The Magpie's Treasure

Started the Week With My Torch Ablaze

It was a lazy and snowy weekend here in Virginia. My husband built a rip-roaring fire for us and we spent Saturday afternoon watching movies and snowflakes falling. (Did anyone else cry when they watched "Up"? What a sweet movie, but I needed to keep the tissues close!)

 

It was a perfect way to rest up for the new week and when I returned to my studio yesterday, my mind was clear and my hands were ready to work. I ended up with two projects going at once. 

 

(Click this image to see more photos of this work in progress.)

The first was a silver and brass pendant I've been working on for a few days now. It has a hinge and ball latch that have been soldered and then melted apart more than once. I've been working on positioning the parts correctly--and am afraid that my Little Torch is too hot for doing this work. We'll see... 

 

 

It's a learning piece for me--now that it's been melted so many times. I'm keeping track of what goes right so I can recreate a piece just like this one--with less re-do's and re-soldering. Although it is taking longer to finish this pendant than I'd expected, I'm actually enjoying the process and am really happy with how it's turning out.

 

 

The second project was an experiment with polymer clay and button making. Have you noticed any of the pieces of button jewelry  that people like Grainne Morton are making? Well, I was thinking that if you could make your own buttons or cabochons from polymer clay, then you could have a lot more control over your design and color scheme. So I grabbed a few vintage buttons and pressed them into Sculpey Mold Maker clay. In about 40 minutes, I had a handful of cute little buttons cooling. I love polymer clay for just that reason--it's so versatile and easy to work with. You can make just about anything you dream up!

 

 

Before I go, here's one more affirmation for you. It's not always easy to face days when nothing gets finished in the studio, but we need to trust and keep showing up to create. When we log in hours dreaming, experimenting, constructing, and learning, we are actually using the special gifts that God has given us, and few things feel as satisfying and right as that.

Books Make Great Company

When I'm working, I always have my iPod playing. I fill it up with Podcasts -- such as the Craftcast -- that feature artist and author interviews. And I always have an audiobook or two loaded, too.

This week, I have Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor ready to play in my studio.

The story follows the two authors as they travel through Europe together while also embarking on separate emotional journeys. When they left the States, both women were at milestones in their lives. Sue Monk Kidd was turning 50 and felt that her youth was coming to an end. Meanwhile, Ann Kidd Taylor was 21 years old and struggling with passing into adulthood--finding a career and a romantic relationship.

It's intriguing to see how differently they each experienced the vacation and see that they both wondered why it was so hard to connect even though they we so close--physically. The reader, or listener, quickly realizes it is because they are both so preoccupied with their own "big questions."

I have a long way to go before I finish listening to the book--and I'm looking forward to seeing how they manage to break down the walls and achieve some intimacy with one another.

Unfortunately today, I had to put the audiobook on hold. I spent the afternoon adding pieces to my Etsy shop, so I wasn't able to focus my mind on a story. I look forward to getting back to it tomorrow, though--when I'll be making soldered marble charms for an event my friends are hosting next weekend--the Charming Day at Plantique event in Newport News, Virginia.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you have good music and maybe a good book keeping you company this week!

Back In The Studio Again...

Boy, it feels GREAT to be back in my studio! The first thing I did was straighten up my workspace. Ahhhhh.... What a difference that made. It so nice to work down here when the work space is nice and neat. 

One of the resolutions I made while I was at the beach was to focus on goldsmithing and to design more silver jewelry. So after decluttering my studio, I went online to look for polished natural stones for my new pieces. I searched for lapidary sellers on Etsy and ordered from Lapidarious, BsJewelrySupply, LostSierra, rockdewd, d4haley, and MetalAndStoneJewelry. 

As the packages began to arrive, it started to feel a bit like Christmas in my studio. Each night I'd leave the latest envelope in my chair. And in the mornings, I’d wander downstairs in my slippers with a cup of coffee to open the little presents I’d sent to myself. 

Even though I knew exactly what I had ordered, I still felt excited as I was tearing off the wrap--wondering if the stones would have as much color as they did in the online photos. I was soooo happy to find that every one of them was beautiful--some even more beautiful than in the photos! I can't wait to begin setting them.

I had a couple of days to wait before the stones arrived, though--so I fired up my torch and fused some fine silver wire into hoops that I hammered and textured. Here are a few of the pieces I made. (These will be in my Etsy store sometime next week.)

Something Old, Something New...

I'm working on some new pieces today. These will expand my line of soldered pendants. The patina solution I'm using is giving them a wonderful antique character. (FYI--wear gloves when applying patina solution. I didn't and my fingers feel like they are burning!)

I'm working under a little pressure today. I have already talked with a shop owner who is interested in seeing the whole collection--but I only have this green butterfly necklace finished. So today I've gotta get my pliers & wires clicking! Time to churn out some new beauties!

Holy Macro!

It's incredible what a point & shoot camera with a macro lens can do!

 

I've been trying to get great crisp close-up photos of my jewelry, but have had minimal success.
That problem is solved with my new camera!

I love my Canon Powershot A590IS & my Opteka Macro Lens!

Construction Zone

The clock is ticking!

I'm still whipping up the charms for the show this Friday & Saturday, and they're looking great. I've tried to keep the theme simple and very feminine--so they'll be perfect for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day gifts.

There's not much time left, though. I have to finish making jewelry, design the display for the new pieces, and get everything packed into my car before midnight. I'll be getting up bright and early tomorrow morning to start my 2 1/2 hour drive to Leonardtown.

I am sooo looking forward to the weekend!

The show at the Heron's Way Gallery will be a great opportunity to meet people and to show my work. Since this will be my first time visiting the gallery, I'm eager to see the work other artists display there (and maybe come home with something beautiful for myself!!) Plus, meeting up with Kim, Ellen, and Aunt Rose is always energizing. After some time with these incredible women, I know I'll be inspired and am sure that I'll come home with 200 more great ideas for my jewelry-making adventures.

Eye Candy for Valentine's Day

Oh my gosh, there has been such a flurry of activity in my studio in the last few days!

 

I'm busy getting ready for the show at the Heron's Way Gallery this weekend. And I've been having a blast making tiny glass charms inspired by Valentine's Day Hearts candies. I hit my stride this afternoon and got a couple dozen of these ready to be soldered.

They really are sweet eye candy--very simple, shiny, and colorful. So much fun to make!

A Room Of One's Own

So come on in and let me show you around my studio! I've completely revamped my work area in the last 2 weeks and am eager to show it off.

As you can see I've taken over half of my humongous basement--designating different tables for different tasks that need to get done. (For some strange reason, doing my bills and making jewelry all on one table was not working for me...)

This Christmas, Santa brought me not one, but TWO workbenches! So the old plastic folding tables got pushed aside for these beauties. (The wood still smells fresh!) And the Swedish gods at IKEA delivered the bookshelves--to organize my supplies and all of my art books.

This is my metalsmithing workbench--where I can saw, hammer, file, solder, sand, and burnish to my heart's content.

The  bulletin board is new, too, and I'm loving the inspiration I get from photos I hang there. The yellow toolbox is a wonderful storage solution that allows me to keep my tools in a carrier that I can take to my silversmithing classes. (No more packing and unpacking!)

And then there's my beading bench. This is where I can string pearls and mix colorful glass beads and crystals.

In the center of my space there is a soft hand-me-down couch, a small coffee table, and area rug. It's not much to look at, but it's the perfect place to have a cup of coffee and oogle jewelry designs in magazines.

 

And finally, I've created a separate space for all business and Web related activities. I have drawers and a filing cabinet to organize paperwork and office supplies.

Up until now, all of this work was done in the corner where the bookshelves now stand, and I worked on my two plastic folding tables. It was a very chaotic, and it was getting harder and harder to come to work. Now this studio is one of my favorite places to be!

Thanks for visiting!!