Kalaya Steede

DOD (Day of the Dead) time! I have been wanting to post about Mexico but... But, but, but...that word is always sneaking around.  I want to play in the studio...BUT.  Oh, I would love to meet you for coffee...BUT...and so on.  But enough of that! I just had to get back into the studio and make something.  I really felt that I had forgotten everything I have learned over the past 6 months!  Deadlines are looming and I needed to get on the ball because NOLA's  Art for Arts' Sake , which is October 6, 2012, will be here soon and I need inventory. I had this idea to make a series of skull necklaces for DOD.  This required me to make a sample and here is what I came up with... DODS by Kalaya Steede I put a chain on it just for the picture.  I do not like shinny...at least not copper.  I will patina that and buff it up.  The skull measures about 1" in diameter and the metal is tin (I think).  I used...

I think it's always a good idea to take workshops if you can.   And even better if you got a friend to drag along.   My friend doesn't have any experience (none necessary) and I could use some exposure.  So we called Angele (she's AWESOME!) and signed up for Tom's Fastenation workshop here in New Orleans.  It's about time this city had some workshops!    We arrived at Thomas Mann's studio and received our supplies.  It was a box of metal, screws, headpins, faux bone, and a name tag with our names on it!   There was no one from New Orleans.  How can that be?  Me and Tysheena were the only ones.   It felt like we were at a convention.   Fun!  Anyway first things first...lecture on how to do things.  Next...time to use tools. Look at everyone.  So busy at their workbench. There's Tysheena using a hammer to give her metal some texture.   I had to remember that we were there to learn the tec...