Saturday, September 22, 2012

Mary Hettmansperger's Class

AARRRGGG not feeling well at all today...I think I got a bit run down during classes with the awesome inspiring Mary Hettmansperger. At the time I also had a badly infected thumb and had to go and see a Dr after the first day of classes to get some antibiotics. Its likely to have helped with the run down feeling and was a great hindrance for me in doing stuff in class. Just hurt too much to apply any great pressure or pick tiny things up with. I did (with Mary's OK of course) take photos of Mary's work of what we were taught and took lots of notes so I would have a reference back too, to see what we did. I'll share some of the photos I took with you as well. OK so here is a pile of some metal samples made in class.


We learnt how to use the flame, air and quenching to colour copper. Just love the effect!!


The next few were flame coloured and stamped (yeha...I knew there had to be a use for my stamps). The first one was done on brass and the others are done on copper.



Next sample was done using the flame in a different way to get orange and red colours. We used stamps or paint brushed patterns on the metal.


These next samples were done with stamps, embossing powders and heat to create textures and patterns. I have a draw full of embossing powders too so something else in my stash I now know I can use on metal.


 Flame coloured, stamped and embossed on both of these but I over heated the one on the right..it sort of looked bleached then.


 We were taught to apply texture with a texture hammer...this one was done onto nickle silver.


 AT LAST I now know how to use enamel powders...well sample at left is how NOT to use them and sample right came out just right.


 Look out guys we were burning balls left right and centre LOL


We also learnt hammering to make paddle style widened ends on wire, flatten balls of wire and wire weaving. I did try the weaving but haven't found the sample yet as I have only half unpacked my stuff. When I locate some more things I'll put them here too :o). Mary showed us how to make pods and conical forms which was another thing I had wanted to know. Here are some of my conical ones...got some cogs on two of course.

On the first two the texture was created with coloured pencils over hammered areas.



Here are two with cogs on my burnt balls *grin*.



A better look at my enamel effort. Mary showed us how to mount stuff and make bezels!!


From here on the photos are ALL of Mary's own work. I bought this one from Mary as it has some wire work inside that she showed us how to do.



See that paddle effect on the central wire on the apple piece?. That's what Mary showed us how to do.


 Hammered balls on this one...I feel a bit cheeky every time I say something like that LOL.


More paddles and pencil colour on this one of Mary's.

 I REALLY liked this pencil and domed one she made.


One of Mary's pods.


One piece showing one of the types of wire weaving we were shown how to do.



As you can see there was allot of flame work going on and by the end of three days I was TOTALLY at home with flame work so much so I went straight to Bunning's when class ended and bought a torch the same as the ones we were using in class :o).

Mary thank you, thank you, thank you so much for coming to Darwin and showing/teaching us techniques...you were totally awesome and I will be doing more classes with you when next you visit from the USA for sure. Also a huge thanks to Warren and Estelle Virgen...it was their studio the classes were held in....you two are amazing hosts and next time I wont bring my own food as the smells from the food you both cooked, drove my senses nuts!!! The classes were made even more awesome due to the lovely ladies...my fellow students with whom I did the class with as well.

I still can't believe it was a domino of circumstances that led me to do classes at all. Thank you Christine Atkins for telling me about Estelle and Warren...kicking myself that they have lived only a suburb away for the whole time I have lived here and I didn't know. They are artists themselves and host international tutors each year. I did Google them at the time Chris told me about them but mainly got papers they had been published in only... till Jen Crossley my original mentor, friend and inspiring person all round told me about Fibre Arts Australia and mentioned I may enjoy classes coming to Darwin being taught by Mary Hettmansperger...I go to their website to see and there is the connection to Estelle and Warren and the last Domino fell in place that led me to classes with Mary and my feet at Estelle and Warren's door. Their son lives four blocks up from me. Oh and on the studio wall I spied Warren's sculpture he made in Christine's class...I recognized her influence or its likely origin as soon as I entered the door to the studio LOL.


Hugs
Annette In Oz xxx

Friday, September 21, 2012

Steampunk jewellery-Before Jewellery Class Play

I've woken up today feeling totally exhausted  and my head buzzing at the same time. I have just been a student in Mary Hettmansperger jewellery surface treatment workshop for the past three days and OMG OMG OMG it was sssooo awesome. Mary was freakin fantastic and all the ladies in the class were really nice. I think I only blushed once LOL. I now feel even more comfortable with lighting gas to the point I went to the hardware store and got a large butane torch. I've only been using a small creme brulee torch till now. I didn't get to practice all the techniques Mary showed us but I wrote allot of notes and I can always buy her books too. Even though we made modern looking jewellery in class I did manage to get some of my cogs on there LOL. Before classes started I made some more jewellery to wear. I'll put them up now and then tomorrow do a post with what we made in class.

This first one is a handmade "house 6" bezel necklace I've used a long eyelet as a chimney. After I had soldered the roof on and trimmed it I realized the roof was not on straight so I added a chimney to even out the look a bit. Inside the bezel is an old pen nib, vintage lady tin type photo and Ice Resin.

 Next is a vintage brass toned round bezel with wings, cogs, a tiny light bulb and Ice Resin.


My friend  (the awesome lamp work bead maker from Tasmania) Gail Hart was here a few weeks back and she gave me some shotgun shells to play with. I had wanted some of these for ages but couldn't get any. It takes a bit of fiddling to get the hard plastic or rubber from the inner base but once you do you are left with a brass bezel!!!. I used one to make this adjustable ring. I put the word "love" in there as I wanted to make something nice from something that I see as rather sinister. Ice Resin on top of course. I also made another nest ring but I have put images of them up before so wont do so now.


 Along with necklaces and rings I wanted to make some new etched metal cuffs. This one is etched nickel silver and has a large brass back nut bezel, vintage male image, silver toned wings, small cogs and Ice Resin.



 An etched brass large back nut bezel with bird, nest, "eggs" and Ice Resin


 Then I recreated the captured faerie "specimen number one" necklace I had made before. I still need to straighten a few wires and trim closer to wire ends but my prescription glasses broke and although I can sort of manage with just magnifying glasses I am struggling with close up stuff.

Mo and Jo thankyou for your visit and please stay awhile longer now I am armed with even more arty jewellery goodness from my classes with Mary :o)
hugs
Annette In Oz xxxx

Monday, September 17, 2012

Modern Relics

I'm excited to be doing three days of jewellery surface treatments classes with Mary Hettsmansperger from tomorrow. She is a well known jewellery artist from the USA and amazingly for me the classes are being held in the Virgen's studio which is only one suburb from me yeah. Hard part....groan...what to bring???
I'll let you all know how me and my stupid shoulder go. I've packed a note book in case the shoulder starts giving me too much trouble then I can just watch and take notes.
On my last few days off I have begun to make some more jewellery for myself. There are all sorts of stuff all over my desk as usual. I had bought two gorgeous hand caste bronze items from ubber talented Christin Atkins . I had my two grils in mind in getting these. I did try a few vintage bits and pieces in them but they just didn't look right...maybe too modern I think sssooo I decided to go with something a bit more shiny and modern. The first is a gold tone bronze tree with a tiny bezel at the base that I filled with glittery, glassy stuff, an opalized heart and Ice Resin.

The other was a spiky heart in silver tone bronze. Made in a similar way but the glittery glass stuff is red and blue.
Sorry the photos are not the best but these are shiny shiny shiny and my little old digital couldn't handle it too well. Thinking its time to go for a bigger and better camera. Off to try a sort out what to bring tomorrow!!
hugs
Annette In Oz xxx

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Steampunk Mixed Media Cards

Ive managed to steal a little time for some mixed media play between my never ending choirs and work. here are another four cards. First was Grant's Fathers day card.



 Next was a birthday card for my Aunty Margaret. This and the Father's day card were VERY shimmery IRL and had intense colour from the Dylusions spray inks and Perfect pearls mists



 The next two I have used Radiant Rain Daubers so very shimmery again.



 The last one is Tim's 17th birthday card which I made last evening for his birthday today. He said "that's cool Mum" so I must have done something right LOL. Wow I still can't believe my baby boy is 17 now :o).



Today I have cleared my desk and got my metal working tools and Ice Resin out. I have to work the next two days and then I have another two days off to get a play in and make some more jewellery. I miss wearing my jewellery but all I had went to Damsal In This Dress shop so its about time I got in and made some more for myself. I have another metal  puffy heart to steam punk on my desk too. I think I'll make the next one similar to the first one as I have promised one for Finnabair. looking forward to doing Mary Hettmansperger's jewellery class next week right here in Darwin and a week after that Grant will be home again for four days...I'm missing him ALOT!!!
hugs
Annette In Oz

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