Beginnings of My Flock

It's interesting to sit and make bird after bird by hand from metal clay. Detailed observations are required. What poses look natural? How do I fit enough detail into a tiny half inch bird with just my fingers and a few simple tools? Which details are crucial; which can be omitted? Simplify, simplify, I repeat to myself.

The first few birds often feel awkward (the four on the left above were the first made on two separate days). There are always a few birds that I like more than the others - they have better form or expression or detail. Now I have the beginnings of my flock, and I must decide whether to actually move all forward to the metal stage, or set aside the less than successful to reconstitute. I have a nagging feeling of a mother choosing amongst her children, but I guess that's the beauty of molding - I can keep only the best.

New Glass & Silver Pendant Finally Finished

Why do simple ideas sometimes get more involved? I thought I was going to whip out a few simple Garden Window Pendants, but then the muse took over. The simple oval I've used so many times looked flat and boring, so I cut a new shape. Then I had to carve out the corners to make that triangular shape more reminiscent of birdhouses. I decided to fix the flatness issue by adding a couple of bezel set sapphires and a bunch of vine decorations.

Then the back looked neglected, so I added more leaves and berries there as well. After firing, I tried a plain heavy jumpring bail, intending to texture it with pliers, but that just didn't seem substantial enough. So I cut out a selection of bails. Only to have them be too small after firing. Remember that shrinkage thing, Vic? So I finally got smarter and cut a bail from an index card to match to my original index card template for the pendant. Fool me only once! That simple bail called out for some decorations of its own.

You can see the next issue coming, can't you? The simple ball chain just won't do. Now I have these visions of a necklace to suit the pendant.

When, oh when, will I get to those other glass paintings?

Treetop Beads for the Gathering

Interspersed (widely) with the kitchen remodel, I've been making a few treetop beads out in the broiling hot studio. I've narrowed the focus down to just this one style. The only variation I allow myself is the color of enamels I use, as I experiment with various combinations. Naturally, they are all one of a kind, as each branch and leaf and bird is unique. The freedom of having a formula to follow is rather meditative.

Destined for my half table at the Bead Bazaar in Louisville, KY on July 30, and then my Etsy shop after that if unsold.

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:

Ring a Week 4/52

While I thought I was catching up last week (really, I was!), I still managed to fall behind schedule on my Ring a Week construction. I decided (wisely, I think) that doing the enamel work last night after 10 pm was not the right choice. So it had to wait until afternoon today.

I just finished another project that I incorporated enamel into, my final Master Muse tutorial, so I really wanted to try some enamel on a quick ring. This is a spin-off on my second ring, but with a pop of color. When I went to fire the enamel, it occurred to me that I had no sure idea how to support a ring well in my kiln for enameling, so I decided to torch fire it, which was very quick and easy.

I have a couple more variations in mind, and even components lying about on my table. Perhaps I'm catching up after all. I could stand to have a bit more time to fuss with the enamel, to clean off the exposed silver better, etc. Time -- the limit of creative output!

Ring a Week 3/52

As I showed earlier in the week, I embedded an enamel-painted glass tile into this fine silver metal clay ring. This was the first time that I used a fine silver ring form from Metal Clay Findings, but it won't be the last. It's a very straightforward, easy way to get a perfectly sized ring. I just wrapped a textured length of clay around the form, mounted it onto the box that holds the glass, then fired. The top window was fired separately, then attached with oil paste and extra decorative syringe clay to the box once the glass was set in, then popped back into the kiln for a second firing.

You might have noticed that this glass tile is not the one I showed before. That one needed a bit of grinding to fit after shrinkage, whereas this one dropped right in. Laziness wins at my house. The nestlings will undoubtedly get their day eventually.

This ring is in the style of my Garden Window pendants

and Birdwatching bracelet.

Enameled Copper & Silver Clay Pendant

The holidays are sucking away my studio time, much to my dismay. I'm holding out for some intense days of creating between Christmas and New Year's Day. I did manage to find a few minutes to set the enameled copper disc into its mount with dyed concrete. Then I popped the peridot into the bezel cup. Now, I'm trying to figure out stringing for the neckpiece. Beneath the leaves at the top is a horizontal tube bail, fairly small size, so I need a special neckwire, beads or some fancy wirework to finish the piece.

Glass Mojo

I claimed a few hours on the torch from a busy weekend, to try to recover a bit more glass mojo. My stringer control is getting better. I just played around with wrapping the ends of beads, laying down branches (one direction is much easier than the other) and shaping leaves and birds.

Who could believe that I'm out of opal yellow glass??? I have drawers full of glass, but only one solitary rod of the beloved opal yellow when I went searching yesterday. Four beads it is, with opal yellow cased on a clear core. All the time I had anyway. I guess I need to return to organizing the glass stash. I did a whole drawer of pinks and one of silver glass last weekend, but none this time.

Sunday was spent experimenting with ceramic clay. I haven't played with that in many, many years, so it was interesting to try again. It did give me some ideas for new things to try with metal clay. It's useful to have an inexpensive alternate for testing purposes. I brought home a slab of clay to make a bunch of stamps and molds. It's good to have a friend who teaches high school art, with a specialty in ceramics. I forgot to get a photo of the small wish-keeper I constructed. Think of a small box with lid, with holes for stringing together. At the end I constructed a small hollow bird. I didn't have time to carve that one as I wished, but I'll make another at home now that I have the process down.

Enameled Copper Discs

Another bit of progress over the weekend: enameled copper discs. These are three of the hand-drawn discs I showed several weeks ago, which were etched and then sat around oxidizing. It really didn't take too long to pickle them to remove the oxide, dust a coating of enamel over them, and then quickly torch fire. The long part was the removal of the top layer of rock-hard glass with a diamond hand pad. It's a laborious project, done under running water, to remove just enough glass to reveal the raised copper design, but without removing desired glass around the edges.

In the upper left corner, you can see a leaf that appears pink, indicating that the copper is still protected beneath a very thin layer of glass. More sanding required.

I have a couple more to do before I decide which one to set into the silver mounting I made, from this drawing.

Meadowlark Earrings

It feels great to have a bit of time this weekend to catch up. I've made a few glass beads (eek! still can't do what I want to do!), torched some enamel on copper, and even put together some jewelry.

These darling Meadowlark Earrings are now available in my Etsy shop. Hand-formed birds and branches suspended across open windows, with the sun shining in the background. They might be my new favorites! I tried a new ear wire style, with a catch on the back. Pretty easy to do, and much more secure. I'm tired of losing one of a pair!

Broken Birds

Alas, the kiln gods did not smile on the bird rings. Last night when I finished the rings and then checked sizes, I decided to carve the shanks just a bit more to enlarge them. Bad idea. Three out of four opened up, and the fourth one has a tiny crack. So the flock going to Purdue is the same five from before.

Now I just need to dream up an idea for using the broken birds in another piece. I can see they all broke right under the head, so I know to carve extra carefully there next time.

Bronze Bird Ring Flock Increases

So many people have asked about bronze bird rings that I broke down and carved another set last night.

The issue with rings, of course, is one of size. And with bronze clay, the size issue is exacerbated because of shrinkage. I should be more scientific, I guess, and carefully measure before and after to analyze the shrinkage. For some reason, I feel unscientific about this, preferring just to get out my circle template, choose circles 2-3 ring sizes larger than my target size, and then cut each one with a different hole. Not that the size stays what I cut, as I carve the shank, making it larger. I notice when I slip them over the ring mandrel afterward that they are not perfectly round any longer (surprise!). That hand-carved look is the point, after all.

Ah ... they are what they are. The kiln gods have them, and each bird will hopefully find a willing finger to roost on, appropriately sized. This makes a flock of nine to take to the PMC Guild Conference.

Out of the Worktable Mess

Finished jewelry is beginning to emerge from the mess that is my worktable. This is the second aquamarine bracelet, which I like much better than the first I made. I tried something more akin to the concrete pendant stringing at first, incorporating some syringe painted charms, but it didn't lay smoothly on the wrist. So, it's time to rework that one.


I adore this bracelet. It's just lovely, with chunky cut large aquamarines, smaller faceted aquamarine rondels (clear and cloudy), chalcedony rondelles, Bali silver nuggets and flowers, and a couple of Czech glass leaves that just seemed to fit.


One of my keyhole, ball and slot, clasps, set with an aquamarine cab. The only drawback to these gorgeous stones is the expense. Do I really want to part with it or keep it for myself? I guess that will depend on whether the price seems reasonable to some prospective buyer, or not.

Back to the mess that is my space. When I am finished here, I need to rethink my work area. I space just for stringing is needed. Putting all these loose, round objects right in the middle of my metal clay space is a big mistake. How do I get back to carving bronze?

Bronze Birds of a Feather

They came through the kiln unscathed, that fearless flock of bronze bird rings.



Of course, there is always one that has to fly a different direction.

Bronze Clay Bird Rings

I hear that Bill Struve will introduce his new fast fire version of his bronze clay at the PMC Guild Conference next week. Thus, I'm trying to use up all my old clay, before I no longer want to work with it. Of course, I still have Hadar Jacobson's clay hanging out and some unopened Prometheus bronze clay and two types of copper clay I haven't touched, as well.


Anyway, since I keep getting inquiries about the bronze bird rings, I carved up a set and popped them into the kiln just now. It's fun to see how they are all similar, yet unique. Offer up a few prayers to the kiln gods, if you are one the requesters, that they 1) sinter and 2) come out your size. I'll be taking them and the other recent one (which was Hadar's clay) to Purdue next week for my table at the Show and Sell.

Learning from Mistakes

During my recent class at Bead & Button, one of the students made an error in sizing for the two parts of a Garden Window pendant. It's an easy mistake to make. Concentrating on making the window opening the right size can lead to overlooking the outside dimensions of the front piece, which have to completely cover the box which holds the painted glass.

I suggested a quick addition to the student's window front to deal with the error: a rolled snake of clay all around the perimeter. It was such a nice addition that I had to make one myself once I got home.


It just goes to reinforce the idea that mistakes are good. They are simply design opportunities. Truly, the measure of an artist is not what you can do the first time out, it's what you can fix.

This piece is a good example of how one thing leads to another. It's a Garden Window pendant, certainly. But it got a bezel set moonstone cabochon, since I've been incorporating a lot of those lately into earrings. And the shape came from the painted fabric and stitched metal ornament I made when visiting fiber friends and the birdhouse I designed in Kate McKinnon's workshop. It all works together to move us forward.

Enamel on Copper

I'm continuing my experiments with enamel on copper. I'm in love -- metal + glass, my two biggest loves, combined!


I keep buying more copper and more enamel and more silver to set it with.

Bird Journal Again

I'm home and moving very slowly today. The sun is shining, my redbud is in full glory, and the live oaks have dumped every leaf onto the back patio, so I know Spring is finally here.


I spent a bit of time in the bookstore recently, flipping through magazines. I have an urge to send my journal off to one of the journaling magazines to see if it might be published. I still have a couple of pages to finish though, and I can't help but add finer and finer details to older pages as I keep working. The advantage of being home is that all my art supplies are available, not just the limited stash I tote along when traveling.

Possibilities... that's what Spring is all about.

Bird Journaling

We had a small private service today, to scatter ashes in my mother's favorite place to walk. Now it's time to begin again.

An End and a New Start

My mother is finally at peace after her five year battle with lung cancer. I miss her.