Anneal Me - Tuesday Tips Checking In

I started the series for Tuesday Tips and Hints because the Poll I ran at the beginning of the year showed there was interest in tutorials and tips. But I'm not sure how much it's hitting the points, and before I go on making up the tips for Tuesdays posts, let me know if I'm on track.

So leave me a comment or reply and let me know - either way! I won't mind if you tell me - Take Away Tuesday Tips! Begone!
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A few things I learned over the weekend.

It's much, much easier to make a rivet using wire if the wire is already softened by annealing.

It's also easier to finish off the rivet if the hole for it is very snug and grips it tightly.

It's a good idea to anneal copper disks before using in the dapping block, the copper bows out much more easily.

I learned that my small microtorch that uses butane does get hot enough to anneal copper disks and copper wire.

Now I'm investigating how to take a roll of copper wire and anneal all of it in the kiln. If you know of reliable sources for that information, post a reply. It would be a lot quicker and more convenient, for sure!

More about annealing in another Tuesday Tips post later.

Red Rover, Let Joy Come Over

I remember as a child in the playground the old game of Red Rover, where you lined up in two groups and called out to each other, trying to run through the line and break through. I don't know if children still play that game or not. Maybe no one plays jacks, jump rope or marbles anymore.

Anyway, this little girl with her arms outstretched and her red maroon color brought back that memory for some reason.


She's got the word 'J-O-Y' in her skirt hem, and two holes for dangles. Maybe someone will give her some legs, or hang some fun pearls or something.

She's in the Etsy shop, just something fun and colorful. Could be a bookmark charm, or a red friend for a cellphone. A red dancing girl with eyes in her apron and joy in her hem.

The Zen of ZINE and Ink for Paper

Catherine Witherell is putting together a Jewelry ZINE for Artfest 2009. She graciously asked me if I'd contribute a couple of pages. I was thrilled!

She's in the process of assembling it. What a trooper! I thought there would be just a few contributors, but there are 44 artists in it. She's shooting for getting them in the mail really soon to the contributors first.

AND - one of her beautiful precious metal clay medallions was on the front page of Etsy in this Treasury.

Life is good!

Catherine, thanks for doing the ZINE, I know how much work it must be. I'm rooting for you! It looks like it's getting close to coming to the contributors, we get the initial set of copies first, if I sit in front of the mailbox will it come faster?

Don't beg Catherine for one yet, she's got lots of print ink ahead of her before she's ready to share them all around. She needs her strength to keep them coming!

UPDATE: The contributor copies are in the mail - and if you want information on how to get your copy go to her blog, the instructions are there!

Dreamer's World at ABS Studio Saturday

Happy V-Day!

Today it's my turn to post a Studio Saturday at the Art Bead Scene blog, where each week one of the contributors posts about what's going on in their studio. If you leave a reply to the question on the Studio Saturday post at ABS, you enter a drawing to win something. This week the giveaway is one of my heart tiles - how appropriate for Valentine's Day!

I'm making word beads. I mentioned before that I've been inspired and challenged with using words in my work. Words have power and meaning, to communicate and to create. By saying something, we issue a new thought of idea into being, both for ourselves and for those who share in the communicating.

I couldn't actually go on the ABS Bead Cruise, some of you may be lucky enough to go, but I did sign up to be a sponsor. I'm making some beads to send as prizes. This little tubular bead isn't quite finished yet, but it has words wrapped around it. Do you see the words 'harbor' - 'dream' - 'stop' and 'sails' - I wanted to have some inspiring nautical words in honor of the cruise.

Enjoy your special day, I'm off to bake some strawberry muffins and make some hot tea for sipping.

Love You, Love Day

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Some celebrate it, others don't. I've been making lots of hearts, partly because of the celebration of love and valentine cards and remembrances. And partly because I like the shape itself, and the immediate connection to images embracing affection and sentiment.
 These remind me so much of the colors and designs in batik cloth. I'm itching to get the sewing machine out and make some fun things for summer.



In 2006 I attended the Surface Design Conference in Kansas City, Missouri and created some hand dyed and painted fabrics. I've made a few things with the fabric, but I want to get them out again and make some more. I have a tendency to 'save' the fabric, but it's so much more useful if I make something than as yardage!

The designs on these beads, the color and the way it has 'crackle' areas on it reminds me so much of some of the batiked and indigo fabric I saw and admired there at SDC. If you like hand dyed fabric and get a chance to go, be sure to attend the conference, it's held every other year, so it's this year, May 2009, at the Kansas City Art Institute.
 I want to sew some small gift-type bags and wine carrier bags, maybe these heart tiles would be good on the cords as a decoration for the ends of the drawstrings.

Listen Up, Listen Across

I've been making and choosing words to add to some of the resin tiles. I must be needing reminders about slowing down, listening, all those good things.


This little seashell was made to look like burnished copper, added to a handmade cabochon and enclosed in a copper bezel I made to fit it.
 I can't decide if the word should go up-and-down in the bezel, or if it should go across the bottom.

 It's a little play on words, I'm sure you caught it. Have you ever held a seashell up to your ear? You can hear the ocean, or so the story goes.
 So what do you think about which way the tile should turn? Do you have a preference?

Teacups

This bead is as much a reminder to me as anything.
I get so busy and in the whirl of life.

Need to slow down sometimes, take a deep breath. Smell the roses. Sip hot tea, bake homemade bread. Plant spring flowers.
Take time for smiles, for laughter, for joy.
What does it remind you to 'take time' in your busy day, your busy life - to do, or possibly NOT to do?

Tuesday Tips - Nuggets of Darkness, Pearls of Wisdom

Liver of sulphur.
 As part of my series on fusing fine silver links, there's a post about patina and liver of sulphur.
 What is it?
 It's a patina chemical mixture that works on silver, bronze and copper metals. The metal needs to be very clean with any grease or finger oils removed so the patina will take uniformly.
 The best way to buy it is usually the dry nugget type, which is added to warm or hot water to dissolve it. Keep even the nugget form very dry and out of the light and air, as it will deteriorate and not have as much power when you mix it up. You can buy it already mixed as a liquid, but it will lose strength much more quickly.
 The chemical name is potassium sulfide. It smells like rotten eggs, so use a ventillation fan or take it outdoors. Don't breathe the fumes. You won't want to anyway, this mixture does not smell good at all.
 A little bit goes a long way. Sometimes I leave the mixed liver of sulpher at a cool temperature and instead warm the metal before I put it into the solution. When the liver of sulpher solution isn't heated, it doesn't seem to smell quite so much, either.
 Rinsing between dipping is important, to get good coverage. It's better to go slowly on how dark you go with the patina. Even if you remove it by tumbling, the metal seems to reclaim the same level of color when you re-apply the liver of sulphur solution.
 A weak solution, at a cooler temperature, will sometimes reveal a blue, green, maroon or yellow patina. To preserve the color coat the clean, dry patinaed metal with a clear jeweler's laquer to seal out the air. Otherwise the patina will continue to darken, or may rub off with long wearing and friction.
Don't put wire that already has turquoise stone beads into liver of sulphur, the turquoise often has a lot of copper in the matrix of the stone and liver of sulpher will dull your stone. I don't know of a fix for it, either.
I've also heard that it's not wise to put real pearls into liver of sulpher. It's best if you only put metal into the patina, just a word to the wise, so you don't learn the hard way.
I store my liver of sulphur solution after mixing in a small glass jar (like a baby food jar) with a tight lid, and with no airspace at the top. The air will react with the solution, so fill all the way to the top of the lid and tighten down. I keep it in a dark room out of the sunlight. It lasts a long time for me when stored that way.
It doesn't work well on brass or gold. Most Blick Art Stores will have liver of sulphur, or you can order online from Rio Grande or Volcano Arts suppliers. I have links to both on my sidebar if you need them.

Giving the Key to the Kingdom

I made two word key tiles, one for a special request, and one for this giveaway.


On the one for the special request, a single larger sized hole in the top center was requested. Here's how that turned out. And I said that on the giveaway, the person selected by the Random Number Generator could have the holes the way they preferred.

Here's the breakdown of how all of you suggested you might prefer to have the holes:

1. SummersStudio - 4 holes to rivet onto box or book
2. SueBeads - 2 holes at the top with the key upright for pendant
3. PeacockFairy - centered holes on each end for omni-directional hanging

4. Lisa Martin - 2 holes with key lengthwise and 1 hole at bottom for dangle

5. Carolyn at Fanciful Expressions - 2 holes with key lengthwise and 1 hole at bottom for crystal heart

6. EmandaJ - 2 holes with key lengthwise or one hole at top with key upright

7. Carlene - 2 holes with key lengthwise with 1 hole at bottom for dangles or 2 holes at top with key upright and 1 hole in bottom for dangle

8. Beth at Hint - 1 hole in top with key upright

9. Emily at Artemblogger - 2 holes with key lengthwise with 2 holes in bottom symmetrically

10. Nati at Perlerouge (en francais) - 2 holes at top with key upright

11. Stregata - 1 hole at top with key upright or 2 holes at top corners or 4 holes in each corner

12. Patricia at theColorOfDreams - 2 holes at top with key upright

Here's the breakdown - surprisingly enough there wasn't just one preference that was unanimous, but one particular orientation did get the most notice:
4 holes - preferred by 2
1 hole at top with key upright - preferred by 3
2 holes at top with key upright - preferred by 3
2 holes at top with key upright and 1 hole in bottom - preferred by 3
2 holes at top and bottom centered - preferred by 1
2 holes at top with key lengthwise with one or two holes in bottom - preferred by 4

So I guess I may have to just decide on one myself, or possibly make up the focal pendants several ways, photograph them all and let folks request how they prefer theirs created! I really appreciate all the information, and especially the stories of what the image of a key brings to mind.

Now you want to know who won the giveaway?

RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR SAYS:




#8 - Beth at Hint!
 Beth, click on the picture of the Ringleader of LLYYNN and send me your shipping address and how many holes you'd like, and I'll send the tile to you. I'm a little behind on my shipping, hope you won't mind if it's not out to you by tomorrow!
 Of course, if anyone wants a word key made for you, send me an email, and tell me how many holes and I'll post more on Etsy for you!

Blues In The Neighborhood

I've been making lots of little houses the last couple of days. And some hearts, too. I put these down together, getting ready to make the holes for the metal liners, and thought they were a pretty group of blue-green colors together.

 The two bottom hearts have the word 'L-O-V-E' on one side, in blue and green.

Paris blues hearts on the bottom, Love hearts on the top in this photo. To see them with holes and closeup there are more photos in the Etsy shop.
I can't make them exactly the same, they're each hand painted and colored. But they're pretty close, don't you think?

Tomorrow I'll announce the winner from the Key Word Tile post - so if you haven't posted yet there's still time.

Heel and Toe or If The Shoe Fits

HEEL HISTORY:
French Heels are women’s shoes with a curved, medium-high heel, also known as Pompadour Heels or Louis Heels.
They are highly-stylized high heeled shoes.
Originally, shoes designed with higher heels were introduced in order to allow ladies to walk high enough off the ground so that their skirts remained out of the mud of the streets and gardens.
Catherine de Medici, from the rich and famous Italian family, brought a fashion of high heels to France in 1533. But it was more than 100 years after Catherine de Medici first introduced high heels as a fashion statement that French heels were developed.






King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was a rather short man. In order to achieve a height he considered respectable, he wore special high heels.
His shoes were made of leather dyed red and hand painted with scenes from his triumphs on the battlefield.
The heels themselves were constructed of cork and also covered with red leather. Due to the king, sometimes French heels are also referred to as Louis heels.
It was good to be King - at least for a while there.
I had fun creating this Paris Pompadour Tile in the spirit of King Louis (see the word 'PARIS' in the middle of the instep) - if you love shoes or french history this tile will charm you!
If you all like them, too, there'll be lots of colors and patterns in this French Heel shape later.

Hearty Treasures

Tamara at BlockPartyPress featured my Heart Wing Strings focal in this fun Valentine Heart Treasury. It expires today so hop over to Etsy if you want to follow any of the links. I like some of the cards and artwork. Pulls on my heart strings!

Privileged and Proud

Yesterday the first part of a three-part interview for the Art Bead Scene began to run.

There are folks you follow, read about in publications, follow on their blog. Admire, respect. One of those people for me is Nina Bagley.

And I was privileged to interview her for the Art Bead Scene blog. To ask her questions about her work space, how she plans, what inspires her. The things I would want to ask if she was sitting down to tea, just visiting.

Please go over to the blog and check out the interview, it runs three consecutive days.

The third part is an invitation to a discussion - I hope you'll consider participating.

Gallery Of Heart

I'm really enjoying making these colorful little heart charms, and they are flying out into the world.

Creative, ingenious people are taking them to new heights, using them to do many wonderful and inspired things.

I want to show some of the finished jewelry that's coming out of my collaborations with other jewelry designers, all of them are so lovely and interesting.

Joy sent me these two photos and gave me permission to use them on the blog to show you what she's created.
The one on the right is one of the Peach FolkArt hearts. I love the way she picked up the colors in the heart with the stones, it's a lovely necklace.
 The one on the left is also a FolkArt heart, the Lavender one. Her design and color choices complement the heart just perfectly.
 Wouldn't you just love to wear either one of them? I know I would!


 Sue sent me this photo of a bracelet she made with one of the heart beads and chain.
 It's a nice mixture of textures and the colors go together very well.
 I'll bet it jangles and jingles when you wear it.
I love charm bracelets, what a neat mixture of reds and blacks. Two colors that I wear a lot!

These two designs are by Lorelei Eurto. A pair for your ears, a wrap for your wrist, hearted all around. With button dangles and her classic handmade clasp.
 Love all the ribbon trim ties on the bracelet. Isn't it pretty?
Lorelei has such a nice color sense, she combined the different heart colors into one bracelet that looks like it was meant to be together.

And the earrings work great ensemble, the designs on the hearts are different but the pair of them tell a love story - I Love Paris!
 One little rosey-toned heart has the word 'PARIS' and the other one has the love letter written on it.
 I Love Paris ... In the Springtime, of course!

Tuesday Tips in a Sticky Situation

Resin - Natural and Chemical

Historically and naturally speaking, resin goes back a long way. You might even say it's prehistoric. Amber stones and beads are the fossilized resin of an ancient pine tree, preserved over the ages and found in the Baltic and in Peruvian mountain mines.

Another form of resin is also from a tree, used as incense and known as frankincense. It's the sap, collected from the precious trees, in a few african countries. An aeromatic herbal, used historically in many cultures in religious ceremonials, the trees are rare and cherished.

Both types of resin have had healing and medicinal purposes attributed to them through the ages. Frankincense is said to have natural anti-bacterial tendencies and is used in some cultures as a curative preparation.

The type of resin I've been using, though, is a two-part man-made chemical, created for use as a finish or epoxy, that cures from a sticky liquid state to a hard yet clear or translucent solid through a chemical bonding reaction. Here are a few tips and hints on safely using two-part resins.

1. Be prepared.
Once you mix together the two parts, the resin and the hardener, they immediately begin the process of chemically bonding. Have everything you need available and ready ahead of time. Create a checklist and go over it before starting if that helps. Be sure you mix completely, stirring for several minutes to make sure the two parts are totally combined for a good chemical reaction.

2. Prepare the work surface ahead of time.
This ensures that spills don't become a messy distraction. I use an oversized but lightweight foamcore board, often used for signs and posters, for my base. I tightly cover and wrap it completely with the type of thick plastic found in the fabric store on rolls and used for picnic tablecloths, attached in the back with strong clear tape. Nothing spoils a resin pouring session more than realizing you've got an awful spill to clean up from flooring, clothing, furniture or carpet.

3. Keep alcohol, paper towels and containers of baby wipes handy.
When your inevitable dribbles, drips and spills happen, you'll be ready to clean them up quickly and safely. A word to the wise - keep pets and small children out of the area.

4. Wear double-layer gloves.
I pull on a pair of nitrile gloves that fit loosely first, then top that with a pair of tight-fitting latex gloves on top of the first pair. If you have a really messy situation, peel off the top layer and your hands and skin are still well protected. You can slip another latex glove on and keep working when the clock is ticking and set up time is tight.

5. Before starting with the resin, level your workspace.
Make sure your prepared plastic-covered foam core board is on a level surface, somewhere it can be picked up with your poured resin on it and moved out of the way if necessary. If your work surface slopes, so will your poured resin. Unless you're looking for that type of slanting finish, keep your curing work area flat and level.

6. Always practice good safety habits.
Wear gloves, keep the resin components off your skin, have good ventilation. Breathing the fumes isn't good for you, so be sure you have plenty of fresh air available. Your skin is your largest organ, protect it. Wear goggles or safety glasses, keep splashes out of your eyes.

7. After you pour, ignore!
This is hard to do sometimes. But the more you move, touch and adjust your poured resin, the higher the chance you'll spill, leave fingerprints or make a mess. Pour, then ignore. Cover the poured resin with an overturned inexpensive plastic tray or drape another length of thick plastic sheeting over a support to keep dust and debris out of the curing resin but DON'T touch it for at least 24 hours.

8. Watch the room air temperature.
Most resin cures best in low humidity and temperatures above 65 degrees F - in high humidity or lower temperatures it will cure but it will take much longer to set up. I often leave a floodlight lamp turned on just above the curing surface, to make sure the air temperature stays warm near the resin as it cures.

9. Keep it simple and read and follow the instructions.
Each brand of resin can be different, so read the insert sheet instructions for mixing your resin carefully. Adding colorants, powders and inclusions into your resin mixture can affect how the two parts interact with each other. Don't add too much to the recipe, or you might cause the resin to fail to completely cure and harden.

10. Most important - measure carefully and consistently.
Use a measuring vessel that gives you the ability to make absolutely sure that you have equal parts of the two-part resin, or the mixture may not set up and will stay sticky forever. If that happens, sometimes after 24-48 hours have passed you can use an alcohol wash on the outside of the sticky resin to try to relieve the situation. Don't use anything that's harsh or harmful to your body to try to fix it, if you end up with a batch that won't set up and stays sticky - throw it away and start over with a fresh batch.

If you are careful when you pour, and work on a surface you can scrape clean later or just discard after your session with the resin, you won't need to think about using harsh chemicals for clean ups.

And then you can enjoy the results of your care, patience and persistence when your resin hardens successfully! Do some research on the different types of resin, find the one you like the best, and do some pouring and ignoring of your own.

Resonation Results

What's that???

A big mysterious looking black box of some kind full of something odd-looking??


I can hear you thinking ... pondering.

Well, it's the plastic liner from a box of Marks and Spencer Chocolate Tea Biscuits (cookies, to us) from my trip to Ireland. The biscuits are long-gone, but I saved the liner. You just never know what might come in handy sometime. (side note - the chocolate biscuits were yummy and I wish I had some more)
 What's that stuff inside?
 It's the results of my resin mold casting experiment this weekend. They're out of the molds and hardened, but unpainted.
 Can you see little racecars, hearts, fishes?
 Anchors, bezels, seashells?
 Wings in various sizes, a scarab amulet? Keys! Stars and crosses!
 Can't wait to get my paintbrush and start dipping.
 Here's a preview of one I made earlier and painted yesterday.
 I made the bezel, painted it and mounted the resin seashell on a clear square resin cabochon I had cast earlier.
 So when you hold it up to the light, you can see through it.
 I can't wait to get ahold of some of those charms and apply some color!
Color box fun ...

Asian YoYo History

In the Shanghai Cirque, a troup of acrobats and jugglers use Chinese YoYos on strings to perform acts of wonderful tossing and catching tricks, or you may have seen them in the Cirque de Soleil programs.

You know, the little girls (usually the ones I've seen have been girls, maybe boys do it also) with the rope or twine held one end in each hand, and they spin the Chinese YoYo and then fling it up high, and catch it again on the string when it comes back down.

Their ability to do those tricks alway amaze me. Sometimes there are two of them, and they pass the Chinese Yo-Yo back and forth between each other.

These two-sided dome beads remind me of those Chinese YoYo shapes. And the design on this one especially reminds me of that circus acrobatic act I've seen.

 I made this little bead a while back, then hadn't gotten a chance to finish it. I wire wrapped it with polished steel annealed wire, and I like how it turned out.
 It has designs on both sides, with a channel down the sides. It's not as large as the Chinese YoYos the circus acrobats use, but the shape reminds me of those, and the asian style designs clinched it for me.

Some of you posted comments that you'd like to do bead weaving around these YoYo Dome beads, if you do still want that just send me a message on Etsy, because I'd love to see how they turn out when beaded like that.

I'm working on the other one I made earlier that also has an asian style design pattern, doing a more complex wirework enclosure for it. I may finish that one and make a necklace with it. I just need to find the time.

Round The World and Around

To Do List for Today:

Make new molds - CHECK

Pour resin in molds for charms - CHECK

Make two sizes of metal holes in charms for testing - CHECK

Create ad for sponsoring Art Bead Scene Bead Cruise - NEXT

I made these rounded bead charm shapes and got to thinking that the small holes are great for wire wrapping and even large scaled jump rings, but they're too tight for a ball chain to fit through. I made some and wanted to use them on my handbag as a charm, with a short length of ball chain. You know how purses, totes and bags sometimes come with that short length of chain with the designer label or something on them? I wanted to take off the original label and use the chain to hang one of my charms.

So I started experimenting with how large the hole needed to be to make the ball chain pass through, without wire wrapping. In case I wanted to change out the charms sometimes.

I got that figured out.

The one on the left in the photo is the smaller hole, and the one on the right is large enough for a ball chain to pass through, no problem.

So now when I list these in the Etsy shop, I'll have to mention the size of the holes. Because obviously the large hole can't be replaced with a smaller one.

I guess I could even have them with two holes, one large and one small, if I wanted to attach a wire wrap dangle on the bottom.

Large hole dome bead has the center design of a compass rose on it, and small hole dome bead has an ecological design with the Earth, Ocean and Porpoises. I have to go finish off some more now.

But I wanted to mention this to get an opinion. Should I offer the choice between two sizes holes as an option for the heart charms? Right now they all have the smaller holes. And for some designs I think the larger hole would be disruptive to the pattern on the heart.

What do you think? Would you sometimes rather have the larger hole, so you can just ADD-CHAIN-AND-WEAR - or rather keep them just as they are with a jump ring or wire wrap?

Inquiring hole makers want to know!

Seraphim and Cherubim

Crowning and Glorious

Up until now in my designs I've never used ephemera, or old text scripts, combined with old portraits and put pointed crown shapes and wings on them to create a collage.

There is so much of that around. And it just never felt like something I would think to do. So I didn't want to fall into making something that wasn't really my expression.

Hard to explain.

But today I decided to let my fingers go roaming around that imagery and see what would happen.

Would something come forth that was truly mine?

So I've been playing with faces, and crowns and wings. Making ornate little do-dads. They're almost too large for jewelry. But they'd be great as part of an altered book. Or a collage project, a journal.

The round ones look like chinese cast bronze pieces. With most of the color and patina worn off, and shiny from use. I'm going to drill holes and suspend these on metal neckwires. I don't think I'll even put other beads next to them, I'll just have to see. They have a beautiful shiny sanded and polished sheen. I hope it shows up in the photos.

The blue-toned one is hard to photograph. No wings on this one, I think of him as 'blue boy' - he has a decorative neck ruffle and such nice detail behind him.

The coppery golden toned one is just about right for a focal pendant. I can't decide whether to list them for someone to make up or if I should make a necklace with them myself.


They are timeworn and look like old bronze or maybe cast iron.

Have you ever seen an ornamented building, where the outside has been painted several colors over the years, and then the weather and frequent touches of hands have worn off the top layers?

That's what these look like to me. Or like furniture carvings that have been separated from their original place, but kept aside after years of use and wear.

That's the look I was hoping for. So there are crowns and wings, and faces. There are ornate decorations. And I really like how they turned out.
 Now, I must go and grab some sleep. But I know I'll have more ideas buzzing in my head.
 I can honestly say that to me, they look like I made them. Like they are mine, my interpretation of an idea.
 I hope you know what I mean?

Words Are Key

What do you think of
 when you see the image
 of a lock or key?

Vintage style keys have been showing up around me a lot lately.

There were key charms in the Exchange Swap.
 Lorelei's necklace from yesterday's post had an antique key on it.
 A friend gave me an antique key and issued a challenge to create a design with it. I'm still pondering what I'll make with that long, thin skeleton key. This little tile probably wasn't what she was thinking, but somehow it inspired me to come up with this design.

I can see this tile made with more metal holes, at the ends or bottoms, with dangles attached for special memento items to hang. It could hang sideways or upright, it works either way.

The colors are rich and yet have a vintage, worn feeling. The dictionary definition words can be read, talking about life, worth and art.

These tiles are special edition, they are one of a kind. I can make more that are similar, but each one will be unique, I can't make them exactly the same.

And I like that about them.
 It keeps it special, and keeps me playing with colors and shapes, finding new combinations.
 I sometimes wonder what it is in the key shape that is so enticing. Is it the idea of special things locked up, or secrets behind locked doors?
 There's something that speaks to me. So I combined the key with the words.
Which way seems right-side-up to you?
 If you reply to this post and let me know how many holes and which way seems to be the top for you, there'll be a giveaway next week of one of these Key Word Tiles made just for you!