“Listening attentively. Waiting expectantly” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach, January 26th in the book Simple Abundance.  I am reading the book, Simple Abundance, again this year.  I find the daily readings are very helpful with my artwork and life in general.  This particular quote  resonated with me.  I feel that as I listen attentively to the creative channel, wait expectantly, designs do present themselves to me in my mind’s eye.  Green Mountain Falls is one of those that came to me.

Green Mountain Falls is a variation in my Mountainesque Series.  The main stone is Variscite and the top stone is a Belvedee Jasper.  Both were purchased from Gary B. Wilson.  Again, I have a tendency to see things in the stones.  This time, I saw a lovely waterfall as a starting point in the Belvedee Jasper. I felt that stone provided a nice compliment and contrast to the lighter colors in the Variscite. There are ever so slight mountain type formations at the bottom of the Variscite too, so Mountainesque came to mind.

One of my current goals is to experiment with how things are joined and this piece is the result of one of those experiments.  I textured and added 24kt gold Keum Boo to the ‘tongue’ attachment that joined the top component to the bottom one.  I really wanted the beauty of these stones to just speak for themselves.  As a result, I trimmed the setting of the top stone to just be flush and not expose any of the sterling black plate as an additional decorator.    A bit of the mountain carried through to the Keum Boo application.  The sterling has been oxidized to help showcase both of the stones.

You may be wondering about the Pinterest button underneath the photo.  I’m a member of Pinterest and I have found it a fun way to promote others work and mine.  If you like this piece, just click the Pinterest button to ‘pin it’ to their site.  Feel free to follow my ‘pins’ on Pinterest too.  I plan on adding Pinterest buttons to any of my blog posts where I think I may be relevant to pin a photo to Pinterest.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

In today’s segment of my Talkin’ Tools post, I wanted to discuss my Pepe Dapping Block and matching punches.   These come in a variety of sizes and options.  If you are considering adding these to your tool kit, I would recommend buying them as a set.  I didn’t do this and while I believe I ended up with a slightly greater selection of sizes, the set is nice and seems to be a bit more cost effective.  The choice is yours and I provide links to a couple of suppliers at the bottom of this post so you can do some price comparisons.  As I always say, Google is your friend when hunting for bargains on the web, so feel free to do some additional searches if you want to purchase a a set.

The dapping block has a series of what I call reversed domes; I think another term used to describe them is ‘hemisphere’.  Each one of these semicircles has a corresponding punch that matches its size as I am showing in the picture below.

The correctly sized punch and hemisphere in the block are used in conjunction with each other to shape a piece of metal into a dome.  I’ve used this for shaping metal pendants and earrings.  Just remember that if you are making earrings, dome the metal blanks in the same time period, because the way you hammer can differ from day to day, hour to hour.  Shaping and texturing should be done at the same time when your body is in a given ‘zone’.  At least I have found that to be the case for me.

For the purposes of this post, I am showing an unfinished brass disc, because I didn’t have any completed and ready for this stage of the demonstration.  Normally, I would sand the metal’s surface in preparation for the texture I intended to apply.  Remember, you have to apply your texture first before shaping the disc in the dapping block.  Attempting to add texture once the metal has been shaped, well, that really doesn’t work well.  Do things in the correct order.  Think what step needs to happen first, because it makes your work so much simpler.

Place the disc in the block, finished/textured side down. Normally, the finished side is what you what to dome, however there may be time when you want to reverse things and mix it up a bit.  For the sake of this demonstration, I am placing the disc, finished side down.  From this view, the finished side isn’t seen, because it is face down.  The side facing you in this picture is the back of the metal blank.

You want to take the correct size punch, place it on top of the metal blank positioned in the corresponding hole in the block.  Ideally, you want the punch to be perpendicular to the semicircle in the block.  I like to use my chasing hammer, when shaping blanks in the block.  Several firm, strong hammer strikes on top of the punch end and your disc will be domed.  Practice, to see how your hammer strokes work in forming the metal to the desired shape in the punch.

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I formed the reticulated silver dome for this pendent using the Dapping block and punch.  I think a domed shape adds a nice touch to art jewelry.

As most of you know from my previous posts, I am a fan of Pepe tools.  They are strong, durable and a good value for the price.  If you would like a set like mine, I purchased them from Indian Jewelry Supply.  The 30 pc Dapping Punch set is Item Number 212-DPC30  The Cube block is Item Number 212-DBD  If you just want a nice matching set with a few less punches, they offer a set of 17, item number 212-DPS158  I believe OttoFrei is offering the 17 piece set too, click this link to their site for the product.  To receive an additional 5% off the purchase price, one of OttoFrei’s discount codes for the month of January is FRESH.

I find having the ability form metal with the dapping punches and block to be another way to add interest to your designs.  I’ve been meaning to try the punches as another way of adding textures to my work too.  Sometimes there can be more than one use for a tool.  I hope you enjoyed this brief overview.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

At the end of 2010, I wrote a post about my thoughts and feelings as 2011 drew near.  What is it about a new year?  The anticipation of what lies ahead?  A clean slate?  A chance to improve?  I think there are many answers.

Now 2011 draws to a close and I find myself reflecting on the events that took place this year.  In 2011, my plan was to be fully engaged in all aspects of my life.  That was my personal mantra whenever I needed that extra push.  This concept of a personal word or phrase is something Christine Kane introduced in her blog, which I started following several years ago.

For 2012, I have chosen adaptability as my personal word.  I selected the word, adaptability, because this year taught me that being fully engaged may not be the best course…at least not for me.  I found I took on too many things and as a result, some of the joy I find in what I do got lost.  At times, I started to feel a bit robotic; I was just going through the motions.  Time blurred.  Summer was gone and I don’t remember enjoying it.  Connections felt lost or distant.  Life was passing by and I was missing out on too many things.  Going forward, I knew things had to change.

This year taught me many valuable lessons.  In that learning process, I found I needed to change how I was juggling all my tasks.  I think it is important to adapt and make changes to pursue what works.  Recognize what doesn’t work and let go of it.  The ability to respond effectively to the inevitability of change is both desirable and necessary.  Adaptability helps to ensure our happiness and well-being.

When I think about evolution, the importance of being adaptable to ones surroundings is paramount.  The alternative can be extinction.  I see adaptation as one way to avoid being stagnant.

I am thankful for all the learning experiences I had this year.  I gained so much from them.  From the shows, I found a new gallery and several holiday markets.  I gained insight and understanding about where I want to take my business in the coming year.

So how does this apply to my work?  That’s easy!

• I’ve begun a new series that I call Treescapes.  I feel I’ve just touched the tip of the iceburg with this one.
• I have more ideas for the evolution of my Arts & Crafts Impression series.
• I’ve already started to adapt and modify my business plan for 2012.  A few more galleries, a few less shows.

You see, the ability to adapt leads to necessary changes and growth for me.

As part of that new mantra, I’ve just redesigned my website.  A new look, for a new year and a new vision.

What word or phrase do you feel will help you in 2012?  I hope you will share your thoughts.

May 2012 bring adaptability, light and love to all of us.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Peace on Earth.  Goodwill toward men.  Seasons Greetings!!!

Our delightful bassets, Dan & I would like to wish all of you the very best of the season.  May you have the Merriest of Christmases.  Happy Hanukkah.  Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo.  Happy Kwanzaa.  And I hope I haven’t left anyone out as I wish all of you a holiday season filled with love and light.

Thank you for following my blog, leaving comments, and sharing your thoughts and insights this past year.  All of you have touched my life and I am grateful.

Cooperation can be difficult at times!

We hope you will enjoy this special time with friends and loved ones.  We’ve had a blast of winter with lots of snow and cold, so our Christmas will be wintry white this year.  May your travels be safe.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Listen to music.  I love how music can alter my mood, feed the creative juices and bring relaxation or energy!

My mom wanted me to learn how to play the piano when I was a child.  I took lessons.  I never practiced enough to be good, but one thing I took away from it was an appreciation for classical music and I love, love, love piano.  One of my favorite piano artists is David Benoit.  What a master.

Jazz is probably the genre I listen to the most now.  Artists like Brian Culbertson, David Sandborn, Richard Elliot….well, I could go on with quite the list.  Let’s just say my iTunes library has a great variety of my favorites.

Listening to music is something I do everyday, just for the sake of doing it.

Now lets see what the rest of my fellow bloggers have shared!

Andes Cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com
Stephanie Clark: http://thethinkingsofacoldweathergirl.blogspot.com/ 

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

I’m offering free shipping via Priority Mail in the continental US only. You can shop from the comfort of your home or other location via computer! If you see a pair you would like to give as a Christmas gift, I would strongly recommend ordering them no later than Sunday, December 18th so that I can ship them by Monday, the 19th.

Ginkgo Earrings ~ Approximately 2″ long
Arts & Crafts Impressions
SOLD

All of these earrings are light weight, which my clients really like. No two pairs are exactly alike. I cut out each individual Ginkgo leaf so they are very natural, just like you would find in nature! The Ginkgo leaves are copper with a bit of oxidation to emphasize their textures. The rest of the earrings are sterling silver, including the ear wires. I did not do a high polish on the silver sections because I thought adding an oxidation to them would compliment the coloration of the copper leaves.

Ginkgo Earrings ~ Approximately 1 1/4″ long
Arts & Crafts Impressions
SOLD

Ginkgo Earrings ~ Approximately 2 1/4″ long
Arts & Crafts Impressions
SOLD

Ginkgo Earrings ~ Approximately 2″ long
Arts & Crafts Impressions
SOLD

Hopefully one of these will speak to you as a nice gift for someone in your life.  If you have questions about any of these, leave them in the comments section and I’ll respond.

Currently, I am working on a Storefront where you can buy more of my work through my Facebook Fan Page.  However, I have run into a few technical difficulties and you can imagine how frustrating  that can be for a techie like myself.  I will continue to work on that and make an announcement here when I have that Storefront up and running.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

“Awareness” by Anthony deMello is a book that I read over 10 years ago. It has left a lasting impression. One of the most important things this book did for me was make me aware of  the very negative emotion, fear. Mr. deMello discusses how to recognize the signs that fear is trying to take over your decision making.  As far as I am concerned, fear is one of the most insidious emotions.  Decisions based on or out of fear are the worse ones anyone can make.  This book came to me at a time in my life where I could have easily made some horrific decisions had I done so out of fear.  Thanks to the information in this book, I have an awareness that allows me to recognize when fear is trying to influence what I want to do.

Today I want to discuss how fear can block your creativity.  The fear of failure can and does stall us in our creative explorations.  Yet I have found that failures lead the way to successes.  Let me show you some examples.

Variety of soldering experiments and failures.

These sad little gems are in my scrap pile.  Things that seemed like a good idea on paper, but in reality, not so much.  Some are soldering mistakes.  Some are designs that just didn’t work.  I just kept trying things, not letting the fear of failure stop me in my tracks.

Melted bezels

The dreaded melted bezel.  Some can be salvaged.  It’s just one of those discouraging thumps to the head when it happens.   Does it stop me from continuing?  No.  Some days I just know I need to take a break, turn off the torch & the pickle pot, close the door to the studio and come back another day.  The important thing is to come back and try again another day.

I persisted, in spite of those failures, that could have very easily taken me down the path of fearing I just can’t go any further.  Determination is one of my key success factors when battling the fear of failure.  If it was easy, anyone could do it, right?

I believe my persistence paid off.  Elements is a new series I haven’t discussed much in my blog.  Here’s one of the examples from the series.  Those little triangle shapes in my soldering experiment photo show that persistence with that idea finally paid off with this pendant.

Serentiy from Elements
Photo by Daniel Krucoff

Veracity is another new series for me this year.  Putting a bezel around a heart shape can be tricky, but I found a way that works well and have had so much fun with these heart shapes now.  Well worth the initial struggles.

Picturesque from Veracity
Photo by Daniel Krucoff

You see, all those failed attempts eventually led me to something that worked.  The key, I didn’t give up.  I kept trying.  I refused to be afraid to try something else.  I’ll admit that this year I explored many avenues for new works.  Initially, I know I was blocked by a fear of failure.  Once I realize that fear is trying to play a role in what I want to accomplish, I literally relax and block it.  That step, in and of itself, is freeing.  I am able to just go forward, know that I may and will make mistakes as I’ve shown here.  Yet when I keep trying, something wonderful is waiting for me.  In a sense, it’s  like that story about the optimistic child who is presented with a room full of horse manure.  He excitedly exclaims, there must be a pony in here!

We need to seek the positive.  Ignore negativity and adversity, they are fear’s companions.  Their role is to bring us down.  Please don’t let them.

Why this post?  I want all of you to look FEAR in the eye and stare it down.  Become Aware of it and what it tries to do to you.  Don’t let it beat you.  Overcome it.  FEAR is powerful and strong.  It will rule anyone who succumbs to it.  The mere fact that you can recognize it, be aware of it, when it rears its ugly head, puts you on the road to success, new ideas, being creative, tapping into the creative channel that is there waiting for you.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Next weekend, I will be joining Nancy Bonig, Richard Pankratz and Margarete Seagraves in a Holiday Market, hosted by Nancy Bonig at her studio in Monument, CO.

Ever the creative, Nancy wanted to open her studio to our customers for a little holiday shopping.  All of us will be offering special discounts, along with Holiday treats and a chance to visit with us about our work.

We think the timing is right, just after Thanksgiving….you’ve had a chance to partake of Black Friday Specials or Cyber Monday online shopping….now you can relax a little and look for a unique gift that can’t be found anywhere else.

My featured items will be the Ginko earrings, an example shown below, from my Arts & Crafts Impressions.

If you are in the area next weekend, we hope you will stop by and visit us.  I think you will find lots of unique items for your Holiday gift giving.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

A long time ago, in a gallaxy far far away…..wait a minute, wrong tale!

Take two.  A long time ago, I tried my hand at painting. One of the items I hung onto from that artistic adventure was this paint mixing tray by Grumbacher.  As I was decluttering my studio a while ago, I found this and considered donating it so that someone else might be able to put this to use.  However, I did not and it sat in a little box….sort of looking at me.  Then I moved it to the top of my soldering bench, next to my pickle pot.  I still wasn’t sure why I felt the need to keep this aside from some emotional attachment, but I did.

So why am I posting about a Grumbacher paint mixing tray in my Talkin’ Tools segment?  Well, it turns out that it has become a very handy way for me to organize the components for my Ginkgo leaf earrings.  Sure, I could have gone out and bought something else, but this works and puts this tray back into use in my studio.  Saved a little money too!

Ginkgo parts

You see, when I make my Ginkgo leaf earrings, there are a variety of bits and pieces that go into their assembly. I need to keep them organized by earring style so as I start to put the sections together, I have the right part for the right design.  I work on one earring set at a time as I build them.  The dividers keep the sets together and I don’t run the risk of getting them mixed up.

Prior to utilizing this tray, I would have the earring sets scattered around in little piles on a table.  Speaking from the voice of experience, there were times when my sleeve would brush them and they would fall on the floor or get mixed together.  That was FUN, not!  These incidents left me with this time consuming and needless task of putting an interesting jig saw puzzle back together.  Talk about frustrating!

One day, as I was in this frustrated state, here’s this little tray, sort of smiling and winking at me now and I think, ok, I get it.  Put you to use.  I did.

Viola!  Once I started using the tray, the process was simplified. I can keep track of how many are ready by a glance. I’m assured that the right parts for the earring set are together. Once I fire up my torch, I can work on 8 pairs or more if use the small circles in the tray.  Even though I build them one pair at a time, I don’t like to start work on the assembly process until I have a batch.  I find it to be more efficient.

There are several key things I’d like to convey with this post:

• Organization in the studio (and other areas of life) is very important. It helps simplify what you are doing, alleviates stress and frustration, along with speeding up what you are doing.
• Be innovative. Look for items you may already have and see if they can be used for another purpose.  It may be a good fit and save you a bit of money.
• Consider options.  Being open to alternatives that can help you with an immediate solution…it’s good to have options.

Have you found something that you use in your work that is an alternative use from its original purpose?

I hope you find this tip helpful and are motivated to start looking for things that may help you in your work.

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

I find this topic timely and one I feel I could write volumes about.  I’ll try to condense it to a Reader’s Digest version that will hopefully be succinct.

Dan & me at The Tetons

One thing I am most thankful for in my life is my husband, Dan.  He helps me in more ways that he may even realize.  His love, encouragement and support, along with being my BFF, well, it just doesn’t get any better than that!  I love you Dan; thank you for being the calming, centering force in my life.

The bassets and me

Our bassets are another aspect of my life for which I am very grateful to have.  They are great companions and their antics are constant sources of humor, every day.  It’s hard to stay glum when one is greeted with happy tail wags and kisses.

I feel I have received more blessings than I can count.  My intellect.  The ability to be creative.  Supportive friends.  My dear sister, Lexi.  My health.  Along with a good sense of humor; I definitely believe in being able to laugh at myself!

This past year as Lexi and I worked our way through a couple of books, The Simple Abundance and The Artist’s Way, I think that helped to provide an even greater awareness of all of the people and things I am truly grateful for.  My heartfelt thanks to all.

Now let’s see what the rest of these Blog-o-Sphere Think Tankers shared!

Andes Cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com
Stephanie Clark:  http://thethinkingsofacoldweathergirl.blogspot.com
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Diana Fazio: http://metooiguana.blogspot.com/

Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.