What's your Mother getting for Mother's Day?
Mine is getting the silver heart ring in this picture.
Here's another one, size 7, available in my Etsy shop that could go to your Mother. Or buy it for yourself!
I know I like to pick out my own presents. I don't want to be surprised. I just want what I want.
Hey, if you do buy it for your mother, put a note in the "message to seller" letting me know if you need it shipped to a different address or if you need a gift card enclosed.
I've been working on a branch theme in the shop.
Here are some tree shelf brackets in progress. They are about 2 ft high and 1 ft deep, for the shelf. I designed them without a continuous backplate, so that you can see tree before bracket.
I've worked on them since I took the photos. They are now ready for the final clean-up, patina, burnishing and sealing. I'll take pictures again before they ship out.
Then I went completely small scale to make some twiggy copper rings. The rings are adjustable, a few for the pinky fingers and the others could fit anywhere from size 5 to 9, maybe even 10.
In the house, I got around to finishing up some more felt heart ornaments.
I couldn't resist buying more hand dyed roving at the local yarn shop, so you'll definitely be seeing more ornaments.
Here are a few springtime sights around the yard.
Our earliest flowers, a type of windflower
I have a lot of things to show you!
First, the exhibit pieces that are now in my online shop.
Remember "My Heart in December", the piece I did while teaching a workshop in Minnesota?
The Steel Bamboo Leaf Cluster
and the Bear
I am still slowly working on my silver butterflies.
And the marshy piece...
Now you can see how pipe transforms to cattails
I use a fullering tool to pinch in the pipe all the way around. I work my way down the pipe, making what looks like a length of link sausages. I'll break them all apart and weld on round bar above and below the seed pod shape for the stems. I'll be sure to post another photo after they're welded up.
Here are some of the leaves before I form them. The tips are too pointy, so I'll make them more blunt first.
This is going to be a busy week, so keep checking back for more wall art, jewelry, and cattails in-progress.
and ready to list in my online shop... Each photo links to its listing in my shop, so click on the photo for a price and more details.
Everyone's favorite, the Green Man!
This is the most expensive of the chasings that I will be listing. It is also the most detailed, most time consuming and most... well.. enchanting.
Oak Leaf Reflection
This piece shows off the best of my skills, with a chasing at the top and the reflected forged bronze leaf hanging from the bottom. I've been making oak leaves for as long as I've been doing chasing and repoussé, oh about 13 years now. The oak leaf chasings are very representative of my work and style.
and The Eagle
one of my favorite subjects this time of year, when the bald eagles are migrating North through Wisconsin's part of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Many of them will stay and nest along the river. There are a few mature eagles that stay all year round.
I'll be listing the bronze heart and steel bear next.
I know. I should have bunnies right now. Instead I have Hearts and another Ginkgo Leaf.
The matching set of heart pendant and earrings are on their way to their new owner.
And here's the back sides of them. They are created completely with chasing and repoussé. You can see the little tool marks on both sides.
Yes, I can create more like this. Yet every single heart will be slightly different, each one unique because I freeform sculpt each one with my little chasing tools and hammers. I don't use a mold or form.
I also finished a sterling silver Gingko Leaf Pendant for my online shop.
Again, every leaf is individually handsawn and hammered out, using no molds or forms. Every one is unique and has its own special magic.
You knew I couldn't stop making hearts once I'd started....
Delicate Hearts
about 1-1/2 inches long, Both already on their way to a new home
Blue Hearts
needlefelted, about 3-1/2 inches or 8.7cm tall and wide
The show is up and beautiful at the Frehner Gallery of the Monroe Arts Center in Monroe Wisconsin! This is the arts center, an historic Methodist church, saved from destruction and transformed into an active Community arts center.
Suzanne, the gallery director, went above and beyond the call of duty to install the show. She did such a fantastic job, using fishing line to hang the work and keeping it perfectly asymmetrical, just the way I envision the pieces hanging in someone's home. Now how often does that happen?
I sold several of my leaf wallpieces right at the opening, pieces similar to what you'd find in the art section of my Etsy shop.
I did steal bits of time in the house to finish up some more wool felt ornaments.
The little acorn is made from vivid green roving and royal blue yarn. It measures about 1 x 1-1/2 inches. The heart is made from wool batting and alpaca locks and measures about 3 x 3 inches at its maximum dimensions. I've got these safely tucked away in my ornament box for next Christmas, but am more and more tempted to sell them.
You might have already noticed this. I've started selling the book Moving Metal: The Art of Chasing and Repoussé
by Adolph Steines in the commercial supplies section of my Etsy shop. This is the book that I recommend most often for medium to large chasing and repoussé work in my workshops. I did not learn from this book, but I still look to it when I need some creative approaches and technical insight for my own work.
I'll be making chasing tool sets again in April. I've got 3 requests already. Please contact me if you'd like to be put on the list of people to notify when the sets are ready.
too many sick days!
means more fiber, and less metal
So here's my heart at the end of February
(This picture got nearly 50 views in 90 minutes on flickr.)
and My first handspun single drying on a handforged hook
I seem to rely on photos more than text to tell my story these days. So here we go again..
First, I have 5 of my copper bracelets for sale right now on Etsy. Next, I am going to make at least 5 for myself. I love seeing them all together on my wrist. Here they are separately, each linked to its sale page.
Zapping over to fiber arts, here is the 2nd trio of embroidered hearts, again not for sale. I have to save something to hand down to my children!
and they are so much fun to make right now. Do you realize that on flickr, my fiberart embroidery pictures get anywhere from 70 to 100+ views, while my metalwork photos average around 15 to 20 views. Hmmmm.... what does that mean?
It's the season for hearts - swirly whirly glorious girly hearts.
Does your beloved has a heart of steel?
Or is that you?
These are small Heart Art objects, available of course in my Etsy Shop. Click on each photo to go directly to the listing.
For the softer side...
I had a request for a line tool, to use for outlining designs. A variety of the line tools could work, but I recommended one about 4mm by less than 1mm, all rounded edges, yet a somewhat sharp tip. I did a little sample to make sure it would move in the way I was describing to the client.
The rounded edges make it more versatile. If you tilt it, just use the corner edge, you can move around curves. You can use it to make a single line, or you can keep pushing the line out to make a wider line. It also leaves a nice texture in the recessed areas. When doing a line, don't lift the tool on and off the metal. Leave it on the metal and let it move as the hammer taps, with your hand guiding its motion.
