Kalaya Steede

You may need many gifts in the month of May so why not make them yourself? I like the "idea" of making gifts and if I can get people involved in the piece being made the results can be earth shattering. The piece becomes magical, infused with intention, and has a bit of everyone's essence. It becomes a talisman, something with magical powers. The project is to give a sculptural piece that has been touched by everyone that had been involved in this person's life here in NOLA. And how do we do this? By keeping it simple. I decided to do what is called riffing using an earlier piece that I did in 2013. Prayer Flag 2013 For more about riffing go here to  Stacie Florer's website  where she will tell you all about it. Easy, right? First, I need some tube rivets. I was sawing what seemed like FOREVER and only managed to have a total of 24 itty bitty tube rivets! WHAaaaat? Remember my little friend? Tube cutting jig The plan ...

You may not have used handmade tools or maybe you have.  Either way, you need to see the toys in my tool box. It has been so hard to blog last week (which I didn't) and this week.  What is going on?  I did manage to pull a post together about tools and if our work (mainly mine) is good without them.  Below are examples of some tools that hang out in the studio.  The post is a mixture of two stories.  One, on how I came to love handmade tools, and Two, if using them improved my work. Three years ago I was taking a workshop on how to make your own tools when this handmade rivet hammer was placed in my hands.  The curves and the weight of the hammer were so nice to the touch and with every blow my wire rivets looked like they were glistening like diamonds!  hahahaha!!! So without further ado here are some of the tools I use the most in the Turquoise Studio. 1.  Rivet Hammer My very first handmade tool.   Rivet Hammer ...

Walking into Jazz Fest last Thursday was like walking on the beach with a cool breeze wafting in from the ocean. As I approached the Contemporary Arts area the wind swirled around me and blew sand in my general direction and then Mother nature decided to sandblast me with her white sand!  Thus transporting me to my childhood days in Arizona.  Where the desert decided to sandblast me frequently. Okay so real quickly lest you get bored. Three ways to lighten your load BEFORE you enter the fair grounds. First stop, looking at your left (if you entered River Side)... Contemporary Crafts Tents Three Artists MUST sees for the last weekend of Jazz Fest. 1.  Michele A. Friedman Tent H Picture from Michele A. Friedman Michele had these beautiful earrings and necklaces that captured the vibrant colors of the rainbow but what was most fascinating was the versatility of her pieces.  You could add a blueberry to your necklace or ...