by Barbara | Jan 27, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Components, Earrings, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay, Resin, Sterling Silver, Techniques
My hydraulic press and a floral-themed pancake die were used to create these playful earrings. Made of patinaed sterling silver and 18k gold bimetal (I love the rich amber tones and flashes of blue at the center!), they swing and sway from hammer-textured 18-gauge...
by Barbara | Jan 24, 2016 | An Aside, At the Bench, Earrings, Gemstones, Handmade, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Resin, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver, Techniques, Tools
I’ll admit that I’m a packrat! Over the many years that I’ve made jewelry, I’ve collected a lot of scrap metal and doo-dads. Things that didn’t work out or were leftover from finished projects just get thrown into containers. Many of the pieces are still useable so...
by Barbara | Sep 4, 2015 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beading, Bracelets, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Tutorials
The results of the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads 2015 Jewelry-Making Contest featuring Seed Beads have finally been announced. Drumroll…rat-tat-tat-tat-tat! My “Sea Dragon Variation Wrist Wrap” (inspired by CGB) has won the Gold Medal Prize in the...
by Barbara | Jul 14, 2015 | An Aside, Components, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin
Although it’s a wonderful material for making beads and jewelry components, epoxy resin clay does so much more! I’ve used it for mending chipped and cracked pottery, as a permanent base for dried flower arrangements, and much more. Unlike polymer clay,...
by Barbara | Jul 8, 2015 | Art to Wear, Components, Embellishments, Enameled Work, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Metal Clay, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Techniques
It’s lovely to finally have a few free days to do whatever I please! I spent several days last week making metal clay embellishments and now that I’ve restocked those components in my Etsy shop, I have time to create with my newly acquired Potter USA pancake dies!...
by Barbara | May 25, 2015 | Art to Wear, Found Objects, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Resin, Techniques, Tools
She’s dancing the Tarantella, turning cartwheels, rushing to and fro, bombarding me with ideas for new jewelry pieces. Lately, my mind is swirling like a whirlpool in a never-ending spiral and I’m loving this newfound flow of energy! Having cleaned my...
by Barbara | Apr 11, 2015 | An Aside, Art to Wear, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin
Practically everything has an expiration date. When it comes to art supplies, thankfully metal lasts forever! Polymer clay may get a bit crumbly as it dries out with age, but that can be remedied with the addition of liquid polymer clay. Not so with epoxy resin...
by Barbara | Mar 25, 2015 | An Aside, Art to Wear, Found Objects, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Techniques, Tutorials
LJJA is short for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine and my “Sea Flower” pin/pendant is in the April 2015 issue…pages 30 through 34 show instructions for making it! I’ve used a resin “Cosmic Cabochon” in this piece…I...
by Barbara | Jan 23, 2015 | An Aside, Art to Wear, Components, Embellishments, Found Objects, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Techniques
I recently sent this piece off to the photographer who does work for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine. My step-by-step project for the “Sea Flower” Pin/Pendant has been accepted for publication and features the following techniques: making a resin cabochon,...
by Barbara | Jan 13, 2015 | Art to Wear, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Techniques
I have just finished a new collection of “Cosmic Cabochons”, named thus because the miniscule particles of dispersed glitter (a.k.a. “fairy dust”) make me think of the trillions of stars floating in the heavens! This collection contains all manner of...
