Pretty it isn't

Still experimenting, not just with enamel and technique, but now with "tools" - and I use that word loosely.
Yesterday, I made the above pendant, using my centerpunch to make those bumps. I used two coats of black enamel (actually, my counterenamel) and one coat of red and I quite like the effect.
I figured, it would be better to find another type of tool because that centerpunch really isn't meant to be whacked this hard with a hammer. So, bring on the nails, really big nails, deck nails is what my husband calls them. Perfect! They don't just make bumps, they leave holes if I hit them hard enough and often enough. Case in point, the slightly blurry blue pendant below. Same technique: two coats of black, one of blue, lots of heat.
Then I went for my favorite colors: an opaque light bluish-green topped with a layer of Nile green transparent and lots and lots of heat, so much so that the opaque comes through the transparent. Love that effect, although, it might be time to move on to something else. I mean, how many of the same does one need?Same basic technique, with a dark-grey under white. I was hoping for more distress which I got below .............Now that's what I call overfired. Here I actually used just white, fired like crazy from underneath and then moved the flame to the top. Love, love, love the effect, but really: pretty it isn't.And just to show that I learned something new: the above photo shows that you can zoom with an iPhone. I learned that from a teenager this weekend (should hang out with some of those more often).
Now, I really need to buckle down and work my way through the videos in my online class with Deryn Mentock ......... and study some French. I probably should have scheduled my classes just a little better, oui?

My new favorite book:

A few weeks ago, while surfing the web and looking for links to torch fired enamel, I discovered Barbara Lewis' website - http://paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/.
It's not just a website, there are links to video tutorials, a link to her shop and a link to an online forum - a ning. I'm not much of a joiner (of anything), but I joined the forum and have found it tremendously helpful. Experts and beginners alike, all very willing to share what the know and are discovering, and Barbara herself answers questions very knowledgeably.
As if that wasn't good enough, she's written a book: Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry, which is available from her shop and through Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Torch-Fired-Enamel-Jewelry-Workshop-Painting/dp/1440308861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318523382&sr=8-1). Total eye candy, the kind that makes you want to drop whatever you're doing and go play in your little studio. I don't yet have the right kind of set-up, but I've improvised and it works.
There is a blog tour going on at the moment to promote the book and it includes giveaways of some pretty fantastic prizes. Obviously, I'd love to win, but I get a real kick out of seeing what others are doing with copper and glass powder. So inspiring!
Today's blog tour stop is here: http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2011/10/torch-fired-enamel-virtual-book-tour.html

What's new on my bench?

Nothing finished, just lots of components - and lots of little pots full of enamel powder with test rings on top waiting for a little tag with number and name.

I played some more with overfiring, but I have a feeling neither butane nor propane get hot enough to give me the effects I want. The pictures above and below show the same pendants. The colors just show differently. The purple piece is closer to the picture on top, but everything else is shown truer in the picture on the bottom.
I tried various things here, crackle enamel - I don't think that worked. Although, I was surprised to see the top layer kind of shrinking into puddles, most obvious in the circle pendant in the top picture.

These little discs are the beginnings of a sort of charm bracelet. I'm playing with shades of blue and green opaques with a layer of transparent on top. I can already tell that the combo on top is my favorite - the combination I used makes a lovely turquoise.
I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't keep a kind of journal where I jot down colors used for future reference because I can't for the life of me remember the name of the opaque I used in that piece.

Busy, busy, busy

Today's Monday, that means French class tonight. Yes, I'm trying to re-learn what I used to know. It's an enrichment class, which means no serious homework, no tests, no finals etc. And I am under no illusion that a 3 months class will be enough to get back to where I was many, many years ago when I had taken French for 4 years - with daily classes. But it's fun and I've completely fallen in love with the sound of it - language discs in the car, an online class through the library; all in addition to the one-night-a-week class through the Adult School.
I'm also doing another online class with Deryn Mentock - http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/jewelry_works/. Two months, this time. I signed up in plenty of time. Lots of videos to be watched whenever I want to. I should be able to make perfect jump rings, wrapped loops and clasps when I'm done (if I practice enough). I wonder if one can learn to design, though?
In addition, I am still completely hooked on enameling. There are so many things I want to experiment with. There isn't really the time, though, not right now. But I'll get to it, eventually. Would love to have the set-up Barbara Lewis (http://paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/) uses: MAPP gas and dipping. No tedious cleaning with pickle or copper cleaner and scrubbies. But that's something I can't do in my little studio/converted bedroom; that's something that needs to be done in the garage or a larger studio with ventilation (and no carpet on the floor). Maybe someday?
Right now, it's time to do some yoga, though. And come up with more enameling projects.

Interesting

Gotta love it when your government legislates what you should eat:
http://www.businessinsider.com/denmark-fat-tax-2011-9
I just wonder when that'll happen here.

And how about this one:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/national_world&id=8374727#&cmp=fb-kgo-article-8374727
Two year minimum, huh? Sort of like leasing a car.

Art it isn't ................

................... but it sure is fun - experimenting, that is. Learning new things, playing with that newfound knowledge, trying things.



The above were all made in a class or just after with Anat Silvera - stenciling and stamping. Stamping was easy, stenciling took a little more practice.

The above is stamped. I just happen to have a stamp with artists' signatures.

Everything below is an experiment. I discovered Barbara Lewis' blog and her brandnew book (http://paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/ ) and "ning" - a forum for enamelists to hang out and exchange info, ask questions and learn.

Tried overfiring. Didn't quite work, neither propane nor butane get hot enough. The piece did get hot enough for me to hold my breath, hoping it wouldn't slump and totally melt into the trivet.

These, too, are experiments in overfiring. Here I did try Barbara's method of holding the copper blank, heating it and dipping it into the enamel powder (as opposed to the traditional method). Results are more interesting because, I think, the opaque enamel in the bottom rose to the surface through the transparent. I can't decide whether I like the pendant with the holes or the one with the bumpies (made with centerpunch and hammer) better.
No art, but definitely lots of fun.

A week of high drama

I like my life quiet and uneventful and this past week hasn't been. And it's not over yet - there's still the anniversary of the San Bruno explosion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_San_Bruno_pipeline_explosion) and the 10-year anniversary of 9-11. No link necessary, we all know about that huge tragedy.

The following happened, in no particular order:
My PayPal account was hacked and somebody tried charging something to my bank account. I caught it within minutes and filed a claim for fraudulent charges and everything should be okay. Still, one feels violated.
The plane crash in Russia with a whole hockey team. We are hockey fans and several of the players are familiar. (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/09/07/russia.plane.crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t1).
The neighbor's kid bought himself a pitbull puppy. This family has a rather bad record of pet ownership and, while the son doesn't actually live at home any longer, I don't see this ending well.
The local newspaper published my annual letter yesterday and today we are giving away Henry's old car - just as soon as we can get it started. Sitting in the driveway and not being driven enough isn't doing anything good for the battery. (http://www.henrysmomsmusings.blogspot.com/)
Obviously, not all of these things are bad and not all of them affect us directly, but still ............ it's drama.
Let's hope next week is quieter. I need it.

On my bench today

Work(s) in progress. Wires that have been textured and annealed but not shaped yet. Some that have been shaped and are waiting to be finished.

A pair of copper hoops that needs a bit more polishing.

Silver hoops.

Abacus earrings - a little wonky. My first try. Actually, I seem to specialize in wonky.

And today's finish - Boho Bangles. Not perfect either, but sometimes finished is better than perfect.
The camera and I still haven't made friends again, I used the camera phone for these. Easing in slowly. And I'd better get back into it, I have a huge backlog of photos that need to be worked on.

From the garden

My first attempt at growing onions (and garlic - no picture). Not a great harvest, but not bad. Not much is doing well in the garden this year - weeds don't count. Not sure if it's the cooler than normal summer we've had or the rainy season that lasted longer than usual. But the lettuce is puny, the beans that managed to survive aren't producing as much as they did last year and something ate about half of my bean plants even though I did what I could to protect them. Better luck next year.

What I learned in the last two days

I am taking on online jewelry making class ( http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/jewelry_works/bo.html). We're making earrings, several different types. There are videos to watch, there's a message board to post questions and there's a flickr group for photos of finished eye candy.
I joined late because I didn't find out about the class until it was well on its way and I'm trying hard to catch up. Thankfully, I had most of the supplies - tools and materials.
I've learned during the last couple of weeks:
Copper is a lot softer than sterling. It is much harder to ball the ends of copper wire than sterling wire. And it takes lots longer to work harden copper.
Sterling likes a cooler flame. I have been using the propane torch to ball the copper and used it on the sterling this morning and those balls fell right off into the quench bowl, three times. After that, I turned down the flame and had no more problems. Oh, and those balls shattered completely in the water.
Brass and bronze are much harder to work than either copper and sterling. I pounded those two until my arms hurt and still didn't get to where I wanted to be. I've put them aside for now.
Worm binders from Bass Pro Shop are excellent for storing and organizing wire. We actually made a road trip to one of two Bass Pro Shops in California, quite an interesting trip. Photos are here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150274659593129.328904.708398128&l=f654373a2d&type=1)
Okay, I needed to put that down somewhere before I forget it, but now it's time to go back to hammering and shaping.