Fall Art Fairs are coming soon. So far I've registered for two. The first fair is Labor Day Sunday, September 4, at Benld Park in Benld Illinois. This fair is part of the annual Croation picnic.
The second fair is the Staunton Art Fair in Staunton, Illinois. That fair is at Duda Park and for the two days of September 24 and 25.
I've been working hard to get many new items made for fall fairs. If you're out and about, looking for something to do please stop by one or both of the fairs.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Christmas In July
ArtFire Christmas in July. Beginning July 1, 2011 and ending July 31, 2011 many shops on ArtFire will be having Christmas in July, myself included. During July every item in my shop will be 20% off. Hope you can join us.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Crazy Month
This month has been totally crazy. Started out sick and in no mood to visit my jewelry cave. Then I had a day long meeting out of town for DAR the first Saturday of the month. The next Saturday was the vendor/craft fair. Now I'm busy getting costumes ready for a Women's Veterans parade in Mt. Vernon, IL, this Saturday.
We will have a float in the parade and have several women veterans that have volunteered to ride the float. Some of them don't have period costumes so a few of us have been busy getting costumes made for them.
At the end of the parade there will be a dedication ceremony for a statue representing women veterans from the Revolutionary War to Present Day. I've got my camera ready to go and hope to get a lot of pictures to post and remember this day.
Next weekend I'll be cleaning a house I haven't touched in a while. We'll have several family members visiting from out of town for the July 4th weekend. There is a flag dedication in Godfrey July 1st. Then the rest of the weekend is going to be spent sight seeing.
Once July comes around it will seem strange not to be running every weekend. I'm looking forward to it. There are several new to me jewelry lessons I want to try. All the stuff I've been thinking of trying has been put on the back burner while all this other stuff is going on.
We will have a float in the parade and have several women veterans that have volunteered to ride the float. Some of them don't have period costumes so a few of us have been busy getting costumes made for them.
At the end of the parade there will be a dedication ceremony for a statue representing women veterans from the Revolutionary War to Present Day. I've got my camera ready to go and hope to get a lot of pictures to post and remember this day.
Next weekend I'll be cleaning a house I haven't touched in a while. We'll have several family members visiting from out of town for the July 4th weekend. There is a flag dedication in Godfrey July 1st. Then the rest of the weekend is going to be spent sight seeing.
Once July comes around it will seem strange not to be running every weekend. I'm looking forward to it. There are several new to me jewelry lessons I want to try. All the stuff I've been thinking of trying has been put on the back burner while all this other stuff is going on.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Benefit Fair
On June 11, 2011 I will be participating in a benefit craft and vendor fair. Hope you can be there. Details below.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sea Side Complete
After all that work drawing on the large shell I decided not to use it. I dug through my stash and picked out other shells to color. All the shells were from the bunch Jeremy picked up on the beach.
The colored pencils are great. After coloring I used the blending pen and then sprayed them with fixative. The fixative gave the shells a shine that I really like and the combination of shine and color helped me decide which beads to use and how to complete the necklace.
I have a plastic bowl full a various seed beads in all kinds of colors and sizes. I decided to make a spiral rope with random colors and larger shinny beads in the outside sections. I used 8 lb smoke fire line to stitch it all together. A spiral rope means several passes through the beads so the necklace is extra sturdy. I used wire guards and ran the fire line several passes through the guards and back through the ends of the necklace then closed it with snap clasps.
Once the base was complete it was time to attach the shells. I ran the needle back through the necklace, strung a few seed beads, a shell and a few more beads and took it back to the base each time. An extra knot after every shell helps hold them in place. Now I'll have to wear test it to make sure the color stays on the shells.
It sounds like a shell wind chime when I move. I love it. Now I'll need to get more shells.
The colored pencils are great. After coloring I used the blending pen and then sprayed them with fixative. The fixative gave the shells a shine that I really like and the combination of shine and color helped me decide which beads to use and how to complete the necklace.
I have a plastic bowl full a various seed beads in all kinds of colors and sizes. I decided to make a spiral rope with random colors and larger shinny beads in the outside sections. I used 8 lb smoke fire line to stitch it all together. A spiral rope means several passes through the beads so the necklace is extra sturdy. I used wire guards and ran the fire line several passes through the guards and back through the ends of the necklace then closed it with snap clasps.
Once the base was complete it was time to attach the shells. I ran the needle back through the necklace, strung a few seed beads, a shell and a few more beads and took it back to the base each time. An extra knot after every shell helps hold them in place. Now I'll have to wear test it to make sure the color stays on the shells.
It sounds like a shell wind chime when I move. I love it. Now I'll need to get more shells.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sea Side
Some time ago my Florida son gave me a bunch of sea shells. I haven't totally decided what to do with them but I've been tossing around some ideas. I want to make a SEA based necklace so follow along as I make it and probably make mistakes.
I started out with a plain white sea shell. I drilled a hole through the back for an attachment spot. Not sure I'm going to need it but wanted it there just in case.
After drilling the hole I lightly sanded the shell with fine sand paper so I would have a good surface for drawing. I didn't want this to be any old regular white sea shell. I cleaned it with glass cleaner then got out the colored pencils and started drawing.
Now the shell is covered with a blue background, red coral, green sea weed, a couple of star fish, sea horses and sea urchins.
Once that was all done I sprayed it with fixative and will let it dry until I can get back to the basement and back to work constructing the necklace. I have other shells to add and may add some metal charms as well as seed beads. I've got a few ideas. We'll see how it works.
I started out with a plain white sea shell. I drilled a hole through the back for an attachment spot. Not sure I'm going to need it but wanted it there just in case.
Now the shell is covered with a blue background, red coral, green sea weed, a couple of star fish, sea horses and sea urchins.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
TA-DA
Finally got around to photographing my fused jewelry projects. Found out that's not so easy to do. Shinny flat pieces of glass tend to glare.
Most of the projects are pendents. There's one broach and three pairs of earrings. In case you don't know what fused glass is. You layer fusible glass, in this case small pieces, then fire them in a kiln till they melt together. It's interesting to see how the glass blends in the kiln. For the most part I like the interest of the bubbles in the glass but some people prefer no bubbles. I think it shows that's they're hand made. Bubbles tend to form in the spaces between the pieces of glass.
For a better look these will be gradually posted to my ArtFire store. Some of the photos didn't come out so good so I'll have to do them over again. I can certainly say I'm hooked on hot glass.
Of course fused glass isn't all I've been doing.
I've made a necklace loaded with flowers.
Then a spiral beaded blue and green necklace.
The color of that necklace got me on a blue and green kick and I love the cha-cha bracelets. So......
Since the weather has been so bad, this weekend, some of our plans got canceled. I really didn't mind because that gave me more time in the basement. I'm still working on my goal of learning new stuff. Last night I made a hammered copper cuff bracelet with turquoise and coral riveted to the front with copper wire.
And there you have it. My latest projects.
Most of the projects are pendents. There's one broach and three pairs of earrings. In case you don't know what fused glass is. You layer fusible glass, in this case small pieces, then fire them in a kiln till they melt together. It's interesting to see how the glass blends in the kiln. For the most part I like the interest of the bubbles in the glass but some people prefer no bubbles. I think it shows that's they're hand made. Bubbles tend to form in the spaces between the pieces of glass.
For a better look these will be gradually posted to my ArtFire store. Some of the photos didn't come out so good so I'll have to do them over again. I can certainly say I'm hooked on hot glass.
Of course fused glass isn't all I've been doing.
I've made a necklace loaded with flowers.
Then a spiral beaded blue and green necklace.
The color of that necklace got me on a blue and green kick and I love the cha-cha bracelets. So......
Since the weather has been so bad, this weekend, some of our plans got canceled. I really didn't mind because that gave me more time in the basement. I'm still working on my goal of learning new stuff. Last night I made a hammered copper cuff bracelet with turquoise and coral riveted to the front with copper wire.
And there you have it. My latest projects.
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