March Madness Starting Early

I have been having so much fun learning new metalsmithing skills this month, I decided to start early for a March Madness incentive in my Etsy shop. Starting today I put one item on sale http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30391235. I thought it would be fun to put a different item on sale each day of the month that will remain on sale for the entire month. Sale prices will be anywhere from 5-20% off regular prices. I will also be adding some new items every week- since it is March- look for some beautiful aquamarine gemstone jewelry for those March born and also some of my newest bracelets, earrings and rings created with my newly learned skills. As always, my facebook fans and blog followers get 10% off any item in my shop.

My daughter's fall wedding plans are the other all consuming thing in my life lately. Yesterday the 2 flower girl dresses and th ring bearer's suit arrived. Too cute for words. But, why is she buying all this stuff when she's having an officiant do the service at the reception site? Boggles my mind. The photographer has been chosen, boy am I in the wrong business, for 6 hours pay that guy could help with the national debt! The DJ is still up in the air- they each have so much to offer (who knew?). I am in charge of finding the caterer and arranging for flower arrangements- that sounds strange. I get to do food and flowers because they are two things I do really well at home AND my daughter could care less about those things, she is really looking forward to a big party. If I sound a bit jaded it is not because I am not happy for her or unenthusiastic about the upcoming nuptuals. I come from a different era where buying a home and having money in the bank for emergencies (or lack of work) were the top things my parents taught me to always think about. Pay yourself first, they would say- it's important to have momey in the bank, you never know what's going to happen! I'm not tottally a follower of this way of life, but I am a little shocked that there are people that take out a second mortgage on their homes to give their children a "proper wedding". I know I will get through this and have a wonderful time once the big things are done and we can think about what day to have a shower and all the pre-wedding fun stuff. It's just the planning part that's amking me nuts. And it takes time away from what I like to do best- make jewelry!

My First Ever Bezel Set Ring

Joining up the the Aspiring Metalsmiths Team on Etsy was probably one of the best things I ever did for myself! Not that I don't love wire wrapping beautiful gemstones to create great necklaces, earrings and bracelets, but there is so much more to jewelry than that. Once you learn how to saw, solder, use a torch and forge metal, the world of creativity really opens up.
The best thing about this new team of men and women is they are willing to share not only success but failure and answer any and every question about techniques and tricks learned from other teachers and mentors. The next best thing is they have made me challenge myself. I don't think I would have ever attempted a ring for years to come, just wasn't on my radar screen. But here it is, not perfect, and no great design revelation, but it is complete and doing it gave me grear ideas for many more projects to come. Lord, I can't wait to see what they come up with for their next challenge.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4354588083_99351faeb3.jpg

Blizzard Jewelry From a Frustrated Metalsmith

It's just snowing like crazy and blowing even harder here at home. So what do I do, I make jewelry- or at least I attemp to. I am a frustrated metalsmith. I really want to be a metalsmith, but there are limited classes I have access to with a full time job (now there's a conundrum- I have to work to even do this hobby). So I go on line, I buy a tutorial to make something and off I go. Well, I actually had some level of success today. I made a spin ring, for those who like to fidget with their jewelry, this ring has an extra ring in the center that spins around.  I also pierced with my trusty saw, 2 lovely trees on copper to make earrings. The trees didn't turn out exactly alike so I just said, hey, no two trees are alike, and I finished them anyhow. Next I bought another tutorial to saw out flowers to make earrings, I decided to make them look like dogwoods even though dogwoods don't come in copper color. So, all in all, I had a productive day.
Check out the ring on flickr and you can see some of my other blizzard projects!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allwiredupjewelrydesigns/4346371821/

I have to saw I am not looking forward to shoveling out tomorrow- which I must- with the help of my daughter and hopefully her fiance. But I am looking forward to eating my great smelling veal goulash that's been simmering on the stove all day. My friend from Austria even sent me a link from youtube on how to make spaetzle to go with the stew. Can't wait to eat something warm while watching snow blow.

Back From A Facebook Virus

Back from a Facebook Virus


I really is sad when a social network is targeted with a virus for all of us trusting souls to "catch". I was one of the unfortunates, who seeing the "your friend X shared a link with you from facebook, opened it (no virus warnings here) and got a virus that sent my computer into a black hole. Be warned fellow FB friends, this virus won't be stopped with standard windows virus protection, you need the big guns- unfortunately those are the ones you have to buy and install. Well, now I have a new computer- loaded with virus protection and am ready to blog gain.



My big news is, I got to take a metal clay art class from Dina Alexander who won the 2008 Saul Bell Design Award in metal clay (see the picture of her winning jewelry in the new Rio 2010 tools catalogue)- at my local community college no less! Come to find out, she is a local Marylander. We had an absolute blast for 2 days, learning to roll, texture, bezel, make slip, fire and polish. I must say I was impressed with what came out of what was advertised in the couse catalogue as a "begginer" class. WOW- some of the work was just gorgeous and Dina was one of those rare souls who found something beautiful in everyone's work and let them know it. She was a real joy to have as an instructor. What an eye opener to see how versitle and flexible metal clay is and to just think about the endless possibilities of what can be done and incorporated into every type of jewelry design. I learned from making lots of mistakes, do-overs were the norm rather than the exception, but I came away feeling really good about what I had learned and how much I want to learn more about this exciting medium.

I have attached a picture of one of the larger links I made to make a necklace in the future, just to give anyone reading this blog an idea of what you can finish in just one class. I made about 12 items with my precious one ounze of clay and can't wait to buy more and take the "advanced" class in the spring.

I haven't added many new items since my computer went down, but I have been creating and will be adding next week after taking photos. I have extended free shipping in the US through Valentine's Day. Also, unadvertised, anyone who purchases from me in January through Valentine's Day gets a 15% discount on any one item in my shop over the next 6 months.

Look for more new items soon!!

Work in Progress on Sawing and Piercing

My first attemp at piercing-lots more filing to do!
I have spent the week attempting to learn how to saw through metal then actually make something with my new-found skill. I use that term loosly since I now know that sawing through metal has it's own set of challenges I never imagined. I have new respect for carpenters everywhere. The rule of measure twice, cut once is now Platinum in my book. The link to my first piercing above will take you to a picture of a pair of earrings done with a slice of moon and two star cut outs in a pair of 1 inch disk earrings. I also added a little wave to them so they look more like potato chips than big round disks. I'm glad I took this picture, it shows all my mistakes! I was so excited to finish that I just took the pictures and then, low and behold, I saw all the filing I had not done, all the angles that weren't quite right. I have since fixed these, but haven't had the nerve to re-take a picture for fear of seeing even more mistakes I didn't see the first time.
I also made a copper cuff bracelet and thanks to lots of advice from Sonja at Silver River Jewelry (Artfire artisan), I at least managed to get a passable and wearable bracelet. Pix of that next time. So I am now in the process of cutting hearts out of a silver disk to solder on top of a hammered brass disk to make a pendant. Wish me luck  since I am quickly running out of silver disks from all the mistakes and just haven't had the nerve to actually order silver sheet yet.

New Year New Skills

I hope everone had a great holiday and a fabulous New Years. I plugged through the holidays eating, drinking and being merry, but mostly- I had a whole week off from my full time job and started working on some new skills for my metalsmithing work.  This is one of my newest! Silver Swirls Cuff Bracelet that I did with very heavy wire. I love it- it just gleams when you wear it!
 I also am learning to saw metal so that I can start piercing designs into my silver. Thank God for Art Jewelry magazine videos and youtube- they have some really great people who tell you what not to do so you don't get into too much trouble before you even start. When most people think about sawing, they think about carpenters and wood- oh no- these are teeny, tiny saw blades that like to snap in half when you do the least little thing wron. Talk about trying your patience! So, I have cut lines, squiggles and hearts and starts. Now I am going to actually try this on a piece of copper sheet and make a bracelet that I may actually wear. I'll keep you posted.
Next skill to learn will be bezel setting so I can put some of my lovely gems into a pretty setting to make a ring or pendant. I am very excited about that.
Just in case you haven't visited my shops lately- Free Shipping is still available in the US through the end of January. Sorry to say, after that I have to go back to charging a nominal fee for first class to cover postage and mailers. Visit soon, I have added quite a few new things over the holidays and you really have to do something with that Christmas money from your loving auntie! Visit me at http://www.ppennee.etsy.com/

Thinking About the New Year

WOW- I can't believe I haven't posted since before Christmas. I'm sure I'm not the only one who got a little busy before and right after the holidays. It feels good to be back to making new designs and thinking about what I'll add to my shop in 2010.




I have been diligently working away in my studio practicing my sawing and piercing so I can add some new and interesting pendants in the new year. I also have a class in January in PMC, very excited about the possiblities there. Mostly I have been trying out new bangle designs. Hoping you'll like my newest which is wire wrapped to make it totally adjustable and give a custom fit to each individual wearer. Check it out by using the link below to the listing in my Etsy shop!



To anyone who didn't get what they wanted for Christmas in the jewelry category- take advantage of the FREE Shipping in the US through January- Worldwide customers, this offer ends December 31.



Stay tuned for new items each week- I have off a whole week from my full time job and am spending as much time as I can making new designs to add to the shop. After all- Valentine's Day isn't far off!



Happy New Year to Everyone

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37501554