Buried Treasure 2010

Here is a repost of an old blog post that is part of the "Buried Treasure 2010" idea from Seth Apter's blog

The Altered Page

Trying out my new patina technique- learned at ACE Hardware

Titled "Skin Circuitry" an Emblage

Detail of an ACEO that I decided to attach.

The woman playing the "organ" ( skin is an organ you know) is a collage that I had made in the 90's and resurrected. Made from an image from an old sterograph, Japanese paper and biology diagram.

So, I'm kind of new at some of these assemblage techniques. I am oh so great at collecting wonderful bits and pieces and even buying the necessary supplies to create any number of wonderful projects. The problem is that I am trying to learn a lot of connection techniques on my own because I seem to want to try things without going to workshops and start on projects before certain skill levels and knowledge are embedded in my brain.

I have always been a hasty worker whether it's cooking or printmaking or gardening. Call it impatience ( but not to my face, I get so defensive) or a glorious lack of perfectionism (I'm saving that for another lifetime) but I have trouble waiting for glue to dry and want to hurry up and get to the next step.

Well I'm finding with this altered art/assemblage and collage that it's necessary to plan out your layers and connections in a logical order or things start to get botched in a hurry.

Then when there's a mistake that messes up my one of a kind beginning of a background it can be so frustrating.

Take rivets for example: I took a silversmithing workshop one day two years ago and learned how to make some nice cold connection rivets. So I had an idea to connect the collaged old book cover to the antique tin ceiling tile with some copper rivets. In order to make the copper tubes for the rivets I had to remember how to load the jewelry saw which I had also learned in the same class two years ago. The saw was picked up at a garage sale so I was hoping it was reasonably functional. It was guesswork really and I sawed three of them before I broke the blade which was looking kind of cattywompus and I was amazed that I was able to cut anything at all.

Did I stop and look in one of my glossy metalsmithing books to see the right way to do it? No, I wanted to GET ON WITH IT! So with some pounding I ended up with three slightly split and bent rivets. So rustic, so primitive. Oh well.

After that was attached I decide to attach a bead which would have been way easier BEFORE I attached the collage.

This is what you call a "learning process" and I know I could benefit by slowing down and PLANNING out my projects. My short attention span has been more suited to lampwork and stringing and making ATC's so far. (and I am a good but messy cook if I do say so myself)

I'm not totally disappointed in the final product but I think I need some more techniques under my belt for that finer final product that I'm seeing so many good artists putting out with their altered art/mixed media /assemblage pieces.

Let me know what you think!

Courtship Letters ~ Alice's Response

We get to read Alice's response to Clarence's letters today.  For previous installments go here for 1st installment, 2nd installment, 3rd installment and 4th installment.

Please click on text for ease of reading.

New Necklaces and Experiments in Photographing Them

After returning from my trip to the Forest Fair, I set about  to make up a goodly inventory of new necklaces. I attacked my stash of beads that have been amassing for years with the intent to use some up. Now that I have the Tucson Gem show nearby in the wintertime there's no reason to hoard them.

 I can think of nothing more fun in designing jewelry than combining my own beads with complementary stones and beads. I made up 10 necklaces in two days. 

The hard part for me is the photographs. I always scan them just for documentation but am less than pleased at the end product even though scanning captures some of the elements quite well. There's a flatness to them and the drape of the pieces can't be shown  There are lighting issues as well with the crescent of light from the scanner light.  I had been using a cream colored fabric background, preferring it to the white back of the scanner but it seems to come out too dark even with a bit of photoshop brightening and lightening. similarly there are lighting problems with bright daylight and I haven't even attempted light box photography. For some reason I  have been putting that off even though I know that is the next step in good photos. I lack confidence in my camera skill and basically would like someone to hold my hand and show me how. These days  creating your art isn't enough. You need to become skilled in every step of marketing which includes good photos. Please let me just make jewelry, OK?!

Now for some comparisons. Feel free to weigh in on your preferences. I need to know which photos might want to make a person WANT one!

Lepidolite and Lampwork necklace.

Against a moose antler.

Close up of the Lepidolite Necklace Pendant against moose antler.

This bead was a perfect match to my nicely tapered lepidolite beads that I got from Zeka Beads when they came to Alaska for the Alaska Bead & Gem Show. I can also find Zeka Beads at the Tucson Gem show too.

Lava and Dyed Bamboo coral necklace with lampwork.

Originally as I was designing this necklace it was without the silver spacers between the beads. I felt it was missing something. The silver spacers brought the whole design up a notch highlighting the vivid black and red together.

Close up of Lava and Coral necklace. This definitely highlights the lampwork  bead more than a scan.

Kyanite Points necklace.

Kyanite points necklace against a moose antler.

Scanned Bali Silver and Freshwater Pearl Necklace.

Bali Silver and Pearl Necklace on the bust.

These lampwork beads have a cloudy ethereal quality that doesn't get highlighted well in photos or scans. They seem to show up best against the colorful rock.

Same necklace against a colorful rock.

And now the antler.

Pitfalls of An Outdoor Show and the Girdwood Forest Fair

These frames were popular with decoupag-ed vintage sheet music on thrift shop frames.

Numinosity Beads on display at the Girdwood Forest Fair.

Various necklaces made with wire lace which I've recently been playing with.

I made this display from an old shot up tractor mower cover that I found in the woods.

Some of my altered art pieces being debuted.

My friend's daughter Annali is pooped and takes a nap on our stump. I was wishing I could do the same!

Doing outdoor shows always seem to have their pitfalls. Weather can make such a difference in sales and comfort. Setting up for an Alaskan outdoor show calls for even more preparation especially if it's in a mountainous area. I've been at festivals where I have worn sunscreen and shorts and with in an 18 hour period switched to raincoat, long johns, mudboots and fleece!

The Girdwood Forest Fair is a seven hour drive for us to the base of Mount Alyeska which is the best downhill skiing in Alaska. We go past Anchorage to Turnagain Arm to reach it.

It's been several years since I've been set up as a vendor but I decided it was time to give it another go around. I quit going after a few years ago trying to do it solo for a three day show that goes on until 9 PM every night. The perks of this show is some of the best art vendors in the state are set up. They jury for 100% Alaskan made products and the local music is also some of the best in the sate.

I was fortunate to be set up near the stage so that I could listen to it from my booth all day.

One of the things they warn you about when you sign up is that since it's pathways through the forest you can expect some tree roots and it's also pretty much a socked in and rainy area as well. I had lucked out in the past with nice weather. 

My husband agreed to take a couple of days off from his work to help me this time which was a huge factor in my decision to set up this year.

We checked the weather forecast before we set out with my little Teardrop trailer camper that tows behind the Subaru. Bad news... rain , rain  and more rain was predicted.  I got really depressed and even got teary-eyed at the prospect of a three day rain festival. It didn't help when Dave reminded me how much money he would lose by taking off work.  On top of that my booth neighbor friend Heather's husband has a very sick dog apparently on it's last legs to attend to and she now has no booth help either.  Dave  comes to the rescue for pee breaks and food runs!

We had another one of those stunning rides through the mountains past glaciers with beaming sunshine. Remarkably the rain never manifested at Girdwood the days we were there, only conveniently at night after we shut down. I did have to wear a down jacket and long johns, hat scarf and fingerless gloves those days as I seem to always get cold just sitting still like that.

Now for the pitfalls- They gave me quite an undesirable booth spot which consisted of very large tree roots. I followed  rules of the printout and set up at the more nearly level spot measuring two feet from the path. My other booth neighbor warned that I may have to move back. We tried to search down the booth coordinator but were told she had left for awhile.  

Searching for rocks and wood pieces to make my tables level we finally had it set up best as possible for the conditions. 

Then along came the booth coordinator that told us that we had to move back several feet  and that this was the only booth that needed to be back further than the two feet in the printout. This put half of the booth in a hole, a hole that would have 8 inches of water in it if it rained.

  We had to move everything again, do more propping and leveling and were left with a space to park our chairs in the hole. We had a food booth next door that used our back yard as their workspace since we were on a curve in the path it was debatable where our backyards began. They were already set up with their grilling area which put the grills two feet from our heads with our chairs in the hole with another massive tree stump behind us effectively penning us into that one spot. Luckily we had the forethought to bring some survival vodka drinks to surreptitiously sip our way through any discomforts.  We must be thankful that  the salmon patties were not as popular as the ribs they were serving next door because the breeze blew the grill smoke right at our faces for every order.

I wish I could say that the sales were great enough to make up for it but with all that wonderful competition from the other 150 booths I was disappointed in the outcome. It was our duty however to make it worthwhile and attend the dances and music that was playing around the little burg of Girdwood all within walking distance. It was enough to wear me out totally after a couple of nights of all of that Making It Worthwhile. My neighbor Heather had a banner weekend  though. Nothing like selling hats when the weather is somewhat inclement.

I did a couple of nice trades though and cashed in on a massage for both Dave and myself.

All in all it was fun and exhausting and a lesson learned to not try to set up at that show again but I would be happy to attend as a playing customer next time.

Candace Goes to Florida!

Candace has arrived at Cat's from In The light of the Moon and seems to be enjoying the heat!

Be sure to visit Cat's blog for more visual treats.

Bring that girl an ice tea or a gin & tonic!