Still Time To Register!!!

I am going to be teaching a workshop entitled "Re-sin-blage: a charming exercise in jewelry adornments" on Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2, 2010, at Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin.

Come and experience the magic of creating resin objects. We'll make molds, fill bezel cups, and will explore the myriad of ways in which resin can be used. We will transform objects into elements which can be incorporated into unique jewelry pieces and embellishments to enhance your assemblage and journaling work. We will then take these elements to the next level, to assemble your own signature, one-of-a-kind, "charming" bracelet or neckpiece!
There is still time to register! For those of you who have never been to Valley Ridge, it is absolutely wonderful!!! I took my first workshop there back in 2005, and I was hooked! It is nestled in a very rural and very beautiful location in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin. The owners, Bill and Kathy Malkasian, have transformed the property into a top-notch retreat center of sorts, with a well-equipped studio, community room, and even on-site accommodations for lodging in the farmhouse as well as camp sites with electrical hookups! They make you feel right at home there, and go out of their way to make sure everyone has a pleasurable and relaxing time during their visit. I can say from experience that every time I go there, I find myself getting creatively inspired. When I leave there after a workshop, I can't wait to get back in my own studio and start working on projects. I have also met and formed friendships with many people during my stays there, too! It's wonderful to be with other people who love to create!
If you are interested in registrating for my workshop, or any of the other workshops offered at Valley Ridge for the 2010 season, please click here.
I look forward to seeing you there.

Eight Counties

Yesterday was the opening of "Eight Counties" at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I was amazed at the tremendous turnout for the event! The Art Center provided a beautiful spread of fresh fruit platters, veggie platters, quiche, assorted cheeses, dips, and crackers, which they kept replenishing. Later in the day they added a wonderful assortment of brownies and cookies which were still warm from the oven!!! A group which played bluegrass music also played throughout the day.

It was so cool to wander through the exhibit and look at the diverse collection of artwork which was represented. I was surprised that out of the 150 pieces of art selected, there were only about 8 pieces of jewelry chosen.


I tried to snap a few pictures of my neckpiece in the exhibit, but as soon as I snapped these, a 'camera nazi' from the Center came and informed me nobody was allowed to have cameras in the exhibits. So this is it for the pics.

I had a pleasant surprise when I was there...I knew one of the other jewelry artists that had been selected - Sarah Mann. She and I both were taught by Thomas Mann (no, she's not related to him), and both assist him in teaching his workshops whenever he is in Wisconsin. Tom should be proud to know that 2 of the 6 jewelry artists who had work in the exhibit were his proteges!

At 1:00 p.m., Ruth Kohler announced the winners of the cash awards. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. Nonetheless, just the fact that I had a piece selected for Eight Counties is an honor in itself!!!

My Latest Neckpiece

"Art is the desire of man

to express himself,

to record the reactions of

his personality

to the world he lives in."

-Amy Lowell

This is the latest jewelry piece that I have made. It is a pendant comprised of a vintage lens shutter, an old speed regulator plate (from who-knows-what), a small antique key, some sort of plumbing part, an old photograph, and etched bronze sheet. It is suspended on a 5mm leather cord.

I have come to the realization that I need to start making pieces that don't have my old family photographs somehow incorporated into them. This way, I will be able to actually sell my work instead of keeping it. Not to mention earning some money to feed my found-object hoarding habit!

I am going to be making more pieces in the upcoming weeks, and also plan on opening up an etsy shoppe where my work will be available for purchase.

An Eerie Coincidence

Now that Christmas has come and gone, I can post the two jewelry pieces that I made for my sister.

The first piece is a pendant of our mom when she was a teenager. This picture was one of our dad's favorites of our mom, and he had it framed and on his dresser for as long as I can remember. To make the piece, I designed and cut a pattern to frame the picture from copper and nickel sheet, etched the metals, and sandwiched the photo and plexiglass between the two pieces of metal. I added some brass stampings for embellishment and added a bail made of iron wire.

The second piece is a necklace I made using an old family photograph of our great-grandparents and their eleven children. I constructed a box from 22 gauge copper sheet, and placed a small copy of the photograph in the bottom. I had made multiple copies of the photograph, and cut out small groupings of the people, building the picture up and adding dimension to it. I then filled the box with resin. It is hanging from a leather cord, to which I added some vintage keys and hardware for added interest.

This is the eerie part........

It all began with the old family photograph. I have had this large picture hanging in my livingroom in every house I've lived in for the past 25 years. My sister has had this same old photograph at her house for just as long....

I don't know why I decided to use this image in the necklace I made her this year, or for that matter, why I chose to build up the image and make it dimensional, but I did.

When she opened the present up and looked at the necklace, she had an odd look on her face. I couldn't figure out why....didn't she like it???

But then she had me open a certain present up that she had made for me....

And this is what was in the box.........

She used the exact same photograph, and also had built up the photograph by cutting duplicate images of the people and adding dimension to the picture. She had the photograph framed in a deep, black frame. Seriously...what are the odds of us both using the same picture and doing the same thing to it on the same holiday as gifts to each other??????

So here are our two gifts, side by side. I guess it's true that sisters do really think alike!