My Viking Knit Jewelry

Just what I needed - another way to make jewelry! But viking knit is slightly addictive and easy to work on in front of the TV screen with a movie going on (unless, of course) reading sub-titles is required.

This one uses brass wire - which is half-hard to start with, so required some finger strength, especially when drawing down. But the double-Viking-knit shows up nicely.

Steampunk Pendant Redux

Steampunk is tempting - this class is being offered again, TOMORROW NIGHT, at Eclectics Gallery in Kansas City. Looking forward to meeting 3 new students and spending the evening stamping, hammering, drilling and playing with tiny bits of metals, watch parts and gewgaws (that's an old word for ephemera, I guess - much older than me, thank you very much!)

 I hope to take photos of what my students come up with and post them later this week. Although the enrollment deadline has passed, we will be offering the same class again in August. Contact me or leave a message at Eclectics Gallery (816-361-6643) to receive dates and times for the next class. I'll set up one-on-one dates if that works better for you.

Stars Stuffed in Jars

I recently met an artist who used "starsstuffedinjars" as her email address - I love the imagery of that! Last night was a perfect example of stars everyone that phrase brings to my brain. This summer Missouri has been humid, warm and RAINY. But finally last night the sky was once again clear, filled with stars.

Standing on my deck late in the evening, the sky about the woods behind my house was filled with stars, the trees, flowers and grass were filled with fireflies! It was magical. A few crickets made the silence friendly and it was cool enough to sit and let the twinkling fill my senses.

I TRIED to take a picture, but even my cool new camera couldn't grab the fireflies lovely lights. (Could this be because fireflies are really faeries, who won't be photographed?) More likely that their tiny lights were way too far away from me standing on the deck. But it was a great way to end my busy day.

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.