New "Incidental" Art Deco Collection!

I had a lot of fun designing these pieces. And a couple of pieces have given me a niggling feeling when I looked at them. You know how the piece/picture invokes a tickle in the brain? Enough to notice, but not strong enough to figure out the "why". I was looking at some books yesterday for design inspiration. One of them was Art Deco designs. Today when listing a pair of pink earrings it finally hit me. The clean, contemporary lines are classic Art Deco styling! So introducing my incidental Art Deco collection is this fun little slideshow! By the way all these pendants and most of these earrings are listed in my Artfire studio and on sale! The rest of the earrings will be listed shortly!

Out With Old!

I managed to get these two pendants listed yesterday, Red Drop Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Pendant and White Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Pendant-"White Dragonscale". They have bee n listed ten dollars off the regular price for my Fall Clearance Sale.

Today I am listing all those pendants in the picture from my last post. Help me do some fall cleaning by taking these off my hands! I need the space in my booth and my studio for the new designs I am working on.

I have come to the realization that I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to come up with lower price point items to sell-and they just aren't doing well. Whether they are to much like pieces others have done or what I just don't know. I do know that when I try to make things to sell based on current styles, trends or to "fit" some kind of category-when I design something for other reasons than what I like I end up stuck with the pieces. So I have decided to be true to myself and make what I like and not worry about the current styles, colors and whatnot. When I allow myself the freedom to create what I like I get so much more enjoyment in the creation process and I save myself a lot of time, energy and stress!

Two New Pendants Listed!

I can certainly tell it is summertime. I'm so busy that my blogging is hit or miss. This time of the year I am showing a minimum of two days a week or more. Then you add in the addition of all the yard work-those weeds just came outta nowhere this year I'm tellin' ya! I've also been busy making more goodies to sell. I have close to 50 pairs of earrings that I have yet to take pictures of let alone list in addition at least three dozen pendants. For now I will just keep pecking away at it. Sooner or later I will get caught up!

Today I listed this lovely Turquoise Drop Dichroic Glass Pendant and the Pink & Green Dichroic Glass Heart Pendant. I still really like this wire woven style of bail on these. I think it is very classic. What do you think?

I learned something new just the other day-how to post pictures with links on here! So if they are listed I will have the pictures linked to the listing from now on!

Also I would like to mention what to me is a very worthy cause, Beads of Courage. My daughter would of loved this program. I feel that it not only gives the children a visable and tangible reminder of what they have been through, but adults too. This reminder will help to promote funding for research to cure the many horrible illnesses and diseases our children and others suffer through. Please vote!

New Pendant Style!

For the most part I have tried to take it easy today and be lazy. As you can tell my muse had other ideas! Up till now I hadn't found a way to make swirly wire wrapped cabs. I came across a variation of the "traditional" wire wrapped cabs with swirls-but it wasn't quite what I was looking for and I didn't want to buy a bunch of wire for it either.

A week ago Sunday when I was at the Crook County Gem & Mineral show I picked up two new wire wrapping books. I must confess that I have a weakness for books...I always love to see how others do things and I figure the more I learn the more I can expand my creativity. One of the pictures on the cover that caught my eye were swirly wrapped pendants. I had looked through the books and decided I would pursue them more later. Well later was this morning as I was trying to be lazy. . I was so excited when I looked at the swirly wrapped dichroic pendants in the book and realized that they were built around a channeled dichroic cabochons!!! My muse took over and I managed to wrap two today! I found the instructions to be confusing-BUT I was able to figure it out enough to make these. My fingers are sore and my muse is happy!

These are listed in my Artfire studio! Blue Dichroic Glass Swirled Wire Wrapped Pendant and Purple Dichroic Glass Swirly Wire Wrapped Pendant!

New Pendants & New Cabochons!

I have been so very busy these past few weeks. Weeding, driving my aunty around and working on glass. I've been so busy that I didn't even realize until this evening I haven't blogged in quite a while. (blushes in embarrassment)

So here is my works in progress. A bunch more cabs for earrings, pendants and rings. Also here are some cabochons that I have gotten finished in the past few weeks. I have been listing pieces and now have a bunch of my fancy Modern Bold Collection Pendants listed. I've also started listing some of my newer Image Pendants. And to top this all off I had the pleasant surprise of finding out that I am the featured AJDJSS, Artfire Jewelry Design & Jewelry Supply Shops studio of the week!

I will be at the Central Oregon Saturday Market tomorrow and will be at the Old Fashioned Fourth of July Show in Bend's Drake park on Sunday for the Fourth of July.

Slideshow Of New Images Pendants!

It's seems as if my blogging is starting to become hit or miss with all I've been busy doing getting new product for the summer show season. My muse was a bit slow this spring. Combine that with having a short timeline cut in half I have been very busy playing catch up. I am getting there though and here is the proof-a bit of what I've been getting finished. Enjoy!

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New Image Pendants

Well...It appears I no longer can choose fonts...

Anyway here are some of my newly finished pendants. I got the images fired onto them last week and this is a quick shot I took of the ones I managed to get wrapped for the show. I love how these turned out!

Last weekend's show was very disappointing. We had excellent advertising yet not a lot of people showed up. And most of those weren't buying. I do hope next weekend is better. To top it off it looks like my biggest sale will be my first debit/credit card rip off. When it was phoned in we were instructed to "retain" the card....Still not bad for five years. And this just had to be the one time I forgot to get a phone number. I did check id and verify the signature. I will know more tomorrow.

Cooking In The Kiln!

Here's a sneak peek of what is cooking in the kiln tonight! A whole bunch of pendants and earrings. Most of these are for my new "Modern Bold" collection!

I have hit full blown "busy" mode. I have so much to do to get ready for my show season which starts this Saturday & Sunday with the opening weekend of the Central Oregon Saturday Market here in Bend. In the past I have had all my jewelry cleaned, re-priced and ready to go. And the majority of the prep work done. Between getting all that glass and other uncontrollable events I am a lot farther behind than usual! I had hoped to have an updated booth display. At this point I'll just be grateful if they can be trimmed down size-wise before then.

"Modern Bold Collection"

I finished all but four pairs from the start of my newest jewelry collection. I'm calling this new collection "Modern Bold". These pieces are all about color. Bold, striking vivid colors. These pieces will definitely make a statement. These are also great conversation starters. Now all I have to do is take pictures and I will be able to start listing them in my studio. This is just the start of many of the colorful ideas I have for this collection!

I spent the rest of my day marking cabochon shapes onto glass slabs for cutting. Tomorrow I should be able to start cutting them out.

Fiesta Flowers & Spring!

More new pretties! Today I listed these bold and bright Fiesta Flowers Earrings and this stunning Spring Confetti Pendant.

We had lovely weather today. I took advantage of the sunny, warm and dry day to clean up the front yard. Cleaned up the pet mess, raked the front yard and caged a couple of Peonies. The girls have been wreaking havoc in my once pretty front yard. Digging holes, shredding papers and toys and trimming all the shrubs and trees. If the yard and can survive this summer I think everything will be okay. Because by next spring the girls should outgrow their destructive puppy urges. I hope!

Green Tree, Mauve Butterflies and Peach Floral

As you can see I managed to get another three items listed today in my Artfire studio. A Green Tree Pendant, some Mauve Butterfly Earrings and a Peach Floral Pendant.

I learned a new technique tonight. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful friend give me help and insight and critiqued the finished piece. Thank you so much Deb! Not only is she a wonderful person, but she sells beautiful, quality gemstone beads in her studio, CrysallisGems. It was a lucky day when I met Deb!

SneaK Peek of Upcoming Pendants

Here's a sneak peek at all the pendants I finished yesterday. You will notice that five of these pendants have 22K gold images on them and one does not. The black oval pendant with large polka dots is an actual cast glass pendant. That is why it has the matte sides. Now I just need to start listing these in my studio! Remember my bragging about being caught up with all the completed earrings? Ummm, apparently I lied. Evidently a case of out of sight out of mind... Sitting on my workbench, downstairs in the studio, where I take my pictures lays the other six pairs of earrings I have left to photograph. slaps head-DOH! It was so late and I was in a hurry so I left them there. (for now) Also I need to let you know that the final countdown to the "Big Birthday Bash" sale started yesterday. Six more days until the First and then the sale will on. What sort of sale prices/deals/specials will I have??? I'm still working on it and you'll just have to wait until the big day before I'm telling. It will be a birthday surprise.

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Catalog 1

I played around with the Smilebox program and I am definitely addicted to it. I plan on joining as soon as I can. I really love some of the designs. Today I started work on a catalog using Smilebox. I have a feeling it is going to cost me a small fortune though. One 8" x 8" page is $1.96 at Wal-Mart, I do like the size. I wish our printers could print these to the quality I desire. They just aren't that good though. Anyway here is Catalog 1! I figure I can add pages as I need to and they will all blend together as long as I use the same templates.

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Winter Lovelies

I spent a while this afternoon playing with a program I loaded the other day. I had a lot of fun with this. I do believe I'll have to play with it more in the future. For now I hope you enjoy this slideshow!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

More Dichroic Doodles Ahead

Today I started working on more dichroic doodle pieces. I was really impressed with how well they turned out last summer and have been wanting to make some more. I managed to get two pairs of earrings, two pendants and a third pendant started. I just love the possibilites of this technique! Who else wants to see more of this style of dichroic jewelry?

I have changed back to they old blog style as the comments section didn't work for the last two templates. I really liked the castle one too....

Recap Of 2009 & Clearance Sale

I moved a bunch of pieces over to the Sales/Clearance section of my shop. These pieces have been around for at least a year. There are many great prices to be had. I have taken anywhere from $8.00 to $20.00 off these pieces. Just like this beauty shown. My original asking price was $35.00. Now it is down to $20.00!

As I take a few moments to reflect on the past year I realize I have come a long way. The past year has been one of healing. 2009 was about recovery and rebuilding my life after having it shattered by the horrible, devastating loss of my daughter in July of 2008. I feel like I am finally crawling out of the shadows of sorrow and loss back into the sunshine of the living world.

In 2009 I reclaimed my room and finally discovered a good arrangement for it that really works. I made a good start on reclaiming the yard and flower borders. I learned a lot about selling on line. And tried to take the selling of my pretties waaay to seriously. I joined Plurk and made a lot of wonderful, new friends. I did some higher end shows. Two of my usual shows I did the best I have I have ever done. I found it to be quite disheartening to realize that for all the work and energy I put into a show that my profit margin is so small! Twenty or thirty dollars for 8-10 hours of work....but it is still more than I would of had sitting at home and it gets me out to be seen. On the other hand I don't think I did all that bad considering the state of the economy. I learned a lot of new wire working techniques to add to my repertoire of wire wrapping techniques. I've combined the method I use to wire wrap a cab with the technique for wire woven bails to give my pendants a much nicer appearance. I also designed a simple, adjustable wire wrapped ring for my cabs. I've taken up blogging and have become much better about it in the past two or three months. I joined the Create Art Every Day Month challenge in November and did fairly well if I do say so myself. Christmas was the best one we've had in years.

Two More Sets

I have been MIA for the past two days. I spent the night with my aunt on Monday night. She doesn't have a computer let alone Internet access. Tuesday was spent running errands, delivering the Marketplace and is also Girl's Night Out. I had so much to do yesterday I didn't even get a chance to get on-line!

Anyway here are two more finished sets! Please enjoy. The first set has more purple in it than the pictures show. I will start listing tomorrow-or tonight if I don't have class to teach. I will be listing the earrings and pendants/necklaces separately. I will include the set pictures in both listings. If one desires to purchase them as a set I will refund the difference of a set price, $10.00 to $15.00 off the total price.

p.s. These are all still unnamed pieces! Have any hints or suggestions please leave a comment.

Ripples & Unnamed Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Jewelry

Wanted to take a quick moment and share the finished pieces from today! Hope you like! The first set I plan to call "Ripples" The color is very mesmerizing and soothing. I have no clue of a name for the gold ones yet. I have all the earrings wrapped and finished from that last batch of cabs. I am still working on the matching pendants though. I have to run, it's late and I still have to pack my toolbag!

Days 20 & 21 Of The AEDM Challenge

I finished this lovely pendant necklace yesterday. I do believe I will name it "Parfait" or "Berry Parfait". What do you think of that for a name? I think this pendant turned out quite lovely. I plan to get it listed tomorrow.

Today I had a show. We set up most of it last night. Finished the set up this morning before the doors opened. I did fairly well considering. This picture is of the stained/fused & slumped glass table. The three large butterflies in the middle are the ones I was working on the other day.

I don't think I'm going to do anything other than go to bed tonight. If I change my mind and do create something I will share it tomorrow. I have done really well so far, but I think after working a show I refuse to feel guilty about not creating today. I may make two tomorrow as make up though.

As for that picture I promised you.....That is the fugliest batch of fusing I have ever done. I tried capping the ripple with a third layer of thin clear glass so as to make full use of the dichroic glass. I believe it was just a bit too much. I really lost the ripple effect and the dichroic glass is just "lost" in the base glass.

Day 12 of AEDM Challenge

Here is my newest piece created for the AEDM challenge. I have named this one Aurora. A rich, multi colored dichroic glass cabochon in bright pink, gold and deep blue with traces of green and purple. I feel I'm definitely improving on this style of wire wrapping and am quite pleased with this one.