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Showing posts from May, 2011

Give Away by Barbara Lewis!

Picture by Barbara Lewis Hurry time is running out!  I would love to win these beauties.  If you want to join in the fun and see how lucky you are, go to Barbara Lewis's blog  Painting With Fire  and follow the instruction. Deadline is May 31st.  Good luck!   On another note Barbara is coming out with a new book called Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting with Fire due out in September.  A must for your library of goodies!   Namaste Kalaya

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Creating... Oh what a fun evening!  My friend Ty wanted to make a necklace to go with a particular slinky sexy dress.  She thought about buying one but I say why?  Especially if one can make it.  After all, she has me, right?  So off to the Bead Shop on Magazine.  We buy some bronze chain, coral, turquoise, Swarovski crystal, and a flower by Vintage.   1.  Making the components.  I had no idea what I was doing!  I just wrapped wire around this bead turquoise to secure it to the flower.  Some sort of bird's nest action going on.  2.  We measured the length of each chain and made many adjustments. 3.  Placing the components in the proper place.  What are the proper places?  We don't know.  We just played with it. 4.  Final Piece!  Yay!  Ty danced around the room and pretended to pick things up.  You know...going through the motions.  We had to test the integrity of the necklace.  It passed and got the Kalaya and Ty seal of approval. We thought it turned out real nice.

Three Day Weekend Here I Come!

I have BIG plans for this weekend.   It's going to be three days of studio time!  Well...at least that's the plan.  Someone might convince me to go shopping or something.  In the meantime let me share the newest things that I have made. A friend of mine wanted to venture out and get herself some dangle earrings but they couldn't be over 1 inch long.  While I was making the set my muse came in the room!  She told me to put some notches in the hoops.  So I obeyed and left the two other pairs alone.  You never know when she is going to pop her head in the studio.   Notched hoop earrings.  SOLD Shinny Dangles.  BTW...that's not me. The silver hoops are 3/4 of an inch in diameter and were made using 16 gauge round wire.  I made three pairs.  Notches were created in one pair and patinated with liver of sulfur.  The other two pair were left alone and tumbled for that shinny look.   I feel like the other two pair needs that je na sais quoi.   Maybe some enamel d

Still Here...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE... Last Thursday I got to spend some time with my friend Amber.  I wonder what could be in these bags?  They are so lovely I didn't even want to open them... Inside... These are the goodies that my friend Amber made for me.  Don't know if you can tell but I totally LOVE Frida.  That brass necklace is made by using resin. It's such a cool technique. And what am I going to do with those tags?  They are just too nice to put on packages.  I guess I have to meditate on letting go.  One day I am going to get there.  Amber is so talented.  Go check out the rest of her pieces either on Etsy or her blog Yellow Flower .   Gracias Amber! I made another one! This is a three wrap bracelet made with faceted carnelian stones. It is a talisman and brings good luck to the wearer. It also gets rid of anger, envy, and hatred.  I favor carnelian for it's reddish color. A good stone all around.     Finally a necklace of protection.  I call it "Dust to Dust&qu

I Love Your Style!

Not to rush the week or anything but I'm glad that Friday is finally here! I have some cool things to share with you but that will have to wait.  But I wanted to post this video that I was introduced to this morning and let me tell you...it is exactly what I needed!  Thanks Rice Freeman-Zachery ! So on this lovely Friday morning this is who I met.  Her name is Ilona Royce Smithkin and I LOVE her STYLE!  The video is posted by Ari Seth Cohen's Advanced Style .  This is a refreshing blog especially in a society where youth is valued and I'm not getting any younger!   But don't stop there!  Go check out some of her performances.  And other interviews that Ari has done.   That is it for now.  See you soon AND Yes...I'm proud to be 42 years old! Namaste Kalaya

Leather Wrap Class at The Bead Shop on Magazine St.

I'm so stoked about this upcoming class that I'm teaching in June.  So when I walked into the Bead Shop on Magazine last weekend and saw my examples being displayed I was beside myself.  I asked that they unlock the glass so that I could take a picture!  That's how excited I was. Bead Shop on Magazine Leather Wrap Workshop Display Call (504) 895-6161 to register. T he examples shown is a one wrap and a three wrap bracelet but the class will focus on making the one wrap in order to learn the whole process. Everyone knows I've been making a lot of leather wrap bracelets these days.  I can't have enough and lucky for me I know how to make them.  Otherwise they would cost a fortune.  They are so much fun to make and I would like to teach everyone how to do it!    I'm teaching the workshop at  The Bead Shop  on Magazine St. on Thursday June 2, 2011 at 6:00 pm.   Call the Bead Shop at (504) 895-6161 and sign up for the class.   Do it now!  Don't mean to  b

Monday is Red Beans and Rice Day!

Here in New Nawlins we eat Red Beans and Rice on Mondays.  Check it out... Now doesn't that look good?  This was just the beginning.  Baby Cakes cooks it down to get that creamy texture that I like so much.  I can't wait to get home. It has been a while and I hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend. I most certainly did but most of my Sunday was dedicated to monsters...I mean mothers. I tried to make these carnation cones.  I had seen them online ( click here to get instructions for these yummy cones) and thought what a great idea.  The carnations hold up well without water and it kind of looks like an ice cream cone...the rainbow or spumoni kind.  The mom's LOVED them but they love everything.  I just realized that I have to put more stuff on Etsy.  So that is what I will be concentrating on this week. That is if my muse returns.  I'm working on some torch enamel earrings, pendant, and necklace so bear with me.  Muchas Gracias for taking a looksy! Namaste Kal

Jazz Fest...Discovering New Artists

Mother nature was very kind yesterday at Jazz Fest.  Some people go for the music, some for the food, some for both but I go when mother nature is kind...and for the food.  There were so many artists spread about I didn't get a chance to see everyone.  Bummer!  Anyway here are a few people that stood out for me.   blue maya designs   It was nice meeting Nancy.  She is from Mattapoisett, MA and she had the cuttiest collage purses I've ever seen in a long time. These are a couple that I purchased for mother's day.   Molly McNamara Designs   Where y'at dawlin?  I can't seem to find her website anywhere for you to stalk.  However she is located at 2128 Magazine St. so go stalk her in person.  She designed some really cool voodoo pendants. Photo by   David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune Lucky Girls Gallery   Local New Orleanian Cathy Rose's sculpture are just stunning!  If I had lots and lots of money I would definitely buy one of her sculptures.  They

Torch Firing Enamel

I'm experimenting with torch firing enamel once again.  Last year I torched some small copper discs that weren't too shabby.  But that was ages ago.  So I decided to try again.   The discs started out as a sheet of raw copper, then was fold formed, and the circles were cut out with a disc cutter.  Here is the sequence of enamels (Thompson Enamels): 1.  Clear Flux #2015 on both sides.  Done in a kiln. 2.  White, opaque #1055.  Done with a torch, front side only. 3.  Raspberry, transparent #2836 on front side. Two times. The enamel was torched from below (enamel powder on top), although I did one from above but that was a disaster!  DISASTER!   It didn't come out like I expected because I expected a rich fantabulous raspberry, good enough to eat kind of color.  Instead I got a pastel color...oh pooh!   I asked my torch firing girlfriends for help.  I bet they will be able to rescue me.  Yay!  What are your experiences?   Have a great Monday! Namaste Kalaya

What a Saturday...Can I have some more?

0600 hrs.   Get Baby Cakes and his buddy out the door for their sweat test run around the city and beyond. First and only cup of coffee.  Get studio organized...kind of. Take a break. Make 50K leather bracelet...take a break, and 100K leather bracelet while nursing Youthberry & Wildorange Blossom herbal tea.  Take another break. Listen to PodCasts by Rice (like Lisa but with an R) interviews with Artist Suzi Blu and Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee while breaking.  Daydream about all the cool things to make and about wearing a tutu. Thinking about signing up for an online workshop.  Oh the things one can do with plaster.  Still on break.   Plaster Studio Workshop Thinking about keeping this Doll from Amber Leilani instead of giving it away. Torch fire enamel earrings.  Yum...Raspberry. Three wrap leather bracelet for fund raiser. Eat Crawfish Bisque. Now entering Nirvana.   Nurse my soul mate after his 100K (62mi) run.  WHAT A NUT! Fall into my subconscious for the