Finger Injury

All that protection for nothing! I sliced my thumb today while using a box cutter to get some zip ties off of a bottle of round-up. Boy, that'll teach me to do yard work! It would be cooler if it was a metalworking injury, at least legit. But no, just a dumb old box cutter. I have to say that this does make work a bit more difficult. So a warning to all you enamelists and crafters out there, Beware the Box Cutter! Keep Creating :)

Practicing Safe Grinding

My least favorite part of making a cloisonné piece is the grinding step of the finishing process. This is because I grind each piece by hand with diamond files and sand paper. This is all well and good except I always end up grinding my fingers along with the enameled piece! This makes for raw spots that are quite painful. But yesterday I had a revelation! I used finger tape while grinding and it worked like a charm. The finger tape I used doesn't stick to your skin, just to itself so no sticky fingers afterward. You'd think I would have figured this out a long time ago, but alas we discover things in our own good time. The next upgrade for my grinding process will be a wet belt grinder. They are a bit pricy, so it may be a while. Until next time, Keep Creating :)

Fusing fine silver

Fusing fine silver is part of the job description of any enamelist. I love using Lillian Jones' Blue Fuse (http://store.ornamentea.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=bedizen&Product_Code=BLUEF). This is a great way to add granulation or fuse sheet an wire without needing a scary hot torch. I've been able to use my mapp gas torch this far :) One of these days I'll move to the garage and get a big girl acetylene torch. Keep Creating :)

It All Payed Off!

All the production work I've done for the past month really payed off this weekend!  I participated in three lovely shows and they all went swimmingly.  I am also dropping of inventory to two stores this coming week.  I am so excited to get back to creating in the next months.  Keep Creating :)

Production is a Killer

Tis the season. . . to crank out work! Yes, my friends it is the artists most dreaded time of year, production time.  I shouldn't complain too much, it pays the bills.  But, it's far more fun to be creative :) I am working toward my last weekend of shows and then I have a long break until spring.  I am looking forward to some quality time in my studio and playing with my kiln.  Speaking of which, I went to the Carolina Design and Craftsmen Guild show this weekend and was blown away by the brilliance of leaded enamels.  I am looking forward to using them in my cloisonne pieces.  Here's to paying the bills ;) Keep Creating

I got a Kiln!!!

It looks like it may have been built in 1976 but it works!!!! Also, it's a Paragon.  So should it ever stop working, I can easily find replacement parts.  The best part of it all, I got it for $50!!!!!!

Never fear my torch firing phenoms, this is a way for me to expand my enameling horizons.  As some of you may have discovered already, torch firing enamels has its limitations (size, dimensionality, ect.) With my kiln I can start to create some larger, 3-dimensional pieces.  Though I have this new tool I will still be torch firing a lot of my pieces.  I feel that torch firing is not only quicker, it adds character to the piece. 

Keep Creating :)

Thankful to Live in Raleigh

After today, I really appreciate living in such a FANTASTIC place! There is so much support here for emerging artists.  Today I went to a great lecture series given by the Visual Art Exchange (http://visualartexchange.org) called Business of Being an Artist.  Topics covered included; creating a cohesive series, photographing your work, applying for grants and fellowships and navigating social media.  All the topics covered were very valuable.  There wasn't a moment when I wasn't learning something. 
Back to how great Raleigh is.  There are so many patrons here that are open to buying art and supporting artists.   Galleries are very supportive and willing to work with artists to help them and the artist grow.  There are also many different studio spaces for artists to create (ie http://artspacenc.org) Independent businesses are also willing to consign or purchase art for sale or decoration.  Then there are so many organizations like the VAE and the NC Arts Council that support artists to be able to continue creating and grow their careers. 
I feel very blessed to live in such a supportive area and grateful to those who made all this possible.  Keep Creating :)