Saturday Spotlight

Today's Saturday Spotlight is the Etsy shop of my friends at Vintaj Earth. I have seen it many times before, filled with an inspiring collection of gorgeous handcrafted jewelry and gifts. But I ran into it again while stocking my own Etsy shop, and checking the tags on Etsy for "earthenwood" I was pleased to see a few designs in the Vintaj Earth shop that use my components, including the Nouveau Clock necklace shown above. I think it is simply elegant and beautiful.

If any of my fine readers have new items made with Earthenwood components listed on your blog or etsy shop, I encourage you to please send me an email at earthenwood at gmail.com with a link to it. I may feature you in an upcoming Saturday Spotlight too!

Fluttering Away

This is another new pendant design that I have come up with lately. Its a pretty simple piece, just a little bit of brass and one of my popular Dragonfly Halo stones. I have been trying to use some of the brass I already have in stock, playing around with new ways to use the filigree that I have played with before, and finally using some of the pieces that I haven't quite figured out how to use until now. I really have been enjoying working with the brass, and making jewelry again. I never seem to get caught up on production enough to really settle into making a jewelry line, but at least a few new pendants are starting to trickle out of the studio now. I am at a bit of a loss as to where to start with a jewelry line. I want to use the ample inventory of random beads and things that I have in stock now, and not spend money to buy new stuff. Arg, but that so goes against my production minded ways: not creating a whole line of things that are exactly the same in design, just different in color. Although I do feel like doing one-of-a-kind things will be good for me and is the direction that I want to go with jewelry, for the most part. I think I might start with some earrings; some little detailed things that I can do quickly. Any thoughts out there, about what you might like to see from me, finished jewelry wise? I am happy to entertain thoughts about jewelry at this point...

So I am fluttering off this weekend, taking a break after a busy week of not feeling well, and working hard. I am looking forward to a good relaxing weekend, easing my body of the pressures of the week, letting my mind wander, and setting my heart free for a while.

Find this pendant and more jewelry in the Earthenwood Etsy shop

Longing for Springtime

*sigh* is it Spring yet? I am feeling the weight of Winter today. It looks like the snow is melting outside but I know its cold and wet and it makes me just want to stay warm and cozy inside. So many of my friends have been sick with colds and I am still drinking a lot of tea to calm my cough, the last remnant of the little bit of illness that I was recently nursing. The dog is going stir crazy and wants to run and chase squirrels and bunnies, and I would love to go and do that with her. I just wish I didn't need to bundle up so much to do so. I am dreaming of the day when the flowers start to spring up and the sun warms us up a little more than it is today.

I was thinking last night of these flower components, and the small run of them that I did last year in the multiple colors. I think it would be fun to do these and set them in brass. I am going to try that next time I glaze, as I have collected a good stock of plain bisque stones without loops that will work well for that. Maybe if I can make pretty colorful flower gardens bloom in my kiln, I will feel like Spring has sprung!

Reversible Heart Embrace Pendant

I am rather pleased with how this new pendant turned out. It was surprisingly simple to make, with just a ceramic heart and two bit of brass filigree from Vintaj. But it looks really elaborate and detailed. The particularly neat thing about this pendant is how it has a different look on the front and back, so it is truly reversible. I also am very pleased with the bail on top, and I will be using that frequently in other new pieces.

I called this piece Heart Embrace, because it feels like the porcelain heart is getting a big warm embrace from the brass butterfly. And that seems fitting right now, because I have been feeling like I have been embracing porcelain again for the first time in a long time. Its funny, when you work with a material day after day, for years. You sometimes take it for granted. Porcelain had recently been becoming the stuff I use to do my job. That happens when I get in production mode, I don't really even think about it anymore. My hands just repeat the familiar steps, the same repetitions. I forgot how much I adore this material, until I started a new series of disc carvings. I have spent many hours in the last few days immersed in porcelain again, my whole world existing for hours on end in a two inch circle of kaolin, carving away, millimeters at a time, the rest of the world dissolving around me as I drift off into a creative dream space, with my tools and clay dust building around me. I have remembered why I love clay so much. I look forward to sharing these new carvings with you soon.

This pendant is listed in the Earthenwood Etsy shop.

Triple Gear Disc Brass and Cable Choker

Today I have another new necklace to show, one made with one of the disc pendants that I showed yesterday. This is another version of something made with the choker cable necklace forms from Rings and Things. The necklace has coppery glass pearls wired onto the cable, with tiny cog bead charms dangling from the pearls. I just did the wirework on the central part of the this time, instead of the whole thing, like the first piece I did with the cables. Doing just the center really cut down on the time it took to make this, but it has a bit of the same ornate feeling. This time, I added some jump rings and tiny cog beads in the little spaces between the pearls and the cable, so there is extra activity in the necklace with little dangles. I am quite pleased with it! I listed this finished piece for sale in my etsy shop today.

Holding On for Gear Life

Quick post today, I had a very full day of getting stuff done! My state sales tax, which I have been dreading doing, and ALL of my shipping went out today. I feel very accomplished! I even took some photos and answered some emails, and listed a few things in the Etsy shop, including the new Triple Gear pendant shown above. I was really pleased with the simple filigree pendant wrap that I made for the disc, using a Vintaj filigree bead. The process for this is not too unlike the process I used on the Luck of the Leprechaun project from last year. It is really secure and doesn't interfere with the carving, which is why I like it. In my next post, I will show you something I made with a pendant like this, a necklace made with the wire wrapped choker cable technique from the project I blogged about last week.

Extra Extra!

About.com Jewelry Making It's party time! Mix it up with your own beaded cocktail! Tammy shows you how and what to do with the mess afterwards.

Art Bead Scene It's cold outside! Get a clasp on things.

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts Barbe Reviews the fiber jewelry book "Elements of Style"

BeadStyleMag.com Tips on submitting your work to BeadStyle magazine

Carmi's Art/Life Carmi "repurposes" a belt into a new necklace.

Jewelry & Beading Combine wirework and embroidery with stringing to make a beautiful one-of-a-kind necklace.

Strands of Beads Melissa shows off an unusual stash acquisition - mammoth bone beads

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew shares six new earring designs, utilizing some of his favorite artisan made components.

Saturday Spotlight:

A friend sent me a link to a great blog called Dark Roasted Blend, which led me to a link to an artist who makes amazing steampunk weapons and props, including the Clockwork Angel wings above, which I am in love with. The artist is Danny Ashby AKA Vincent M. Dantes, Esq. and he has a Deviant Art page and gallery, filled with cool steamy gadgets and stuff. Since it is the weapons and gadgets and accessories that attract me most to Steampunk costuming, I am very impressed with the quality of these creations. They have a sense of detail that makes the objects look like they really function, and that is something pretty amazing to me. I am inspired! I am also reminded that there is a lot of really cool stuff on Deviant Art, and that I should pay some attention to my page there, which I have basically ignored in the last few months.

Seeking Serenity

I am feeling under the weather a bit, and am awaiting a big snowstorm. I have wanted to just have a calm day snuggled up indoors today. I took the day off to rest, and play with wire and brass and beads, and to start to re-watch the Firefly series. In celebration, I made a new pendant, with one of the Serenity discs I designed. It was a tranquil day of rest and healing, and I made many new things. I haven't had a day of play in a long time, where I could shut out all the things that I have to do in order to just leisurely dabble and lounge. It is a little sad that it takes me feeling sick in order to do such a thing, but that is usually the case. It would be nice to be able to do this more when I am feeling well, so I should try harder to make that happen.

This pendant is listed in the Earthenwood Etsy shop here.

Victorian Keyed Cuffs

Another fun and quick project I made... a pair of lacy wrist cuffs to match the Victorian Collar that I showed on the blog the other day. These cuffs started with a pair of Tandy Leather cuff bracelet kits. I added some lace with hot glue and attached a new brassy buckle. Then, I wired an old key to a Vintaj brass Deco Window filigree piece and wove the center leather strap in and out of the key. Really, that was all there was to it, and I love these cuffs.

This was the first time I really worked with leather type materials and I am really excited to do more, for a variety of reasons. I am newly inspired by classic materials like leather and metal, I guess, hehe. I gathered more materials today at the thrift store: another leather belt and a cool metal mesh belt. I bought a couple of leather jackets to cut up last time I went thrift store shopping, and I just wish i had a little more time to spend playing with stuff.

As promised, a pic of me in the Victorian Collar and Cuffs from Confusion. This is what I called my steampunk apocalypse ballroom look. The skirt is really fun, I made it from this crazy metallic, torn up looking material. The top was new, from Torrid, all black and lacey. And the silver and black metallic striped socks that I am absolutely in love with, so much so that I never bothered to wear my neat victorian boots. I really enjoyed this outfit, and really should wear it again, I think...

Quick Victorian Collar Project

I made this neck collar for one of my costume/outfits recently. I wanted something that was a little more like a collar, with a lace ruffle, something kind of bold to go with the open neck on a black lacey corset top that I was wearing. I made this in just a few minutes and it was really inexpensive and fun, so I wanted to share.

I used an old belt that I found at the thrift store, it is a faux leather belt with a cool big brass buckle that I cut down so it fit my neck. I hot glued the black lace to the bottom edge and covered that with a velvet ribbon so it looked cleaner and wasn't itchy on my neck. Then I glued the Triple Gear stone to the front with E6000. When that set up and dried, I attached a couple of brass filigree flourishes to each side with needle and thread, and thats it! It was super quick, and I love it! I want to do more things like this, and plan to shop for more belts tomorrow to work with. I made matching wrist bands too, and I will show those soon, along with the rest of the outfit.

Extra Extra Sunday Links

About.com Jewelry Making

Is Etsy passe' for jewelry designers? Is it time to move on? Google seems to think so.

Art Bead Scene
A kiss inspires the ABS monthly challenge.

BeadStyleMag.com
A great new way to share our free earring project e-newsletters with your friends.

Carmi's Art Life World
Carmi recreates a vintage embroidered brooch using hand sewn linens.

Jewelry & Beading
Using a bead frame, you can create a special necklace.

Katie's Beading Blog
Katie's spreading the beady love with free shipping and a CRYSTALLIZED™ jet twist pendant with your purchase of the new book, Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed, from her website. Offer ends Thursday, Feb. 19th.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
The amazing Margot Potter is coming out with a new book, Beyond the Bead, by Margot Potter--next week! Read all about it, here!

Strands of Beads
Melissa ponders how the jewelry of one's youth informs a designer's style

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
On the heels of a trip to Tucson, Andrew shares a glimpse inside the annual Swarovski Party.

Saturday Spotlight

Today's Saturday Spotlight is on artist Gina Kamentsky, who makes amazing wind up, hand cranked, and kinetic artworks. They are whimsical and fun, made from found objects, and a ton of imagination. I am inspired by the way she must visualize these works, not only as visually appealing sculptures, but functioning and moving entities. It is fascinating. Click here to see video of the piece entitled Masters, shown above. The thing I saw first on her site (thank you to Sheryl, for sending me the link) is this great promotional video, full of vintage clips of awesome chicks in factories and science settings. Very cool.

In Earthenwood news, I listed two more of the Heart Metalex pendants that were so popular the other day in the Etsy Shop. I also launched the early February newsletter last night. If you don't get it delivered to your inbox, you can see it here. I am having a special Valentines sale for the next few days! Have a great weekend, everyone.

New Product Playtime!

I recently acquired some new supplies to play with from Rings and Things, which I have wanted to work with for some time. They are thin, strong choker cable necklace forms made of a heavy cable covered in either clear or black or colored coatings with either magnetic or screw on clasps. I really like the idea of them, because they make a great easy and modern chain for quickly stringing on a pendant or bead (with a reasonably large hole) and wearing. The look is really sleek, but I wanted to see them in the flesh because they are thin and I was curious about how sturdy the clasps were. I was pleased to find that the quality of both the magnetic and screw on clasps are very good, and the cable itself is very strong. Overall, I am impressed with these Choker Cables as a ready to wear item (especially with all the colors and sizes), but what about using them as a craft supply?

I had a vision of an elegant, sort of architectural looking choker to go with the Arteria Arcanum pendant. I took some thin wire (about 24 gauge bronze colored wire) and some gunmetal colored grey glass pearls and started to wrap and coil the wire tightly around a black choker cable with magnetic clasp. I started at one side of the clasp and coiled about 10 coils, added a pearl, and coiled about 10 coils more, and kept repeating this. Its a pretty simple technique, and looks really good if you get the coils tight and regular. It just takes a long time. Its a fun project to carry along somewhere though, as it doesn't need many tools. I am looking forward to making another one soon! The wire is thin enough that the cable remained flexible, and the look is exactly what I was trying to achieve.

Arteria Arcanum Pendant Tutorials

Click on over to the Art Bead Scene blog, where I have written a full tutorial on how I make the Arteria Arcanum pendant shown above. I will also be posting a mini tutorial here on this blog showing a new idea for a necklace design that compliments the pendant.

The pendant shown above (along with a few more in other colors) is available in the Earthenwood Etsy shop, in stock and ready to ship.

Heart Flutter

Another quick post today, as I have been very busy with writing and working and all sorts of difficult real life tasks. I have a big blogging project that I worked on for tomorrow that will publish part here and part over at Art Bead Scene. I am easing back into writing the occasional post over there, it is such a great blog and I am pleased in how it has developed since we started it long ago. Sometimes it seems like I do more writing than making stuff sometimes, but one inspires the other, so I suppose it is all good. Today, a picture of an extra Heart Flutter pendant that I had in stock. I feel like my heart is like this lately, fluttering around, riding the highs and the lows of the atmosphere around me.

This heart pendant in the Earthenwood Etsy shop and is ready to ship

Metalex

I had a weekend full of ups and downs, and am still recovering from it. The low point was a health scare (food poisoning, perhaps) that was rather frightening. But the high point was that my friends were around me and I was filled with so much support and care and love and hope, that I feel like my heart might explode. I am fortunate to have so many special people around me. It's a pretty amazing feeling. I am playing catch up now, working on orders, sending in stuff for super secret projects, writing, crafting new wares. Busy time. I will have much more to say when I feel a bit more level headed.

This pendant is a prototype, and is listed for sale in the Earthenwood Etsy shop

The return of Extra Extra!

Several months ago, before I took a little break from regular blogging, I was posting a series of links from a wonderful group of beading blogs every Sunday. Now that I have returned to the blogosphere, I have joined up with this great group of creative people once again! So here is the return of Extra Extra, bead all about it. Enjoy!
About.com Jewelry Making
Valentine's Day is a big jewelry day, or is it? For those who sell jewelry, you may find this poll interesting.

Art Bead Scene
It's cold outside. An art button suceeds as the finishing touch on a handmade neck warmer.

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Need to get your jewelry business office skills up to date? Check out this source.

Bead&Button magazine
A new design resource for beaders--check it out!

Carmi's Art/Life Blog
Carmi creates a broach using old fashioned rug hooking techniques.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Inspiration comes to Melanie in an unusual form... an earworm and musical artist that she dislikes.

Jewelry & Beading
Seed bead mania hits Jewelry&Beading. Wanna play?

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean is honored to have her jewelry design book, Links, by Jean Yates, get a jolly good review by a really cool beading magazine over in Great Britain!

Strands of Beads
Melissa is inspired by dream catchers to create a spring necklace

Saturday Spotlight

So people send me really interesting links to very cool things that inspire me all the time. I have been thinking that I should share them on my blog instead of hoarding them all to myself. I am going to try a new Saturday feature of cool stuff to spotlight. Maybe other artists or crafters, maybe interesting articles... just a random mix of cool stuff. Today is the ceramic work of Tim See, who makes these awesome steampunk pouring vessels and other works out of clay. I had almost decided to become a professional potter before my wrists started to bother me my last year in college, so I am often quite inspired to see awesome pottery. These are totally my style, I love them! Check out Tim's blog and etsy shop to see more! Thanks for the link, Randy!

I just got done making an order of custom terra cotta ornaments, and the color of the wet clay reminds me if this piece above. To me, things made of clay look best in this freshly made, wet state. I think thats why I love Yixing teapots so much, because they look like wet clay still. I love the screws and details of this, very inspiring!

Shiny New Things and Rambling Thoughts

It's always exciting to open the kiln in the morning and find some shiny new things that I have created which I am seeing for the first time. I am really excited about these new discs and I have some new ideas for more carvings to go with these. I am thinking of doing a skeleton key, a keyhole, a clock face with fancy hands, a compass, and maybe an hourglass. Hehe, that's a laundry list of new carvings! I usually have more ideas than time and energy to complete them all. That's one of the most frustrating things about being an artist for a living. Sometimes I think that people think that I just doodle around in clay all day long, playing here, dabbling there. And there are rare days that I let myself do that. But for the most part, I have to do a lot of boring non-art work in order to squeeze out a few hours of creative time a week. *shrug* it's a challenge but still better for me than just about anything else that I could imagine myself doing for a living. It is all worth it for that excited feeling I get when I open the kiln. Anyway, today it is time to do the shipping, and to list a few of these new pendants in the Etsy shop. I have a couple extra to play with, so I am looking forward to designing a necklace for that ever elusive jewelry line that I have been dreaming of creating...

Clockwork Corset Top

One of the things I had the most fun working on for one of my costumes for ConFusion was the Clockwork Corset Top, which really isn't a corset at all, its a corset styled top. It was a ready made item I found on clearance at Torrid. I had the idea of a top all made of gears and mechanics that looked like what the inside of what a clockwork doll might be. I had been shopping at Torrid and passed this top up, because it wasn't my style, but I later thought about it and the price was right, so I tried it on and loved the fit. I was determined to make something neat out of it, and I think I did, with a little bit of time, and black and gold fabric paint.

Above, the top as it looked when I bought it. Bright red and black houndstooth. Not my style, but I liked the smooth surface and the basic black back. I also liked the criss cross tie up the back and noticed that both the cord for the lacing and the belt across the top could be taken off. Despite the bright pattern, it left a great canvas for painting.

I started by painting the front black with fabric paint. The material is a heavy cotton, that had been screen printed already, so it took the paint well. You could see a slight ghost of the houndstooth as the black paint made the bright red into a very dark red color, and made the black darker. It added some depth that makes the background look more interesting than it would if it was flat black.

The gold gears and mechanical elements were hand painted onto the fabric. I started with a silver metallic sharpee to sketch the basic shapes while I was wearing the top, and then handpainted the gold (and went in with details in black to clean things up) It was a bit of a challenge to paint things on, as the fabric is not straight, but is curved and darted to fit the form. But I stuffed it with newspaper in a garbage bag, to fill and flatten the fabric. It was easier than I thought it would be, and I was very pleased in the clean lines I was able to get with just a paintbrush. I really enjoyed making and wearing this at the Con, and how it became the centerpiece of my whole Clockwork costume idea. I look forward to wearing it again, perhaps not as a part of a full costume, but with some pants and a jacket over it. Its amazing what a little paint can do!

Looking Ahead

Here is a new picture of the goggles I modded last year. Nothing new done to them, but I needed a new pic for another project, so I figured I would post it here too. I would love to add some leather to these, some padding around the eyes, because when they sit upon my head, they are quite painful after a whole day. The plastic of the goggles just sort of presses into my head under the weight of the screws. Hehe, its a price I am wiling to pay though, I guess, for cool looking goggles.

Today I have been plotting and planning, after reflecting on last month's business. January is a rather bleak time for my business, and things have been rather slow. I am optimistic though, that things will pick up, but I have been feeling like I need to work a bit harder on business, and balance a little better between my personal life and professional life. Also, I have been missing a lot of the professional contacts and relationships that I have set aside for the past few months. I have been thinking about it for a while now, and while I was glad for the break, I have decided that it's time for me to put more of my time and heart into Earthenwood again. I am talking with two groups that I used to work with, and an editor or two that I have worked with in the past, and I am getting ready to make some commitments to writing and designing again. It is exciting, and I found myself feeling very happy this morning that I have been welcomed with open arms by some of my peers and colleagues. Time to get back to work, my friends...

It was well liked, and thus a ring was put upon it...

So I promised to show a picture of the other handpiece that I made, from the bits and experiments from the first one. I wanted to make a simple piece, based on a slave chain ring/bracelet type of jewelry. I like the ring and chain part and I like the boldness of the wrist/hand covering, but I don't know if I like them together. It was a quick piece to put together, and fun to wear, but I think I will disassemble it to make something new. I think I will keep the ring and chain and connect it to a more traditional linked chain bracelet. The heavy piece, I am not sure... I think it would be really neat if sewn to a leather glove. I am glad I documented it at least, but I see it as a sketch and a work in progress for now.


Speaking of rings... Congrats to my friends Scott and Lucy! Scott proposed to Lucy on our trip to Chicago last weekend, on the train, during a fun game he made up for us to play! He brought out a silly blinking blingy plastic ring for her to wear for the weekend, because he is silly that way. She said yes! And she will wear a family heirloom as her wedding ring. But she got to flaunt her flashy bling all weekend for all of us and Chicago to see. I was so happy to be there for this, and am so very excited for them. hugs, you two!

Iron Inspiration

Tonight, a very quick post. I don't have many words to share right now. I have returned from a wonderful weekend, full of amazing sights and even more amazing friends.

I was in Chicago for a day, and got a rare treat of spending an hour or so at the Art Institute of Chicago. Sadly, most of the contemporary wing museum was closed, so I didn't get to see any Surrealism that I was seeking, but I did get so see some wonderful Chicago history and art.

I fell a little in love with this piece, I think its a piece of the Chicago Stock Exchange, designed by Louis Sullivan. I have blogged about him before. The detail was amazing, I got lost in the metal a bit. Quite moving.

Even though I was only at the museum for a short time, I was left feeling very inspired and dreamy and hazy for the rest of the day. I am reminded that I need to spend more time in places of beauty such as this.