Letters of Adornment

Letters of Adornment: An Online Exhibition of Artful Adornments from the Flickr TADA365 Art Jewelry Group

Using the English language to communicate, an international group of jewelry artists share their work each day. They upload pictures in their Flickr group, TADA365, of their inspirations, works in progress, celebrations and also frustrations.  They support each other with comments, challenge each other when one learns a new technique, teach each other with works in progress and inspire each other with their completed pieces. 

Here, within the same parameters of A through Z, they share their work with you.  Each artist has been given one or more letters of the English alphabet. The interpretation of the letter and what it stands for is their individual vision.

Etsy Metal Project Runway Challenge #4

The Project Runway Challenge: 
The designers were asked to design a day to night outfit for Nina Garcia 

For our EtsyMetal Translation: 

Make a piece of jewelry for Nina. There was a scene where she was going through jewelry at Marie Claire. Also she notes that she likes streamlined, modern looks. Whatever you do, don't bore Nina!

Leaf Stick Pin

I made this 5.5" long twisted fold form leaf stick pin. I enameled the back with several layers of whites and clear and the front with several layers of chartreuse, clear, liquid green and liquid black.
It's torch fired.

X Marks the Spot

Well, I just got back from having a facial at BellaDawna! It was the "Epicurien Enzyme Facial, often described as a non-surgical face lift, this stimulating treatment works wonders for all skin types by improving the skin's clarity, elasticity, texture, circulation and firmness. This facial encourages sluggish skin cells to get to work and the body's ability to metabolize healthy new skin cells." (Quoted from the brochure) 

It was quite amazing and relaxing. It included steam, masks, facial massage, creams, lotions, misting, and a neck, arm, and hand massage! Dawn is quite skilled and experienced. The only thing wrong with it is that it ended! 

After I got home I felt like I should weigh myself because my face felt pounds lighter. I had this deep wrinkle about my left eye that is no longer there, even when I'm wearing my glasses. As a matter of fact, I think my vision is better too!!!

If you live in the area, you should check it out! 

My 'X Marks the Spot' earrings and other selected jewelry are available for purchase there.

Etsy Metal is a group I belong to on Etsy. There are many inspirational challenges to be able to take part in with the group. You may have seen some of the blog carnivals on here, where each month there is a topic and various member will reply to the topic in their blog and then we link our blogs together so readers can get a bigger perspective and we all get to learn more about each other. There is also a monthly theme where members create a piece of jewelry based on the guidelines of the theme. 

Then there is the Project Runway challenge that starts when the show begins its series. EtsyMetal plays along with the challenges and invites others to participate as well. The day after the show airs there is a translation of the challenge on the EM blog. Participants have one week to make a piece and must submit it by midnight of the next Thursday, when the show airs.

From Etsy Metal Project Runway challenge. 

And the Challenge is... 

The designers had to use the clothes they slept in the night before plus one of their bedsheets to create a new look. They also had access to dye and trimmings. 

For our EtsyMetal Translation: 

Since this challenge was all about using what you have in an unexpected way, and since most of us don’t sleep in jewelry, the challenge this week is to make something only from material that is sitting on your bench! If you don’t have a bench or access to your studio, then choose another area like your desk. Since the designers got a sheet, we get some sheet metal. You are welcome to use enhancements like stones from your supplies. But the final piece should be made of a majority of your found pieces if possible

The green skirt is my 'sheet' metal, formed in my dapping block to create folds, enameled bitter green. The waist piece is from a domed copper disk that long ago, I had melted out the middle of, then enameled. The top part is from a copper tube that I had tried to squash and collapse in my vise, also enameled. Interestingly enough the way it collapsed made some nice boobs for the top part of the outfit! Scrap 14 gauge wire holds them together and makes the legs. Some netting I had left over from texturing metal in my rolling mill creates the crinoline underskirt. 

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival - Our Roots

"Our Roots" 
Where we came from. How our families have influenced us. Artists in the family. 



When I think about art in my family, my first thought always goes to my mother, Sophie. She was always doing something artistic ever since I can remember. She made all of my clothes, knitted, crocheted, did needlework, flower arranging, quilting, house decorating, and especially cooking!! She even made her wedding dress and all her bridesmaid dresses. She would water color and do silk painting with me and my friends when she'd come to visit me. The thing that stands out was that she would do all of these things really really well. She never cut corners, she always took the time to do it right. She wasn't an 'artist' she was a 'housewife' starting in the late 1940's. She didn't work outside of the home and the art that she did was simply for art's sake. To make beautiful things.                                                   

My dad is the young fellow in
middle, his father is on the
right. Unfortunately, I couldn't
find the photo of him
and his violin. It's here
somewhere!!

My father, Gus, owned a bar, but he had taken 7 years of voice lessons and played several musical instruments. The one he played best was the violin. He sang 'Come Back To Sorrento' in Italian at all of our weddings. He also appreciated art, we knew this because he would hang our paint-by-number pictures in his garage!








My older sister, Penny, went to college to become a teacher. She never fully delved into creating art, but I see it hanging in the back of her brain. Also, many of those paint-by-number paintings in the garage were hers. Her artistic outlet is her eye for making things beautiful. Particularly in decorating her home. 
Her husband, Bill, likes to listen to music!

My brother, Lou, is a retired Bose salesman, but really an artist. As a matter of fact, he was an art major at Kent State, with his focus on enameling. Hmmm, imagine that! Which I had never even consciously thought about for the first 5 years that I was enameling. These are a couple of enamel pieces he did in college. They are wall pieces, about 18" square. He is currently working on creating sculptural pieces for his garden. His wife, Sue, who had also been an art/fashion major at Kent has also delved into many art venues.

  

Sylvan Music

My husband, Albert, is a guitar builder and singer and is also very much into the art of golf, pool, and poker!

My cousin Linda, paints animals on rocks. That's nice you might think, but it is really way better than nice, she is an amazing artist. Amazing paintings on a humble canvas.

Her brother, Ed, is a woodworker.

 

My other cousin, Sylvia is a nurse, but really a photographer. She has beautiful photos of flowers and portraits of families, but the ones that totally blow me away are her photos of Italy.

 

Sylvia's Flickr Photostream

My cousin-in-law, Gioia, does incredible stain glass work and has been in many shows and won many awards.

Gioia's Website

My oldest son, Julian, is a musician and plays guitar and drums. His band is "The Super Pineapples."


My middle son, Lanny, who is an art major at UC Long Beach has done graffitti, murals, tatoos, and painting. 
                                               

Lanny's Flickr Photostream                    

My youngest son, Perry, doesn't really think of himself as an artist, but he also has the ability to draw pretty well!

I'm pretty sure that I haven't remembered every body and every thing; these are the people I know most about.

To find out the roots of other Etsy Metal members, please check out the following blogs:

1. Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com 
2. Erin Austin - http://metalmusing.blogspot.com 
3. Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/ 
4. Elizabeth Scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog 
5. Inbar Bareket - http://www.inbarbareket.net/ 
6. Cynthia Del Giudice - http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com 
7. 2Roses - http://jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com 
8. Evelyn Markasky - http://markasky.blogspot.com/ 
9. Twigs and Heather - http://twigsandheather.blogspot.com 
10. http://www.artigianojewelbox.com/category/blog 
11. Danielle Miller-Gilliam - http://daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com/
_________________

Artist's Work That Has Influenced My Own

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival - July 11, 2011


The first thought that comes to my mind is Andy Warhol. What I love most about him is the idea that you should be who you are. And... I love 'pop art.' I love movies-particularly B-movies, and TV, and comic books.

Photo Booth Ring

Photo Booth Strip

Photo Booth Box

Pendant of My Mother

 I was inspired by his work to use photo booth pictures and shinky dinks to create narrative jewelry about myself and my family. 

I was a teenager and in my early 20's when things started getting crazy. Pop art, conceptual art..., what is art? It wasn't just visual art that influenced me, but at that time music was very influential and was just turning from 60's, early 70's anti-war, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joni Mitchell to Patti Smith, the Ramones, Elvis Costello. Very edgy, rebellious, questioning everything, I guess you could say maybe a little paranoid! 

Heavy Metal Ring

How I feel that this has affected my more current work is that it is rebelling against high end, finely made work. Not that there is anything wrong with that! It just never fit who I was. My style is the opposite of that with fat welded seams and metal where there should be a stone. I like to think of it as working (wo)man's jewelry, meant to be worn every day.


Please check out where other artistic influences lie by going to these other Etsy Metal sites!!

1. Theresa - http://tkmetalarts.blogspot.com 
2. Kate Jones - http://www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com 
3. Fluxplay Jewellery (Maria Whetman) - http://www.fluxplay.blogspot.com 
4. 2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com 
5. Elizabeth Scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog 
6.Andrea Ring- http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.com 
7. Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/ 
8. Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com 
9. Inbar Bareket http://www.inbarbareket.net 
10. Cynthia Del Giudice: http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com 
11. Evelyn Markasky: http://markasky.blogspot.com/ 
12. AdobeSol - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog 
13. Quercus Silver http://quercussilver.blogspot.com/

No Photos Today

So I got a new camera, Canon Rebel T3i, the latest edition of that series -- cool -- one might think... but after 2 days of trying to figure out why I couldn't open raw format pictures, I found out that my operating system on my mac is too old to use the software that came with the camera that would open the raw files.

Aughhh. Why is everything so difficult!!?!

So my option is to spend another hundred for the upgrade and another 150 to have it installed -- unless, of course I feel comfortable doing the upgrade myself... which of course they made me not feel comfortable doing myself...

...or after talking with Canon support, I found out that the Canon T2i will work on my operating system!! So, I opted for taking my camera back and exchanging it for the T2i, which is almost identical to the T3i, except that it's not the latest edition and will work with my operating system. The view finder doesn't rotate out... I can live with that... and I think the recording features are better... that's ok too! It's also $100 cheaper. So I made the switch today... although the T2i wasn't in stock so they had to order it. It will be in on the 15th.