1 and 8 Jewelry Art by Dawn
2 and 5 RioRita
3 and 10 MC Stoneworks
4 and 7 Violetmoon's Corner
6 and 9 Cat's Wire
4/26/2017
Oldies but Goodies - Tribal
Another Wednesday, another Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge - and another post in which I let the picture speak for itself. Enjoy the variety of items from our talented members!
1 and 8 Jewelry Art by Dawn
2 and 5 RioRita
3 and 10 MC Stoneworks
4 and 7 Violetmoon's Corner
6 and 9 Cat's Wire
1 and 8 Jewelry Art by Dawn
2 and 5 RioRita
3 and 10 MC Stoneworks
4 and 7 Violetmoon's Corner
6 and 9 Cat's Wire
4/25/2017
The other craft
Believe it or not, there was a time when 1. you couldn't cross a street here without seeing a yarn store, 2. when I couldn't pass a yarn store without at least checking out the sale items.
It was the 80s and knitting was very en vogue. I had never been a friend of yarn myself, but being surrounded by friends who were avid knitters - those were the days when half the class was knitting during the school lessons - I eventually tried my hand at it, too.
My first attempt was frustrating. Not only did a few of my schoolmates make fun of my color choice, but there was a mistake at the very beginning, too. That combination did it, I tossed the whole project.
I started again when I was in library school, and this time things worked out just fine. I would knit like crazy, mostly sweaters (still have one of those, too, and wear it from time to time), for myself, for others as gift and made even a few custom orders.
I had stacks of knitting magazines, and as mentioned above, I was addicted to yarn that I could afford. I remember one sweater whose sleeve had a stripe of grey at one end because I didn't have enough red left. Some people even complimented me on that thinking I did it on purpose.
And then there were the outlet stores of a few companies not far from here. One of them was just amazing. There was a part of the store with the regular outlet shelves. Much more interesting was the room with the bags. There were leftovers of all kinds. Small bags, mix bags, huge bags. Even I who never handled big crowds well was right in the middle of it. Bags were being tossed around and every, now and then you could hear happy yelling. Ah, good times. Nowadays I would probably have a panic attack.
Then I would suddenly stop and not knit for years. It always came in phases, my last one being after a big surgery when I couldn't sleep much and had too much time on my hands.
You may have noticed that I didn't mention crochet. That's because I didn't crochet. I hadn't liked it as a child in elementary school and that didn't change.
Then I discovered wire crochet. I still can't explain why crocheting with wire was so much more fun than doing it with yarn. So my yarn went into hibernation once again until I finally gave the whole lot away. I thought the addiction was over, and since knitting in general had started to disappear again, there was only one yarn shop left in town, anyway.
Eventually, however, both knitting and crochet came back with a vengeance, and I found myself peeking at yarn again. I don't buy at the mentioned one shop, however, and hardly get to the department store which makes it easier for me to resist. Most of the time at least ...
A post is worthless without pictures.
Here's my latest yarn creation. Not only is this hat crocheted (I didn't find a knitting needle set in the right size at home, so I was brave and went for my biggest crochet hook), but also felted in the washing machine as I happened to stumble upon a few balls of "wash and felt it" yarn. I had never tried it before, had no idea about the size and when I had finished felting, I let my muse take over to make something of it that I could actually wear (meaning I just fiddled here and there without knowing what I did) - and it worked! That is not always necessarily the case with hats for me. Often enough my big head and my hair gets in the way, the hat gets pushed up in the back and over my eyes in the front which is terribly annoying.
My muse did some folding and sewing and more folding and sewing and added some blue pearls and metallic AB seed beads for a small accent in back. You will have to believe me about the fitting part, though. I'm not a selfie taker, you know, and my doll Jo is doing a much better job as manikin even if she could look a little more enthusiastic ;-)
I'm proud - okay, I admit it, I think I was very lucky, especially with the size!
Oh, and I forgot to mention that this post is part of the Jewelry Artisans Community blog carnival. Do you want to know what the other members do beside making jewelry?
Have a look here!
Violetmoon's Corner
Jewelry Art by Dawn
It was the 80s and knitting was very en vogue. I had never been a friend of yarn myself, but being surrounded by friends who were avid knitters - those were the days when half the class was knitting during the school lessons - I eventually tried my hand at it, too.
My first attempt was frustrating. Not only did a few of my schoolmates make fun of my color choice, but there was a mistake at the very beginning, too. That combination did it, I tossed the whole project.
I started again when I was in library school, and this time things worked out just fine. I would knit like crazy, mostly sweaters (still have one of those, too, and wear it from time to time), for myself, for others as gift and made even a few custom orders.
I had stacks of knitting magazines, and as mentioned above, I was addicted to yarn that I could afford. I remember one sweater whose sleeve had a stripe of grey at one end because I didn't have enough red left. Some people even complimented me on that thinking I did it on purpose.
And then there were the outlet stores of a few companies not far from here. One of them was just amazing. There was a part of the store with the regular outlet shelves. Much more interesting was the room with the bags. There were leftovers of all kinds. Small bags, mix bags, huge bags. Even I who never handled big crowds well was right in the middle of it. Bags were being tossed around and every, now and then you could hear happy yelling. Ah, good times. Nowadays I would probably have a panic attack.
Then I would suddenly stop and not knit for years. It always came in phases, my last one being after a big surgery when I couldn't sleep much and had too much time on my hands.
You may have noticed that I didn't mention crochet. That's because I didn't crochet. I hadn't liked it as a child in elementary school and that didn't change.
Then I discovered wire crochet. I still can't explain why crocheting with wire was so much more fun than doing it with yarn. So my yarn went into hibernation once again until I finally gave the whole lot away. I thought the addiction was over, and since knitting in general had started to disappear again, there was only one yarn shop left in town, anyway.
Eventually, however, both knitting and crochet came back with a vengeance, and I found myself peeking at yarn again. I don't buy at the mentioned one shop, however, and hardly get to the department store which makes it easier for me to resist. Most of the time at least ...
A post is worthless without pictures.
Here's my latest yarn creation. Not only is this hat crocheted (I didn't find a knitting needle set in the right size at home, so I was brave and went for my biggest crochet hook), but also felted in the washing machine as I happened to stumble upon a few balls of "wash and felt it" yarn. I had never tried it before, had no idea about the size and when I had finished felting, I let my muse take over to make something of it that I could actually wear (meaning I just fiddled here and there without knowing what I did) - and it worked! That is not always necessarily the case with hats for me. Often enough my big head and my hair gets in the way, the hat gets pushed up in the back and over my eyes in the front which is terribly annoying.
My muse did some folding and sewing and more folding and sewing and added some blue pearls and metallic AB seed beads for a small accent in back. You will have to believe me about the fitting part, though. I'm not a selfie taker, you know, and my doll Jo is doing a much better job as manikin even if she could look a little more enthusiastic ;-)
I'm proud - okay, I admit it, I think I was very lucky, especially with the size!
Oh, and I forgot to mention that this post is part of the Jewelry Artisans Community blog carnival. Do you want to know what the other members do beside making jewelry?
Have a look here!
Violetmoon's Corner
Jewelry Art by Dawn
4/19/2017
Oldies but Goodies - Easter
Easter is over. I hope yours was nice. Our Easter bunny had to wear a raincoat, so most egg hunts were probably done inside this year.
Today's Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge is a small last sum up. We have bunnies, we have pastel colors, we have eggs - and I don't know about you, but I had too much chocolate, and thanks to friendly people there is still more lined up in my kitchen, probably enough to last me until the same time next year (who am I trying to kid here? ;-))!
Now for some calorie-free Easter treats.
1 and 5 Cat's Wire
2 and 8 Violetmoon's Corner
3 and 7 Jewelry Art by Dawn
4 and 6 MC Stoneworks
Today's Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge is a small last sum up. We have bunnies, we have pastel colors, we have eggs - and I don't know about you, but I had too much chocolate, and thanks to friendly people there is still more lined up in my kitchen, probably enough to last me until the same time next year (who am I trying to kid here? ;-))!
Now for some calorie-free Easter treats.
1 and 5 Cat's Wire
2 and 8 Violetmoon's Corner
3 and 7 Jewelry Art by Dawn
4 and 6 MC Stoneworks
4/12/2017
Oldies but goodies - Coral
This week has really been running by me so far, and unfortunately it did its best to be annoying all around.
So please forgive me if I'll skip the background story this time and just give you the latest Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge ;-)
1 and 5 Violetmoon's Corner
2 and 7 Cat's Wire
3 and 4 Jewelry Art by Dawn
6 and 8 MC Stoneworks
So please forgive me if I'll skip the background story this time and just give you the latest Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge ;-)
1 and 5 Violetmoon's Corner
2 and 7 Cat's Wire
3 and 4 Jewelry Art by Dawn
6 and 8 MC Stoneworks
4/05/2017
Oldies but Goodies - Springtime
There's not much to say, I guess you know enough about spring feelings yourself. Colors coming back to nature, that scent in the air, flowers and the promise of a new beginning.
So it's no surprise spring was chosen as topic for the Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge.
Happy spring to all of those on the Northern hemisphere (and the other half, fall is just as nice if you ask me ;-))!
1 MC Stoneworks
2 Violetmoon's Corner
3 Cat's Wire
4 Jewelry Art by Dawn
5 The Crafty Chimp
So it's no surprise spring was chosen as topic for the Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge.
Happy spring to all of those on the Northern hemisphere (and the other half, fall is just as nice if you ask me ;-))!
1 MC Stoneworks
2 Violetmoon's Corner
3 Cat's Wire
4 Jewelry Art by Dawn
5 The Crafty Chimp
3/29/2017
Oldies but Goodies - Fairies
"A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature in European folklore, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural." ~ Wikipedia
I think what image we have in mind when thinking of a fairy is very much influenced by illustrations in children's books, old descriptions or animated movies. Most of us probably think of tiny creatures with wings at first, ethereal looking, that are living in flowers or something like that.
So when I helped out with the topic for the latest Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge and chose "Fairies", members were not sure because they thought they didn't have anything ethereal to show.
Why, however, should a fairy not wear jewelry inspired by nature's shapes, creations or colors?
I think any fairy would like to pick one of these pieces, and as usual there are more to find if you click the link above.
1 and 6 Jewelry Art by Dawn
2 and 5 Violetmoon's Corner
3 and 8 Cat's Wire
4 RioRita
7 MC Stoneworks
I think what image we have in mind when thinking of a fairy is very much influenced by illustrations in children's books, old descriptions or animated movies. Most of us probably think of tiny creatures with wings at first, ethereal looking, that are living in flowers or something like that.
So when I helped out with the topic for the latest Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge and chose "Fairies", members were not sure because they thought they didn't have anything ethereal to show.
Why, however, should a fairy not wear jewelry inspired by nature's shapes, creations or colors?
I think any fairy would like to pick one of these pieces, and as usual there are more to find if you click the link above.
1 and 6 Jewelry Art by Dawn
2 and 5 Violetmoon's Corner
3 and 8 Cat's Wire
4 RioRita
7 MC Stoneworks
3/28/2017
Artist collaborations
The month is coming to an end (and the first quarter of the year with it, time does fly!) which means it's time for another blog carnival at the Jewelry Artisans Community.
Collaborations are not unusual in the creative world, from paintings to books to, you guessed it, jewelry.
You may expect to see some HeatherCats now as inspired by the wonderful paintings of my friend Heather from Essencestudios. That is not the kind of collaboration I want to talk about today, though. Heather didn't originally paint her cats for me to turn them into jewelry. She painted them and after I made the patterns I showed them to her for approval and then turned them into jewelry. (And I know there haven't been any for too long, but something is in planning because I still love the paintings as much as ever)
Let me go back in time a few years instead. Back then we still had our old forum, the Starving Jewelry Artists, and we had the Starving Artists Team on Etsy.
This team collaborated on two occasions, the SATeam Holiday Wrist Candy Giveaways in 2009 and 2010. We had decided on bracelets because for a team whose members were situated all over the world it was the easiest way to make one piece of jewelry together.
Everyone would make a charm in their own style and then we would all send them to one member who assembled the bracelet and took the pictures. I have to admit I'm not sure anymore who it was, so I rather leave out the name instead of telling the wrong one, but she did a great job. The results were beautiful - one topic was "Flowers" and the other "Christmas".
I hope the winners still enjoy their bracelets, they were crafted and assembled with love. Just imagine the variety of techniques that went into them! We had lampworkers, we had wire wrappers, we had beaders, we had silversmiths, and more. I was mostly still wire crocheting at that time.
Of course I have some pictures for you to look at, too, if you are curious now.
You know, I think it would be fun to have a collaboration again. It sure has been a while.
Interested in what the other JAC members have to say? Check it out here.
Jewelry Art by Dawn
Violetmoon's Corner
Collaborations are not unusual in the creative world, from paintings to books to, you guessed it, jewelry.
You may expect to see some HeatherCats now as inspired by the wonderful paintings of my friend Heather from Essencestudios. That is not the kind of collaboration I want to talk about today, though. Heather didn't originally paint her cats for me to turn them into jewelry. She painted them and after I made the patterns I showed them to her for approval and then turned them into jewelry. (And I know there haven't been any for too long, but something is in planning because I still love the paintings as much as ever)
Let me go back in time a few years instead. Back then we still had our old forum, the Starving Jewelry Artists, and we had the Starving Artists Team on Etsy.
This team collaborated on two occasions, the SATeam Holiday Wrist Candy Giveaways in 2009 and 2010. We had decided on bracelets because for a team whose members were situated all over the world it was the easiest way to make one piece of jewelry together.
Everyone would make a charm in their own style and then we would all send them to one member who assembled the bracelet and took the pictures. I have to admit I'm not sure anymore who it was, so I rather leave out the name instead of telling the wrong one, but she did a great job. The results were beautiful - one topic was "Flowers" and the other "Christmas".
I hope the winners still enjoy their bracelets, they were crafted and assembled with love. Just imagine the variety of techniques that went into them! We had lampworkers, we had wire wrappers, we had beaders, we had silversmiths, and more. I was mostly still wire crocheting at that time.
Of course I have some pictures for you to look at, too, if you are curious now.
You know, I think it would be fun to have a collaboration again. It sure has been a while.
Interested in what the other JAC members have to say? Check it out here.
Jewelry Art by Dawn
Violetmoon's Corner
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