Kalaya Steede

I have NO IDEA! I searched and searched for some cool historical fact to tell you but came up with NADA!!! Except for it has evolved for 2000 years...blech. I think it says a lot about a person though.  I wonder what social cues it gives off and if it gives off the WRONG ques? I just finished listening to 'The Will To Adorn' on NPR.  I would have liked it to be about why we adorn ourselves with jewels but no luck. Anywaaaay...here is the last few processes of the buckle from last week. Above I have from left to right, liver of sulfur (LOS), baking soda, and water.   I do the three dump method... Patina (LOS) Baking Soda (to neutralize) Water I used to use the solid LOS but my envirnonment is just too humid and the stuff goes bad real quick.  So I use this gel LOS.   Liver of Sulfur  Extended Life Gel Buuuut...sometimes I use solid LOS just because. Here is the buckle all ready to be riveted. All together now wit...

I think we were in the studio a total of three days (2 half days and 1 full day).  After all, we were in Mexico and cannot spend the whole week in the studio!  Okay...well...we could but there were places to go and people to see.   First day... Like I said in an earlier post...the first day in the studio was a lot of looking around.  We decided that I needed a belt buckle since we were doing a workshop in November.  I could not go around without my very own buckle! First decision was to decide on shape and size.  Second decision was what objects were going to embellish the buckle.  These sorts of details usually plague me for days.  I just cannot make things up on the spot!  I did bring along a skeleton from NOLA but that was it.  I then went to Jesse's stash of found objects looking for things to use. What in the world would I find in that bowl of found objects?  I guess what found me were two metal objects, a ...

And it has not been me!  Hahaha!!!  I am just kidding.  There are lots of things that has been keeping me away from the bench these days.   For one, I was recently invited to do a guest post on Love My Art Jewelry !  Eeee...so exciting!  I get to share my journey with others. And... two, working on organizing a workshop in Mexico! Where in Mexico you ask? In this really cool, old town known as San Miguel de Allende. I am organizing this workshop with an amazing artist!    Jesse Bert  to be exact and his home is right there in San Miguel!  It is going to be packed full of fun, adventure, and FUN! Students will focus on the construction of belt buckles. Similar  to this one (which you might of seen already)... Botas by Jesse Bert and this one (which you have not seen already)... Jesse Bert the back side because it is just as important... Jesse Bert and this one... Jesse Bert Is that carved eb...