Handmade Division's Talk about blog - Feb. Edition - What’s the most romantic piece you’ve ever made and why?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

For this month's installment of the talk about blog - the topic is of course Valentine's related!
The question is:
What’s the most romantic piece you’ve ever made and why?

I am in the fortunate position to have made many many romantic pieces - people often tell me wonderful stories of their loved ones that they are getting engaged or married to. And many 'regular' pieces have amazingly loving stories as well. So really it tends not to be so much about the piece as it is about the people and the story.



I think one of my favorites was Liz - who was traveling to Alaska from New Zealand to meet up with her soon to be fiance who was going to propose to her under the northern lights. Just imagining it was so wonderful - it really stood out in my mind.

and to continue the fun - make sure to checkout the other participants for this month's theme:
Rickson Jewellery
andes cruz
Jewelry by Natsuko
Barbara Donovan

Handmade Division's Talk about blog - Dec. Edition - Where do you aspire to be in 5 years?

This month's installation of Handmade Division's talk about blog is:
Where do you aspire to be in 5 years?

Which is a very interesting question... I used to have very specific goals and long term plans and maybe it is just the mood I am in today (been working on my yoga teacher training midterm), but I really have no idea what will be happening in 5 years and I'm not sure if I have any specific goals.

I think I'd like to have moved within the next 5 years to a little bit larger house with a bit more land and have a studio that is climate controlled (oh how nice that would be for my freezing studio that was 24 degrees yesterday morning).

As far as what I will be doing I have no idea! I'm sure I'll still be making jewelry and most likely still doing wedding rings. Maybe teaching yoga as well. I would like to be more organized in 5 years, perhaps with an assistant that does all my paperwork? Maybe gotten to a place that I can take off all of January and February and travel some place warm. And maybe have a small RV and the ability to take several long vacations through the year. That sounds like a good plan to me!

I am happy where I am now, though I know I will be in a different place in 5 years and expect to be happy there too.

Now for the fun of the talk about blog! Please check out the other participating artists to see where they'd like to be in 5 years:

Andes Cruz
Tess Norberg
Rebekah Timlin Meddles
Jewelry by Natsuko
Bella-Bijou Jewellery
JJ Papke
Tosca Teran
Thomasin Durgin
Lisa Hopkins Design

Handmade Division's Talk about blog - Nov. Edition - Talk about one/some teachers/mentors/masters you'd like to study with

photo via david huang

It is time for this month's installation of one of my street team's - Handmade Division - Talk about Blog. It is similar to the EtsyMetal Blog Carnival. Each month a topic is given and we all write about that topic. It is great fun to see all the different variations of the same topic.

This month's topic is:
Talk about one/some teachers/mentors/masters you'd like to study with.

Initially - I almost didn't even sign up for this b/c my first answer was "I have no idea!" I tend to like to work things out on my own, 'learn the hard way', which I know is silly. I just don't often look around at people's work and really delve in to what they do - and then think I'd like to learn from them. I guess I am more drawn to work of people who do things that are quite different from my work. So the idea of studying with one of these people hasn't necessarily ever been a desire. However... I did think of someone - so it makes this topic much easier!!

When I was in school - the semester before I started the program - the chasing and repousse class was taught. And it wasn't taught again until after I was done. So sad! I did make a few chasing tools - but not having a great idea of what I would be doing with them, it felt kind of pointless. At one point, I asked one of my teachers if they would show me how for an indepth project we were given. Sadly - he told me to go find a book and learn on my own. I had a friend in class show me the basics and played with it a little on my own. Since I was young and in school and learning so many techniques all in a short period of time, I never truly learned how to do it. When I started my own studio there were other things I was interested in more, so once again, it has been put on the back burner. When I went to the SNAG conference in Savannah a few years ago I saw David Huang's work in person and was utterly amazed. I honestly remember very few other people's work! So he is one person I could think of that has mastered a technique I would like to learn one day. And I'd love to see his fabulous solar powered studio!

Make sure to check out the other participating members:

Andes Cruz
Nancy Dale
Tosca Teran
Lisa Hopkins Design
Rickson Jewellery
Sand Fibers
Purified
Emily Watson
Thomasin Durgin
WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear

Handmade Division's Talk about blog - Oct Edition - How did you get to where you are now with your skills?

This month's edition of Handmade Division's talk about blog is: How did you get to where you are now with your skills?

For me, this one is pretty easy!! It somewhat had to do with my skills, but also to do with tools. I particularly loved casting in school and after I got the set up to do my own casting - it all kind of grew from there! Now the majority of my work is cast - all unique castings (no molds) and my entire line of wedding rings is now all cast! so my entire wedding shop is based on that one small decision to get the equipment to be able to cast on my own. The skill was there with the wax and the knowledge of being able to do the casting - and with the right tools it was all possible!!

I guess that was a pretty boring and simple answer - a couple years ago the answer would have been different - but now, it is such a clear and easy answer!

Make sure to check out everyone else's answers to see how they've got skills too! :)

Andes Cruz
Tess Norberg
Jaime Pickering
Purified
Nancy Dale
Jewelry by Natsuko
Sand Fibers
Alice Istanbul
Thomasin Durgin
Susan Moloney
Emily Watson
Tosca Teran
Lisa Hopkins
Tamra Gentry
JJ Papke
Alisa Miller
Mary Spencer

Handmade Division "Talk About" September Edition

Every month, Handmade Division has a 'talk about' group blog event. (it's like a blog carnival if you're familiar with that)

This month's topic is:

Where do you draw your inspirations for creating from?

It's a pretty broad questions, and I guess I have to give a pretty broad answer! Like most artists, I draw inspiration from the world around me, mostly nature based though. I love trees and plants in particular. I also really like insects and have some ideas of insect projects I'd like to do.

I love the cosmos, the stars, nebulas (nebulae?), galaxies, outer space! I find it all really fascinating and easily translatable in to metal.

I've always been slightly interested in the human body, but since starting my yoga teacher training, have become more and more interested and inspired and have some ideas concerning internal systems.

And then on the total flip size, I love architecture and architectural elements. When I have the time to just play around, I am often inspired window shapes, buttresses, brackets, turrets, whatever interesting bits that seem to translate well in to a current stone or metal shape I'm working with... not that I've had the time to do much of that recently.

so the very easy answer - Nature! :)

make sure to check out the other participating members this month!

Andes Cruz
Susan Moloney
Alice Istanbul
Rebekah Meddles (Lunasa Designs Jewelry)
Jewelry by Natsuko
nanotopia
Bella-Bijou Jewellery
ArtJewel Designs
Lisa Hopkins Design
Thomasin Durgin
Abhaya Fibers

Handmade Division "Talk About" August Edition

This month's installment of the talk about blog for Handmade Division "Talk about something you'd like to create, that you maybe don't have the skills or technology to do currently? "

One of the many dreams I have is to design formal evening gowns and jewelry together - a fabulous necklace and designing the neckline around the necklace, that sort of thing. My sewing skills are pretty limited - and well, no sewing machine! ha ha! In theory, teaming up with a clothing designer would work too, but then time becomes more of the constraint. I love the idea of creating really ornate and non-traditional 'fine' jewelry with more of a focus on the metalwork and not so much on using as many diamonds as possible!

I'd also love to forge out an entire bustier of sterling silver, completely contoured to custom fit someone's body. how fun would that be! My skills are a bit on the rusty side of forging and raising, and I'd definitely need some new tools!

Make sure to check out all the other participating members!

Handmade Division "Talk About" May Edition

Our snow leopard team is now Handmade Division!

This month's topic is:
What item do you most treasure made by another artist? ( if there is one) If not, how about what would you *like* to have?

When I read this topic I was really stumped. I've got quite a few pieces that I feel all serve a different purpose and I'm not sure I have ONE that totally stands out. So I decided to pick my most recent acquisition - a fabulous ring from Bill Martin of purifiedart. It was one of those cases where I saw a few he had done on flickr and just totally fell in love. So he made one special in my size and I put it on before I got out of the parking lot of the post office. (picture above) Its utterly fantastic. I think of it as a futuristic or alien artifact. I'm not usually very flashy when it comes to wearing rings, but I do love wearing this one. It totally makes me feel special :) So right now, thats my favorite!

Make sure to check out everyone else's posts!

Andes Cruz - andescruz.wordpress.com
Jewelry by Natsuko - jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com
Tosca - www.nanopod.wordpress.com
Susan Moloney - susarto.blogspot.com
WATTO- www.wattoonline.blogspot.com
Ceeb Wassermann - mettledesignstudio.blogspot.com
Rickson - RicksonArt.blogspot.com
Tamra Gentry - jewelrydesignchronicles.wordpress.com
Purified Art - purifiedart.blogspot.com
Sandfibers - SandFibers – sandfibers.blogspot.com
ArtJewel Designs - artjeweldesigns.blogspot.com
Kerin Rose - kerinrose.blogspot.com
Abhaya Fibers - abhayafibers.blogspot.com

HandMade Division Blog - handmadedivision.wordpress.com