Crafting for a Cause
Posted by Administrator on Aug 31, 2007
I’m so happy to be writing about *two* projects I’m involved with that are raising money for good causes.
The first is one I’ve written about before - A Charmed Life, the collaborative charm necklace I contributed to that is going to be auctioned off to raise money for cancer research. Well, the necklace is ready to be auctioned - check out Cyndi’s post on the Bead Arts blog for more information.
The second is a new project (for me, anyway) called Hope Sees A Star. This project has its own blog, www.hopeseesastar.com where you can read all the details, but here’s a basic summary:
In the last year, two members of the bay area arts community lost their daughters to (unrelated) illnesses. To honor their memory, ZNE and PCM are raising money to install a mosaic at the Oakland Zoo which will serve as a permanent memorial to Stevie and Brianna. ZNE and PCM members have been donating pieces of their art/craft to be sold or auctioned off to raise the funds needed for the memorial, and I can tell you that there is a lot of pretty amazing stuff to bid on. I got to see some of the donated goods at last weekend’s Summer Splash, and even bought a little something for myself. Donations are, of course, welcome - check the Hope Sees A Star blog for details if you’d like to donate something.
Here’s a picture of three art quilts for Hope Sees a Star (though you’d need to see them in person to appreciate the texture and details):
Meet me on the PCM Blog
Posted by Administrator on Aug 29, 2007
I was featured on the Monday Meet-a-Member feature this week on the PCM blog.
New Resin Pendant
Posted by Administrator on Aug 27, 2007
One of my latest resin pieces, which I just finished over the weekend. (It is for sale in my my etsy store.)
Because I make my resin pieces using deep bezels for a three dimensional effect, they can take several weeks from start to finish, with thin layers of resin and found objects built up one at a time. I like the appearance of floating objects on a colored background. I mix my own colors using dyes, powdered pigments, and even cooking spices or cosmetics, then layer clear resin and objects on top of the custom colored background. Each pendant is finished with a shiny domed resin top to magnify the scene I’ve created in the resin. Once all the layers have completely set up, I finish these pendants with a handmade Argentium sterling silver bail. It is a very time-consuming process, but I enjoy creating these miniature wearable art pieces.
Jewelry 101: Seed Bead Sizes
Posted by Administrator on Aug 24, 2007
Seed beads are the small glass beads people use in intricate beadweaving projects. They come in various sizes which vary slightly by manufacturer, but in general, the larger the number, the smaller the bead.
One of the most common sizes is size 11. If you look at the wall of seed beads at your local bead store, there will probably be more size 11 beads than anything else (if your local bead store is anything like mine, anyway).
As the number gets bigger, the bead gets smaller. Size 12, 13, 14, and 15 are fairly easy to find, and although sizes smaller than 15 exist, they are not nearly as common. In my experience using seed beads, you need an extremely small needle or very find beading wire to work with size 14 and smaller seed beads. Size 15 beads are maybe half the size of 11s.
As the number gets smaller, the bead gets larger. Size 8 and 6 are common sizes. A size 6 bead will be much larger than a size 11, with size 8 being somewhere in between.
Combining different size beads in a beadweaving project can create very interesting textures. I used to make bracelets and necklaces using peyote stitch (a kind of needle and thread method of weaving seed beads together) and by using a variety of beads from size 8 down to size 15, I was able to get interesting textures and sculptural details on my beaded fabric.
Etsy
Posted by Administrator on Aug 23, 2007
Etsy is a fabulous online marketplace for all things handmade. Anything from cards to jewelry to clothing to toys…pretty much anything you can imagine someone making is sold on etsy. Each seller has their own individual shop, but you can also search for specific items (i.e. pearl jewelry).
My shop is michon.etsy.com and you can see a preview of it in my sidebar now.
I will be gradually adding new items over the next few weeks. Since it’s easier to manage than coding my own store on the website, I will probably focus exclusively on etsy for online sales for a while.
Summer Splash Preview
Posted by Administrator on Aug 22, 2007
Just a few things you can pick up at this Saturday’s Summer Splash in Pleasanton:
Jewelry by Designs by a Hummingbird
Photo-topped wood boxes and art books from Make a Scene Photography
Original artwork by Joanna Crawshaw
Mixed media artwork and supplies by Chel/ZNE
Crocheted accessories by Whimsey by Jess
Handbags by Whimsey Dusey
And of course I will be selling my jewelry!
In addition, we will have an assortment of items for sale to raise money for a memorial mosaic at the Oakland Zoo in honor of two members of the local art community who passed away in the last year. Oh, and snacks, and door prizes, including a pair of earrings made by me!
A Charmed Life Necklace in Belle Armoire
Posted by Administrator on Aug 20, 2007
I’m am thrilled to announce that “A Charmed Life”, the necklace I collaborated on with a group of artistic friends, has been published in the latest issue of Belle Armoire. The idea to collaborate on a necklace came from Cyndi Lavin, who thought it would be fun if a bunch of us each made a charm to add to the necklace, and then auctioned the necklace off to benefit a charity.
The group decided that cancer research was an excellent cause, so the necklace will soon be auctioned off with all of the proceeds donated to fund cancer research. I will post more information about the auction in the next couple of weeks - it is happening in September, and is a great opportunity to own a unique piece of art jewelry while benefiting a very good cause!
Jewelry 101: Wire Gauge
Posted by Administrator on Aug 16, 2007
Metals like silver and gold can be purchased for jewelry making as wire. Wire comes in different sizes, and the size of the wire is called its gauge.
There are different systems, so I’m just going to talk about the gauge system commonly used by U.S. jewelry supply companies, since that is the system I’m familiar with.
The bigger the gauge number, the thinner the wire. 14g (g = gauge) is thick, sturdy wire. 24g is thin, and 30g is so thin it’s almost hair-like. The thickness of wire normally used for earwires is usually between 22g to 20g. Really small gauge numbers, like 3g, are more like dowels than wire.
Obviously, a variety of gauges of wire can be useful for different aspects of jewelry making. I use very thin wire if I’m wrapping around a frame of some sort, and I use much thicker wire to form the frames of my wire pendants. 20g is my favorite for earrings. If I’m making headpins with wire, the gauge I use is usually the thickest gauge that will fit through the hole of the beads I’m using in my design.
Less than two weeks…
Posted by Administrator on Aug 14, 2007
…until the PCM Summer Splash!
Jewelry 101: Making Headpins
Posted by Administrator on Aug 8, 2007
I enjoy making my own silver head pins by melting a ball of metal at the end of a piece of wire. It’s fairly easy to do, and enables you to always have the length you need in the gauge you need for a project.
I use a slightly different technique depending on which type of silver I’m using - sterling, fine, or Argentium. Whichever metal you use, you will need a torch. I use a propane torch, but butane torches also work, although for thicker wire it can be hard to get the flame of the butane torch big/hot enough. Other options are acetylene/oxygen and oxygen/propane, but butane and propane torches are cheap & available at the hardware store.
Using fine silver is the easiest, because you don’t need flux or pickle, just a torch and some tweezers to hold the wire. A heat-resistant surface to let your headpins cool is desirable, and always be safe and use proper ventilation and eye protection when using a torch. Cut a piece of wire slightly longer than you want your headpin to be - maybe 1/2 inch longer. Hold one end of the wire with the tweezers, with the other end of the wire pointing down. Point the torch flame at the end of the wire that is away from your tweezers, and watch a little ball of metal appear! The longer you keep the torch there, the bigger the ball will be - but if it gets too big, it might fall off, so be careful.
I like to use Argentium silver for making headpins. With Argentium, I use basically the same process, except I used the tiniest little bit of flux on the wire end where I’m making the ball. If you use too much flux, you’ll have flux residue, which has to be removed, but if you use just enough, you’ll end up with a nice looking head pin that doesn’t require clean-up at all. If the wire above the ball gets slightly discolored, quickly passing the flame over the discolored part will usually turn the wire silver again.
With regular sterling silver, there is always some clean-up involved, unless you are going for the oxidized (black metal) look. I don’t bother with flux, and start by following the same process as for fine silver. You end up with a head pin that has a very blackened end. This can be cleaned up by soaking in pickle, or by using an abrasive to polish off the oxidation. I like to use a piece of a green kitchen scrubber sponge to polish off most of the oxidation, leaving a slightly rough look. If I want my headpins to be perfectly shiny, I don’t usually use sterling, since it’s easier to get nice shiny head pins with fine silver or Argentium, but if you want clean and shiny sterling head pins, use pickle to remove oxidation, and then toss the finished head pins in a tumbler with stainless steel shot and water for a few minutes.
You can also make head pins by bending the end of a piece of wire into a nice looking shape, such as a spiral. All you need for this method are some pliers and a little practice bending the wire into the shape you want without marking it. When I make head pins this way, I like to lightly hammer the shape I’ve made to harden the wire a little bit.
