January Give-Away!!!!

So it is blustery and cold outside and I am warm and toasty inside, working on some new jewelry ideas.  I have finished a prototype and here it is...

 

 

I am now in an ongoing jewelry studio workshop that meets once a week on Tuesdays for three hours.  I have access to an amazing studio space, the tools and materials it contains and help from an experienced metalsmith/jeweler.  I am bouncing-in-my-seat excited about this opportunity!  I spent Tuesday cutting out and soldering small copper houses with the big girl torch and nothing turned into slag!  

 

I wanted to modify this piece that I made in Stephanie Lee's workshop where we used base metals and a hand-held torch...

 

I enameled the copper house and etched it so it has a matte finish.  I attached a gem tintype (this piece only measures about 1 1/4" in height by a little over 3/4" in width) and vintage metal flowers with miniature nuts and bolts.  It will be suspended from a sterling jump ring so you can wear it on a neck wire or chain.

 

So, here is the skinny on how to win:  Leave a comment on this post by midnight, January 22 and you will be entered into the highly sophisticated 5 year-old drawing machine.  But wait, there is more!  If you post about this give-away on your blog (email me to let me know!), you will be entered TWICE more!  If you take a few minutes to do the complicated math, that means you can have your name put in the kitty THREE times!  Disclaimer:  Before you decide to enter, please realize that this is a piece, the first of its kind, where I am still working out the fabrication kinks.  There are spots were the enamel stuck to the kiln trivet, I tightened the bolts too much so that the emulsion on the tintype might flake off, etc.  If you can suck it up and get past these imperfections, then by all means put your name in!

Here is another piece I have started working on.  If you remember, I was enameling some house-shaped frames...I have modified that design and am liking it so far...

 

Here it is after enameling and etching.  I wrote on it with a pencil and will experiment with how to keep the markings and a matte finish.  Through trial and error I found that after firing to set the graphite, etching can still remove it.  Sigh.  And I switched out the image...

 

Oh, and I found these nifty copper numbers and tried enameling them.  Success!  This three looks really stellar on a neck wire or pretty cool on a longer chain.  I drew asterisks with a pencil.  I photographed it next to a gem tintype so you can get an idea of the scale...and because her rosy cheeks looked so pretty up next to the robin's egg blue!

   

And in my spare time (hah!) I am taking DJ Pettitt's Memories and Manipulations online digital workshop.  Here is my first exercise...I call it "The @#$@% Bird Exercise" as I banged my head against my computer quite a bit as I worked on it...it looks deceptively simple, doesn't it?

 

Off to eat lunch before meeting with a retail store owner here in town who is interested in carrying my work.  I will let you know how it goes!
 
  
 

Comments

[Lisa K Rosenstein]

Hi Stephanie, I was researching the one-of-a-kind show and sale for a possible venue and found your site.
Love, your creations!
Lisa K Rosenstein
Washington, DC

[Joan Prall]

What a beautiful piece! This really inspires me. Thank you for sharing your work!

[Denise Petersen]

I love the enameled houses. They are so sweet. Are you going to do a retreat and teach us all how to make these beautiful shrines? Let me know I would sign up. Denise

[Cindy Eagan]

Oh, this is so pretty!! Thanks for sharing!!
Cindy

[OPALE]

Gorgeous

[lisa crofts]

wow love the photos great artwork.

[Moriah Betterly]

Gorgeous! Please add my name to the hat...

[Teresa McFayden]

So lovely!!! LOVE your necklace! Want to win it!! :)

[Lynda Stone]

Well, I probably missed the give-away deadline but just had to comment on your beautiful work... it's so inspirational to see someone take what they've learned from a workshop and give it their own spin!
Love it!
Lynda

[rhonda]

Great blog giveaway! These enamel pieces are fabulous! Cheers!

[Teresa]

Love the enamel - this is a beautiful piece.

[Trudi Carter]

I just finished reading a poem by David Whyte called House of Belonging and then ended up on your site staring at these wonderful little enamel houses. I have just one word for it - Fate.

[Emanda]

I so love little houses, may I please have this one? Please put my name in the hat for the drawing.

Emanda
ArtemisiaStudio.blogspot.com

[Susan]

Your work is amazing!

[Greta]

OH MY GOSH IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND i LOVE THE 3!!!

[Danielle]

So pretty! How I would love to try this technique!

[Jules]

I posted your giveaway here: http://julieryjones.blogspot.com/2010/01/gorgeous-give-away-from-stephanie.html

[Barb Thomas]

Oh my goodness! What wonderful art and eye-candy there is on your blog! I am glad I visited and intend to do so from now on.
And...how I would love to hold that gorgeous pendant in my hands! vbg

[www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkaulblNH1VDl9juFQAsmLZ5AS98dGfkWY]

Gorgeous! Oh---Random number generator...please pick me :)

[Robin]

WOWOWOWOWOW!! What a magnificent technique you're developing! I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

[Greer]

What a great piece and thanks for the chance to win it. Count me in!

[Pattie]

OYE,

I nearly missed the chance for this awesome piece. Thanks to our girlfriend Deryn I'm going to try to squeek under the deadline wire!!

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

[Karen Burns]

OH, love your work! I am taking DJs PhotoShop class too!

[Lisa Clark]

Beautiful work!!! Hope I win!!!

[sandra]

what a pretty piece! i found your blog by way of deryn mentock's blog.
thanks for the oppourtunity