"Painting with Fire" and a Chance to Learn for Free!

"Oh, please pick me!!!"   :-)   That's what I'm thinking, and there are probably others of you with the same thought!


For all of us who love to win things... and all of us who would so like to learn a new skill... (count me double!)...


I'm sharing this link I first found on Lori Anderson's blog.

It's an opportunity to win a spot

 in Barbara Lewis' 

"Online Painting with Fire Workshop"  -- an enameling e-course!

As you may recall, one of my goals for this year is to explore the opportunities for making beads and/or jewelry components, decide on one (or more) and begin learning.   In that effort, I just recently checked out "Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry" from my library!    Now I see the very book on Barbara Lewis' page and that she is the author!     So what a great book and what a great opportunity!


Click here to enter!


Best wishes to us all!   Hope ONE of us wins!   


Sharyl
Sharyl's Jewelry

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Freeform peyote bracelet, beaded by Tanya Goodwin 

*If you missed the guest post with Tanya Goodwin on seed beading,... 

click here!  

*If YOU do seed beading, please add a comment to that post!

* * * * * * *

P.S.  New sale this week in 
"Sharyl's Jewelry" studio:

All bracelets are "On Sale Now!"   

Some up to 20% off!

All Bracelets are "On Sale Now!" 
at "Sharyl's Jewelry"

Graphics:

Pick me:  http://www.wpclipart.com/education/kids/students/.cache/student_raising_hand.png

My Holiday Investment

This may surprise you, but I came into a sum of money over the holidays, ... and not one to let things like that sit in my pocket, I immediately invested it.   You might guess I bought beads, but not this time.  No, think bigger and taller.


This time I purchased a high-rise!   I know it seems a bit  out of character for me and you may be shocked by this purchase, but I've really been thinking about it for some time--I just wasn't finding quite what I wanted at quite the right price.   

Now, admittedly, this does appear to have been built in the architectural style of the 1960s--flat roof, everything grey, all divisions pretty much looking alike.   (In honesty, I've checked out those windows, and I don't even think they are real glass!   Feels more like plastic, but probably just as well.  Less breakage.)


But hey, my last name isn't Trump or Hilton or even Holiday Inn, you know what I mean?


So, I made my purchase (actually had to place an order and wait for things to happen--think escrow--but things went very smoothly.)   Once the property was in my hands, I immediately went to work on organizing things, updating, fixing the place up so it's livable.   


Now some people call writing on the wall "graffiti," but librarians call it classification, good sense, and providing direction.   So as you see below, here, the first thing I did was to set out "classifying" the real estate.  Every space was  then labelled.   Signage was applied.

(It really is "scary high," isn't it?!)     I'll give you a more close-up view now, and I think you'll begin to appreciate my purchase.

Horizontal Labels across top:
6 frequently used colors of wire & findings

10 Vertical Labels down left side:
Types of items such as lampwork,
& metal beadcaps, earwires, metal beads, chain,  jumprings, etc.

Already I'm having great fun!   Need brass bead caps?   That would be 3 down-4 across.   How about metal focals in antique silver?   Piece of cake!   5 down-5 across.    At least I haven't applied an alpa-numeric classification system for the items yet!  There's still time though!

Now, lest you think I managed to get all my beads in these 60 apartments, (I mean compartments), I'm using this mostly for metals, and a few of my more precious beads, lampwork, and focals I've recently purchased.   There is still a stacking cart behind my  chair full of divided containers holding glass, gemstone, wood, and other beads of many sizes and colors, and still more supplies on the book shelves next to me.   Another container keeps my rolls of wire in control (and organized by color), while yet another container holds my many, many rolls of ribbon I use on pendants.   (And if any of you still remember this blog entry about "'Making Do'" while you build your jewelry tool collection," I'm still using the utensil carrier for my pliers, wire cutters, and other small hand tools I reach for regularly.)

But my "high rise" has helped me sort, store, and be able to retrieve many items that were getting scattered because they didn't have a home.   Now they do.  What a happy ending!  

I think I would like a card catalog some day.
Not one from the 1960s-70s with the blah-color finish,
 but an older one, stained and varnished, with beautiful wood grain.
It would be nice if the drawers had glass fronts though,
like post office boxes.
I've never seen one like that.
 (And we'd need to remove the metal rod too.)
Then it would be perfect for jewelry supply storage!

So,...  how do you store all your many jewelry-related items?    (I'm sure there are "classier" ways than my hardware store-find, but I would like to thank the good people at my local Ace Hardware in  Shawnee, especially the employee who took time to help me place a special order so I could get one with "lots and lots of tiny drawers" in place of the ones they had on display.  This is just what I needed to get the job done right now!)   

It's good to be back after a brief blogging break last week!  Hope to hear from you soon!   Continued Holiday and New Year wishes!   --Sharyl

P.S.  We've had more people join our blog in the last week!  Our warmest welcome to all!  

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Graphic Credits:

Money bags: http://www.wpclipart.com/money/.cache/bag_of_money.png

Hardware divider:   photos by Sharyl

Card catalog:  http://www.wpclipart.com/education/school/.cache/card_catalog.png

Events Worth Celebrating

My topic today is a little different.  I'd like to bring  attention to a couple of upcoming events I find of importance.  (Of course, I've managed to work jewelry in at the end.  It's not my jewelry, but you can shop if you like!)


Wednesday, Sept. 21st, is the International Day of Peace. I hope you'll take a moment of your day to watch this documentary on how one person started an international movement toward peace:  "Peace One Day."   
It asks the question, "What will you do for peace?"

My answer to the question "What will you do?" is to help spread the word of this day through this medium since it is available to me.  That seems so simple, yet I feel very fortunate to be able to do that freely.  The same Amendment that allows me Freedom of Speech has a connection to the next event...
  

September 24-October 1, 2011 is Banned Books Week.  It exists to celebrate the U.S. First Amendment Rights that give us the Freedom to Read.  For more information on this event, and a list of frequently banned and challenged books, please visit the American Library Association's website, "Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read."   Challenges to having books accessible to the public in library collections have been made on classical literature, children's classics, religious texts, popular fiction, comics, and other genres.  (And I'm speaking about in the last few years.)   Don't be surprised to find a favorite book of yours in these lists.


Regarding jewelry:

• If you are in the mood to shop to support this cause, check out these bracelets sold at the ALA Store featuring banned books.  (I don't know if they are handmade, but they are still very cool!)   
• I also found these library-related jewelry items on Etsy.  Who knew?!  :-)
• To find jewelry with peace as its theme, take a look at this Etsy page.  There are some lovely things!

Thanks so much for listening.   Next time we'll be back to creating our own jewelry and the "CHALLENGE: Designing Jewelry for Special Audiences!"  (**By the way, I'm moving that Sept. 22nd deadline back to Sept. 28th, hoping to give everyone more time to submit your ideas!**)


See you then!  --Sharyl
Sharyl's Jewelry (& Librarian)  --------------------------------

P.S.  While I know she follows many blogs, I'd like to officially welcome Lori Anderson to our group of followers!  It's an honor to have her join us!  Lori is well-known in the jewelry world.  She has several sites including the blogs, "Pretty Things," and "An Artist's Year Off," and her website where she sells her jewelry ("Lori Anderson Designs," ).  She is the author of many articles as well as a forthcoming book.  You can read more about her fascinating life journey on her website.  


As I mentioned recently, Lori organizes the Bead Soup Blog Parties.  Check out the most recent results!  I've got the advertisement for the next party up on the right side of the page, but I'm having trouble linking to the information.  While I work that out, you can link to it from here.   


Thanks again, Lori, and welcome!
--Sharyl
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*Photo Credit:  NASA. "Peace in the Galaxy." 


*Photo Credit:  Stack of banned/challenged books by Sharyl, 9/2011   (Just a few from our family's collection!)


*Visit here to learn more about ALA's stand on Intellectual Freedom.

Learning through Shopping--Types of Beads

As a person who always did my shopping for beads at local stores, I tended to go in, pick out whatever I liked the looks of, make my purchase, and be happy, just with the look and feel of the beads.  I might look over colors, trying to find just the right shade I liked, or pick out a shape I thought would be comfortable for a bracelet.  I would consider what beads would coordinate with other beads in a creation. 

Then customers started asking me what certain minerals certain beads where made of, and asked me to look for certain types of materials--such as natural crystals as opposed to glass crystals. (See "Crystals Delight" entry.) At that point, I had to do some research by getting books from my library, searching online, and visiting with my local bead store staff to learn more.

Most recently, my learning about beads has occurred in the most innocent of ways--I was in a situation where I couldn't go out to shop and decided to order some beads online.   You've been hearing me talk about this over my last several blog entries, but I have to share... 
...a few things I learned along the way.


Glass Crystal:


These are very popular beads.   (Think Swarovski, for example.)   I have used them at times, though  somewhat sparingly, generally preferring the look of ceramic, stone, blown glass, wood, or other types of beads. I tend to use them as accent beads rather than focal points in my jewelry.   

I know from my local bead shops that Chinese glass crystals are gaining in popularity.  Online shopping brought me in touch with Czech glass crystals. 
They can be less expensive than some of the well-known glass crystal providers, but in my experience (and in talking to and reading what others have to say), they can be of good quality and add fine detail to many pieces.   

I found them online for sale in many, many colors and shapes.   
They are typically more rounded (as opposed to bicone beads which are pointed in the middle of the bead), making them much more comfortable for bracelets.  The facets give them a lot of shine and yet they don't look "fake" or "plastic" as some beads do.   (It's a shame to buy glass crystals and have them mistaken for plastic beads!)


Many of the beads I purchased were "Czech Fire Polish Glass Crystal beads." I took a close look at the photos when ordering these.  Some had a richer, higher-quality look to them than others. I trusted my instincts from the photos and was not disappointed.  


When purchasing online, the seller would give the type of bead,  the size in millimeters, the number of beads or length of the strand, and the color.  It took my first order to realize that I needed to have a better concept of what a 4mm bead would be like (quite small), when what I might really want was more like an 8-10mm bead.  It seems like such a "beginner's" mistake, but not one I had to deal with when the beads were right in front of me in the shops!  So no harm done, I'm putting all the beads to use, and now I've learned to estimate the size and to get out a ruler if I'm unsure. 

Czeck Druk: 

Another type of bead I learned about was Czech Druk beads.   They are smooth round beads of pressed glass.   I have shopped for weeks on end to find a shade of red I liked, and  finally found it here.  It's called "Siam."   (These are 4 mm, so at the top of my next order wish-list are Druk beads, color Siam, size 8-10mm!) 

Minerals:

Of course I also bought mineral/stone beads, which I've always loved and used, but seldom bothered to learn the names of.   I'm trying to change that habit by naming them in my posts and on my jewelry labels.  (Like a new resolution I'm already breaking, I won't list all the minerals and colors in this photo, as there are many, especially in the square collection.)   

My last post talked about semi-precious fan bead sets.  These are also minerals, just sliced into multiple lengths (known as "daggers.")   I won't recap that, just include a photo and link back to that entry if you missed it.  

So, lots of beads and lots of learning has been taking place during my shopping trips and online ordering of late.  (See, shopping isn't just for spending money; it can be educational too!)   No matter how I learn, I enjoy a new discovery when it comes to jewelry-making!  

Enjoy!   --Sharyl 

Sharyl's Jewelry.com

P.S. This is the last in the series regarding the "online bead buying experiment."   Fresh new batch of topics coming up next week!   

Hand-crafted Jewelry: The many ways of learning

• A select few people are fortunate enough to learn the art and craft of jewelry-making by being enrolled full-time in university art design programs or attending art institutes. Nothing can quite compare with intensive study with master artisans. 
• Some students enroll in credit classes through local community colleges where they can take one class or many and be instructed by art professors and professionals. 
• Still others attend workshops at community centers and jewelry/craft stores. These also provide wonderful opportunities to learn fine design and jewelry-making skills.

However, if these don’t fit your schedule, budget, or life-plan at the moment, don't give up. 

There are many opportunities to learn!

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1) Your local public library is likely to have many books on jewelry making.   There are books that discuss tools, materials, techniques, jewelry design, and sample ideas.   There are also books on how to start a jewelry business, how to price jewelry, sell and market your items, and tax-related information should starting a business later become an interest.  Most libraries will have a catalog on their website where you can search for items by keyword, subject, title, or author; or you can consult your local librarian for assistance.

                                   

Scrolling and flattening are two wire-working techniques  

that can be found described and illustrated in jewelry-making books.

See more hand-crafted earrings.

2) The Internet can be helpful in many ways:  

• "How-to" websites such as...  http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/beginnerscorner/u/Basics.htm compile information of interest to those just starting to make jewelry. 

• You can search www.google.com or another search engine to find more information on your particular topic of interest.    

• In addition, many publishers and booksellers also advertise their books online, some even showing excerpts from the books.   (Amazon.com is a good source for this.)

a) If you find books advertised that seem interesting, you can see if your library has the books for checkout or if they can borrow copies from other libraries for you through their Interlibrary Loan service.  

b) Of course you can also purchase some of your favorite books from a local or online bookstore if you want a copy to keep, knowing it will be a good, long-term investment for your collection.

• You'll also find "YouTube" on the web—a tremendous free online collection of uploaded videos. Go to www.YouTube.com then type in the topic of interest, such as:   “wire wrapping crystals,” and you will find short videos demonstrating that technique.   Watch one, watch several!

Wire-wrapped quartz crystal necklace.  

See more examples of wire-wrapped crystals & stones.

3) Bead Stores are not only a great place to shop, and to take classes, but also to visit with the knowledgeable staff people who work there.   They can answer all sorts of questions about what materials or wire gauge you might want for a project, how to use certain tools, what stones or crystals you are viewing, and when you might want to save on one product and splurge on another.  

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These are all inexpensive options for getting started learning to make hand-crafted jewelry and continuing to advance your skills.  In addition to fitting any budget, you can do most of them on your own time schedule.   

If you are truly interested, there are many ways to learn!

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My special thanks to:

• The Johnson County Library, KS, for helping me learn much of what I know about jewelry making, the jewelry business, and related topics by providing me ongoing access to a wonderful collection!  Thank you for transferring books from one branch to another, and purchasing or ordering from outside libraries when necessary, so that I could have what I needed to learn and to start and grow my business!  From my local Shawnee branch to the couriers, from Collections to Interlibrary Loan, you have my thanks!

• The staff at Heartland Bead Market in Old Town Lenexa, KS, and The Bead Shop, Overland Park, KS.  You have been helpful and taken the time to look up minerals for me, taught me about types of wire and bracelet stringing materials, how to finish a piece of jewelry so that it looks "finished," helped me select the best materials for projects, and--above all--have always been friendly and kind.   It makes going there a special treat!

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To see more samples of hand-crafted jewelry, please visit Sharyl's Jewelry at www.sharylsjewelry.com.