What's UP!!!!!

So I've been furiously creating jewelry for my upcoming shows.  It has been fun perfecting my resin pendant techniques and also doing some metal work with all my new tools.  I was on Amazon the other day and a book popped into my recommendations.  It was called Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry  It is a new technique for enameled beads.  I explored the inside and was hooked...I wanted to learn how to do this!  The pieces were so so beautiful.  I wanted to see more about how to do this and what I'd need when I got the book.

Barbara Lewis of Painting with Fire is the author and they had a link to her website. So click click click off I went.  On her website she shares how she started and some info on where she teaches and she sells kits to get you started.  There is also a ning so I can ask questions and see other peoples work..  She also has a blog and a Facebook page.  So last week I started chatting with the girls and messaging back and forth with Barbara.

I did some research and decided her start up kit with the torch was a great price (along with a tutorial and the online help) So I ordered it.  After the chatting I've done, I know the perfect spot to set up what I am calling my hot studio.  It is in my lower level family room (a basement with a walkout).  I have a wall of windows along the back and so I can get ventilation but unlike my garage I won't freeze in the winter.  Also because it isn't used a lot, I have the ability to work and leave stuff kind set up and messy (yup...I am truly an artist in that way...like to see all my stuff)  I also ordered a patina kit/tutorial from another source and I will need to allow that time to work and I can use my torch etc on the patinas.  So having a specific spot set up will be great and do double duty.

The fun thing I learned is that Barbara was in Cincinnati at the Thompson Enamel Co.  Now lucky for me, this is only 20 minutes from my house and one exit from where I work. I called them and they said ..come on down and see us.  They also have a museum and classes, so it is definitely on my to do list.  And next time Barbara is in town we have to get together.

On the Painting with Fire blog, a contest is listed and so since I want to win I am following the rules and posting about it so y'all can read about it too.

Great Giveaway!
Laura Twiford from Souvenirs from Life is giving away these awesome double flush cutters by Swanstrom.  I know they cost a pretty penny, but you get what you pay for ... or what Laura pays for! because she's giving a pair away next Wednesday to some lucky winner.  Just post this giveaway to your blog, leave her a comment, and pray!

Pretty awesome flush cutters!  I just hope I win!

My new cabinet has been great at helping me be creative every day and I made quite a few sales in the last week.  Thanks to my fans old and new!  Here are some pics of my new creations....

yes, I 've been very busy and having so much fun.  I haven't listed these in my stores because I am stocking up for my show in August and a week later in September, but as always, everything is for sale!  Just contact me via e mail @ Lynneathecraftyone@gmail.com.

What I've been up to!

I just had a great jewelry show at Field of Vue and will  be back in December for all your gift shopping.  This is a creative and funky space in the middle of the city.  I liken it to a secret garden.  If you are ever in Bellevue for First Friday you should stop in and see Lemual  Ferguson who is a great artist himself and general know it all about plants.  He usually has some good music, wine and an artist of the month.  August will feature my friend Jennifer Fields-Summer and her beautiful photography.

Here are some of my recent creations

Seahorse

sold

bathing beauties

sold

time flies

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And there is even more!  Some of these are sold, some are still available.  You can contact me at Lynneathecraftyone@gmail.com if you are interested in any of these.

My next stop is in August for the Swingin' Dance Party.  An annual event here in Northern KY by Sophy Kdep and Jason Miklic.   It is a 4 day event at the Drawbridge in with dancing and workshops and lots of fun.

My Original Scrapbox Workbox

Yes, it has been almost a month since my last post!  I have been very busy both at my "real" job and my crafty job.  We also had the end of the school year, so we are getting adjusted to our new schedule.   The bad thing is about the time we get adjusted, it will be time to go back!

The first thing I'm going to brag about is my new workspace.  I wrote about wanting a cabinet from The Original Scrapbox in a previous post.  After doing a ton of research I thought their Workbox could be the solution for my jewelry making/crafting mess.  Yes it is for scrapbooking, but with all the organization I could just see me making jewelry there.  I just didn't know how to pay for it!

They have a Facebook page, so I joined it and followed the daily postings from satisfied customers and from the company.  One day I saw a post that they had a Minibox with a scratch on it at a reduced price, but I knew that it wouldn't be big enough, so I jokingly said..."Scratch up some of the Workboxes so I can afford one!"  Imagine my surprise when the responded that they had some scratch and dents available and I should call Ashleigh at the office.

I couldn't get to the phone fast enough!  She told me that the main problem was that some of the predrilled holes didn't line up.  I can tell you from my research, even on the "perfect" ones that was something that happened.  I also figured if it had a major scratch I'd just paint it.  The cost was just under $1000 and shipping was only $50!  A major discount!  I ordered the white beadboard one and then anxiously awaited the call from Fed X for the delivery.  Ashleigh told me it would be 2 weeks, but 10 days later my cabinet was delivered....

  And yes, the crate was as big as my car!  The next thing to do was to get my husband to put the thing together.  I pulled the instructions and a how to put it together DVD out and left them for him to study.  If you know my husband, he will count every nut, bolt and screw and lay out how it will be done prior to opening the crate. (unlike me..I tend to just open the thing and start putting it together)

So, my husband built my cabinet over Father's Day weekend.  He worked on it about 90 minutes at a time, and it took about 3 days.  He had some help from me..hold this, hand me that, help me pick this up...NO..not that thing - THAT thing!  But we got it put together without any violence or a divorce.  Here is how it looked when we first got finished.

Here is the closed cabinet...we still need to put the knobs on and the latches at the top, but it is awesome!

Here the cabinet is open and being inspected by my cat.  I still have to put ALL the dividers in for the shelves.  That took another 2 days!  Yes there are that many!

Here I am mostly done with the shelves, now for all the bins!  And yes, they include all the bins with the cabinet.  It is great because I customized my cabinet for my needs and can make the spaces as tall as I wanted.  There is a second leg to the table, but I was under there putting in shelves just before I took this picture.

Here is is all filled up!

I had no idea I had this many seed beads

I bought these at WalMart and they fit this spot perfectly.  I keep all my findings in here and each drawer has a different color in it.

That box of ribbons will be in a new container soon.

fabrics and fibers and tools oh my!

I had this large cutting mat and it fits here perfectly

My first project in my new space

Now, I am keeping my cabinet in my great room right in front of the front door.  Everyone asks how can I do this...well, my friends come thru the garage into the mud room, and this spot has great natural light/overhead light and I get to be with my family even while crafting.  (and I like it like that)

Yes, I do still need one plastic cart, but that is for the different fibers I use in my work and some miscellaneous items that I haven't sorted yet.  I can easily close this up and roll it to one side when company comes and it just looks like a beautiful piece of furniture.

I have told everyone I know about this company and will probably buy another cabinet from them in the future for my sewing machines.  And because of my big mouth I got to be fan of the week and won this nifty ribbon box





So now I can organize all those ribbons.