Kalaya Steede

Bonjour! Today is a special day...because two of my favorite people were born on this day.  So...Happy Birthday Nicole and Jesse!  Wishing you two the very best...ALWAYS!!! Now back to creativity!!! I picked up some labadorite and peridot stones a while back for a bracelet.  A particular design had been in my brain for quite some time.  I had all the materials...so get on with it, yes!? But...one thing that paralyzes me is if the stones are high quality, and if I am using large amounts of silver, I become fearful of messing up, and so the stones just sit, and sit, and sit.  Anyway I decided that it did not matter if I mess up and jumped right on in! First I had to make some silver end beads as a clasp. I liked how they came out.  They were about 1/2" in diameter, textured, domed, and patinated. Then I wire wrapped a thousand beads with silver wire!  Ha...not really...only 100! Just a little peek of the silver clasp. N...

Merci beaucoup for all the lovely words on the last post The Risk to Bloom .  I am truly touched by everyone who stopped by. I bow in gratitude. I felt such a flow of energy when making Riesgo (Risk).  I am wondering if I will be able to make anything like it again.  It is not the final product that I want to create but the feeling of the moment while creating.  I very much would like that feeling to return.  Oh well...time to move on.  Ha!   So what is stirring in the studio today? A commissioned ring! I said,  "I would NEVER do commissions" but what am I doing?  I am making a ring that I have been COMMISSIONED to make!  There is a reason why I was warned never to say never. The mission was to make, in her own words, "an obnoxious ring!" .  Hmm...define obnoxious: very annoying or objectionable .  Sure...I can manage that...I think. And this is what I came up with... The lines were made with my...

Oh I think summer is on its way.  Those days of hot and humid and feeling like you are swimming in sweat.  So I took advantage of it not being quite here yet by swinging on the hammock, reading a lovely book, and feeling the breeze sweep across my face and hair.  What a lovely start to Friday, huh?   Our Auntie and Uncle are back home here in New Orleans from their new home in California.  I tell you this because on my bench lies a piece of copper with a hummingbird cut out of it and it has been sitting there since last summer.  My intention was to mail it out to her...A Year Ago! Hehe! I was kind of paralyzed with the piece.  Thinking it had to be perfect and my skills were not up to the task.   I wanted her to have this piece today.   It must of been the fastest piece I have ever made EVER (~2hrs)!  Remember the humming bird was already pierced ahead of time and has been aging on my jewelers bench for months. ...

Ola! Happy Sunday. Well the weekends almost over but Thanksgiving is next week. This marks the beginning of yummy food and delicious sweeties! Eeeeee! I'm so excited. I love the holidays but it's getting down to the wire and I haven't spent as much time as I would like to in the studio. Okay, I haven't spent ANY time in the studio. Oh bad me. I know I said I was going to talk about the fabulous workshop with Thomas Mann but I just have to share my latest creation. LSU Tiger Tiara This is my LSU tiara but I'm not sure how it will withstand my jumping up and down in the stands.  Materials used were Czech glass (6mm and 4mm), silver, and gold pewter. It took about 4 hours to complete.  The technique used here was the same as for the Who Dat Tiara but this was was bigger (taller).  Talk about fit for a queen! BTW...I was using BlogPress but now I give up.  It just wasn't working correctly. Argh!  More trouble then what it was worth.  Have a gre...

'Dia De Los Muertos' by KalayaSteede Dia de los muertos is my favorite celebration of the year. Since the day is fast approaching I wanted to share a few things I found on Etsy. There are so many talented people out there. Enjoy! Dia de los Muertos Day of th... noellehunt $1000.00 ...

For our anniversary I made my husband a ring AND I gave it to him 4 days before our anniversary.   I knew from the start that it could of been disastrous because I have never set a stone directly on top of a ring before. But the only way I can get better at it is to just make it and keep making rings.  So I faced my fears and just jumped in. Usually I take FOREVER to make anything as some of you may know.  However, I was on a deadline and it took me only 1 day to make it.  Unbelievable!  Also, the ring actually fit! The band was textured by going through a rolling mill.  I then cut the length and width needed.  I used Contenti's Blank Ring Sizing Chart . Choose the ring size and then added 0.5mm to that because the width of this ring was over 4 mm.  This ring was 8 mm in width overall.  The stone is turquoise and measures about 6 mm.  Making the bezel to go around the stone was easy.  The hard part was filing the bezel t...

I'm having a whole lotta fun making cards. Thanks to Amber I think I have a new obsession! Here are some of the cards I made this weekend. Burlesque is my theme. Sexy is my name. There's nothing more sexy then confidence!   What will I do with these? I found myself asking this question over and over again. Etsy? Nah... I could always use a unique card. Maybe winter solstice gifts or just wrap them all together for that anytime gift. Somebody's gotta like it, right?    Here is a leather wrap bracelet with my new hand made end bead. The last picture was taken by a bright window. The first two was with my Photek set up. They are so different. I think the true color of the lavender is somewhere between the first and the last.  This two wrap leather bracelet is a gift for one of my step daughters. Can you guess her favorite color? Well, that's it for now.  Namaste Kalaya

Happy Friday everyone! Tada... Introducing my latest commissioned piece... Ooh La La The dimensions of this piece is...I think 1 1/2" in height and maybe...Ohhhh I don't know.  I didn't measure it!  Bad Kalaya! Anyway,   I started with 22 gauge copper and silver.  Both pieces were textured and the silver was used to cut out an African symbol, Gye Nyame   (jeh N-yah-mee), except God.  Translation:  No one lives who saw its beginning and no one will live to see it's end, except God . Go here to read more about it. After doming both pieces for depth, the custom bail and jump rings were soldered to the copper piece, cleaned up, patinated, and then joined by brass rivets.  It hangs on a 2 mm leather cord 19" in length. The back carries a special message but only the wearer knows.  I bet you want to know what it says! Hehe. Well...have a great weekend but FIRST have a fantabulous Friday!  Namaste Kalaya

Something I've been working on.  I was wearing my boots when this happened... Note the sharp points at each end.  This is the way it landed when it fell from my bench.  Last week a small, but still heavy, anvil fell on my foot.  In both cases my boots saved me.  Merci Boots!  Hmmm...I think Studio Turquesa is trying to get my attention.  Anyway...   Have a great Monday! Namaste Kalaya

I have been commissioned to make a pendant.  Yay!  The only requirement was to use an Ankh in my design.   Some of you have asked to see the progress. So just for you, a sneak preview of the pendant in process. First the design.  The pendant will measure a little less than 1" in diameter.  I'm using the second drawing down on the left side. Second, piercing the metal and attaching the bail.  I added just a little too much solder on the bail so I'll have to clean that up. When will I ever learn?  The Ankh will sit on top of the copper piece. The back side. All that is left for me to do is put it all together.  I have already filed and patinated and sealed.  Although I don't know how I feel about the sealing part.  It's some sort of polymer that keeps the metal from oxidizing.  I kind of like how the metal ages with time but not everyone likes that.   I think the hardest part is figuring out what chain or cord wou...

The Gem and Bead show came and gone and I went and spent. There were so many beads I couldn't think.  I envy those people who get a whole basket and fill it up with all sorts of goodies.   I went with a friend on Friday and bought some beads and then I went back today (Sunday) and my mom bought me some beads!  She so tweet! Check out our loot.   From left to right you have, carnelian, hematite, coral, magnesite, pyrite, turquoise, ocean jasper, and a mystery stone.  I never know what that is but I like it!   So what did I do this weekend?  Did I accomplish any of my challenges?  I did finish some sexy hoop earrings but no picture.  They pretty much look like the others that I posted.  So I won't bore you with that but I did make a thumb ring, size 8 1/2.    TaDa! But guess what?  Yup, that's right.  It's the wrong size. It's a size 8 3/4.  Did I mention how frustrated I get with making rings...

Tonight I am getting Night Star ready for her journey home.  As I'm polishing her to make her all beautiful, I can't help but to feel a little sadness to see her go.   Night Star was designed in the fall of 2010 as part of the Amulets of the Goddess Series.  I had loads of fun designing the pieces. There were three in the set and now all three are with their Goddess.   Night Star was the last to go. Night Star Being, Knowing, and Becoming I Bring You Strength and Growth I'm all for letting go but sometimes it's just so hard.   Hold onto Night Star while looking up into the night sky and make a wish.  Namaste Kalaya

Happy Monday Everyone! I already wish it was Friday so I can experiment more.  But why rush the days?   I'm working on a series of "Dipped Dangles."  They are so much fun to make AND wear. Made with 18 gauge copper.   The price of silver is outrageous and forcing me to shift to other materials.  However, the ear wires are still silver.  Don't want our ears turning green.    I had torched enamel mocha on the balled ends.  The picture couldn't capture the color but trust me it is there. I think the reason it is so dark is because I burnt the color off.  The whole piece was then patinated and polished with a brass brush.   This is the prototype.  I would like to use heavier copper but I'm on the fence about that.  I don't like to wear heavy earrings.  Does anyone?   So...this weekend I'll be making more Dipped Dangles with lots of different colors. I also experimented with enameling different colors on bal...

I'm so excited!!!  I received this great Totem from Becky Burt last Sunday.  I have worn it everyday since then!    The piece is a great example of cold connections.   Materials are textured silver and copper, patinated copper, turquoise, and magnesite.   Magnesite's mystical properties is its ability to awaken the mind to communicate with the heart.   To see more of Becky's work click here .  Her pieces are so much fun with a touch of whimsy.  She is a local artist and friend AND will be making her debut at Jazz Fest this year!  Way to go Becky!   So if your in town stop by her booth and say, "Bonjour".   Merci Beaucoup, Becky!  I'm such a lucky girl. Namaste Kalaya

You better wear green today or you're going to get pinched! Especially if I see you.   I haven't been able to work at the bench since last weekend but there are all sorts of ideas in my head.  But sometimes they just aren't able to make there way out and it's so frustrating.  Argh!  Thank goodness for other people's blogs.  What would I do with out them?   Here's something green for you...   I made this baby last semester.  I sawed the top layer and then enameled with a beautiful green.  This was riveted to a textured piece of copper underneath which was patinated to bring out the wee little fleur de lis.  The solid brass escutcheon pins were difficult to rivet until I decided to anneal them.  Who would of thought?  You can see more pictures on my ETSY shoppe . Don't forget to wear green.   and Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day, ♥ Kalaya

A friend had commissioned me to make some earrings out of brass by reclaiming some turquoise from another pair of earrings she had.  I haven't used any brass but I'm sure there is some in the studio waiting to come alive.  Yup, here is some textured brass that came from Thomas Mann's I/O Gallery on Magazine St.  I cut out a disc shape and torched it to calm the shininess of it all.   I had first used liver of sulfur but the color came out this pretty blue (not the color I was hoping for) so I torched it and this is the color it came out.  It brought some of the copper to the surface giving it an antique look.   Voila!  The finished piece.  Now for the torched enamel ear wires.  This was experiment no. 2.  Experiment 1 was Fall 2010 in metalsmith class.  The enamel kept bouncing off.  But now I got some advice from Barbara Lewis and her group of  pyromaniac artists .  The list is a great place for techni...