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Showing posts from April, 2016

My Happy Dance - The Finished Piece

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I'm doing the Happy Dance!  It's what happens when a completed project looks like the picture in my head!   As a designer (interior designer or jewelry designer) I generally have a picture in my head that needs to be translated to paper.  It could take the form of a floor plan, a sketch, a collage of ideas.  Once it gets onto paper then the 'how to make it happen' stage takes over and eventually the pieces come together.  Once the project is complete there is  that moment of fear and of anticipation,  The question, "Did I get it right?  Does it work?"That question is always right there no matter how much research, knowledge and talent has gone into the project.  Almost always the completed outcome is within the realm of acceptability. Sometimes I get to do the Happy Dance because it is so close to that picture in my head. Today's post is about sharing the process and the joy in the finished piece with you. My dad was a lapidarist by hobby

Creating a Jewelry Collection

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  My ‘Silver Bug’ Collection is finished!  It contains 11 silver bug jewelry pieces made with silver metal clay (Art Clay, FYI silver clay and one piece Hadar’s Steel Clay) and it has taken close to a year to complete.  I do admit I worked on it sporadically!  Throughout the process of creating this collection, I took photos and wrote a post about part of it.  http://www.lindabrittdesign.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-making-of-silver-bug.html   Today’s post is an overview.  Yes, the shape and colors of bugs interest me –mainly dead ones. (Not live ones so much - unless we are talking butterflies)  My bug project started as soon as I found some stylized bug stamps at The Art Glitter Co. in Cottonwood AZ.  www.art glitter .com/  I ordered some Art Clay silver metal clay and some FYI silver metal clay and started thinking and sketching.  I wanted dimension and some sparkle in each of the pendants.  For the dimension I cut, dried, carved and layered each bug. Form

Spring Road Trip

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Kofa National Wildlife Refuge Arizona has some of the most beautiful places that are pretty easy to get to.  We’ve found that taking side roads rather than interstates let us stop and really look at the plants, birds, and animals as well as the wonderful mountain ranges!  These pictures are from a recent trip to Southern Arizona.  I’m always amazed at the color, texture and detail in nature.  Enjoy! Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Broad-billed Hummingbird California Poppies Creasote in bloom Huachuca Mountains Mallow Palo Verde in bloom Prickly Poppies Roadrunner Thistle buds - the bloom is yellow

Michelle's Book is Finished!

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Michelle's Finished Book The phone rang and my neighbor (who does the most amazing book binding) told me the  case for the book was ready!  I went right over to pick it up just in time to share it on this post.  This is the labor of love I am giving to one of my best friends who helped pick and press the flowers on our trip to Ecuador in 2008.  I'll gift it to her in April as a remembrance of our experiences. I made the book and my neighbor made the chemise ('shirt' for the book) and the beautifully constructed box.  The spine is leather and I was privileged to watch the gold foil being placed for the text.  My neighbor walked me through the steps as we selected the materials so I would understand the process. The chemise is solid wine colored fabric and makes a slip cover for the book How the chemise works The book A protected page in the book