a wrapturous blog

Starving Artists Holiday Wrist Candy Giveaway – Oct. 26-Dec. 6, 2009

A bunch of members of the Starving Artists Etsy Team pooled their talents for a Christmas Promo this year.  We all contributed a charm, and put together this wonderful bracelet.

Valued at over $400, it will be given away to one lucky customer!  With each purchase at one of the participating shops, your name will be entered into the draw!

For a list of the participating shops, check out the SATeam’s Blog.  Or, do a search on Etsy using the tag SATEAMWRIST.  Members have also contributed items to the SATeam Etsy Shop, so be sure to check it out as well!

This holiday event runs from October 26 to December 6, 2009!

Tags: bracelet, candy, charm, etsy, giveaway, holiday, promo, sateam, starving jewelry artists, wrist

“The Vik-Knit 3000″

In preparation for my class at the Haliburton School of the Arts this summer, I asked my beloved husband to prepare some tools for the viking knitting segment.  My older son, Thumper, was very keen to help.

Thumper has recently become complete fascinated with machinery.  I’m not sure if this is a reaction to the movie “Wall-E”.  Anyways, he’s been drawing fantasy machines and coming up with all kinds of interesting names for them, most of which end in some denomination of 1000.  “This is a Cheese Grater 2000!”  “This is a Hopping Frog Truck 3000!”.

So, of course, he was very interested in what Daddy was constructing.  It’s just simple dowel holder, which gets clamped to a work surface.  Thumper decided it needed a name.  After asking what it was used for, and being told “viking knitting”, he said “Let’s call it the “Vik-Knit 3000!”"

I keep trying to come up with a “Ginsu Knife” type infomercial to go with the name.  “The Vik-Knit 3000 will make your viking knitting a breeze!  Clamp it to the desk and you’re ready to go!  It will practically do the knitting for you!  But wait!  There’s more!  Order the Vik-Knit 3000 now and you’ll get two – count ‘em – TWO! different sizes of dowels!”

LOL.  Anyways, it was just too cute not to share.

Tags: Classes, dianne karg baron, DIY, dowel, Haliburton School of the Arts, teaching, tools, viking knit, viking knitting, wirework, wireworking, wood, wrapture

Recent Etsy Treasuries

I joined Etsy.com last year as part of my research for an article. Since then I’ve joined two “Street Teams” – groups of people who work collectively to promote each others shops. One of the ways to promote a shop is through the “Treasury” – an exhibition of work curated by Etsy members. At any given time there are 333-500+ treasuries on display, with a wide range of “themes”.

Many of my fellow street team members have been kind enough to include my work in their treasuries, so I’ll take the time now to say “thank you” collectively to them, and to post a gallery of the recent ones.

Tags: curated, etsy, gallery, promotion, sateam, street team, theme, treasuries

Secret Santa 2008 – Sneak Peak :-)

I’m participating in the Secret Santa on CWJ again this year, and as usual, I’m choosing to work outside my comfort zone.  Back in the summer when I was teaching at Haliburton, one of the projects we did was a “freeform” bangle.  Now, anyone who knows me and has any familiarity with my past work, knows that I’m not a freeform kinda gal.  It was the notes I got for my Secret Santa recipient’s preferences that made me think freeform would be the best approach.

The starting point for this bangle was the Illingworth Necklace by Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934).  This is the second time I’ve used this necklace for inspiration.  The first time was during the YOJ 2005.  The results this time look to me like “Wonder Woman meets Jackson Pollack”  LOLOL

The frame was made out of 16 ga round copper.  Then, making use of the miles and miles of Artistic Wire I have, I wound in 20 ga purple and 28 ga tangerine wire.

Gilbert spent literally years working on his necklace, tying and retying the wire knots.  Originally, I was intending to make the interweaving more dense, but time is getting short, and the bracelet needs to be in the mail in the next day or so if I have any hope of getting it to its destination before Christmas.

Funny, I haven’t made much jewellery in the past two years, partly because I haven’t felt very inspired.  But working on this bangle made me feel very energetic – I have the “itch” to do more work.  Unfortunately there are other deadlines looming, so I have to put off making for a little while longer.  I’m starting to have ideas for new pieces though, and am faithfully sketching them in my notebook.  Feels good…

Here are some process photos I took showing the stages of construction.

Tags: artistic wire, bangle, bracelet, creative wire jewelry forum, secret santa

Metal Arts Guild Pin Swap 2008

As part of this year’s Annual General Meeting, the Metal Arts Guild of Canada hosted it’s second annual Pin Swap.  Intended as a “get to know you”/game for the participants, it’s a great opportunity to try out new ideas. Participants make anything they like and trade with each other.  At the end of the evening, I was the proud owner of pins made by Mary McIntyre (a copper bar pin, made with rare earth magnets), Alistair Crombie (a Google map pin), Sarah Hamel (a plastic conglomerate pin), Sara Cummins (a pierced rectangular stick pin) and Robert Mitchell (a sterling silver swirl with pearl drop).

Prior to the event, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with something, and finally thought, “Well, it’s Fall, so why not do leaves?”  So, that’s what I did.  It was great fun, and I’d encourage anyone coming to next year’s AGM to join in!

Tags: artistic wire, birch, copper, fall, leaf, leaves, Metal Arts Guild, oak, pearl, pin swap, plastic, silver