Learn Something New

One of my New Year's resolutions is to learn something new as often as possible. I had always been intrigued by Viking Knit, but it looked just too complicated to learn on my own without an instructor. "Viking knitting” is not actually knitting in the way you might think (i.e. with two needles), but is actually a type of weaving. Chains are made from long pieces of wire that are worked by hand into interconnecting loops. Examples of these chains have been found at various archeological sites in Scandinavia dating back to the 8th century A.D (the Viking era). Similar chains have been found in other areas of the world, so the technique may not have been unique to the Vikings. (Quote from Janra Jewelry)With one of my "geeky side" interests being archeology, that makes this technique even more appealing. I decided to do a search on YouTube to see if I could find any instruction that would make this seem less daunting. This is one of the videos that I found that made it seem fairly simple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfsyTn9XCsE

I first started with some plastic coated 20 gauge wire which worked really well because it is less prone to tangle. When you are working with 10 feet of wire, that is a big consideration. After success with that, I tried 20 gauge copper wire which was a little trickier, but not too difficult.
Above are my first two attempts. Each chain took around 3 hours to complete, but most of that can be done while watching a movie or riding in the car. It is a very portable project.

It just amazes me, the wealth of information that is on YouTube. I plan to post other newly learned skills in the future. I challenge all of you to see what you can learn too.

More Bezels

I'm still having fun with the bezels. Now I just have to be on the lookout for some more cool stones.
These two necklaces are available at this time at Cliques Salon in Columbia. When they're gone...they're gone. I maybe be able to make something similar, but most of my pieces are
one of a kind. Paint jasper and yellow jade

Tiger eye, porcelain, shell, and glass

Red Sky At Morning

What a beautiful sky I awoke to the day before yesterday. The old sailors saying, "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning" couldn't have applied to the rest of that day. It was a calm day, but yesterday, on the other hand was wildly windy. I could hear trees cracking and falling in our forest and trees were down on our road. Thankfully, they were not blocking the road.

"FAITH is the SUBSTANCE of things UNSEEN"

I got a little work done before I had to go to town. One piece is a copper necklace that I have had the components of for several months, but just didn't take the time to assemble it until today. I've been having a little trouble getting inspired lately, and I thought if I finished those little unfinished projects lying around that it would free my mind to create.

The other is another of my fused glass pendants made into a beaded necklace.

Also, last night I watched "Craft In America" a three part series made for PBS about the artists, origins, and techniques of American crafts. It was a beautifully filmed, inspiring documentary. I think that watching this will kick start my creativity and make me more focused on craftsmanship. It is available through Netflix.

Leaves

Even though summer isn't over, the leaves are starting to fall and make me think of autumn. I think I'll call this my autumn leaves collection.
Materials: copper, brass, and jasper

Aaaaaaah Spring!

My Picasso Bird

I have been soaking it all in....amazing spring. I love every part of it...lightning bugs, whippoorwills, red winged blackbirds, tadpoles, gardening, and of course, the amazing green that saturates everything. It makes it a little hard to focus on working. When I need to be in the studio, it's so tempting when my DH says, "Why don't you go out on the boat and fish with me a while." Of course I say yes.

I have been managing to make some jewelry though. Making time to post it is a different matter. Here is some of it, though I forgot to take pictures of some before I sent it on its way.

Leaf charms are from Julie

Must get focused now....

Gifts from Abroad and Pay It Forward

What fun it has been to go to the mailbox lately! I have just received two wonderful gifts from a couple of my blogger friends. One was completely unexpected, from my friend Steph in Belgium. I gasped in amazement when I opened the package and saw the wonderful Egyptian coils bracelet and other goodies that she sent me. She had posted a picture of the Egyptian coils sometime last year and I had admired them then. What a skilled artist and photographer.

The other gift was from my friend Julie in Australia and is amazing also, a gorgeous altered journal. She has such a way with making things look wonderfully ancient. It is so beautiful that I will have to think hard to come up with something special enough to write and draw in it. It was a prize for leaving one of the first three comments on her blog. In receiving this gift, I must agree to pay it forward and offer to give a gift to the first three people who comment on this post. In turn, they must agree to pay it forward also.

All of my friends and family who check in frequently and don't leave comments...now's your chance too.

Teachers

A teacher affects eternity.
She can never tell where her influence stops.

This is a necklace that I just finished for a gift for my niece who is a pre-K teacher. Her birthday is coming up and she will be exactly half as old as I am. (Shhh! if you are family, don't tell her that I posted this gift please) She has a wonderful way with children and I'm sure that she makes a beautiful mark on their lives.
The teacher pictured was at the one room schoolhouse that my aunts and uncles went to. The little girl to the left of the teacher was my late Aunt Mildred.

New Jewelry

Happy New Year everybody! I have been too distracted by all of the holiday bustle to blog lately. I have been reading everyone else's, but have neglected my own. Even though I have not been blogging, I have been making jewelry. Some of it is in various stages of completion, but today I listed two pieces on etsy. It's all a little different from what I have been doing, though it still involves copper. When I finish the others I will post them. Here is a little taste of what I've been up to.

New Swap Goodies

I just received a wonderful package of goodies from Steph in Belgium. There is a beautiful necklace, beads, and pendants that she made, some yummy chocolates(one didn't make it until the photo) , a cool key (soon to have its home on a necklace for myself), postcards, coins, and an ornament. Fun stuff! Check out her blog, vlaDtHeBaT's aTTiC for some really beautiful, unique jewelry and photography.

Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22

I was inspired to try to make a piece of jewelry with a message. The piece turned out kind of large and rustic. I'm not one who cares much for flashy jewelry. Please excuse the bad photo. Despite minoring in photography in college, I still take lousy photos...I'll blame it on the camera. I tried to scan it, but that wasn't entirely successful either.
I think I'll wear it to town today and see if anyone likes it. It may be a bit large. Sometimes I'm not sure about some of my creations. Last week, one of my young friends (she's 21) was introducing me to one of her co-workers by saying, "She's so artsy, she can take tacky and make it look good." I think that was a compliment.

Anyway...I can look down at the words and be reminded of the fruit I should bear. Some days I need reminding.

New Bracelet

Here is a new bracelet that I made today, being modeled by one of the many cucumbers in my sink, destined for the pickle jar tonight. ( The cucumber, not the bracelet. )
It is not cool as a cucumber here today though. The high was around 100 degrees.

Copper Necklace

My husband called from work this morning and said that we were invited to go to his sister's house tonight for her birthday. He said,"Make something artsy for her." I had just gotten through looking at a blogsite for a lady who makes unique jewelry. I was inspired to make something from hammered wire. This is the necklace that I came up with. It is copper electrical wire, copper tubing, my own lampworked beads, and a couple of copper beads on a rubber cord.
Maybe I'll make myself one too.