Bear Chick's Journey

Soldered Collage Pendant Class

2011-11-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

In our warm, dry classroom at Brea Bead Works today, we watched the chilly rain come down while we assembled tiny collages and soldered them between two pieces of glass. When I first signed up, I didn’t know why it was such a long class (noon to 5) but now I realize that to build thoughtful collages and have the time to learn the construction of the pendant, you need to take your time.

Here’s my work space:

Packages of glass on the upper left, cutting board, glue stick, scissors, papers and a copy of a Paris postcard I cut up.

Front of collages:

Back of collages:

Our fabulous teacher, Jennifer Soltero. She’s holding an awesome shadowbox necklace she created! All the BBW teachers are so talented! Marie, who I found out late in the class time, is from my old stomping grounds of Boston, took this picture of us because Jennifer is kinda shy and didn’t want to pose alone :-)

And here are the finished pendants, front:

When I was trying to come up with themes for my collages, reading and Paris came to mind immediately. For the Read project, I printed out the names of my four favorite books and staggered them from line to line for the background. And as I said, I copied a French postcard, both front and back, for the Paris one.

And back:

Jennifer generously brought papers, glitter glue, paints, stamps and stamp pads for us to use. When I saw the dragonflies, I knew that was my third project!

I love the idea of telling stories in such a small format. The real challenge is getting the hang of burnishing the copper tape correctly and soldering. Just like getting to Carnegie Hall, it takes practice, practice, practice. And a new soldering gun, apparently, since mine just wouldn’t work today… Grrrrr… Oh, well, it’s already on order!

So, next up, another metals class just after Christmas. What classes have you all got lined up?

Do What You Love!

Wild Parrots!

2011-11-16T17:38:00.000-08:00

The Husband and I spent part of our last day of vacation at Olde Town Orange. There's an actual traffic circle there and in the center is a placid (if you tune out the cars) little park with a fountain and huge palm and evergreen trees. Sometimes, if you're lucky, like we were today, you can hear and see dozens of wild parrots. They're pretty amazing.

I hope you'll get an idea of what we saw and heard. After I'd put my camera away, at least 50 parrots did a fly by and soared away into the distance!

A few years ago, I was sitting in the parking lot at the Bowers Museum before a Bead Society meeting and I was surprised by these colorful, noisy birds in the nearby trees. I've heard different stories about their origins but no one really knows how they got here... Want to learn more about the wild parrots of Southern California? Go to here, to Amazornia .

It's been a nice, quiet vacation. Got a lot of little things done that are difficult to get to during the workday, plus The Husband has been working every weekend in October... It was good to just spend time together and be away from the Day Jobs.

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Don’t Be Afraid to Start Over

2011-11-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was in high school home ec sewing class. Vaguely… Anyway, I hated to start something and have to tear it apart when I realized it wasn’t working. I had no tolerance for going back and making it right. But I was young and silly and impatient.

Now, I understand that sometimes you have to look at your work and decide to make it better. There’s satisfaction in doing something because you want to do your best and you recognize that what you’re looking at is NOT your best.

For example, I was looking at some Christmas jewelry I made a few years ago that didn’t sell and were sitting in my Expired Listings on Etsy. One necklace, a simple pendant on a chain, had a wrapped loop that just looked messy~gaps between the wraps and not tight against the bead:

So I remade it this year, relisted it and sold it within a few hours!

I also took the two other necklaces I had with these cute stained glass Christmas Trees and remade them. Here’s one of the originals, both were similar in design:

Not well designed~I think I’d just started creating the Bead N Charm necklaces and went a little overboard!

Here are the two new necklaces I made, plus a pair of earrings:

Cool gold chain and starry glass beads

Silver hearts and red chains

Cute earrings with fire polished sparkle

I don’t consider the original designs a failure. I’ve just evolved and refined how I create jewelry. It’s a big success when I take something and make it into something better. I think that’s the most important aspect of this exercise--making it better is such a pleasure.

When you’re not happy with what you’ve made, MAKE IT AGAIN! If you’ve got old projects sitting around, gathering dust, because they didn’t live up to your expectations, bring them out into the light and give them new life. You’ll be glad you did.

Do What You Love!

Not To Brag Or Anything, But…

2011-10-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Bead Society of Orange County hosted a bead challenge this fall. They gave us a packet of purple seed beads and lavender flower beads, with the instructions that we had to use at least 75% of those beads, plus any other beads we wanted, in whatever colors we chose. There were six categories, including bead weaving and novice~I chose Wire Work. And, woo hoo, I won!

I had a lot of fun with the challenge. The flower beads are really made more for bead weaving and flat projects, I think, so they truly were a challenge. I didn't want to just string them (although after seeing some of the projects, people got truly creative with their stringing!), so I used a funny technique I saw earlier this year. I put a fire polished glass bead on the end of a head pin, followed by one of the flower beads and a metal spacer for some stability. Then I "curled" the head pin and bent it up so the flower would face outward, not just dangle down.

I'd been think about how to use the seed beads and I didn't have a lot of choices since I was using a lot of chain. Again, head pins to the rescue! I threaded a bunch of the seed beads onto a long head pin, made loops at both ends and then bent the head pin into zig zags. Connected them with more curled wire. Pretty different and I think that got me some extra points! And my BFF has already asked me for a zig zag necklace!

I worked on the necklace a little bit every night for a few weeks, making components with crystals and headpins and eventually connecting it all with jump rings. I knew I’d need components to attach the three strands and when I saw the round silver connectors that looked like flowers, I knew I’d found the perfect ones.

For the focal piece, I took a length of chain and kept adding flowers and seed beads and crystals until it was full and lush.

Here I am with three other category winners, including Cindy Carpenter (left), who won the big prize~a jar filled with beads, tools and other crafty necessities. I’m jealous!

But I was very happy with my $50 gift card to Brea Bead Works. And all but $1.55 is already spent! On tools for my next class and seed beads to make some more zig zag things. And a wire jewelry magazine. And some other cools beads… Well, I had a 20% off coupon and, really, you didn’t expect me to just let it burn a hole in my pocket, did you?!

Do What You Love!

I Love to Learn!

2011-10-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I took a metals class to make two pendants and I'm totally hooked!

You know how you can see a demonstration and understand how something works but you don't really "get it" until you do it for yourself? That's what happened to me. Actually being able to saw and stamp and hammer and texturize was a revelation! Some things, like chainmaille, I can learn from a book but metal work has lots of tools and banging and filing--this was something I had to be walked through patiently.

I was fortunate enough to find a great class at Brea Bead Works, with Candace White Steppes teaching.

Candace creates a fun learning environment, where you're not intimidated or afraid to make a mistake.

The coolest thing I learned was how to rivet. Just call me Rosie! Being able to connect two pieces together without soldering is a technique that I hope will catapult me to a new level of design work. I need a few more little tools and a drill. The Husband owes me some birthday shopping. Hmmmm :-)

Here's a bunch of the tools I have now, at the bench at Brea Bead Works:

And here's the pendants I took away with me:

I've managed to finish one, with a fire polished glass embellishment and chain, that's actually wearable:

I discovered this weekend that I have a device that makes holes in copper!

I think I bought it in a metal stamping frenzy last year but didn't realize it's significance until now. I have some of those souvenir squished pennies you get at amusement parks with their logo's on them, so I made some holes in those (soon to be bracelets/necklaces!). And then I tried it on my 22 gauge copper, where it worked like a champ. So I made a few holes in the second pendant. Ummm… I think I need a center punch, to make a starting point to line up the bit… Suffice to say, I'll be wearing that one around the house only!

Here's my advice: If there's something you want to learn and there's a class you can afford, go! Not only will you learn something new, it will probably give you a welcome dose of inspiration for your other talents as well!

Do What You Love!

PS--Everything is 10% off at Bearchick.Etsy.com!

Bear Chick~The Wonder Years

2011-10-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

This is almost as bad as showing my high school pictures!!

Here I am at the first show I ever did, at the clubhouse where I live:

Ah, simple stringing, necklaces and bracelets. I sold quite a bit and it encouraged me to actually get my business license and get serious about jewelry making. I think that's a piece of foam board beneath the fabric… Oh, the innocence!

And here I am at a monthly art fair that the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton used to hold on their beautiful property:

We got a canopy and real tables and everything! I was experimenting with different props and creating levels on the table for visual interest. I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best merchandiser around…

And we sold a few times at The Rose Bowl Antique Swap Meet in Pasadena, where they had a handmade section:

Ye gods! You had to be there at 5 in the morning (earlier if you were doing antiques) but you got to keep your car with you and the foot traffic was wild. It was a great experience. And it must have been pre-canopy because we only had the big umbrella. A canopy definitely defines your space better…

Of course, these shows were all pre-Etsy! I don't do a lot of shows these days. For someone working full time (knock wood!), it's more time consuming than I'm willing to deal with and right now, in this economy, it's a bit hit and miss. But my canopy and tables and velveteen fabric, jewelry busts, props and trays are just waiting for their next outing!

Do What You Love!

How Bear Chick Got Her Name

2011-10-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

I'm asked a lot how I came up with the name Bear Chick. When I was trying to think of a name for the business, I was concentrating on my height. Or rather my lack of height… Short Stuff Jewelry, Little Bit Jewels, things like that. But I really wanted the name to be more specific to me. I thought and worried and fussed and one day, it came to me. I should use the endearment The Husband called me. Bear Chick.

BEAR-When we were young, we called each other Tigger and Pooh Bear. Cue the chorus of Awwwwww's… Pooh Bear eventually devolved to Bear.

CHICK-He doesn't remember how that got tacked onto Bear, but it does mean girl, so it's fitting.

He actually bought me a bear dressed up as a chick but I can't find it… Here's a picture:

The actual business name is Bear Chick Originals. For a while, I combined the jewelry business with a since defunct home redesign business and I dropped the Originals so there would be less confusion. Now I still have only Bear Chick on my business cards and banners. I like that it's short and sweet!

I have to say that Bear Chick is a fairly memorable name--many times people will see me at an event and remember the name from years past. You have to admit, it's not a name you hear every day.

Oh, and I have to be very careful to spell out the name if I'm saying it to someone… Otherwise, it sounds quite risque!

Do What You Love!

The Necklace That Started It All

2011-10-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

10 years ago, I took a bead stringing class at a community center. That started me on a path strewn with beads, findings, pliers and cutters. And the path continues ever onward!

Here is the first necklace I made in that fateful class:

No giggling! The design is not really that great… It's not very well balanced but… it's still in one piece and it's purple!

I remember when the jewelry bug first bit me, I would be up till all hours, beading and beading and beading. The hours sped by in those early days. That's a sign of something that really has a hold on you--losing track of time. I think most people who start an art/hobby based business probably tell a very similar story--"I couldn't stop doing _____________(fill in the blank: jewelry, collages, art) and had to sell what I made just so I could buy more materials to play with!"

Fast forward: I was just at the hardware store today, buying tools for my next jewelry challenge--cold connecting metals. I’m a little nervous--it looks labor and strength intensive but my goal is to find a medium that I can make my own. Right now, I consider myself a jewelry composer--using other people’s materials to create jewelry. I’ve been searching for “my” medium for a long time. I’ve learned that clay and glass are not my thing but wire and jump rings are. I’m hoping that metal work will be another of “my” mediums. I’ll let you know next weekend how that works out!

During this 10th anniversary month, I’ll be posting some Bear Chick history. Even though I’m not a household name, in the last 10 years my jewelry has shipped all around the world. That amazes me! And even though my jewelry business doesn’t support me, it’s an accomplishment to still be here, doing what I love and connecting with people on a global level. What a pleasure it’s been and I hope will continue to be!

I wish you all a pursuit that you love and that compels you to expand your knowledge and talents. It’s been a very satisfying and sometimes challenging 10 years!

Do What You Love!

Bring Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Back!!

2011-09-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

How many of you out there miss Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine? I know I do!! Filled with arts, crafts and artists, it was one of the magazine's I subscribed to for years. Colorful and brimming over with creative ideas, I made a special time to read it, literally from cover to cover.

One of my fave ME illustrations

If you're with me, click here to go to Mary's blog, where she's gathering signatures to aid in her cause to publisher's to start up the magazine again. Wouldn't that be great?!?

Tell all your friends and family! Create links to her blog page!

Fingers crossed!!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Take Advantage of Me~I Mean, My Sale!

2011-09-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of this quick sale Bear Chick is having!

Christmas is coming, so this special sale is two-fold. ONE, I want to clear out some things and get fresh stock in my shop for the holidays and TWO, you may find something really awesome as a gift for friends and family or just a treat for yourself.

Most of the items on sale are half price--you can't beat that! So take a look with stocking stuffers and hostess gifts in mind.

Here are a few examples:

Coral and Glass Necklace~wear this long or doubled

Original Price $35 Sale Price $20

Purple Spots Memory Wire Bracelet

Original Price $14 Sale Price $7

Pink Princess Anklet~your favorite princess would love this in her stocking!

Original Price $14 Sale Price $7

And here's a link to the section on Etsy where you'll find these and other great buys: SALE

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Palm Springs Art Museum

2011-09-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

I always find the beadwork! A few weeks ago (yes, I'm a little behind…), The Husband and I ambled through the wonderful Palm Springs Art Museum. One of their exhibits, Comic Art Indigene, showcased Native American comic book art and related subjects. Here are two colorful examples of amazing beadwork:

I don't do a lot of work with seed beads, the little tiny beads. I don't have the patience to work with something that small, so I appreciate the talent and amount of work that went into these pieces.

Unfortunately, Comic Art Indigene ended it’s run last Sunday. But here's a couple of favorite artworks from our visit:

Woo hoo! Neon paint, scads of texture and, oooooooo, glitter!

Bear Chick, herself, posing with her favorite Dale Chihuly glass sculpture

Even the chandeliers are works of art!

I'd love to have a small version of this~it makes me smile!

The Husband and Bear Chick~part of the art!

The Husband loved the artwork and I love hearts

Do What You Love!

I Missed Publishing My Newsletter

2011-09-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

I used to send out a snail mail newsletter that I really enjoyed producing. It was like having my own little magazine! But with the economy the way it's been going, it became difficult to justify the paper, ink, time and postage. So I let it slip away and started playing with my blog, which has also been fun.

Then a few weeks ago, The Husband started thinking about sending out marketing for his educational school shows electronically. We looked at a few newsletter sites and decided we'd try Mad Mimi, which I'd seen a recommendation for on Etsy. Our partnership is sort of stereotypical--I generally handle the software and he does the hardware. Meaning, I had to learn how to use Mad Mimi while he figures a way to put new gutters on the house…

So, I set up an account for Bear Chick and started learning how to put together an e-newsletter. I'm happy to report that Mad Mimi, unlike most semi-tech websites, answered all the questions I had, right from their help screens. And there are so many guidelines when sending out newsletters, Mad Mimi does their best (her best?) to make sure you're adhering to the laws. So far, it's been a very good experience.

Next, I'm going to start working with a photo editing website to create a new banner for the top. I love to learn new skills, so, thanks, Husband, for pushing me into a new realm!

For now, using an old banner from my Etsy shop, I really like the look of the newsletter--it's crisp and clear. And it's so easy to set up--uploading pictures is easy, adding text and pictures is easy and editing was pretty simple. I used their template, which can be customized with color and fonts, etc. Now that I've done it once, the next one will be easier. Bear Chick likes User Friendly!

They also have several ways to import or cut and paste email addresses, that you can then separate into different lists. For example, I have a special list for Southern California only, in case I want to send out a special edition before a live show. That's why I ask for your state/country in the newsletter sign up to the right here on my blog (hint, hint!).

There are tracking reports for each promotion you do and Mad Mimi takes care of all subscriptions, forwarding and (I hope not a lot) unsubscribing. And they've been sending an email a day with ideas and tips for a better newsletter.

I know what you're thinking--that's a fun new toy for you, Bear Chick. But what's in it for me?? Well, I'll keep you up to date on what I'm doing and new things I'm making. And like my paper newsletter, I'll feature people, places and things that you'll hopefully find fun and interesting. Like the bead challenge I'm participating in at the Bead Society and my friend, Barbara, a great artist and jeweler. Bear Chick's 10th anniversary is next month, plus the holidays are coming. Jewelry makes great gifts! That’s why I'll be doing special coupons and deals for my newsletter subscribers. There's still time to get the first issue~I can identify all my new fans and I'll get you the first issue when you sign up.

So, yeah, I’ve got a web-crush on my e-newsletter provider. Hmmmm… Mad Mimi could be the George Clooney of e-marketing!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Tips for Working with Bear Chick Components

2011-08-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

I’m working on a line of Bear Chick jewelry components, with the idea that people would love to make their own jewelry if it was fast and easy. With all the things folks have to do these days, a simple way to feel creative might be a Good Thing. So, here’s a tutorial for quick ways to make easy but elegant jewelry in just a few minutes with just two tools!

First, you’ll be using a few jump rings to connect things. This is how jump rings work:

To open a jump ring, do not pull apart. Holding 2 pair of pliers, bring one side of the jump ring forward and the other backward. Reverse to close.

Earring Materials

2 Bear Chick components

2 Charms

2 Ear Wires

4 Jump rings

Open the four jump rings, so they’re ready to use.

Connect the charm to the component by slipping the jump ring through both the component and the charm. Close jump ring.

Connect the component/charm to the ear wire. Repeat these steps for the second earring.

For bracelets or necklaces, the same basic instructions apply--just connect the components to chain or each other with jump rings and connect each end of the finished piece to a clasp with jump rings.

Then you can say, “I made this myself!”

Do What You Love!

I use one pair of bent nose pliers and one pair of flat nose but you can use two pair of flats.

My Favorite Things at the Huntington Library

2011-07-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday! So we spent the day at the Huntington Library and Gardens, in San Marino CA. It is truly a lovely place, inside and out. Many different types of gardens, home to a variety of plants and wildlife plus several museum buildings, with paintings, furniture and even a Guttenberg Bible (camera's not allowed in that exhibit...).

Here are some favorite things from our trip:

This fella posed in the sunlight for us

This guy has a very prehistoric, kind of snakey face

Gorgeous stained glass

I actually liked the shadow of this sculpture better than I liked the sculpture itself...

The artist wanted to show how smart his subject was, but it just looks like he needs glasses. Also, this chair looks like it was made for Hagrid!

Loved the sweet dog in this painting

Amazingly tranquil watching koi

Naturally, I took an interest in the jewelry in this painting.

This was painted in the 1400's but the jewelry seems very modern. I could buy what looks like those Swarovski crystals at Michaels!

If you ever get a chance to visit the Huntington, GO! But bring your walking shoes and plenty of water. And a camera...

Do What You Love!

More Sparkly Shoes!

2011-07-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Here’s an update to my blog post from a while ago, ‘splainin’ my propensity for crazy shoes in my old age. When I finished photographing these, I remembered I also have some new sandals--ah, we’ll see those another day!

Aren’t these fun??!!

I was longing for a pair of shoes just this color blue, with something shiny or colorful--Sears.com came through!

OMG! There’s no way I could have resisted this bling overload! And they were only $4 at Target. Bliss!

I loved everything about these when I saw them on clearance at Payless, except the size… They didn’t have mine… So, when I happened to be near another Payless, I dragged The Husband in and there they were. Guess he’s my lucky charm!

For someone who hates to wear shoes, I’m getting quite the little collection!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

July Sale on Bear Chick Sundries!

2011-07-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

From now till the end of July, I have a 20% off coupon code for my Etsy Bear Chick Sundries shop, where I sell vintage items, destash jewelry supplies and, right now, I have a bunch of crafting books at half the price I bought them for. Here’s a sampling of what I have:

Use coupon code JULY11 at checkout for the 20% savings. What a deal!!

PS-This sale is only on Bear Chick Sundries, not Bear Chick, where I sell my handmade jewelry…

Do What You Love!

My New Line of Handmade Jewelry Components

2011-07-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

I love creating jewelry! And so do a lot of other people. So I thought I’d try my hand at selling some handmade jewelry components.

I’ve been stringing sequins for various projects for the last 10 years. At a Bead Society Show and Tell, a member passed around a vintage Miriam Haskell necklace. It was black, the material moving with a strange fluidity. When I examined it, I found that it was black sequins strung to create a totally unique piece of jewelry. I went home and started stringing necklaces. I’ve also used them to make memory wire bracelets and the components I’m offering for sale now.

These connectors are about an inch and a half long and they’re perfect for earrings and chains. I’m sure you can come up with lots more inventive ideas, too!

The “sequins” in this set are actually recycled red record albums from back in the day!

I’m also going to be selling chainmaille components suitable for use as connectors for earrings and other jewelry, plus keyrings or purse jewels. Whatever your imagination can come up with!

I’m selling these in pairs, but if you need more for a project, let me know and I’ll see what I have on hand. I’m also open to giving a good deal on bigger orders.

Do What You Love!

Classes are Fun!

2011-07-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I took a class to make a fabric flower and embellishments brooch. I’m not a big fiber person but I thought it would be fun, since it was being taught by my friend, Anneliese, and it might open me up to something I’d like to pursue. Lately, I’m really picky about classes I’m taking because I just don’t want to start something new that will require a new range of tools or materials. For this class, all I had to buy was the fabric and the pin. Everything else I already had. Yay!

This class was offered through the Bead Society, after our main meeting. Sometimes those classes get a huge turnout and sometimes, if it’s a busy weekend, they become somewhat intimate--this one had three students! Which was actually quite nice. We got to know each other better than in a big group and we got undivided attention from Anneliese.

Here’s what I made:

Anneliese taught us how to fold and scrunch the fabric to create the flower. As with any first attempt,

it’s not perfect :-) The proportions are off (the flower is way bigger than the pendant) and the chains aren’t placed well, so they hang a little off from the pendant. But it’s my first baby and I like it. I used sequins and seed beads to add sparkle to the flower petals and my beloved Eiffel Tower has fire polished glass dangles.

Mostly what I wanted from the class was to learn how to make the flowers. Now I can make smaller ones to attach to necklaces or use in ways I haven’t thought of yet. It’s a new skill, that I need some more practice on, and that’s what I love. The more knowledge I have, the more inspiration I have to draw on!

Do What You Love!

http://www.scrimshawstudio.com/

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

An Inspiring Day at the Bead Society

2011-05-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the speaker at our Bead Society of Orange County meeting was Jim Stevens, a scrimshander and martial artist. What’s so inspiring about Jim? He’s legally blind.

As a soldier in Vietnam, he was wounded in the head, which left behind shrapnel, causing migraines and finally a stroke that left him with only a pin dot of sight. It took him 7 years and the help of his daughters to accept and overcome the limitations of his blindness, all the while raising his 5 children as a single parent after his wife left the family. Anneliese, Barbara and I met Jim in the parking lot of the Bowers, accompanied by Melinda, who was his Bead Society “official chauffeur” and chatted for a few minutes before going into the museum. It was only when we saw him walking into the auditorium with his white cane that we realized he was blind!

He gave a fact filled talk on the history, legalities and art techniques of scrimshaw and brought along a few examples of the different types of materials, such as whales teeth (very, very heavy--imagine a mouthful of those!), bone and ivory. The ivory Jim uses is mostly ancient wooly mammoth, which is not prohibited in any way since it’s not from living animals, endangered or otherwise. He gets a lot of this material from native Alaskans, who make a living digging for this type of fossil ivory.

He creates beautiful powder horns and carvings as well as his scrimshaw art.

He’s a Kennedy Center honoree, a multiple award winner and his work is collected all over the world. You can read more about him and his art here, on his website:

Here’s an article about his mastery of the martial arts, which he didn’t mention yesterday but I find equally as interesting (check out the first 7 months of his training!):

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/01/blind-martial-arts-champion-sees-future-as-scrimshaw-artist/

Also, there’s an article on him in the current issue of the Saturday Evening Post (May/June 2011), which I’m going on the hunt for as soon as I finish the post!

And inspiration closer to home:

Here’s my friend, Barbara Bastrup, who has 9 pages of her work in the next issue of Somerset Gallery, coming out this Wednesday!

8 pages are beautiful pictures of her exquisite art journal and a single page toward the end is her Annie Oakley shrine. I should get some credit here because I badgered… I mean encouraged her to send her things to Somerset :-) It took a whole year, but she’s finally in print! Proud of you, girl!!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchick.artfire.com

Orange Empire Railroad Museum

2011-05-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

Trust me to find jewelry wherever I go! The Husband had a gig at the Orange Empire Railroad Museum in Perris, CA, last weekend.

What a fun place! And I'm not even particularly into trains. Walking through a train car in search of the Harvey Girls exhibit, I found cases of artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries, including these:

Sparkly hair combs, men's watches and button hooks

More watches, rings, medals

Loved this necklace and the plastic bracelets. And the perfume bottles and fans...

Here's a glimpse of some of the trolleys, cable cars and trains you can see at the OERM.

Riding in a caboose!

To see more, go to my FB page or log onto the website for the museum itself here.

Do What You Love!

http://www.bearchick.artfire.com/

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Mare's Senior Style!

2011-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

This year, I'll be eligible for some Senior Discounts. Yes, I'll be 55. I want a pin I can flash that says "Where's My Senior Discount?" Maybe I can have one made on Etsy!

One of my favorite blogs is Advanced Style. There are wonderful pictures and sometimes videos of older folks in wonderfully stylish or creative outfits. They're such an inspiration to me, as I approach my own golden years.

I have made a conscious decision not to fade into the woodwork as I get older. No disappearing act for this girl! As I buy new clothes, they're going to be colorful, with a few dark colors to contrast dramatically. But my real Style Signature will be bright shoes. I'm already starting to collect the brightest shoes I can find.

Here's a tip--the brightest colors tend to be in the kids department. I'm so lucky I can wear a kid's size 4!

Here's a couple of new acquisitions:

Kid's Department!

There's no place like home!

BLING!

And some shoes I've had for a long time. I knew I kept these for a reason when I was downsizing recently! My younger co-worker calls these my “cool kicks”.

And the pair I bought when I went on a cruise over Halloween with my BFF, Zan.

Right now, I’m on the hunt for sapphire blue flats, preferably with a good amount of sparkle!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.artfire.com

A New Prop and New Technology

2011-05-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been making really long necklaces that are a challenge to display. When I was getting ready to do the Bead Bazaar recently, I toyed with some solutions. One was a vintage fire screen that I’ve used before but it tends to dominate any table it’s on and I would have had to repaint it and change out the hangers…

So, while wandering the aisles of my neighborhood Michael’s, I saw this little red table. It had so much potential that I took off the necklace I was wearing and made sure it would work the way I needed. It’s only 19 ½” high and has a relatively small footprint. And the flowers and scrollwork make perfect hangers. Voila! Problem solved.

This was the first show I’d done since I got a phone I can access the internet with. What a luxury! Usually, I have to put my online shops on “vacation” mode, so I don’t run the risk of selling something online AND at a show--that would be very awkward, since most of what I create is one of a kind. I’ve had that happen with vendors I wanted to buy something from--it is most uncool to hear that the unique item you want is no longer available… So now, when I have a sale, I can go to my Etsy or Artfire shops on my phone and deactivate that item. How awesome is that??

VERY awesome :-)

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.artfire.com

April, Where Did You Go??

2011-04-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to get at least one blog entry in for April! Work has been crazy, I was learning Turbo Tax and getting ready for the Bead Bazaar at The Bowers Museum, then recovering from the Bead Bazaar (it's a looooong day!).

Here are my tables at the Bazaar. I had quite a few earrings and a new necklace display I'll show you in a later blog entry. I always have tables in the same area, in the covered walkway, protected from the sun. There have been some years when the heat has been outrageous and being in the pleasant coolness of the shade has been a blessing. This year, it was funny because we were literally shivering under the cover while folks out in the courtyard were sweating! But it's all good!

Along with everything else, I'm trying to eat healthier and get more exercise. It's a process... This doesn't help:

The Easter Bunny was having a half price sale!! But I was a Good Do Be and didn't buy any!

So, I hope you had a great April and Easter and Tax Day and maybe even Spring Break!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.artfire.com

I Heart Shopping!

2011-03-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Once again, LA beckoned to my friends, Barbara and Anneliese, and I. We journeyed in to downtown LA to shop for beads and embellishments and little bears and checkerboard trim (Barbara) and orchids (Anneliese). Within a few blocks, you can find bead strands, sari fabric, quinceanera tiara’s, flowers, buttons, Swarovski crystals, charms, fleece blankets and rhinestone trim. It’s a cultural melting pot of shoppers and sellers.

We wear out our walking shoes, burning up calories, as we hoof the 10 or 12 blocks to the famous Clifton’s cafeteria for lunch. Click on the pic to see more on Clifton’s at Way of the Wong:

And here’s a few shots of my haul:

As always, it was a fun day with my Beady Peeps!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.artfire.com

TV Jewelry Star

2011-02-26T00:18:00.000-08:00

Just like Bones’ Emily Deschanel before her, CSI:NY’s Sela Ward is portraying a character on TV who is one with her jewelry. In fact, I created a necklace based on a piece she wore during one of her first episodes as Jo Danville this season.

Here’s the inspiration:

And here’s the necklace I made:

A few more examples of Jo’s Jewelry Style:

Most often, she wears layered necklaces in interesting combinations. The more, the merrier, I say!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.artfire.com

Ta Da! A Milestone Reached!

2011-02-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

Today I made my 100th sale on Etsy! It’s taken me three and a half years but I did it. I’m sure I could have done it faster if I was able to create and sell full time but I’m content with what I can do. Slow and steady is fine by me.

I enjoy “composing” jewelry from beautiful and fun materials and I’m so happy when one of my babies goes to a good home. Recently I sold a Charm ‘n Bead necklace to a girl who’d been wanting it for a long time and bought it with Fun Money she‘d been saving. Then she sent a picture of herself wearing it and a big smile! It doesn’t get better than that.

Here’s my 100th sale:

I think sparkly stars are very appropriate for a milestone like this!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

www.bearchick.artfire.com

Good Influence

2011-01-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I read a blog post that started me thinking about my raincoat and how I’d like to give it a facelift. So I finally got the chance to stop by Joann’s yesterday and look at buttons. The original buttons were very conservative (black with a gold crest) on a black and tan trench coat. Forgive the pictures…

Kinda boring…

Here is the new look. Subtle but enough of a difference to please me.

I really love the Art Nouveau look of these!

Here’s the original blog post that gave me the idea:

http://blacklilypie.blogspot.com/2011/01/lil-project-new-coat-buttons.html

I love Tara Fortin’s art, especially her Batcats.

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com

Upgrading Some Designs

2011-01-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for this year was to start working with more sterling silver. Studying my displays of earrings, I noticed that I’ve used some beautiful artisan lampwork beads but the other components were plated metals and inexpensive beads and the craftsmanship was not sophisticated. So I decided to do some upgrading on some of my existing designs.

Here’s an example:

Before (left): Handmade lampwork beads paired with gold plated brass and iridescent glass beads, with a simple loop. Pretty but the design isn’t worthy of the beautiful artisan beads.

After (right): All sterling silver, plus Swarovski crystals and a wrapped loop at the top. The sterling and Swarovski add sparkle and elegance to the original design and using a wrapped loop is an attention to detail that I’ve come to appreciate over the years.

I have a necklace in a chainmaille design that I plan to upgrade as well. I know this will considerably increase the cost of the pieces but I want to make quality jewelry that will stand the test of time. Reworking pieces that I already made makes me feel like I’m respecting the beautiful beads I used and also growing as a designer. When I was younger, I was impatient to move onto the next “thing”~revisiting something I’d already done was going backwards. Now I understand that there’s satisfaction in improving something I’ve created, knowing that I’ve made it better and added value.

Do What You Love!