Art Unraveled and Arizona

Why do they call it Art UNraveled? I found it to be a perfect place to reconnect and knit together so many of my different interests and enthusiasms. As a jewelry nut I was thrilled to see lots of styles and interpretations of the kind of stuff I love, from Found Object Funk to Haute Steampunk and from gorgeous glass to fabulous fibers to rusted relics. Anyone who follows the mixed media and art jewelry scenes would think they'd died and gone to heaven: there were classes by Keith LoBue, Susan Lenart Kazmer, Richard Salley, Melissa Manley, Thomas Ashman, Laurie Mika, Barbe Saint John, Jane Wynn and more.... these people are my heroes and inspirers, the people whose work I admire so much that I have to work very hard to NOT copy their styles.

The photo shows a selection of the work my students did. These pieces haven't been fired yet, so you don't get to see how fantastic they look when they're finished!

Art Unraveled

My flight to Arizona to teach at Art Unraveled was cancelled! So glad I found another one later in the day. And my Hostess is so gracious... she assured me that my change in plans wasn't going to be a big problem. Whew! Thanks, Deborah!

And here's a bit of eye candy for you: A romantic charm bracelet by my friend Sally, made right here on my kitchen table. We shared charms, stories, and tea. What a delight!


The paper under the bracelet includes pressed ferns from the garden. Remember that you're all invited to come and make paper with me on my deck!

Fused Glass Cabochons

Here's what they look like:

I made these (above).

Guess which ones were made by my students :-)

Make Bells, Not Bullets

Make pie, not war. Turn your swords into plowshares and your helmets into fishbowls. 

Turn bullets into bells into bracelets.

Groovy.

Lace & Button Cuff

I'm not hugely into buttons but I got a ton of them from the company I'm going to do demos for at CHA (Craft & Hobby Association trade show). Once again, I was too lazy to set up the light tent, but you get the idea, right?

She's No Angel

My Winged Steampunk brooch, which I love, is NOT supposed to look like an angel. I hate cute. So there.

Box Latch Necklace

Believe it or not, every piece of this necklace is the same color. It's just a bad photo. Somehow the mica powder on the tiny fortune cookies picked up the light differently. The coins and box latch are all antique brass. I made matching earrings, too.

I made this for our book: Making Mixed Media Art Charms. My coauthor Christine Hansen liked it so it's hers. Uh, as soon as I'm done showing it off  ;D

Junque Jewelry

Does this qualify as Junque? Uh, I'm pretty sure it does.


Polymer clay beads, lightbulb, key, rubber gasket, button...


These are a few of my favorite things.

I Loooove My Doggie!

Making Copies

Remember that guy--the Office Nerd--from SNL? Well, I'm scared of making copies. Really.

I was reading a post by Barbe SaintJohn  http://www.facebook.com/barbesaintjohn about people stealing other artists' designs. It makes me sick. Not just the robbery of intellectual property (and I've had my share of stuff ripped off) but the fact that it can happen so easily. There's no protection. That's pretty scary.

Want to know what I think is even more scary?

I'm worried that I'll inadvertently rip off someone else. I see dozens of great jewelry designs every day. How can I be sure that the piece I'm making isn't merely "inspired by" but actually copied from someone else?

I could easily paralyze myself by over-thinking this, second-guessing myself.

How do other artists handle this? How do you do it? Any advice?