It's all about the process: Etsy Metal Charm Swap 8

So excited that I was lucky enough to sign up for Etsy Metal's 8th charm swap! What's a charm swap? The best thing ever! 20 Etsy Metal members sign up to make 22 charms each. One complete charm bracelet is sold through the Etsy Metal shop with part of the proceeds going to a youth organization, one of each of the charms goes into the shop as well, and each participant gets a fabulously wonderful charm bracelet. For a look at some of the previous charm swaps go to the Etsy Metal Blog and search for "Charm Swap". While you're there make sure to follow the blog, sign up for the news letter, or make friends with Etsy Metal on Facebook for Charm Swap 8 updates and tons of other cool info.

I decided to fashion my charms after some rings I made early this year for Ring a Week (I know, I know, totally dropped the ball on that one). I really enjoyed using origami techniques with foldforming and everyone knows I'm hooked on the red patina.

I started several weeks ago folding some strips of copper:

 

Today I cut the folded strips into cabs:

 

And then gave a few of them a red patina:

I'm really excited about how they're coming out. Stay tuned for more progress!

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival: Creative Space

This months Etsy Metal blog carnival is all about our studio spaces!

Bench

 I love artist studios. Each one is as different as the artists themselves.  Like a fingerprint or a psychological evaluation, the artists studio reflects the personality of the creator. My studio is where I go to get messy, to experiment and make mistakes, a space where anything goes and every mistake or breakthrough seems to come at just the right time and leads in just the right direction. Don't get me wrong, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. I can often be heard muttering or cursing, sometimes under my breath and other times at the top of my lungs. But somehow even the mistakes seem to belong tossed among the heaps of tools and materials that accumulate with every project (See last post for a clear illustration on this!).

Soldering Area

The world slows down when I'm working in the studio. There are times where my internal voice is lulled into a quiet and meditative hum and the pieces seem to effortlessly fall into place with the rhythms of sanding or hammering. My studio is one of the most personal aspects of my life and yet it is one that I love to share and experience with others. Somehow the space transcends the boundaries of what I regard as private and allows conversations to begin through my process and my work.

Office Nook

Friends and Family

 My studio, being an extension of myself and the things I value most, is filled with mementos. Photographs, ticket stubs, souvenirs and artwork adorn the walls, bulletin boards, and shelving. At times the spaces are crowded in so tight I imagine there is no way I'll be able fit one more thing and then I tuck another treasure into place. Every few months I rearrange the items, dust them off and remember why they are there in the first place. Inspiration, life is full of it.

Treasures and Mementos

This particular space is especially personal because I was able to design and build the bench and soldering area myself. I'd never really taken on a woodworking project before, and it's not quite level or trimmed perfectly, but it's mine and it works. The remainder of the furnishings are hand me downs and cast offs; the cabinets were discarded from a laundry room, the desk was a gift from my step-dad when I first moved out, a bakers rack from a friend who was pairing down her studio space, shelving that came with our house but didn't quite work for us. It's a hodge podge of organizational methods that attempts to keep the clutter at bay and it's absolutely perfect.

Brand New Bench!

Interested in the studio spaces of other Etsy Metal members? Keep on reading!

 Rebecca Bogan - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog
Shirlee Grund - http://lichenandlychee.com/blog/ 
Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Scott http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
Cynthia Del Giudice http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com
Michele Grady http://www.michelegradydesigns.blogspot.com
Erin Austin - http://metalmusing.blogspot.com/
Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/
Evelyn Markasky -- http://markasky.blogspot.com/
Kathryn Cole - http://www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com
2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Lauren Anabela Beaudoin/Creative Dexterity - http://creativedexterity.com/Blog/main.html

The Sunday Search for Inspiration: Finding My Bench

Apologies for not having blogged in a while. This is probably why:

Not sure what you're looking at? Somewhere under there is my bench. It seems like the state of my bench and the state of my life in general are pretty much in sync. It was a hectic week or two and things just began piling up and up and soon, in retaliation or out of fatigue, I began to rebel by not picking up a single thing and spending WAY too much time in front of the TV with my new favorite group of wacky characters on Community.

So this weekend I spent some time setting the universe right and I expect that my creativity and productivity will benefit greatly from the result:

I knew it was under there! I even had the time to cut and arrange some flowers from the garden. Amazing what one can accomplish after a much needed break.