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 ...

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...