Focus On Life 52 Photos - Week 4 ~ Create Art

The Prompt Sally gave us for week 4 of focus on life 52 photos was "create art"

in Sally's own words-

This week let's CREATE ART! There is no wrong way to be creative! Immerse your self in what you already love to make or take this prompt as the little push to try something completely new! Then show us! 

I decided to go with something completely new. Thanks for the push Sally!



Last Saturday I headed out for St.Pete to check another thing off my bucket list.

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the love affair I have with glass, especially stained glass.

I have in my studio most of the tools required to create stained glass and had fully intended to muddle through on my own to learn the craft, something I have wanted to learn for a VERY long time now, but I am so much better with a little show and tell, so I signed up for a beginner's series of classes at

Grand Central Stained Glass and Graphics.

 Pictured here L-R are the owners, Bradley and Eloyne Erickson,

along with Christi and Dawn, all of whom are glass and jewelry artists and instructors in the studio.  Bradley also operates the fine art graphics end of the business in the adjoining studio space. ( another artist, Ragon is missing from the photo but was  a great help getting me settled in and picking out my glass  in the morning)

My hat is off to all of you for creating such a welcoming atmosphere so conducive to learning and for having the patience to share your wealth of knowledge and skills to make my experience in the class a success.

The studio itself is huge and filled with the most amazing natural light, large worktables at the perfect working height for glass, fantastic music streaming from Pandora and all the supplies and beautiful glass neatly organized around the room, not to mention all the finished works of art hanging in the front windows for inspiration.



 The classes are set up in convenient 2 hour sessions with an hour break in between and so I opted to take all 3 sessions offered on Saturday to save travel time and get as much done as I could since I was short on time.

Each session brought with it a new group of participants at all different stages of working, some beginners like me in each session and others coming in for studio time to work on individual projects of varying degrees, both in stained and fused glass.

One of my tablemates was an ambitious young man working on only his second project of which he chose to recreate his family's crest in glass as a gift for his Father.

I shared with him one of my favorite sayings

 "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing"

 I on the other hand was very grateful once I got started to be working on a suncatcher of manageable size and design for a beginner.  Step by step, each of the instructors guided me and taught me the skills I would need to go on from here and I feel very confident in being able to take what I learned and tackle a more ambitious project myself now too.

Clockwise from top left- all the pieces of glass, cut and fit to the pattern layout, copper taped, initial tacking and soldering to stabilize the piece on both sides and then the final soldering on each side and framed in zinc.

 Bradley was kind enough to send me a copy of the picture he took of me  (which I altered) with my completed piece which he had posted on their facebook page here.

 I couldn't possibly go to St Pete and not stop in and see my dear friend Barbara, her studio and shop, Painting With Fire,  is right across the street from Grand Central Stained Glass and is actually how I originally found it. I was visiting Barbara and Jim last year this time when they were busy with all the renovations and getting ready to open her studio.

As you can tell,I snuck in during my break and surprised her as she was luring some more interested students to the dark side! I had really hoped to visit with her longer but her schedule was pretty full so I'll just have to take another trip out there, go ahead, twist my arm!

The street where all of this is located is Central Avenue and it is an historic district full of wonderful studios and shops and eateries and I would love to wander along when I have more time and see more of the area.





I did manage to squeeze in a delicious lunch at Nitally's Thai Mex Cuisine, right down the street from the studio, some Pad Thai with shrimp and iced tea which arrived in a quart canning jar.  I can't even remember a time when I went to a restaurant alone so that is another new thing for me but it was nice. The restaurant was filled with interesting things to look at and was decorated very bright and cheerfully. I would enjoy coming back here as well, maybe with some friends next time.

Now hop on over to the Studio Sublime and see what everyone else created this week!

Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry Blog Book Tour

Welcome to Day 14 of the Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry Virtual Book Tour!

It was back on April 27th of 2010 that I first met Barbara.

I happened across one of the many Etsy treasuries featuring Barbara's beautiful enameled beads and clicked to find out more.

I found her tutorial in her shop and immediately purchased it, printed it and read it through.

From there I found her blog and Painting With Fire Ning group which I joined on April 28th.

On April 29th I came back and bought the bead pulling station.

I remember writing to Barbara full of excitement over this newfound medium and in so doing found that we had a lot of things in common, one of which was our background in clay.

What initially drew me to this process was it's simplicity and the immediacy of results, the colors and textures you could obtain and the sheer beauty of the finished beads.

I was hooked! Or as Barbara likes to say, I have gone to the dark side!

You can read about my first PWF workshop with Barbara in Oct. of 2010 here and the second one this past July 2011 here.

It was a joy to follow along with her on the road to creating her book and I am thrilled and honored that she invited me to participate in this book tour to celebrate it's release.

Thank you Barbara for your confidence.

Now let's fire it up!

When I first received my copy of the book, knowing that i would be reviewing it for this post, I sat and read it from the beginning as if the process was new to me to see how well it could be followed along for someone who was totally new to the medium.

Barbara has done an excellent job at really starting at the beginning from explaining the process, setting up your studio, sections on tools, tips, techniques ( including etching copper sheet) and basic jewelry skills, terms and basic troubleshooting.  The first page I dog-earred was the one with the drill bits demystified which translates drill bit sizes to wire gauge sizes and mm and inches. Priceless!

There are so many projects in here to get your creative juices flowing but the one that I knew immediately I had to try was the  No Solder Bezel - Of Space and Time.

I followed Barbara's directions for making the domed copper cabochon blank and bezel and ended up with 5 sets to play with in one sitting.

The above shot shows all 5 sets, firescale and all.

I ended up enameling 4 sets, each trying something different.

The top piece has an enameled cab set in a bezel enameled in clear to showcase the copper.

The middle one has an enameled cab set in just a heat patinaed copper bezel.

The bottom one has an etched and antiqued cab set in a bezel enameled with transparent copper.

All of the cabs are enameled in place using the method described in the book.

The 4th piece is also an etched and antiqued domed cab set in an enameled bezel using several layers of opaque and transparent enamels which I used for my completed piece.

There were so many ways I could have gone with this one piece, more organic with leather and silks and other natural elements but in the end I chose to work with copper wire, beads, components and chain along with blue crazy lace agates, carved turquoise beads (which i have been hoarding for just such an occasion) and lampwork rounds by Julsbeads.

While I was working with these bezels so many ideas for filling them came to mind that i know I will be playing with these for some time to come!

Barbara will be doing a no solder bezels workshop at Art and Soul Virginia Beach in March 2012 and you can always check her website for all other upcoming workshops.

Now for the Giveaway!

Barbara is going to be giving away these enameled porcelain beads, yes ceramic beads, (a new way to play with torch fired enamels)  How cool or should I say hot is that?

Here's how to enter-  

1. Leave a comment on this post and become a follower = 1 chance

2. Tweeting, facebook or blogging about the giveaway and leaving a comment at the original Virtual Book Tour Post= 1 additional chance

3. While you're at Barbara's Blog, become a follower or saying that you already are a follower in your comment = 1 additional chance

You can earn up to 3 chances per giveaway. A winner will be selected by 10 p.m. eastern time and announced the following day.

You can check at Barbara's blog or here at mine for the name of the winner.

But wait- there's more!

To thank you for following along, we will have a BONUS PRIZE at the end of the book tour! All of the entries will be included in the drawing for a kit containing all the elements of "Floral Cascade," one of the projects in the book. You'll receive everything you need to make the necklace, including the chain, jump rings, clasp, enamel beads, and head pins!

For a chance to win the Grand Prize - a Torch-Firing Kit (or $110 shopping experience at http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.com/) - please leave a review at Amazon.com by November 24. Remember, leave an honest review... the book must stand on its own.

P.S. Unfortunately, we have to restrict the giveaways to U.S. residents. Winners should contact Barbara with their name and address through her author website: http://www.torchfiredenameljewelry.com/ so that you can receive your prizes!

There are still 3 more days to travel along on this book tour, don't miss any of these great stops!

October 6, Mary Jane Dodd, http://www.mairedodd.blogspot.com/

October 7, Gaea Cannaday, http://www.gaeabeads.blogspot.com/

October 8, Linda Larsen, http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/

October 10, Andrew Thornton, http://www.andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

October 11, Lori Plyler, http://www.waterstonejewelry.blogspot.com/

October 12, Diane Cook, http://www.rosa-josies.blogspot.com/

October 13, Lori Anderson, http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

October 14, LeAnn Weih, http://www.summersstudio.blogspot.com/

October 15, Jen Judd Velasquez, http://www.jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com/

October 17, Melissa Meman, http://www.melissameman.blogspot.com/

October 18, Lisa Crone, http://www.abeadaday.blogspot.com/

October 19, Shannon LeVart, http://www.missficklemediacom.blogspot.com/

October 20, Cindy Wimmer, http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com/

October 21, Laura Twiford, http://www.souvenirsfromlife.blogspot.com/ *you are here*

October 22, Erin Prais-Hintz, http://www.treasures-found.blogspot.com/

October 24, Jennifer Cameron, http://www.glassaddictions.com/

October 25, Sharilyn Miller, http://www.sharilynmiller.blogspot.com/

Thank you for visiting!

*****WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! LISA PETRILLO OF LUCID MOON STUDIOS!!!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU CAN CONTACT BARBARA WITH YOUR SHIPPING INFO.

A BIG THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE WHO STOPPED BY,LEFT A COMMENT AND BECAME A FOLLOWER. DON'T FORGET THERE ARE 3 MORE STOPS AND MORE CHANCES TO WIN PLUS THE BONUS PRIZE DRAWING AT THE END CHOSEN FROM ALL THE COMMENTS!!!

Painting With Fire Blog Book Tour!

Today marks the beginning of the blog book tour to celebrate the release of  Barbara Lewis' new book,  "Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry, a Workshop in Painting With Fire"

All month long, 16 different artists of all persuasions, will  post on their blogs different applications for using the painting with fire methods and host giveaways along with some wonderful giveaways from our host, Barbara. Just look at this lineup!

October 6, Mary Jane Dodd, http://www.mairedodd.blogspot.com/

October 7, Gaea Cannaday, http://www.gaeabeads.blogspot.com/

October 8, Linda Larsen, http://www.objectsandelements.typepad.com/

October 10, Andrew Thornton, http://www.andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

October 11, Lori Plyler, http://www.waterstonejewelry.blogspot.com/

October 12, Diane Cook, http://www.rosa-josies.blogspot.com/

October 13, Lori Anderson, http://http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

October 14, LeAnn Weih, http://www.summersstudio.blogspot.com/

October 15, Jen Judd Velasque, http://www.jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com/

October 17, Melissa Meman, http://www.melissameman.blogspot.com/

October 18, Lisa Crone, http://www.abeadaday.blogspot.com/

October 19, Shannon LeVart, http://www.missficklemediacom.blogspot.com/

October 20, Cindy Wimmer, http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com/

October 21, Laura Twiford, http://www.souvenirsfromlife.blogspot.com/  ***Me***

October 22, Erin Prais-Hintz, http://www.treasures-found.blogspot.com/

October 24, Jennifer Cameron, http://www.glassaddictions.com/

I am so honored that Barbara thought to include me in this wonderful lineup of artists!

You can head on over to Barbara's blog now to start the tour and get all the details for the incredible giveaway's she has planned ! While there you can pick up a signed copy of her book!

Don't forget to mark your calendars and hop back here on the 21st!



I Heart Macro and Enameling

This is a macro shot of my favorite enameled bead that I made yesterday.

It reminds me of a reflecting pool and was made using a few new techniques with powdered and liquid enamels and torch fired.

I stole away a little time and headed out to Annapolis to attend an enameling workshop being given by Barbara Lewis at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts with a great group friends.

This is another example using fired on decals.

Barbara started us off with a quick refresher course before teaching us some new tricks out of her  soon to be released book "Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry, a Workshop in Painting With Fire"

Jenn made a beautiful nature inspired pendant

I got to meet Elizabeth and really enjoyed talking with her, the little time we all had to talk that is.

Melissa and Bette hard at work

Barbara and Wendy at the torches with Anne and Carol sharing in the background.

One of the nicest thing about this group and taking classes with Barbara is the sharing of help and information. Things like "Oh how did you do that, it's beautiful" to "What colors did you use?" or "How do I fix this?" There is plenty of support and encouragement and learning.

Wendy and Belle

Bette was also celebrating a special birthday yesterday so we marked the occassion with cake for our dessert after lunch.

L-R

Anne, Carol, Mike, Bette, Me, Melissa, Jenn, Jim (AKA Mr. PWF),Elizabeth and Barbara.

Not pictured Wendy and Belle.

I miss you all already!

Now head on over to Lori's at Studio waterstone to see who else heart's macro!

 Better yet, join us won't you?



Over The Moon

I am over the moon happy about a workshop that I had the privilege of taking yesterday with Barbara Lewis. 

The day started out early, I left about 6:45 to drive to Annapolis to the Maryland Hall  for the Creative Arts where the workshop was being held. The moon was still up for a good long while as I drove, this was shot from my car.

I met up with several good friends, Anne, Bette and Carol who were also taking the workshop and also got to meet Lori Anderson whose blog I have been following as of late.

The class had been sold out for awhile and with only 10 students it made for a very intimate learning experience. Everything was set up and ready for us when we arrived which was SSoooo nice.  Barbara, shared all her knowledge of torch fired beads and we all got to freely play and experiment with the colors of the enamel rainbow!  Beads, enamels, and any portion of the torch setups were available for purchase so most of us left with an arsenal ready to play once home in our own studios! It was a very relaxing atmosphere and a most enjoyable workshop. Thank You Barbara (and Jim!)