Lovely textured copper

It's been a while since I taught the Textured Copper Jewelry workshop but it was so much fun to share it again today. It's always interesting to see the kinds of textures my students discover. Always original and always beautiful.

Gwen

Salena

I hope you found some time to create this weekend.

Happy Creating!

Wendy

Textured Copper Jewelry workshop

Just spent the day with three fun, creative ladies making textured bracelets. I hadn't done this workshop in a while and they made it so easy and fun. They did a great job. We made earring to match but I forgot to take pictures of them. 

Diane

Linda

Heather

Thanks for a great day ladies. I look forward to seeing you in the studio again sometime.

Keep Creating!

Wendy

Another creative Resin Jewelry workshop

It was so much fun to have this group of ladies in my studio last weekend. This was a mothers and daughters day. They wanted to do something together and we were all able to coordinate a day to do a workshop of their choice that worked. They were a lot of fun and very creative. They did a few new shapes that worked out really nicely. As usual for the Resin Jewelry workshop these aren't completely finished but I think you can see how wonderful they are already.

Deb

Gabby

Lori

Nichole

Trish

Happy Creating!

Wendy

Textured copper workshop.

I had great time teaching a fun group of ladies all about texturing copper this weekend and their bracelets and earrings turned out beautifully.

Donna

Leslie

Ruth

Sharon

I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Happy Creating.

Wendy

A little chain fun.

I started making these resin pendants last year. At first I just hung them on a copper chain but some of them just called out for a little something extra so I started playing around with different variations of making my own 'chain' to hang them on. Now each time I make more resin pendants I experiment with different ways to make my own chain for it.

This is a combination of metallic seed beads and Crystals.

This was a new variation this time around. The strand of seed beads is woven through the links of a brass chain.

Another combination of white seed beads and coppery crystals.

Here the copper chain is linked on the stringing wire every so often with the seed beads.

And another seed bead and crystal combination.

These do take extra time to make but I think it makes them more interesting and special. Do you have any favourite kinds of 'chains'?

Happy Creating!
Wendy

Mini family workshop

My Mom's

Sister Nancy's

So last year my sister Nancy wanted to take the Resin Jewelry workshop but the timing was never right or the workshop was full. And then my Mom said she wanted to take it too. So I decided to do a little semi private workshop just for the 2 of them. I know, sometimes I can be so nice;)

We got together in December to make the pendant and earrings and then finally got together again last week to put it all together. 
Didn't they do an awesome job!

Happy Creating!

Wendy

First copper texturing jewelry workshop.

I was so pleased with the results from my students at my first copper texturing jewelry workshop. It's always a bit of a challenge to do a workshop for the first time and these women made it easy and all went very well. They each made a bracelet and pair of earrings. It was fun and inspiring to see the different designs and textures that were created. 

Joanne

Olive

Patrice

Wendy

This was so much fun that I'll be adding another date for it in April.

Happy Creating!

Wendy

Show preparations.

Urban Craft

I'm so excited to be part of this great show on June 9th. I went to check it out and do some shopping at their last show in March and the variety and creativity of vendors was awesome. So come on out to see me. I'm busy getting ready for it.

I've been busy with my resin and even have a few new designs.

I finished up these new designs the other day. How do you like the asymmetrical look? I always get a little chuckle when people tell me they aren't comfortable with things that are a little off. I have to admit I do feel that it takes a little more effort to do something asymmetrically. Sometimes I layer things a leave them for a while before I decide if they're okay or not.

And here are some I hope to get finished today. The two on the top are going to be bracelets, I just haven't decided if they are going to turn into leather cuffs or chain and bead bracelets. The lower gear one is going to be a necklace. I will probably just add some dangles and hang it on a chain but I can never be sure until it happens.

So let me know what you think. Are you an asymmetrical or symmetrical person? Do you like cuff or bead and chain bracelets? I love getting your comments.

Happy Creating!

Wendy

Ottawa Bead Society Challenge

Although I'm not a beader last year I decided to join the Ottawa Bead Society. It's great place to get inspired by other jewelry makers. They've had some great demos and I always enjoy the show and tell of peoples jewelry creations. One of the first meetings I went to last year was the reveal of their first bead challenge. It was so interesting to see the outcome that I was glad to hear they were doing it again this year and of course signed up to be part of it. The challenge involves groups of 3 people over a 3 month period. How it works is, the first person creates something with beads and passes it along to the second person at the next meeting and they add to the creation and then passes it along to the third person to finish it and bring to the next meeting for the big reveal. Well I was the third person in my group and this is what I received to work on.

I was loving the colours as soon as I saw it because I knew copper would look great with it. My challenge was the strings and loose ends that came with it. Not being much of a beader I was unsure of what to do with them but after consulting with a local beading store I learned a few new tricks and was able to finish it off just the way I wanted. 

I made an etched copper disc to be a backdrop for the beaded circle and finished off the ends with some interesting caps and beads and my usual adjustable copper hook. I think I was so lucky to get this challenge. There were 10 groups in all and the results were spectacular but this was the one that was most my colours which made the design part of the challenge fairly easy for me. 
I didn't manage to get a photo of all the other ones but I'll let you know when they get them up on their web site.
For my first jewelry challenge I think I can say it was a success. I really enjoyed doing it!

Happy Creating!
 Wendy

And the shows begin...

Spring has definitely sprung here. The sun is shining, the grass is green and my first craft show is this weekend. Come see me from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Russell Curling Club in Russell On. Check out some of the other vendor on the facebook event page too. As usual I've been trying to get more pieces finished before the show. I know I was suppose to be getting stock done all winter but it doesn't matter how much I have done I just have to get a few more done before the show. It's how I roll!

This necklace is resin in a copper wire frame on vintage sheet music.

Here is a new earring design that will be at the show. I have a few variations of these with different things riveted on the textured copper. 

If you can't make it to Russell this weekend I'll be at the Glebe Community Centre next weekend for Glamour in the Glebe.

I must get back to finishing more jewelry. Hope to see you soon. 

Happy Creating.

Wendy

Wire wrapped chain necklace.

I finished this necklace today. I made the wire wrapped chain a while ago and couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it. So it sat on my desk where I could keep an eye on it or it could keep an eye on me, I'm not sure which. Lately I've had my mind on making multi strand bracelets. Now this chain was too long for that so I thought I'd try a multi-strand necklace without a pendant. Most of my necklaces are all about the pendant and then deciding what to put the pendant on. So this was a change of pace for me. After trying a number of different kinds of strands I didn't end up with as many as I thought I would, but these things happen. After wearing it all day I may just have to keep this for myself.

I noticed that I don't get blogging as much as I'd like to and if you'd like to see more of my day to day happenings and finished work you might want to head over and like my facebook page. I seem to keep up there a little better. Not that I'm going to forget my amazing blogging friends, just more options and I'm all about the options.

Happy Creating.

Wendy

Jingling bracelet.

As you probably all know by now, I'm in the midst of preparing for this weekends Handmade Harvest show. There is something about an upcoming show that really motivates my creativity. I don't know why. You'd think the pressure would inhibit creativity. So I usually try to go with it. I never feel like I have enough for an upcoming show, so I'm usually making things up to the last minute. My main focus yesterday was bracelets. 
I decided that the fairies must have been helping out because some of them started to jingle. The one above has a wonderful soft jingle as you wear it. I'm calling it Pearly Jingles. I know naming another piece. Maybe it's a new trend!!  Here is another one that I just posted on Facebook this morning. It has a little bit less of a jingle but definitely jingles too.

So the big question today is, do you like to wear jewelry that jingles as you move? Or do you despise wearing things that make noise?

Wendy

Ps: Don't forget to leave a comment on Monday's tag giveaway!!

And the winner is...

I seem to have lost a day. Sorry I was suppose to draw the winner for Monday's tag giveaway yesterday. OH well better late than never. 

So the winner of this weeks tag is NZescapes. Congratulations I'll send that out to you as soon as I get your mailing information.

Well another week has gone by.  It's getting that time of year again when Christmas shows are about to start, so a lot of my time is being spent preparing for them. I know I should work all year to have enough inventory for them but it doesn't seem to work that way. My head has been spinning with new designs and new techniques I want to try but that is not necessarily a good thing at this time. So I will try to give myself a little time for exploring but mostly stick to tried and true designs or variations of them from the past. Ya like I have control!!? Oh well I need to tell myself these thing anyway.

 These two necklaces are variations of past ones. I've been working a lot with horizontal rectangles either etched or textured. These are both etched and then elements are riveted on. I think it's the first time I've used a fairy on a necklace and these flowers are different variations of ones I've done in the past. I've also been playing around with different ways to hang the pendants instead of just a chain. The first one has a combination of Adventuring and seed beads, while the second has a combination of seed beads and a fine brass chain. I've used this chain and bead combination a few times. It's a great way to add some extra colour to a piece.

Well I better get back to creating jewelry.

Happy Creating!

Wendy

Studio jewelry display

I feel like I've fallen behind in my updates of the studio move but really it's more like I'm just behind in the actual moving of the studio. I am working on it and it's coming along slowly but surely. So I don't have too much to share of the whole studio so I thought I'd show you my jewelry display in the studio. It's not quit finished but then it probably never really will be. I do like to change and tweak things regularly. Check out my inspiration on my Pinterest board  here.

I've had this traveling suitcase for a few years and was never very pleased with how I displayed it in the house so into the studio it went. I wasn't sure I was going to use it for jewelry at first but I'm glad I did.

I made a few display boards to use both in my studio display and at shows. I use to use just black but have been trying some new ideas like dictionary paper, decorative scrapbook papers and old photo mats.

 This one is made with old dictionary pages. It got a bit tall but it works at shows when I have lots on the table and it can stand a little behind something else. I'm thinking of antiquing the edges.

 This board is made with some decorative scrapbooking pages. 

 Here is another decorative scrapbooking pages board. I didn't want to add too many colours to the display so I stuck with greens and blue greens. I'm thinking these might look good with a little antiquing around the edges as well.

I've had a box of these antique photo mats in my basement a while and never really knew what I was going to do with them. I've used a few in the show displays this year and it seems to work.

So that's my jewelry display in the studio so far. I'd love to hear what you think. Any suggestions are most welcome. Would you antique the edges of my boards? Any ideas for other things I can do with old photo mats?

Happy creating!

Wendy

Glamour in the Glebe here I come.

I'm all packed and ready to go to Glamour in the Glebe.

 Bringing along a few dangles to entice.

 Some letters and numbers that are often present in my Altered Art have found their way into my jewelry!

I have many new earring designs for this show.

So if you're in the Ottawa area, come have a look at Glamour in the Glebe. It's the place to be this weekend, with an all jewelry venue, what's not to like. And Friday night there will be an awesome fashion show. I hope to see you there.

Wendy

Dare to be...

   In the midst of relocating the studio and preparing for a couple of upcoming shows, life is a little overwhelming. I guess I'm torn between the two. I'm anxious to get on with moving the studio upstairs even though the lighting isn't done yet but I know I need to be disciplined  and prepare for shows. I know if I start to move my studio stuff it will suck me in and I may just lose too much time on it right now. You see I've decided while moving things it would be the opportune time to do some purging and organizing. And we all know that takes time and patience.
   So this morning, feeling particularly torn between the two and having a hard time getting started, I gave myself a little free time to do some journaling. I know that sound counter productive but sometime I just need to let it all go so it will all fall into place the way it's meant to be. The page above is the result of this mornings free time. I've started to use my journals for extra paints or just to throw stuff at when the need arises so I have a number of backgrounds waiting for that spare journaling moment. This was one of those pages, so it took about 20 minutes to finish it up and feel like I've accomplished something.
  To show you that I have been getting some jewelry ready for the show here are a couple of pieces I finished up recently.

 This bracelet started out as a leather cuff but had some technical difficulties so I decided to use some beads and chains to finish it off.

I got these resistors a while back from a friend but had no idea what I was going to do with them. When I was talking on the phone the other day to son #1 I was also going through my beading drawers to get some inspiration(I can't help but multitask) and these just sort of happened. I call them Steampunk resistors. It's funny how inspiration can hit when you're not really paying attention to it.

Well I'm off to get some more jewelry made now that I have procrastinated enough. I hope you're inspiration is working for you. What do you do when you just can't get going at what you're suppose to? Leave me a comment letting me know, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Wendy