Accolades and Appreciation

I've been very honored to have been recognized in very exciting venues recently. The other day Metal Clay Academy (MCA) featured an interview with me in their wonderful newsletter. It was doubly sweet because Lorena Angulo was also profiled. I admire the work and service that MCA does for the metal clay community and being introduced to their readers is very exciting for me. Thanks to Emma Gordon for her great questions and nerve settling attitude. Join the mailing list to get the newsletter and see my feature.

I'm also so thrilled to be included in the SNAG/RAD exhibit at Punch Gallery in Seattle. The Society of North American Goldsmith's is holding their yearly conference in Washington and the exhibition of rings is a fabulous honor for all of the RAD artists. Their were 16,000 rings made for the challenge last year and 365 were chosen for the display. 65 artists are represented in the show and four of my creations are included. Angela Crispin and Lorena Angulo of the metal clay world also have pieces in the exhibit. You can go here to view more photos of the gallery. Many of the artist's tagged their rings, so be sure to get to know all the wonderful people I played with last year.

Many Thanks to the curators - Shannon Conrad, Colleen Baran, Kathryn Cole, Nina Gibson, and Sara Westermark for the wonderful display.  I love the way the rings were grouped and displayed. Thanks goes to Sarah Hood as well for all the auxiliary support, displays and SNAG liaison-ing.

I wasn't able to find my Paintbrush ring, but I'm sure it's hiding somewhere. Wish I were hiding there too. If any of you get to see the rings in person, please let us know just how fantabulous the exhibit is. It's at Punch Gallery until May 29, 2011.

A New Look and a New Website

I guess you can see that something's changed. Paled a bit. Dressed down. Made Under. I'm playing around with a new website that will house all my various cyber spaces in one convenient home base, and I wanted them to all have the same look.  The Gallery and shopping cart will be the last to appear, so please bear with me during my construction process.

The drop and drag template builder I found is wonderful. So easy to use and just as simple as I would have had a web designer create. I found it by just clicking on the link at the very bottom of a site I admired. It pays to look at every nook and cranny online. Now you can find the link at the bottom of my new site! Gotta make you work for something. ;D

I'm open to suggestions - so don't be shy. Tell me what you think so far!

Muse for a Year

Well, Today marks the end of a grand era for me. Today my last Master Muse tutorial was published on Tonya Davidson's blog. It was such an honor to have been asked to participate in this fabulous project. And amazing to have been in the company of my Sister Muses - Donna Penoyer; Patrik Kusek; Ruth Baillie; Anne Mitchell; Vickie Hallmark; Barbara Becker Simon; Angela Crispin; Kelly Russell and Robert Dancik. You can read a bit about all of us here and find links to all the other tutorials here. To date there are 48 fabulous projects online. But there are still a few more in the works from some of the other Muses.

I learn so much from these challenges I take part in. For the Muse project we were given specific materials to work with and often a particular theme to design within. It's exciting to work that way. The restrictions force me to get out of the comfy and familiar design nook in my brain, but the freedom lets me tip toe through the tulips of my imagination!

Photo by Drew Davidson

This past year I taught myself how to drill glass, make an articulated armature, pierce dry clay with a jewelers saw; play with color on metal and use a fired slab of metal clay to fabricate a faux gem.

I'm not done challenging myself though. I still have 36 rings to make and, based on a class project I uploaded to Flickr, have just agreed to design and make a workable perfume bottle by the end of June with some of my online friends. Who knows what other challenging situations will arise in 2012! I hope there are many.

Muse for a Year

Well, Today marks the end of a grand era for me. Today my last Master Muse tutorial was published on Tonya Davidson's blog. It was such an honor to have been asked to participate in this fabulous project. And amazing to have been in the company of my Sister Muses - Donna Penoyer; Patrik Kusek; Ruth Baillie; Anne Mitchell; Vickie Hallmark; Barbara Becker Simon; Angela Crispin; Kelly Russell and Robert Dancik. You can read a bit about all of us here and find links to all the other tutorials here. To date there are 48 fabulous projects online. But there are still a few in the works from some of the other Muses.

I learn so much from these challenges I take part in. For the Muse project we were given specific materials to work with and often a particular theme to design within. It's exciting to work that way. The restrictions force me to get out of the comfy and familiar design nook in my brain, but the freedom lets me tip toe through the tulips of my imagination!

This past year I taught myself how to drill glass, make an articulated armature, piece clay with a jewelers saw; play with color on metal and use a fired slab of metal clay to fabricate a faux gem.

I'm not done challenging myself though. I still have 36 rings to make and based on a class project I uploaded to Flickr, have just agreed to design and make a workable perfume bottle by the end of June with some of my online friends. Who knows what other challenging situations will arise in 2012! I hope there are many.

RAW #16 - Cherry Blossom Time

Cherry Blossom Time. Donation for Japan. In my shop later this afternoon.
Copper, sterling silver, stick pearl bead, lab grown ruby crystal (bought mannnny years ago). Fabricated.

Doesn't seem like this should have taken me all day does it? There were soldering/flow problems, I wanted to attach each element separately to make sure that the placement was correct, there was time in the pickle, and oh yes. There were desperation moments when it seemed like the only relief was time spent with the Pregnant and In Jail ladies on cable.

Chris' Soldering Tool (nail tripod used to hold the platform down)

Lessons Learned:
• If you insist on saving money by using copper as a base, then you MUST spend more money in fuel by using propane/oxy. Not sure it's worth it. :\
• It's really easy to get perfect placement of prongs by sinking them into the solderite board while attaching and drilling holes in the copper to stand them up straight.
• I really DO like flowing the solder on a part before joining. No where near as difficult or fiddly as I've always thought.

• I appreciate all my friends who reminded me that there is a device known as a ring clamp. Makes so many operations so much easier.
• Don't clip and polish the prongs until the stone is in place. These are a tad short and hard to bend over fully.
• Again - "jewelers cement" never hurt anyone. And besides there's only a microscopic amount on the square wire platform that supports the ruby.

I apologize for the massively ugly wad of earthquake putty holding the ring upright.

Weekend Eye Candy - Random Beauty Edition

1. EM Pendant Swap Progress 1, 2. _MG_6160, 3. Mutant B_worn, 4. infantofcats108, 5. Antique Dress Form, 6. Aran Galligan (2), 7. in progress, 8. RAW 1/52 - Abandoned House, 9. Regal Earrings, 10. the paper crown made him feel bettter, 11. Europamarkt in Aachen, Germany, 12. Attic finds!, 13. Handmade pendants, 14. Jim & Connie Grant Celestial Art Glass, 15. melanie bilenker jewelry, 16. Untitled  Created with fd's Flickr Toys

I've been swamped getting ready for Arrowmont on May 1st. Not that that's a good excuse for ignoring my faithful readers. Apologies.

Lesson's Learned Link

I even forgot to post this week's ring. So here it is. Have a lovely weekend everyone. Hope to see some of you in Tennessee!

Weekend Eye Candy - April RAW Edition

1. RAW 4/52 Furl, 2. Ring a Week 11/52, 3. RAW #4,5,6/52 - Chicken for Dinner series, 4. RAW 15/52 -rocking chair - kinetic challenge, 5. RAW52 #15 & TADA365 #98 "Silver butterfly", 6. Ship's Log Pirate Ring 70/365 8/52, 7. RAW 12/52, 8. RAW52 #13, 9. RAW52 13/52, 10. RAW_10-11-12_3-28-2011, 11. www.flickr.com/photos/daniellemillerjewelry/5583632401/in..., 12. RAW 52/12, Kinetic - No Nuke Ring, 13. 11/ 52 Oh Dear, 14. raw 14/52 March Challenge entry, 15. RAW52 #11, 16. RAW 11/52  Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Long time gone. I've missed my sweets! Enjoy.