Where oh where have all my posts been!

Well once again I have neglected my poor blog. So I thought over the next few weeks I would try to fill in the spaces with lot's of pretty eye candy and what I have been up to these last few months. I told myself I was not going to make excuses but, at least a bit of an explanation.

First, my botched shoulder surgery has made typing and a ton of other things frustratingly difficult and it seems everything takes twice as long. I was using Dragon speaking software which was fantastic but, my poor old computer could not handle it. My honey set me up with a newer better version but for some reason it won't let me install it...time to have my hubby's tech buddy over for dinner! :)

Second, I have been having quite a bit of trouble with my auto immune disorders. My rheumatoid levels have been way up for months on end. I ache all over and have a general feeling of a touch of the flu, not to mention the rashes and troubling hair loss. But I have been able to avoid the steroids and rounds of antibiotics...well, only because I refuse to take them. I have been avoiding GMO's and buying meat and veggies directly from local farms.I have also been trying some natural remedies and I do seem to be improving some, although slower than I had hoped.

Third, Things have not been going well with my son-in-law. None of the treatments, not round after round of chemo, not radiation, not a stem cell transplant, not vitamin therapy...nothing has worked...and he is now out of options. It has been hard to come to grips with. He is so young and they were just starting out...it all seems so cruel and unfair. Not to mention the absolute horrors I have discovered in the medical system. Rockefeller constructed and controlled. Don't believe me...do a search. Not to mention the nightmare that is Obama Care. We are all just besides ourselves.

Ok, enough of that. On the glass and jewelry end I have been working more and more with sheet metal and trying all sorts of new things. One new technique I dabbled with was torch enameling. Very cool and I plan to do a lot more playing with it in the future. Here are a few pieces I did.

Torch enamels on copper.

I also received a Cuttle Bug embossing machine as a gift. An amazing little machine with so many possibilities I can't wait to explore. Here are a few different metals I ran through the machine, examples of torch coloring,  soldering and some fold forming.

24 gauge sheet run through Cuttle Bug machine.

Flame patina n more metal.

My bench after a few days work.

Prong setting and bezel setting attempts.


I have also been playing with some glass enamels and paint on recycled glass from home printers. I have been working on a line of small upcycled bowls. These are from color and firing schedule tests...more later.

Here are a few shots of finished jewelry.

Copper with soldered sterling spirals. Not bad for a first attempt.

Bracelet with one of my dichroic cabs and lampwork beads. 

Fold formed copper with heavy gauge wire and Citrine nuggets.

Thanks for stopping by! I do hope you enjoyed your visit. I do have more to share. Hopefully I will get my Dragon software working and you will see a lot more of me. 

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: November First Friday Art Walk On Etsy.com

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: November First Friday Art Walk On Etsy.com: Welcome to the November post for the AWETeam's First Friday Art Walk Weekend on Etsy.com! This monthly event allows Etsians that ar...

Customers Work - Mary Harding.

I love seeing what my customers make with my glass and recycled supplies. This time I am sharing a piece made by one of my favorite ceramic artists Mary Harding. I am just in awe of her work, especially her naturals. They are to die for.  Her pendants and beads are favorites of many artists and have graced the pages of many magazines. 

To learn more about this incredible artist. 

http://www.maryhardingjewelry.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryhardingjewelry

The piece she made is inspired by the book...The cookbook collector. From the comments left by other members, it seems Mary did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. This is a book I will have to read.

First I thought I would share the components in the piece. This is what she purchased from me.

Orange Capacitors.  These are still available along with lots of other colors.

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Some tiny light bulbs and some spools of fine gauge colored copper wire. ( no longer available.) 

She altered the pieces to make these cool little beads.

She also made these fantastic realistic looking ceramic beads. I loved reading about her process on her blog.

She also soldered a copper bezel that she filled with capacitors and jewelers resin and dangled some more capacitors and a little light bulb.

Here is the completed piece...I just love it! 

Mary can tell the story better than anyone...here is a link to her blog post...Please stop by and tell her what you think!

http://maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/inspired-by-reading-book-club-cookbook.html

A few pieces of Mary's work...just to tease! :)

To learn more about this incredible artist. Here are links to her shops so you can check her out.

http://www.maryhardingjewelry.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryhardingjewelry

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment...I would love to hear from you!

Resin and Recycled Computer Parts Tutorial.

As you know I have been having lots of fun using all the recycled computer parts I snag from my honey. I have also started selling these great pieces in my shops.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PLJohnsonGlassArt?section_id=11562125

I wanted to show you how great these pieces work with resin and how fun and easy it is to make sweet little pendants.

I am using Ice Resin epoxy doming resin by artist Susan Lenart Kasmer.

They are very easy to use…have great clarity and dome nicely.

You can order kits and Susan has tons of great ideas and tutorials on her sites and blog.

http://slkindustrialchic.com/

http://slkartmechanic.com/

http://www.susanlenartkazmer.net/gallery.htm

http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

First I gathered together some aluminum rings and discs to use as bezels.

                               

These are open so they need to have box tape put on the back to hold in the resin. Make sure to burnish for a tight seal.

The resin is mixed with 2 equal parts. Stir gently till mixture turns clear 1-2 min being careful not to mix in bubbles. Let the resin sit and rest for 5min.

The Popsicle sticks are used to slowly drip the resin into the bezel. I put a small layer on the bottom add my flowers or whatever then fill to the top of the bezel.

When I am finished pouring I cover these with a box to keep the dust out and let sit for 24 hours. Then I pour the second dome layer. Then cover and let sit for 48hrs. I also used the resin as glue for the bails…some great little parts also from computers. I just mix a small amount and brush it on the pieces secure the 2 together and let sit 24hrs.

A great tip from Susan…pour in 2 steps to avoid run over and get a nice domed effect.

Another little tip I found is the aluminum pieces shine brightly using pro polish pads.

I hope you will try resin. It is great fun and there are so many things you can do.

Late Post on my Poor Neglected Blog.

I'm so sorry. I posted the results for Upcyclers creativity challenge everywhere else but not on my own blog.
So here are the winners.

"Though the entries were few, they were some really good ones and I had a bit of a hard time deciding.

The runner up is Our Childrens Earth with her storage containers. It is such a great practical item. It is a simple project to make and It uses all recycled items. It is also a great way to use up all those scraps.

The grand prize goes to SwooshbyScrollwork for her incredibly adorable Hobbit House. The piece is so creative. I absolutely love her use of very different items …like kitchen scraps. Just amazing!

Thanks to all who participated! This was great fun and some really great entries!"

Time to Pick a Winner for the Upcyclers Team May Creativity Challenge.

This month I was choosen as the judge of the upcyclers team creativity challenge. The medium I chose for the group to upcycle was plastic coffee cans or creamer containers. I have to admit my reasons were a little selfish, as my house is overflowing with these. I also know so many other coffee lovers I figured these would be easy to find. I was just dying to see what everyone came up with. The group is full of so many creative people. I am always amazed at the items this group creates.

You can learn more about the group here... http://love2upcycle.blogspot.com/

Well, the entries are in! This group did not disapoint! Such fantastic ideas from the pretty and practical to the wow! wow! How did you ever come up with such a great idea?

Here are this months entries. Now the problem is picking just two.

pinterest.com/pin/53339576806748984/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125196077/momma?ref=teams_post

ourchildrensearth.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/recycled-containers-into...

www.flickr.com/photos/scrollwork/8724877700/
Here is my entry although I'm not including it in the judging.

What do you think? Which two would you choose?
Thanks for stopping by! I hope this inspired an upcycled project for you!

Upcyclers Creativity Challenge for May. DIY Birdbath Planter.

As most of you know I am part of a team on Etsy called Upcyclers. I’m sure you have seen some of my entries from past monthly challenges. I am thrilled to have been chosen to be the judge for May’s challenge. The medium I chose to be upcycled was plastic coffee cans or creamer containers…really any plastic container will do. I had a bit of a selfish reason for choosing this item as my house is overflowing with them….ahhh coffee!

I found a cool birdbath on Pinterest that had used clay pots and a light cover. For the challenge I substituted with painted coffee cans and used one of my fused glass bowls. The project was really easy and the materials few and inexpensive. 6 Plastic coffee cans, spray paint, 5' concrete rebar ( bought a scrap piece at Home Depo for $ 0.99), a plastic bowl or light cover.  

Here is a link to the site...

http://plantcaretoday.com/diy-garden-planter-birds-bath.html

The original used 6, instead I used 5, one of my bowls, and copper wire recycled from an electrical cord.

I also chose a textured paint to try and hide the logo. It covered well although the hammered texture of the paint seemed to level out some. I cut an x in the bottoms.

I drove the rebar into the ground and put on my first can at an angle and supported it with rocks and just kept adding cans.

I found out the hard way...you want to fill them with dirt as you go.

I chose to use one of my fused glass bowls. They are a bit heavy and I could just imagine a squirrel knocking it down. I wired it on to the rebar with heavy gauge copper from an old electrical cord. It is still a little wobbly so I am going to weld on a vase camp from and old lamp to set the bowl in and then wire it.

It was a fun project and I got to use quite a few cans. I am very happy with it! It has added a nice splash of height and color to my garden and the birds love it! I can't wait to see how it looks when the flowers fill in.

Hope this all inspires you to get out and create!

Happy Upcycled Garden All!