Artybecca: enamel

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Craft Class: Enamel pendant

I took an Enameling class tonight at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts with Lindsay Huff. I have an enamel pendant I made in first grade but that's my only other experience I ever had with it. Lindsay showed us the basics and then we all went to town with colors. To get the most done in a short period of time, I chose a large 2-inch diameter disk and made different designs on both sides. As so often happens with me, the vision I had in my head for side one didn't turn out good at all, and the side I tossed together with no thought actually turned out really nice. Lesson: when starting out, simpler is better!

This was the no-thought, just make something quick to go on the back design. And I really like how it turned out so now it's the front.

I tried to make a sky and hillside with flowers. I ruined it with the purple. I should have left it simple with a loose cluster of orange flowers. Oh well. If the class hadn't been almost over, I could have salvaged this by putting a orange or yellow over the purple to tie the colors together better.

I just became aware of the website "Damn You, Autocorrect." It's definitely good for a few laughs! I texted my mother once to tell her I was "Almost to Kirwan Heights. Be home in 45 minutes." Autocorrect helpfully changed it to "Almost to Korean hysterical."

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Lorelei's Challenge: CKoop enamel shadow boxes

I had one design completely finished last night and then decided it was too blah...too typical and my yellow box didn't tie in with the other elements. So, at about 1:30 am I made polymer beads to tie it together but then didn't get it together.

This morning as I awoke leisurely, I thought "hmm, what should I do today?" And then, "Crap! I still need to restring my necklace, photograph it, and post it!" I jumped out of bed, put it together, and I must say I really like it now. So, a little late, but here it is.

First, a close up of the elements: I used the box as a frame for a polymer clay tile. Sometimes the leaf design side shows, or the box flips around and the solid yellow side shows -- either way, it's good.

Then, back away for the big picture:
(before you think me some sort of chain maille wizard, let me tell you that I bought the whole chain as is at Michael's. The white and turquoise are from Michael's as well, and the small coral stones were from a bead show.)