by Barbara | Mar 3, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Components, Earrings, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver, Techniques
As the saying goes…the third time’s the charm! I’d been working on a pair of earrings featuring polymer clay faux amber and coral. The first pair (shown at left) also featured faux turquoise. I found this pair to be too long and too heavy to wear....
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 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 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...
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 | Jan 17, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Bracelets, Embellishments, Fine Silver, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Metal Clay, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver, Uncategorized
In the midst of our frigid Midwest winter the idea of warmth, sun, sand, and sea is very appealing. With no chance of a tropical vacation in store right now, I’ve brought a tiny bit of that atmosphere to fruition with this mixed-media bracelet. The pieces of coral...
by Barbara | Jan 11, 2016 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Bronze, Components, Embellishments, Materials and Supplies, Metal Clay, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver, Techniques
I’ve made another winter-worthy necklace! Looking at this necklace almost makes me shiver! This time I’ve interspersed polymer clay pods, twigs, and beads with fine silver metal clay warp-shaped disks as well as Toho Baroque Pearl glass seed beads. The...
by Barbara | Jan 4, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Components, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Polymer Clay, Sterling Silver, Techniques
It’s winter and I felt compelled to create a collection of polymer clay pod components that blend with my neutral wardrobe. I may string these components as I did with my “Tropical Pods” necklace, but I also have in mind a necklace that combines...
by Barbara | Nov 20, 2015 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Components, Earrings, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Sterling Silver, Uncategorized
Another pair of earrings is finished. I’m thinking ahead to the holidays…they are mere weeks away, and I’m trying to finish up several pairs of earrings to offer for sale for holiday gift giving. Creating the earrings is not a problem, but parting with them...
