Show prep.

I'm still plugging away at finishing up some pieces for Fibrefest this weekend. I'm in the assembly stage. I have a number of copper focal pieces ready to have things added to them and then put on some kind of chain.

 This banner design is a new one for this year. I enjoy making a bunch of different word banners and then I lay them out on the table and chose what charms and beads will go with the word. No 2 ever come out the same. It's also one of my favourite every day necklaces to wear because it's simple and very comfortable but the word is great inspiration for my day.

 The word Bloom seems to pop up a lot in my work this year. I think it's to remind me to do just that.

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!

This necklace sat on my work table for some time as I decided if it needed more than one flower. I was so tempted to rivet more flowers on but I loved the etched background so much I didn't want to hide any more of it. So I solved my dilemma by hanging a butterfly and flower at the top.  I've been playing with creating different kinds of chains lately. This one is seed beads woven through a simple copper chain. Sometimes I just get tired of hanging everything on a plain chain.

I have a little jewelry break this morning as I head out for some Tai Chi but I'll be back at it this afternoon.

Have a creative day!

Wendy

Resin fun

 

As I said yesterday, I've been getting ready for Fibrefest this weekend. I've been doing this show for a number of years and it's one of my favourites to participate in. If your interested in any kind of fibre or textiles, this is the show to see. They have vendors for all your fibre and textile needs as well as displays and demos of quilting, hooking, weaving, spinning, etc. The creativity in the air is infectious. You're sure to walk away with a special something for yourself or a new project to work on. Even though I'm not a quilter I have a hard time resisting all those beautiful quilting materials. I usually buy a few fat quarters for my material collection!

So with a show on the near horizon, again I go into full speed jewelry creating. It doesn't matter how much I have ready it never seems like enough, so the week before a big show like this I usually go a little crazy. And it's never just about producing. I always get this urge to create some new things even though there really isn't enough time to be starting new projects. I've come to terms with these creative urges and try to give them their space while still getting done those things that really need to get done for the show.

As you can see I've been playing with resin again. These are designs I've done before, I've just tried to change them up a bit. It's fun to set out the TierraCast copper frames on the table and then find as many interesting things I can  to set in them. The wire frames with buttons and lace in is an idea I've been playing with for some time in my mind so it was a great relief to have it turn out even better than it was in my mind.

Now to start assembling all them pieces into earrings and necklaces.

I hope to be back tomorrow with some finished projects. Fingers crossed, maybe even another brand new bracelet design!

Have a great day!

Wendy

New finds...

Look what the Tin man found me while we were in Oakville moving Christian. Most of the moving was done before we got there so we did some searching for a couch for his new place. On our way to the Thrift shop(Christian's favourite store) we stopped in at an Antique store. Even though we're in the same place the Tin man usually finds some interesting things that I miss. He found these key hole plates. I'm seeing some interesting mixed media on canvas with these. What do you think? Have you made any interesting things with key hole plates that you can share with me for inspiration?

I'm getting ready for Fibrefest this weekend. I've been trying out some new things to bring to the show. I hope to give you a sneak peek tomorrow. So I'm off to take some pictures.

New bracelets

Here's what I was up to this weekend. Found some time to finish off these two bracelets I started a while back. I'm slowly getting use to the jewelry creating process. I find it quite different than other things I create  It's been a little frustrating and difficult to concentrate on one piece because of the waiting time for some of the metal processes that I do like tumbling, etching, antiquing etc.

Sometimes when I have a vision of what I want to create I lose it during the process. Things seem to go in their own direction and I've learned to trust in the process. I think I need to make myself a sign "Trust in the Process" to remind myself sometimes though. Or maybe a bracelet...oh here we go again!

So what did you create this weekend?

Fall workshop schedule

Finally I've started my workshop schedule for this fall. This is my first time posting them on line, so let me know if I've messed anything or if you have any suggestions for me. So far I just have 2 classes scheduled but I hope to get a few more in the next few weeks. Check it out on the workshop page. The pictures are over there so I've got no exciting pictures to post here. How sad a post without a picture. Well I'm a little short for time and wanted to let you know about the workshop post so that's life.

I'm at the Perth Farmers Market tomorrow for my last day this summer there. Then it's off to Fibrefest in a few weeks. So much to do so little time. I have plans for a few new jewelry pieces so I'll try to get them posted soon.

Have a great weekend.

ATC's at the Park

 I had a wonderful time the other day with my ATC group. We met at a local park this month and the weather was perfect. The theme was "park" and a few members stood up to the challenge of making their card at the park. Linda excelled at the challenge and even added things she found in the park. I wasn't up to the challenge and made mine before going...maybe next month!

Mary(front)

Mary(inside)

Olive

Marie

Linda

Veronica

Wendy

Piano Hinge Book

 I'm working on setting up some fall workshops in my home studio, so I found some time this week to make this piano hinge book for one of them. It's a really fun book to make and is a great conversational piece. I had a few at some of my shows last year and people are always fascinated with them. Once they sold I didn't find time to make more but hope to do so for this falls shows.

 I get a little carried away with the dangles, at least the Tin Man thinks so. What can I say, have beads must dangle!

 Here you can see why it's called a piano hinge book. It works best if two alternating colours are used for the signatures. I've used brown and beige card stock but black and white is very striking. It's then bound together with skewers. I like to leave the spikes on the skewers but they can be trimmed for a less lethal book.

It stands on it's own for a great display book and has lots of pages to use for art journaling, scrapbooking or what ever your heart desires.