SchmickFace Design

My blog has a new home...

2011-08-04T16:18:00.003-04:00

Hi all!! I just transferred my blog over to WordPress after much trepidation. My main sticking point was that there's an app for WordPress as opposed to Blogger. Now I can post on the go which will hopefully mean more posts!! Please adjust your links to the blog's new home:
http://schmickface.wordpress.com

Also, I should note that I will soon be upgrading/redesigning the SchmickFace Design website, complete with a shopping cart and everything (yippee!!), and my blog will be hosted over there once that happens (another reason for switching to WordPress).

In the meantime, enjoy your weekend! Brian and I are headed to the shore for a mini-vacay (ie- long weekend)- yay!! xoxo!

2 months...

2011-07-19T14:35:00.000-04:00

The title of 2 months means a couple of things. Firstly, it's been almost 2 months since my last post, before which I had declared that by June 11th (my 30th birthday), I would have been well on my way to establishing the SchmickFace Design brand. This lack of action brings me to the second reason that 2 months is important. Exactly 2 months from this past Sunday, I will be getting married! Yippee!! And- HOLY CRAP I have a TON of stuff to get done before then (and I ton that I've been working on for the past 2 months). I was definitely aware of the amount of work, time, and planning that goes into putting together a wedding but I don't think I really got it until the past 2 months. From securing a dj, to finding an officiant, to going over arrangements with the florist, to figuring out the menu and the details for the tables, guestbook, place cards, etc. etc. etc. Anyway, that's where I am and what I'm doing. I'm realizing that my bigger career goals will have to wait until after the wedding. But in the meantime, I'd love to share with you some wedding inspiration and post some of my "reference" images from around the web!! Enjoy!

Bouquet

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Garden On The Square

Ceremony

Source: United With Love

Source: Style Me Pretty

Centerpieces

Source: Style Me Pretty

Source: Style Me Pretty

Just a little glimpse into the overall feel of what I want my wedding to look like. More updates to come on that. Please be patient with me! Thank you!!

Rue Issue 5!!

2011-05-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

Tattoo Tribute

2011-05-18T15:14:00.001-04:00

Just been obsessing over ink lately!! Dying to get more tats after the wedding and to hold me over, here are some pretty pictures:

Source: Les Cicatrices Du Bonheur's Blog

Source: Les Cicatrices Du Bonheur's Blog

Source: Pinterest

Source: Ffffound

Source: We Heart It

Weekend

2011-05-16T16:49:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a getting crap done weekend for me- but in a good way! We worked a ton on preparing our backyard for putting up a fence. There were SO many overgrown and random bushes, trees, and weeds all around the edge of the property. We probably gained about 10 feet on either side! Here's a picture of the aftermath on the back right side of our property:

Now we just need some clear skies and a woodchipper!

Vania Ruiz - casaKiro

2011-05-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you The Carrotbox! You have introduced me to the the mind-blowing work of Vania Ruiz and her jewelry line casaKiro! Her work really speaks to me and reminds me a lot of many ideas I have for the SchmickFace line! I don't run across a lot of resin jewelry in my internet trolling so I'm always super excited when I find someone working with it! Check out some of her amazing work:

Nisha Moodley

2011-05-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a few minutes and give a shout out to Nisha Moodley of Nishani Wellness and Fierce, Fabulous & Free. Nisha is, among many things, is an entrepreneurial adviser (my term). I was lucky enough to find out last minute about a phone seminar she was giving last week entitled, "Get Paid for Being FABULOUS: A surprising guide to attracting clients by creating a fabulous life for yourself." I'm always into gathering more information that I can apply to my business and my life so this was right up my alley. The seminar was great and Nisha really had some great tips! If you want to listen to the seminar, she has actually posted it at the top of the Fierce, Fabulous & Free website. Just click the play button next to "Get Paid For Being Fabulous." You can also take a look at the seminars she's offered in the past, here. After the call, Nisha also gave away 7 free one on one Biz Strategy Session via telephone and I was one of the lucky winners- Yay me!! I had my call with Nisha last night and she was so super helpful in really getting me to envision what I want my life to be like and specific steps to take now to begin achieving my goals. My favorite tips of hers are to tackle the high level, most important tasks first and to set a goal and work backwards (set a launch date for SchmickFace Design and figure out what needs to happen to accomplish it and how long that will take, then divide up the work). I am super psyched by my goals for October and I know that they are totally do-able! I can't wait to share my progress!! In the meantime, Nisha shared some of her services and upcoming events with me and, since I'm not able to participate at the moment, I wanted to pass along the information in hopes that someone reading this could benefit!! Nisha offers both one on one business advising and strategizing as well as group opportunities. You can visit her Fierce, Fabulous & Free website for more information!!

Pinning

2011-05-06T16:42:00.001-04:00

So what have I been up to this week? Well besides setting up my studio, working on wedding stuff (oh yeah, did I mention that I'm getting married on September 17th?? I'll save that for another post), and deciding to (and almost fully committing to) become a certified personal trainer (ok- again- another post in the future for this)- I've been pinning like crazy on Pinterest all with the intention of blogging the images! What's Pinterest, you ask? Check out my review written last year. Anyway, here are a few cool things I stumbled across in my web travels this week:

I am SO in love with this chick's hair!! I just wish I had the source info in hopes of seeing other pictures that show her whole head. What does the top look like?

Source: Unknown (please contact me if you have source information)

This outfit is so great- I'm going to one of my best friend's 30th birthday bashes (boozey brunch in NYC and all day rooftop bar hop) and if it were a bit warmer this would be the PERFECT outfit!!

Source: Oracle Fox

I'm definitely ready for some more tattoos (I currently have 1) and I've been tossing around different locations and designs. This one is so cute and I love the location. Small, simple, and beautiful!

Source: Patrick's Pinterest Board

I love the raw, jagged look of these rings- as if they were picked up from the bottom of the ocean.

Source: Nicola Clarke

Art-tastic!!

2011-05-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

I ran across the AWESOME artwork of Sabine Gebhardt recently. You HAVE to take a look:

Source: Sabine Gebhardt

Follow Your Passion!

2011-04-28T10:36:00.002-04:00

My dog is part deer

2011-04-27T16:12:00.001-04:00

So after watching this pretty awesome music video for Matta by Kim Holm, all of my suspicions were confirmed and I've come to the conclusion that my dog is part deer.

Source: Studio Sweet Studio

Schweeeeeeeeeet Jewelry Inspirations

2011-04-26T16:32:00.000-04:00

I'm a regular peruser of the blog, The Carrotbox. The blogger, Alice, searches the internet for inspiring rings to post about and she never disappoints! The blog is a wealth of inspiration and it is one that I check on the regular. A post from Friday really caught my eye as a lot of the rings featured remind me of ideas that I have for my new jewelry line. Through this post, I discovered a few new jewelry designers to watch:

Snou

Michael Gayk

Five and Two

Sticks & Stones

Love the colors, textures, shapes, and styles!! What do you think??

Guerilla Art - Knitting

2011-04-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

I love the concept of guerilla art and this particular example is super cute! German "yarn bomber," Strickbombe, is creating knit feet for street signs, among other amazing, amusing creations!

Source: Strickbombe

The little yarn feet definitely appeal to my anthropomorphic tendencies! I like looking at the pictures and pretending that the street signs actually do have feet. In that sense, they remind me a bit of one of the games on the tv show, MXC, during which I like to pretend that the contestants are actually really clumsy horses. This makes the following clip 10,000x more funny:

Vintage Jewelry Ads

2011-04-22T12:10:00.000-04:00

Source: Lilly's Vintage Jewelry

SHINE: The Entrepreneur's Journey

2011-04-20T16:47:00.000-04:00

I finally got a chance to watch SHINE: The Entrepreneur's Journey, a short film by Dan McComb. I recommend setting aside the 24 minutes it takes to watch the video as it is both inspiring and realistic. The candid interviews and anecdotes of the entrepreneurs and academics interviewed are definitely insightful.

Creating a working plan...

2011-04-19T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ok- so piggy-backing off of my post from last week wherein I declared my intentions of following through with launching SchmickFace Design, I realized that I need to create a list of steps and mini-goals in order to accomplish this.
Steps
1) Finish putting together my studio (I have recently moved all of my jewelry equipment and supplies from the space at my dad's shop to my house but have yet to finish putting it up in my studio and setting everything up to be functional)

Dream studio inspiration:

Dream Studio!!

2) Finish my website redesign (In branding my jewelry line, I've realized that my current self-made web design doesn't really give off the image I want the brand to so I've come up with a new design which is now being worked on by my lovely fiance, Brian, and his design company, BriK Design)

Companies that Inspire my Brand:

Inspirational Companies: (top to bottom) Fleet Jewelry, Gypsy Warrior, Pamela Love, Dannijo, and Samantha House Jewelry

3) Sketch out and experiment with new ideas (I have at least 70,000 ideas right now and I need to get them out of my head onto paper and into prototypes so I can test their feasibility)

4) Get online store ready and post items in inventory (I have a bunch of designs that I would like to sell as a pre-launch to make room for a new full line of jewelry)

Storefront through BigCartel:

5) Take care of business-type things (I have to do my annual renewal and set my business up to collect sales tax, etc.)

I think those are my first steps before I can move forward. Once those are accomplished, they'll lead to a variety of other pre-launch tasks like creating new pieces for the jewelry line, photographing and pricing them, posting them for sale, updating the SchmickFace social media accounts, etc. etc. I'm looking forward to the next update when this list is accomplished and I can write down the next list of steps!

Weekend

2011-04-15T23:10:00.025-04:00

So my fiance, Brian, is away for the weekend which leaves me with some quality bonding time with the pup, Oakley (my furry son). As I write this, he's snoozing on the couch next to me. Tomorrow morning we are doing a walk for lymphoma in my parents neighborhood and on Sunday we're going to the beach while dogs are still allowed. I grew up with dogs and they've always been members of our family, but let me tell you- having your own dog is a feeling like no other and he is REALLY Brian and my baby!! Here are a few of the best shots I've taken of Oakley:

And by the way- Oakley is a pit bull. Brian & I have never had a pit bull before and we have really fallen in love with the breed. Oakley is the sweetest, funniest, cutest dog with such a big personality. It's such a shame that pit bulls have gotten such a bad rap in recent years. It's my firm belief that no dog is innately bad and it is most definitely people who create bad dogs.
Enjoy your weekend!!

Colors

2011-04-14T16:59:00.000-04:00

Since I took the day off from work tomorrow to go see some hotels for my wedding, today feels like Friday to me! So in honor of my pre-Friday, Friday feeling- some colors that captured my eye through my blogroll:

Source: Cursive Design

Source: The life of a Gypsy and a Warrior

Source: The life of a Gypsy and a Warrior

Want to Wear

2011-04-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

Ever run across a picture of an outfit (even a partial picture in this case) and know that you were meant to wear it? This is mine:

Source: EmersonMade via elephantine

Just love the blouse with the blazer, the way the blouse is tucked into the pants, and the simple necklace. I would totally wear the outfit with either platform wedges or Chucks.

Motivation

2011-04-12T19:00:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to share some business inspiration. I've been reading these blogs and books and finding them extremely motivating. I'm hoping that they will inspire you as much as they have inspired and motivated me!

Websites

Make Under My Life
First up is a blog that I was JUST introduced to by my fantastical friend, Crystal, and I have found it to be a HUGE source of inspiration and motivation. Make Under My Life is the blog of Jess Constable, designer and founder of Jess LC. The purpose of Make Under My Life is to help people design lives with intention. In this blog, Jess touches on Thinking with Intention, Designing a Business with Intention, Designing a Home with Intention, etc. I can't say enough positive things about this blog!

Crafting an MBA
Next up is the great blog, Crafting an MBA, started by Megan Auman. This blog is aimed at helping readers build successful creative businesses. Crafting an MBA touches on everything from marketing and pr to branding and product development. I always enjoy Megan's business buzz posts which list the best weekly links for craft, design, and business related news and information.

Meylah
Last, but not least is Meylah, which can best be described by the blurb on their website: "Meylah is devoted to building an online creative community for individuals to learn, share and support each other’s business growth online. We know how hard and time consuming being an entrepreneur can be, but with the proper skills at hand, we believe anyone can succeed!" In addition to informative blog posts, Meylah also offers a marketplace and storefront among other resources I haven't fully investigated.

Books

Changing Your Course

Making a Living Without a Job

Craft, Inc.

Birthday Countdown Challenge

2011-04-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

So at about 3pm yesterday, April 11, 2011, I realized that I was exactly 2 months away from my 30th birthday. This isn't one of those "Oh my gosh- I'm turning 30! I'm so old!" posts. I went through that when I turned 27 and saw 30 looming on the horizon. I'm way over feeling that way, though, and am actually looking forward to turning 30. Something about it kinda validates the way I feel about myself, my decisions, and my life. This is more of a "Wow- in 2 months I'll be 30 and where am I in my life?" kinda posts. Don't get me wrong, the past year has brought A LOT for me and I'm very, VERY happy in my personal life. I bought a house in August, got engaged in November, got a puppy in January, just got a new (used) car 2 weeks ago, and am planning the wedding for September- pretty much a whirlwind year packed with lots of "grown up" life moves.
However, as I found myself contemplating yesterday, I'm just not happy with my lifestyle and my career goals. I see myself in a very different place than I am right now. I've learned so much in my 20s and in my career in the past 5.5 years but I am ready for a new challenge. So what do I want exactly? I want a life where, even if I'm working 7 days a week, I'm working at something that I am passionate about and something that I built myself. I want a life where I can exercise often and whenever the mood strikes me (not be forced to wake up at 5am to fit in a workout) and be mindful of eating healthy (not binge on unhealthy food because I am bored and depressed and it is the only thing that comforts me in the moment). I want a life that begs for me to be creative on a daily basis but also allows me to handle the business-side of things and be the entrepreneurial business owner I know I can be. I want a life that, when I'm ready to have kids, will allow me the flexibility to be both the working mom and the stay at home mom. And, lastly, I want a life that will allow me to be proud of my accomplishments, nourish my relationships with others, and cultivate the happiness that the life I envision can provide.
I really see myself having my own business (which I've been talking about and taking tiny steps towards for the past 3-4 years) designing and selling jewelry, artwork, and photography. I am hereby challenging myself to make significant steps towards creating the life that I want in the next 2 months. I am so sick of my own excuses and of thinking back on how many times I've talked about taking steps towards running my own business and not following through to completion. Not to say that it isn't scary to be venturing down an unknown road and really making a go of something. It is very scary for me- I'm scared of putting my all into something and failing. Specifically I'm scared of how lofty my goals are and that I won't be able to attain them. But I'm also at the point of no return. I want to say, on my 30th birthday- Finally! I'm moving forward and actually creating a fully functioning business. I am taking steps to make the life I want a reality.
Sorry for the rambling but I need to put all of this out there and really hold myself accountable. I need to write out some specific goals and my plan for the next 2 months but I know that one goal will be to post regularly on this blog. It is something that I know will become increasingly more important as I start and grow my business. I'm looking forward to this journey and to accomplishing my goals and moving forward!

Rings Eclectic by Melanie Lynn

2011-04-06T12:46:00.000-04:00

I recently ran across some killer jewelry by Melanie Lynn on a Jewelry Whore post and I HAD to share!

The components of her work are made by hand and combine acrylic, plated metals, swarovski crystals and other stones as well as silk ribbons. Feast your eyes on the awesomness!

Source: Jewelry Whore

Rue Issue 3!!

2011-01-27T14:32:00.000-05:00

O...M...G...It's Rue Issue 3!!!

So excited about the next addition of Rue Magazine- all 265 glorious pages of it! Eeeeep!!!

Eye Candy

2011-01-11T14:53:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share a few goodies I've run across in the blogosphere lately. Go ahead, let your eyes indulge:

Lonny Magazine - a bimonthly online magazine that focuses on lifestyle and home decor.

Style Me Pretty - a style savvy wedding resource devoted to the modern bride. This is their Best of 2010 E-Glossy.

Also, my super talented friend, Crystal, has been building up her blog, Invite the Unexpected..., with tons of great content! She's blogging about everything from home decor to entertaining tips to creative projects. Just take a look at some of the juicy content:

I ♥ Brunch post detailing the decor and menu for a Christmas brunch.

Sassy Soiree shows tips for throwing a party based around a central theme including a signature cocktail, menu, and decorations.

Been Gone Awhile and I Come Back With . . . Passion?!?!

2010-12-22T12:45:00.001-05:00

Rue!! Issue 2!!

2010-11-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

I happily discovered this morning that the second issue of Rue Magazine has been released today!! Just a few images from all of the goodies inside:

There's plenty of other great stuff in there too: Meet the Designer, Studio Tour, Rue 2010 Holiday Survival Handbook, Rue Remodelista, Haute House, etc. etc. etc.
So devour it now or bookmark it to peruse over the Thanksgiving holiday! Either way, check it out!!

Looks por moi?!?!

2010-11-18T14:22:00.001-05:00

Ok so apparently "Need Supply Co. : Women’s Denim Lookbook" is code for "Hi Kristen : This is your ideal wardrobe- buy me immediately!" I read the Need Supply Co. Blog on an as-frequently-as-possible basis (have I mentioned my Google Reader account has 1000+ unread posts and no matter how feverishly I look through them the count never goes down) and I'm always loving their posts and their clothes. But seriously, these clothes are for the me that I wanna be:

Source: Need Supply Co. Blog

PINK HAIR!!!

2010-11-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

Not sure if I've posted about my OBSESSION with pink hair before but I've been afflicted with said obsession ever since roughly the year 2000, in college, when I saw a girl on campus with cotton candy colored hair. The obsession has obviously lasted for 10 years and will probably, at this rate, continue forever. Last spring I actually had a lock of hair dyed pink but I was "over" it after a bit. I thought I was cured until I saw THIS:

Source: DESIGNLOVEFEST
How appropriate is the title from this picture on the DESIGNLOVEFEST blog?? I too am OBSESSED with these pictures! One day I may try the pink again, and this time I know where to get my inspiration pictures from!!

Lil Fashion Inspiration

2010-10-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post some fashion inspiration I've run into throughout my daily blog reads:

Source: Carolines Mode

Source: Beams Japan via DESIGNLOVEFEST

Source: Beams Japan via DESIGNLOVEFEST

Loving the layers, combination of fabrics and patterns, and the way the looks are pulled together making them look effortless. Seriously- so effortless that I've been deluded into believing that I can create looks like that for myself...with no effort! Haha!

Nazario Graziano

2010-10-14T15:13:00.000-04:00

Something about the work of Nazario Graziano just grabs me! I ran across his work in a post on Doodlers Anonymous blog and I had to see more. Here's some images for your viewing pleasure:

I just love the eclectic style of his pieces- the way he combines sketches with a doodle-like quality with photographs and graphics. Tight!

Love! Jump! Fringe!

2010-10-12T12:39:00.001-04:00

Just had to say that I love the combination of this dress, the jump, and the fringe!! Fun!!

Source: Need Supply Co.

Issuu.com

2010-10-11T15:20:00.000-04:00

I just signed up for an account on Issuu.com, a really cool digital publication website that allows you to self publish magazines, catalogs, and newspapers, among other creative uses, I'm sure. I was thinking about using it to create a lookbook for SchmickFace Design, eventually. Here are a couple of examples of other creative businesses using Issuu:

Fall Indie Fixx Galleria Lookbook

Poppytalk Indie Love - October 2010

I especially like the service because it looks and functions like a magazine, allowing for pages to be turned with the click of a button. You can even embed it in other sites, share it, and email it. Thumbs up and can't wait to put it to good use!!

Been M.I.A...but bought a house!!

2010-09-24T13:31:00.000-04:00

Hi there and thank you for still checking in with my blog. I've been M.I.A. for a bit and I do apologize! It's my goal to get back into the swing of things and be even better than before! Oh, did I mention that I bought a house?!?
Yes! It's true! And it's very exciting (at least for me) as it's something I've wanted to accomplish for as long as I can remember! Some little girls dream of their wedding day but for me it was always owning a home. I can remember drawing floorplans and layouts of homes with my Crayola 96 pack (the good one with the sharpener built into the side of the box). Granted my new home doesn't have all of the fancy rooms and secret passages that I sketched out as a kid, but it is pretty cool anyway. First a few pictures from the day I closed on it (August 20th):

Here's the front of the house. How cute is my mom? She tied the balloons to the door handle. I haven't looked at these pictures in a few weeks and it's pretty crazy how much we've gotten done (hence the M.I.A.ness)- the bushes blocking the front of the house are either gone or trimmed back severely. We can actually sit on the porch, which did I mention is a wrap-around?? :-D

Here's the living room with a big stone fireplace and attached wood-burning stove (which we are planning on removing to open up the room a bit).

Here's the kitchen which is now brightened up with a nice coat of white paint and a new track lighting fixture.

Finally, here's the awesome master bedroom with skylights and high ceilings (and before new carpet). We painted the walls a chocolate brown and all of the trim & ceilings are bright white with white roman shades.
A little more about the house itself to put it in perspective. The house was built in 1861 and there have been little additions and renovations since then. It is super quirky & unique which I love and there are plenty of things about it that leave me scratching my head in bewilderment (ex: light switch covers that have been painted over so many times over the years they have become part of the wall and are unremovable, etc.). Also, there is a second bedroom (which I didn't include any pictures of yet) that is being turned into an office/studio and which will house SchmickFace Design. I'm super psyched about that and progress cannot happen quick enough for my tastes!
I'm so excited to be starting a new phase of my life and I'm sure this next year will be bringing lots of other changes, goals, and opportunities!

Les Chiffoniers / AW10

2010-08-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

I was just browsing through my favorite "daily read" blogs, which I am sorely behind (currently 909 posts) on, when I ran across a post on BleachBlack showing some picks from Les Chiffoniers AW/10 collection. Now I'm really the last person to be commenting on fashion and collections and designs as I only know what I like and do not like, but when I saw the pieces in this collection something in me said yes. Yes enough to post about it- a post complete with pictures for your viewing pleasure. The following are some of my favorites:

Source: Les Chiffoniers via BleachBlack

Ideas...

2010-07-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

I just ran across these rings by Calourette which are enameled metal. They got me thinking about creating some sort of half silver/half resin conglomerate jewelry. Interesting...

Source: Calourette

Check out that rock!!

2010-07-23T16:12:00.000-04:00

I've been noticing a trend lately: chunky rocks in jewelry, especially on rings. I'm talking big old, chunky, just dug you up from the mine-type rocks. And I'm loving it! Even before seeing these designs I've been thinking about incorporating natural stones and materials into a couple of my designs.
Check these out:

Source: LuvAj

Source: Gilt Groupe

Source: Gilt Groupe

Source: Gilt Groupe

Doodlers Anonymous - Words to Live By Post

2010-07-15T17:05:00.002-04:00

I was just going through my blog roll and I ran across this post on the Doodlers Anonymous blog. I've been inspired recently not only by quotes and words, but the typography and artistry used to express them. Just take a look at these images:

Source: Doodlers Anonymous

So inspiring, right? Makes me want to whip out some paper and markers and get to work!!

Bit of Jewelry Inspiration

2010-07-12T14:14:00.000-04:00

Just ran across some awesome designs by Joomi Lim! I love the juxtaposition of spikes with pearls and bright colors!!

Source: Joomi Lim

Also see JoomiNYC and Joomi's Blog!

2010-07-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

Pinterest is this great website a friend told me about. I've been using it for a few weeks now and I love it's functionality and ease of use! Pinterest is basically like a virtual pinboard- you put a link on your browser's bookmark bar and when you see an image you want to remember or keep on file, you click "Pin It" and Pinterest puts it in one of your virtual pinboards. You can also browse the other pinboards on Pinterest and re-pin images found by others using the website. Here's a sneak peek my pinboards (click for the link):

Worn Again 2010

2010-07-06T13:00:00.001-04:00

I just ran across the Worn Again event on the Need Supply Co. Blog and thought it was such a great concept! It's a fashion event which showcases designs made from recycled clothing and materials.
From the Worn Again website: "Since it's 2005 debut in Richmond, Team Worn Again's goal has been to promote a recycled lifestyle that is innovative, creative, accessible and always fashionable! Part of this mission includes raising money for other local grass roots non-profits and strengthening positive efforts in our community. That's why TWA is proud to donate all proceeds from Worn Again 2010 to Books on Wheels."
Check out some pictures of the event below:

Source: Need Supply Co. Blog

Lost At E Minor

2010-03-01T12:14:00.001-05:00

I've recently been alerted to an amazing website for anyone who wants some creative inspiration, Lost At E Minor. Just take a look at a screenshot I took today of the website:

The colors and images there are inspiring alone and I'm enjoying their content so much!!

OH MY! Amanda Wachob Tattoos!!

2010-02-08T12:53:00.015-05:00

I just ran across Amanda Wachob's Tattoos and I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY!! Like sign me up today, blown away! Check out some of her amazingness:

I'm also loving her artwork, which are mainly oil paintings on canvas.

Her artwork can be seen at www.amandawachob.com and her tattoos can be seen at www.amandawachobtattoo.com. Enjoy!

Smallerbox.net

2010-02-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

I recently came upon the Smallerbox.net website (actually I think they started following SchmickFace on Twitter- where I have yet to post much of anything I might add- and I got curious and checked them out) and have been finding their blog posts very interesting and informative.

From the Smallerbox website, the Smallerbox blog is "an invaluable resource for everything you ever wanted to know about running your indie business. Topics covered include marketing, publicity, wholesaling, customer service, advertising, business development, web design and so much more."

Make sure to give them a read or sign up for their newsletter at Smallerbox.net!

Haiti Relief Fundraiser

2010-01-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

Haiti Relief Fundraiser sponsored by Indie Fixx

Bid on a selection of silent auction of items donated by indie crafters, artists and designers each day and proceeds will go to the Red Cross International Response Fund. Please pass on this info!

Eye Candy

2010-01-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

Here's some more jewlery inspiration/eye candy, while I'm beating myself up about not posting in a while and feeling unaccomplished in general. Enjoy the following pieces from Israeli artist, Orly Wexler!

They definitely make me want to try making some resin rings and bangle bracelets with settings embedded in them....interesting!!

Wowzers!!

2009-12-23T13:56:00.001-05:00

Check out some awesome jewelry inspiration!!

Source: Demotionart and Diamonds

Source: Jante Fleischhut

Tim Burton Exhibit at the MOMA

2009-12-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

So I had the pleasure of seeing the Tim Burton exhibit at the MOMA over the weekend and, let me say, it was fantastic!! It's there until April 26th and if you like his work and are able to get into the city, I would recommend seeing it.

Statement

2009-12-17T10:56:00.001-05:00

Wow! Talk about a statment piece of jewelry! Check out the cover of L’Officiel Brazil:

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Whitney Biennial Announcement

2009-12-14T14:00:00.002-05:00

The artist list for the 2010 Whitney Biennial has been announced:

The exhibit will run from February 25th - May 30th and I definitely plan to get into the city and see it at some point. I had been to the 2006 Biennial and really enjoyed it. This was also the site of the "shoe incident" of 2006. I was walking down the stairs in between floors at the museum in true, clumsy Kristen fashion when I slipped and fell down a couple of steps. My one shoe (a slip-on sandal) flew off of my foot, over the railing of the stairs, bounced off of the glass window in the staircase, and landed a few floors down. While recovering from my fall (ie- trying not to laugh at myself too hard), my shoe was being retrieved from a few floors down. There were plenty of pieces of modern art at the exhibit and there was artwork in the stairwells also. From what I am told, museum goers had stopped to contemplate my shoe as if it was a piece of art. Good times, good times!!

Holidays

2009-12-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I went with my family to cut our Christmas tree, a yearly tradition for my parents since before I was born. We've gone to lots of places over the years to get our tree, but my favorite has always been Wintergreen Christmas Tree Farm (which used to be Albeck's Farm when I was a kid) in Lafayette, NJ. It's rolling hills, farm house, and picturesque views have always captivated me. This year, as we picked out our tree, it began to snow, adding to the whimsy of the day. The snow continued throughout the day as we put up our tree, lit it, and decorated it. By nightfall we had a few inches of snow blanketing the ground, creating tiny pockets of light over our Christmas lights. For me, times and scenes like that are the physical embodiment of the holiday spirit and remind me of the beauty that this time of year brings. As snow covered the ground again this morning, it spurred me to look for a few pictures of Quebec City, Quebec, which I had been told looks like the perfect winter wonderland town. Browsing through Flickr certainly didn't disappoint and I picked out a few of my favorite pictures of Quebec City:

Source: Flickr

Source: Flickr

Source: Flickr

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season!

Booooooooooooots

2009-12-05T09:30:00.001-05:00

Must....get....combat boots!!!!

Source: Rackk and Ruin Blog

I've been obsessing over combat boots lately, and I must make time to go thrift store shopping for a good, broken in pair!!

Tiny Tattoos

2009-12-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

I'm definitely a fan of tattoos and tattoo art in general. The only tattoo I have at the moment is a tiny black star on my foot.

My tattoo

I've been noticing some interesting tiny tattoos in non-traditional places that I wanted to share. They definitely make me want to expand my collection and I can see the concept infiltrating my jewelry and artwork.

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

I misplaced the source info for this picture- please pass it along if you know the source

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

Something's Hiding In Here...

2009-12-03T09:20:00.000-05:00

I have so many small businesses that I look up to and that inspire the creation of my own business. I get very excited when I follow a blog, check in on an Etsy store, or obsess of the products of a certain business and then get to see that business in person at an indie craft show. I have to admit that I'm a bit starstruck when this happens. I get all shy and dorky and never wind up talking with the people behind the blog/shop/website. It's still really cool though and I love it when awesome people get recognized for their work! I wanted to pass along an Etsy Featured Seller article about Something's Hiding In Here. I had been watching their Etsy shop and following their contributions to the Poppytalk blog and was totally blown away by their booth at the 2009 Crafty Bastards show:

Source: Oh So Beautiful Paper

Keep up the great work, Something's Hiding In Here, and thanks for inspiring me!

Where in the world is SchmickFace??

2009-12-02T10:18:00.001-05:00

Wondering what I've been up to for the past...oh...2 months?? I've been working on stuff, that's where!! Figured instead of staying MIA, I'd give you a sneak peek on some of the stuff I've been working on.

My #1 project has been developing SchmickFace.com. I know a bit of html from my full-time job where (among 1 billion other things) I maintain the organization's website. However, creating a website from scratch is something I'm sorely inexperienced at- all of my html knowledge is certainly not from any sort of formal education. Needless to say this project has been very time consuming, but here's a little peek at my work on the SchmickFace website!

Another thing I've been doing has been building up my photography portfolio. I bought a new camera over the summer and have been enjoying it ever since. Here are a couple of photos I've taken over the past few months.

I've also been working on new jewelry designs, getting bank accounts for the business, registering with PayPal, working on creating an Etsy shop, gearing up for publishing my Facebook business page, MySpace page, Twitter account, and Flickr account- links to all of which will be coming soon (sooner that 2 months at least!!)!

Vogue Russia

2009-10-09T10:58:00.001-04:00

For reasons beyond my explanation, I am totally digging these images from Vogue Russia:

Maybe it's the layered jewelry...

Or the funky bootcovers...

Or the mix of patterns, textures, and colors...

Loving the leather jacket with the little pink dress!

Dying from the texture/color combo and the layered jewelry!!!

Source: Fashion Gone Rogue

More News!

2009-08-24T16:39:00.002-04:00

So I was informed the other day that SchmickFace Design has been officially registered as an LLC. I have a tax id # and I should get all the official forms and whatnot in a few weeks! YAY!!!
In other, more personal news, I set out on a week long vacation to Las Vegas tomorrow morning at 7:55am. I've never been to sin city and I'm super-excited to take a break from work and relax (and party)! Once I'm back, I'll be hunkering down and getting SchmickFace Design off the ground. Can't wait!!

Exciting News!!!

2009-08-19T14:04:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that things are finally starting to fall into place, but I'm proud (and BEYOND excited) to announce that SchmickFace Design has an official website!!
Check it out at www.schmickface.com!!!
Just a shell of a website right now but soon enough it'll have images of my jewelry, photography, and artwork!!!

What's up...

2009-08-12T10:08:00.003-04:00

So since my last post, I met with the tax and financial services guys and the paperwork for SchmickFace Design, LLC should be in the works now!! Yay!! I believe between their end and the state's end it should take about a month for everything to be official. Just enough time (NOT!) to get all the stuff I want/need to get accomplished for the business.
On my list of "To Dos" are build a website, buy a domain, and find a reputable hosting company that can offer me what I need without breaking the bank (under $15 a month); continue building inventory including creating my two charity lines and working on a few new designs to round out the collection; copyright one of my designs; photograph my jewelry being worn; create a look book; order business cards & office supplies; and open a business bank account. I'm sure that I'm forgetting something but it's probably better that way because just looking at that list makes me a bit overwhelmed, especially since I'll be away on vacation for a week.
In other "indie design" news, I went to see the screening of the Handmade Nation film in Philadelphia on Saturday, August 1st. I really wanted to go but Philly is a 2.5 hour drive for me and no one that I thought would be interested in going with me could go so I debated about not going. However, I wound up winning a ticket to the screening through Indie Fixx and took it as a sign I should go. My sister was nice enough to go with me (she's not into that sort of thing) and we both really enjoyed it! It was definitely inspiring and made me feel like- if they can do it, so can I! More updates soon, I promise!!

Update!!

2009-07-27T14:47:00.006-04:00

Just a quick update on all things SchmickFace!! I just bought a brandy new camera for taking better pictures of my jewelry and for my general photography needs. I got the Canon Rebel T1i, which is definitely a few steps up from my old Canon Rebel 35mm. Check out this beauty:

I also built a lightbox over the weekend for use with my jewelry. I went the diy route, using a cardboard box, some tissue paper, tape & posterboard. It actually came out really good and from the few test pictures I took, I'm definitely excited about using it. Perhaps I'll have to make another one and post some diy directions with pictures.

Also, as long as I'm updating my progress, I have an appointment with the accountant my family uses to get some advice about officially starting SchmickFace Design- deciding on the type of business, filing the appropriate paperwork, etc. It's a big, big step in the direction I want to go in which is exciting and also scary!! I hope to have some new updates asap!!

Current Designs and Inspiration

2009-06-23T16:56:00.005-04:00

I wanted to comment a bit on the direction that my current (favorite) designs are going in. First, I wanted to mention that my original idea to use pieces from costume and vintage jewelry came from 2 sources. One was the fact that I inherited all of my grandma's costume jewelry (she's still alive and kicking at 90, just in a nursing home and not very adept at putting on her own jewelry). The other was that I stumbled across the work and blog of Rackk and Ruin Jewelry. Her use of recycled materials and found objects really intrigued me and made me think about my own jewelry designs and creation in a different way. Here are a few of my favorite Rackk and Ruin pieces: After going through my grandma's jewelry and creating a few pieces, I also ran across another inspiration (which I've seen on a few other blogs as well). The entire Marquis & Camus Collection by Sarah Kang really embodies the esthetic that I want to create in my own collection. Skimming through the Marquis & Camus website was like consistently validating my own vision and the type of work I hope to create. Here's a little inspiration with a few of my favorite pieces:

So that was a long hiatus, huh?

2009-06-17T13:19:00.002-04:00

So after a ...ummm... 6 month break, I'm back to blogging. Lots has changed for me personally since December and I'm finally ready to re-focus and get back to some serious work in creating a jewelry line and starting a company. My style and interests in my jewelry have also grown and morphed over the past few months and I'm excited to share some of the new ideas and designs I've been working on.
Right now I've been working on creating some "re-mixed" pieces from old costume jewelry. It's kind of a popular concept that I've seen other designers working with, but I've really fallen in love with the creation process as well as the final products that I've made already. I think moving forward a lot of my work will incorporate "re-mixed" elements with handmade elements as it is what makes me the most excited. I hope other people like them as much as I do!
I also wanna use this blog to share some inspirations from the internet and beyond. You can also check out my personal photoblog (http://klschmicker.blogspot.com/) in which I post frequent pictures from my camera phone. I look forward to continuing this journey and thanks so much for visiting!!

Stuffs

2008-12-15T10:02:00.002-05:00

So as usual, there's lots of "stuffs" going on. I've been trying to build an inventory of jewelry and am realizing that I need to get working on holiday presents...like last month. The sculptures I did in clay last week don't take to being molded very well- they basically fall apart and make bubble holes in the mold- so all of that work will have to be trashed. I have a different sculpting compound but I found it very difficult to work with so I'll have to see what I can do. It may not be worth taking the time right now to sculpt anything new. Other than that I have SO, SO many new ideas and projects that I want to work on!
Yesterday I went to the Bust Holiday Craftacular in Manhattan. It was a really good opportunity for me to see what is going on in the professional craft world- very inspiring! I collected some business cards, priced some jewelry, and checked out everyone's table display. There were a couple of people whose work I've seen online before and it was really exciting to check it out in person- Red Praire Press, Junkprints, Dirty Loves Clean, etc. Definitely worth going!

Tonight's work...

2008-12-05T21:22:00.001-05:00

Tonight's work...
Originally uploaded by SchmickFace

Did a couple of mini-sculptures to cast in resin.

What's up next...

2008-12-03T09:52:00.009-05:00

After a thoroughly filled (and filling) long Thanksgiving weekend, stuffed with the 3 F's - Family, Friends, and Food, it's time to move on to what is next- accomplishing my pre-holiday goals! These goals include, but are not limited to- building up an inventory of jewelry, making presents for most everyone I'm giving to, creating my own holiday cards and actually sending them out in the next week or so, potentially creating a website, etc, etc, etc. How will I accomplish these goals, you ask? Two words: Social Hiatus. While extremely difficult, and massively guilt inducing, I am refraining from joining in the numerous, over-abundant, almost daily flow of social activities until December 20th for which I have RSVPed to a holiday cocktail party hosted by one of my best friends.

I will be venturing out this Sunday, however, as I'll be taking my boyfriend to brunch for his birthday (which was back in October but this is the first free Sunday we've both had). We're going to the Inn at Lambertville Station which should be the most picturesque brunch we've had to date as the dining room looks over the Delaware River. The menu looks awesome as well- I'm most excited about the "made-to-order eggs Benedict with your choice of Canadian bacon, salmon or tender medallions" and the "chilled pick & peel shrimp served with cocktail sauce." Yum!!
I'll be posting pictures of my work this week at The Shop- here's to hoping I can get a lot accomplished!!

Finished Pieces

2008-11-25T09:31:00.004-05:00

I forgot to bring my camera cord with me to my parents' house for the weekend so I appologize for the lack of updates on the earrings that I made for my mom's birthday. Here's a few pictures of the finished product:

I'm really happy with the way they turned out, although I'm in desparate need of a wire bristle brush and a tumbler to help finish the pieces a bit more (I smell a Christmas present). My mom loved the earrings and wore them to work yesterday. She got a lot of compliments, apparently including a woman who worked at a furniture store who used to do some silversmithing. That made me feel pretty good!

I acutally liked the bubble design of my mom's earrings so much that I made another pair of similar earrings without the resin inlays on Friday evening. Friday was my first "weekend" evening spent at The Shop and it was kind of refreshing. I actually felt as though I was accomplishing something and finished the pair of bubble earrings along with a ring embellished with scrap silver which I balled up (I have a couple of ideas for embellishing this ring further so it may not actually be complete yet). I also amused myself by listening to the local college radio station WP88.7 FM from William Paterson University, and calling in to make song requests. I cracked up every time they said, "I just got a call from Kristen who requested 'Tony the Beat' by The Sounds. I'm gonna try to find that for her" or "That song was 'Tony the Beat' by The Sounds as requested by Kristen" or "We played 'Tony the Beat' by The Sounds earlier for Kristen." I only called in once to request that one song but they said my name about a thousand times- guess Friday night from 7-9 on a college station must not be the busiest time for call in requests. Here are a couple of pictures of the work I did on Friday:

You can see more pictures of my finished work on my Flickr Photostream.

I just spent last night ordering more supplies as I'm running low/out of resin and Oomoo for making my resin molds. I have a bunch of ideas I'm dying to try out as well as a zillion holiday presents to start making. My shipment best be coming in quick!!

Bubble Earrings

2008-11-19T20:19:00.001-05:00

Bubble Earrings
Originally uploaded by SchmickFace

Night 1 of bubble earrings for my mom's birthday. I'm super-psyched so far!! I hope they finish how i envision!

Ready to get back to work...

2008-11-18T13:49:00.006-05:00

So all of my work events are over and I'm ready to get back to work on my jewelry as the holidays are coming up quickly and I'll be in need of handmade gifts as well as trying to build up an inventory of pieces.
Yesterday, I was poking around the blogs I try to read daily and ran across a bit about terrariums. I started thinking about how pretty it would be to have a few around to green up a space. I read up a little bit on their creation and maintenance and found that they can be made in a variety of different closed and open containers and generally require very little care. I figured I'd scan through Etsy.com and pick out a few handmade terrariums to showcase here.

I like the variety of textures in this terrarium - the way the tall wispy moss is combined with the solid, varied shells and stones.

This terrarium houses a tiny world of its own complete with rolling mossy hills, birch trees, and a gnome home.

I like these little terrariums in their funky flasks.

I hope you enjoy the little bit of green as it is certainly starting to look like winter here in the northeast!! I hope to have some more pictures of my jewelry designs up this week.

Crazy Busy

2008-11-12T10:29:00.002-05:00

I appologize for my lack of posting since last week when I was "Busy, Busy, Busy." This week I'm "Crazy Busy" at work. Our events are back to back and I have the ArtWorks Express Yourself-NJ event this Sunday, November 16th at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ. It's a creative and performing arts exhibition featuring the works of children and young adults suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses. If you'd like to learn more about ArtWorks, please check out the video below from The Glenn Beck Show on CNN Headlines:

After this weekend, I'm doing my best to plan (and stick with) a social hiatus so I can kick the jewelry-making into high gear for the holidays.

Busy, Busy

2008-11-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

I'm going to be out of commision for the next few days as work and social plans are taking over my life!! Wait....I guess that is my life, huh? Anyway, tonight I have the biggest fundraising event of the year for work- an Art Auction at Studio 450 in New York. We'll be auctioning off some of the kids' artwork (I work for ArtWorks, a nonprofit organization that provides arts programming for children and young adults with chronic and life-threatening illnesses) as well as some photographs by professional photographers. Click below for more info on the event:

I'll be out late at that event and then leaving early from work on Friday and heading down to D.C. for the weekend to visit friends. I'm very excited to see their new place and to check out the local flavor. I'm also super-psyched because on Friday we are going to the After Hours event at the Hirshhorn Museum!
From what I gather, it's a party at an art museum- 2 things that I like in 1.

From the look of this video I should thoroughly enjoy myself!! Be back on Monday!

Vote Vote Vote Vote

2008-11-04T11:52:00.004-05:00

So I did my patriotic duty and voted this morning before work. In honor of election day, I thought it might be fun to find some election oriented products on Etsy.com to showcase.

These coffee sleeves are super cute and functional!

How about some Barack for your do?

Or perhaps some McCain and Palin for your fingers?

I love this necklace- less political and more advocational!

If you haven't done so yet, I urge you to go out and VOTE!!

Resin Bangle

2008-11-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

Today I'm wearing the resin bangle and figured I'd show off what it looks like on.

Halloween Costumes

2008-11-03T14:54:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a picture of people at the Halloween party in costume. We had a great turnout and some really fun costumes!!

PS- I was the woman from the Orbit gum commercials. It was great- when people asked who I was supposed to be, I just held up the gum and said, "Fabulous!" in a British accent- so fun to see people's reactions as they recognized who I was.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T10:02:00.003-04:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, mainly because of the costume aspect. I love dressing up and have even had a "Halloween in June" birthday costume party. My favorite part is coming up with costume ideas and then finding the parts and accessories to make it myself (even though I always wind up running out of time).
This year I am co-hosting a Halloween party at my boyfriend's apartment in New Brunswick complete with decorations, costume contest (with unique categories like "Most likely to make a nun blush" or "Most likely to have worked on their costume since last Halloween"), and a jaunt to the local bars via Rutger's University free buses. YAY! I can't wait to see everyone's costumes!

Skull Cameo Pendant

2008-10-29T12:02:00.007-04:00

There's a closeup and there's me modeling it.

New Finished Projects!!

2008-10-29T11:00:00.003-04:00

I'm super excited to post some new pictures of projects that I've finished!! I made these earrings to give to my friend Chrissy for her birthday. They are handmade sterling silver bezels with a scroll design cut into the back and then filled with green resin.

I'm especially happy with them because the back of the bezel is made from a silver piece I started in my metalsmithing class and had since abandoned. Although they are not perfectly symmetrical, they go well together and I think they look nice.

Next, I made a sterling silver bangle bracelet with a yellow resin cabochon. It's a pretty funky piece as it is on the larger side and the color is kinda bright. I'm pretty satisfied with it, although there is a bubble that got trapped under the cabochon and is definitely visible. Ah, well- gives it character, right??

Finally, the piece that I've invested the most time in and worked the hardest on, the skull cameo pendant. It is a hand-poured resin cameo (original design handcarved by my talented boyfriend) set in a sterling silver handmade bezel. It is by far my most favorite piece so far and looks even better hanging from a chain. In fact, I'm wearing it today and after this post I'll take a picture of it with my cameraphone and post it here.

More Inspirations

2008-10-22T10:31:00.003-04:00

I'm finishing up a few pieces that I'll post some pictures of tomorrow, hopefully. In the meantime, I figured I'd showcase another one of my jewelry inspirations.

I have to admit- Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club is basically my idol. Not only does she design funky, colorful jewelry (see below), but she is also an author, a TV host- hosting Craft Lab and co-hosting Stylicious both on the DIY Network, and an avid blogger. I love reading her blog and checking out all of her creative, fun designs.

Check out some of her work:

Inspirations

2008-10-16T10:18:00.008-04:00

One of my most favorite things to do is blog hop to get inspiration and see what cool and unusual things other people are doing and posting about. I usually wind up on some convoluted internet trail from one blog who mentioned something interesting on another who mentioned this other cool thing and before I know it I'm lost in cyberspace trying to remember all of the cool and interesting things that got me there.
In my early blog hopping travels, I found the work of Margaux Lange, a jewelry designer/artist who worked with metal, resin, and "found objects" (in the form of Barbie doll parts). Her work was so cool, and obviously meticulously handcrafted, and from reading her blog she seemed like such a normal, down to earth person. She was one of the first jewelry artists that I found online that really made me want to pursue jewelry making. She was also how I found out about Etsy.com, which I now have a clinical obsession with, as she sells some of her work there.
Check out some of her designs:

I feature Margaux's Blog (titled Midge's Mind) on my side bar as one of the "Blogs That Inspire Me" so if you are as inspired by her work as I am, you can easily follow her blog.

Tonight's work...

2008-10-14T21:18:00.002-04:00

Tonight's work...
Originally uploaded by SchmickFace

Building from the basic Daniela bangle I'm elaborating the design and including a cast resin cabochon. I already had the bezel created and used tonight's time to begin forming it into a bangle. I also poured some resin and began to sand and finish some demolded resin pieces.

Kristen's Life PhotoBlog

2008-10-13T23:09:00.003-04:00

I've had a PhotoBlog on Blogger since 2005 and I had originally decided to stop posting to that blog when I started this blog. I've reconsidered and I've decided to attempt posting to both blogs, separating my jewelry exporations (for this blog) from my personal pictures which will be saved for my Kristen's Life blog.

New Bangle

2008-10-13T22:22:00.008-04:00

Here are a couple of pictures of a bangle I just finished as a gift:

This simple bangle was made with sterling silver half round wire and finished with a hammered texture. I'm calling it the "Daniela Bangle" because I made it for my boss, Daniela for her birthday. She tends to wear very simple jewelry and this piece was inspired by her style.

I love this pup!

2008-10-05T16:36:00.001-04:00

My poor Sadie has been on chemotherapy for months and now has just had to start more bc her cancer didn't go away. She's not doing so well with this round and has been getting sick a lot. :-(

Pieces in progress

2008-10-05T14:18:00.002-04:00

Just a quick picture of some stuff that I'm working on.

2008-09-30T22:29:00.001-04:00

And did some soldering today too! The first soldering I've done at The Shop and alone!

So excited!!

2008-09-30T22:27:00.001-04:00

Did some successful demolding today.

New additions to The Shop!

2008-09-27T13:26:00.002-04:00

My order of metalsmithing supplies came in and i just unpacked everything and set it all up. I'm SO excited!!

Metal!

2008-09-22T15:54:00.004-04:00

Last week I placed an order for my basic metalsmithing tools and supplies from Metalliferous. Then, on Saturday, I made a trip into the city to visit their store and get some of my raw materials. I'm very happy because these steps will allow me to soon be working with METAL in my designs!! I bought a bunch of silver - sheet, wire, and chain - and also some JAX chemical silver blackener. I get totally overwhelmed when I go to Metalliferous (I immediately start sweating as soon as I begin talking with a sales person) because of the vast amount of tools and materials they have as well as I get paranoid that I'm the most inexperienced and least knowledgeable person in the store. The staff of the store, however, is really nice and very accessible. They definitely helped to put me at ease as well as helped me to decide on the best materials for my intended projects.
Anyway, I'm just waiting now for my big order to come in the mail and I'll get to set up my studio for soldering. YAY!!

Annual apple picking with my friends.

2008-09-21T11:48:00.002-04:00

What an amazing view!!

Finished 2 part mold.

2008-09-13T13:32:00.001-04:00

So here are the finished molds for the earrings and key. The design flaws that i predicted are definitely there but i guess I'll have to wait until i do a casting to really see how they'll affect the final product.

Molds and objects

2008-09-09T20:30:00.001-04:00

Here are my demolded items. The 2 on the bottom are half of the mold as the are 3d. I definitely ran into some problems because of my inexperience making 2 piece molds. For instance, the way that I used the modeling clay to embed the items created molds that curve instead of being flat across. Hopefully in making the second half these problems won't matter too much.

Mass destruction

2008-09-09T20:18:00.002-04:00

This is the aftermath of demolding my items.

Learning to Make a 2-Piece Mold

2008-09-09T13:26:00.000-04:00

So since my last post I've been collecting up some items (vintage earrings, antique key, etc.) to try casting in resin. I realized, however, that to cast these items the method of sticking an object to the bottom of the molding container wouldn't work as these are 3D items and all sides need to be cast.
I started investigating how to make a 2-piece mold so that I could capture the details of each item on all sides. I ran across a few interesting websites with some good information (and pictures) and figured I'd share.

Video of 2-Piece Mold Making
This video is very informative, but the techniques are a bit more complicated that what I need.

Detailed Description of Mold Making Process
This article has good pictures and shows the process (and the learning curve involved) with good pictures and a cheeky sense of humor.

Martha Stewart Video of 2-Piece Mold Making Technique
Although this video is about casting for candles, it shows the process of making a 2-piece mold and can certainly be adapted for resin.

2-Part Mold for Shrinking
This website shows a demonstration on how to make a 2-part mold for use with a shrinking compound. It has great pictures and can be easily adapted to make a mold for resin or other materials.

Over the weekend I was able to try my hand at constructing mold boxes (out of foam core) and pouring the first half of my 2-piece molds. I'll be heading over to The Shop tonight to see the results of my weekend efforts and to make the other part of the molds. I'll post some pictures from there.

Thoughts

2008-09-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

So I was definitely disappointed about the result of my tattoo inspired cherry blossom casting. I've spent a lot of time thinking about the flaws in my design and construction. I know now that for resin to be strong enough to be a self contained piece, it has to be thicker than the casting I had created. I also know now that I have to pay special attention to separating areas between colors so that they don't run together. I spent some time in the studio over the weekend attempting to re-sculpt the cherry blossoms as well as some other tattoo inspired designs. However, I'm not satisfied with the pieces that I created. I think it may be a combination of a couple of factors. Firstly, I'm not a skilled sculptor. I've taken one sculpture class and, while I did fairly good in it, I don't have the experience to sculpt something so tiny and technical. Secondly, I'm not happy with the sculpting medium that I'm using. It is called "Sculpt-it!" and is an air-hardening sculpting material which I find to dry and become rubbery too quickly.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about my designs and I've decided to move away from sculpting for a bit and focus on casting more cameos and prepping my studio for metalwork. I think this will be more productive for me so that I don't dwell on the short-comings of my work and can move forward with what is successful.

Silver & Resin Ring

2008-08-27T19:42:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot of the finished silver and resin ring. I'm pretty happy with the overall result. Although it is not the most original design, I'm definitely proud of the craftsmanship and I like the contrast of the black resin with the silver ring as well as the rectangular shape on a round ring.

Cameos out of the mold.

2008-08-27T18:57:00.001-04:00

The cameos came out much better than the cherry blossoms, especially the skull cameo. I'm actually very pleased with the skull and I'm already thinking up other colors/add-ins to go with this piece.

Finished casting of cherry blossoms

2008-08-27T18:57:00.000-04:00

So here's the final product of the cherry blossom tattoo concept. I can't say that I'm not disappointed in it. It looks kind of amateurish and is too thin. The black resin is showing through the first red and yellow layer, which I hoped wouldn't happen. I'm trying to look at it as a learning experience, but, honestly, I'm a bit bummed.

Cameos get their final layer of resin

2008-08-25T20:59:00.001-04:00

I decided to go with a salmon color for the cameo of the young woman (although it turned out quite pink- hard to see in this picture) and a blue-green color for the background of the skull.

Cherry blossoms get a final coat of black resin

2008-08-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

I decided to use a coat of black resin for the backs of the cherry blossoms. I'm just hoping that the red and yellow first layer is thick enough so that the black doesn't show through the front of the finished piece.

Ring

2008-08-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

A silver ring I made in jewelry class gets a fill of black resin which will be followed by a coat of clear resin. I like its simple design and the way the black resin contrasts with the silver.

Cameos first layer of resin

2008-08-21T20:57:00.001-04:00

I decided to go with a pure white for the skull and an off-white for the young woman. Now I just have to decide what colors the backgrounds should be. I'm thinking a traditional salmon or light blue color for the young woman and something more vibrant and contemporary for the skull- maybe red, black, green....

Cherry blossoms half finished in resin

2008-08-21T20:57:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot of the first layer of resin in the mold. Some of the colors wound up running together because the area of the mold between the center of the flower and the petals didn't separate cleanly and left some open areas for the resin to run out, or into the wrong area.