My jewelry process...

So I tried out a new techinique for making shrinky dink jewelry...

I'll begin by explaining my usual process, which those unfamiliar to how shrinky dinks are made will find interesting I hope!

Shrink film is a thin plastic that I use blank sheets of so that I can draw my own designs. It shrinks about 1/3 of its original size and hardens when you put it in the oven.

I've always used prisma colored pencils (the richest colors and softest lead) and thin black sharpie pens for coloring and outlining my jewelry designs. In the photo you can see what my jewelry designs look like, mid-process.

This is after I have made the outlines in sharpie, and then have colored the outlines in with various shades of prisma colored pencil.  I go back over the designs with thin sharpie, to clean up the lines and make them darker after the pencil pigment is applied. In the photo, only the blue peony has been gone back over with sharpie. The others will need to be outlined, they need holes punched in them for jewelry making, and need to be cut out.

Recently, I was reminded of how easy it is to use ballpoint pens when drawing. They are cheap, great for outlines and shading.

So I tried instead of using sharpie to outline my designs, using ballpoint pen for outline and shading. The effect didn't "pop" as much as I prefer my jewelry to, but it was cool looking. I shaded a few areas with white colored pencil to add some contrast.

Then I cut out the designs, placed them in the oven, and waited.

Shrink film doesn't say that it can accommodate pen in ovens. For all I know, my oven could have exploded. Haha, Unlikely.

They turned out pretty cool if I can say so!

One thing that I really like about the usual process with sharpie is that the designs are crisp and opaque. Here's one necklace with typical results:

My designs with the ballpoint pen turned out to have an awesome translucent effect, and an overall softness that I like too:

This coffin necklace can be found in my shop, and I will be doing more with a similar process soon!

Just felt like sharing my process a little bit! Hope you learned something, or that this might encourage you to try to make some too!


In other updates:

My 15 year old dog died today. :(

Going to finish readying my art/jewelry to bring to OBcentric. So excited to start selling locally!

Finishing up some custom pieces for friends and family.

My photography was featured in a few more treasuries:


Tonight The Veil Is Thin
Nature Inspired Gifts and Adornment

Outside.

I think all the rain in San Diego lately has been a contributing factor to the health of my potted plants. Yesterday I took a bunch of photos outside my apartment, and felt like sharing a few!

 Apartment A sign I made because we didn't have one.

 The anchor on my door.

 Jasmine, plants, cactus.

 First time this one has flowered.

 Mint grown from roots I brought home from my Grandma's in Michigan in September.

 Bamboo, palm, plants.

 Patio.

And my tough guard dog.

 Shed in the alley, in back of my apartment.

Birds on wires.

It is November and 90 degrees in San Diego.

My last post wasn't very positive, sorry guys!

Some things I've been working on lately:

-By Wednesday, November 10th, some of my jewelry and artwork from coffincrafts will be available at OBcentric, in Ocean Beach, CA.

-I've been practicing my wood burning techniques... At least one detailed piece will be available soon in my coffincrafts shop.

-I'm looking into offering a calendar... I'll be updating with a link/or a decision not to make one soon.

=Felt like it was Christmas earlier this week. Got a cool package from my mom that included a metal tree to hang jewelry from, display items for when I am able to sell my stuff at a tradeshow/fair, vintage skeleton keys, an animal tracks book, and a bunch of other interesting things...

Currently I'm disappointed that more people didn't vote yesterday. If you're like me, and don't really enjoy going to the polls, get an absentee ballot in the mail. It's super easy to do, and you have like 2 weeks to place your vote as opposed to one hectic day. In some states this is legal, in others you need a reason. In my state I can choose to do so without giving any reason, so obviously its my preference to do so.

Not trying to get super political here, but I hope that all parties can come to the conclusion that we should do what is in the best interest for the highest number of people. I know that politics is such a heated issue these days especially, but I think it's important to consider those of us who are not blessed with loads of money and health insurance. I think I can agree with the sentiment that we should be judged by our lowest common denominator, and until we have better policies to deal with our sick and our poor, we can't boast to be the best nation in the world. I think a lot of changes will have to occur before this idealist society can successfully happen, but I'd like to think we're on our way there, and not on our way back into a conservative, god-fearing nation. We were born out of need for a nation who practiced freedom of religion, yet I find we tend to point fingers at those unlike us. If we are truely a free nation, why not be compassionate for those who are different from ourselves?

Anyway, getting some pieces together for OBcentric, and excited to have the opportunity to do so!


I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. I slightly dressed up, like a sailor pin-up girl. It was half-assed, but better than not dressing up I suppose!

Today sucked.

This week, namely today, has been a bit of a challenge to get through. Things went down pretty much like this:

-Spent 4 hours asleep last night, even though I tossed and turned so it felt like less. Arguing with the boyfriend isn't a good precursor for sleep.

-Woke up at 6 to leave for a checkup on my eye, my first in 2 months.

-Spent 2 hours on a bus to get to the appointment.

-Spent 4.5 hours at the actual appointment. Lots of bright lights in my eyes and photos being taken by a nurse who clearly did not have any regard for how long it took her to take a total of 6 photos to give to my doctor for evaluation. She didn't even smile when I said that's what she gets for using a Canon when the buttons jammed up... On four hours of sleep that seemed funny to me!

-The eye that I'm nearly blind in is still stable; awesome! However I have a cataract that eventually I'll need surgery on to remove. It's kind of up to me when this occurs, but I can't make a decision until I update my prescription (no vision coverage and no real job makes this difficult) because I don't know how much the cataract is actually impairing my vision.

-There is still swelling. The way my doctor wants to handle this is by giving me a series of steroid injections into the back of my eyeball... While awake.

-My "good" eye has some concerning areas. This is news I did not want to hear.

So basically I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that I may very well be blind by age 30. Not an easy thing to stomach, but I'm trying my hardest to avoid it and doing what I can to stay positive.

I tried to purchase a salad or a sandwich on the campus but they all had lots of meat on them, even though the coffee stand did have soy milk. Seriously, it's 2010! There are folks out there not thriving off chicken! Shit! 

My soy latte sucked.

Hopped back on the bus and it took another two hours to get home. Really San Diego?! Your transit system is balls.

I did get in some quality reading time though. My friend lent me a book she said I might like, so I'm nearly finished with it due to all the wait time today. It's titled "Wide Eyed" by Trinie Dalton. I'd recommend it. A few more pages and I'll finish it.

The more things aren't going in my favor in San Diego, the more moving back to Seattle seems like the easy (and not necessarily right) thing to do. I've been struggling here for so long and it's extremely trying. Lately though I think I've been getting two steps forward and one step back instead of the other way around.

Got some good news about my job, I might get more hours in the upcoming weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed. 

I got asked to go on a train trip to Portland in January. I would love to be able to go, getting drunk on trains along the West Coast sounds relaxing, not to mention that Portland is kind of a mecca for me.

I go through phases, every 6 months I either want to dye my hair black, or want to go platinum blonde. I bleached my black hair a little, and put a red dye over it. It's kind of auburn colored now.
Change is good.

This past week I've had sales from Etsy on 5 out of 7 days, which is a new high for me.

Was featured in a few more treasuries. I really enjoy treasuries, and I enjoy having my work treasured! Especially next to so many other talented artists.

The Second Time's The Charm
Dia De Los Muertos

I need a mantra. That sounds stupid, but I need a quote or something to think about when shit hits the fan. I suppose I found an ok quote in the book I was reading today:

"If you want comfort you should give up learning;
If you desire to acquire learning you should abandon comfort.
How can a person who wants comfort acquire learning?
And how can a person enjoy comfort who wants to learn?"
-Sanskrit Proverb

Quick Update...

Hey guys... A few quick updates!

I started a coffincrafts fanpage on Facebook, add me!!!

 I am thrilled to be featured alongside other talented artists in the following treasuries on Etsy! 
Grounded Forever
Warm Autumn Glow
Pretty Red Rose
You Made My Heart A Hunter
Back To Your Roots
Elemental Me Northwest Treasure Chest
Camouflage
Welcome Home Welcome Holidays
Tech Support
Dominion

Oh, AND...

My artwork was featured in a couple blogs!

ArtSnark's blog features a piece of my artwork along with lots of spooky items to make a lovely fall collection.
And...

One of my photos was featured here.

<3