Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

So many wildflowers are still blooming.  It's because we've had so much rain I think.  Just had to share them with you.

Last week I shared my unfinished Sea Story with you.  This week shows the finished piece.  You will see some of the photo tips I learned from the photography class used on the pictures here!  (light in front so the details show, etc) When silver is fired in the kiln, it looks white because the molecules are standing up.  When it is brushed the molecules lay down and it looks silver.  I brushed the  'Sea Story' with a wire brush along with 3M wheels to make everything silver.  Then I waited for my Jool Tool to arrive! When it arrived I ripped open the package, put it together and then watched the DVD!  This tool is going to be so much fun! Things I realized about the Jool Tool after it arrived:   http://www.jooltool.com/ .A vacuum system is needed!  Of course I set it on the counter to try it out without any vacuum system.  Couldn't wait! and did not realize how having one would be necessary for good health and housekeeping! .I screwed my Jool Tool to a piece of

Front of unfinished 'Sea Story' Herbarium Pendant My second year at the Metal Clay by the Bay Conference was just as exciting and fun filled as the first. Conferences are great places to make friends, meet facebook friends and learn new techniques.  Vendors brought all kinds of tools to see and for us to handle – much better than looking at a picture. Last year I met Helen and as sometimes happens we became good friends.  We made plans to meet this year and take the same classes.  Helen makes beautiful glass pieces and also works with metal clay.  Check out her etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/hbjewelrydesign The conference was held at the Hilton at Mission Bay and the setting could not have been lovelier.  The hotel sits on the bay and has beautiful beaches, swimming pool and grassy areas.   Sometimes it was hard to go to class!  The food was so well prepared and presented with an exotic flair. Yes, I felt like I was on vacation!  http://www.sandiegohilton

In my rush to learn new things, I often make pieces instead of a finished project.  I have boxes of polymer canes waiting to become something.  I have tiny silver leaves and flowers waiting to be cured and added to something.  There are pieces of old jewelry in one box that I know I will use someway.  It's much the same as George Carlin's "Stuff".  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac Once in a while I actually take a piece and turn it into something finished!  Truthfully I generally finish my jewelry  as I make it.  But not always.....as the boxes filled with pieces attest! silver pieces jewelry pieces polymer pieces  This week I looked at the faux polymer rocks I made last summer and decided I just had to do something with a couple of them.  And look what happened!  Light weight real-looking rocks in wire.  Had to share! front back

All of a sudden it is Friday!  I look around at a few projects I've started and decide they will be good for another week’s post – once I finish them. It’s time to take inventory for the week.  You know, just go over what I really did!  It seems I enjoyed nature by taking walks between storms.  And I want to share some of that lush area!   Watson Lake has a lovely walking trail that is pretty flat.  I live in hilly terrain and need to find flatter places to walk because of my knee.  The lake is the place!  No ‘bathtub ring exists on the rocks anymore since we had so much rain.  First time I can remember the water level is this high in 4 years.  Weeds and wildflowers are in bloom.  Butterflies, grasshoppers and whip-tail lizards play on the trails and in the rocky areas.  A red-tailed hawk circled over head and barn swallows played around the water’s edge.  What else did I do?  Signed up for a Monarch Butterfly Workshop to learn to catch and tag

This week I've been thinking a lot about how changing the emphasis on what I’m doing affects the outcome. I used to weave and my husband made a beautiful vertical loom so I could make tapestries and flat rugs.  I really did not have time to use it because I was running my own interior design business.  I kept the loom along with some wonderful yarns because I knew someday I would have time.  That loom and the yarn moved from Tucson to Prescott with me and sat in the closet for 5 years.  I've done no weaving in 10 years.  The emphasis was on what could have been and on a dream that was never going to happen and in fact I did not want.  I sold the loom to a young woman who is collecting tools she wants to use in the future.  I understood that.  The yarn is now listed on my Etsy site in supplies.  I had to examine what I really wanted and why before I could let go of the past. It was the same with moving from my Tucson home of 25 years.  My husband died in 2002 and 4 ye

My Rendition of Starry Night!  silver spiral, silver star that moves and star beside a moonstone.  Wire weaving on the edges.   I've been going to Art Unraveled ( http://www.artunraveled.com/ARTU14/AUindex.htm ) for many years and always learn something new.  This year my good friend Judi and I roomed together and attended the same classes. ‘Fun, Affordable and Classy: Composite Laminate Earrings’ taught by April Bower ( http://www.downthestreetartgallery.com/april.htm ) was the first class we took.  In the 3 hour evening class we learned to saw laminate resin – most of us call it Formica!  We were to design earrings using laminate and accenting with wire or beads or metal.  The trick was to cut 2 of each shape the same!  Not such an easy task.  So here are some of the examples and products from the class. My Formica (oops  Laminate Resin) Earrings The next morning after exercising and breakfast we went to ‘Silver Stitched Jewelry’ taught by Mary Hettmansperg

The After Practice Piece  -  Improving Last week I shared making the piece to enamel from ArtClay Copper.  This week is about the actual process of enameling.  If you are interested in using the enameling techniques, I highly recommend Pam East’s DVD’s.  Last week’s post has the links. I looked forward to this part as I remembered how much fun it was to blend the enamel colors in Pam’s class.  Three pair of earrings are ready to be cleaned in PreEnamel to remove any oil or fingerprints.  I started do this at my work station and ended up at the sink because the water needed to be hot.  After scrubbing and rinsing until the water sheeted off the metal instead of beading, I was ready to counter enamel. That just means putting enamel on the back of the piece so that there will have equal amount of stress when the enamel is placed on the front and the enamel will not crack.  The earring on the left shows the counter-enamel The enamel colors I used are translucent and are

My Piece from Pam East's class This post started as a quick review of my experience in enameling.  It is becoming a 2 or 3 part post because I want to share my experiences with those of you who might be interested in learning to enamel as well as sharing some of the techniques that go into the art of enameling.   After taking Pam East’s Enameling on Copper Clay class, I was eager to try it by myself.  I thought I would rush right home and delve in to the process.  Alas! I had too much going on in my life to go off on yet another tangent. I love the two projects I made in her class. I loved being part of her Kickstarter Program and decided to wait to try enameling on my own until her DVD arrived. My Piece from Pam East's Class A couple of weeks ago I started watching the DVD to refresh my memory on the entire process.  It’s a great DVD and I highly recommend it if you are interested in enameling on metal clay.  She has one set for copper clay and one set for si