ICAP: One Done NOW WITH BETTER PHOTOS!

I pulled out the photo cube setup today to take some pictures of new listings for the store, so while I had it out I took some better photos of the One necklace for ICAP.  Here are the photos made with the pretty lights:

I've also enabled commenting, kids, so have at it!

ICAP: Break Saw Blade, Cuss, Threepeat

So, now that One's done my brain has returned to the Three design.  I've got two competing designs in mind and I can't decide between them.  Fortunately, both require lots of little 3 shapes to be cut out of copper.

To create the 3s, first I made a template out of cardstock, and I traced the template onto the copper sheet using a sharpie.  I started by using the scrap copper left from cutting out the 2s.  If you look, you can see the curve of the upside down two on the edge of this piece of scrap.

Then I use the jeweler's saw to carefully cut out the shape.  This involves lots of a) broken saw blades, b) cussing, c) more broken saw blades and d) more cussing.  Basically, there's a lot of cussing involved in sawing.  And that's VERY satisfying.

This shot, by the way, is not really me sawing.  I can't saw and hold the camera at the same time.  I only have two arms.  Anyway, lots of horrible sawing noises later, and I have some small copper three components to play with.

Next, I'll have to file them to make the edges smooth and make sure no one cuts themselves on sharp corners.  After they've been filed, then the fun part begins:  texturing.

ICAP: One Done

I've been working on the necklaces, but not blogging about them.  Partly this is because I'm not used to taking pictures while I work, so I was just working away without documenting anything.

Thanks to the lovely jump rings, I was able to finish the One Necklace.  First I used the bubble hammer to texture the big ones, and then I started punching holes and using jump rings to put it all together.  I also "oxidized" the words on the strips using a permanent marker and put a light coat of Renaissance wax to inhibit tarnish.  Wanna see?  It's not the pretty product shot that I take with special lights and a photo cube, but it's enough to give you a sneak peek:

The necklace looks even better on a person than on the jewelry bust!

ICAP: All the Little Bitty Parts

In any design, there comes a point where I just have to put it together.  I can imagine what it will look like if something goes here or there, but it's not the same as seeing all the components pieced together.  In order to put the One necklace together, I had to make my own jump rings.  Jump rings are those tiny circles of metal which hold links and components together.  For some odd reason, circular copper jump rings are very hard to find in jewelry and bead catalogs.  So, I hauled out the trusty interwebs, watched a bunch of videos, and figured out how to make my own.

First, you have to coil your copper wire on a mandrel.  Of course, I don't have a mandrel of this size and I didn't put one in the budget.  So I prowled around the garage and found a....a nail!  That works.  Then I put the nail and the copper wire in the drill chuck and slowly coiled the copper wire onto it.

Then, I had to undo everything, slide the coiled wire off the nail and use a jeweler's saw to cut the rings.  This is a little nervewracking because I had to hold the tiny coil in my fingers.  I was certain I was about to make "Saw IV:  The Necklace" WITHOUT the fake blood.  Fortunately, if you go really slow and use lots of CutLube (keep your minds OUT of the gutter, thank you) there is no cutting of fingers.

As I cut, the jump rings just fell onto the bench block.  And my lap.  And the floor.  And there's one in the basket of stamping supplies...I think.

After the cutting is complete, the jump rings are all bent and not in one plane. That's not going to work well, so I patiently tap them all with a plastic mallet to flatten them.

Yeah for jump rings!  Now I can start putting the One and Two necklaces together to see what they look like.

ICAP: Two Too To Tutu Necklace

The two necklace.  This piece is the easiest of the four necklaces, I think, because the design has been clearest in my mind since the beginning.  I love the swoops of the 2s, and want to use them to create this lovely set of drops.  So, first I spent a couple of days sawing out five number 2 shapes.  I swear, I was dreaming about the number 2 by the end of this.

After what seemed like endless sawing and filing, I started stamping the second verse.  I was terrified I'd reverse a letter and have to start all over, but I managed to stamp correctly.  (If you see a spelling error DON'T TELL ME.)  Then I went out in the 35 degree weather and pounded these on my driveway to add texture.  I was freezing by the end of it.  The texture doesn't look so great in these quickie photos for the blog, but it'll look good when I get out the photo cube and lights out for the final product shot.

ICAP: One Necklace...Like an Ostrich

I'm slowly working on the "one" necklace for this project.  This weekend, I started by stamping the lines of the poem into copper.  For some reason my brain snagged on the line "like a ostrich" and I kept humming "Like an o-o-o-o-strich, touched for the very first time...."  Thank you Madonna, for scarring my brain.  Then I cut out a 1 shape as well as strips of copper with the words from the first stanza stamped on them.  Initially, I thought I would go with this design:

But I don't really like the way it looks.  Even though it does look birdlike...like an ostrich!  I decided to cut out a second "one" and use the ones to make a v.  I have two ones instead of one one in the designs.  Maybe no one will notice it's now an Eleven necklace.

Today I was working on texturing the components.  The changes I made are very subtle.  I used a center punch to mark where the holes would go in the poetry strips and punched the holes. I used a "1" stamp to create a line of ones in the big copper ones.  It reminds me of the seam in a baseball, which is ONE continuous seam.  Ha.  It's a one.

I may still use the bubble hammer on the big copper ones.  I also need to put holes in the big copper ones so I can attach the poetry strips.  I'm not quite done with this one (ha!  see my bad pun?)  My plan is to walk away and work on the 2 necklace for a while before finishing this piece.

ICAP: Supplies and Mockups

Woo-hoo!  The supplies for the Number Poetry Necklaces arrived Monday.  I shall now attempt to turn this:

into some very cool necklaces.  The supplies that arrived include two quarter-sheets of 22 gauge copper, a set of number stamps, 10 hook and eye clasps, a roll of 18 gauge copper wire, and two different lengths of copper chain.  Sadly, the supplier didn't have enough chain, so I have less than I need and will have to be, erm, creative.  And of course, I realize now I should have asked for money to buy sanding sponges, and colored inks, and so on.  Oh well.  It was my first time proposing a budget for a project and I'M LEARNING.

I began by sketching some ideas.  I would show you my sketches but...well, have I told you about the time my elementary school teacher told me I should probably just give up on drawing?  Yeah.  I can't draw.  But I can use the computer to create numbers and then print them out as templates.  So I've been printing out lots of numbers on cardstock.  To figure out the size of the letters, and where to break the lines of poetry, I've been "stamping" the numbers cut out of cardstock.  I started with the #2 necklace, because that design is the clearest in my head.  I had to redo the size of the "2" shapes a few times to get it just right.  Tonight I tried out my idea for the #1 necklace, and realized only a titan could wear it.  Tomorrow I'll redo those stamped strips for the poetry and see if it could maybe fit around a human neck.

As for 3 and 4?  I'm not happy with my sketches for them, so I'll probably make 1 and 2 first, and let the designs simmer at the back of my brain.

ICAP: Interdisciplinary Craft as Art Project

One of the things I'll be working on between now and March is my contribution to the Interdisciplinary Craft as Art Project.  This is a project conceived of and led by students at the university where I work.  It's a great idea.  They asked people who craft to think about creating a project which straddles interdisciplinary lines. 

1...2...3...4

My project is to make four copper necklaces which incorporate mathematical poetry.  Sarah Glaz, of the University of Connecticut, has graciously agreed to let me use her poem "I Am A Number" which you can download and read here.  The poem has four parts, each dedicated to poetically describing the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.  My job is to make one necklace dedicated to each number and its verse.  Um....stanza?  Er, maybe I need to consult with the poetry professor about what to call each part of the poem. 

I ordered the copper sheet and supplies today.  Once those arrive, I'll start working on and blogging about this project (with pictures!).


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Lonestar Texas Showcase #13

I'm always amazed at the generosity of artisans and crafters.  One blog, Handmade in TX, features the work of Texas artists.  I submitted an item for last week's showcase, and was delighted to see my dandelion necklace featured this week!  If you get a chance, go check out their blog:

Jewelry Design: Filling in the "V"

I've been putting off writing this post because I don't know the correct terminology for this, but one thing I look for when buying a pendant necklace is what's going on around the neck.  Obviously, this doesn't apply to a string of pearls, or a necklace where the design goes all the way around the neck.  But many necklaces have a center focal component like a cool pendant.  Although the pendant should be the focus, a lot of designers just attach a chain to the pendant and leave it at that.  Here's an example of what I mean:

It's pretty, but aside from the pendant, there's not a whole lot going on.  When I design pendant necklaces, I like to add two more beads about an inch from the center pendant to create a visual "v" in the neckline.  I keep calling this "creating a v" in my listing writeups.  Here's the same necklace, but with the two beads added:

Do you see the difference?  It's simple, but the two additional beads fill in the neckline and draw the eye to the simple (yet super cool) pendant.  So when you go to purchase jewelry, pay attention to the necklace as well as the pendant.

Copper Components

After my introduction to copper earrings at BeadFest Texas, I decided to start playing with copper sheet.  I spent the day sawing, filing, dapping and texturing some components.  Two pairs are for earrings and one is for a pendant.  Here's your sneak peek:

BeadFest Texas: LOOK WHAT I MADE

On the next day of the BeadFest, I took an all-day introductory Metalsmithing class and lawdy, do I want to do an ethnography of jewelry workshops now.  I started out in the grumpy zone because I had to go to the class without breakfast and coffee, and then wait until the break to get some blessed caffeine.  But enough about the misery.  Let's get to the jewelry.

In the morning, we learned how to saw, file and texture metal.  I have tried sawing, filing and texturing before, but I picked up a lot of tips. My favorite was one for texturing metal, known as Look Like A Crazy Person.  This technique involves 1) abandoning all hopes of dignity; 2) putting your metal on the driveway/sidewalk/road; and 3) hitting the everliving daylights out of the metal with a hammer.  Optional step:  Avoid being hit by cars in the road.  It was AWESOME.  Although there were lots of people staring at us, nobody bothered to come up and ask what we were doing.  They just gave us a wide berth.  Anyway, we made two pairs of earrings.  The blurry ones in the front of the shot were made with a texturing hammer and the ones on the right were made on the sidewalk. 

Then after a lunch break for food and more caffeine, we learned about soldering.  After a loooooonng nonlinear lecture, we finally got to make three stacking rings out of sterling silver wire.  I wish I had gotten to solder more because it seems like the kind of thing you learn by doing, but GUYS GUYS GUYS LOOK WHAT I MADE:

Two rings have a satin finish and the middle one is hammered.  If you look closely at the picture, you can see two of the joins.  The teacher said that the most common mistake of beginners is to use too much solder.  So I didn't use enough.  Yes, I'm special that way.

I planned these for my middle finger and now I have discovered a flaw in my plan.  I keep wanting to walk up to people, extend my middle finger and say "LOOK WHAT I MADE!!  I MADE THIS!!!  FROM WIRE!!!"  Except what people see is me giving them the finger.  It might be a flaw.

After the class finished, we went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant in Arlington which was lovely.  Then we tried to go back to the hotel, which was inconveniently located next to the World Series game.  The police blockaded all the streets leading to the ballpark, which also happened to be all the streets leading to our hotel.  So we drove around, a lot, and eventually we were able to get back to the hotel.  All night the stadium was rocking, and once the game finished, the very drunk baseball fans came stomping through the hotel until all hours of the morning.  It was okay, though, because when another group of loud drunken men were shouting in the hallway at 3 am, I thought about going outside and saying "Hey!  Guys!  GUYS!  LOOK WHAT I MADE!!!"

BeadFest Texas: The Deliciousness of Beads

Friday I went to BeadFest Texas and there were some great vendors in the exhibition hall.  I was standing at one table looking at beads when a woman next to me picked up a strand of beads and starting saying "mmmmm.....Mmmmmm.....MMMMMmmmmm!"  It's the kind of sound I would make while eating a cinnamon roll.  Startled, I looked up and saw a woman holding the strand of beads up near her mouth.  Well, I'm not one to judge.  Go ahead and eat the beads, if you want.  There is something incredibly tactile about a strand of beads, and when you find the RIGHT strand of beads, well, there is an inexplicable urge to eat the beads.  Maybe it brings us back to our infancy, when everything interesting went in our mouths.  Or maybe beads are DELICIOUS.

I have enough delicious beads in my stash.  Really, I do.  But there were some very cute, very sad beads in need of a good home.  I mean, what could I do?  I had to bring these sparklies home.  Citrine is so very hard to find, and these faceted strands are gorgeous.  See the sparkle? Shiiiiiny....preetttyyyy....spaarrrklllllyyyyyy.....ooooh.

Material Inspiration

Look what just arrived!  These fabulous sheets of anodized aluminum are just begging to be made into components.  I'm already working on sawing and filing these into some cool necklace and bracelet pieces.  The red one really needs to become something special....hmmm.....

Design Challenge: One Bead

Sometimes when I sit at my jewelry bench (well, desk), I get overwhelmed by the colors and textures of my stockpile.  To push myself to make something, I'll pick ONE item and force myself to design a piece around that.  This week, I chose this botswana agate coin bead:

The chevron striation is just gorgeous and I love the variety of colors:  grey, cream, brown and pink.  Well, I'm not a fan of pink, but the stone looks so neutral the pink seems to fit in.  I really wanted to showcase this stone, so I decided to create a mirrored background for it.  Using my handy dandy dapping block, I domed a silver disc so that it gently cupped the stone.  And here's the final product shot for the necklace designed around this bead:

Jewelry 101: Wrapped Loops vs. Simple Loops

When I started purchasing jewelry, I didn't know much about how it was made.  I just knew what I liked and what I didn't.  It was always disappointing to buy something and have it break the first time I wore it.  The more you know about how jewelry is made, the more you'll be able to assess the quality of the jewelry you purchase.

One of the basic elements of most beaded jewelry is the loop.  There are two kinds:  simple and wrapped.  Here's a picture of a simple loop inside a green circle:

The advantage of the simple loop is that there's not a lot of metal between the crystal beads, so it really shows off the beads.  The disadvantage is that these can come apart with a little pressure.  In fact, you can see this loop is already opening, which means that it's easier for chain, hair, and clothing to get caught in it.  If you tug on it trying to free it from the hair, clothing, etc., you can open the loop and break the piece of jewelry. 

The more secure type of loop is a wrapped loop, which looks like this:

See the coils of wire between the bead and the circle?  That's the wrapped loop.  This puts more metal between the beads, but it's much more secure.  It's a lot harder to accidentally open it, get your hair caught in it, or have it snag your clothes.  All the jewelry I make now uses wrapped loops because they offer more strength, security, and durability.

Design Challenge: Produce a Lot Quickly

Thursday I gave myself a design challenge:  produce 5 pairs of earrings in under 2 hours.  I got this idea from back in the day when I visited a friend in art school; she was given the task of producing 100 drawings/paintings in a week.  Or maybe it was 75.  I don't quite remember.  I just remember the point was to make yourself CREATE, and having to do a lot in a short amount of time was supposed to help you get the juices flowing.

I ended up making 5 pairs of earrings and a necklace in about 3 hours.  Here's a sneak peek at what I made:

What kinds of challenges do you give yourself to get the creative juices flowing?

Magic Numbers

A lot of Etsy sellers say that views and sales really pick up once you pass a certain, mysterious, magic number.  Some say 50, some say 75, some say 100, 200...There doesn't seem to be a strong consensus, other than more is better.  My guess is that means that it's not really a magic number.  I suspect for some sellers it's that in the process of making that many items, you stumble on to a product that's a hit with your customers.

For me the magic number is more useful for setting a goal.  Right now my store has about 90-95 items so my goal is to get over 100 items in the next two weeks. 

A quiddity by any other name is....

...not the same.  What's in a name?  When I decided to start my Etsy store, I spent a long time thinking about the name.  I wanted something unusual, something fun to say, and something that would pique a customer's curiosity.  (Yup, it's pique, not peak...I stopped to look it up, because that's the kind of geek I am.)  I also really wanted a word that started with the letter Q.  Q is just such a beautiful letter.  I could imagine it becoming the basis of a logo that I could maybe stampon the lids of my jewelry boxes.

So I pulled out a dictionary, turned to the letter Q and started reading.  When I found "Quiddity" I thought it was perfect.  It means "the essence of a thing which makes it different from all others."  It carried connotations of uniqueness and a sense of being utterly yourself.   I did a quick search of the web, and of Etsy, and found just a few other companies using the name.  There was one closed Etsy account named simply "quiddity"; to distinguish myself, I tacked on the "Designs" I saw other jewelry makers using.  And QuiddityDesigns was born.

Of course, when I started the store, I wasn't sure if it would last.  Maybe no one would purchase, maybe I'd give up on designing jewelry...who knew?  Because I thought it might be temporary, I did not purchase the .com URL or any of those other things I *should* have done.  Now there are a few other "Quiddity Designs" businesses out there and they've snapped up the domain name.  Ironically, "QuiddityDesigns" is no longer such a unique name. 

Jewelry 101: 155 Headpins

Ever wonder what kind of work goes into making the tiny little pieces of jewelry? I took a few snapshots the last time I made headpins (155 of them at once!) to show you.

First, I get a coil of fine silver wire. Fine silver is 99.9% silver (as opposed to sterling silver which is 92.5% silver). This means that fine silver has fewer other metals in the alloy--that's good news if you're allergic. It also means that the silver wire can be melted without creating some black stuff called firescale that needs to be pickled off.  Then I cut the coil of silver wire into 2.5 inch strips.

Using a butane torch, much like you foodies might use for creme brulee, I melt the end of one piece of the wire so that it forms a ball. I couldn't take a picture of this because I need one hand to hold the torch and the other to hold the wire, and I'm just not proficient enough to take a picture with my foot while juggling open flame.

After balling the end, I quench the piece in cold water, put the headpins in the tumbler for 30 minutes, and then polish. Voila!

These headpins are used in pieces like this onyx necklace. See the little silver balls under the onyx beads? Those are the balled headpins!