Fire, glass, and metal chapter: I'm going to the Street Fair!!

Handmade Metal and Glass Jewelry!

I started torch firing with a new technique after reading "painting with fire", by Barbara Lewis. There is a steep learning curve, and I would prefer to take a class or workshop, but I haven't seen anything like this offered in the Bay Area (though I haven't looked at The Crucible yet).  So, there are a pile of failed "experiments" at that back of my bench. I really believe that training as a bench scientist was perfect preparation for this sort of thing!

Anyways - in May, the owner of my local bead shop, Bead Inspirations, offered customers who'd spent at least $100 this year the chance to set up a table in front of the store at the Spring Park Street Fair. I had been making a lot of bits and pieces and trying new techniques, but didn't have enough pieces or time to prepare in time. But Vicki said I'd have another chance at the Art & Wine Faire July26-27 - that's this weekend!!

Here are some pieces as a preview:

These are the most intricate using many little enameled bits.

I made a series with just the larger pansy form as a focal piece:

And I made lots of earrings - some with enameled filigree beads or discs, and many pairs that I fashioned from Vintaj natural brass blanks or copper blanks. 

They've been embossed, shaped, hammered, enhanced with inks and patinas, polished, and combined with beads and other elements to make the finished jewelry pieces:

I made the earring card holder from two old frames (another post maybe). The photos lost some resolution in the iPad post-writing experiments - the earrings look quite lovely in person and not at all fuzzy!

Some of the earrings above use old clock faces. I made a pretty fun steampunky necklace too by riveting metal elements together:

More enamel pendants, most are made from copper discs or pennies (pre-1981).  Several have images from enamel decals fired into the glass:

I also made some bracelets using memory wire, others with handmade pottery focal pieces...

Another enamel piece - I want to make more hand cut shapes and pieces. Hopefully I will be able to sell some things and be encouraged to continue playing with different techniques and designs.

I have a couple of beaded necklaces, and many more beaded earrings that I haven't photographed yet. 

I hope some of my friends will stop by and say hello this weekend - I'm excited!!

The Fair is on Park Street in Alameda between Lincoln Ave (the Bead Store and my table will be there to the right of the bandstand) 10am-6pm - check it out!!

xoxo, janet

Busy busy...textile chapter

When my crazed work project preparing for an FDA panel was over in March, a series of events followed that have kept me equally as stressed and busy. However, I did take a week off and kind of went crazy with my sewing machine, finishing a blanket and making a few new pillow covers for our living room.

This one is little HST scraps from the mum quilt:

This is a reverse appliqué sort of experiment with a felted sweater:

Another made with felt from recycled sweaters pieced and embroidered with dahlias:

All 3 of them included Marimekko scraps from Crate and Barrel outlet store:

They all live on our sofa now!

Here is the Star Wars patchwork blanket finished: 

Backing is a SW polar fleece.  The top was pieced improv from a rough sketch I made. Kind of goofy, but I like it...reminds me of my SW pillow case from the 70s (which I still have).

Then I ran across some napkins I'd bought with a matching tablecloth on sale. Except the tablecloth turned out to be round. We have a large rectangular table...doh! But I like the print and the napkins seemed quite large...so I covered two more pillows to go on our old ratty big chair that my family won't part with. They classier it up a bit.

Last textile project I will post was finished more recently - a knitted afghan that I worked on FOREVER!

So much I could say about this, but since it looks pretty cool all finished, I will be kind and just show the photos:

The thing covers our queen bed!

Next post will be about my crazed jewelry making since May - I'm going to try selling some of my work this weekend at the Alameda Art &Wine Street Fair.