Kelsi's Closet Jewelbox Design Journal
A Journey in Art Jewelry by Melissa Muir
A Journey in Art Jewelry by Melissa Muir
http://www.kcjewelbox.com
Kelsi's Closet Jewelbox Design Journal
Guess who finally made it into the studio?
Well, it seems forever since I actually got to sit in my studio and make something. I know that I need to update the blog with more trip pictures and they are coming, it is just very time consuming. But they really are coming. In the meantime here are my efforts from the other night in the studio. I have one more necklace that I still need to photograph though.
This first piece is made with an amazing stone that I bought in Indonesia. They say it is Obsidian, but it is unlike any obsidian I have ever seen. The stone is crystal clear and the most beautiful shade of blue. This one is in my personal collection permanently. It is actually a very large piece, and I NEVER wear things this big, but I guess I do now. The stone is about 2" tall and about 1 1/2" wide at the base. The first picture is of the front and the second is the back.
This next piece is made with sterling silver and carnelian. I have pierced the design into the silver with a jewelers saw.
This last piece is one that has been "remade." I had started to work on an anticlastic cuff bracelet, but I could never get it to turn out right and I don't have the tools for that type of forming here in my studio. So this piece has been sitting on my bench since October just begging to be fixed, without any way of fixing it. So I finally got sick of looking at this "waste" of perfectly good silver sheet. I was determined to do something different with it, like cut it up and use it in a pendant or something else like that. I annealed (softened) it and began to hammer it flat. As I did, t he edges began to ruffle up and I really liked the look of it. So I kept going a little bit further and decided to bend it back into a cuff shape and below is the final result of that. I really like this and it is VERY comfortable to wear. As much as I would like this to be in my personal permanent collection also, I will probably put this one up for sale soon. I need to buy more silver and it would probably be helpful to have some money to do that.
Okay, I will be back shortly with more photos of our trip. Have a Happy 4th of July everyone.
O
This first piece is made with an amazing stone that I bought in Indonesia. They say it is Obsidian, but it is unlike any obsidian I have ever seen. The stone is crystal clear and the most beautiful shade of blue. This one is in my personal collection permanently. It is actually a very large piece, and I NEVER wear things this big, but I guess I do now. The stone is about 2" tall and about 1 1/2" wide at the base. The first picture is of the front and the second is the back.
This next piece is made with sterling silver and carnelian. I have pierced the design into the silver with a jewelers saw.
This last piece is one that has been "remade." I had started to work on an anticlastic cuff bracelet, but I could never get it to turn out right and I don't have the tools for that type of forming here in my studio. So this piece has been sitting on my bench since October just begging to be fixed, without any way of fixing it. So I finally got sick of looking at this "waste" of perfectly good silver sheet. I was determined to do something different with it, like cut it up and use it in a pendant or something else like that. I annealed (softened) it and began to hammer it flat. As I did, t he edges began to ruffle up and I really liked the look of it. So I kept going a little bit further and decided to bend it back into a cuff shape and below is the final result of that. I really like this and it is VERY comfortable to wear. As much as I would like this to be in my personal permanent collection also, I will probably put this one up for sale soon. I need to buy more silver and it would probably be helpful to have some money to do that.
Okay, I will be back shortly with more photos of our trip. Have a Happy 4th of July everyone.
At the Market and BSM
After we dropped Riley off at the school we headed to the local market where everyone buys most of their food. This place was crazy. It had tiny little isles and everything you can imagine. It was filthy, stinky and just plain crazy. The chicken for dinner that night was still alive when we were at the market that afternoon. The Indonesians like their food fresh and you just don't get any fresher than that. In fact, most of them don't even have a fridge and microwaves were unheard of until about a year ago.
These are some of the fruits of Indonesia. This first picture is one of Jim's favorites. I believe the fruit is called Durian or something like that. He said if the fruit isn't ripe it tastes like Kerosene. It sure didn't have a pleasant smell. But i am told that when it is cooked into pastries it tastes wonderful. I didn't ever try any. The fruit is very hard on the outside. In fact, they tie the fruit to the limbs of the tree while it is still growing. They said that if the fruit were to fall on a person below the spikes would easily go through someone's skull. I think I would do everything possible to avoid those trees.
This is another of Jim's favorites. It looks like a strawberry, but nothing like it. It is called snake fruit. The skin looks like the scales of a snake. The skin is hard and tough, but easy to remove from the fruit inside. The fruit is a little bit sweet, but I don't know how to describe the flavor. The texture is more of an apple, but smooth, not juicy.
This was some random guy in the market. He saw me taking pictures and kept saying, "Shoot Me." So I did.
These are Dragon fruit. They are VERY GOOD! In the Mornings, Eli (Jim's sister in law) would make us dragon fruit juice and it was very sweet, pink and just plain yummy.
Bananas and more bananas, oh and a couple of pinapples.
This is one of the entrances to the market. It has the widest isle in the place. You can actually move right here without being stepped on or stepping on someone else.
This was a shop in the market where they sold clothing. There were quite a few of them. You should have seen the ones with all the shoes. I will see if I actually got a picture of those.
This was just outside the market. They have many ways of transportation. You can see the motorcycle....those things outnumber cars at least 10 - 1. They are EVERYWHERE! And they drive wherever they like. There are very few stop signs and signals, and even then they are treated as optional. I am telling you, I have never seen driving like that in my life and it would be the one thing that would keep me from going back. I had to sit behind the driver all the time so I never saw what was coming at us.
Another shot of some of the transportation, including the horse and buggy. I never did get to ride on one of those, but Riley did. They also have what are called baby taxi's. They are these little vans and they stick about 20 people in them. CRAZY!!!! People litterally hang off the sides. Oh, and it isn't uncommon to see a family of four or five on a motorcycle.
After our trip to the market and school we visited a place called Bandung SuperMal (nope, it isn't a typo) They call it BSM for short. It is a HUGE mall that includes a small amusement park. The mall reminds me of Tyson's Corner in Virginia, but with an amuesment park inside. There was a roller coaster, merry-go-round, Swing, canoes, bumper cars, ferris wheel and a few others, plus games galore. The girls had a great time. Here you can see them in the little canoes that they had to paddle along in.
This one shows the swing ride and the coaster going by. You can't see it because of the swings, but Riley, Amelia and I are all on the coaster.
These are actually little rides that the kids can go on. They are so funny.
You can see they also like American food (although it certainly didn't taste American to me.) CFC is the same as our KFC.... although they had those too. You can also see the A&W back there on the left.
This little guy is called a Chi-Choc (Sounds like Chee Chock) They call it this because that is the sound it makes. They are EVERYWHERE, including in the houses. They are good though and eat the flies and misquitoes. I wish he would have eaten a few more in our house. They really liked to snack on Riley and I.
Well, that is the end of Day one in Indonesia. The next post will show some of our trip to Borobudor where there is a HUGE Buddhist Temple that is one of the 7 wonders of the world. It was a 10 hour drive and then after that we made an 8 hour drive to Pangandaran Beach - it was a VERY long day. But full of great things.
These are some of the fruits of Indonesia. This first picture is one of Jim's favorites. I believe the fruit is called Durian or something like that. He said if the fruit isn't ripe it tastes like Kerosene. It sure didn't have a pleasant smell. But i am told that when it is cooked into pastries it tastes wonderful. I didn't ever try any. The fruit is very hard on the outside. In fact, they tie the fruit to the limbs of the tree while it is still growing. They said that if the fruit were to fall on a person below the spikes would easily go through someone's skull. I think I would do everything possible to avoid those trees.
This was some random guy in the market. He saw me taking pictures and kept saying, "Shoot Me." So I did.
These are Dragon fruit. They are VERY GOOD! In the Mornings, Eli (Jim's sister in law) would make us dragon fruit juice and it was very sweet, pink and just plain yummy.
Bananas and more bananas, oh and a couple of pinapples.
This is one of the entrances to the market. It has the widest isle in the place. You can actually move right here without being stepped on or stepping on someone else.
This was a shop in the market where they sold clothing. There were quite a few of them. You should have seen the ones with all the shoes. I will see if I actually got a picture of those.
This was just outside the market. They have many ways of transportation. You can see the motorcycle....those things outnumber cars at least 10 - 1. They are EVERYWHERE! And they drive wherever they like. There are very few stop signs and signals, and even then they are treated as optional. I am telling you, I have never seen driving like that in my life and it would be the one thing that would keep me from going back. I had to sit behind the driver all the time so I never saw what was coming at us.
Another shot of some of the transportation, including the horse and buggy. I never did get to ride on one of those, but Riley did. They also have what are called baby taxi's. They are these little vans and they stick about 20 people in them. CRAZY!!!! People litterally hang off the sides. Oh, and it isn't uncommon to see a family of four or five on a motorcycle.
After our trip to the market and school we visited a place called Bandung SuperMal (nope, it isn't a typo) They call it BSM for short. It is a HUGE mall that includes a small amusement park. The mall reminds me of Tyson's Corner in Virginia, but with an amuesment park inside. There was a roller coaster, merry-go-round, Swing, canoes, bumper cars, ferris wheel and a few others, plus games galore. The girls had a great time. Here you can see them in the little canoes that they had to paddle along in.
This one shows the swing ride and the coaster going by. You can't see it because of the swings, but Riley, Amelia and I are all on the coaster.
These are actually little rides that the kids can go on. They are so funny.
You can see they also like American food (although it certainly didn't taste American to me.) CFC is the same as our KFC.... although they had those too. You can also see the A&W back there on the left.
This little guy is called a Chi-Choc (Sounds like Chee Chock) They call it this because that is the sound it makes. They are EVERYWHERE, including in the houses. They are good though and eat the flies and misquitoes. I wish he would have eaten a few more in our house. They really liked to snack on Riley and I.
Riley's trip to school in Indonesia
We arrived in Indonesia in the evening and then made a 2 1/2 hour drive to my friends home in Bandung. My friend has a daughter that is just younger than my own. They asked that we stop by the school and say hello. They invited Riley to attend all day, but we thought it would be best to let her rest after the long flights. So we stopped by when school had about 2 hours left. Most of these kids have never seen a white person before, let alone one with blonde hair so we really stood out. We were immediately mobbed by the kids. It was kind of funny. Here are some pictures of Riley's first day at school.
This shows the classroom where Amelia attends class. That day the other teacher was sick, so they had two classes meeting in the one. We had taken a VERY large bag of candy, mostly chocolates and licorice. Luckily, I had packed extras.
You can see the kids peaking in through the windows trying to get a look at Riley.
The lady on the Right was the school principal. She only spoke very little English, but she wanted to ask so many quesitons. She was really polite. As we sat in her office, the kids kept trying to peak through the door and windows. It was really funny. The lady on the left was one of the teachers and she had studied a little English so she was able to ask us more questions.
This is a picture of my friend Jim and daughter Riley. This is what the school yard looked like shortly after the kids found out there were white people visiting the school.They asked Riley to stay and she was too nervous to do it. So this picture was just as we were getting ready to leave the school grounds.
There was a vendor at the gates of the school grounds selling a Jello like treat. Jim bought some for Riley so she could try it. It quickly became one of her favorite treats while in Indonesia.
When we left, we walked across the street to a little shop and about 20 kids followed us. They asked that Riley please return with them and attend the last part of school with them. We finally talked Riley into it. Amelia's mom returned with them. Riley said they all kept asking what her name was, where she lived, what kinds of games she liked to play and then asked her to sing them a song. I don't recall which song she sang to them. But she showed them how to play tick-tack-toe.
The little girl below with the sticks is eating this jello substance. It looked really slimey, but the kids all seemed to enjoy it.
Okay, I will post more when I get more pictures resized. After we left Riley at the school, my husband and I went to the local outdoor market. Just wait till you see some of those pictures.
This shows the classroom where Amelia attends class. That day the other teacher was sick, so they had two classes meeting in the one. We had taken a VERY large bag of candy, mostly chocolates and licorice. Luckily, I had packed extras.
You can see the kids peaking in through the windows trying to get a look at Riley.
The lady on the Right was the school principal. She only spoke very little English, but she wanted to ask so many quesitons. She was really polite. As we sat in her office, the kids kept trying to peak through the door and windows. It was really funny. The lady on the left was one of the teachers and she had studied a little English so she was able to ask us more questions.
This is a picture of my friend Jim and daughter Riley. This is what the school yard looked like shortly after the kids found out there were white people visiting the school.They asked Riley to stay and she was too nervous to do it. So this picture was just as we were getting ready to leave the school grounds.
There was a vendor at the gates of the school grounds selling a Jello like treat. Jim bought some for Riley so she could try it. It quickly became one of her favorite treats while in Indonesia.
When we left, we walked across the street to a little shop and about 20 kids followed us. They asked that Riley please return with them and attend the last part of school with them. We finally talked Riley into it. Amelia's mom returned with them. Riley said they all kept asking what her name was, where she lived, what kinds of games she liked to play and then asked her to sing them a song. I don't recall which song she sang to them. But she showed them how to play tick-tack-toe.
The little girl below with the sticks is eating this jello substance. It looked really slimey, but the kids all seemed to enjoy it.
Okay, I will post more when I get more pictures resized. After we left Riley at the school, my husband and I went to the local outdoor market. Just wait till you see some of those pictures.
Update and Pictures from our Trip
Hi everyone,
It has been months since my last update. I have been very busy with the Ohio Jewelry and metal Arts Guild. It has been growing so fast, particularly in the Columbus Region. I wish we had that kind of participation here in the North East. I can't wait until we do.
There is a lot going on both personally and some professionally. First of all, due to a family medical issue I have canceled all of my classes in July. I will reschedule them as soon as I can. I am already working on my August Schedule and will announce that as soon as it is finished.
In Most recent news, my husband, daughter and myself have just returned from a fantastic trip to Indonesia where we visited with a friend of mine. I used to work with my friend Jim while I lived in the DC area. He extended the invite to visit with his family in Indonesia and we decided to take him up on his offer. The trip was fantastic. I am including the first of many pictures in this post. There will be MANY more to follow as I get them edited for posting on the web. Right now the file sizes are HUGE!
These first pictures were taken while we were in Korea during an over night layover on our way to Indonesia. It was a long flight, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.
We had the opportunity to visit a Buddhist Temple while there in Korea. This picture is of a tree that is over 1,300 years old. They call it "Grandpa Tree. " This picture shows my daughter with our "little flat friend, Flat Frannie."
These next two pictures show the bell that is rung twice a day by a Buddhist monk. We didn't see any monks.
This next picture shows my daughter in front of a sign that points to "E-Mart" which is the equivalent to our Wall.Mart.
This last picture shows a really cool "side walk" in front of our hotel.
I will post more pictures soon. Perhaps even today if I can get to them.
It has been months since my last update. I have been very busy with the Ohio Jewelry and metal Arts Guild. It has been growing so fast, particularly in the Columbus Region. I wish we had that kind of participation here in the North East. I can't wait until we do.
There is a lot going on both personally and some professionally. First of all, due to a family medical issue I have canceled all of my classes in July. I will reschedule them as soon as I can. I am already working on my August Schedule and will announce that as soon as it is finished.
In Most recent news, my husband, daughter and myself have just returned from a fantastic trip to Indonesia where we visited with a friend of mine. I used to work with my friend Jim while I lived in the DC area. He extended the invite to visit with his family in Indonesia and we decided to take him up on his offer. The trip was fantastic. I am including the first of many pictures in this post. There will be MANY more to follow as I get them edited for posting on the web. Right now the file sizes are HUGE!
These first pictures were taken while we were in Korea during an over night layover on our way to Indonesia. It was a long flight, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.
We had the opportunity to visit a Buddhist Temple while there in Korea. This picture is of a tree that is over 1,300 years old. They call it "Grandpa Tree. " This picture shows my daughter with our "little flat friend, Flat Frannie."
These next two pictures show the bell that is rung twice a day by a Buddhist monk. We didn't see any monks.
This next picture shows my daughter in front of a sign that points to "E-Mart" which is the equivalent to our Wall.Mart.
This last picture shows a really cool "side walk" in front of our hotel.
I will post more pictures soon. Perhaps even today if I can get to them.
So, what's new?
Just when you think life couldn't get busier, it always seems to do it. The last couple of weeks have been so packed full of events and tasks I haven't had a chance to just sit and relax, let alone update my blog or websites.
There are a lot of really good things going on just now. I am very excited about a few of them in particular. The guild is growing quickly and we have a lot of interest. I have met some wonderful people that have jumped right in and are helping out. I never knew that starting this thing was going to be such a large task, but it has been and what a fun ride it has been so far. We have held two meetings here in the Akron area and our first Columbus meeting is this Wednesday night. I am excited to meet up with some of my friends down there and meet other new people as well.
It looks like we (the guild) will be doing a book fair with Barnes and Noble to help raise funds for a literacy organization called First Book. I will post more information about that soon. There is a lot that still has to be worked out, but it all has to be submitted by next week, so I really will have information soon.
I have been working with both Beads 'N More and Embellish to work on my class schedule. I have my classes now booked with them through June. I will finish up my Norton Schedule here soon and will post all three months classes here and on my website. (www.melissamuir.com)
Some of the classes I have scheduled is Filigree, Wire Wrapping, Resin and textured metals. Here are some of the pictures of the various classes I am currently working on.
What classes are left for this month?
3/26 - Reef Knot Bracelet - Norton
3/27 - Braided Bracelet - Norton
3/28 - Bezel Set Rings - Beads 'N More
3/31 - Creative Ear Wire - Norton
Here are a couple of Early April Class dates:
Beads 'N More: Uniontown, OH
4/2 - Intro to Wire
4/4 am - Wire wrapped Cabochon Pendants
4/4 pm - Wire wrapped paisley (pictured above)
4/16 - Resin pendants (pictured above)
Embellish : Rocky River, OH
4/14 - Intro to Wire
4/14 - Wire Wrapped Paisley
4/16 - Textured Pendants
4/22 - Victorian Earrings
4/29 - Captured Sparkle Pendant
Norton Studio:
4/7 - Filigree Cross - Just in time for Easter. $65
4/9 - Wire Rings $25
4/15 - Open Studio 10:30 am - 2:30 pm - $60
Just because something isn't currently on the schedule doesn't mean it can't be added. If you would like to request a class, please let me know and we will see what we can do to get it on the schedule.
I received an order from a friend this past week for one of my angels and this is what I came up with for her. I hope she likes it.
There are a lot of really good things going on just now. I am very excited about a few of them in particular. The guild is growing quickly and we have a lot of interest. I have met some wonderful people that have jumped right in and are helping out. I never knew that starting this thing was going to be such a large task, but it has been and what a fun ride it has been so far. We have held two meetings here in the Akron area and our first Columbus meeting is this Wednesday night. I am excited to meet up with some of my friends down there and meet other new people as well.
It looks like we (the guild) will be doing a book fair with Barnes and Noble to help raise funds for a literacy organization called First Book. I will post more information about that soon. There is a lot that still has to be worked out, but it all has to be submitted by next week, so I really will have information soon.
I have been working with both Beads 'N More and Embellish to work on my class schedule. I have my classes now booked with them through June. I will finish up my Norton Schedule here soon and will post all three months classes here and on my website. (www.melissamuir.com)
Some of the classes I have scheduled is Filigree, Wire Wrapping, Resin and textured metals. Here are some of the pictures of the various classes I am currently working on.
What classes are left for this month?
3/26 - Reef Knot Bracelet - Norton
3/27 - Braided Bracelet - Norton
3/28 - Bezel Set Rings - Beads 'N More
3/31 - Creative Ear Wire - Norton
Here are a couple of Early April Class dates:
Beads 'N More: Uniontown, OH
4/2 - Intro to Wire
4/4 am - Wire wrapped Cabochon Pendants
4/4 pm - Wire wrapped paisley (pictured above)
4/16 - Resin pendants (pictured above)
Embellish : Rocky River, OH
4/14 - Intro to Wire
4/14 - Wire Wrapped Paisley
4/16 - Textured Pendants
4/22 - Victorian Earrings
4/29 - Captured Sparkle Pendant
Norton Studio:
4/7 - Filigree Cross - Just in time for Easter. $65
4/9 - Wire Rings $25
4/15 - Open Studio 10:30 am - 2:30 pm - $60
Just because something isn't currently on the schedule doesn't mean it can't be added. If you would like to request a class, please let me know and we will see what we can do to get it on the schedule.
I received an order from a friend this past week for one of my angels and this is what I came up with for her. I hope she likes it.
March 2009 Class Schedule
Sorry it took so long to get this posted. Things have been really busy. The guild is up and running and boy is it taking off. I have set up a forum for the guild, although there is very little traffic there just now. I am hoping to get more people using it soon. It all just takes a little bit of time.
I haven't had any time to make any jewelry in such a long time. I am hoping to change that this week. I really need to get into the studio. I am certainly having withdrawals.
I have a lot of really fun classes scheduled this month. To see the full class descriptions and project images please check out my website: www.melissamuir.com/classes.htm
I hope to post more soon.
I haven't had any time to make any jewelry in such a long time. I am hoping to change that this week. I really need to get into the studio. I am certainly having withdrawals.
I have a lot of really fun classes scheduled this month. To see the full class descriptions and project images please check out my website: www.melissamuir.com/classes.htm
I hope to post more soon.
| Location | Date | Time | Class | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Beads 'N More |
3/5 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Soldered Embellishments |
$65 |
Norton |
3/6 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Braided Bracelet |
$60 |
Beads 'N More |
3/7 |
10:30a - 4:30p |
Bezel Set Pendants |
$115 |
Embellish |
3/10 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Forged Bracelets |
$45 |
Norton |
3/11 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Captured Sparkle Pendant |
$45 |
Norton |
3/13 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Soldered Embellishments |
$60 |
Norton |
3/14 |
10:30a - 4:30p |
Basic Soldering |
$105 |
Beads 'N More |
3/17 |
7:00 - 9:00 pm |
Free | |
Norton |
3/17 |
12:00 - 4:00 |
Open Studio** |
$60 |
Beads 'N More |
3/19 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Cone Earrings & Lily Pendant |
$45 |
Norton |
3/21 |
10:30a - 3:30p |
Scroll work Pendant and Earrings |
$85 |
1 Stop Bead Shop |
3/25 |
6:00 - 8:00 pm |
Free | |
Norton |
3/26 |
12:00 - 3:30 |
Open Studio** |
$60 |
Norton |
3/26 |
6:00 - 8:00 pm |
Reef Knot Bracelet |
$50 |
Norton |
3/27 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Braided Bracelet |
$60 |
Beads 'N More |
3/28 |
10:30a - 4:30p |
Bezel Set Rings |
$115 |
Norton |
3/31 |
6:00 - 8:00 pm |
Creative Ear Wires |
$35 |
** Some materials not included. Please see the class description for details.
Payment
must be received in full to guarantee your space. All materials and use
of tools are included in the class fee, unless otherwise noted.
Custom classes available by request. Contact me at: jewelry@melissamuir.com
New piece, New Guild, New Art Jewelry News
Okay, I have seriously dropped the ball on updating my blog. I am sorry about that. Things this month have been absolutely insane. I became an auntie again when my little sister had a beautiful baby girl at the beginning of the month. I went to Texas, where the weather was WONDERFUL, to help her out for about a week. It was so much fun. And I now have a serious case of spring fever.
I did make a piece for her, but I am not sure she likes it that much.
Heck, I am not sure I like it that much. Both she and the baby have
February birthdays, so I put two beautiful amethysts in this one of
her. The small one is for her sweet baby and the larger one is for her.
I stamped the baby's name and birth date on the back, but didn't get a
picture of that part. Sadly, the picture on this one isn't the greatest
either.
New Guild
In other news. After a lot of work and effort, things are now underway for the new Ohio Jewelry and Metal Arts Guild. Our first meeting is in the Norton City Library in Norton, OH on Saturday, February 28th at 10:30 am.
I have started up a website and it can be accessed at: www.ohioJMAG.com. Even better than that, I started up an online forum to go along with the guild. Anyone can join, you don't have to live in Ohio. But more information can be found on the guild website. I am very excited with the enthusiasm of local artists wanting to join and help out.
Art Jewelry News
I adore the people at Art Jewelry magazine. They have been wonderful to work with and they have been very supportive of me and my work. They have also just recently created desktop wallpapers that you can apply to your comptuer desktop. For the initial round of wallpapers they have included my fabulous fine silver chain that was featured in the January 2009 issue. I have it already loaded onto my own desktop. If you would like to see it, please check out their website at: www.artjewelrymag.com/wallpapers
The editor that worked on my articles has written a blog post about it, along with the direction of how to download the images for you to include on your desktop as well.
In other Art Jewelry news, they have asked if they could include one of my pieces in the May 2009 Reader Gallery. So watch for my Victorian Necklace in that issue as well.
Both she and the baby have
February birthdays, so I put two beautiful amethysts in this one of
her. The small one is for her sweet baby and the larger one is for her.
I stamped the baby's name and birth date on the back, but didn't get a
picture of that part. Sadly, the picture on this one isn't the greatest
either.New Guild
In other news. After a lot of work and effort, things are now underway for the new Ohio Jewelry and Metal Arts Guild. Our first meeting is in the Norton City Library in Norton, OH on Saturday, February 28th at 10:30 am.
I have started up a website and it can be accessed at: www.ohioJMAG.com. Even better than that, I started up an online forum to go along with the guild. Anyone can join, you don't have to live in Ohio. But more information can be found on the guild website. I am very excited with the enthusiasm of local artists wanting to join and help out.
Art Jewelry News
I adore the people at Art Jewelry magazine. They have been wonderful to work with and they have been very supportive of me and my work. They have also just recently created desktop wallpapers that you can apply to your comptuer desktop. For the initial round of wallpapers they have included my fabulous fine silver chain that was featured in the January 2009 issue. I have it already loaded onto my own desktop.
If you would like to see it, please check out their website at: www.artjewelrymag.com/wallpapersThe editor that worked on my articles has written a blog post about it, along with the direction of how to download the images for you to include on your desktop as well.
In other Art Jewelry news, they have asked if they could include one of my pieces in the May 2009 Reader Gallery. So watch for my Victorian Necklace in that issue as well.
Snow Storm in Ohio = Great time in the studio
Okay, so we totally got hit with SNOW!!!! I am so tired of shoveling that stupid white stuff. I now have mounds of snow over 4 feet tall in my front yard. I am getting really good at throwing the snow over them too. I had to shovel my walks three times today. I hope you are all staying warm and safe this weekend. I know there were quite a few places affected by the storm. I will take pictures of the place tomorrow and you can see what I mean. I totally want a snow blower. HAHA
So what do you do when you get a foot of snow? Well, this is what I did. Not all of these were made today. Some of them were made yesterday.
Okay, here are some pieces from me. It has been a while huh?
This first one was made for a challenge on one of my jewelry forums. We were challenged to use 10 gauge wire in our design. So in this one, all the silver started as 10 gauge.... and that is THICK! I hand pierced the copper with a jewelers saw. It is fun. I only broke one blade. YAY!
This next one is based on another that I had done a long time ago. Everyone liked it so much so I decided to do something similar. This time there is no stone and it is mixed metal.
The next group is one that I made for a friend of mine for a jewelry swap. She likes copper and silver and I was happy to oblige. I hope she likes it.
I am teaching this class next week and wanted to come up with a wire heart with beads... so here it is. This is similar to the one below.
And this is what I did today in between rounds of shoveling over a foot of stinking snow! I DON'T LIKE SNOW! But I am in love with this pendant. The stone is an imitation opal.
As always, I love to hear your comments and suggestions. Stay safe and dry and warm everyone!
HAHASo what do you do when you get a foot of snow? Well, this is what I did. Not all of these were made today. Some of them were made yesterday.
Okay, here are some pieces from me. It has been a while huh?
This first one was made for a challenge on one of my jewelry forums. We were challenged to use 10 gauge wire in our design. So in this one, all the silver started as 10 gauge.... and that is THICK! I hand pierced the copper with a jewelers saw. It is fun. I only broke one blade. YAY!
This next one is based on another that I had done a long time ago. Everyone liked it so much so I decided to do something similar. This time there is no stone and it is mixed metal.
The next group is one that I made for a friend of mine for a jewelry swap. She likes copper and silver and I was happy to oblige. I hope she likes it.
I am teaching this class next week and wanted to come up with a wire heart with beads... so here it is. This is similar to the one below.
And this is what I did today in between rounds of shoveling over a foot of stinking snow! I DON'T LIKE SNOW! But I am in love with this pendant. The stone is an imitation opal.
As always, I love to hear your comments and suggestions. Stay safe and dry and warm everyone!
A new Angel
This is an angel that I have had in the works since the end of last year. Now that I finally have a torch big enough to handle it, I got to finish it. I still need to make the chain, but I am working on it. As we are snowed in today, this might be the activity of the day. I just spent the last two hours shoveling snow off of my drive way and side walk and it is still snowing. I will take pictures soon. They told us to expect 8 - 10 inches, but I think we only have 4 - 6. I can handle that.
The stone in this one is a beautiful amethyst. I had all sorts of issues while creating this one, but I am fairly happy with the way it has turned out.
I have more pictures of the studio too. I will be posting them on my website: www.melissamuir.com soon. I took pictures of my classroom and I have decorated the studio a bit more since the last time I posted pictures.
I hope you are all safe, dry and warm this weekend.
The stone in this one is a beautiful amethyst. I had all sorts of issues while creating this one, but I am fairly happy with the way it has turned out.
I have more pictures of the studio too. I will be posting them on my website: www.melissamuir.com soon. I took pictures of my classroom and I have decorated the studio a bit more since the last time I posted pictures.
I hope you are all safe, dry and warm this weekend.
2008 - 52 weeks of Jewelry - Image Heavy!
For the past two years I have participated in a challenge called the Year of Jewelry. That is actually the reason this blog was started. Can you believe it has been 2 years already? Anyway, last year I thought it was kind of neat to see how my work progressed throughout the year in one post. I have done it again. 
Of course I have made many more pieces than what is pictured here, this is just what I have submitted for the YOJ challenge.
This last year has been a very big year for my family as we bought a new home, put in a yard, and built a fabulous studio. My classes have picked up and I hope that 2009 continues that trend. I thank all of you that have participated in my classes and supported me with your purchases. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you, your support and business.
I am going to push myself a bit harder this year. That is already one of my goals. I have a very difficult time being creative and I really need to work on it more. My work is nowhere near the level that I would like it to be and I want to get it closer this year. I have already challenged myself to write some tutorials and try a few new techniques. I need to sit down and spend some good quality time with my sketch book as well.
So here is my year in jewelry for 2008. As always, comments and critiques and suggestions are welcome and much appreciated.
Of course I have made many more pieces than what is pictured here, this is just what I have submitted for the YOJ challenge. This last year has been a very big year for my family as we bought a new home, put in a yard, and built a fabulous studio. My classes have picked up and I hope that 2009 continues that trend. I thank all of you that have participated in my classes and supported me with your purchases. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you, your support and business.
I am going to push myself a bit harder this year. That is already one of my goals. I have a very difficult time being creative and I really need to work on it more. My work is nowhere near the level that I would like it to be and I want to get it closer this year. I have already challenged myself to write some tutorials and try a few new techniques. I need to sit down and spend some good quality time with my sketch book as well.
So here is my year in jewelry for 2008.
As always, comments and critiques and suggestions are welcome and much appreciated.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from my family to yours. I hope you all had a wonderful day. I have had a fun and busy day with my family. We started off by opening presents, and get this, my kids let us sleep in until 9:00 am. I wouldn't have dreamed to allow my parents to sleep that late. I am really surprised that my 8 year old allowed us to. Such great children I have been blessed with.
My wonderful parents got me a belt sander for Christmas. I was so excited. That means I can refinish some of my tools, plus I use it to help taper wires when I am not in the mood to hand forge them all. Yes, I do cheat from time to time. One of my good friends gave me the most amazing chainmaille bracelet she had made. Am so lucky to have such good friends. We were showered with great family games, movies and yummy snacks. Of course, I have to drop about 45 pounds in the next 6 months so I will look good for all the pictures I am going to be in when I visit a friend in Indonesia. YAY! I am bound and determined to go swimming with the turtles and other exotic fish, stuff my face with fabulous foods not found in the US and just have an all around good time. So I will have to share all the yummy snacks. Anyone want to come over and help me out?
After a late breakfast, one of my friends and the owner of Beads 'N More, came over and we played with jewelry making for a little bit. We were working on a few projects that we will be teaching this next month. I have a couple of others still in the works in my studio and will hopefully have them finished this week so I can post pictures of them. I did happen to finish a couple of the projects and here they are.
The first piece is for the introduction to soldering. This will be held on January 13th in the Norton Studio and on January 22nd at Beads 'N More. It is very affordable and you will get to try your hand at a simple soldering project. It doesn't have to be exactly like the one pictured, but we will be focusing on the tear drop shape and talking about how to shape it so it looks good every time.
The second pendant is one that we will be doing on February 7th at Beads 'N More. I wish the picture looked as good at the actual piece. The actual piece is shiny and just plain pretty. You will learn all about coiling, joining multiple pieces together with wire and adding various beading embellishments. This opens the door to so many things. They will both be fun classes.
I also had the opportunity to toss around a couple of ideas with Estelle about a fabulous class I am going to offer. I will offer it at the Norton Location for sure and I am almost positive we will offer it at her place as well. I am going to hold a design master class. It will be at least one night and one full day. I still need to work out the particulars on that. But the first night we will discuss design elements, go over some different techniques and then you will be given a challenging project to make. I will provide more information about this soon.
Another thing I have been thinking about is starting a Metalsmiths Guild here in Ohio. I have not been successful in locating one and I think it would be great to have one. I would keep it pretty informal, as I would just be doing this by myself. If you are interested in joining this, please let me know and I will get in touch with you soon about the particulars. If you have any ideas, I would also love to hear about them. I am thinking right now we would meet at least once a month, share a technique or two, give a demo and have time for networking. I would like to get this up and going by February.
Oh, I was looking at a few things on the web tonight and came across this post on the Art Jewelry Website. It is so much fun to find myself in places like this. I found this post about how to ball up the ends of your wire using a torch. They used a blurb from my article and even one of my pictures. The picture, by the way, was taken by my good friend Ellen Hamburg. Thanks Ellen!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and may your new year be a blessed one. Thank you all for making my year a wonderful one. I love to read the comments you leave me. I try to respond to them all. Just click on the comments link under any of the posts and you will be able to read my response to you. It really keeps me going to know that people do actually read my blog. It makes it so much more fun to know that when I post, it will actually be seen and read by other people. I even have 35 subscribers to my blog. I know there are more than that that actually read it, but it is still kind of neat to know that at least 35 of you find my blog worthy enough to actually follow. Thanks so much for that! I do appreciate it!
I will probably have another post to make before the end of the year, but if not, Have a great New Year Everyone!
Such great children I have been blessed with. My wonderful parents got me a belt sander for Christmas. I was so excited. That means I can refinish some of my tools, plus I use it to help taper wires when I am not in the mood to hand forge them all.
Yes, I do cheat from time to time. One of my good friends gave me the most amazing chainmaille bracelet she had made. Am so lucky to have such good friends. We were showered with great family games, movies and yummy snacks. Of course, I have to drop about 45 pounds in the next 6 months so I will look good for all the pictures I am going to be in when I visit a friend in Indonesia. YAY! I am bound and determined to go swimming with the turtles and other exotic fish, stuff my face with fabulous foods not found in the US and just have an all around good time. So I will have to share all the yummy snacks. Anyone want to come over and help me out? After a late breakfast, one of my friends and the owner of Beads 'N More, came over and we played with jewelry making for a little bit. We were working on a few projects that we will be teaching this next month. I have a couple of others still in the works in my studio and will hopefully have them finished this week so I can post pictures of them. I did happen to finish a couple of the projects and here they are.
The first piece is for the introduction to soldering. This will be held on January 13th in the Norton Studio and on January 22nd at Beads 'N More. It is very affordable and you will get to try your hand at a simple soldering project. It doesn't have to be exactly like the one pictured, but we will be focusing on the tear drop shape and talking about how to shape it so it looks good every time.
The second pendant is one that we will be doing on February 7th at Beads 'N More. I wish the picture looked as good at the actual piece. The actual piece is shiny and just plain pretty. You will learn all about coiling, joining multiple pieces together with wire and adding various beading embellishments. This opens the door to so many things. They will both be fun classes.
I also had the opportunity to toss around a couple of ideas with Estelle about a fabulous class I am going to offer. I will offer it at the Norton Location for sure and I am almost positive we will offer it at her place as well. I am going to hold a design master class. It will be at least one night and one full day. I still need to work out the particulars on that. But the first night we will discuss design elements, go over some different techniques and then you will be given a challenging project to make. I will provide more information about this soon.
Another thing I have been thinking about is starting a Metalsmiths Guild here in Ohio. I have not been successful in locating one and I think it would be great to have one. I would keep it pretty informal, as I would just be doing this by myself. If you are interested in joining this, please let me know and I will get in touch with you soon about the particulars. If you have any ideas, I would also love to hear about them. I am thinking right now we would meet at least once a month, share a technique or two, give a demo and have time for networking. I would like to get this up and going by February.
Oh, I was looking at a few things on the web tonight and came across this post on the Art Jewelry Website. It is so much fun to find myself in places like this. I found this post about how to ball up the ends of your wire using a torch. They used a blurb from my article and even one of my pictures. The picture, by the way, was taken by my good friend Ellen Hamburg. Thanks Ellen!
Thanks so much for that! I do appreciate it!I will probably have another post to make before the end of the year, but if not, Have a great New Year Everyone!
January 2009 Schedule and an Angel
Happy Holidays
It is already the end of December. How is it possible that the entire year has gone by already? There have been so many big events this year. I am the proud owner of a new home and even more so, a DREAM STUDIO! I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet so many new people. I have made some of the most wonderful friends. Just today a friend invited us to spend the day with them on Christmas. I must admit, I really miss my family and am getting tired of the lonely holidays. This year my husband is working on Christmas eve and day so it will be nice to have a place to go and hang out with some friends.I do hope that whatever holiday you are celebrating this time of year, it is a wonderful one. I know times are really hard for most everyone this year. It is certainly a scary time in our economy and in the world really. May you each find peace, even if only for a couple of hours.
I made an angel earlier this week. I love this one. She is made with a tear drop carnelian bead. She is a bit larger, but still very pretty.
January 2009 Jewelry Making Class Schedule
have also published my January 2009 Jewelry Making Class Schedule. I will post it below, but you can see some of the class examples and descriptions at my website: http://www.melissamuir.com/classes.htm| Location | Date | Time | Class | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Embellish |
1/6 |
6:30 - 8:30 pm |
Intro to Wire Wrapped Jewelry |
$30 |
Norton |
1/8 |
6:00 - 8:00 pm |
Intro to Jewelry - Bracelet |
$25 |
Norton |
1/9 |
12:00 - 4:00 pm |
Open Studio** |
$60 |
Norton |
1/9 |
6:00 - 8:00 pm |
Wrapped Beads - Bracelet |
$25 |
Norton |
1/13 |
6:00 - 9:00 |
Intro to Soldering - Pendant |
$35 |
Norton |
1/14 |
6:00 - 8:30 pm |
Victorian Earrings |
$45 |
Beads'N More |
1/15 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Cold Connections - Metal Beads |
$45 |
Embellish |
1/16 |
6:30 - 8:30 pm |
Intro to Wire Wrapped Jewelry |
$30 |
Embellish |
1/19 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Wire Wrapped Pendants |
$65 |
Beads'N More
|
1/22 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Intro to Soldering - Pendant |
$35 |
Norton |
1/23 |
12:00 - 4:00 pm |
Open Studio** |
$60 |
Norton |
1/23 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Intro to Forging - Bracelet & Leaf |
$55 |
Norton |
1/24 |
10:30 - 4:30 pm |
Mixed Media Necklace | $85 |
Norton |
1/28 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Wire Wrapped Pendants |
$65 |
Norton |
1/29 |
6:00 - 8:00 pm |
Intro to Wire Rings |
$25 |
Norton |
1/30 |
6:00 - 9:00 pm |
Crochet Fine Silver Floating Necklace** |
$65 |
Beads'N More |
1/31 |
10:30 - 4:30 pm |
Basic Soldering |
$105 |
** Some materials not included. Please see the class description for details.
Payment
must be received in full to guarantee your space. All materials and use
of tools are included in the class fee, unless otherwise noted.
Custom classes available by request. Contact me at: jewelry@melissamuir.com
Stay warm everyone. Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year! I hope it is a good one for all of us.
What my daughter thinks of me
I visited Riley's school today as she was doing a presentation on Brazil in her class. My younger brother spent 2 years there doing missionary work not too long ago and had sent some fun items for the kids to see. After the report, and while Riley was handing out Brazilian candy to the other children the teacher talked with me about some of my jewelry. She also asked if I had seen the little project Riley had just completed and was sent home with. It was a turkey that she had decorated beautifully. She also wrote about "the job for her" when she grows up. I must admit I didn't look too closely at the turkey and I have learned a huge lesson today. I really need to pay much closer attention to the finer details in Riley's work.
Riley not only decorated the tail of the turkey beautifully, but she had decked this turkey out to the nines! This turkey is wearing a wonderful necklace, earrings and in her hands are PLIERS!!! The turkey is making another necklace.
I did happen to find the little report they wrote sitting on the kitchen table this morning and read it just after she had gone to school. It is always amazing to me that my children love me as much as they do with all of my shortcomings, including a sometimes short temper. This little report of hers shows me exactly what my precious daughter really thinks of me. I know I have said this before and I cannot say it enough, I truly am the luckiest girl in the world! I have been blessed in so many areas of my life, but the best blessing I could ever have is the man I married and the wonderful children that have been born into my sweet family.
I LOVE YOU RILEY! I always have and I always will, even when we are upset with eachother.
The small report reads:
When I grow up I want to make jewelry like my mom.
She makes pretty necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings.
I like the jewelry my mom makes.
It is so pretty.
I think that is the job for me!
If I think it is hard, it will get easier the more I do it.
You need to know how to bend, clank, fit-fit and bead to make jewelry.
I enjoy doing this and I want to make beautiful jewelry for people.
Riley not only decorated the tail of the turkey beautifully, but she had decked this turkey out to the nines! This turkey is wearing a wonderful necklace, earrings and in her hands are PLIERS!!! The turkey is making another necklace.
I did happen to find the little report they wrote sitting on the kitchen table this morning and read it just after she had gone to school. It is always amazing to me that my children love me as much as they do with all of my shortcomings, including a sometimes short temper. This little report of hers shows me exactly what my precious daughter really thinks of me. I know I have said this before and I cannot say it enough, I truly am the luckiest girl in the world! I have been blessed in so many areas of my life, but the best blessing I could ever have is the man I married and the wonderful children that have been born into my sweet family.
I LOVE YOU RILEY! I always have and I always will, even when we are upset with eachother.
The small report reads:
When I grow up I want to make jewelry like my mom.
She makes pretty necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings.
I like the jewelry my mom makes.
It is so pretty.
I think that is the job for me!
If I think it is hard, it will get easier the more I do it.
You need to know how to bend, clank, fit-fit and bead to make jewelry.
I enjoy doing this and I want to make beautiful jewelry for people.
Art Jewelry Magazine - January
Dang, I am so behind with some of my posts. As you may already know I had another piece in the latest Art Jewelry magazine. The January issue hit the stands the first of this month. I am very excited to be featured once again and the editors have done an amazing job with the layout. I love everything they have done. They added some wonderful illustrations to help convey my steps and instructions.
I was even very happy to see that my piece is on the front cover. It isn't the main piece, but Hey, I can still say that I have a piece on the front cover of Art Jewelry Magazine. Not too many people get to say that. I have my copies on order and they should be here any day now. If anyone is interested in a copy please let me know.
Here are a couple of pictures from the magazine. Let me know what you think if you happen to get a chance to check it out.
I was even very happy to see that my piece is on the front cover. It isn't the main piece, but Hey, I can still say that I have a piece on the front cover of Art Jewelry Magazine. Not too many people get to say that.
I have my copies on order and they should be here any day now. If anyone is interested in a copy please let me know. Here are a couple of pictures from the magazine. Let me know what you think if you happen to get a chance to check it out.
Final Projects
Well, tonight is my last night at the University of Akron. I am kind of happy and kind of sad all at the same time. I have really enjoyed my time there. I have also learned a lot. It has been a very neat experience to be around the amazing talent and creativity that some of the other students have. I have made some really good friends and I really hope that we will keep in touch as they continue their education and begin their careers. It is really too bad that it is so difficult to get good paying jobs in the arts. So much talent and not enough appreciation.
For my final project I wanted to try a few new stone setting techniques. I have recently bought some amazing cut gemstones and am scared to death to use them. So I pulled out some faceted CZ's and played around with various settings. You have already seen my tube setting techniques, if not, just scroll down to my retreat pictures. I even sold one of the pieces at my open house this past weekend. I will miss the piece, but I am so glad that it went to someone who can appreciate it.
My first piece is a prong or basket setting. It isn't at all great and fabulous, but it is my first and I am so stinking proud of this piece.
The next piece is a semi-cold connected piece. The reason I say "semi-cold connected" is because I did solder the bail and I also soldered two stacked rings for the stone to sit in. I didn't want the point on the bottom of the stone to poke through the back. So I created a little seat for it. It is just sitting in the rings and held in place with the mesh screen. The mesh is sandwiched between the layers of copper and silver and the three have been riveted together. The picture doesn't show the stone well, but it is kind of fun to look at it and have the little sparkles peak out and flash from time to time.
The last piece is actually three. I had made these fabulous twisted bracelets in class a few weeks ago. I had tried to solder the ends of them, but my little torches just couldn't handle it. There was too much metal and it was more frustrating than I could bare. I am so happy to inform you all that I am now the proud owner of an acetylene torch. I am in heaven and it works wonderfully. It is amazing I have been able to do as much as I have without it. I am really hoping that I can now take my work to the level I have desired for a long time.
For my final project I wanted to try a few new stone setting techniques. I have recently bought some amazing cut gemstones and am scared to death to use them. So I pulled out some faceted CZ's and played around with various settings. You have already seen my tube setting techniques, if not, just scroll down to my retreat pictures. I even sold one of the pieces at my open house this past weekend.
I will miss the piece, but I am so glad that it went to someone who can appreciate it. My first piece is a prong or basket setting. It isn't at all great and fabulous, but it is my first and I am so stinking proud of this piece.
The next piece is a semi-cold connected piece. The reason I say "semi-cold connected" is because I did solder the bail and I also soldered two stacked rings for the stone to sit in. I didn't want the point on the bottom of the stone to poke through the back. So I created a little seat for it. It is just sitting in the rings and held in place with the mesh screen. The mesh is sandwiched between the layers of copper and silver and the three have been riveted together. The picture doesn't show the stone well, but it is kind of fun to look at it and have the little sparkles peak out and flash from time to time.
The last piece is actually three. I had made these fabulous twisted bracelets in class a few weeks ago. I had tried to solder the ends of them, but my little torches just couldn't handle it. There was too much metal and it was more frustrating than I could bare. I am so happy to inform you all that I am now the proud owner of an acetylene torch. I am in heaven and it works wonderfully. It is amazing I have been able to do as much as I have without it. I am really hoping that I can now take my work to the level I have desired for a long time.