tool time (or introducing you to some of my closest inanimate friends) ~

by mary jane dodd

my grandmother had a goal of learning something new every day - and she was quite serious about it... if she got to day's end and felt she hadn't, she pulled out the dictionary or an encyclopedia... 

it is a quality that i admire & i try to emulate (emphasis upon try)... 

patty's post from the other day on her adventures with metal was really enjoyable... i love when people share themselves... like barbara lewis showing how she enamels...i think it tones down the initial fear people have of trying something new... you know, that 'oh, i can't do that' feeling... which is mixed with an excitement because you really want to do it... 

and how else can you create your own jewelry and components unless you try?!

i have become addicted to playing with metal - to the point that i am known to rush from whatever room i am in to my work area so that i can 'try something'... 'i just need to try something' has become a phrase my kids often hear... 

so i wanted to talk about tools a little bit - because outside of having sheet metal and wire, that is where it begins... oh, and a general idea of where you are headed is nice as well! 

my favorite cannot-live-without basics (we are going to leave out pliers and torches today) for working sheet metal ::

my hammers - jewelry grade to hardware store... and i have more... hammers for shaping, texturing, riveting, chasing, etc... and for striking - one of my most favorite hammers that i didn't even know i needed - the brass head... do you know that my pile of hammers is adored by the kids that come to my house? 'they are sooo cool!"... yeah, so now you know - em, alex, and nick's mom is so cool because she has this awesome pile of hammers... and while i am a mama bear when it comes to protecting my kids - i can get a little protective of my tools as well!

do you by any chance have a hammer whose face is marred? did your kids want to use the alphabet stamping set and unknowingly pick up the wrong hammer to strike them with? no? oh... well, mine did... and instead of setting this off to the side, i discovered that i got a great texture from it... stay open... 

disc cutter - saves time and money... swanstrom makes a big beautiful one as well... invest in the lubricant... 

dapping sets... these curve your discs... 

i happen to have both... different sets for different needs... 

5 lb. anvil... i love it... 

i just want to say that it is only in the past year that i have invested in some of these different tools... i do not have a big fancy studio... i had a very basic plier set for 10 years... but if you are interested in making your own components - even simple ones like bead caps, the tools you choose make a huge difference...  i know that they can be expensive... but they will save you money... a 6" x 18" sheet of copper is about $10 - that is it... 


** mary ann just brought up the question of where to get some of these tools - and it's a good one... i will honestly tell you that i forget the price comparisons for these... but some of the places i turn to are - my local bead shop (not read as 'large craft store chain' - nothing against them, i just like to support my local bead shop and the quality is usually higher), my local hardware store, rio grande, otto frei, fundametals, objects & elements to name a few.... please feel free to share any suppliers you know of in the comments section... **

more than the money, far far more than the money for me - the right tools are a ticket to freedom... they tap right into my lifeblood - at this point in my life, i cannot fathom being without them... 

'logic will get you from A to B.

imagination will take you everywhere.'

~ albert einstein

Picture Taking 101...

Soooooo.......I'm still workin' out the kinks in terms of what I want my Sunday theme to be. 

Not that anyone said that I have to have a theme, but it helps put my ADD into focus. 

Today, I'm going to share a secret...shhhh...don't tell anyone...

Here goes...I'm not very good at taking pictures of finished jewelry. 

I'm still trying and this one is pretty good....

Perhaps, I would get better at it if I had the time to make more jewelry.  My bead making adventure started on Christmas Eve 5 years ago when I stopped at a bead store to buy last minute gifts.   The whole Christmas thing has always been difficult for me since my Mom died right before Christmas 25 years ago.  To this day, it is still a struggle and I'm always finding myself shopping....LITERLLY at the last minute!  This last minute shopping turned into a new direction for me.  I made 3 gorgeous necklaces.  And they were gorgeous!  When I went to pay for them, the $170 price tag wasn't quite as gorgeous....but, nevertheless, they were unique gifts made by me and I still hear about them to this day.



So, as of recently I passed on the interest of making beads and handmade jewelry to my son Ben and daughter-in-law Tiffany.  All of the styles that you see here were created by them.

We had a little picture taking session yesterday and after 100's of shots, this is what I came up with.  I know that I should also pose the jewelry with inanimate objects, but I also think that showing them worn helps the buyer to get a visual of what they will look like if they were to own the piece.

Here is today's question.  When taking pictures on the model, are you supposed to take them from a distance or up close like I did?  How about sunlight and shadows? 

I'd love to hear some advice from you about your picture taking experiences.

Pretty good.....They went right for the chain and wirework....We never did the basic stringing lessons!

One more thing....I worked through some of my Christmas issues.  That day 5 years ago also started a new tradition for my family and me.  Everyone gets a handmade item at Christmas whether it's made my me or if I buy an item made by another artist. I no longer run around on Christmas Eve spending way too much money.  Last year, I had paintings done by Joy Argento.  I own the Harold and the Purple Crayon Painting on that page...that was a gift from me for me ;o)

**Stop back tomorrow for our LMAJ Monday Giveaway**