Want to know something cool?

 I though I would write a quick post on a great credit card processing companies. I used the old machine where I had to pay a % to the CC companies and then I had to pay a monthly fee for the machine and who knows how many more fees!

The studio where I work is owned by two artists. The day to day operations are done by my boss Doug, and my other boss is Jim Mckelvey. Jim is not around much because he is the co-founder along with Jack Darcy of Square

If you are looking for a CC processing company Square works with smart phones and a small unit to swipe your cards. The fees are very low and it is super easy to sign up for. 

I have been using it for a couple of years and have little to no trouble with it. Sometimes you may not be able to connect with service so you may have to take the information and key in the card and process it later.

It really is a great way to take cards at shows. 

Art Jewelry Boot Camp: Balled Headpin Blog Hop

Welcome to our first Art Jewelry Boot Camp Blog Hop for the Balled Headpin Challenge!

Balled Headpin Trilobite pendant by Staci Smith

If you've been following along on our blog each Monday and throughout the month, we hope that you will join us by posting your pieces on your own blog! Don't worry if you don't have a finished piece! Perhaps you're just trying to hone your skills or conquer a new technique! We would love to see what you have accomplished with the posts and inspiration we have provided!

If you would like to show your work, please post on your personal blog and add the link below to Inlinkz. Check our our rules here.  This is a hop for learning and sharing, not flagrant self-promotion. We're hungry for the INSPIRATION and INNOVATION behind your design! 

Remember, your post should be on topic, but DOES NOT have to be a finished project. For example, this month was a BALLED HEADPIN challenge, but perhaps you are just getting up the courage to make balled headpins! THAT'S OKAY! That's what we want to see! If you're more advanced, perhaps you took balled headpins to the next level! WE WANT TO SEE THAT TOO! If you don't have a blog, consider adding your photos to our Flickr group, or on other social media using the hashtag #AJbootcamp.

In the event you have trouble linking your blog post with Inlinkz, feel free to add it in the comments and Barbara will add as many as possible.

Keep Mary Jane Dodd "maire" in your thoughts.....

Many of you have probably wondered where Maire went. We did too because the last that we new she was experiencing extreme back pain. That was in early January. When she did not do her regular post that concern heightened since it was so unlike her. After numerous attempts to try to find her by the many, many people who love her, she was able to send a brief response.

The happy news is that she is home after three weeks of being in the hospital. Please keep Maire in your thoughts while she goes through the adjustment from the hospital to being home.

I know how much anyone that has ever had any contact with Maire knows what a wonderfully loving person she is. She has touched so many of us in so many ways..... always offering something that leave us thinking....

We love you Maire.....

 emerging from the fire......

 balm for the weary soul.......

be brave.....

be still.....

discover......

love deeply......

quiet......

I am sure that when Maire is up to it, you will hear more from her on her blog:

http://mairedodd.blogspot.com

Fun with Scrolling tools

A scrolling tool looks like this.  It is used to drag a design into your enamel while it is still molten in the kiln.  It takes some skill as the kiln is putting out a great deal of heat, the glass is sticky and if the firing tool or the enamel piece gets too cool, the glass will stick to it instead of being guided by it.

Crack the door of your kiln open just enough to fit the tip of the tool into the kiln and pre-heat it.  When you're ready, pull the tool through the enamel on your piece.   Try not to let the tip touch the copper underneath, just the enamel layer on top.  You can achieve some beautiful results like these:

Earrings by  FireWorksCopper

A beautiful pendant by Caroline Fung.  Have fun with it!

Art Jewelry Boot Camp: Great Headpins & Blog Hop Instructions

by Staci L. Smith

Well, we are finally getting some things worked out here at LMAJ for our new Art Jewelry Boot Camp.  Thank you for your patience as we work out the details.  Next week, Monday February 11th, we will hold our first blog hop, and we hope you can all hop along with us. If you blog your designs, be sure to add your blog URL on next Monday's POST! 

In the meantime, you can add your designs and creations using handmade headpins in our Flickr group.  Please read all the instructions and rules before joining.  

Add a description about whether you made the headpins, or, if using another artists work, please give them credit (don't link to their shop in Flickr though), and add your blog URL if you plan to participate in the hop.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are really hoping that doing these blog hops will help us to build a community, get to know some other artists out there, and be inspired by what others are doing.  So here are some basic blog hop Good Manner Rules:  leave encouraging comments for each other.  If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.  But please, lets try to make some friends on here, and let our hoppers know we stopped by.  

Don't be discouraged if you don't get lots of comments.  Many people are silent followers and just don't know what to say, or don't like to comment.  

That's it really, be nice, don't get upset, this is supposed to be fun!  And I am sure it will be.  

Next Monday, February 11th, you will be able to add your blog link directly to the blog post.  Please use the direct URL to the blog about your creation.  

Feel free to promote the hop on your current blog that day, by linking to us, so your followers can hop along too.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just thought I'd show off some really great head pins that are handmade.  If you aren't ready to attempt to make your own, you can still enter our blog hop using artisan handmade headpins in your designs!!!

Here are some great polymer head pins- lightweight!!

Humblebeads

Not only are these lmapwork headpins handmade, but they are made from recycled wine and cider bottles.

Genea Beads

These headpins are made from bronze clay

TheaToo

Here are some spiral and hammered headpins

DM Supply

 I really like the style of the lampwork headpins

Numinosity Beads

And it just doesn't get fancier then these, love them

Atlantis Glass and Bead

So, have any of you been trying your hand at making your own?

Do you have any questions?  Let us know!

If you're participating, please add our badge to your blog!!!!

<div class="Art Jewelry Boot Came" style="width: 180px; margin: 0 auto;"><a href="http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com"><img src="http://secondsurf.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/AJBC180.jpg" alt="Love My Art Jewelry: Art Jewelry Boot Camp" width="180" height="180" /></a></div><!--end button code box-->

First Sunday LMAJ Giveaway.....

These wonderful lampwork podlets were donated by Libby Leuchtman. If chosen (random), you will be the new proud owner of a set of five. To see more of Libby's work, check out her Etsy Shop.

  
Here is a little of what Libby has to say about these.

These are one of my favorite styles of beads.They are about 5/8 to about 6/8 inch in size. I love these beads. They are killer and so beautiful. Great for that eclectic look, very earthy. They are all handmade by me and kiln annealed. These are made on a 1/16 mandrel and would great added to the Classic Copper Pods.

So........ How can you win a set of five (up to three entries)?

Check out Libby's blog..... Join the blog if you have not already. If you have, browse through some past posts and share one that you like. I think you will find that Libby's work is amazing!

For another chance to win, check out Libby's shop and come back to share what you liked there.

Lastly, share this post on your blog and let us know that you did.

If you do not have a blog, feel free to share on Facebook or any other social sites that you have (be creative).

There can be up to three entries and I will need a contact for you. Please leave a way to contact you.

As always, thank-you for supporting those who create handmade with handmade,

MaryAnn

*The winner will be announced mid February. Please check back as it will be posted on the side bar.*

Trial, Error & (finally) Success

                                                     by Kelli Pope

Last week I showed you my MASS stock of clay beads and pendants.  This week I thought I'd run you 

through a firing.  

After bisque firing the whole batch,  I came across a box of  glazes I'd purchased last year. 

I had found a new website that carried black clay (my favorite after firing) and had a sample pack of their own glazes that worked on that specific black clay.  If any of you have worked with black or red clay, you know not all glazes work on it.  It's trial and error.  Using theirs, I thought, would remove the "error".  Wrong!    I received the BEAUTIFUL silky black clay, which was a dream to work with.  I produced a mass stock of beads, pendants, bisque fired them, and glazed them in my new glazes.  I was shocked and disappointed to open up my kiln to a full load of brown.  Yep.  Brown.  EVERYTHING.  No color.  I researched the sellers site, even called them to get some tips.   I re-glazed, re-fired. Still various shades of brown.  I tried washing my bisque before glazing, changing temp settings, hold time, preheat, etc, etc...........   Brown beads.  UGH!!!  HOW disappointing.  

So, as I started to glaze this latest batch, I decided I would see if those same glazes would work on my buff stoneware clay.  I glazed about 3 beads in each color, and did a test run. 

      Last night I loaded up the bead trees with my samples. 

And this

morning

awoke to 

find...............

 COLOR!!!!

 YAY!!!!    SO exciting!   

                          This is just a small dose of what's to come.   And won't they all look LOVELY 

paired with.................. 

 my hubby's torch enameled headpins!!!!   :o)