Charm Swap

I'm particapating in a Charm swap at Ornamentea, the greatest bead store in the world. You make 10 charms and you get back 10 made from other people. How fun is that! These are my charms. I needle felted wool roving into tiny pies. The pans are bottle caps.

Studio of Shame

I'm hoping to shame myself into cleaning today. This is how my studio looks when I'm on a creative roll. I don't think I will be in that new magazine on artist studios.

Crafters Downtown Market

I had a great show this weekend! Thanks so much to all the wonderful friendly people who visited my booth in the heat. I am hoping the rest on my shows will be cooler this year. After a show you would think I would be ready for a break but it is the opposite for me. I get really pumped . I have some great new ideas, my mission rings to do, charms for a charm swap and a competition for my Metals Club. Geez, I need to get off this computer and get busy.

the process

The last step is we go in the rock tumbler with stainless steel shot and go for a bumpy ride. The ring comes out shiny and clean and ready to go spread the Word and love of Jesus. Thank you God for using me in this way!

the process

The rings are added one at a time and remember have to be pickeled after each one. My studio is upstairs and the pickle is downstairs in the kitchen near the sink for safety  and washing. I got my exercise with this project. Hmmm do I see more symbolism? As you can see it is a dirty mess. I can relate to that during the course of my life.

the process

This is where it gets difficult. The ends HAVE to be perfectly flat on the base or it won't stick. It took me about 4 attempts before I nailed it. This is the foundation of the piece. You guessed it more symbolism. We try so hard and think we got it and ***** we mess up. Well back to the pickle to get cleaned up again. Every time the flame hits, it has to be pickled again.

the process

Out of the pickle, they are white and clean

The process

Hear is where we start. 16 gauge sterling wire soldered into rings. When sterling is fired it goes from shiney pretty to black. How's that for symbolic. We start out shiny and new and once we get into that fire we get dirtied up. The rings get a bath in the pickle (acid) to get all the crud off. More symbolism, God picks us up and cleans us off.

Time is all off

No! I am not up at the wee hours bogging! I have to fix that.

Trinity Misson Ring

Well it is finished. My prototype for my ring to raise money for Hearts and Hands for Haiti! I don't know the price yet and it will be a while before I get several made to post on Etsy. It is a tedious process and time consuming. Plus sterling prices are terrible so it may get a little pricey. All profits 100% will go to this organization. I've prayed about how my art could be used for God's glory and this is what came from that request. Each ring will be different, as we were created to each be an individual. Each circle represents Father,Son and Holy Spirit. The hammered textured ring is for Christ for obvious reasons. I thought about filing to make the circles more perfect but threw that idea out quickly because none of us are.