Bird a Week #9

I'm just returned home from a week with my father (he is doing well -- tired and weak, but so very lucky to have caught the kidney cancer while still confined and to have apparently dodged even temporary dialysis). I'm trying to catch up with the house, after leaving the high school/college teen home alone. He did a great job, but a teenage boy's idea of a clean house is different than mine.

I am ahead on my bird journal, though, so I thought I'd jump in and post my Bird a Week entry early this week, to allow me time later to try to catch up on other commitments. This quote seemed quite apropos to my father, who it trying to sell his home in the midst of his recovery. Whether we wish to or not, sometimes we just have to move forward.

Check out the new blog hop links and visit the Bird a Week Flickr group.

Bird a Week #8

I've had lots of time to work in my journal this week, helping my father out through his surgery. Miraculously, everything has gone extremely smoothly. The surgeon was able to do the procedure via laparoscopy, which significantly reduces the recovery time. Even so, the ability of the one kidney to take over the work of two was of concern. It turns out that the tumor must have already majorly impacted the function of the removed kidney, as the tests showed the numbers little affected. After only two days, the doctor couldn't find a reason to keep him, so we are back at his home, much more comfortable. Although sore, weak and tired, it's hard to believe he had such a major surgery only days ago. It's rather reminiscent of his quick bounce back from the knee replacement only months ago. I sure hope I got those quick healing genes.

Visit the other participants in the Bird a Week challenge:

Metal Clay Plus Enamel

Slowly I'm making progress on the great backlog of projects on my work table. The most recent piece to reach completion is an enameled pendant titled Aloft.

The base of the pendant is three different layers of smooth and textured metal clay, stacked to form a reservoir for the enamel. The bird and branches were hand-sculpted and added across the enamel opening. Finally the scrollwork and bezel were attached at the bottom. After the enamel was finished, I set the rainbow topaz.

I'm learning a lot about blending colors of enamel (I still need to get my color samples made, but I was too impatient to wait!) and the behavior of the enamel in the kiln. After several rounds of kiln enameling now, I'm thinking I really prefer torch enameling because of the control it offers. Of course, my Little Torch probably doesn't have enough power to attack a piece this large (2" x 1 5/8").

Next on the work table: two layers of silver (one sculpted similarly to this) awaiting a sandwich with enameled copper.

Top Blog Posts

I've been looking through a lot of blogs while researching my upcoming kitchen remodel. One of the things I found most helpful was a fixed list of most popular blog posts, which helped me quickly get a sense of a blogger's relevance to my project. So I thought I'd steal that idea.

According to Google Analytics (in the almost two years since I started tracking), the top nine posts are below:

1. Photopolymer plates for metal clay  

Details of how I make photopolymer plates from my own original drawings, using some simple gear and the Texas sun.

2. Ice Resin Blog Hop

My applications for Ice Resin, including tinting with alcohol inks.

3. Silver Clay Rings -- Strap Band and Wire

Ideas learned in a workshop with the innovative Kate McKinnon.

4. Favorite Jewelry

My favorite earrings by Ida Ida Studios (no website).

5. Photographing Metal Jewelry and Glass Beads, Part 1 (Basic Equipment)

Photographing Metal Jewelry and Glass Beads, Part 2 (Secret Weapons)

Photographing Metal Jewelry and Glass Beads, Part 3 (Getting the Image)

A three part tutorial directed toward photographing metal jewelry. Part 3 seems to be the most popular, but I've linked them all. You can also use the Photography Tutorial summary on my website, which is linked permanently in the sidebar. Part 3 also discusses basic Photoshop adjustments, so that probably explains its popularity.

6. Patina Tips and Tricks

A compendium of resources for patina on metal.

7. Understanding Electroforming

Another multi-part tutorial, now immortalized on my website and accessible through the sidebar link.

Even better, updated and full of photos and resource list in my Blurb book, Copper On, Copper Off.

8. Original Textures for Metal Clay

Original drawings for photopolymer plates, tear-away papers, or polymer clay texture plates.
I think the image itself is the draw, as there's not a lot of info.

9. Bronze Clay Rings at Bead and Button

A synopsis of making bronze rings in a workshop with Celie Fago at the Bead and Button Show. Only this ring is my own spin.

Now, I just need to think some about what those analytics mean.

Ring a Week 6/52

Though a week behind due to illness, I'm carrying on with the Ring a Week challenge. Yesterday, I decided to try a new ring idea. I brainstormed something simple and quick, but still metal clay.

Since I've been working on some sculptural pieces, I decided to take that approach to the ring, rather than the texture plate work I've done on all the challenge rings to date. I started by wrapping snakes around a dowel and then tried to add leaves and a bird. After major frustrations with that format, it finally hit me that I could work flat and form the ring afterwards.

True, fine silver is not very strong, so it isn't the best choice for this ring, but I view it as a quick check of viability of the technique: estimation of length, mental design of the two ends to overlap, etc. Now I need to pull out the PMC Pro, which is so much stronger, and try with that. Forming will become the more difficult step then, with hammering and annealing required, but I'm thinking this still might be a fast and easy ring.

Bird a Week #7

I'm a bit under the weather this week, moving slowly while trying hard to fight off the flu bug going around. I need to fly to Oklahoma to help my father through his surgery next week, so I'm mentally pushing this virus through as fast as possible.

Meanwhile, the only creative thing I've done all week was the Bird a Week challenge. That's low key enough to feel manageable.

To see the offerings of other participants, check out the blog hop.

Workshop with Sara Sally LaGrand

Last Friday I got to escape to the torch for a full day at a workshop with Sara Sally LaGrand. The topic was silver glass reactions, which those of you who follow my tribulations with that glass understand to be of particular interest to me.

I couldn't resist bringing home a couple of Sara Sally's corsage brooches. This white one, named Tilda after the wicked white witch from Narnia, seemed so nest-like to me somehow that I couldn't resist adding it to my bird themed collection. Probably it's the wispy real feathers peaking out or the spotted glass feathers that brings that feel to me. This one is quite large, hand-size, so I don't think I'll likely wear it, but simply nestle it alongside other pieces from my collection.

Glenda, the good witch from Oz, on the other hand, is small and quite wearable. I loved the complementary orange and violet color palette. And that dashing little orange feather has just the perfect in'souciance.

As for the silver glass, as I was coming to suspect, the upshot seems to be that my mini-CC torch runs much hotter than a Minor, and thus I wind up overheating the glass far too often. Better results were had when I worked much cooler, but even then it was hard to get a good encasement on a large bead without pushing the glass to mud. More time to move glass slowly is needed.

I wish I'd been able to squeeze into her two-day corsage class, since these look so fun to make. I just have to be grateful to have found an opening in the reactions class.

Meanwhile the flu drags me down, so I have yet to complete my Ring a Week #6. Cough, cough...

Bird a Week #6

This week I'm feeling inspired, I guess. I have a glass workshop tomorrow with the inimitable Sara Sally LaGrand, and I'm also headed out of town on Sunday and Monday for a quick Valentine's getaway with my dear husband. Consequently I'm finishing up all sorts of work early to make room in my schedule.

I chose one of the unfinished two-page spreads in my journal, where the spirals and quail were in place, but everything else needed completion. I searched through my list of bird quotations for one that fit my mood. Vision seems to be the appropriate concept, as I've been interviewing contractors for an upcoming kitchen remodel.

What started out as granite countertops and new backsplash soon morphed into new, non-builder grade appliances and then replacements for the cheap white thermofoil cabinets. Why replace everything else and leave the lowest of the low behind? The vinyl coating several years ago went completely yellow and received a coat of paint to restore the white. Now the paint has worn through around the knobs on high use doors and the vinyl coating is starting to release on edges. It costs half as much to sand these particle board constructions down and repaint as it does to get brand new, real wood cabinets designed to my specifications!

Lots of work though to make decisions, the first of which is a contractor. Who do I choose? The little guy who really wants the job and has already gone out of his way to bring his carpenter subcontractor out to discuss ideas with me? Or the big guy who is doing my neighbor's remodel (coming up on five weeks of work and several more to go) and tells me I should hire him because they are big, have their own in-house people (no subcontractors) and the everyone including the major uses them? Dare I get one more bid or will that just confuse the issue? So many questions keeping me up at night.

At any rate, the latest journal entry is finished. See all the other pages on my Flickr page (link to the right) and visit the other Bird a Week participants here:

Master Muse Project -- Enameled Earrings

I'm a bit sad to see my tenure as a Master Muse coming to an end. Today my final challenge tutorial appeared on Tonya Davidson's blog. You can see all the past Master Muse tutorial synopses (this is #48!) here.

The challenge for this sixth project was to use syringe creatively. I personally like drawing with syringe clay, so I designed a pair of earrings utilizing the syringe lines to create cells for enamel. Traditionally, fine wires are shaped and attached to a metal backing in the technique of cloisonne, so this is a quick and easy way to get that look. I wet-packed the enamel into the cells, using a variety of colors to create shading and depth.

It was a fun project, despite a few frustrations. I kiln-fired the enamels, using the Paragon SC-2 that I use routinely for metal clay. I don't typically use this kiln for enamel (I have another tiny kiln that I prefer because it recovers faster), but thought I should use the one that most potential users of the tutorial would have on hand. I found that the door closure jarred the enamel powder enough to scatter it on the face of the piece. Boo, hiss! Unwanted color in the crevices. But then I went and read my copy of Pam East's Enameling on Metal Clay and found that she learned this before me. If only I'd done my research, I could have followed her recommended fix before I made the blooper.

As I tell my students, making these mistakes is the best way to ensure that I'll remember the lesson next time.

Ring a Week 5/52

Here I am again, dragging in a ring just under the wire. I had high intentions of more enamel for this one, but just ran out of time. Something about the defensive driving course eating my entire Saturday. It would have looked so nice with a ring of graduated green enamel to surround the peridot, but I like it still. Simple is good.

It does at least fit nicely into my progression of rings. One by one, I pull out old tricks to add to the old ideas. That's the way a series works. Eventually I'll have to dream up something new. 

Bird a Week #5

Texas may be further south, thus avoiding the brunt of this wicked winter storm, but it's still plenty wintry for me. High temperatures have been in the twenties for the past several days. Last night we got half an inch of snow, which only happens every few years.

Despite the sunshine this morning, quickly melting off the white dusting from roadways and housetops, it seemed a dark journal page would be appropriate to the prevailing mood.

Check out the rest of the Bird a Week entries here:

Inspirations of the Enamel Variety -- Jessica Calderwood

Enamels are definitely on my mind. I signed on this week to take a five-day workshop with Charity Hall during Idyllwild metals week. Five entire days focused on drawing and painting with enamels! I thought it appropriate to dredge up an enamel artist from my files who also directs her enamel work toward the drawing and painting directions.

Jessica Calderwood's fabulous wall pieces and jewelry range from meticulously painted portraits to details of body parts. Some are quite humorous, such as the series of curler brooches. I love the superposition of the gold details. Others have more disturbing implications, such as "Consumption."

I find her settings to be quite as intriguing as the enamels themselves, with rotating mounts and double-sided pieces, such as this brooch, "Blink."

An extended exploration of enamels, on both glass and metal, is in the offing for me, since it seems the perfect way to blend my journaling with my jewelry. Today I ordered fine silver sheet to make a load of color samples with the new enamels I purchased at Linda Darty's suggestion. I can't wait to develop a new palette.