Woven Wire Jewelry and Other Creative Endeavors

Did You Buy Art This Year? Part Two

2009-12-20T16:50:00.004-06:00

This is a continuation of yesterday's post. Check that out to see more of the art that I bought for myself this year.

This fun horse was in the booth next to me at the Boulder Art Fair and made me smile all weekend. I just had to take her home with me! I know it is supposed to be "yard art", but I want to see it every day in my house in the winter. Turns out that it makes good wall art too. I misplaced the business card and so don't know the artist.

Definitely "folk art" but I loved the entire concept. Pam Dyers uses ordinary lumber (some new, some old) and fashions heart shapes of various sizes and styles, paints them all the same color, and then distresses the paint. The brilliance comes in her use of old hardware to embellish and present the hearts. Every one is absolutely unique. I had a hard time choosing amongst them, but ended up with this large piece featuring an antique ice-block carrier. Contact me if you want her email.

Another piece of folk-art, and a long heart-shape too! I don't collect red/pink hearts, but for some reason both of these pieces spoke to me this spring. I think they both appealed to the carpenter side of me. This one recycles corrugated barn siding and uses rough steel wire to hold all the pieces together. Of course, I have a weakness for wire! I cannot find the business card for this artist either; it has been one of those years.

Finally, some 2-D art! John Blowers is a contemporary acrylic painter, and I found his work at the Cantigny Art Fair in Illinois. His paintings are fairly large and normally he only sells originals, no reproductions. This year, however, he decided to have a few giclee prints available, which is what this is. I completely understand the desire for artists to only offer originals, but am very glad that good reproductions exist, because that is the only way that I can afford the work! I love the interplay of shape and color in this piece.

Tomorrow: ceramics!

Did You Buy Art This Year?

2009-12-19T13:15:00.003-06:00

One of the wonderful things about selling my work at art fairs is that I get to see a lot of great art, and one of the wonderful things about having other people buy MY work is that I get to then pass on my good fortune by buying the work of other artists and craftspeople. I am going to devote the next few days to presenting the art that I bought for myself this year.

And for those of you waiting for it, the Booth Evolution thread will continue after Christmas!

I got this woven basket just a few weeks ago at "Art at Ramsey," in St. Paul, MN. The artist, Claudia Nacktsheim, does not have a website.

I wanted this bag for a month before I bought it. I love it! It is wet-felted by a fellow Minnesotan. You can find her work at Vantasticdesigns.etsy.com.

Grassy Creek Brooms has been my neighbor both years that I have been at the War Eagle Fair in Arkansas. Jerry and Judy make the brooms by hand and another artist (I'm sorry, I forgot your name!) makes the copper dust pans. The long broom is for cobwebs on the ceiling and it is the BEST. I use it regularly and no longer have to use either a ladder or a dirty floor broom to reach the ceiling.

The copper is patinaed with real leaves. I appreciate that the dust pan actually sits flat on the floor without needing to be held. Good design!

This is Harmony. Sure, there are other hand-made bears out there, but how many come with the story behind this one? The artist, Nancy Dane, made a large bear for herself (Bentley) many years ago, and so many of her friends wanted one too that she found herself making it into a business. Her bears are adorable and articulated! If you ever get a chance to meet Bentley himself, I highly recommend it as he is quite a character (as is his mom). You think I'm kidding, but that bear has some stories! Read more at the Bentley and Buddies website. If you want a bear from Nancy, you'd better get one fast since she is retiring in a year.

Integrity

2009-12-13T08:58:00.003-06:00

As you know from reading about my booth design, I do not like the idea of hiding my work behind glass. The benefit to having it out is that people can touch the work and try it on. Many marketing studies show that being able to touch an item is far more likely to lead to a sale. Plus I want people to be able to interact with my work. The downside, however, should be clear: shoplifting. "Shoplifting" sounds too innocent though, so lets just call it what it is: theft!

Surprisingly, I have not had much of a problem with theft. A few bracelets a year, and very rarely, a pair of earrings. 2008 was the worst year (several bracelets gone - usually the expensive woven ones) and I expected an uptick in theft this year due to the bad economy but it was down by quite a bit. By October I had only lost one braided bracelet and one pair of earrings. At the Historic Shaw Art Fair, however, all that ended as I had one bracelet and three pendants taken, all in quick succession. When you see the empty spots it is very disheartening, and there is not much you can do about it. I try not to let the disappointment and anger affect how I interact with patrons, but I must admit that sometimes the shock of the adrenalin rush is hard to overcome.

Now imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when one of the organizers of the Shaw Art Fair left me a voice mail about receiving (anonymously) two envelopes, one with what felt like jewelry and one with money. They were forwarded to me and I just received them this week. It appears from the notes written on the envelopes that a young child took the pendants and this was discovered later by a parent. The parent apologized and returned one pendant in an envelope. The other envelope had a scrawled apology from the child (clearly not very old and still learning to write!) with money for another pendant. I really am very heartened by this and am sure that this is being used as a teaching moment for the child. I never expected to have items returned or paid for and applaud the parent.

If the parent in St. Louis reads this, know that I appreciate having my stolen items returned and hope the child learns a lesson from this. You have integrity I am grateful that people like you are out there. Thank you!! I will certainly come back to Shaw, if I can.

Booth Evolution-Part Two

2009-12-08T18:45:00.002-06:00

I posted about the first booth design in November. Check out that post first to catch up on the evolution.

So lets explore this second version. First of all, it is an outdoor set-up and still has the three original tables. These were OK for a small indoor space but under a 10x10 canopy seem a bit lost in the great open space. Also, I came to despise the appearance of the table tops overhanging the base. It just looks weird.

I made new A-frames (2x2 lumber and 1/4" plywood) and was able to reuse the tops from the old A-frames. The slate is gone and I've painted the frames a neutral dark-grey. I used a jig-saw to cut half-round discs which were glued to the frames. These curved discs allowed the Viking knit necklaces to be displayed with a nice curve, as they would naturally hang when worn. MUCH better than the first display of these pieces!

I made basic earring cards that I hung on the bottom of the A-frames on cup-hooks. I thought this looked neat and nicely displayed, but the wind, again, proved to be a problem for this display. A good gust could sweep all the cards up and off of their hooks! Also, making earrings was not a priority for me then, so not many are displayed and there is no room for growth on these tables. A problem!

The biggest positive change is with the display of the bracelets. I used 1x1 wood to make small racks and then covered them with a coordinating fabric (green silk, actually). This allows the woven wire bracelets to be neatly displayed and makes it possible for me to easily keep track of them!

I added some curtains from JC Penny to create a warmer space and they greatly improved the overall "feel" of the booth, making it warm and welcoming. When the sun shines through the walls the interior glows gold! Patterned curtains are tied to the (ugly) front frame legs to hide them.

All-in-all, a better display, but it still has issues, primarily with the use of the two trapezoidal tables. I still liked the concept of creating a "room" and resisted (am still resisting!) the pull to just put it all behind glass cases. My work wants to be touched and tried on! In addition, because I actively demonstrate the Viking weave in my booth at the work table, I still need to devote some open space to allow me to work and to access the tables. The first booth was used in 2006 and this booth in 2007. The next post in this series will show the booth without those tables!

Sale Continues!

2009-11-30T09:46:00.002-06:00

Items in my etsy shop will remain on sale through today (Cyber Monday). By tomorrow morning (Dec. 1), the prices will revert to normal, so this is your best chance to buy one of my Viking knit necklaces and woven bracelets!

Black Friday Sale

2009-11-25T09:29:00.003-06:00

I should have posted this last week! I am having a sale this weekend on selected items in my etsy shop (janraven.etsy.com), and plan on marking many items down at least 10%, PLUS free shipping to addresses in the US. I only have one of each item listed, so once they are sold, they won't be relisted any time soon! I am certain that all the Viking Knit Necklaces will be on sale, so if you have been thinking of buying one, there won't be a better time.

And while you are checking out my etsy shop, keep in mind that other members of my etsy Street Team, HandmadeMN, are also having a sale. Even if you don't buy from me, I encourage you to buy from another artist!

Excluding your IP Address from Google Analytics

2009-11-21T21:58:00.002-06:00

While working on promoting my etsy shop I took a look at my Google Analytics page and noted, with some satisfaction, that the activity at my shop had increased right around the time that I began listing more items earlier this week. Then I began to wonder if any of that activity was actually ME, looking at my own shop and listings as I made changes. I recalled reading once that you could exclude your own IP address from the Analytics, so I decided to find out how to do that.

I will share how I did it here for anyone else interested in doing this for their own website or etsy shop. For the purposes of this post, I am going to assume that you already have a Google account and have the Analytics product already set up and tracking activity to your site or shop.

1. Log into your Google account.

2. Click on Analytics.

3. In the lower right-hand corner of the screen, click on Filter Manager.

4. On the next screen, click on Add Filter, and give your filter a name.

5. Choose Filter Type=Exclude IP Address from the menu.

6. Enter the IP address for your own home computer. Find this number by going to MyIPAddress.com. Keep in mind that this IP address is for the network you are using at the time you visit the site. If you take your laptop to a coffeeshop and use their wifi, their IP address is different so visits to your own site will be logged. I'm guessing this won't be too big of an issue for anyone. If you really want to, you can add another filter to exclude all your favorite wifi hotspots! Just visit MyIPAddress.com again to get the address.

7. Select which profiles you want the filter applied to and add them.

8. Click Save Changes. Done!!

Now you can visit your own site all you want and not mess up the statistics on how many people visit your site!

Promoting my etsy Shop

2009-11-21T21:25:00.003-06:00

I have had an etsy shop for a few years, but haven't paid much attention to it. Recently I decided that I should pay more attention to it, and after my most recent indoor craft shows (during which I had way too much time to think, unfortunately) realized that I could think of my etsy shop as a type of art show. Considering that the jury/application fee for a typical art show is $30, I could afford to list a lot of items at 20¢ apiece over the next month. By working hard at promoting my shop, I can hopefully generate enough sales to help me through the winter months.

SO! That is what I have spent the majority of this week doing: taking photos, adjusting them, uploading photos to etsy, and creating listings for items. I have also been reading a lot of material online about marketing and promotion. It is quite nice to finally have time to sit back and assess the business!! I have been participating more in my local etsy Street Team: Handmade MN. I've gotten some great information and leads from the great membership of my Minnesota team, and hopefully have been able to give them some useful leads as well.

Another website that has taken up a lot of my time this week is ArtFairInsiders.com. I don't remember, now, how I stumbled upon this site but I am VERY glad that I found it! It is a networking site by and for artists who display their work at art fairs. It is full of great information and I have been spending many hours reading posts and discussions from the past year. And I have been actively participating, too. This is such a great resource; if you are an artist who participates in art shows (or wants to!), then do yourself a favor and check this site out!

Booth Evolution-Part One

2009-11-10T22:25:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking of writing this series of blog posts for quite a while now, and have finally gotten around to collecting most of the photos of my booth as it changed over the last four years. The first art show I did was in March of 2006, and fortunately I didn't have to submit a photo of my booth set-up because I didn't have one when I applied! Once I was accepted, I quickly had to design and build my display. I say "build" because I certainly did not have money to buy tables or other display items, but my years as a carpenter left me with lots of leftover lumber and plywood, and I certainly had the skills to build the tables. Plus I rather enjoyed the puzzle presented by designing and building the display!

For my first display I built two tables with trapezoidal tabletops and one square table to be used as a work table and storage. I had meant to have three trapezoidal tables, to create a U-shaped "room," but ran out of time. All three tables break down into simple parts: the leg sections are 2x3 lumber braced with 1/4 inch plywood and the removeable tops are plywood bases on a 2x3 frame and faced with 1/4" aspen to cover the pine lumber. The tables and the A-frames are covered with slate tile and tumbled beach rocks are scattered around.

As it turns out, it looks nice, but is a disaster from a marketing (and theft prevention) standpoint. You can't really see the braid and weave patterns of the bracelets, plus it is impossible to tell when one has gone "missing." I didn't have time to figure out how to display the viking knit necklaces, so they are just hung on cup hooks -- very ugly presentation! The earring cards are OK for indoor shows, but the first outdoor show I attended demonstrated why this doesn't work; they blow over and off the table! All-in-all, a pretty good first attempt, but clearly in need of a redesign! My next post will explore version Two of the booth display.

Chaos Earrings: Before and After

2009-11-03T21:04:00.004-06:00

I wrote about the Chaos Earrings in an earlier post and this week made several more in preparation for a show this weekend in Omaha, Nebraska. I usually make them one at a time, but wanted to be able to work while watching the Vikings game on Sunday, so I did all the prep work for several pairs of earrings in the morning before the game. I thought the resulting bundle of wire and gemstones was quite attractive!

Flat weaving with wire

2009-10-26T08:47:00.003-05:00

I have finally finished the tutorial on making a woven bracelet!! I began work on this way back in March, and actually had most of the work done by April, but then the busy art show season intervened. I poked along on it, and began to make a concerted push to get it done in September. Now it is the end of October and time for release!

This tutorial is 28 pages long and full of detailed photographs of every step. If you have some experience with wireworking, you may be interested in giving this technique a try: http://janra-jewelry-designs.com/tutorials.html.

If you admire these bracelets but have no intention of ever trying to make one, you may be interested in purchasing one made by me!

Chaos Earrings

2009-09-30T14:39:00.004-05:00

I began making this style of earring last winter on a whim, almost, and have become quite enamored of the style. I make the frames by soldering (yes!) a ring of wire (18 or 20 gauge) and then shape it into a teardrop shape. The bottom of the teardrop is then wrapped - chaotically, for me at least - with 26 gauge wire on which I've strung a variety of gemstones. Both ends of each piece of 26 ga. wire are balled with a torch. The top photo shows a pair made with faceted carnelian, red agate rounds, and faceted "pineapple" quartz. The most recent ones I made, shown below, were done specifically for a monthly challenge being run for members of the Minnesota etsy Street Team, in recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness month. This pair is packed with freshwater pearls, faceted rose quartz, and faceted pink sapphires. I really like how they turned out and am inspired to make a companion pendant and necklace. I should have time to work on that next week and will post photos when finished!

Both of these earrings, and others, should be posted in my etsy shop by the end of today (Wednesday)!

A Happy Customer!

2009-09-24T19:22:00.004-05:00

When at the Wells Street Art Fair in Chicago last June, I had a special order to make this necklace. I was staying in Chicago for the week so was able to finish it and hand-deliver it to my customer within a few days. I just received this email from her:

"If you recall, you customized that gorgeous gold wire and bronze pearl choker, and delivered it (thanks!) to me at work. I would just like you to know that everyone LOVES it! I even had a vendor at the Gem Show ask about it. It has become one of my very favorite pieces in my quite large collection of jewelry, and there is almost nothing I cannot wear it with: jeans, dresses, t-shirts.

Thanks so very much for a wonderful piece...it gets worn more often than most things I own. Both the workmanship and your generosity in delivering it are very much appreciated."

I feel so gratified that I have a happy customer! Thank you!!

Copper and Silver Riveted Heart Pin

2009-09-23T17:09:00.004-05:00

Last winter (!) I attended an online workshop with Robert Dancik on making cold connections -- wire and tube rivets, among other techniques. It was great and I was fired up to try something new. I also bought a jewelers saw (finally) and sheet silver and copper to add to my stash. I worked away on a heart shaped pin and then completely lost my momentum. So it languished for 8 months, needing ONLY two rivets to finish it. I even saw it every day! Still, it sat there. Until today! I finished the rivets and polished it up (well, I want the scratchy matte finish, actually) and here it is with all it's imperfections.

I had originally envisioned the center portion as being more of a regular weave, but was having a hard time engineering the attachment, so I just put a bunch of bends in a long length of silver wire with round nose pliers. I cut both heart shapes with my new saw and did not break a single blade, so I guess my years of experience with a carpenter's coping saw paid off! The rivets were meant to be flush on both sides, but I did not do a good job of drilling through the silver without reaming out the hole, making it too big for the 16 ga. wire, so I balled the wire for the silver side instead. I think I like it better. The weakest part of the entire piece, in my mind, is the latch mechanism. I did this last January and right now I don't know what I was thinking! Fortunately, this piece is mine and I don't mind how the back appears, I just know it looks good on a sweater!

A long absence....

2009-09-23T16:36:00.002-05:00

....for no good reason. In my head, I have written many blog posts documenting my recent show experiences, booth redesign, jewelry experiments, and personal upheavals. Unfortunately, there is no way (yet) to directly transfer my thoughts to the web. If there were, you all would have gotten an earful this summer! So here is the condensed version: The Uptown Art Fair (Minneapolis, MN) went well and I had decent sales, but the crowds were definitely down from previous years. Uptown also saw my first thefts (two bracelets) of the year, which is pretty amazing since at this point last year I had had several items walk off. I spent almost all of my August working hard to increase my inventory for a four-day show that has a reputation for high sales numbers: the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park (Atlanta), Georgia. I could (and may still) devote a long blog post to this festival and my trip, but for now suffice to say that it was relatively disappointing, especially considering that I drove 1200 miles to get there. Before I went to YDF, I put a lot of time into revamping my booth display. Nothing major, but the changes I made I think have dramatically improved the appearance. Again, a separate post may be forthcoming. And as if August wasn't busy enough, the week before I left for Atlanta, my dog sustained a partial tear of her Achilles tendon and had to have surgery to repair it. So now I am back (have been for a week), don't have a lot to do, unfortunately, to get ready for my next show, and am spending a lot of time and energy on my dog. I have also allowed myself to play, a bit, with new techniques. Stay tuned for some photos!

Sleeping Beauty as a Viking

2009-07-28T19:24:00.006-05:00

I decided to splurge last week and buy a strand of very nice Sleeping Beauty turquoise nuggets from MagpieGemstones, along with a few other goodies. I had a particular design in mind, combining the turquoise with some red coral I had on hand for a Viking knit piece with a Southwest look, but when it came down to it, I just couldn't bring myself to combine the two stones. That look may appeal to some, but it just doesn't look "right" to me, so at the last second (seriously, I had to "back-out" a stitch and remove one chip of coral), I substituted baroque white pearls, which I find a better accompaniment to turquoise. Here is the result:

And how about some earrings to go with that?

Show Report: Downtown Boulder Art Fair

2009-07-28T18:28:00.002-05:00

The Downtown Boulder Art Fair, held on July 18 and 19, was my first time at an art show in Colorado. I didn't know a lot about this show when I applied, but it fit nicely into a tour of western states art shows that I tried to put together. Most of the other shows fell through (I got wait-listed for three of them), but having gotten into the Boulder show, I decided to keep it. I went to the Brookings Summer Art Fair (South Dakota) the weekend prior, then spent the intervening week in the Badlands and Black Hills (that will be another post coming soon!).

The set-up for the Boulder show wasn't until Saturday morning, but I picked up my artist information packet on Friday and scoped out the show site. About half of the booth sites are located on the picturesque Pearl Street pedestrian mall, where they are scattered in amongst the public sculptures, kiosks, and benches. A quarter of the booths are lined up in a more traditional fashion (back-to-back) on the east end of the mall, and the final quarter are located on the edge of a (closed) street on the west end. This end is purported to be hot and sunny (the few trees are rather small) and get much less foot traffic than the actual mall. I'm guessing that as a first-time exhibitor at this fair, that is why I might have been placed in this location. That's fine, because, guess what? The west end gets plenty of foot traffic! I had a good show, and my work was very well received. I even began to run out of a few designs.

After walking around the show on Sunday morning, I think I might actually prefer the west end. The pretty part of the Pearl Street mall might be TOO shady, making my work difficult to see. I'm also not sure I like the jumbled arrangement of booths on the mall. Plus, I had a nice breeze coming through my booth and several patrons commented on the lack of a breeze in the close quarters on the mall.

The show organizers (Downtown Boulder, Inc.) did a good job, bringing juice and scones by on Saturday morning, and stopping by with water during the day. The booth-sitting was handled by calling the director's cell phone, upon which she would dispatch a booth sitter. Very effective!

Show Report: Park Point Art Fair

2009-06-29T22:39:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I attended the Park Point Art Fair in Duluth, Minnesota, and I have to say that this is one of my favorite shows to do. Even though it is small (120 artists) this show is very nicely juried and the organizers really, really love their artists. The show is held on Park Point, a small park at the far end of a barrier island on Lake Superior, and is organized by the Park Point Community Club, whose members are local residents. It is far and away the easiest set-up and tear-down of any show on the planet. Not only can you drive right up to your booth to unload, but you can actually park right behind your booth! Heck, stay there all weekend if you want! Set up is on Friday, with the show running 10-5 on both Saturday and Sunday (civilized hours!). In addition, they feed the artists a nice picnic dinner on Saturday evening, and give out category and Best of Show awards. A nice twist to the awards is that the Best of Show winner each year is offered a commission to design and make the awards for the category winners in the next year. Last year's winner was David Royce, a glass artist whose color work is phenomenal. The awards he made for this year's winners were stunning and drew a lot of attention.

This is my third year at this show, and I consider it to be somewhat of a working vacation. I enjoy camping at Jay Cooke State Park and going up a day or two early to go hiking and to enjoy the park. That being said, it is still an art show and I do care about how my work is received and overall sales. My experience in the past two years, and the current economic climate suggested to me that I should lower my expectations for the show this year. Imagine my surprise when my sales were twice what I expected. Twice! I was very gratified to have former customers stop in to say "hi" and to confirm how much they love their bracelets, purchased in years past. I also had several people come through and look once, and then return for a major purchase. It seem that although people are buying fewer items these days, they are still buying, but are being more thoughtful about which items they purchase. I was flattered and humbled that several people chose to buy my work for their one purchase. I truly do appreciate it!

Finally, I have to say something about the weather! If you were in eastern Minnesota this past weekend, you already know what I'm going to talk about: THE WIND!!! Saturday began with rain, and then was just a bit chilly all day, but Sunday brought strong (warm) winds. Strong. The sustained winds were around 30 mph, with gusts routinely over 40 mph. The highest recorded gust at the Duluth airport was 49 mph! My sturdy Trimline canopy withstood the onslaught just fine, and I wasn't even staked into the ground! My only weights were four 40 pound bags of salt, each strapped to the frame. The wind was unnerving, and bowed the rear wall panel in, but the frame itself never lifted off the ground. It only began inching along the ground in the last hour when the gusts were at their strongest.

I never really felt that my canopy was going to blow away, but the stress of the wind took it's toll on me none-the-less and I confess that I began removing my jewelry from display about 20 minutes early. That was also about the time that some ugly looking black clouds appeared to the north. As it turns out, many artists began dismantling their display around 4:30, so I was not alone in feeling that it was time to pack up. Fortunately, the show organizers agreed that the wind was getting to be a bit too much! It was wonderful how artists and show volunteers pitched in to help bring down canopies in the high winds.

I love this show, and am already planning on next year!!

Show Report: Wells Street Art Festival

2009-06-18T22:14:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, June 13-14, was the Wells Street Art Festival, just north of downtown Chicago, and put on by Special Events Management. This was my first time at Wells Street, and my second show with these promoters. Like the nearby Old Town Art Fair, held on the same weekend, Wells Street has an admission fee ($7-$10), which is supposed to be a "donation", but I don't think you can get in without paying.

Saturday was a very long day for the artists, as booth set-up could only occur in the morning. I got up at 5 AM to drive into town for my 6:45 time slot. In theory you can drive right up to your booth to unload, but once inside the street barriers, all traffic came to a complete stop. I sat for 25 minutes before deciding to dolly my stuff the 40 feet (didn't realize I was that close!!) to my booth. Twice I had to move my truck up as the line moved (I drove about 30 feet each time, seriously!), but overall the unloading was rather painless. When I was accepted to this show I had the option of spending $60 for a spot in a reserved parking lot, which I did, and that turned out to be an excellent decision. First of all, I did not have to spend any time or mental anguish trying to find a parking spot where you can leave your vehicle for 12 hours. Secondly, the parking lot was only one long block from my booth, which meant that at the end of the weekend, I could dolly my stuff to the truck rather than waiting for the street to open up to traffic.

Saturday also became a long day because of the weather. The morning was rainy and cold, and I know several people, including me, got wet shoes in the morning, which meant that by the end of the day (8PM) we were quite chilled. Thank goodness I thought to bring a fleece hat and gloves! I have made a note to myself that in similar situations in the future that I need to pack at least a spare pair of dry socks, if not a complete change of shoes.

So, other than the cold rain for the first half of Saturday, how was the show? From my perspective, it was a good show. Other than a few booths which should NOT have been juried in, the caliber of artist was quite high. I had pretty good sales, considering the weather and the economy. I had mentally prepared myself for an arduous set-up and tear-down, but both went more smoothly than I anticipated. I will definitely apply to this show again.

Viking knit bracelets

2009-04-11T17:21:00.004-05:00

Well, it certainly has been a while, hasn't it?!? I began making these bracelets over a month ago and have only just now gotten around to posting them! They are basically miniature versions of the necklaces I made earlier this year. They look rigid and triangular, but actually sit comfortably on the wrist. The Viking knit portion stays on top of your arm and the other segments are strung on flexible Accuflex wire that curves around the wrist. They are easy to put on by yourself and stay put once on. I am having a hard time deciding which one I want for myself!

Spring Mix of Pearls

2009-03-08T17:37:00.004-05:00

I made this set last weekend and find, again, that I adore these pieces! This is the first time I have done a nearly random mix of stones (three colors of freshwater pearls, in this case) in the Viking knit section. I wish that I also had different sizes of each color so that I could have the piece larger in the center than at the sides. I find it immensely difficult, however, to find pearls that are of the same dye lot that are in different sizes, and more specifically, in smaller sizes. I need pearls that range from 2 mm to 5 mm. I can find white pearls more easily so I am considering the possibility of dying my own pearls. Has anyone done this?

The other new thing about this necklace is the hook and eye. Well, the eye portion, really. I needed to make sure the eye was truly secure, so I soldered it closed. Nothing earth-shattering, to be sure, but a new addition for me!

I already know what the next two (TWO!) necklaces will be; I have had the pearls for months and now know that I was waiting for this design to emerge. I also think I shall make matching bracelets.

More Heart Pins

2009-03-06T13:25:00.003-06:00

I love my new photo studio so much I want to take new pictures of everything! Here are some wire heart pins, made with 16 and 20 gauge Argentium silver wire. One has been oxidized. The first pin I made like this was back in December. I feel like there are too many spirals, so I am going to try something new for the next one. I will post a photo, of course!

Viking Knit Set, Gold with Amber and Pearl

2009-03-04T17:57:00.003-06:00

Here is the last of the photos I took recently of older work (last fall) with my new tabletop photo studio. I particularly like the contrast between the jewelry and the background, and that the black background does not have any hot-spots. I am still amazed at how much my photographs have improved!

These pieces were hand-woven using 26 gauge 14 karat gold-fill wire. I love the combination of amber and pearls! Both the necklace and earrings are listed for sale on my website.

Amethyst Necklace and Earring Set

2009-03-02T15:47:00.003-06:00

This Viking knit chain is four stitches, with the amethyst chips added during the weaving. I have recently begun making my chains bulkier (5 to 8 stitches), so this represents an example of "early" work. The tops of the earrings are finished in the same manner used to finish the necklace chain. I only started finishing the earrings this way last summer, and I like the clean look very much, so much so that I took all the earrings of this style that I had and added this end treatment. I also removed all the manufactured earwires and added ones that I made. I can truly say that my work is 100% handmade!

This necklace is available on my website!

TeamMN on etsy.com

2009-03-01T15:05:00.003-06:00

I'm posting a quick note here. I just finished attending an online meeting of the Minnesota Street Team, a group of (mostly) Minnesotans with shops on etsy.com. It was a bit slow to get going, but once it did, was quite interesting. We talked about some new guidelines for team participation in order to get more people involved in promoting the Team and the shops of its members. It was kind of fun to sit at my table, work on some earrings, and follow the online chat. Plus, I got to listen to "Wait, wait, don't tell me!" on MPR! Talk about multi-tasking! The end result is that I am enthusiastic about the Street Team again, and will continue to maintain my shop on etsy.

Turquoise Set

2009-02-28T09:29:00.003-06:00

I made this set last week and used my new photo studio set-up for the photography. I must admit that I am thrilled, THRILLED, with the result. I think I am getting close to figuring out how to configure my lights in order to get this look. I have two more photos of older work ready to post, but I think I will spread it out over the next few days, so come back to see the pretties!!

This necklace is 5-stitch Viking knitting with the turquoise chips worked into the weave. I didn't make it long enough, and so had to add the links on the ends. I thought the result would be awful, but I find that I like the effect.

Art Show Applications

2009-02-27T08:09:00.002-06:00

The show season for the summer and fall actually began last month, since applications for almost every show are due in February and March. In the past month I have sent out applications and fees to 15 shows, and I will be glad to be done with that bit of business administration! In March and April there will be two or three more. Now it is time to wait. Waiting is awful! I have spent a good two months looking at shows, putting together a schedule, dreaming about what my year will be like, and looking forward to a road trip out west. Now I must wait to hear if I got into the shows. My jury photos turned out so nicely that I decided to gamble a bit and apply to some shows that I am not at all sure I will get into. If I am rejected from all of them, then I will certainly be in trouble! On some weekends, I also applied to a "back-up" show, in an attempt to make sure I get into SOMETHING! I hope to post a more complete show schedule on my website by mid-April.

On a related note, I wonder if some shows are in trouble because artists are in trouble. Five of the shows to which I applied extended their due dates at the last minute, which could be interpreted to mean that the number of applications was way down and the show promoters wanted to give more people time to decide to apply. Also, one show I have applied to in the past (but not this year) sent five reminders about the upcoming application deadline and encouraging application to the show. It began to feel like desperation to me. I might have applied, but had already applied to a show (Yellow Daisy Festival in Stone Mountain Georgia) that DOES NOT refund your booth fee if you are accepted and I won't know whether I am in until early April.

Viking Knit Necklace with Woven Links

2009-02-21T11:37:00.003-06:00

I am using my new photography studio to take photos of some work I did in January. This piece is definitely one of my favorites, so much so that I may need to keep it for myself. The center piece is 5-stitch Viking knitting with faceted rounds and rondelles of Spinel and Onyx. I made the two side links by fusing Argentium sterling silver into oval shapes that formed the frame for the weaving. The chains at the top are 4-stitch Viking knitting in the same mesh pattern that I use for the centerpiece. The one thing I would do differently next time is to make the center section a bit shorter, so that the links are more visible, and to weave the spinel rounds onto both sides of the the links so that there is no "right" side or "wrong" side. I just love this piece!!

Art Show Promoters and Payments

2009-02-20T17:17:00.004-06:00

Amdur Productions puts on several shows in and around the Chicago area. This year I applied to a few shows with them and I just received an email about their "Economic Understanding Program." Basically, given the uncertain nature of today's economy and the knowledge that cash flow is a problem for artists at this time of year (regardless of the economy), they are allowing accepted artists to split the payment of their booth fees and are waiving the surcharges they might usually add to this convenience. And although they have not accepted credit cards in the past, they have added that payment option. These are wonderful changes and reflect the fact that Amy Amdur understands the position that many artists find themselves in.

Almost all shows for the summer and fall have application deadlines ranging from late-February to early-April. These shows all have application fees, and either require payment for booth fees with the application, or upon acceptance, usually in April. This means that artists have almost all their show fees due within a two month period (last year mine came to $6000), and many of us have had little to no income during the winter months. On top of that, estimated taxes are due April 15! Cash flow is definitely a problem for artists at this time of year, so any way that show promoters can allow an artist to put off booth fee payments until later in the spring or early summer is greatly appreciated.

I'd like to commend Amdur Productions for making these changes!

"Tabletop" Photography

2009-02-19T07:43:00.005-06:00

I finally received my tabletop photo studio and have figured out, more or less, how to configure the lights in order to get decent photos. The entire studio consists of a white nylon fabric light tent and four lights with natural spectrum CFLs, purchased from Steve Kaeser Backgrounds on E-Bay. Overall, I am quite pleased with the quality, especially of the lights. The stands are sturdy and the lamp bases have nice on/off switches. The only thing I had to get (so far) was the appropriate surface and background. I went to a picture framing shop and bought a piece of non-glare glass (there IS a "right" side and "wrong" side) and used a large piece of black paper that I had under the glass. In the photo above, the surface looks grey, but that really is a piece of black paper under the non-glare glass!

After much repositioning of lights, I finally took some photos that are decent. I am still trying to figure out how to get rid of the uneven whitish reflections, but I will get there! And even though this is a "tabletop" studio, I don't have a table big enough for it! It currently sits on my basement floor, as you can see!

Here is one of my newer pieces, photographed in the new set-up. The center is 8-stitch Viking knitting with turquoise chips, and the side chains are 4-stitch Viking knitting and a strand of turquoise. This one came out a bit long. I may try it again with shorter segments.

Diving into Facebook

2009-02-16T17:09:00.004-06:00

As part of my general marketing strategy, I have been trying out various forums and places to get involved. Up until recently I have been keeping this more-or-less confined to jewelry and arts-related sites. I have accounts with Wire Wrapped Jewelry (a Yahoo group) and it's sister groups, Lampworkers Etc., the Guild of Wire Jewelry Artists, Art Jewelry Magazine, Step-by-Step Wire, the Orchid Forum (by Ganoksin), JewelryLessons.com, JewelryGeeks.com, etsy, MN Artists, Creative Wire Jewelry, Sunshine Artist, Twitter, LinkedIn, and possibly a few more. Not surprisingly, it is not possible to keep up with every outlet. I am active in some forums, a regular lurker in others, an occasional visitor to a few, and the rest, well, I just don't have time for everything!

Now enter Facebook. I have been reluctant to join, but finally did so a few weeks ago, almost on a whim. The first weeks were frustrating because Facebook is complex and rich, but there isn't really a user-guide, per se, and for something that complicated, I need a guide! There is a "Help" section, but it is only vaguely helpful. I finally discovered that books written by third parties DO exist, such as Facebook for Dummies and The Missing Manual. I haven't looked at those, but I did get a copy of I'm on Facebook - Now What?. This is a slim volume, and I had to grit my teeth through a few grammatical and editing errors on the first page, but overall, this is a useful little book if you want some input into promoting your business on Facebook.

I found that not only is Facebook a great way to stay in touch with friends near and far, but it might be a useful way to increase my own exposure in ways I hadn't imagined. Today I put together a Page for my business, JanRa Jewelry Designs. I will be exploring how to promote this page in the coming weeks. My hope is that increased exposure will result in increased sales through my website, or people searching me out when I travel to art shows over the summer. This year promises to be more challenging than last year, in terms of sales, and I am determined to do everything I can to make sure my business survives.

If you are on Facebook, visit my Page and write on my Wall! Send me links to your Page as well!

Happy Birthday President Lincoln!

2009-02-12T10:28:00.003-06:00

It really began by accident. On a whim, almost, I read Jeff Shaara's book, Gods and Generals, followed quickly by The Last Full Measure and then the book by his father, Michael Shaara, that started it all, The Killer Angels. All historical novels taking place during the American Civil War. I have since become VERY interested in the Civil War in general, and in President Lincoln in particular. I am now a great admirer of the man and of his presidency.

When I travel around the country on road trips, I now make a point of looking for Lincoln statues and memorials. The two photographs above were taken in Lincoln City, Oregon and in Spokane, Washington. In both cases I went out of my way to find these statues. I have been to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park outside of Mandan, North Dakota, but no statues (nice park, though). If anyone knows of a Lincoln statue I should see, let me know in a comment! And yes, I will be visiting Springfield sometime this year. I tried to get there last fall but couldn't seem to fit it into my schedule. It WILL happen this year on the bicentennial of his birth!

One final note: I am also celebrating Charles Darwin's 200th birthday today! Two great men born on the same day in 1809, and still influencing our lives today.

First Robin of.....Spring?

2009-02-08T11:49:00.003-06:00

I had a robin in my back yard on February 3rd, when the high temperature was about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Not kidding!!! The is the earliest I have ever seen a robin. This male is either going to have some prime territory in the spring or else he is going to die. Fortunately for him, daytime temps are now routinely in the 30s.

Wire Braiding tutorial

2009-02-01T13:32:00.003-06:00

The tutorial for Viking knitting has been received quite well. I've been getting a lot of positive feedback about it and it has been very gratifying to hear that other people find the instructions and photographs easy to follow! I have plans for a few more tutorials, some on basic techniques, and some that are specific projects. The first one I have ready is a tutorial on braiding with wire, covering three-strand braiding, with a basic wire-wrapping technique used to make the latch. On my website I call these "Simple Braid" bracelets.

I have been spending a lot of time on the computer recently, and even though my first show is still two months away, I am beginning to feel a bit nervous about my inventory level. I really want to push my designs into new areas, and pick up new techniques, but doing so takes time away from making items that I already know are popular. It is a delicate balancing act that I am not sure I have mastered yet!

Jury Photos

2009-01-22T17:13:00.004-06:00

And this is what professional photography can do for you:

Photos I took of these two pieces were posted earlier this month. They were alright for a blog or website, but cannot compare to these! They don't even look like the same pieces! These photos were taken by Larry Sanders, of Sanders Visual Images. So much nicer!!

Capturing the Inaugural Moment

2009-01-20T12:14:00.003-06:00

I did not travel to Washington D.C. for President Obama's (I just LOVE that phrase!) inauguration, and miss being a part of the energy, but my consolation is that you can take some very, very nice photographs from an HD TV! All of these photos are still shots of the live video feed broadcast by ABC. Here is a nice shot of the Obamas and Bushes on the South Capital steps, just before former-President Bush and Laura Bush leave in the Marine helicopter.

What a great looking couple! I watched the inaugural events ALL day (8AM to 5PM, CST) and after a while began to really love Michelle's outfit. The fabric of her dress and coat have a gorgeous texture and I love the warm color. It is very unlike me to comment on anything related to fashion, but her outfit really was quite striking, especially on her! And check out Sasha in the top photo. Her outfit is a bold combination of pink and orange that actually works; I wonder if she picked out her clothes.

I am so thrilled! President Obama!

More Fun with Coral and Viking Knitting

2009-01-05T10:49:00.002-06:00

The four stitch double knit chain that was jettisoned from the coral pendant shown in the previous post got a new life! I cut a section off the original chain to use with this piece that I made on Sunday. Eight stitches worked on a large dowel incorporating a new stock of red coral chips. The resulting piece has a fascinating feel, spongy and squishy, and I have a hard time keeping my hands off it! I quite like this design and already have plans for a few more like it, but with other stones (turquoise comes to mind). This piece was mailed off last night to be photographed by Larry Sanders for use in applying to shows. I can't wait to see my new professional jury photos!

Posted by Jan Raven on http://wovenwire.blogspot.com.
If you are seeing this on MakingWireJewelryBlog.com, know that this content is being lifted without permission or attribution to the real author (me!). Unethical at best and possibly a violation of copyright and of U.S. law (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you really want to learn how to make wire jewelry, please go to JewelryLessons.com and support actual artists!

Viking knit chain with red coral pendant

2009-01-02T13:48:00.007-06:00

I spent a few days this week modifying an older piece of work. Originally, this pendant was on a four-stitch double knit silver chain with a coordinating hook. It never really met my own vision of what it should look like, mostly because the chain had been pulled through too small of a hole. It looks OK, but I don't like the look of very tightly pulled chains, and the chain diameter was not the correct scale for the large pendant. I was paging through my sketchbook and found a sketch for a different type of pendant suspended on a short length of Viking knit, bracketed by two small hand-coiled links. Perfect!

I made the 5-inch segment of 5-stitch double knit and the two links to match the pendant, then made a new length of 4-stitch double knit (not pulled so tightly!) and a new hook to match my current style of coordinating hooks. I am very pleased with the outcome! I made this piece a little long (22"), so it looks great on a black turtleneck. I am planning on including this piece in my next round of jury photos (to be taken on Monday!).

Posted by Jan Raven on http://wovenwire.blogspot.com.
If you are seeing this on MakingWireJewelryBlog.com, know that this content is being lifted without permission or attribution to the real author (me!). Unethical at best and possibly a violation of my copyrights and of U.S. law (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you really want to learn how to make wire jewelry, please go to JewelryLessons.com and support actual artists!

A Tale of Two Hearts

2008-12-31T13:34:00.007-06:00

The most recent issue of Art Jewelry Magazine contained a small teaser for the next issue, which will feature a simple wirework heart pin by Sharilyn Miller. I don't usually recreate any magazine projects, but I HAD to make this pin. And I had to make it for Christmas! As usual, I used the photo as a guide and made my own version with no further instruction.

I wanted to post these photos when I finished making the pin on the 24th, but didn't want to ruin the surprise just in case the intended recipient decided to read my blog on Christmas eve (Hi Mary!). I am sure I'll make another (or three or four) when the March issue comes out.

Posted by Jan Raven on http://wovenwire.blogspot.com.
If you are seeing this on MakingWireJewelryBlog.com, know that this content is being lifted without permission or attribution to the real author (me!). Unethical at best and possibly a violation of copyright and of U.S. law (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you really want to learn how to make wire jewelry, please go to JewelryLessons.com and support actual artists!

My First Rivets

2008-12-17T15:51:00.004-06:00

The title for this post sounds like the title for a children's book, which I think is appropriate since my first project made me jump up and down with child-like glee. I couldn't bear to wait for my new tools to arrive, so I rummaged around to see what I could do with what I had. Basically, I have a lot of wire and a lot of construction materials.

I found a scrap of thin wood, drew a somewhat random pattern, and cut out the rough shape using a coping saw. I dragged out my new and unused Dremel with a flexshaft attachment, added a sanding drum, and had a blast refining the wood shape. I wanted to try putting some flush rivets of copper in the wood base, but decided I better just start with an ordinary rivet with mushroom heads.

My woodworking dowels have an interesting spiral groove (for holding glue). I resisted the urge to lay in some wire (too obvious for now), and decided to rivet this to my wood base after flattening the bottom on sandpaper first. I had issues attaching the dowel to the base. I wanted to use 14 gauge copper wire (that is all I have) with a balled head on top of the bare wood, but I could not get the copper to ball up. I switched to Argentium wire (balls up just fine), then decided the color contrast with copper would be nice, meaning making copper "washers," and why use plain copper when heat-treated copper yields such nice red-pick colors? So my washers are randomly shaped pieces of heat-treated 28 gauge copper sheet. They kind of look like leather.

My drill bit died, so I couldn't drill holes in the copper, but I managed to make holes by using an awl to deform the sheet, file down the bulge, push out again with the awl, file again. This worked extremely well! I love creative problem-solving!! The part of the project that made me jump up and down was the tube rivet at the top. This was just the coolest thing ever! I think these will start showing up in my work.

I have been "absorbing" information about riveting for several months now, but I have to thank three sources for finally pushing me to actually try it: craftcast.com, Robert Dancik, and Janice Fowler. Craftcast.com hosted the live online workshop with Robert Dancik that I wrote about yesterday, and last week I bought a very nice tutorial on tube rivets from metalsmith, Janice Fowler. All great sources!!

Online workshop with Robert Dancik

2008-12-16T10:43:00.002-06:00

Last night I "attended" a live online workshop with jewelry artist Robert Dancik on making cold connections (wire rivets, tube rivets, making tabs, countersinking rivets). It was inspiring, informative, and a blast to attend (even though my browser froze twice and I had to force quit and restart). I have tried to teach myself these techniques before, but never quite "got it." Robert's oversize models were brilliant, and cleared up the questions I didn't even know I had! His teaching style is very laid-back, which I enjoyed immensely. You kind of had to have a laid-back attitude about the whole event, since the computer and phone connections were acting up for various people all evening. There were people attending from all over the world, which I still find absolutely fascinating. The class was hosted by Alison at craftcast.com, and she did a great job trying to keep everyone together and dealing with issues of connection as they were "voiced" in the chat room. I feel lucky to have attended, since I didn't even find out about this workshop until Sunday! I just happened to catch a post about it on the Daily Art Muse (my favorite blog!). I am now full of ideas, and only lack some of the tools needed to bring those ideas to life. Today I will order some tools (bench pin, jeweler's saw and blades, super small drill bits), and in the meantime will just practice the techniques. Hopefully, I will have some new work to post in a few days!!

Winter Dance Out

2008-12-15T12:53:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday, December 13th, was largely devoted to dancing with friends. Several of the local winter dance groups got together to tour in Northfield, MN, with a wonderful final stop at The Contented Cow, an English-style pub, where they had very, very good pasties! The teams on this tours were Shortsword (the rapper sword team I dance with), Great Northern Border, Crosby Lake Clatterers (Lancashire clog), Guyz With Tiez (longsword), and the host team, Wild Rose (longsword). Somehow, I managed to get photos only of Great Northern, Crosby Lake, and the Guyz. If someone sends me photos of Wild Rose and Shortsword, I'll post them later. We'll all be touring again in about a month when Shortsword hosts a pub crawl in downtown St. Paul.

Tutorial for Viking Knitting

2008-12-06T08:27:00.007-06:00

After the crazy show schedule of November (three four-day shows in a row is exhausting), I thought that my life would slow down. Silly me! After I returned home from Chicago, I had to readjust to being home, which meant grocery shopping, cleaning the house (both abandoned in early October), and retrieving my pets from their gracious hosts (Thank you Darcy, Paul, and Audrey!). Then came Thanksgiving cooking! Strange to think that was only last week! Since last Friday I have spent about 70 hours working on the computer, updating the website, writing a tutorial, taking photos, uploading photos, editing photos in Photoshop, continuing to work on the tutorial, updating the website again, taking and editing more photos, and preparing a portfolio for a professional art consultation. It really does feel like the past week has lasted an entire month.

The tutorial on which I have been working so hard is on the Viking knit technique. I have been wanting to put this together since last August, but well, if you've read this far you know why it hasn't been done. I finally got it done, however, and I must say that I think I succeeded in making it the most detailed and comprehensive tutorial on the technique in existence. The document has nearly 80 photos of every (EVERY) step, including how to get started, various stitch patterns, dealing with mistakes, how to maintain an even distribution of stitches, two ways to finish chains, and a short project (hoop earrings) that can be worked up quickly. It is the next best thing to actually taking a class from me. You can find the tutorial (for $10) at either JewelryLessons.com or on my website. Way cheaper than a class! If you have been intrigued by Viking knitting, I invite you to check it out. If you have taken a class already, but didn't have much success with the technique, this tutorial may help you succeed. I have been working extensively with the Viking knit technique for nearly seven years, and feel my years of experience and experimentation make me qualified to present this tutorial. Check out my website and see if you don't agree!

Posted by Jan Raven on http://wovenwire.blogspot.com. If you are seeing this on MakingWireJewelryBlog.com, know that this content is being lifted without permission or attribution to the real author (me!). Unethical at best and possibly a violation of copyright and of U.S. law (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you really want to learn how to make wire jewelry, please go to JewelryLessons.com and support actual artists!

A Brief Note - I am Published!

2008-11-19T07:46:00.002-06:00

Ok, the first time I was published was in a scientific journal. This time it is a tutorial for my Viking Knit bead caps in the December 2009 issue of Step-by-Step Wire. Page 36. Check it out.

Now I have 10 minutes left this morning to load the truck and leave for the craft show in Chicago. Later!!

Too busy

2008-11-18T18:35:00.002-06:00

It may sound strange, but I feel like I have been too busy to even post about being too busy! In mid-October I went to The War Eagle Fair in NW Arkansas, which was a tremendous success. Sales were excellent and people seemed very appreciative of my work. I camped in the open field provided for artists, as is usual for me, but I have to admit that next year I may consider getting a motel room. Nights can be cold and are very, VERY damp! By itself, this isn't really a problem, but it does get old after four nights.

Anyway, sales were so good that I had to work like crazy once I got home to get ready for the three four-day shows that I had scheduled in November. All three are put on by Huffman Productions, and have a reputation for high sales. I only had 10 days to resupply! I went to the first show in Omaha, hoping I would be able to get through the three shows with the inventory I had. Unfortunately, it now turns out that I have enough inventory. Way more than enough. Omaha was disappointing and the big show I just finished in Shakopee (MN) was downright awful. The only thing different from previous years is the economy. Many artists and crafters I talked to commented on how dramatically sales have decreased. I have one more to do (Chicago), and then after that....nothing. I had planned on taking most of December off to recover (my hands, wrists, and forearms need a break!) and then using January through March to develop new work and to begin to build my inventory for the spring shows. I still need the break, but now I am beginning to look at getting the season started in March instead of April. More later next week.

Hammered Hearts Earrings

2008-10-12T09:30:00.005-05:00

I subscribe to two magazines that contain jewelry projects, Step-by-Step Wire and Art Jewelry Magazine, and I while I study the articles, I rarely do any of them. Here is an exception. The Summer Preview 2008 issue of Step-by-Step Wire had a nice project by Sharilyn Miller that I finally played with this week. I found immediately that I didn't like the way the heart shape as she made it flowed into the earring hook portion, so I substituted my current method for making fibula pins. I also did a lot more hammering of the heart shape.

The leaf background shows the strange way my sugar maple is turning this year. I have never seen this pattern of green/yellow/orange/red in a single leaf before. These beautiful leaves are dropping from a single branch of my tree; the rest of the tree is still dark green. Go figure!

Posted by Jan Raven on http://wovenwire.blogspot.com. If you are seeing this on MakingWireJewelryBlog.com, know that this content is being lifted without permission or attribution to the real author (me!). Unethical at best and possibly a violation of copyright and of U.S. law (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you really want to learn how to make wire jewelry, please go to JewelryLessons.com and support actual artists!

Explorations in Foldforming

2008-10-08T12:01:00.005-05:00

Here is my latest new book, Foldforming, by Charles Lewton-Brain.

An example project from the book was recently published in Art Jewelry Magazine, and while I didn't pay much attention to it on my first pass, a subsequent reading of that issue had me intrigued. Book in hand, I used the tools (20 oz. carpenter's hammer) and materials (28 gauge copper sheet) I had on hand for my first try at the "Romero fold." The resulting leaf shape has some interesting texture, but there were some issues. First, a carpenter's hammer is most definitely NOT the right tool for the job. Second, properly forming the copper requires that it is annealed, which my sheet was not, after the first few hammer blows. I had never done any annealing, so didn't really think about it.

After I ordered and received the proper hammer for the job, I tried again, this time annealing the copper periodically. I made a few ruffles (one of which I am making into an experimental pin), and more interestingly, a Rueger fold. That last one was fun! I successfully applied flux to the copper to prevent firescale, and successfully annealed the copper several times, allowing the copper to begin curling and flaring with successive hammer blows.

A Birthday Present!

2008-10-07T16:18:00.003-05:00

About two weeks ago I found a wonderful new blog (Daily Art Muse) that instantly became a favorite of mine, so much so that I put it on my Bookmarks Bar immediately. This blog is full, FULL of little introductions to some amazing artists, in all genres. I try to visit every day, to check on new posts, and to troll through the previous two years of posts. This always eats a fair amount of time, because I am compelled to visit the various artist websites that are referenced in the posts. Anyway, last Sunday I checked in and found that the Daily Art Muse was celebrating a birthday, and that Susan (Da Muse, herself) was going to give six art books to a random person chosen from amongst those who commented on the blog post. Well, who wouldn't post a comment with that kind of incentive? Turns out, there were 92 comments, so Susan used an online random number generator to pick the winner, who turned out to be me! I am so thrilled about this! I feel like I am a sponge right now, soaking up inspiration, techniques, books, tools, magazines, web links, and more inspiration. If you have read some of my posts from earlier in the summer, you'll know what I am talking about!

Next week I am off to northwest Arkansas to attend the War Eagle Fair, so when I return I can look forward to a Birthday Present to unpack and dream over.....

Yearly Drug Fix

2008-10-06T19:22:00.003-05:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year, but it seems to be the shortest of all the seasons, at least here in central Minnesota, so I have to take in as much as I can while the leaves are around. Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny day that turned surprisingly warm. The outlook for the upcoming week looked rainy, so I took most of the day to go hiking with Morgan in the woods. On a whim, I drove over an hour north just to go walking for three hours. I don't drive much during the week, so I figured I could splurge on the gas. We went to Banning State Park and had a great time. Well, I did. I am sure Morgan would have preferred to be off-leash, but this was a State Park, not a National Forest! As you can see, I compromise with a thirty foot line (not kidding!).

Enjoy the walk through the park!

Woven Set

2008-09-30T15:40:00.003-05:00

Just showing a set. The earrings are based on some doodling in a sketchbook, the pin followed, and I made a pendant last week. I don't know why I love the earring shape so much, but I do. I also really enjoy this weaving pattern; very mesmerizing.

Charm Swap - "Autumn"

2008-09-30T10:27:00.004-05:00

This photo is an overview of the 15 charms I made for a charm swap through the Yahoo group, Wire Wrap Jewelry. Clearly, my charms are not primarily wire-wrapped! I signed up for the swap at about the time I got my two new books, Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet, and Foldforming, so I felt distinctly inspired by those two. The swap theme was "Autumn" and I envisioned forms based on milkweed pods and "sewn" closed with wire, with fluffy seeds, represented by more wire, erupting from them. A few of the first charms I made follow this vision. Then I noticed that some of the pieces began to resemble footballs -- Autumn again! I couldn't bring myself to make the same thing twice, so every charm is unique and represented a chance for me to explore and play with new techniques. Of all the pieces, I am quite taken with the two that have short lengths of silver wire penetrating the copper, balled at each end. I love the look and the fact that the little wires move back and forth. Expect to see more explorations of this technique when I have more time to play in the winter! I have already filled a few pages of my sketchbook with design ideas.

Fall Colors on the Prairie

2008-09-27T14:27:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I took Morgan for a walk at Carleton College's Cowling Arboretum, and the prairie was so magnificent that I had to go back to take pictures. Yesterday was, in all probability, the last day of Indian Summer here in Minnesota, with a high in the mid-80's, and was gorgeous! Morgan ran for about 15 minutes before being overcome with the heat, so she walked nicely on leash for the rest of the outing.

The "Arb," as it is known on campus, stretches along the Cannon River and ranges from floodplain forest to oak savannah to tall-grass prairie. This last area is what interested me the most on this trip. When I was at Carleton 23 years ago the prairie consisted only of a hillside that began to be restored in the 1970's. Work on this area continued, and restoration of nearby areas that were originally oak savannah began in the 80's. I didn't pay much attention to further restoration efforts, so I was amazed and delighted to see that prairie restoration has exploded. When I was there in the mid-80's, Carleton owned a lot of land that was still used for crop production, but apparently not only has the land been taken out of production, but it has been aggressively restored with prairie plants. The scope of restoration, given the small hillside they started with, is breathtaking! And at this time of year, a visual delight! The photos don't really do justice to the riot of color and texture on the landscape. Remember, 20 years ago these were cornfields.

Here are a few macro shots I took of some of the prairie plants. I used to know my plants fairly well, but I have no idea what the last one it! I've never seen it before. Looks like I'll have to ask the Arb Director....

A Nod to Iza

2008-09-25T15:02:00.003-05:00

This fibula pin was done as a study of Iza Malczyk's work. I love her style and wanted to do make a piece that incorporated some of the techniques she uses. The woven bead cap (second from the right), in particular, is her innovation. I followed the tutorial published in Step-by-Step Wire (Summer 2007), except that I used 28 gauge Argentium silver instead of 30 gauge fine silver for the weaving. Every other aspect of the work consists of common techniques, but I tried to emulate the way she combines shape and texture. Overall, I like how it turned out, except that I feel it is unbalanced; I wish the large loop on the right were smaller. I think this was also the first time I oxidized my silver. As you can see, Argentium may be tarnish resistant, but is certainly not tarnish-proof, and so can certainly be oxidized. The beads in the pin are (from left to right): faceted glass, amethyst, sugilite, and amethyst. I worked on this over the course of about a month in the spring, but only just thought about posting a photo here.

Tornado Hoops with Turquoise

2008-09-24T18:36:00.003-05:00

These are my version of a pair of earrings I admired on JewelryLessons.com. The artist's version is full of color and utterly delicious; I love them. I don't have many small gemstone rounds or rondelles right now, however, so I used some of the smallest turquoise chips that I have. The silver was oxidized then buffed. This is also the first time I have made closed hoops. I have no idea why it has taken me so long!

A New Tool

2008-09-24T16:22:00.003-05:00

The great thing about working construction for 13 years was that I got to buy (and use!) power tools. I sure miss that aspect of the work. There is nothing like looking at all the options at the world's best tool store, bringing your choice home, and plugging it in for the first time. After years of use, these tools become as familiar as an old flannel shirt. Now I hardly see them anymore. Sigh. Making jewelry, at least so far, hasn't involved much in the way of tools. Sure, I've spent a fair amount of money on pliers and cutters with comfortable handles, but it just isn't the same. But I'm expanding my techniques, and for that I bought a hammer. A really, really nice hammer! My "hammer-arm" misses the work and is ready! This is a thing of beauty. The handle is silky-smooth and the head has the most fascinating curves. I will be wielding this hammer to whack the hell out of sheets of copper and silver! Be forewarned that I have another new book and intend to play!

Obtuse Systems

2008-09-18T10:46:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to pay my Illinois Sales Tax for almost a week, but their obtuse filing system is testing me! Their webfile system does not allow the user (me) to add locations, which should be dead easy to do! Instead, I have to call an office (multiple times since the line was busy; apparently they haven't figured out call waiting) and request that the location be added. The woman said it may take 24 hours to show up online. That was three days ago! What is the problem? No other state I have dealt with has such a convoluted sales tax system. Plus, I have to file every month, even though so far, I have only had two shows in IL all year. I hope they get with the program and put me on an annual filing status for next year (assuming they even allow that!).

OK. I am done venting now.

Viking Knit Order

2008-09-15T15:03:00.003-05:00

I took some pics of this piece before mailing it off to its proud new owner. This chain is woven with 66 feet of 24 gauge 14kt. gold-fill wire, all single-knit stitch. I usually make my own hooks, but the client specifically requested the lobster claw. This took a long time to weave, but I very much like the impressive "presence" that the finished piece has.

Tick Check

2008-09-14T10:29:00.002-05:00

After a little outpatient surgery on Friday I found these guys all over me. They are for the EKG leads, and I found three of them on my chest once I was home and alert enough to care. They are really soft and quite imperceptible. So much so that after spending a few hours on the couch watching TV, and then napping for a few more hours (laying on my side), I discovered yet another of these attached to my left side. Really couldn't feel it at all! Just like ticks....

Project Three-Shelf Earrings

2008-09-12T18:57:00.006-05:00

I didn't care much for the Shelf Pendant in Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet, but I could see earrings quite clearly, so that is what I did. I love how these turned out! I did a strange thing when applying a heat patina to the copper: I applied the butane torch flame horizontally to the copper sheet (as opposed to perpendicular) and then I quenched the metal in the nearest source of water, my cat's water dish. I suspect the organic material in the water caused the interesting green flashes of color. I don't really know if that is true, but I do know that the coloring on this pair of earrings is more interesting than for Project Two! I could actually read about applying a heat patina, but so far just playing with it is kind of fun!

The silver is Argentium, so no fire scale or need for flux when balling the ends of the wire. The twisted wires at the top are scraps from other projects which I pulled out of the refining bin.

Working through the projects in this book is distracting me from getting ready for my Oct-Nov show schedule! Must pace myself.....but it is so fun to explore new techniques!!!

Project Two-Folded Earrings

2008-09-11T18:28:00.004-05:00

I actually began the Jewelry Challenge with this project, and not the Spinner Pendant. The copper sheet could have been heat-treated to make nice colors a bit more, but I am still learning! Anyone who is a fan of Battlestar Galactica might recognize something familiar about the front flaps....leave me a comment if you know what it is! The pearls (3/earring) were put together on headpins months ago for a design that didn't work out; they've been sitting on my desk ever since, waiting for their moment. I think the space I left inside the fold is a bit too small, but on the other hand, they ARE extremely cute. In fact, I am wearing them right now! I made the earwires a bit more "creatively" than I usually do, and I quite like them.

I have decided that they look like tiny purses with treasure tucked inside.

Project One-Spinner Necklace

2008-09-11T14:06:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I said I had some new work to post, and here it is. Last week I got the new book by Mary Hettmansperger, Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet, which is all about using wire, sheet metal, and cold connections. While the work in the book has a very different "feel" from the work I do now, I find it compelling. My work tends to be very orderly, controlled, and symmetrical; I want to push myself to create with a little less order, and to explore new avenues. It just so happens that right after getting the book I stumbled upon Deryn Mentock's blog, and the jewelry challenge she is involved in to work through the projects in Mary's book. Great!! I am thrilled to participate, so here is my first project.

I have actually used five different metals for this project. The gold-color discs are brass. The large square has been textured with a ball pein hammer, while the front round has been domed with a dapping block. The silver-color triangle is galvanized steel flashing (I have lots of that from my days in construction!); I will be buying silver sheet later this week. The steel has been textured with an awl. The spacers between the large discs are copper coils, the Bali beads are sterling silver, and finally, the silver coils and the main wire are Argentium silver.

This was fun! You'll notice, however, that I still felt compelled toward bilateral symmetry....

Look What I Found!!

2008-09-11T11:08:00.003-05:00

I was rummaging around my cluttered basement last night and found this guy! I made this years and years ago, way before I ever made any jewelry! You see, it all started with just playing around with iron wire. I forgot about this lizard, but now he will sit on top of my computer.

Some Eye Candy

2008-09-10T14:59:00.004-05:00

I keep thinking about posting, but life get so amazingly busy, that it drops off the end of the "to do" list. I have some new work to post, but no photos yet, so in the mean time, enjoy the Eye Candy!! Honestly, the gemstones look like real candy!!

I love chiropractors

2008-08-27T22:58:00.002-05:00

For the past two weeks I have been doing a whole lot of, well, nearly nothing, in an effort to rest my wrists and hands. I had a summer full of shows, and tried very hard to pace myself when it came to restocking inventory and working on special orders. I thought I had managed myself well, but two weeks ago (just before the last of the summer shows) my wrists just went "bad." The onset of symptoms seemed sudden, and I sure hoped it wasn't the beginnings of carpal tunnel. I needed time off anyway, so I tried very hard to do as little as possible, just working on the few orders I had from my last three shows. Unfortunately, it seemed like the less I did, the worse the wrists felt. Yesterday I finally went to my chiropractor. Why, oh why didn't I just go right away? While not "well," my hands feel immensely better. Plus, I understand what is going on in my wrists and I have a strategy for counteracting what the bones in my forearm are doing. Now I just need to get through one show in September, one long show in October, and then the November onslaught.....

While "resting" I got myself to the Minnesota State Fair, which I absolutely love and have missed for the past two years. I spent the entire day and still didn't get to the animal barns, so I will have to go back in the next few days. Darn, looks like I'll have to get the Tom Thumb mini-donuts again! Maybe I will also try two of the new food offerings this year: chocolate-covered key lime pie on-a-stick, and something called "piglickers" which sounds intriguing enough to try (Neuskies smoked bacon covered in super-dark chocolate and sprinkled with a spicy-salt mix). Strangely, not on a stick (I think). I think I gained a few pounds just by writing about that food!

I have also been busy with the camera and the keyboard, writing articles and tutorials for a new website, now out of beta-testing, called JewelryLessons.com. This site was put together and is administered by the well known wire jewelry artist, Eni Oken. I am so grateful to have been included in the beta testing. Go take a look! The offerings are still being fleshed out, so visit frequently to see how it changes. So far I have written a tutorial on the Spiral Earrings, Tumble polishing your work, and articles on doing and finding art fairs. I am working on a photo-dense tutorial for Viking knitting.

Viking Knit set with green pearls

2008-08-13T17:00:00.004-05:00

Here are the Viking knit pieces that won me First in Jewelry at the Amish Acres Arts and Crafts Fair, as I posted earlier. The necklace came first, and I originally intended to have all the smaller, darker green pearls to the outside and the larger, lighter green pearls together in the center of the piece, a graduation in size as I usually do with white pearls. Before I began weaving, however, the pearl strands sat around on my work table and while absentmindedly playing with them I saw the alternating size/color option and decided I might like that better. And I sure do like it better!

The bracelet also represents the first bracelet of this type. I have never liked bracelets made using the Viking weave, mostly because the weave naturally wants to stick out straight at the ends, making it extremely difficult to operate any kind of latch or hook. This open weave is a bit more forgiving, and the large "signature" hooks that I make allow one person (me, as the resident product tester) to hook the bracelet with one hand. It is definitely a bit trickier than my other bracelets, but still doable. These look nice on the arm and -Bonus!- the hook looks cool too so it doesn't really matter which side is showing.

A First for me -- First Place!

2008-08-04T13:14:00.003-05:00

There were so many things I wanted to write about in the past 10 days, but constant traveling, art shows, and (more importantly) a lack of internet access have prevented it until now. And now that I am at a WiFi spot in Chicago, the events of the past four days take precedence over describing a beautiful drive across the U.P.

One of my Viking knit necklaces won me First Place in the Jewelry Category at the Amish Acres Arts and Crafts Festival! I think the judges were intrigued by the unusual technique, but it certainly doesn't hurt that the piece is stunning (in my opinion, at least). Unfortunately for you readers, I cannot upload and post any photos of the necklace until I get home next week. A bonus for the whole weekend was meeting and spending time talking with other wire jewelry artists who were at the show. This was wonderful!

On a more somber note, attendance at the event were way, way, WAY down. Apparently the festival usually has busloads of people coming down from Chicago, and is usually wall-to-wall with people. Not so this year. I did alright, sales-wise, even though I expected at least twice what I brought in. Shows all summer have been very lightly attended and it makes me worry about next year. It is too late to worry too much about this year since I am committed to doing shows through November.

Panic sets in!

2008-07-24T10:02:00.005-05:00

It struck last night at 6:30, and I am surprised that I didn't start panicking until so late in the week. I only have one day left to finish all my errands, "finish" stocking up for the upcoming three art shows, and finish packing the truck. I don't have enough inventory!! I'm sure of it! I was up until 12:30 last night and woke at 5:30, thinking of all the things I need to do. Of course, I will be just fine, but it is hard not to feel a bit of panic when faced with three shows in a row, all on the road. This is the time when those errands that seemed necessary on Monday are dropped off of the "to do list." Like those receipt books that I should get: Office Max DOES exist in other cities! Travel food: wow! Other towns have grocery stores! Silly, I know, but I tend to think everything HAS to be done before I leave.

Coraline is well

2008-07-22T08:19:00.002-05:00

And here is the latest on Coraline. She is walking normally and is free to wander anywhere in the house. She cannot jump high, however. I don't know if this is because of losing muscle strength or a more permanent change because of her pelvic injury. In the photos you might be able to discern the twisted wires coming out of the bottom of her chin; these come out in a few weeks. She has been eating soft food, but strangely prefers her hard kibbles, which she cannot chew and swallows whole. I hope she'll be able to crunch them up when her jaw and teeth are completely healed!

Thank you so much to all of you who contacted me with concern about my cat! She truly is a really good cat and I am glad her injuries were not worse!

Crazy about the spirals

2008-07-22T08:06:00.004-05:00

Last week I was crazy about spirals, coiling, and weaving. The pair with the woven wire frames and a drop (beautiful AAA grade Amethyst marquise briolettes) has been floating around in my sketchbook for about a year. I thought the brios would sway when the earring is on, but they don't and I'm not entirely sure why; they can move freely but seem to largely stay put. This is good as they are less likely to become caught in hair. I leave some of these bright, but all the ones shown here have been oxidized and then polished to highlight the texture. These are lightweight and fun to wear and fun to make!

Busy, busy week

2008-07-19T08:27:00.002-05:00

This past week has been crazy busy. I got back from Brookings, SD, where sales were decent, but significantly down from last year, and immediately went to work in prepping for my next five shows, three of which are out of town. Plus, my truck had to go into the shop to repair vandalism damage. I promise to never lock the truck at the dog park ever again! There is nothing valuable inside and who wants to steal a 10 year old small pickup anyway?

I finally decided to go ahead and buy a laptop. Besides wanting to continue writing here in the coming three weeks while I am traveling, I don't want to spend an entire day reading the emails I have missed. Plus, I get occasional sales through my website and I am proud of providing a quick turn-around time on those orders. I wouldn't want an order to languish because I'm away from home with no internet access. I bought a used iBook from an eBay shop called applecoreparts. I mention their name specifically because they were Great to work with. I contacted them about being able to get an item up for bid in time before I left next week. They got back to me immediately and posted an identical item as "buy it now." I paid for the item around 2pm and the technician installed an AirPort card and got it shipped by 4pm!! Awesome service, in my opinion! There is even a chance that it will be delivered today. A new toy! I'm so excited!

Well, gotta run now. It is time to head back to the art show....

Back to the Show Season

2008-07-11T07:49:00.002-05:00

I did not have a show last weekend, so even though I continued to work, it felt like a little vacation. I even had time to update the "necklaces" page of my website! Half of the pieces shown there were sold at shows, and I had not taken them off the site. I really need to be diligent about updating the site more often. Now I need to finish working on that page and then tackle the "earrings" page, which I haven't been happy with for a while. Some of those pieces are gone, plus I have a lot of work that is not shown on the website that should be there. I swear running the business takes more time than actually making jewelry!

This morning I will finish packing the truck, drop off Morgan at the kennel, and then drive to Brookings, South Dakota for the Brookings Summer Arts Festival. I did this show last year and not only had good sales, but had a great time as well. The park where the festival is held (Pioneer Park) is beautiful, with many large mature trees and gently curving paths. Last year my booth was situated just behind the "Children's stage," and I anticipated corny kids entertainment, but what I heard were several artists who performed smart, funny songs, and played great music. It was wonderful! I am hoping that I am in the same spot!

Bulky Viking knit necklace

2008-07-07T13:22:00.006-05:00

Earlier this spring I finally made a piece I had been thinking of for quite a while. I have made Viking knit chains in which I strung a strand of seed beads, so that the color of the beads comes through in a subtle fashion. I had a strand of large faceted rondelles of amethyst, citrine, and ametrine which needed just the right project, and I had been wanting to put them into a Viking knit chain, but as I said, the rondelles were LARGE. Up to 1.5cm for the largest. I realized one day that the perfect mandrel for this project was a cut up pool cue that I use for making Turk's head rings (learned from Loren Damewood). First I had to choose the size I wanted to make the chain on the graduated pool cue. As you can see, this meant starting the chain in the middle of one of my pieces of pool cue. Very tricky!! The other photos show the work as it progresses, and the final necklace. I have to say that after all that work I am somewhat disappointed in the result. It did not occur to me (why not??) that the gemstones were not dark enough to show through the way I envisioned. The result is interesting, but a little TOO subtle. I am not sure what I am going to do with this piece yet.

FYI: The Viking knit chain is woven with 60 feet of 26 gauge Argentium silver, and took an elapsed time of 4.5 hours spread out over 5 days. The gemstones are strung on Accu-flex beading wire.

Actually, now that I am looking a bit more impassively at the photo, the colors come through just fine and I like the effect. Just goes to show that your expectations can affect your perceptions!

Announcing the "Sale of the Fortnight"

2008-07-06T22:45:00.006-05:00

I have been thinking about this for a while, and have finally decided to try having a "Sale of the Fortnight" on my website. I will choose something new every two weeks (that's a fortnight) to place "on sale" at the lowest price I'll ever offer. I already have the next several offerings planned and photographed. I will announce the newest offering here, but you could always go directly to the website to see what's on sale. Some items will be "one of a kind" while others can be duplicated.

I got the idea for this from my days in the Geology Department at Carleton College. One of the display cases held a "Map of the Fortnight," which changed about every two weeks (people get busy, you know). I always thought it was cool to check out the new map, plus the whole phrase has a neat rhythm to it.

The first item I am offering are a pair of my Viking knit bead cap earrings, made with Argentium silver and AAA faceted Amethyst pear-shaped briolettes. You can purchase these dainty beauties for $30, including shipping!

Be sure to check back regularly to find out what is being offered!

My pets are being cute

2008-07-05T16:22:00.003-05:00

It sure looks like Morgan is lying close to Coraline on purpose, but I know better. She is just waiting for me to get off the computer so I can take her to the dog park! Which I eventually did.

Playing with the Soumak weave

2008-07-05T10:39:00.002-05:00

I have come across several examples of the Soumak weave (a tapestry weaving technique) applied to fine wire, most notably by Barbara Berk. I love the patterns formed and tried it, first with some simple earrings and then with a bangle bracelet. The bracelet took several hours spread out over three days, since there is only just so much hand-coiling the hands can withstand at any one time! I began work on a large neckwire to match, but ran out of steam/time to work on it mid-way through. I'll probably finish it some time in September and will post a photo then.

Keep it Simple...

2008-07-04T18:58:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it pays to keep things simple. I keep a sketchbook around and will draw specific ideas, and sometimes just doodles of shapes. Earlier this spring I was having a slow Sunday at an indoor craft show and was bored with the work I had brought, so I opened up my sketchbook to look through ideas I had sketched months ago, and I found a page full of simple spirals. Hey, why not?! So I made some earrings and I loved them! They are super lightweight and cute, plus they dance nicely (especially when actually dancing!). I made a few more, each one slightly different than the last. Turns out that these ultra simple shapes are popular and I continually sell out of these earrings. Fortunately, I am finding them fun to make. Of course, it is not in my nature to just leave the design, such as it is, alone, and have begun to explore new uses of this simple spiral, such as the three pendants shown. The bail is a fused ring of Argentium silver.

I have a sketch incorporating spiral links and viking knitting; I am just waiting to have some more "free" time to fully explore new ideas. This probably will not occur until September as my weekends are full of shows until then

An update on Coraline

2008-06-30T21:24:00.003-05:00

I got Coraline from the vet today and she looks much better! She no longer has a swollen lower jaw, instead it is shaved and now she has a twist of wire coming out of the bottom. This stays in place for six weeks!! I can't imagine we are going to get through six weeks without it snagging on fabric. Her fractured pelvis, while still painful (she growls fiercely when she moves) must be healing well since she is able to sit briefly and reposition herself and -bonus!- can use the litter box, more or less. She is supposed to be confined to a crate (it is a big wire dog crate) for four to six weeks, and I can already tell that in a few weeks there is going to be a battle between us; me struggling to keep her inside and her struggling to escape and get on with her normal life. sigh. In the meantime, I get my head and arms in the crate door to give her some attention and to make sure she eats while Morgan hovers behind me, hoping in vain that the bowl of wet cat food is really meant for her!

Best of Intentions

2008-06-27T22:49:00.002-05:00

I had this efficient plan for the day. Take my dog to the kennel, visit the cat at the vet, make some rings and earrings, meet a client to exchange a bracelet (needs a bigger size), drive to Duluth and set up my booth, relax in the evening. Well, I accomplished the first item, and then my radiator died. Fortunately, I was across from a mechanic, and --Bonus!-- they could do the work today! So I spent the better part of my day in Starbucks and then killing time in some antique shops. I was extremely pleased to find an old (1952) book that is a novelized retelling of the trip taken by the steamboat the "Talisman" in 1832 in which Abraham Lincoln played a significant role. I am a complete Lincoln Nut and am very excited by this find! Anyway, I had to scrap most of my plans for the day after that. I couldn't even go to Duluth because the area was getting thunderstorms, with radar indicating more on the way and who wants to set up a canopy in a thunderstorm? Of course this means I have to get up at 4:30 tomorrow morning.... It is now 11pm; gotta go!!

My cat uses one of her lives

2008-06-26T21:29:00.004-05:00

Two days ago my cat, Coraline (taken from Neil Gaiman's book), had a mysterious mishap in the middle of the night. I found her curled up on my back deck lying in dried blood and looking quite beat up about the face. She also appeared unable to walk. Wah! I managed to get her to the vet and today she had surgery to wire together a broken lower jaw and remove a broken canine. She has two other broken canines, which may need to be pulled later, and a fractured pelvis. The vet and I speculated about what happened and we believe that she fell off a roof after getting her collar caught on something (the collar is missing) and either wasn't able to right herself in time or hit something on the way down. I can't even imagine what it took for her to make it from where she landed up six steps to the back deck. Maybe she used up a few of the "nine lives" just getting home. Poor Kitty!

She is a great cat. She will often follow me around the house and lay down near (or on) me. Three years ago when I was painting the eaves of my house, she would lay in the gutter and reach around to play with my hair. If I moved to the other side of the house, she'd follow too. She is smart, sweet, and implacable. A great cat. I sure hope she heals up.

Better Late Than Never

2008-06-25T10:42:00.004-05:00

I tried to start a blog last fall, but became swamped by all the work I was putting into redesigning my website. I got a little sick of spending hours in front of the computer and couldn't muster more time writing regularly, so I abandoned the effort. Fast forward 8 months, and I feel able to write a bit more regularly now. Mostly I feel like I have more to say.

I spent a lot of time over the winter remodeling both my bathroom (finally!) and my art show booth. I must say that while I feel the redesign of the booth has been a real success, continued use has illuminated new drawbacks. I imagine that in a year or two, it will undergo a major revision again.

Here are some before and after photos of my booth set-up. The new set-up was done in a warehouse in January (it being cold and snowy at the time) and isn't quite finished since a few items related to the panels hadn't been delivered yet. The new panel layout puts earrings and pendants at eye-level, and indeed, my sales of earrings have increased a lot. I also make more types of earrings, so the variety has also seemed to increase sales.

I just bought a new Trimline canopy, so when I get a nice sunny day with no wind, I will take some photos of the "real" new set-up. More to come!