Frosted Dragonfly. Progress Report 4, Ethereal Bangles Online Class With Kristen Robinson

This is the 4th of 5 bracelets I have made in the Ethereal Bangles online class offered by Kristen Robinson. I've shown 3 previously, 2 in this blog post and 1 in this blog post. You can find out here why I made design changes so that this bangle is not really a bangle :)  Instead, it has an adjustable closure, with the clasp linking into the chain. The pearls and the chain are vintage components.

It's not snowing in Seattle, but it is cold. Thus the name and inspiration for this design...

Joy. Progress Report 3, Ethereal Bangles Online Class with Kristen Robinson

Yes, I am still working on the Ethereal Bangles online class offered by Kristen Robinson. I've completed 4/5 bracelets. I've shown 2 previously, in this blog post.  This is the third, and I wanted to show it this week, since it fits right in with the spirit of the season...

Wishing you joy!

Progress Report 2: Ethereal Bangles Online Class with Kristen Robinson

I am still working on the Ethereal Bangles online class offered by Kristen Robinson. I've completed 4/5 bracelets, and I'm still working on the 5th.

I'll show 2 of the completed designs in this post.

I did not purchase a kit - I worked with my own supplies, and I have not yet got around to making any resin charms, so my bracelets are not exactly like what Kristen taught. I do have all the components for the resin, and one of the things I like about this online learning experience is that I can break the steps down just as small as I need to in order to move forward.  Next step is to identify a spot with a 60 watt lamp for the resin to cure undisturbed for 24 hours.

In the meantime, I used my vintage components to complete the bracelets.

The first one is sterling silver wire, hammered, antiqued, and embellished with silk ribbon and a selection of vintage components from my personal stash and from Bumbershoot Supplies. I haven't worn this one yet, but I can say it looks beautiful on my daughter Emma.

The design for this second bracelet involves a half bangle of antiqued sterling silver, finished with vintage rosary chain and charms.  I had to modify this design.  It turns out that I have really large hands and narrow wrists.  As a teenager, I worked in the local dairy in our town, scooping up ice cream cones in the dairy bar. I can scoop 9 double dip cones in one hand. So I need a large bangle to get over my hand, but then because my wrists are fairly narrow, the bangle sits too low on my hand to be comfortable and for daily function.  So for this design, I incorporated a clasp so I could have the bangle be small enough to sit where I wanted on my wrist, but easily go on and off.  Normally I would antique the clasp and jump rings also, but I decided to try out this design modification first, and so this bracelet is really a prototype. I think I will shorten the length of the silver wire also. This modification works really well for me and I love wearing this bracelet! It feels so light, truly "ethereal".

Progress Report: Ethereal Bangles Online Class with Kristen Robinson

I am part way through the Ethereal Bangles online class offered by Kristen Robinson.

So far, there are several things I love about this class, here's my current favorites list, no particular order.

The tools. 

Turns out I love having new tools.

Sterling silver.

I've been promising myself the opportunity to work with silver and now I am. What a treat!

Making headpins.

I LOVE it. Love watching that molten metal, it's mesmerizing.

Also, I love spending time on something that is just for me.

Kristen is doing a great job breaking down a lot of material into pieces that I can keep up with and can actually accomplish. I am really grateful that Kristen has offered this class in an online format.  Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies are full time family retail businesses. With only Jim and I, and considering that we both homeschool Emma and Eric, there is simply no way I can get to in-person classes of this depth.  I am LOVING being able to do this continuing education, in my home, in my own time. It's fabulous!

Thank you Kristen!

Say it on your wrist

Come on let it rain, let it rain down on me
Let the rain touch my hands, let the rain set me free.

Since finding them, these words from Melissa Etherbridge have really resonated for me. When I took another class this week at Fusion Beads, I knew these would be the words I’d use.

The “Say It on Your Wrist” class with instructor Lindsay (thanks Lindsay!) creates a stamped sterling cuff bracelet. I love using words in my art and I’ve stamped into metal for some time now, separate from jewelry making purposes. It was interesting to apply this technique in a different way, and I learned much, about the character of really, really thick silver wire, antiquing, neat tools for punching holes and for bending metal. Silver is such a beautiful metal to work with. I could totally see wearing a whole stack of these bracelets, each stamped with a different quote, a child’s name, favourite words, inspiration. It was a fun class, and one that Fusion Beads offers regularly, if you are interested.

The lure of molten metal

I took a class last week in something I've always been interested in trying - soldering. Yes, soldering. There's just something about molten metal... Perhaps it began those long evenings decades ago, in the summer job spent partly in the foundry at General Motors.... Liquid, silvery metal, running like a river.

Well. Here's what I ended up with.

The metal really does melt and run silvery. Very cool. Also rather hard to control. I have a lot of respect for artists who incorporate this technique into their work. I don't think you will be seeing soldered items in Bumbershoot Designs too soon, since it would require technique development and right now we are focussed on continuing to load inventory into Designs and to get our Supplies shop open.

However it was a good evening out at Fusion Beads, with a great bunch of folks and fine teacher, thanks Sam! I've been so busy with Bumbershoot Designs, I had almost forgotten how good it is to take an evening off and do something just for fun!

So much fun, I'm going back for another class tonight. More on that later...