, and my desire to learn, to experience...

One of the containers... 

I still have the stamps. I let go of the bulky book that was largely blank pages... Dad never really took to the whole hobby thing, and I didn't make huge progress in filling the pages either. I have stamps from countries that no longer exist. Its a window into history, a link to the past - both mine and the world's.

 Here are a few favorites:  

Folk costumes from Poland, report Greek myth stamps from Greece,
Classical monochromatic beauties from France, a few gems from down under. 

A childhood favorite - Austrian  farm girl; florals from Hungary, USSR, Gabon, Congo, San Marino;
Czech flora and fauna; Irish blackbird. 

Warning: if you are a hardcore philatelist, what you are about to see may shock you. 

I think stamps are a natural choice for mixed media pieces. The scale is perfect. I appreciate a little weathering, a postmark - they allude to travel, time, distance... a history. If you search for stamps in jewelry you will find a million and one offerings using resin and/or glass tiles. Logical first step - I have been there. These three new mixed media pieces are still on my work table waiting for necklace pairings. I started with a mother-of-pearl donut, designed a metal backing, and created a frame for the stamp. Attachments are made with either tabs or waxed linen. The stamps are sealed with Diamond glaze for durability and protection. 

Simple stamp under resin; three new mixed media pieces - mother-of-pearl bezels and copper/brass backings. 

These polymer pieces debuted at Beadfest last August. The settings are molds made from vintage stampings. Resin seals and secures the stamp image. The polymer color palettes are drawn from  the stamp art itself. ( I'll be teaching a similar class* at Beadfest in April.)

Polymer focals showcasing stamps, sealed with resin.  ( Mexico, USA, Italy, Malaysia)
And a ring, a class sample, just for fun. 

If you think stamps are for you... you don't have to start lurking in antique stores and flea markets. I personally doubt that any of my Dad's stamps are hidden treasures worth wagons of money... but I have seen Charade!  ( Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, stamps, Paris... whats not to love?!) There are plenty of stamps available now that are lovely and inspiring: 

Souvenir 'stamps' from the National Gallery of Art. I adore Matisse!
I've been holding onto this sheet for... umm... over 25 years! 

Current stamps in circulation. Images from USPS.com

The Breast Cancer awareness stamp was perhaps the first one I used in a piece of jewelry. I was teaching full time, maybe 20 years ago - and I made a pin, a sterling frame for the stamp depicting Artemis. It was for my dear friend and colleague who had just successfully battled breast cancer and won! 

The USPS lists this information about the stamp artist/designer: 

As of June 2014, the stamp has raised over $78.9 million for breast cancer research. By law, 70 percent of the net amount raised is given to the National Institutes of Health and 30 percent is given to the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense.Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, the stamp features the phrases, “Fund the Fight” and “Find a Cure” and an illustration of a mythical “goddess of the hunt” by Whitney Sherman of Baltimore. 

As an artist, I find the design  process of stamps fascinating. They need to be easy to "read" from a distance, but rather detailed for their size. Many commemorate people, places, events, and some more recent motifs raise funds for research and conservation. The USPS site/store lists these and more available for purchase. And - for artwork they are rather affordable. ( As stamps, they are kind of expensive... LOL)  

Have you ever considered stamps as art? As jewelry? I'd love to hear how you put your 'stamp' on things. (Had to do it... ) 

* Philately (/fɪˈlætəliː/ fi-la-tə-lee) is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps. For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare, or reside only in museums.

* My Spring 2015 Beadfest class info can be found here. 

Book review: "Create Three Dimensional Jewelry"

For this freeform Friday - I bring you my first ever book review.
"Create Three Dimensional Jewelry" by Heather DeSimone

Front cover, and my dutiful ever present notebook. 

back cover description

Many of you may recognize the name Heather DeSimone as she and her mother Jan Parker are the women behind "The Beadin' Path". (The retail store has closed but there is an active Facebook page with sales and destash. Heather can also be found on Pinterest and Etsy  although the shop is currently empty.) I mention  this - because I knew of the Beadin' Path as THE place to go for vintage pieces, especially Lucite. It makes great sense to me that Heather's book focuses on utilizing many vintage and costume pieces in new designs. 

Miriam Haskell jewelry

She is greatly inspired by Miriam Haskell, a "costume" jewelry designer. Her work, from the 20's on was known for its hand wired seed pearls hand set Austrian crystals... and helped define the genre of "Costume jewelry". 

The  book is a must for someone who is interested in repurposing vintage pieces. There is good information on preparing a piece, removing old settings... 

I was especially intrigued by "lashing" - stitching/wrapping seed beads over an existing structure.

Many of the projects in the book employ the riveting tool.

Let me share a few thoughts, and opinions:

• Good for someone starting out in mixed media and/or cold connections. Also - great for someone interested in repurposing vintage pieces. 
• Many projects layer and stack elements. ( This isn't my style per se. I prefer to integrate and juxtapose in more elaborate ways. ) 
• Projects use fine gauge wire and use hybrid methods - part wire wrap and part stitching. ( I hesitate to use such fine wire as I do not trust its strength and longevity over time.)
• A few sets of instructions seemed a bit too sparse for me. Specifically peyote stitch and drilling shell. I do not think a first timer could comfortably achieve either with the directions given. 
• Overall design/layout of the book was a bit chaotic. The first sections regarding techniques were hectic visually and not always clear. The projects portion was much more cohesive. 
• I personally am not a fan of the riveting tool. I have one, but find it more fuss than its worth. I prefer to rivet by hand, to me its faster and i have more control. 

All in all - it was informative and creative, if not really my style. I was happy to learn more about Miriam Haskell as Heather's book sparked my interest. And I definitely could see adapting vintage pieces to use... I have a stash that belonged to my Grandma, and my lawyer sister always wants a funky statement piece. Holidays are coming... 

Thanks for reading. Would love to hear what you have to say if you have read this book, or think its for you! 

Resources: 

Vintage Jewelry Online

AJK Editorial

Winners of the October Component of the Month Challenge!

Lindsay Starr

Staci Smith

Sherii Stokey

I'm very excited that you will be participating. 

I will message / email you images to select a color from.

I can't wait to see what you create!

Finding My Mixed Media Mojo...

So it's three weeks since I arrived home from my holiday in the USA and my first (yes I will be back) visit to Bead Fest and I'm delighted to say that once I got over my jet lag, I found myself raring to get in the studio and do something creative. It's not unusual of course to feel refreshed after a holiday but this one was just a bit special.

For me Bead Fest itself was a huge inspiration and not just because of the beads. My AJE team mates were so generous in the way they welcomed and hosted me and what with so many hugely talented and creative bead makers and designers coming together in one place I felt an amazing energy and buzz about the whole thing which certainly followed me home.

It was also great to talk to people attending workshops and to see how excited they were about the new skills they'd picked  up and I completely understand that as I  was lucky enough to take a mixed media workshop with our own Jenny Davies-Reazor. Jenny's class gave us a start on developing the skills to combine polymer clay, metal and ceramic cabochons as shown in these pieces of hers...

Mixed media amulets by Jenny Davies-Reazor

Metal working was one of my first jewellery making passions but I've never really felt the urge to get into polymer clay until I saw how well they worked together in this layered approach. This is the piece I made in the workshop and though not perfect I was pretty pleased with it...

Cabochon by Diana Ptaszynski

Needless to say as soon as I got home I ordered myself some supplies and set to work at having a go on my own and this was my first piece using a ceramic cabochon my Marsha Neal...

The process uses simple cold connections such as tab settings and staples to combine the elements into a sturdy focal piece. I know Jenny is hoping to teach similar classes at events next year so if you get the opportunity to attend one I would thoroughly recommend it.

This was a pretty large piece so I haven't quite decided how to use it yet but my second piece has already been made in to a necklace called 'From Darkness Comes Light'. I used one of Jenny's Celestial face cabochons with a sleepy expression and made a sun ray tab setting, Set against the dark blue of the sun stone beads and the tint of the polymer it evokes for me the dawning of a new day.

Well by then I was well and truly hooked and just had to make another one, this time using a pretty butterfly cabochon (again by Jenny) in warm rich tones. I haven't had a chance to make this one up yet but it's sitting on my work bench with a selection of possible beads for when I do.

Taking Jenny's workshop has had an added benefit in that it's also made me think about other ways of using cold connections and different mediums in my designs. This pendant combines a lampwork cabochon by Caroline Dewison with copper and a setting made from a vintaj brass flower blank connected with rivets.

And this one is again copper with a vintaj blank but I've added extra elements with a leather flower and enameled leaf from Gardanne Beads.

Ceramic cabochon by Caroline Dewison leather flower by H M Creative supplies

I have lots of ideas popping in my brain to take mixed media further so I hope my mojo decides to stay awhile. But what about you - have you taken any inspiring workshops or courses and if not, what's inspired you to try something new lately...? We'd love to hear.

Lesley

The Gossiping Goddess