Whiter and Brighter

I know I've been saying for a while that I want to put some new, different kinds of things into the ExpeditionD shop.

I'm thinking of it as a provisions store, the kind of place you go to for miscellaneous things. Like a general store. When I gave the Etsy shop the name "ExpeditionD" I was thinking of travel, archeology and excitement. Caravans in the desert, boats down the nile.

So this little spiral bound handmade book is the first of the new things I'm adding.

I love books and paper; I love to keep a travel journal when I go somewhere, and I keep all my little knick-knacks (tickets, little things from hotels and Bed and Breakfast places, Menus, matchbooks, all that stuff) glued into a travel book that I keep. Then later I can add drawings, photographs, anything like that.

I also like to make recipe books to give to people when they say they like something I cooked.


So this is sixteen pages of mixed things, with a pretty design and an oversized woodcut skeleton key on the front.

Some pages are heavy cardboard with pretty wallpaper designs on them, they're great for glueing things down with a glue stick.

There is cold pressed watercolor paper, for drawing with a pencil or doing a watercolor wash. I do that sometimes when I travel and finish the drawing later.


And pages of my own deckle cut handmade paper. Yes, I love to make handmade paper...

I saved a bunch of junk mail, envelopes and things like that, ground it up in the paper shredder and one warm day I made sheets of handmade paper out of it. The ultimate in recycling, when you look at the paper you can sometimes see the letters from the paper showing through. Fun!

I don't know if people will like these little books and some of the new things I plan to put in ExpeditionD. But I'll always have jewelry in the other shop. I just can't stop myself from working in lots of media.


I made the spiral binding myself - I wasn't sure how it would work but it's just great, it folds completely back on itself to lay flat, that's useful when drawing.

If you would like me to make one for you with just watercolor paper in it for a journal, let me know! Or something with a theme - I will be adding more things later, I just couldn't wait to share this one with you.

Showcase Day

I'm never sure if it does any good to list the Etsy shop in a Main Showcase, but to celebrate reaching my milestone of 800 sales (YAY!) I have a Saturday Showcase in the Main group on Etsy today.

There are still a lot of great things at special prices. I spent part of yesterday daydreaming about the new things I want to make and list in the ExpeditionD shop. If only I didn't need any sleep, I could get so much more done.

Well at least the days are staying light longer, that does help!

The daffodils in the front yard are blooming, that's a good sign.

Oh, and my analytics emailed me today - the blog has had 45,000 hits since this time last year. Love the fact that you are out there with me! I'm not alone in this adventure in front of the computer screen, you're right there on the other side looking back.

Easing UP on Eight Hundred

I set some personal goals, just to give me something to aim at. A milestone, so I know where I've been and where I'm headed. Do you ever watch the odometer in your car as it approaches one of those numbers with just zeros after it, and keep an eye on it so you can see it pass that number while you watch? The goals are kind of like that, I guess.

One was to have the lynndavis.etsy.com shop have as many sales as the expeditionD.etsy.com shop.

The pewter pieces have brought a lot more traffic and interest to the shop and I'm really excited about that.

I passed that one earlier in the month, but it was arbitrary and didn't mean much to anyone but me, it was just in my head. A personal checkbox I could put an "X" into. Watching the odometer roll to the 99999 position, a prelude to the next step.

I know, I really do need to fill up the expeditionD shop, and I have some ideas for new things I want to put in it, that's a surprise that's coming up. Some totally different things, just for variety! Coming ... soon I hope.

But now I'm just a few sales away from 800,

Eight-Zero-Zero,

in the lynndavis.etsy.com shop.



Now that's something I can celebrate, and share! Woo Hoo! Like this replica of a centennial medallion, eight times over.

So if you've had an eye on something, check out the sales and discounts, and I added a few extra special pendants and beads, and let's turn that clicker over to 801!

There'll be some special goodies for the person who rolls the odometer over ....

Party Central! The sweet tea will flow like water!

Artfest Trades Do Pencil Me In

I've been thinking and thinking about what I wanted to take with me to Port Townsend, WA for Artfest to use as trades.

I wanted something useful.
But also fun.
Something different.
Colorful and distinctive.
Something unusual but with a purpose.

Why put all these rules on it? Well, add to it that I wanted it to be inexpensive for the materials, not terribly time consuming to create, and still something that someone else would want to trade for - not too much to ask, right?

No wonder it took me so long to come up with something.

Do you ever have that feeling that you've thought of something important and needed, but all of a sudden it's gone out of your head and the harder you try to bring it back the further it recedes?

That's what happened to me this week. And I need to finish my trades because I'm packing for Artfest and I need to put them in the suitcase. And I don't have them. Um-Hum, that's an issue.

Yesterday it came back to me. I decided to create little colored pencils, like the short kind you see for golfers and at the library for taking notes. Except these would be covered in beautiful papers, and have a hanging wire for a charm.

Not so long that you worry about spearing yourself on it, but long enough to actually use. For journaling or just coloring on a napkin, if you get the inclination.


This is the first batch. Of course after I started putting wire on them for the hangers I thought - hey, these need some beads. They need to be a little funky and fun. These are covered with an old map paper, but I have lots of other papers I'm going to use.

So what do you think - would you trade with me for one of these little colored pencil charms?


Question though, you can help here, do you think I should put big jump rings on them, so folks can hang them right away, or just let people put a silk cord through the hole at the top.

Do you like them - are they funky and fun, or just silly and funny-looking? Be honest....

Alice

I've been seeing and hearing a lot of things lately about the Alice movie, so I thought I'd do a little research. Not so much on the movie or the book, I was curious about the illustrator.


His name is Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914), and he was the illustrator of the books "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," an English illustrator, creator of political cartoons in the late 19th century, with a long career in which he is probably best remembered for his illustrations in the books of Lewis Carroll. This is a self portrait from 1889.

He looks a little fierce, doesn't he? And he can definitely draw, don't you think?

Born in London, he was a student at the Royal Academy, even though he was accidentally blinded in one eye in 1840 while fencing with his father.

That would be any artist's worst nightmare, I would think, to be blinded, even partially. Makes me grab my safety glasses even quicker, and avoid fencing classes.

He was a caricature artist known for his humor in his art, but also a fine artist who exhibited paintings for the Society of British Artists.

He illustrated the first edition of "Alice in Wonderland" and the following edition, released in December of the same year became an immediate best-seller. The illustrations for the book are some of the best known literary illustrations ever made, created as woodblock prints carved into blocks of wood. The original wood blocks are preserved in the Bodleian Library in Oxford and were on public display in 2003.


Boy, I'd love to see those, I've done some woodblock printing and it's quite a challenge!

It's not all that well-known, but it is believed that much of Lewis Carroll's writings were political references, so the choice of Tenniel as the illustrator is interesting since he was a well-known political cartoonist of the time. Lewis Carroll's real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, writing "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" in 1865 under the Lewis Carroll pseudonymn, and the book is apparently full of allusions to his friends and colleagues.

The book was read by many on first release, such as Queen Victoria and the young Oscar Wilde, and has never been out of print. I haven't read it in many years, maybe it's time to crack it open again.


I think an annotated version would be fun, to find out what Dodgson was thinking while he was writing. But most of all I admire John Tenniel for coming up with the iconic illustrations that we all instantly recognize.

If you see the movie, I'd love to hear what you thought of it...

Week of Working, Week of Packing

I've got my supply list for Artfest printed out so I can start packing my things. Some things I won't be able to put in the zippered container until right before time to leave because I use them all the time, like my jewelry pliers.


It means I'll be away from the shop some next week while I travel, but I won't close up the shop and I'll just leave a note on the Etsy door that says things will be shipped when I get back. Like those small coffee shops where you sometimes see a note "back in ten minutes" and you just have to wait for a bit.

The theme of Artfest 2010 is Fairy Tales, like Alice in Wonderland or the Brothers Grimm. I'm still working on my trades, most everyone takes things to trade with other people, that's part of the fun.

I hope to see some folks I met last year like Nina Bagley and Catherine Witherell while I'm at Artfest. I am staying in a dormitory, it's like a throwback to years and years ago for me. Sort of an Art Boot Camp.

I'm taking two days of classes with Richard Salley and the last class with Melissa Manley, there will be some enamel torching and copper etching involved, I can't wait!

I love that part of the country too, so pretty and different from the Midwest, right by the water too.

Oops, did I give away that I'm getting excited?

New Work Looks Old

I had a productive weekend, I got some things shipped and some new things made.


When I get the chance to pour some resin, when the weather cooperates, it's almost like I get charged up with new ideas.


I created another of the pendant focals with the word "FAIRYTALE" inside, and with a small feminine bow tied on the bottom, like a little girl's fairy story dream.

And some fused glass in a pewter setting that reminds me of a lady's antique watch casing.


The glass changes color from a dark green to a dark violet, depending on how you hold it. I do love how the fused glass faux gemstones shine things up.


I made some more pewter pieces and added it all to the Etsy shop. It reminds me of a treasure trove you might find in an estate sale, or in a flea market, a little pile of goodies.


I made a faux cameo on a pewter setting. I need to fuse some more glass, and cast some pewter. And I'm working on a special project that may be for an article, got to set aside some time to work on that. Maybe I'll give a sneak peek before I send it off, the deadline is April 15.

My back is doing better, thanks for all the good suggestions.

OFFICIALLY SALE PRICED - Limited Time Offer

I feel like one of those salesmen on the late night TV - for a LIMITED time only, SELECTED items ... don't MISS this opportunity ...

I'm having a SPECIAL RED TAG HUGE SALE in the ETSY shop, some items that are ALL SET and ready to ship out to you,

and if you have had your eye on something check out the special pricing,

maybe your favorite is there with a discount and some have FREE domestic SHIPPING too.

Okay, I need to stop with the sales pitch, I'm getting a headache from all the capital letters.

Anyway, I'm headed to Artfest in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to raise a little extra spending pin money. So, if you've had your eye on something and you'd like a little bargain, head on over.

I hope you find something you love! Take it home with you ... Quick!
~~~~
oh, and thanks in advance - that's something you don't hear from the late night TV guys...

Limping and Leaning

I've done something to my back or hip, it is a struggle to get up and down. It feels like a pinched nerve or something, just on the left side. I don't know what I may have done, I didn't lift anything heavy or feel a THWACK when I moved my back or anything.

Yesterday it was a twinge, by last night it was definitely there, and this morning I feel a bit like the tin man without the oil can. I worked in the studio last night, getting some orders ready to ship out, and at bedtime it wasn't too bad, but in the middle of the night - YIKES.

This morning I took a long hot soak to loosen things up a bit. Every so often if I turn JUST SO or reach JUST THERE I feel it. ZING!

I don't really know what to do for it, except take some Tylenol and try to stay moving.


So I don't freeze up somewhere mumbling "Oil Can ... Oil Can" like in the Wizard of Oz movie.

This week is the first day of spring, and also the Daylight Savings Time change kicks in. Unfortunately it's the one where we lose an hour, but at least the days are getting longer.

It was pleasantly warm yesterday, I sat outside at lunch break and admired the sunshine.

No time to be a GIMP right now ... it's almost SPRING!

Palace of London Key to Travel

I like images with advertising art, they always seem nostalgic to me. So I created this oval resin piece with a hotel advertising label in it, bright red, and set it in an oval ornate pewter frame.

I guess I have travel on my mind, it's almost time to start packing for Artfest. I can't wait!


This red oval has the words "PALACE HOTEL LONDON" and "Central to Everywhere" in it, it's translucent so light shines through when you hold it up to a light.

The attached key reminds me of some of the hotels and B&B I stayed in during the trip to Scotland.

It looks so ancient!

Peace, Sanctuary

I'm reading a series of mystery books by the gent who wrote the Father Dowling series, I may read those also, these are set on the campus of Notre Dame University. There's a lot of history, some great vocabulary expanding words, and good characters showing lots of human nature.

Maybe that's influencing me, reading these books, or maybe it's the time of year with Easter coming right up.

But lately, here are the icons that are popping out of my head and into my fingertips, things that look very ancient and spiritual.


One with the word "PEACE" and a very old fashioned spiritual iconic image in the resin, set in the pewter frame.

And another in an ornate, winged frame with the word "SANCTUARY" in it.


They're translucent, the light shines through when you hold them up to a lamp or window.

It reminds me of the old fashioned stained glass you see, with the hand painted images on the glass.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you posted to the "Waiting for Something" post, and then wondered why you were posting and what you were waiting for ... if you posted there you will get 10% off any purchase in either Etsy shop in the month of March, and FREE SHIPPING.

Now you know what you were waiting for! and thanks for playing along, it's fun sometimes to link the blog and Etsy, just to see what will happen.

An Old Girl Looking New, A New Girl Looking Old

It warmed up this weekend and I was able to pour some resin. It's been quite a while!

I made a few really special things, it was a very productive time in the studio. I love that these are translucent, if held up to a light or window they shine from inside like screen stars from the silent movie days.


I'm getting kind of an old-time feeling from these pieces.

I was looking at some catalogs of old Victorian memento mori jewelry, and I think it inspired some of these ideas.


Photographs of children made to be worn as a brooch or necklace, to keep the images near at hand.

On the other hand, with Mother's Day coming, maybe I'm thinking about relationships between mothers and children.

I hope the weather stays above freezing for a few more days - I have more ideas to explore!

Beauty in a Bezel

Karen Burns of Vintage Findings makes some lovely things. Recently she sent me this photo of a piece that's in the works.

She used one of my square cast pewter bezels. Doesn't it look wonderful with all the goodies she added to it?

Here's what she told me, after I saw her photo in an email and told her how much I admired what she's done with the bezel:

"Good Morning. Thank you for the compliment. You may blog about it, sure! It is unfinished yet, the little 'gem tintype' is not secure yet. Am waiting to do more before I stir up the Ice Resin. At least I think that is how I want to do it. The little silver purse was purchased on a trip to London - it's original use was to hold postage stamps. I drilled a hole in the bottom of a small glass bottle when I found the perfect little silver caps that fit. I inserted some vintage text from an old German bible. The center is a piece of an old earring. I have to work on the chain yet. I just may need some more of your wonderful bezels!"

See why I love getting photos from all of you on what you're making - they're luscious!

Thank you, Karen, it's lovely.

Waiting For Something?

Are you waiting for a discount, some special pricing, a sale in the Etsy shop?

I added some polymer clay, some resin and some new pewter bling recently. Check it out, see what's your favorite, let the urge strike you - then ...

Post a comment here about the new pieces and you'll receive an incentive as a reward, to be announced next week! It's past the first week of March, time is fleeting ...

See anything special you like?

Button, Button

A while back I played around with creating old buttons, with fun images inside.

They're resin, with two holes for stitching onto a tote, or using as part of a clasp for a bracelet or necklace, if you do beadwork or stringing.


One has the art for a Birch Beer label inside.


The other has a label for Eau de Cologne. They're both translucent, light shines through if you hold them up to a lamp, and the backs are plain ivory color.


They remind me of a peanut butter jar full of buttons that my grandmother had.

Back long ago in Texas, they ran a small laundry. Before most folks had a washer and dryer in their house.

My grandparents ran the laundry, weighing the parcels to determine the cost of the washing and drying. I guess the old-time wringer was hard on buttons, and they would sometimes pop off.

So my grandmother had this jar full of buttons.

These are my idea of creating new ones that resemble some of those. They're in the ExpeditionD Etsy shop, if you love old buttons too.

An Icy Bling

Years ago when my sister was much younger, and so was I, she gave me a bracelet as a gift. I don't know exactly where she found it, but I've hung onto it over the years.

I decided to take some of the components from it and cast them in pewter.
These two four-petaled connectors, with their simple shiny rhinestone bling, are from the casting off that bracelet's links.

The original was in a gold-toned metal, possibly brass, although it never turned so maybe it's an alloy of some kind. And it had some small rhinestones on it, just like this.

These two would be nice for earrings, or to use as part of a bracelet.

A new one, to make new memories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was always told, growing up, that you shouldn't compare yourself to others. Not favorably or unfavorably.

Because there will always be someone richer, taller, thinner. More educated, more talented. And always someone shorter, less rich, not as fortunate. Someone better at sports, someone with nicer things. So comparisons should be avoided.

But it's hard to keep from doing it sometimes. I feel that I should be doing so many more things.

Trying to set up teaching gigs, trying to write and publish more articles. Working on "getting my name out there" in so many more ways. Being more creative, expressing myself in more ways.

It makes me feel disappointed in what I've gotten done. Why is it always easier to listen to the "you haven't done" than the "look what you've done" - and yet there's a saying that goes something like:

"It's not how much talent you have that matters, it's how much you've accomplished with what you've got that counts."

It's hard sometimes, thinking of the "what you haven't done" and wishing I'd done more, tried harder, been more successful.

Surely I'm not the only self-critic who does this to myself ...

Looky What A Beauty

I'm always so happy when I get to see what a designer has done with some of the components, creating with them and combining with other things.

Isn't this necklace gorgeous? It was created by Jacqui O'Donoghue from Connecticut, using some of my connectors and clasps with pearls, chains and mixed metal colors.


I personally like mixing the pewter, brass and copper myself, so this piece really speaks to me.

I have so many ideas for clasps, I'm working on one with a skeleton key as the toggle part right now, it's fun to make them and see them go out and combine with other things to become a wearable, finished piece.

So thank you, Jacqui, for sending me the photos. I love the necklace, wish it was around my neck right now!

Artfest 2010 Classes Still Available

I think I mentioned that I'm headed to Artfest at the end of this month.

Last year was my first time to go, I had a grand old time and met some lovely people and learned a lot.

If you've ever wanted to go, you may think that if you don't get your request in early you won't find any classes available.

I did send mine in last August and got all the classes I hoped for, but I noticed today that there are still classes available.

It's not too late, even now, to get classes and book a flight. If you've ever had the dream to go, don't hold back. It's totally worth it!

Some other people on the Yahoo group for Artfest are having to sell their spots, so you may be able to get a whole package that way, too.

Just wanted to mention it - in case you always wanted to go, but thought you were too late! And if you go, we could meet up and I can put faces with names, that would be very cool indeed.

From the Book Shelves - Sherri Haab Book Review

When folks ask me, from time to time, questions about using and creating with resin, I recommend Sherri Haab's book, "The Art of Resin Jewelry" as a resource.

One of the reasons, and there are many, why I do mixed media is that I enjoy working with many different materials, like an artistic collage.

If you are the same way, you will enjoy Sherri Haab's new book. It's titled "Jewelry Inspirations - Techniques and Designs from the Artist's Studio" and I just got a copy of it today in advance of its March 9 release, a generous 160 pages. The title is telling - it is more than just a step-by-step how to book, it provides a window into her creative process and studio.

Many times I see books published that provide instructions on particular projects, but this book gives you the start of the idea so you can begin with your own inspiration and work to something that's creatively new and your own.


There's a little something for everyone in this book, whether you're interested in polymer clay, resin, making molds or wire working, she has a section on them and the photographs are just beautiful.

There's a lot of synchronicity in this book for me, as she has portions of the book that talk about spool knitting with wire and viking knitting, two things I've been doing myself lately. It facinates me how creative people sometimes seem to be listening to the same wavelengths and getting inspired by similar things, yet the things we create with them can be so totally different and unique.

If there's one special take away from this book for me, it's the encouragement to all for it to be the starting point of a personal journey, to work through the projects but make them one's own rather than doing just what Sherri did. If you sometimes take a class just to see how the instructor thinks their way through a solution, you can have that same feeling from this book.

This book would make a creative complement to a workshop as a sort of inspirational textbook, to provide a new series of things to try as a group or on your own, to challenge yourself. I do that sometimes and I'm sure most creative people do, too.


She has Chapters titled "Memories", "Seasons", "Collections" and "Hobbies" - all aimed at starting the creative juices flowing. There's an interview on Crafter News where she talks about the book.

If you've wondered about torch firing metal clay, wire wrapping a briolette drop or off-loom weaving a cuff bracelet, you'll find all of those in this book, and she talks about them on her website, too.

If you want details and multiple projects on one specific media or technique this book may not go deeply enough in any one thing for you - but what fun would that be, I ask you?

It will be fun to pick it up from time to time and read something from anywhere in the book for any of the 25 projects, just for inspiration. For someone like me who usually has several, okay numerous, things going at once, this book is just like my style of creating, and maybe it will be yours, too.

If this review has intrigued you - Check it out! And let me know how it inspired you ...