momma bird twice

I'm on Etsy now!

2009-11-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

I posted some of my earring on etsy....still need to work on my photo taking...but hey...i'm trying! Check it out....mommabirdtwice.etsy.com!

New Earrings

2009-08-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some earring styles I have created with my washers. Enjoy!

Custom Piece

2009-08-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

I was asked to make a custom piece! I am very excited and nervous all at the same time. I worry that it won't be perfect or what if they don't like it....but I have to work through it and do my best. This piece is for a gentleman that I frequently work with. I took several ideas to him and he picked out what he wanted.

The pendant will have three layers: the top layer is pierced and cut out, the second layer is silver blackened with liver of sulfer, and the last layer is copper.

Callenwolde Ring Making Class in Atlanta

2009-07-13T16:36:00.001-07:00

Where do I start and what do I say, but, WOW!! Our instructor, Aalia Mujtaba, was amazing! Honestly, amazing doesn't capture it perfectly, but that is all I got right now. My friend Melani and I took a ring making class at Callenwolde Fine Art Center in Atanta. We were supposed to learn metal piercing, texturing, soldering and finishing a one of a kind, designed by me, ring! Boy did we learn that and so much MORE....Aalia took the time to show Melanie and I different techniques, more involved, then was was in the description for the class. I went to this class hoping we would have time to learn other stuff and it was perfect. Aalia is a great instructor, patient, ask all the right questions so she understands what you want...and that isn't a easy task with me...I'm horrible at explaining myself.

We had an awesome classmate, Helen Lester, who is in tv production (free lance if anyone is interested, just ask for her info). She was not a notive to making jewelry, she was so very helpful in answering questions too. She also has great taste in jewelry. She would wear different pieces each day...it was neat to see other jewelry artists work! Really has modivated me to get out into my shop and create!

First photo: Helen Lester

Second photo: Melani Young (left) & Instructor Aalia Mujtaba

Third photo: Completed Ring

Fourth Photo: First day; shank texturized; base is texturized, pierced, jointed with sweat solder

It's been so long!

2009-06-12T04:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been since February since I have posted. Life was getting a bit crazy for awhile. So much to share! I will be doing a post on a birthday present I received from one of my friends. She is incredible! I still have been enameling, but the projects don't seem to be coming together. The individual stuff is great, I have to learn to complete the project.....

My (above mentioned) friend and I have signed up to take a ring making class in Atlanta in July. I can't wait, I have slowly teaching myself, but I learn so much faster by watching. I can't wait to see what we are gonna do! It will be nice just to get away with an adult for a weekend and be creative.

My husband has graduated from Nursing School, awaiting to take the boards in less than two weeks. So much is going on around here, it seems like time is just flying. I am making a promise to myself to maintain this blog, if anything, just for me as my journal.

Even my friends want to do it!

2009-02-24T15:54:00.001-08:00

I have been having so much fun cause my friends have been coming over to enamel!

Dana wanted to melt seed beads, so we gave it a shot..boy are they hard to melt! So we tried to enamel and melt at the same time..i think we should have melted the seed beads first..so i gave it a shot..still hard to melt, then i enameled over it..i will post pictures soon.

Erica came over and made a pendant and mini disc for her ear. They both turned out great! She took them home and i forgot to take a picture..but i keep hounding her about it..so i will add one soon.

My kiln died..so i am awaiting for a replacement element...keep your fingers crossed that it will work..it looks the same so i am hoping it will be!! I miss my kiln..it was so old (the box was dated 1958) and since i got it used..you just never know how much it was or was not used...i should be here tomorrow!

I also purchased vintage leaded enamels off ebay...the ones i got with my kiln have such nice color than the non-leaded..so i will be breaking those out soon to show! i'm very excited to see what colors i got!

I have been experimenting!

2009-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

Upper right corner picture-

1.(farthest left) Undercoat white mixed with purple sifted together, fired once. Clear coat sifted and fired next.

2. (second on left) Undercoat white then purple sifted on top, fired once. clear coat sifted on fired next.

3. (second from right) Undercoat white mixed wiht orential red, fired once.

4. (farthest right) Undercoate white mixed with purple, fired once.

Upper left corner picture-

These are 'leaded' enamels that came with my vintage kiln i purchased. The difference in color from these leaded with my other unleaded enamels is pretty amazing.

Bottom left corner picture-

This picture shows a single sift of brown fired (small disc on right) and the larger disc has been sifted and fired with two layers of enamel to show a darker color.

Botton right corner picture-

This is one of my favorites. It is a green enamel that i fired (or should i saw forgot was in the kiln) for 4 minutes...i love the color that was brought out by the longer firing process.

red bracelet

2008-12-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

this is a my first fabricated piece of jewelry. i made this bracelet as a hostess gift for the christmas party we attended. i really learned alot from making this piece. if you notice on one of the circles, it is pink/purple, this is the underside. the top is oriental red.

i'm in love.....this rocks!!

2008-12-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

this is the best thing ever...i am loving it!!

i could gush all day about how great this is. i have been in my studio for the last three hours enamling these pieces...i just couldn't stop...i finally ran out of copper pieces to enamel...i have to get the dremel out to put holes in the rest of my copper so that i can get started again...i wish the picture could do the colors justise, but it doesn't. i have to work on my picture taking skills...i will try to post a better picture later...

my first enamel piece...

2008-12-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

turned out better than i could have wanted or imaged! i am very excited that i was successful. i have always loved things that are enameled so when i got the wild hair to take my jewelry making to the next level..this is what i wanted to do! as with everything in life...patience is a must...i have to tell myself that i am learning..i tried again tonight and was not as successful..i think it was the metal i was working with, i hope and not me..but i will try again tomorrow with a different type of copper i have and go from there..

the pictures i have posted are my first piece..1st sift/fired; 2nd sift/fired; 3rd sift/fired...it still has a little orange peel look but i will take it!

my first metal piece...

2008-12-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

is a bomb! so i tried to make a copper ring out of copper wire. i found copper wire, probably 12 or 14 gauge at michaels...and thought cheap...finally something relatively cheap and no shipping costs..i annealed the copper to make it easier to bend..well.. while bending the ring, it starts to get marked/scratched up...then i'm thinkin', man this is kinda hard..not sure if i need flux or solder for copper..i do some reach through the books i have found/purchased to assist me in this and can't really find anything that states to flux or solder for copper...so i go inside to search the internet...found some sites that said flux and solder have been used but you got to purchase and i was in the middle of trying to fabricate this ring and didn't want to wait to have to buy anything nor have to wait anymore!!! so i have flux and i use it...take the torch to it and it doesn't seal..so flux doesn't work..i decide to put it in the pickle and this is what my first attempt at metalsmith looks like....

my studio

2008-12-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

my studio is finished! i have added more things from what the pictures show. i am very excited to start making jewelry but am feeling apprehensive about it. not sure why but i will begin soon...

Supplies Ordered!

2008-10-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

I am so very excited to say that I was finally able to order my supplies! I have had to wait over a month for the company to get everything in stock. I received my confirmation email with shipping and my supplies will be in on wednesday. Now i am motivated to work on my craft room! I will be cleaning this weekend!

Trying to be patient!

2008-10-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

I have done so much research on getting the best supplies for the best price..i have found a great beginners kit but it has been out of stock for 2 weeks. I feel like a kid with money in my pocket that I am dying to spend, but I am having to learn patience. I'm not very good at it. I thought having kids would help, NOT! I have purchased two books, one on enameling by Linda Darty and one on jewelry making by jinks mcgarth. I hope they can keep me occupied until my supplies can be ordered. I did purchase my butane torch at home depot. I was suprised that home depot didn't have more things i could use. The ideas are soaring through my head and I wish i was a better artist to be able to sketch them out. i will have to sit down with my artist friend, dana, to get her to sketch them out for me so i won't lose them.

I'm buying my supplies!

2008-10-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

I sold some items on ebay to make some money to buy my supplies so that I can start to enamel! I have deligently been researching and comparing websites so that I can get the best deal on what I need. I am very excited about this new adventure!

My first blog

2008-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have started blogging so that I will have a space for my creations. Most are currently in my head awaiting to be made. I am in the process of purchasing my supplies so that I may start this grand process I have waited years to do. I have always had the feeling that I should be creating with my hands. I tried stain glass but the process takes to long for my need of immediate gradification. I have always had a fascination with things that are enameled, so I am about to start an adventure that I feel with truly take me places.