Artistic Journey

January 31, 2018 By Karin M

Hello! It’s been a while…

Hi. I didn’t mean to take such a long break, really, I didn’t. But somehow life got in the way, as it often does. But through all of the ups and downs I am always so grateful for this wonderful creative outlet that is my jewelry.

So what’s new this year? I love adding new skills to the mix and attending an enameling workshop last Fall has really motivated me to add lots of fun colors and designs. So many ideas. I love enameling, because it allows me to create my very own colorful elements without the addition of beads. Don’t get me wrong, beads are lovely, but there is just something special in looking at a piece in which ALL of the components were created by my own two hands.

Matching earrings!

And finally the matching pendant:

What can I say, I just love the whole moon theme so much right now.

But that’s not to say that that is all I’ve been creating. For as long as I remember, I have loved little hand drawn flowers. I used to embroider them on shirts, even. With torch fired enameling, I can indulge in my flower passion in a whole new way! Check these out!

I have had these Czech glass leaf beads, but wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. What do you think? Aren’t they perfect in this pendant?

Here is a pair of earrings that combines sterling silver, patina copper with the always popular color combo that is red and robin’s egg blue.

And one of my favorite pendant necklaces to date:

There will always be metals, of course. Over the past year I have focused on creating more complete lines. I have to say, I really enjoy the challenge of making a specific design work in a necklace, earrings and a bracelet. Although somehow the bracelets seem to want to remain on paper… I promise, they exist, if only as a concept.

I LOVED creating this pendant and promise there will be more! The tree motif has held me captive for a long time and it isn’t letting go of me, I assure you! The patina turned out better than I could have dreamed!

And some leaf earrings…

Last but not least, a few new chains!

Plus matching earrings.

What’s next? Spring time always sets me on a path of floral and natural elements, so you can definitely expect to see more of that.

Several cabochons in various shapes await their settings. I look forward to combining mixed metals with enamels as well as adding some mid century modern themed pieces to the mix.

What about you? Any favorite styles or pieces? I always love hearing your input!

Of course, be sure to stop by the shop anytime to see what’s new. I’m adding pieces regularly:)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful and hopefully, creative day!

Karin

December 7, 2016 By Karin M

Mixed metal mania

Just fresh off a wonderful jewelry show (do take a moment to check out Mythic Silver) and up to my eyeballs in Christmas orders, I wanted to pop in today to give you a small glimpse of what has occupied my time lately.

If you have read this post, you know that I am veering more and more towards the metal smithing spectrum of jewelry making. More specifically I absolutely adore anything created from mixed metals.
The look that is achieved by combining my three favorite materials, copper, silver and jeweler’s brass, is timeless and yields endless possibilities. My hunch that this might be popular with my customers was confirmed at my last event. Over and over I heard “I love mixed metals”. So do I my friends, so do I.
Why? Well, for one thing, they have been around for a long time. The combination of metals, especially the kind that sports a patina, is one that is equally at home with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, the outfit you wear to the office and your lbd. Speaking of patina, let me show you an example of patina that knocks it out of the park in my eyes.

The effect on this pendant is, well, a cross between an accident and sheer luck. Don’t you just love the way it gives the background a painted effect?

Most recently, I have fallen into a bit of a rabbit hole creating several new pieces in the “married” metals technique. One day it just dawned on me that I should be able to solder two different metals together to create an entire new sheet. And by golly, once I got the hang of that, there was no going back. Here are some examples of what I have cobbled together using this technique so far.

Well, I am off to create some more goodies. Love this time of year! There is nothing more exciting to me than the knowledge that many of the creations that come from my heart and were made with my hands will be someone’s special gift come Christmas morning or for Hanukkah. Thank you all for being so incredibly supportive, for putting the wind into my creative sails!

Karin

October 11, 2016 By Karin M

The journey

Back at last!

I recently had the opportunity to once again take a trip home to my native Bavaria to spend some much needed time with family I don’t get to see nearly enough. It had been four years since my last visit, nearly eight for the rest of my bunch.

It is a journey I have made often through the years. It was something I honestly hadn’t given much thought when I left, a young woman, so many many years ago, this need, the desire to follow a homing beacon.
The urge to be close to what you knew growing up, people, places, food, I discovered, never abates. Yes, you become accustomed to the fact that “home” is not in the country of your birth, that you are entirely comfortable speaking in a language different from the one you heard and spoke growing up. You make new friends, come to love your new family just the same as though you had grown up with them. You consider this “new” place your home, almost feel a little guilty for calling it “home” in front of your parents, because you worry deep inside that they might consider themselves truly left behind.

I feel blessed to have had this experience and know that my design choices are most definitely influenced by them. There is nothing like traveling to a different continent to get the creative juices flowing. Just like after last year’s journey to Cape Breton, I am once again inspired by all of the sights and sounds I got to experience. Germany has become ultra modern in many ways. But thankfully, in my native Bavaria traditional influences remain strong. I hope to be able to express both directions in my future designs.

Busy weeks lie ahead of me and I feel refreshed and ready to face them. So for today I’ll leave you with a few memorable places that inspire me again and again to forge ahead in my creative journey, the journey that is my life.

As always I find myself drawn to Mother Nature, discovering interesting color combos and textures, just like these unusual mushrooms/fungi. Mushroom hunting is more than a hobby for my family, it’s a passion! So much fun walking through the woods and discovering these little wonders!

orange-fungus — Interesting orange fungi on the forest floor.

trumpet-mushroom — Love the texture of these trumpet mushrooms with just a hint of gray-blue peeking through!

Then there is architecture. Some very unusual structures, like this tower designed by the Austrian artist Hundertwasser.

kuchlbauer-turm1 — Kuchlbauer Turm, Abensberg, Lower Bavaria

This tower is actually only part of a most interesting place called Kuchlbauer’s Bier Welt (beer world). I was absolutely fascinated by the use of unexpected materials and shapes. The inside of the tower is said to be as interesting as its exterior. Here are a couple more shots:

kuchlbauers-tower-base — The base of Kuchlbauer’s tower. See the beer mugs?

Don’t adjust your monitor. This is one twisted building!

How fun it must be to be able to realize your artistic vision on such a scale!

But it doesn’t always have to be something big, even small details can lend an ordinary window artistic and organic flair!

kuchlbauers-treestump-window — Tree roots get new life!

Then there is traditional art and architecture…

kloster-plankstetten-church — Organ at Kloster Plankstetten

And finally to my very favorite place, the Berchtesgadener Land with it’s only German alpine National Park.

nationalpark-berchtesgaden — Entry to Berchtesgaden National Park

This is what I consider the gateway to Heaven:)

To get to this lovely place, where cows are grazing on the meadows and chickens run underfoot.

I don’t think I could ever get tired of this view.

rocks-in-the-water — Klausbach, a typical alpine creek with crystal clear, drinking quality water.

The textures are amazing!

While I consider myself fortunate to be able to travel, there is plenty to see in your immediate area as well! As we are getting deeper and deeper into the Fall season with its abundance of deep, rich colors, I look forward to strolls through our local forests, leaves crunching underfoot!

You know what would look amazing with all the gorgeous Fall colors? Some brand new patina copper jewelry!

Echoes of Ela is back open on Etsy! You can check it out by clicking “My shop” up top!

I have a few exciting things coming up in the next few weeks! Be sure to take a moment to Like the EoE FB page for updates on upcoming events!

Karin

July 2, 2016 By Karin M

Metal head

If you have been following my shop for a while, you may have noticed that things have recently taken on a more “metal-smithy” vibe. I go through phases. I get hooked on certain shapes or materials and just get lost in exploring all of the possibilities that lie within. And when I fall into that rabbit hole, it is all consuming.

Suddenly I find myself day dreaming about designs or techniques that I want to incorporate. It’s hard to keep me out of my shop. Unfortunately it also keeps me from doing much of anything else, including keeping up with my blog! My bad!

So today I am here to show you what I have been up to recently:)

It started out innocently enough, with this triangle necklace that had been floating around in my brain for a while.

mixed-metal-triangle-necklace4 — Mixed metal triangle necklace, various textures, with patina and sterling silver chain

And of course, matching earrings

brass-triangle-earrings5 — triangle earrings, jewelers brass

But , as I mentioned before, rings had intimidated me. As had soldering. But while I was working on the rings, the soldering thing became less and less intimidating, and, dare I say, even enjoyable. Any new or improved skill opens a ton of doors and now I could finally unleash another aspect of my inner design beast!

I thought I could make a bigger ring and use it as a sort of frame for the puzzle piece that has been floating around my work table for a while, looking for its forever piece.

copperandsilver-puzzlepiecependant-vikingknitchain1 — Sterling silver and copper puzzle piece autism awareness pendant on handcrafted viking knit chain

Why not solder one of my moons to a silver ring next?

copper-moon-circle-necklace5 — Sterling silver and copper moon pendant on silver and copper chain

When I took my soldering class last year, the object was to make a pretty little silver ring that had a stone set in it.

And it went fine and dandy, until the very last and most crucial class. I attract bad stuff like crazy at times, especially when I am about to come down with a monster flu. Nothing went right that evening. The soldering didn’t work at all, I got my stone stuck in the setting, just trying to see if it fit, I even managed to put my saw blade in upside down and with the teeth facing the wrong way! In short, a disaster.

After that I gave soldering a couple more tries at home, before putting it on the “maybe some day” shelf. Until the ring bug bit me. And with a whole bunch of plain and textured rings under my belt, I finally gathered the courage to try myself at creating a ring with a small garnet set on it.

silver-garnet-ring2 — Sterling silver and garnet stacking ring

Redeemed at last! As of this writing I am waiting for a package to arrive from far far away, that will bring me the same size tourmaline cabochons in many different colors! What do you think?

Next came a little exercise in sweat soldering. I made these earrings first:

mixed-metal-circle-dot-earrings4 — Mixed metal circle and dot earrings

The patina looks a little weird in this picture, don’t you think?

And while I was working on them, I came up with this idea…

mixed-metal-dot-earrings3 — Mixed metal dot dangle earrings

So you see? I have turned into a total metal head. But I haven’t abandoned my beloved Czech glass beads. You know me better than that!

I’ll leave you today with my newest favorite creation!

copper-cuff-bead-studded1 — Copper and silver bead studded cuff

copper-cuff-bead-studded5 — Copper and silver bead cuff, side view

Ain’t she purdy?

And that’s why I haven’t written in a while:)

You can always come and check out what’s new by clicking on the link to my shop above, following my page on Facebook or Pinterest!

Have a great day!

Karin

May 21, 2016 By Karin M

Rings and fears

Been hiding away in my shop, I have:) Working on fun stuff!

Up until very recently, if you browsed my shop, there were no rings. Not that I don’t love them. I admire them in other people’s shops and on Pinterest all the time, but and this is a big BUT for me, making them and more specifically making ones that will fit, has been a major hangup for me.

Don’t ask me why, but the thought of angry customers beating down my door, demanding their money back because I am too stupid to make a ring in the size that fits them, gave me the shivers. The fears were real!

Of course I am being overly dramatic and having a terrific imagination doesn’t always work in my favor. They make tools for that. And if used as intended, you will actually wind up with a ring that is the correct size. I know that – now. And since that revelation and a little nudging by the universe, I haven’t been able to stop myself.

So I eased myself into the process by creating these:

Mixed-metal-stacking-rings14ga2 — Mixed metal, various textures

Then I was on a roll and moved on to a bigger stack

Mixed-metal-stacking-rings16ga7 — Stack of 7 mixed metal rings

I got a lot of nice feedback and an order for these:

sterling-silver-14gauge-stacking-rings3 — Sterling silver stack, various textures

Naturally I was curious to see what they would look like in a thinner gauge and larger stack, as well as a single texture.

Personalize the stack? Why not…

Personalized dainty stacking ring in mixed metal

What fun to be able to make something all your own and being able to change it from day to day!

I may have unleashed a monster;) As of this writing, I am eagerly awaiting my order from Rio, which will include thicker gauge sterling silver sheet, so I can create this style ring in all silver. I already own jeweler’s brass sheet and cannot wait to make them in it as well.

So, what do you think? Are you a fan of stacking rings? I can consider myself a convert, that’s for sure.

Which design is your favorite? Do you have a certain kind of project or design you’ve been intimidated by?

I say go for it! Personally speaking, the designs that are the most difficult in your mind are also the most rewarding when they turn out well.

Oh, and yes, they are all available for purchase in my shop right now:)

Have a great day!

Karin

April 26, 2016 By Karin M

One of a kind vs repeating a design

How has the end of April come so quickly? Whoa time, slow down a bit! Don’t know about you, but I am not in a hurry to get old…

Anyway, the end of the month means it’s JAC blog hop time. Carina from Violetmoon.nl over in the Netherlands was gracious enough to choose this month’s topic:

One of a kind vs repeating design.

If you create jewelry, or probably pretty much anything, and sell it, this will come up – for sure. Yes, you are an artist and ideally want all of your works to be stunning one of a kinds aka OOAK, but the reality is that sooner or later someone will want to buy the same pair of earrings/bracelet/necklace you just sold to someone else. Are you going to tell them that you only make them once? Probably not if you like selling your wares. So, how do I handle this in my own shop?

Well, lets look at some of the benefits of repeating designs:

allows you to calculate and plan for materials used
eliminates need for photographing – take pics once of a specific design and just renew when sold
can function as signature pieces for your business
gives admirers of your jewelry an opportunity to purchase something they may have seen on someone else
practice makes perfect – the more you create a certain design, the more you can tweak it

There are designs that really seem to resonate, like this pair of woven earrings I have carried in my shop for quite a while. I don’t see them “going away” any time soon. They are fun, unique and classic. I love making them and my customers like buying them.

Then there are those pieces that are created specifically with a certain type of customer in mind. They will likely include techniques that are a little more involved and challenging or time consuming and will often feature unique elements that would be difficult to duplicate consistently.

Benefits of one of a kind designs include:

opportunities to grow creatively by challenging design skills
motivation to learn new skills and use different materials
showcases artistic vision
adds to artistic credibility

copper-mixedpurple-czech-glass-bracelet1 — A one of a kind necklace featuring a lamp work glass cabochon, assorted mixed metal elements, hand crafted bead caps.

Since the design and creation of one of a kind pieces hones in on a potentially very limited market, for the time being, I have focused on a third category, which happens to be a hybrid of the two.

It includes designs that can be duplicated fairly easily and consistently. But it also gives my customer the option to customize it to their very specific tastes and preferences. Like the bead, but not the metal? No problem. Like the metal, but not the texture and/or patina? Let’s change that! Like the design with or without the beads? Your wish is my command:)

These earrings would be good examples of what I am talking about.

PicMonkey Collage (3) — Same style, different beads and textures

So it is the third, the hybrid option, I see my customers prefer the most. And I have to say I like that as well. It makes me feel good knowing that the recipient loves the design and either gets to have a hand in customizing or that I am able to give the same design a completely different look just by varying my components, metals, beads, texture and patina. It’s a win-win.

Which do you prefer? Do you try to create designs that re-invent the wheel each and every time or do you prefer to stick to more or less standardized creations that can be duplicated over and over?

Be sure to check out my fellow jewelry creators posts:

Catswire.blogspot.de

Violetmoon.nl

Jewelryartbydawn.blogspot.com

Artistic Journey

Hello! It’s been a while…

Karin

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Mixed metal mania

Karin

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The journey

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Metal head

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Rings and fears

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One of a kind vs repeating a design

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Artistic Journey

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