new site!

COME VISIT THE NEW BLOG & SITE OVER AT 

ARTMECHANIQUE.com !

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Scrolls, Prayer Boxes.....New Work and Workshops

  Some of my new work in prayer boxes and scrolls. I am teaching this style of wire work in my class in Virginia called, Wirework--"Birds Nest Jewelry"  I am also teaching this at the Bead and Button show in Milwalkee in June. I think I have a few seats left.

NEW WORKS
NEW BEGINNINGS

Hello all, I just wanted to post a brief letter about all of the changes that has happened in this last year. I am now the sole owner of ICE resin and all of my wholesale. Please come to iceresin.com to purchase at wholesale or designer discounts.
Jen Cushman and the whole creative team came with me to run ideas, film and questions and answers on resin and all of my related products. The Creative team are my Ice resin masters. Jen now runs her blog and ICE queen zine from this site. All of the people that matter came with me to my new company and new beginnings..... I am no longer affiliated with objects and elements retail store.
I wrote a good bye story about the split of my company and loss of Objects and Elements in this upcoming June issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry. I also have new goals, my direction and new works. . Check it out.
It has been a tough year but the past is behind me now..... and have big plans I have already put into motion.... more to come!
Thanks to everyone that stood by my side!! xo

http://michaels.shoplocal.com/michaels/default.aspx?action=entryflash


Here is the link for big savings at Michael's craft store for INDUSTRIAL CHIC

leaving for France today.... First Paris and the flea markets...then the workshop out in Toulouse. CAN'T WAIT! I have lots of new material and ideas that I want to work with. Their will be a live pod cast I think.. sat afternoon from Paris. I'll face book it if anyone is interested. xxo

Award Winning Booth..Bo, the booth and I

Here is Bo, the Booth and I and....below the award that it won. I met Bo this weekend at the Michaels event. It was a huge showing with fashion show and all. It was done so well. I enjoyed the company, great food, and beautiful hotel. Anyways, here is the AWESOME Bo who designed the booth. He is fabulous!!

I was lucky enough this year at the Bead and Button show to meet up with my old friend and sales rep. Terri Principie. Terri used to rep my jewelry back 15 years ago when I had my company LEN.ART COLLECTION. I was based out of Chicago. She was awesome and really understood what my jewelry was about.
She is also a psychologist...so we always have very interesting conversations. One of the subjects that came up was the new color I was wearing. I have took to wearing a deep coral color....which to me , I was quite proud of putting any color into my wardrobe. I think many artists or designers work with so much color that we get tired of it in our day to day life...or that life is simpler for me to just put on a neutral color day after day so I can save my creative force for jewelry/sculpture work. Sink it into that medium instead.
Anyways, I'm immersed in coral color..... I even painted my room a metallic coral.

Terri told me that the color is worn for power, mental clarity and strength. That it is a powerful color. GOOD! She said it is important to wear on your wrist. I am wearing my great grandmothers 40 feet of small coral beads that was given to her on her wedding day. It's nice and smooth and worn...like a good Talismans. It felt good to have these hand cut ancient fossil on my wrist...plus when it is on your wrist (rather than your neck) you get to look at them.
Terri also told me that I did not need the points on my silver bracelets that I often wear....that I will just keep people away. well...there are some people that I am trying to keep away. I may file the weapons down to nubs. Maybe, just maybe I don't need to wear weapons anymore?? I think it's left over from growing up on the south side of Chicago..... should I file?....or should I not?? hmmmmmmmmmmmm

gg



The Bead and Button show was a good one. The classes went well. I had 6 days of classes ..introducing the Industrial Chic line.. and the booth.
Cheri and I started off with a 2 day class casting class with sterling silver. Cheri did the glass and I did the metals. We had a great time and students finished some awesome pieces. This is Cheri debut with the beaders so we were happy all went well. We called her "Safety Sister!!!" to the rescue. She is in the photo above to the far right. She said that she did not want to walk around the show since most people thought she was me..... well, we both do have loud mouths and similar mannerisms. It has been really nice working with her and she is a big help. Maybe we'll see more of her teaching glass throughout the year.

We had an awesome response to Industrial Chic. It really is a pretty cool line of components. It was fun finally bringing it out after all of the hard work we did last year. ..It was mums the word. I wanted to put up a few more pics....maybe tomorrow. I have lots of organizing to do today since I was away for so long.

Ok, After all of the hard work in the past year the Industrial Chic Line is finally LIVE!!! Check it out. It is a really cool line of jewelry components exclusive to MICHAELS craft store. It is my early Talismans work using found objects, metal bezels, mixed media and some of my hand carved charms.

http://www.michaels.com/art/online/static?page=Industrial-Chic

roman era glass

Here are some of my pieces that I have been working on in the studio. Anyone who knows me ..knows that I LOVE ridiculously tall rings. Love wearing them and making them.
These are done with Roman Era Glass.
I also have over the past year been working on a commercial line of jewelry...to be announced in about2 weeks. It is really, really cool. Last week I filmed out in Beachwood Ohio the technicalities of the new line.

street art ..Melbourne

Just back from Australia. I loved it there. Spent time in Melbourne..I thought it was really clean and safe.
Love the graffiti and street art

enamel poppies

here is some enamel work that I have been doing in the studio. I like doing multiple thin layers of enamel to get this look.
I also use the torch and kiln. I am enjoying bright colors in my work. This is a big change....I think I am happier lately....

The history of ice resin is this....I began using resin in my jewelry work in 2001. As a builder of Taismans I liked the idea that I could use tiny pieces like grains of sand, medicinal ground pedals and other elements that I considered to be used a relic. I ordered the resin and began mixing and experimenting in my then studio on the lake. I had problems with yellowing and I was very concerned with th toxic fumes that resins normally contain.
Being an artist for 25 years I need to take good care of myself so i can stay in my field and not become allergic to my medium. I always thought it would be such a bummer to master a material and then become allergic to it........ or damage tendons in my hands. I am always looking for non toxic materials and am very careful with my posture and tools that I use. Only the best. ....It has to be this way.
So, upon lots and lots of research and searching I finally found a parent company with gorgeously clear, non toxic resin. Together we developed a jewelers grade resin for the jewelers. It is thicker than most and has a beautiful doming quality. It stays super clear throughout time... at least 5o years. We know this history from the parent product. Anything that goes into a bezel and get filled with resin is magnified. I cast my figures and jewelry components with ice resin. I also use it on paper to make it transparent. There is so much more to do with resin besides pouring it into a bezel. That's what i like to teach in the certification program and my workshops. I love using this resin and have found nothing better.!!
Linda and I worked hard to get this product out on the market. The first launch was Bead and Button show 2008. Here is a picture od Linda and I. I am on the left. We founded Ice resin.
Here is some of my work. Enjoy.....

REAL PEOPLE ....REAL JEWELRY
Hey all,
We finished CHA about a week ago and are now taking down the booth from Tucson Gem and Mineral show. We did very well with our ICE RESIN! I showed some of new work in journals that I built using Ice resin on paper. The technique is on www.iceresin.com

Sam and I

Here is Sam and I at the last workshop. We are closing it all up and went out to dinner that night to listen to some incredible Mexican Folk music.

WORKSHOP- Uncommon Objects in glass casting

Cheri and I are getting ready to teach for the first time our workshop called, UNCOMMON OBJECTS IN GLASS CASTING, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. My sister Cheri studied sculpture in college and has brought it into the glass form. I, in turn, have brought it into the jewelry form. We are setting up a loose structure to teach casting objects and hand carving our own shapes..to be made into glass. Other techniques- Soldering sterling silver and enamel work. If you are interested please check out the class at the Hacienda. http://www.haciendamosaico.com/ We have a small group so far. I am very excited about that. Susan and Chris Bolding are coming!!! Can't wait to see you both! I'll save a margarita by the poolside for you!

Leaving for France

Once again, I am off to France to teach an annual workshop. For obvious reasons.. This is one of my favorite venues! We start in Paris and hit many of the flea markets. Linda and I have done well there in the past. Although, last year at the flea market we noticed the prices went up. When we questioned we were told, "well, the Americans are not coming over as much so we sell a smaller amount". Therefor, they needed more money per piece because of the loss of volume. !! It is different from the way Americans think. In this case, we would give lower prices.
I am spending 3 weeks there this year, one week in Paris, one week in Provence and one week in Toulouse at Gwen Gibson's place conducting the workshop. My kids and mother are coming out as well, at least to the first two places. My son and I love the castles and battle areas.
The students are wonderful and we keep to a small group. We love having our 2 hour dinners together prepared by our wonderful chef, Niche. I leave in 3 hours!! Au revior!

Bead and Button show

ahhh, I always feel like so much happened after I get to the end of this event. I taught for 6 straight days..one late, late , meet the teachers event. A few dinners with friends and so on...
Here is Susan, another silversmith. Linda and my sister Cheri at the end of this event..Cheri worked the booth and assisted in class. She is a glass artist and we are teaching a few gigs together next year. Glass casting, etching and enameling on glass. I;ll have some photos in the future.

Last but not least my good friend Joel who we always save the last night for dinner and a few margaritas!!!! I remember taking the picture... we wanted to show off Joel's muscles. Well, with muscles like that he was begging to help us move our heavy stuff.....right??? I owed him a few margarita's!

Bead and Button show

here are some pieces that I just finished using resin paper and layering. I consider them to be prayer boxes because I carefully used pieces of dictionary paper that had text that I considered relevant.
Along with a little sterling silver...vwaaa laa

jen..and the design team

I am introducing Jen..the absolutely fabulously creative Jen. Jen is our new Objects and Elements ..NEW media manager and design team coordinator.
When i met her 3 years ago I realized that I met my match as far as creativity and insight...we spoke the same language. Jen has mastered the art of language. We spent many hours over the telephone talking of our dreams, future plans, ideas for art and so on. ..
Jen came to Paris last year and we had more time to spend together. Here is a person who would hang out in PIG Alley with me and LOVE it.!! We sleezed around and enjoyed ourselves. .
We have been working hard behind the scenes for a few years and I now am happy to see some of our plans materialize. Together, the three of us, Linda, Jen and I came up with a team of designers that we thought would do our Objects and Elements site justice.. BOY, we were right. Not only have these 5 designers worked beautiful pieces but they all used their own voice and let their persons show through!
Introducing our fabulously creative crew of 5 and their awesome and inspiring work. View the designers at http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/

Jen cushman http://www.getrealscrapbooking.com/
Deryn Mentock http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/
Kristin Robinson http://kristenrobinson.typepad.com/
Barbe Saint John http://www.barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/
Jane Sally http://thejaneworld.com/WordPress/