Hot Air Balloon Necklaces

October is a fantastic month to be in Albuquerque, NM.  During the first and second weeks of October (usually), Albuquerque hosts the International Balloon Fiesta.  For two weeks it is fun to wake up in the morning to dozens of colorful balloons over head.  There are special events such as the special shape balloon take off, or the glowdio's at night where the balloons are lit up.  People around here love their hot air balloons and for two weeks balloons are life.  I personally love the whimsy and brightness of hot air balloons.  Seeing so many at once is like nothing else.  So, in light of this wonderful inspiration, I decided to make some necklaces.  First, here is a real life balloon pic, followed by my newest pieces.  Hope you like them. (I'm listing them for sale on etsy.  If you are interested click here or here.)
Happy Creating!
--Kathy

Colorful Ceramic Vials

I had an etsy customer comment that she liked the turtle vial I made (see earlier post), but she would like to see more vials in a variety of colors (and I changed up the patterns too).  She also hoped that they would be different heights (These are around 4" high for the ceramic part).   Here are some ones I just finished.  They are a lot of fun, and they are colorful--although you can see my love for blue.  Also, I like how they are not all perfectly upright.  I think that gives them a handmade feel.  These were made with my handmade stamps.  I hope you like them. 
Happy Creating!
--Kathy

Butterfly and Peacock Paintings

I was recently asked to teach painting at a birthday party for 12 year old girls.  We will do a 1 hr. canvas painting, and the birthday girl was having a hard time deciding whether to do a butterfly design or a peacock design.  (I have to admit the peacock idea I stole from my sister :)  So, to help the birthday girl decide, I did a mock up of the two ideas.  These designs are simple and pretty, keeping both the time-frame as well as the girls' age in mind.  I hope you like them.  I wonder what she'll pick...
Happy Creating!  --Kathy

Faceted 2-tone beads and X Shapes

I was messing around with clay the other day and ended up making some cool 2-toned faceted beads and X shaped beads.  The faceted beads started as cubes which I sliced on the corners as well as a few extra places, and glazed yellow and red.  I think they turned out great. 

I love faceted glass beads which have a beauty all their own, but I wanted to show off the beauty of ceramic in faceted beads.  These, of course, would be opaque, but could have more than one color--which makes them unique compared to the traditional glass faceted beads.  I also love that since these are all hand cut, they vary slightly giving them an extra special look.

As for the X-shaped beads, they started life as square disk beads and I started chopping with an Xacto knife.  This led to these uniquely shaped beads.  I think that the shape is versatile.  It kind of looks like a flower, so it can be added to organic pieces, but it also kind of looks like X's so it can also go with geometric designs.  You could even go for an XOXO motif with these.  I hope you like them. 

Happy Creating!
--Kathy

Art Bead Scene May Monthly Challenge 2015 - May ABS

So, as you may know, there is this blog that I love--the only blog I really follow, and they have a monthly inspiration challenge for jewelry artists who like to make and use art beads.  This month the inspiration piece is by Augistan Lesage, and it is untitled.  What struck me about this piece was the variety of vibrant colors, the symmetry, the curves, and the consistent use of line and dots.  It seems almost like a fusion of European and African art to me.  I found it quite inspiring.


I decided that my beads would have curved elements, be brightly colored and include lines and dots.  Here are some pictures of my beads:

These beads were made from earthenware ceramic clay, hand formed, and glazed using multiple colors.

I love how they turned out, although they say a little more "circus" than I had intended.  Still, I like the vibrant colors and they varied designs.  I hope you like them too.  I can't wait to see what beads others make based on this inspiration.

Happy Creating!
-Kathy

Wavy Beads

I recently met a wonderful jewelry artist who requested that I make wavy beads.  So, I went ahead and love how they turn out.  These are made from earthenware ceramic clay that has been glazed and fired.  I've tried out a lot of colors (I love them all in this bead) but I just pulled some new colors out of the kiln.  Have a look. 

I've seen some beautiful earrings made with these.  They are fantastic for earrings, bracelets, necklaces.  They would even be fantastic for button clasps.  What would you make with them?

Happy Creating!
--Kathy

Nativity Tiles

Even though it is not anywhere close to Christmas, for some reason I've really been inspired to make Christmas themed items.  Nativities, Ornaments, the works.  Weird eh?  Well, this inspiration caused me to create a new nativity tile.

I love Nativities (I collect them myself) and I wanted to create an art tile based on this traditional theme but with a new look. First, this piece has an unusual shape for a tile--an arch. I wanted it to reflect the shape of cathedral windows. This piece is a very textural relief. It features the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and the three wise men. The relief is on a thick tile and is from my original design/carving. The tile is about 6" tall and about 3 1/4" across the bottom of the arch. I've tried them out in different colors. 

Here are the pictures:

I've just listed them in my etsy shop here, but I'm looking forward to trying out new color combinations.  What new colors would you like to see this tile in?  As always, I'd love to see what you've been making so write a comment. 

Happy Creating!
--Kathy

Fresh New Jewelry Connectors

Here's a peek at some of the new connectors I've been working on for spring.  I'm in love with bright colors and fun fresh designs.  I hope you like them. 

New Mosaics

I was having so much fun making mosaics (and the handmade tiles needed to make them) that I decided to apply to another jurried art show.  I made these three mosaics for my application for an Albuquerque Art Museum Show coming up.  As with the other ones, I don't know if I'll get in, but my fingers are crossed. *Update, I sadly did not get in, but maybe next year...

This one is called "Inner Workings":

This one is called "Sunset Vines":

This one is called "Riveting":

These were all made using handmade textural ceramic art-tiles and stained glass pieces.
Happy Creating.
--Kathy

Just Finished Mosaics

I recently read about the Museum of Biblical Studies in Dallas and learned that they were having a passover show in which they wanted to show Old Testament inspired mosaic art.  Since I love mosaics and am religious, I decided to make a few to submit.  I don't know if they will be selected but here they are.
**UPDATE**  The wheat one was accepted to the show!  

This one was inspired by Joseph and the 7 years of plenty.

This one is called "Save Us This Night" and is inspired by the story of the Passover.

This is called "2 by 2" from Noah's Story.

I think my favorite is the passover one.  The door tiles were so much fun to make.  I'll have to make some more of them and maybe they can be magnets.

Keep Creating!
--Kathy