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 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...
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 8, 2016 | Uncategorized
If the mere thought of winter can be invoked by jewelry, this neck piece does just that! Out of the collection of polymer pod beads I made recently, I chose just one polymer component for this piece. The grey polymer clay pod dangling at the bottom is accented with a...
by Barbara | Jan 5, 2016 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Classes, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Uncategorized
I didn’t attend the Bead and Button Show last year and I almost didn’t sign up for it this year. I perused the catalog of classes and wasn’t finding any that interested me. I won’t take beading classes because I never finish the projects and, frankly, I prefer...
by Barbara | Dec 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
The Holiday Season tends to take up an enormous amount of time. Even though we aren’t entertaining this year, just getting the tree up, shopping for and wrapping presents, standing in line at the post office, and dealing with the Holiday shopping crowd takes...
by Barbara | Dec 20, 2015 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Embellishments, Fine Silver, Handmade, Inspiration, Metal Clay, Patina, Polymer Clay, Techniques, Tools, Uncategorized
FYI usually means “for your information”, but in this instance it is the brand name of “For Your Inspiration” Silver Metal Fine Clay. Because I’ve made a new batch of silicone molds using pods and other objects provided by Mother Nature for my polymer clay work, I...
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...
by Barbara | Nov 9, 2015 | An Aside, Uncategorized
I’ve had this Raku vessel since the mid 1970’s when I purchased it from ceramic artist, Kerri Chapman, at the 57th Street Art Fair in Chicago’s Hyde Park. Filled with a fragrant potpourri of cinnamon sticks, tonka beans, and various other dried leaves and...
