Steampunk Pendant Class

Taught a class at the 2010 Kansas City Bead Society's annual Bead Blast last weekend - basically a cold connections project, using a copper rectangle, old watch gears, washers, beads and eyelets or rivets.

This one was my display sample and uses a variety of riveting types: balled copper wire rivets, brass escutcheon pins, large and small eyelets. The sample also shows optional letter stamping and was heavily patinated with liver of sulphur. Students purchased a $20 kit, which gave them a copper blank, a variety of beads, gears, eyelets, chain, pins and a purchased cord necklace to hang their pendant upon.They also had access to wire and additional bits from my supplies as needed.

I also demonstrated annealing the copper with a mini torch and making holes in the copper and other pieces using a rotary drill, a hand twist drill, a hole-punch pliers and a disk punch.

This class will be offered again at Eclectics Gallery in Kansas City in June, 2010.

Motivated to buy

The recent Brookside Art Annual (in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City, MO) is always a great place to find art to fill your eyes, to inspire you and to purchase - which of course is the whole point for those hard-working artists.















This year I found a potter whose work I just love - rare for someone who lived through the 70s. Much of the pottery I see at art fairs is fabulous - but meant to be displayed as sculpture or fabulously expensive or both. Functional pieces are either not my colors or are sometimes remind me of (eek) 40 years ago. Which means my daughter loves it and it just looks the same to me.

However, Thomas Feyrer (of Lizard Tongue Clayworks in Watertown, Wisconsin) caught my attention. Check out his style on his website. He only sells at shows and from his studio, so if you see him, grab something!

I decided my table really needs a gravy boat with the ostrich skin look (top photo) and the bowl with the oval spots is great both for oatmeal and lattes.