Adornment

I grew up crafting. In elementary school in Oslo, Norway, we had classes in “håndarbeid” (i.e. hand-craft) from an early age. Of course this was a few years ago and back then the girls were taught certain skills and the boys different ones. But both took home ec! (That’s another story.) Back then – this was in the early middle ages of course – crafting was not really for pleasure, but for practical reasons: Norway is cold so being able to knit wool socks becomes important, we had little money so being able to change out a broken zipper in kids’ jeans was a necessity, canning jams and salting fish kept us through the winter, and so on. But of course every culture adds adornment to the practical: a drinking cup functions to contain water (or beer) without the chiseled pattern around the rim and you can hold a cape together just as well with a simple pin as with an ornate one. What do YOU see as the value (or lack of) of adornment? 

Resin madness

Now and then girls just want to have fun. This weekend I went to the annual Memorial Day sale at my favorite bead shop, Bead Station in Lake Forest. See http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bead-Station/149918781717905. Among the many things that drew my eye were these resin pieces: leaves, flowers, globes and flat disks. I added some spacer beads and other components from my “stash,” and voilá! A totally irreverent combo with necklace, earrings, and a bracelet (not shown).

What’s not shown is my other craft project – I’ll get to that in a few days. I also experimented with fabric dyes on a beautiful silk scarf I bought from Dharma Trading Company (http://www.dharmatrading.com/) – along with many of the Jacquard Acid Dyes. It was actually easy once I got the hang of the process. I want to add some fringes and small embroidery to it. Promise a picture next week!

All you other craft-obsessed people: how do you combine your many skills? For example ceramics and beading, metal work and glass, knitting and embroidery?

Metal fan

No not my Facebook settings. I love the way metal chains, focals, spacers, and beads drape and jingle. Sometimes I’m in a Steampunk mood and sometimes it’s metal hummingbirds. At the moment I’m in a bronze mood. What is the difference between bronze and brass? For humongous info, check out a web site link Ask Yahoo: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060803230342AAEHfdg. Personally, it’s a matter of hardness and color, really. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, usually in an 80/20 proportion. Brass, however, is copper mixed with zinc about 60/40. Brass is much softer than bronze and is therefore easier to twist and shape, for example in opening and closing jump rings. But for a focal piece where I want the shape to remain the same forever, I would probably use bronze. The photo above is copied from a great site called NordicRooms, http://www.nordicrooms.net/bbc/. Bronze is also more golden, while brass has a darker, slightly greenish tone. What metals do you favor?

The Thursday challenge

Glass and metal necklace

Design challenge of the day: when you wear a necklace with the clasp in front, gravity pulls on it differently than if it is in the back. In the back, the chain pulls in opposite directions and holds a toggle clasp taut. In front, though, the necklace forms a V and all the pull is downward. When it swings between the “girls,” the movement and the gravitational pull can make a short toggle bar slip out of the ring. Solution? I cleaned a piece of base metal with 0000 steel wool to make it shiny, then hammered it flat and dappled it with the chasing hammer. I cut it to make the piece ¾ inch longer than the malfunctioning toggle bar and cut it in half. I filed the edges to round them and then glued the two flat pieces behind the toggle bar. It looks like it was supposed to be there!

Sugarbird

I called the blog sugarbird for this little guy:

He and his numerous friends and relations are my familiars whenever I'm on St Thomas in the Caribbean!

Ndbele

This is a blog about craft and life. Lifecraft? Hope you enjoy it.

Today I’m wearing the necklace in the pic. I made this last fall when my friend Judi and I took a class at a local store to learn to make bead ropes. “Ndbele” some people called it, but others said “no, it’s … (can’t recall).” The hardest thing with beads is my eyesight – it ain’t getting any better. Even with cokebottom glasses and a magnifying glass on a stand, I rejoice when the fireline goes through that eye of the needle that must be measured in microns. Life lesson? Take joy in the little things!