Next month the Bead & Button Show returns to Milwaukee. I love going bead shopping there, and this year I will also be teaching. This year, Brenda Schweder of Now That’s a Jig! Fame will offer 20 in-booth workshops. The Now That’s a Jig! Booth, number 907, will be teeming with wire designers who will […]
Last week I cleared off my studio table and started organizing the debris on there. Of course my sofa is covered with it now, but at least I have clear work surface for the time being. I have a variety of ideas for new creations, and last week I was nudged to create a bee […]
Yesterday I spent time in the studio to replenish my stakes. I have placed most of them at The Evanston Pop Up Gallery, and a few larger ones are at Green Edens Horticultural Services, which meant I had ‘sold out’ of ladybugs and dragonflies in my personal stash. So I started playing on Now That’s a […]
I’ve been making stakes to bring in spring, and it has lifted my mood. I tried to jig a flower on my Now That’s a Jig!, which took a few attempts. While the pegs are symmetrical, lifting the wire off the jig shifts the tension and the petals get a bit wonky. After settling for […]
In August I was asked to create a Bat Mitzvah book. After brainstorming with a person practicing the Jewish faith, Ruth 1:16-17 was selected as the appropriate verse to use in the gift commission. I printed out the verse on paper and created the mini-books. Then I cut out the verses and coated them with […]
Last summer I made a dragonfly stake on a whim and it was well-received. This year I took the production level up a notch and added ladybug stakes to the collection. I distributed them at my various boutique outlets, and they steadily fly off to new homes. A post on Facebook prompted Ayla’s Originals to […]
On Friday, I will be attending Morpho Gallery’s National Call for Encaustic Entries Opening party. This annual exhibit of encaustic artists will be held August 4 at from 6 to 9 pm at 5216 N Damen Avenue in Chicago. The 6th Annual Encaustic Exhibition includes 2D and 3D work made with the hot wax method […]
Right after fair season ended, it was time for a fun day. Now That’s A Jig! inventor Brenda Schweder had ordered an Ugly Sweater Angel via Instagram, which was a fun challenge. I used some of my Belgian felt pieces as embellishments, picked some ‘ugly’ paper, and then ‘uglified’ it more by creating as much glittery […]
I started making mini-books in August, and worked on getting more ideas out of my head and into wire this week. Based on the square peg measurements I created snippets of text in my computer and printed that out on tissue paper to fit in the various designs I have in my head. I made […]
During my play date with Brenda Schweder I specifically focused on her angled gadgets, since sharp corners are not my forte. I took home the Square NTaJ Accessory Peg Pak Mix. Higher gauge wire is easier to manipulate, but my affinity for 16 gauge steel remains strong. As I fiddled with the multiple squares a […]
