by Barbara | Feb 29, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Cabochons and Gemstones, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Metal Clay, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay
I had fun creating this brooch! I used a pancake die and hydraulic press to cut out a bronze flower shape, soldered a fine silver bezel at the center, and then hammer-textured the petals to add a bit of interest and form. I toyed with the idea of setting a gemstone,...
by Barbara | Feb 26, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Cabochons and Gemstones, Gemstones, Inspiration
I never can stay awake long enough to watch the Academy Awards presentations in it’s entirety, but I do enjoy seeing the fashion and jewelry being worn on the pre-show broadcast. Sadly, most of the jewelry is diamond encrusted, mass produced, and the rather...
by Barbara | Feb 23, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beading, Beads and Materials, Delica beads, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Tutorials
An article in the February 2016 issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, “The New Necklace” refers to chokers and collars, which feature predominantly on fashion runways this season. Time and again, fashion repeats itself and if one lives long enough, one sees hemlines go...
by Barbara | Feb 20, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver
I couldn’t wait to get to my jeweler’s bench and start hammering out silver components to go with beads from my new collection of polymer clay faux gemstones! I wanted them to have a tribal feel as if they had been discovered in a treasure trove of exotic jewelry, but...
by Barbara | Feb 17, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beading, Beads and Materials, Bronze, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Seed Beads
I’ve definitely taken a long hiatus from beading, but I’m feeling I should get back into it soon! I ordered these luscious Toho bugle beads some time ago…I just couldn’t resist the deep matte Aquarius Green and Mauve Mocha! And Metallic Bronze, a color I use...
by Barbara | Feb 14, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bronze, Faux Bone™, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver, Uncategorized
Happy Valentines’ Day! It also happens to be Steven’s and my twenty-first wedding anniversary so it’s a very special day for us! The really great thing about having this date as an anniversay is that it seems everyone is celebrating love with...
by Barbara | Feb 10, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Polymer Clay
I can’t believe my polymer clay faux gemstone beads turned out so well! I’ve been to many a gem show and I have to say, the faux amber, coral, and turquoise look like the real thing to me! Who would think the tray of beads ready to go in the oven (see my...
by Barbara | Feb 6, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Cabochons and Gemstones, Components, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay, Techniques, Uncategorized
I met Tory Hughes at a craft show in the 1980’s and have always admired her work. Tory’s book, “Polymer – The Chameleon Clay”, a wonderful resource book filled with inspiration has been in my library of craft books for several years. My intention has...
by Barbara | Feb 3, 2016 | Equipment, Handmade, Inspiration, Sterling Silver, Techniques, Tools, Uncategorized
The latest Rio Grande Catalog is here! I always look forward to its arrival and each year it is packed with more wonderful wonderful goodies for artists and craftspeople than the year before! With over 800 pages of metals, jewelry-making tools, equipment, polymer clay...