by Barbara | May 22, 2015 | Art to Wear, Classes, Components, Embellishments, Faux Bone™, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques
I’ve accumulated a really nice stash of Faux Bone™. If you haven’t heard of it, Faux Bone™ is sold by Robert Dancik and used as an ivory substitute. It can be sawed, carved, colored, heated and bent and it is a really wonderful product! I’ve made several pieces using...
by Barbara | May 19, 2015 | An Aside, Beads and Materials, Classes, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Tutorials
Instead of taking classes, I’m watching jewelry-making and wire-working instructional DVDs and I’ve ordered quite a few of them recently. Somehow I managed to order two of the same DVD. So I’ve assembled a really nice kit that includes a brand new, still in the...
by Barbara | Apr 25, 2015 | An Aside, Art to Wear, At the Bench, Classes, Handmade, Inspiration, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tools, Tutorials
I’ve been working along to Bill Fretz’s instructional DVD, “Basic Jewelry Hammering and Forming” and have just finished my first piece…a textured concave Ruffle Cuff! Now I’m ready to move on to a convex cuff. For learning purposes a cuff starts out as an annealed...
by Barbara | Apr 16, 2015 | An Aside, Classes, Handmade, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tools, Tutorials
By not going to Bead & Button this year, I’m able to upgrade some of my jewelry-making tools! Having perused the Fretz tools webpages on OttoFrei.com, I succumbed to this set of beautiful texturing hammers and other assorted jewelry-making accouterments....
by Barbara | Mar 28, 2015 | An Aside, Classes, One-of-a-Kind, Tutorials
I’ve ordered a slew of instructional DVDs from some of the best teachers around! The reviews of those I’ve chosen are highly rated and I’m very much looking forward to honing my skills with techniques that are new to me or that I haven’t practiced...
by Barbara | Dec 19, 2014 | An Aside, Beads and Materials, Classes, One-of-a-Kind
I’ve previously said that I wouldn’t miss this show for the world, but I’ve just received the 2015 Bead & Button show class catalog and after perusing the classes offered, I’m thinking of sitting this one out. Every year I try to find classes that are...
by Barbara | Dec 1, 2014 | An Aside, Art to Wear, Beading, Classes, Handmade
Perhaps I should say nightmare! Last night I dreamed I was scheduled to teach a beading class (I lack the teaching gene, so that was a nightmare in itself!) in St. Louis and of course, I was concerned about being caught up in the Ferguson event . For some reason my...
by Barbara | Jun 13, 2014 | Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Classes, Components, Embellishments, Found Objects, Handmade, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques
It can be found everywhere from high-end jewelry stores to shopping malls and discount stores. It is obviously popular and preferred by many, but I find it soul-less. It’s just a lot of shiny bling made by machines. I feel it lacks spirit and substance, whereas art...
by Barbara | Jun 7, 2014 | Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Classes, Components, Embellishments, Found Objects, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques
What fun! I took Susan Lenart Kazmer’s class, “Caging Common Objects”, yesterday and it was a blast! She is by far one of the most entertaining teachers I know! Time just flies and students seldom leave early. At the end of class, students were still...
by Barbara | Jun 2, 2014 | An Aside, Art to Wear, At the Bench, Classes, Components, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Techniques, Tools
I’m taking a metals class from Jeff Fulkerson at Bead&Button, I’m packing my travel case with the required hammers (ball peen, chasing, riveting, and rawhide) as well as V-block, bracelet mandrel, anvil, tin snips, ruler, and bench block. I’ll be...
