Totem animal cards

Yesterday I finished my final screenprinting project, finishing the packaging that goes with the gift boxes.  The prints you see below with the purple lace will also be printed on gift bags.

The images along with the lace came out much better than I expected.  I quite love them. 
I hope you do too.  I have plans to make tshirts, and greeting cards....

 

Totem cards, 2012

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Like candy!

ohhhhhh, loves it!
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Construction Exhibition photos

So along with missing the Fred Fenster workshop I also missed my classmates Senior Exhibition, Tara Locklear, Nick Heyl and Crystal Lin - talk about terrible timing!!! Grr, however, I did snap photos of their exhibition and here they are.  I really, really loved how Tara displayed her jewelry on these vintage photos of female steel workers - it really brought home the use of material and tying it into the style of that era, costume jewelry and Tara's innovation with enamel decals.

Crystal and Nick's work was just as impressive - they are masters at manipulating copper and fabrication.  I so want Crystal's fork, spoon and knife, she carved from wax the handles!  And Nick's family series of caps for the fabricated vessel was very symbolic of his life as an adopted child.

Enjoy!

Steel worker wearing Tara Lockear's steel enameled earrings. 

Female Steel workers, wearing Tara's enameled Steel earrings.

Tara Locklear's Skate Deck Series.

Crystal Lin's reversible chain mail necklace.

Nick Heyl's beautifully copper blue teapot.

Nick Heyl's metaphorical family ancestors.

And here is a short yet funny video of Tara showing us a sneak peak into her process and installation piece for the senior show. And also check out the ECU undergrad studio!

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Unexpected Pleasures exhibition in Australia

P.S. I love Susan Cohn's hair color/style.  
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Visiting Artist: Fred Fenster

This past weekend the ECU Metals Guild hosted renowned metalsmith/pewtersmith Fred Fenster for a 3 day workshop.  Fred Fenster is somewhat of a legend and pioneer in our field and many of us were really excited to host him for the weekend.  Fred taught one of our own professors, Mi-Sook Hur at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is good friends with Bob Ebendorf.  

Apart from Fred's talented and innovative ways of using pewter's soft metal properties, he was also endearingly funny and had some great stories to tell about his travels in Europe and Asia when he researched the history of pewter.

I was so, so annoyed that the same weekend Fred came to town I got sick! Not just one day sick, but strep throat sick.  Anywho, I luckily caught his presentation the evening before he began his workshop and learned some of his tricks.   

Pewter really does have amazing properties, the fact that you can hold your pewter while soldering (because of it's low melting temperature 465 degrees Fahrenheit) and that you can twist and move it into such amazing shapes without all the grueling work of raising is quite amazing.  

Fred showing us how to measure and cut sheet pewter properly.

Fred telling us one of his funny stories.

Bob Ebendorf and Dejan listening intently.

Casting pewter spoons.

Casting pewter in wood! Very cool.

A short lil' video I snapped of Fred.

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for stoppin' by!
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ECU graduating Spring exhibitions

More amazing exhibitions by ECU graduating students. Many of them my friends, so talented and passionate about their work.

Kat Cole and Abigail representing the ECU Metals graduate program put together a cohesive and expansive body of work. Both of them showing their skills not only in metals/jewelry but sculpture (Kat Cole) and paper/printmaking (Abigail Heuss).

Then there was the magical, almost faerie like worlds of Mike McAteer, using all sorts of material, polymer clay, epoxy, metal etc. to make his sculptural pieces.

And Linda Fox, whom I don't know very well but truly enjoyed her dreamy and deadly photographs, melding several images to create inner worlds of animals and landscapes of Eastern North Carolina.

There are still more shows coming up and I'll try to post more photos. Hope you enjoy!

Kate Cole 2012.

Kat Cole's tin and enameled necklaces.

Abigail Heuss cloisonne enamel pendant/necklace, 2012.

Abigail's enamel and tin necklaces.
All made with the tiniest and intentional details.

Abigail Heuss' family tree of spoons.
So intricately detailed and special.

All of Mike's pieces are handmade,
and intentional, right down to the dew on the glass.

Mike McAteer's magicial mini-worlds.

I wouldn't want to be in this spider's web!

Justin Campbell, Mike McAteer, Ashley Pierce
celebrating the evenings shows.

Linda Fox, 2012

Linda Fox, 2012.

I wish I could purchase this beautiful photograph.

As always, thank you for reading!

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Construction Senior Exhibition: Tara Locklear, Crystal Lin and Nick Heyl

Construction Senior Exhibition of Tara Locklear, Crystal Lin and Nick Heyl is this Sunday at 3pm. I'm so happy, excited and kinda sad to see them graduate. When you work in a studio of about 20 students you get close and become a family away from home.

I'm so proud of them and impressed; working around such talented artists really feeds my own creativity and knowledge. I'll miss them dearly but can't wait to see where they go.

Aren't their postcards wicked?

Tara Locklear

Crystal Lin

Nick Heyl

If you are in the Greenville area, this is one exhibition you won't want to miss.

Thanks for reading!
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paper boxes

I can't say enough how proud and excited I am about my gift boxes. Even if that sounds a bit conceited of me...it was alot of work.

I learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and did a bulk of the work myself with a lil' help with my professor and classmates. I have big plans to create an entire packaging system, gift bags and tissue paper.

Funny but my older prints turned out to be great back drops for the boxes.
And my contact info at the bottom of the box. Pretty awesome.
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featured on Imunlisted

It's silly how happy and excited I get when I'm featured on a blog or Treasury list, but I do!

Etsy customer Gloria Cheng of Texas suggested I make faux talon gauges, which I'd been thinking of doing for awhile but her request spurred me to do it. Here is an awesome post in Gloria's blog and photo of her wearing them!

Then I got an email from Brigita, another Etsy seller of my Deep Sea Ammonite pin featured in her Deep Sea Treasury

I couldn't think of a better treasury and the color scheme is so perfect.

Thanks Gloria and Brigita!
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Joya exhibition in Spain

One day I plan on visiting this exhibition and all my favorite Spanish jewelers.
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Emilie Bliguet studio and gallery

Another great video from a Spanish metalsmith. I am loving her gallery and studio...makes me long for one of my own one day and a great video.

Enjoy!
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Charms, Rings 'n Things Sale TODAY

We have SO much amazing, beautifully handcrafted jewelry on sale today - all of us in the metals guild are trading with each other!

Hope you can come out and support the ECU metals guild today. The range is great, from jewelry priced at $25 and up.

Here are some photos I took yesterday of the display - must say we did a pretty good job.

I love the poster Sam Clark had a graphic design student make.

Aileen Devlin and Claire Edwards were going Ba-nanas over
Ashley Ray and Margaret's cool earrings.

LOVE Sam's purple paper earrings.

It was a bit chilly and windy but luckily the sun was out. Hope to see you there this afternoon when I'm personing the table.
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Making a box

Making a box is alot harder than it may seem, especially if it has geometric angles/sides. I had a good amount of help though from a classmate. However I'm quite excited about this project for my screenprinting class.

I plan on transferring the image of my box, to make a dozen or so more, then I'll screenprint an image of my jewelry and logo on the top, inside and bottom of the box.

It's gonna be cooooool.

Here are some process shots. It took me eight samples of the box to get a final perfect fit.

Several samples/prototypes.

Final box and closed!

And it opens, ta-da!

Thanks for reading.
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Easter Brunch Charm Swap

Charms from left to right: Kat Cole, Margaret Hinrichs, Lisette Fee
Ellen Hinrichs, Phillip Ambrose, Kendall Booth and DJ.

Had a great Easter with friends and handmade charms!
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Talons caught a garnet

Just listed, plan on using more stones with the talons.

Now on sale at my Etsy shop!

So nice and snug in the talons,

the garnet does move a bit but I like playing with my jewelry.

Happy Friday!

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Alice in Wonderland inspired jewelry

I just love fantasy style jewelry. I want that enameled mushroom ring!
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somewhat new item in Eilisain shop

Displayed on a deer antler I decorated.

Most of my jewelry, specifically the Hunted line can be made in most metals (silver, bronze, brass and even gold) but I primarily cast it in manganese bronze first because it's been popular.

So here they are The Hunted owl talon earrings in silver, the longer version.

Gearing up for the Charms, Rings and Thing sale!
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Very excited about our guild's next sale, OUTSIDE of the art building. As silly as it sounds, it's a big step for our guild and we are psyched about it.

I'm especially proud and grateful for the sale committee, Margaret and Ellen Hinrichs with marketing chair, Samantha Clarke. They've done a fantastic job organizing the sale....which will be next week!

I'll be posting more about the sale...so stay tuned!

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excerpt of a student at Escola Massana in Barcelona

Workshop at the Escola Massana in Barcelona, studying with Ramon Puig Cuyas...oh so jealous.

I love the Spanish accent. Enjoy...
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