Things I love about the Holidays............

by Staci Louise Smith

Oh the holidays, weren't they so much more fun when we were young?  Now its hustle and bustle and shopping and making gifts, wrapping and baking and cooking.  I know for me, sometimes it can seem like more of a chore then a celebration.

(photo courtesy of http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/19/pf/holiday-shopping-deals/)

It is those times that I try to take some time to think about all I love about the holidays.  No matter what you celebrate, I think these things can be universally healing during this sometimes tough time of year.

1.  Gifts:  I love to give gifts.  I love to create gifts.  At times it too can feel like a chore, but then I think of the little blessing the gift will be to someone I care about, and it is all worth it!

 I had a blast making the above wine toppers for friends and family

2.  Not everyone loves to shop for gifts, but I bet everyone loves to get them!  It is so nice to know that someone thought of you- and my favorites are those really unexpected ones from people you did not think would be thinking of you.  (coincidentally, those are also my favorites to give)

3.  Watching kids open gifts!  Whether it is your kids, or extended family, heck, you could you tube some adorable videos too, there is something about watching the magic of a child receiving a gift!

my girl Julia has loved Christmas since she was a tiny thing!

4.  Cookies!  I mean, c'mon, warm cookies.  I hate the messy kitchen, but love the cookies- mostly, its so nice to make them with my special people.

photo courtesy of  http://christmasintheforest.blogspot.com/2011/12/perfect-holiday-cookies.html

5. LIGHTS!  I love lights- whether on a Christmas Tree, or on houses, bushes, mantels, soft twinkly lights make me happy.  I love to unwind with a glass of wine or chamomile tea at the end of the day during this busy season, with those low tiny lights all over.  (we went very minimal this year due to some really crazy events in my small town, and my decor, is mostly all lights!  I love it just the same!!!)

6.  Holiday Movies!!!!  My favorites, A Christmas Story and Elf.  Elf being my all time favorite I think.

7.  Family.  I know this is sometimes a hard one, whether you are missing a loved one, or have loved ones who drive you nuts, it still feels good to be surrounded by those who share your DNA or your heart, or both!  Hug a loved one extra tight this year. 

my brother and sis in law rocked the ugly sweater party this year!  It is so cool that my brother and sis are also good friends with my same friends, so I get to see them at both family and friend events!!!

Those are some of my favorite things.  What are yours?  Is there anything that really helps you through the holiday funk?

We here at Love my Art Jewelry hope you all have a wonderful, and blessed holiday season this year.  May it be safe, may it be full of love, and may you find time to relax in there somewhere.  

(we will begin normal posts the week after Christmas as we take some time to enjoy our families and rest!) 

How to make a copper bangle

by MaryAnn Carroll

Like many of you, I am a little crazy busy.  I have found some time to create some copper bangles, however, and consequently they became a little addicting AND a way to avoid everything else that I should have been doing to be a little more efficient. I thought that since I haven't posted in quite some time, I would start off by sharing a tutorial. Next week, I will have some of these to offer in a a giveaway, so stop back.

How to make a basic hammered copper bangle (picture tutorial)

If I were the super organized type, I would have a list of materials 

HERE....

but I am not, so I will do my best with letting you know what you need. Personally, I like to look at pictures, so that is what I am mostly providing.

Fire is you friend when it comes to making bangles and I like it hot!!!

Materials that you see here: 

Mapp Gas, copper solder, dremel, firing rack (not sure it that is the technical name) and 6 gauge copper wire (right from Lowes)

heavy duty wire cutters (Weiss)

 pickle (1 cup vinegar to 1 tbsp salt), a crock pot (one you will never use again in the kitchen, a ceramic bowl, water, baking soda for the water, plastic tongs,

I have been too cheap (and broke) to invest in a bracelet mandrel. An old baseball bat or, in this case, a maple leg from an old table works great!  They may not hold up as well, but, hell, I have four of them!!

This is fire brick (below). As you can see it has been used multiple times. I would recommend investing in some bricks, so that you don't burn the house down. 

That brings us to.....

STEP 1: Cut a piece of 6 gauge copper wire to approximately 8.5 inches (bigger or smaller depending on your hand size). I cut a little big just in case I make some mistakes and need to trim more than I planned for. Heat the copper to make it pliable. (you can use water for fast cooling if you choose to).

 

STEP 2: Using a chasing hammer (another material), hammer the wire until you get it flattened. I then use the flip side of the wire for the exterior of the bangle. This part takes some twisting and turning AND a little patience.

STEP 3: File, using you dremel until you get both ends of the wire to meet with as little space in between as possible.

STEP 4: Put the two ends together and place on your firing rack. Place the LONG piece of copper solder behind the connection. This part takes lots of practice and I could not take pictures while I was doing this since my right hand was being used to heat the front of the copper.

The joint isn't perfect, but with a little sanding and possibly a little more solder it will look fine.

STEP 5: Add to pickling solution (heat crock pot until hot.... I would give degrees here, but I have no clue what low is on the crock pot that I have.

 This is a picture AFTER it comes out of the pickling solution.

STEP 6: Using a wooden or rubber mallet, carefully hammer your bangle until you have reached complete roundness (or close to it)!!

There you have it!

 I also add patinas, sometimes textures and usually tumble them for extra strength and shine. Only two of these have patina added.

Stop back next Friday to enter to win a bangle or two!

MaryAnn

Winter Solstice

Carol-Dekle-Foss

I love this time of year. Clear nights. Crisp clean air. Bare branches silhouetted against a cloudy sky. For me, it's a time of reflection. Although some of us, myself included, find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of holiday madness. We end up becoming depleted in more ways than one.

So I think it's important, especially for us creatives, to embrace the darker months by turning inward. It's a good time for stillness and reflection. It's an opportunity for us to recharge and prepare for the creative bursts we will have in spring. 

So for now, I am introspective and quiet. 

Every year I look forward to the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night. I celebrate by watching the sunset with my family wrapped in a warm blanket and a hot toddy. 

My family and I will celebrate Christmas in a very simple way this year. Probably no tree, and that's ok. My son doesn't want a dying tree in the living room. I don't blame him. We will cut branches and pick up pine cones for display on the dinner table. Also, some of my sons military friends will join us. They are far from their families, so we will share a delicious home cooked feast, play the guitar and sing, and take a long walk along the river. 

I created this necklace today thinking about the return of light after the winter solstice. I made it as a reminder to embrace the darkness for soon there will be light.

How do you celebrate your holiday season? Do you have any special traditions or rituals that you and your family do every year?

 I hope everyone has a peaceful and love filled holiday!

Last Minute Gifts That Will ROCK Your Christmas! By Karen McGovern

Christmas is, like, a month away....right?

  

Ah, the joy of realizing the week before Christmas that you still have 25 gifts to magically make appear.  If you are like me, you wait until that golden moment of panic/procrastination hits and you rush to your laptop and order everyone you forgot about something "thoughtful" from Wallgreens like socks with toes in them, or whatever else is left for sale on Amazon in the hours before Christmas.  DON'T BE THIS PERSON!

Even if you find yourself scrambling for last-minute gifts, there is no need to panic or end up buying crap you then have to GIFT WRAP like it's something actually NICE.  No one wants to open a nicely wrapped gift to find A JAR OF PICKLES.  Unless that's your thing...then, YEAH?

So, I am here to give you some super-cool, EASY, and INEXPENSIVE ideas for gifts that will make you KING/QUEEN OF THE HOLIDAY PARTY.  Your welcome....

1.  The hilarious gag gift.  Anything from Archie McPhee.  How can you resist a website who's tag line is: "Archie McPhee has the best toys, gifts, candy and novelties on the internet. We love the same things you do: unicorns, bacon, mustaches and underpants." My favorite item this year is the Centaur Santa Claus. Cause...SANTA HAS AN AMAZING SIX-PACK!  So, for those on your list with a slightly twisted sense of humor, get them HANDERPANTS and move on.

2. For the person who loves technology.  BOOMFS.  What are Boomfs, you ask?  Only MARSHMALLOWS PRINTED WITH IMAGES YOU UPLOAD TO THE SITE! Serioulsy!  How cool is this?  I bought everyone Boommfs last year and got rave reviews.  This is especially wonderful for Grandparents--imagine how they will love getting a box of marshmallows all with the Grandkids faces on them!!!  Then plopping those adorable faces into a piping hot cup of cocoa and watching them melt....wait, that escalated rather quickly...Anyway, it's a fun, inexpensive gift to give that is easily personalized.  But hurry, they stop shipping SOON.

3. The gift that will make you look far more interesting than you probably are.....AN EXPERIENCE.  What do I mean?  Well, how about giving a gift that actually requires the recipient to DO SOMETHING?  Tickets or passes to a local museum/nature center/science museum/art show/concert/performance.  NOT MOVIE TICKETS, but tickets to an actual event or activity.  AND, throw in a disposable camera so they can share the experience after.  My local nature center offers open ended day passes, and I buy these all the time. I am lucky to live in Florida and can give things like passes that allow folks to go on sea turtle nest walks along the beach or visits to wildlife rehab centers. This type thing is a great stocking stuffer and you will be surprised...people sometimes actually LIKE being forced to leave the home....

Just imagine, this could be YOUR FAMILY...OUTSIDE!

4.  For the DIY-ers.  Put ANYTHING into a clear craft glass Christmas ornament from Michael's.  Seriously. ANYTHING placed inside a clear ornament is instantly ADORABLE. Got a friend with dogs?  Tuck a few dog treats into an ornament.  Cats?  CATNIP, DUH. You can put CHEX-MIX in a clear ornament and have a spectacular hostess gift.  Tea lover?  Cram a few Earl Gray bags inside.  Dried flowers, mini candy canes, lottery tickets, CASH, JEWELRY, it can all be stuffed into these ornaments and you are a HOLIDAY SUPERHERO.  How about wildflower seeds?  Heck, any seed at all!  Perfect for a gardener....A LOVE LETTER!  Photographs!  If I wasn't late and trying to get this post up, I bet I could sit here and think of 12 BILLION things you could tuck into one of these ornaments to create a really thoughtful, cool gift. I am personally making many of these this year.  I would love to tell you what I am putting inside, but I can't because a few of the folks getting this read this blog and well....I want it to be a surprise!

5.  Finally, if you want to totally ROCK Christmas, buy some hand-made, amazing artisan jewelry and more from any of the spectacularly talented artists right here on LMAJ.  Most of us also offer gift certificates, so you don't even have to suffer through looking at all the amazing jewelry and art and trying to decide what to buy.  No one, I mean NO ONE will be less than THRILLED with this gift.  And, I don't have to tell you that you are also giving a gift to the artists you support...your purchase allows us to continue doing what we love, and helps us with other stuff--like supporting our families and such....

So, take a deep breath, all you Secret Santas, you can do this!  I hope your holidays are bright and full of love and peace.  From all of us here at LMAJ....HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

CHEERS! Holiday Polymer- Perfect for Gifts!

by Staci Louise Smith

I am horrible at Christmas Cards.  I never get them done in time, and we take our kids annual Christmas picture, usually on Christmas Eve.  That's how I roll.  

I do however try to make a little something for my friends and family each year.  Usually, its a special Christmas ornament.  This year, I wanted to do something different for them.  Since a few of them are wine drinkers (ok, ok, all of them are!) I thought wine toppers could be cool.  I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but hey, I have polymer, and picked up some corks.

Well, after three leisurely play days in the studio, I have wine toppers-

AND I LOVE THEM!

Here they are before I glued them, all set up ready to go in the studio.  

And here they are all finished and ready for gifts!

(I definitely need to make these to sell as well)

How did I make them?

I created the polymer pieces first, baked and finished them.

Then I drilled a hole in the bottom as well as the cork.  

I fitted in a 14g wire so it attached both of them securely.

Then I mixed up my 2 part epoxy, took them apart one at a time, and glued them.

To ensure a good bond, I tied string around them so the connection was nice and firm.  

I could NOT be more happy, and now they will have something they can use year round...ILO just at the Holidays. 

I never get tired of what you can do with Polymer Clay!

Textures, Color and Fibers

As a nature lover and ceramic artist, it is easy to say that I am inspired in my work to create textures often repeated by what I see in nature.

With Ceramics, it is usually in my hand carved texture plates (which I later use when bisque fired - hard and porous) that show the textures. I use those plates to press porcelain or stoneware clay into to create a reverse printed texture.

When it comes to using my ceramic pieces in finished jewelry, I tend to stall a bit.

This I believe is because there are so many possibilities, I have a hard time getting my brain to settle and focus on one technique (talk about ADHD!)

And I'm all about the quality, so I tend to work things through a few times before I come up with something I'm happy with (this bracelet below is still a work in progress).

 When it comes to colors, these Hand Painted Silks (painted by Ute of Silk Painting is Fun) that I have been carrying now for over 10 years, are an endless supply of inspiration.

Marsha Neal Studio presents Silky and Fairy Ribbons

Marsha Neal Studio presents 2mm Hand Painted Silks

 I love to pick through and make specific color palettes from the 80+ colors I carry (in three styles: Silky Ribbon, Fairy Ribbon, and 2mm round).

 And I am seriously delighted with every order that comes through because I get to see a bit into what you are picking out and are working with for your jewelry (or other) designing.

If you are interested in using these in your work to add color and texture, you can shop for these ribbons through my Etsy shop or my Marsha Neal Studio website.

Recently I have been fiddling more and more with Needle Felting Wool Roving and Locks (see SarafinaFiberArt for beautiful supplies). And luckily Sarafina Art House is about 25 minutes from my house/studio and I have picked up working there part-time, helping with orders, stock, and whatever they need me to jump in and do. Which is a whole other chapter opening up in my creative life - working outside of the home around other creative positive people helping run that business is SO what I need right now.

What kind of fibers are you into using?

And what techniques make you giddy?

Look for some posts on fibers (all kinds of fibers) coming up in the next couple of months as we get through the holidays and back to our creative time.

When it Gets to be all Fun Again - JUST Fun!

by Staci Louise Smith

I truly love what I do.  I feel blessed every day that I get to create for a living.  However, I won't lie, I hate the business end of it, and at times, my art seems a little too much like work for my liking.  (I still wouldn't trade it for the world)

I miss the days of creating just for fun.  Now that I have a business, I have expenses, and it has to keep making money (not to mention three kids that never stop eating!  lol!)

The holidays are my favorite time to create.  I don't have  much going on show wise, it slows down, and I get to make gifts! 

 Gifts!!!!!!!! GIIIIIIIFTS! !!!!!!!!!!!!

 (that should be said like Elf screams "SANTA- I KNOW HIM"- in case you were wondering how to emphasize that)

I honestly wish I were a wealthy woman, I would make things just to give away to make people smile.  I love to just make things that I know someone would like- it is my pure joy.  I am very lucky the ladies in my family agree that one can never have too much jewelry- makes the holiday fun for us all.

This year though, I did something a little different.  I feel a bit silly, because this thing I did, well, I think it officially makes me a groupie, I think.  
See, my whole family just loves this group- Jubilee Riots.  They used to be Enter the Haggis and we have gone to see them when they are in our area for years.  My mother in law even went on tour with them in Ireland (because you can, and they are doing it again this year).  Anyhow........they are amazing musicians.   If you know me, you know I love all kinds of music, and listen to it all the time.  It plays a very important role in my life.  I like to think my life sort of has a soundtrack- that plays in my head, all the time.  out of all the music I love, and there is a lot of it, their stuff really speaks to me.  They have depth, and are poetic, yet wonderful, energetic and fun.  Not to mention talented at most every instrument you can think of.  I encourage you to give them a listen, they make wonderful studio music to rock out to while working.

Sorry- this is getting to be a VERY long post- and I am getting a little sidetracked. 

I will try to get back to it.  They have a song, called Copper Leaves, about Canada retiring the penny (that is where they are from).  They joke that they are so sad about it, they wrote a song.  

Also, their new album is called Penny Black.  So, since they have this penny theme running around through things (they mention it in songs too) I thought it would be cool to make them some Canadian penny jewelry.  They joke about it, and I thought it would be a funny sort of gift.  I was totally inspired by Barb's penny charms and thought I'd end up doing something similar.....I even asked if she minded.  But in the end, they totally ended up like my version of penny jewelry for men.  (I did steal the "be the change" line, cause I really love it)

Barb's Second Surf Penny Charms

http://d2a2wjuuf1c30f.cloudfront.net/product_photos/13655713/lucky_400w.jpg

Anyhow-

I had SO STINKIN MUCH FUN with their music on, cranked up in the studio, while working on these pieces for them.  I like to sing while I work (its not pretty but I am usually alone, so its ok) and their music gets my feet moving too.  My most productive days are when their albums are playing.  After a long day (of course I made them the day I was going to see them at a local show) I finished them up at the last minute, cleaned myself up and off we went.

(here is the quick pick I snapped of them- with my dirty hands and all)

And I snapped these pics with the leather done.  

I got to hand them to the drummer (Bruce) as they guys came in.  It is a small venue, and they come in the same doors we do!  I almost died when they came on stage and Mark was wearing his.  

After the break I saw Trevor had his on, as well as Craig, but I was too far and could only get a shot of Trevor.

After the show the guys came out and had drinks in the lobby with everyone who stayed around.  I really like that they are so down to earth like that.  It was nice to get to talk to them and I even got a picture with Mark.  I was soooo thrilled they liked their necklaces!

This entire thing made me so happy.  One of the things I love about being creative, is being able to share it with others- especially a bunch of artists like these guys, whom I admire greatly.

I know I am a total groupie now.  I keep laughing at myself, but I don't care.  I enjoyed doing that for them.  Even Justin (the hubs) was excited that they wore them!

And this my friends, is when all the paperwork, and bills, and the business end of what I do is fun again, just fun!!

Here are some links to some of the bands music, I seriously encourage you to take a listen.  They really span genre's and age groups- as true artists do.

(showing my groupie again, don't care...lol)

http://www.jubileeriots.com/home

http://enterthehaggis.com/album/156142/the-modest-revolution

Go on tour with them- I know I wish I could

http://www.jubileeriots.com/ireland2015

Enjoy some video's- I could not just choose one.  These guys shine live.

this is one of my favorite songs from their last album (not the newest)

This is an OLD video I found, but still so good.  They started out much more irish rock but have evolved into Northern Roots Rock.  anyhow, give it a listen, its good stuff





I leave you with Getaway Car.  Its a great story- one of mine and Justin's favorites

Nice right?  I hope you enjoyed the videos!

How about you guys?
Do you love to make special gifts for people too?  

Is there a band you listen to over and over in your studio? 

Ever go groupie on them?  (someone please say you did and make me feel a little less silly!)