Kalaya Steede

Well...here I go again.  Just this morning I was reminded that it was bill paying time.  I swear we just did all of that business.  Where does the time all go?  I cannot say that I remember much from the last week.  It has been a week since I spoke to you all last...right?   Here is a recap... I strive for simplicity sometimes.  This is how I came up with this piece... These earrings were cut from a native New Orleans oak tree and set with three hand crafted rivets.  That way the person can have a little of NOLA with them.   That day was a tough one.  We cannot always be creative 24/7, yo!  I did have this idea in my mind for a while and the wood was sitting on the bench.  I was reminded of what a friend told me recently...he said, "make something...anything, and don't over think it".  So I grabbed the wood and went at it!   It was the only thing I accomplished that day. I also had one awesome ...

and still get a bad result. That's how I felt all weekend long.  It's that time in your creative journey and you stop and say, "Well, this sucks and I'll never make anything great".  I hear this happens to a lot of artists.  But here's what happened to me last weekend. I'm trying to come up with a unique design.  So I'm sketching all sorts of things but I get Artist's Block. Then I realize I have to make a pair of silver hoop earrings.  Yay!  It get's me away from designing.  Making hoop earrings is pretty straight forward.   Cut four pieces of silver. Make a circle with each piece. Form circle. No gaps! Solder Pickle Reform circle Make sure ends are visible. 16 gauge sterling silver hoops.  Soon to be sexy earrings for that sexy someone. Sounds simple enough, huh?  Except for two of the hoops popped  open while reforming. AND I could still see the two ends.  Ugh!   I got frustrated.   And thus ...

My morning already started with a prank...ON ME!!!  That just isn't right especially since I haven't had my cup of coffee yet.  A cat in the house?  Really?  How did it get in here?  Anyway...  I finished this last night.  I was all tangled up!  It was supposed to be a five wrap but ended up being three.   The stones are African Turquoise with carved human bone skulls.  It's really jasper but don't tell anyone. I will be listing this on  my Etsy  some time this weekend.   Okay...Enough with the leather bracelets!  I need to get back to metal smithing.   Here are some earrings I finished up last night for a client.   I like the bird's nest on the ear wire.   The discs are about 1" in diameter and the silver was patinated to give it that rustic look.   Urban Chic?   Anyway after I spilled my patina solution all over the bathroom floor I threw in the towel.   At ...