A Gift From My Friend

"A true friend is the best possession."

-Anon.

Today, my friend Kim came over for one of our usual 'playdates' in my studio. We spent the entire afternoon working on projects and catching up with each other. Because my birthday was last week, she came over bearing gifts. Here is what she brought for me:

It was all tucked inside this wooden cigar box, topped with a bow (recycled from a gift I gave to her for her birthday).

When I opened the box up, I found a collection of found objects to add to my stash! Here are some close-ups of the gifts that were inside...

The first thing I saw were some old window markers. Kim made sure I knew these babies were hard for her to part with!...

She knows how much I love old religious items. There were two wonderful rosary boxes, and inside each one she tucked in some vintage medals...

This is a medal from the other rosary box...

And this is a tattered piece of old leather. You never know when you'll need that little added touch on an assemblage piece...

She even packed some 8mm film. Too bad we couldn't figure out what was the subject matter was...

And here is a strand of the cutest little pearls!!...

She even dismantled her husband's old binoculars, piece by piece...

And here's a tiny little bottle...

...And an old tintype....

And some brass doo-dads...

...And a box of cool little screws with numbers on them...

And last, but not least, some small stencils. What a fun gift!!!

My Last Workshop For The Season

Last night, I returned home from Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin, where I took my last workshop of the year. I usually only take metalsmithing/jewelry workshops, but this time I went 'out of the norm' and chose to take a bookmaking class by Shanna Leino. We each assembled a book, but the focus of the class was really on making different types of clasps, hinges, and other decorative metal embellishments to add to the outer covers. The books that Shanna makes are absolutely beautiful, and that is what prompted me to sign up for her class. I saw some examples of the books which were made in a workshop that she taught last year, and I couldn't believe they were completed in only 2 days! They were outstanding! Many of the people in the class had experience in bookmaking, but for me, this was a whole new world...and I really loved it.

So here are some pictures of my book, in various stages of completion...

Here is its humble beginning...the pages are in little bundles between two wooden covers, waiting to be sewn together...

I sewed the pages together, adding the heavy cord to the spine. The cord will add a wonderful look to the book when the leather is adhered over it...

The cording is in place, and the book is now ready for the leather...

This is just another view...that's the leather that's going to cover the spine....

The leather is now on, and the wood still needs to be stained, but now it's time to move onto making the clasp and other decorative touches for it. My jewelry-making experience came in handy for this part, because I cut pieces from brass sheet to embellish my cover...

And here is the finished book. I made my clasp quite small, and was very unhappy with its size, so I designed a plate to go around it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like big and bold, not small and dainty, so I 'Jill-afied' it.

On Saturday evening. I left the studio earlier than I usually do. I was not happy with my dinky clasp, and I was tired and my shoulder hurt. I went back to the farmhouse and put on my pajamas. I decided I'd deal with book in the morning. My friend Kim Nugent, who I brought along with me for the workshop (she's never been to Valley Ridge before), came in shortly after I did and put her jammies on too. We decided to sit at the kitchen table together and work on our journals that we each brought along.

But an hour and a half later, there was still light on down in the studio, and it was bugging me what the other gals were still doing in there. I thought they were getting farther ahead of me with their books, and I guess 'curiousity killed the cat.' Kim and I headed back down to the studio in our pajamas to see what they were up to. But they were just sitting around talking. So Kim and I wandered back to the house...but not before we each grabbed a cookie to munch on. And no, we didn't plan on coordinating our sleepwear. It just happened that way!~

And finally, here's the group shot which was taken yesterday afternoon, just before we all started packing up our things to make our long drives back home.

Yesterday Was A Busy Day!!!

Yesterday, I had the privilege of assisting Thomas Mann again in teaching his "Found Object Sandwich" workshop. He was the keynote speaker at the National Art Education Association Conference, which was held at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He held a special workshop on the last day of the conference for 20 art teachers who came from all different areas of the state. It was a busy day. The workshop started at 8:00 a.m., and we worked straight through until 5:00 p.m. Usually this is a 2-day workshop, but everyone really worked hard, and many even completed their projects. Myself, along with Sarah Mann (no relation) were there to answer questions, assist anyone who needed help, and give help with design and layout problems anyone had. I also gave a step-by-step demonstration on how to etch metal. I'm really honored that Tom asks me to assist him whenever he is in the area. He's going to be having a booth at the "Bead and Button Show" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin again next year on June 6-13, 2010, and he is also going to be teaching several workshops there during the event. He has already asked me to assist him with his workshops, so I'm looking forward to going there again.

'Tis The Season For Workshops!!!

"I wish to be of service

to the artists of our own day,

by showing them

how a small beginning

leads to the highest elevation..."

- Giorgio Vasari

I am finally beginning to get back in the groove again with my art. I'm still going to physical therapy several times a week for my shoulder, but I am now beginning to work with wire and sawing metal again - in moderation.

I had registered for quite a few workshops this Fall. These are some that I recently took...

(Myself with Susan...she's a great instructor and a lot of fun to be with!)

I went to Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin on October 14th for two workshops with Susan Lenart Kasmer. I had never taken any workshops with her before, so it was a real treat to finally get to work with her in person!


The first workshop was all about working with resin, and discovering all the different ways you can use it. I made a lot of resin paper using pages from an antique German Bible, and also filled a lot of bezels for future jewelry projects.

(A bezel I filled using flowers from my father's funeral)

(My workspace - this is a typical sight at workshops)

See what utter chaos my workspace is??? Well...this is how everyone's area looks when you go to art workshops. You pack anything and everything you think you might use for your project. Even if the odds are slim that you'll need it, you pack it anyhow - just in case.

(This is a sampling of some of my stash that I brought along)

The second workshop focused on metalsmithing. Susan showed us a lot of different techniques for making charms, rings, and pendants. She even showed us how to do enameling on copper, using a torch. I really enjoyed that...I've always wanted to try enameling.

(These are some charms I made)

Just a few days later, I attended RaeVn's Nest Art Retreat in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, to take three workshops from Richard Salley. He's another artist that I have never taken any workshops from, and I love his jewelry. I think I'm particularly drawn to his work because he works with iron wire like I do.

(Myself with Richard Salley)

These are the pieces that I made in his workshops. It was so kewl to start working with wire again, but after each workshop, my shoulder was absolutely killing me! I went home each night and put an icepack on it.

(Pendant I made in the Friday Workshop)

(The interior of the pendant - Yep, the roman numerals are upside-down, but that way I can find my way around when I'm wearing it, 'cause there's a compass in the middle!)

(The faux bone bracelet I was working on Friday nite -I still need to finish it.)


(The pendant I made in Saturday's Workshop. I plan on adding some found-
object dangles to the bottom curved wire.)



(The Interior of the Pendant - the round plate began as a large washer, and
I cut the center hole into a heart shape.)