i'm over at Objects and Elements today

Happy Thursday. I'm guest blogging over at ObjectsandElements.com today, so stop by to see what i did with one of their new hobnail bezels, some ICE resin and some vintage ice cream spoons.

**don't forget, we aren't playing flea market friday tomorrow. it will be the first Friday of every month. so the next one is Friday, Sept. 3rd.

what's happening

i haven't been blogging too much in the last few weeks after tucker's illness, because my hands have been bothering me alot (sore joints, low hand strength, pain in the wrist area, etc -and computer use just aggravates them more). could just be a severe tendinitis episode or something else. i did get a lyme's test yesterday since i was bitten by a tick about about a month ago. he also did some arthritis tests too, but wasn't leaning towards any of these things, which leads me back to tendinitis. i'm wondering if how i was holding tucker during those 3 weeks he wasn't well, just aggravated my hands. i've been trying to stretch them alot, which is helping. anyway, that's that.

for a project not related to small hand work, i decided to revamp my cabana, which is now being called "They Gypsy Cabana". i found a darling umbrella at Pier One for $42 on clearance (one part of the umbrella was broken). it reminds me of a circus tent. on a whim, i decided to put the umbrella inside the cabana as the roof part was now open (the roof collapsed over the winter) i got a new outdoor rug, changed out the chairs and added some colorful fabric lanterns that i found at kmart. i dragged over some plantars of grass and put in some candles. finally i added a little Chinese desk that i had bought at Country Living Fair last oct and that was that. you can't tell from the pictures, but in front of the cabana are 3 bird feeders, so it is great fun to sit inside and watch the birds come and feed.

(kabana kitty)
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this is a picture of what i am slowly working on (taking breaks as my hands bother me). i still have some soldering to do on them and then i will cover them in Ice resin.

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finally, here is a my pictures from the warbler nest that i've been watching since i found it several weeks ago. i went down there on monday to check on them and the nest was no longer in the tree. i found it on the ground. hopefully that means that they grew up and flew away.
cover them in Ice resin.

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and finally a collection f shots fm the yellow warbler's nest. i nt down their progress and e nest was no longer inflew away.

quick update

my first guest blogging post is up on Objects and Elements. stop by to see the project i did for the end of the school year!

Extra Exciting News!

this is news i have been sitting on since February . do you know how hard it is to sit on fun and exciting news? it's hard to do!

So what's the news? i am excited to announce that i was asked to be the newest design team member of Objects and Elements (tool and supplies for the mixed media artist). it all started in late January when i was at CHA, "walking the show" as Suze Weinberg encouraged me to do (thank you Suze for the encouragement!) I didn't go there with any agenda, but to meet people, wear my jewelry, find jewelry resources, meet up with friends, see family and per the usual, have fun and enjoy the moment! and i did have a lovely time. it was overwhelming how much talking i did, how many people stopped me to look at my jewelry or to tell me that they loved my pigtails (Melody!), run into Jenny Doh and taking the incentive to introduce myself. It was a busy, whirlwind few days and worth every second of time i took to be there. I still consider myself very green to the art world and their enthusiasm and praise for my jewelry is so encouraging and amazing. it has lead me to teaching opportunities and now this. i am grateful for friends like, Barbe and others, who believe in me. So after spending some time at the O&E booth, speaking with Susan, Linda, Jen (our den mother), Kristen and Barbe ( Deryn and Jane weren't there) and then also having the confidence to take out my portfolio and say, "want to see more"? (remember the previous post about this whole topic of learning to self promote?)- i feel that i have EARNED this and that my friends, is a very satisfying feeling.
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here is my first piece of jewelry that i created using items that can be found at Objects and Elements.com. I really wanted to create a piece with this darling "french baby" charm. i love dolls and use them a lot in my art, so i couldn't wait to "play doll" with her. She was laid in a open back bezel and then secured with ice resin. all of these items can be found on the website.

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Now for the fun stuff! i've decided to do a giveaway for the first piece that i designed for Objects and Elements. In my eyes, it is the perfect way to celebrate my introduction. So, all you need to do is leave a comment here on the Object and Elements blog.

the next product i look forward to playing with their new staple bezel. i see alot of potential with these and my use of vintage found objects.

stayed tune for some cool things happening at Objects and Elements. this rapidly growing company has a lot up their sleeves and i'm happy to be along for the ride!

filigree soldered pendant - class photos

what a great class today! the weather was absolutely stunning, which in turn made us all happy! and when we are happy, creating and art is a win win situation! everyone made wonderful pendants and i just love the creativity everyone added to their own piece. i will be teaching this class again either mid may or early june - so keep your eyes on the schedule (see side bar, right side for class events).

Ice Resin

Objects and Elements is holding an ice resin blog hop. Ice Resin is a jeweler's grade resin that doesn't yellow, fade or become brittle over time. There was a lot of hoopla over the product at CHA at the Objects and Elements booth. I know those girls spent many a minute talking to consumers about the product ( i spent a lot of time at their booth, since my good friend, Barbe St. John, is one of their design team members.) Having used the product a lot, i actually found myself in conversation with a few potential customers telling them about it, how it differs from what they've previously used, explaining how i use it in my work and then directing them to Barbe, Jen, Susan, Linda - whoever i could grab at the moment. one thing rings true about product review - people will not buy it until they know its uses and also understand how they can apply it to their own work.

So for the ice resin blog hop, the requirments were to show a piece of your work (any medium) where you used ice resin. let me tell you a little bit about my piece. i was actually working on making an altered doll using one of my vintage Charlotte doll heads. i was using my dremel to even out her torso, remove sharp edges, etc. when her head broke in half. at first i was quite dismayed having most of the doll completed except adding the head. i put the doll head down; thinking, "what a shame, i hate to waste this broken piece". i had some soldering supplies nearby and also putty medium leftover from the altered doll. so i decided to see how i like the doll head smushed into the putty medium. it was so so, but i could see how i might salvage it. so i took the putty medium and let it dry onto one of my glass pieces. then did some soldering to it. i didn't like looking at the putty medium, so i collaged vintage song music over it, added the wings via soldering and then let it sit for a few days to see what i thought. i liked her, but thought she needed something else. a few days later as i was working on a commission order and using ice resin when i thought i'd add some to the broken doll head(around the collaged text) and viola - i loved it! the resin dries perfectly clear, no yellowing and just added that bit of sparkle needed to make me really "love" the piece. from there i just started playing; adding old charms from a necklace no longer worn and then completing it with deconstructed chain and wire wrapping. i also feel that i don't have to worry about the collage paper peeling up from the putty medium given the fact that it is sealed under the ice resin.

So the date is set: The first ever ObjectsandElements.com ICE Resin® Blog Hop is set for next week. The beginning date will be Monday, Feb. 15th and continue through Friday, Feb. 19th. stop by to see what the design team members, other consumers and bloggers, like me, have tried with ice resin.

here are all the participants in the ice resin blog hop:

Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com/

Ro Bhrun http://robruhn.blogspot.com/

Karen Burns http://web.me.com/vintagefindings/Vintage_Findings/Blog/Blog.html

kecia deveney http://www.lemoncholys.blogspot.com/

Mary Jane Dodd -- Mary Jane http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Melanie Earthenwood http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com
Shea Fragoso http://www.whathappensnext.typepad.com/

Kerin Gale http://remnantsofolde.com/posts/

Vickie Hallmark http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Jess Italia Lincoln http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog/

Jill Liles http://livngoodjewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather Powers http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com/ and http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/

Amy Purdes http://www.spritecreations.blogspot.com/

Jenny Barnett Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/

Stephanie Rubiano http://www.soigathered.typepad.com/

Lisa Sommerville http://www.lisasomerville.com/2010/02/kitchen-sink-stamps-altered-jewelry.html
Kim Taylor http://sassycrafter.blogspot.com/

And then also the Objects and Elements Design Team and Susan Lenart Kazmer

Jen cushman http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/jencushman/

Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/

Kristen Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/

Barbe Saint John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/

Susan Lenart Kazmer http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/