New Classes: Lost Wax Casting & Metalworking I & II In the 3-day Lost Wax Casting Workshop, you'll learn this age-old art that dates back to 4500 BCE.  You'll participate in creating your own wax jewelry or component pieces, attaching them to the "tree," and casting them in sterling silver. The Painting with Fire Team has been enjoying casting organic pieces as a part of a ring.  A pistachio shell on top of a ring with 2410 Copper transparent enamel in the interior is our new favorite. One of the wonderful things about cast jewelry is that you can eliminate solder joints, which prove to be somewhat problematic when enameling pieces.  I find this to be a very big deal!  Casting offers options for creating jewelry that would be all but impossible using fabrication techniques. You'll experience the ease of carving, filing and polishing wax, which will then be transformed into sterling silver.  The cast tree! Look at all the pieces one tree can hold! It's amazing! Let's shine it up :-) We have also added Metalworking I & II to our class schedule as well as other new project workshops. Please register here and pass along to a friend.

When "DIY" can hurt your business

This thoughtful post is from my daughter, Laura Lewis Albright, Manager of Painting with Fire Studio

First I would like to say that I absolutely love do-it-yourself projects. From making my own garlic olive oil to dying lace curtains (to replace the ones that my dog destroyed during her puppy chewing phase!) But when does "do-it-yourself" become do-it-inferior?  Maybe a better question is, "When a company or individual gives you an idea or teaches you how to 'do-it-yourself,' how do you show your support of that small company or individual?" 

I will admit that there are times when I've picked up Elmer's glue from the grocery store to make my own "Modge Podge" instead of going to my local art supply store. But you know what? Most of those times I couldn't get the right consistency and I didn't feel good about not supporting a small business, like the Art Supply Store across the street from our studio. 

I know the purpose of do-it-yourself is to be more cost-effective and experience self-gratification for a job well done.  However, when does that come at the cost of quality?  For example, in our small city of Saint Petersburg, we have a specialty olive oil shop. My husband and I love to garden and are growing garlic. So, of course, we want to try making our own garlic olive oil :-)

It would be very easy for us to go out to our local super center or grocery store and buy an inexpensive brand, but we like to support the business that gave us the idea!  To show our support of Kalamazoo Olive Company, this is what we do. We buy one of their simple olive oils that has no zest or extra pizzazz.  We can take James' great olive oil and spice it up ourselves, while saving a few dollars and supporting a small business. Voila!  I feel good about supporting the individual or small business that was generous with their knowledge and ideas while still being able to do it myself.  

For our family, we see teaching and, hopefully, the inspiring of others to "D-I-Y" as our calling in life. We truly admire and appreciate our customers, friends and those who inspire us! We appreciate their support so that we can continue to do what we love to do which is to ... you got it ... teach and inspire others.  Through their support, they give us a reason for our calling.

Sometimes it may require a little extra effort, but it can be so worth it for all! 

Please share if you love do-it-yourself projects and have a calling or desire to support creative individuals and small businesses. 

The beauty of Liquid Enamel!

I absolutely love the versatility of liquid enamel!  I also love the satin surface of the fired enamel, which is very unlike other enamels. The porcelain clay in liquid enamel contributes to its buttery smooth surface.  

Liquid Enamel over Copper Pipe, Copper Mesh, and Copper Sheet

I use liquid enamel ... 

• as a replacement for Klyr-Fire.  You can apply it to the entire piece of copper and sift 80 mesh enamel onto the surface before the Liquid Enamel dries.  This approach gives you a good foundation for other techniques
• when I want to do sgraffito.  Sgraffito is a technique where you scratch through the unfired surface of the enamel to reveal either a different base layer of enamel or the metal beneath.  The lines of the sgraffito design remain dark as a result of the oxidation of copper during firing. Sifting colored transparent enamels on top doesn't budge the toasty brown color of the oxidized copper.  In fact, the transparent enamels can be layered upon each other to create shading and entirely new colors. 
• when I want to accent etching. You can dip an etched piece into liquid enamel, allow it to dry, and finger sand the enamel from the high points of the etched design. 
• when I want to preserve a very delicate material, such as copper mesh.  Because glass is an insulator, applying liquid enamel to delicate metals will protect them. 

Pictured below is "A Mother's Heart," by Kathleen Kilgore, Tampa Bay Sculptor. Welded from strips of steel, Kathleen wanted to add color.  White liquid enamel was handpainted by Kathleen on each of the strips.  Orient Red (1870) and Sunset Orange (1840) with a smattering of Raspberry (2836) enamels were sifted onto select areas of the sculpture. The heart received multiple firings.

"A Mother's Heart" by Kathleen Kilgore

  

This is a "first look" at liquid enamel.  Stay tuned for more. 

Enameling Clay ... Who Knew?

You know what really gets my juices flowing?  It's when I get a fabulous result from a "what the heck?" idea!  That's what happened when I decided to enamel ceramic beads. I mean glazes are glass; enamel is glass.  Made sense to me; in addition to the fact I had at lot of these ceramic beads hanging around from another lifetime.

The things I discovered ...

• You have to give them a hefty warming-up period
• A bead with a small hole is more likely to crack because the heat transmitted by the mandrel to that small area gives it an early dose of of concentrated heat before the rest of the bead gets warm. 
• The beads stay "hot" longer after firing than do metal beads, so be careful not to burn yourself
• The beauty of transparent enamels over white ceramic beads is hard to describe!

Slip cast and hand-built ceramic beads fired with Thompson Enamels 

Orange and Teal Leaves and Orange Flower fired by PWF Teacher Judi Nystrom, Sprinfield Illinois

Because it is so much fun! ... we decided to offer a workshop on making and enameling ceramic beads in The Studio at Painting with Fire.  Check it out!  We'd love to have you!

Before I go, let me ask you, what has been your unlikely discovery and is it still in use?

Atomic Bazaar Craft Show!

I've been looking forward to this craft show since last year when I went to Sarasota to check it out!  It's got a good bit of funk & "oddities" and the show is very lively.  Please stop and say hello.  We'll be in the Bayfront Room, which is conveniently located near a huge parking lot! 

The show will be held at the Sarasota Municipal Building, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236.  This is the building you're looking for …  

Hope to see you at the show! 

The versatility of Eugenia Chan's Hole Punch!

We love Eugenia Chan's hole punch because it can do so much! Today, David punched a new hole in his belt.  You know what that means?  David has lost weight!  Wouldn't most of us love to be in that position?

Here is our "lucky" penny! Rachel received this penny from an older customer who appreciated her demo.  As he handed a 1994 penny to Rachel, he explained that "1994 was a lucky year for him" because "a special planetary alignment occurred."  A little internet research revealed that on January 12, 1994, there was a rare seven-planet alignment in Capricorn (five planets and the sun and moon).  It was the tightest alignment of seven planets in 300 years. Rachel used Eugenia's 3-hole punch to punch a hole in the penny so she could dangle it from a necklace. We all know that this would have been a tough job for many other hole punches!  I don't know about you guys, but I'm stickin' with Rachel, who has the lucky penny.   

Not to be outdone, mother and daughter made a wager that Eugenia's hole punch couldn't pierce fabric to make a hole!  Mother thought that the fabric would just push through the opening. Ah-ha!  Mother was wrong, daughter was right! Unfortunately daughter didn't win anything tangible, just bragging rights. 

Now father has a ribbon on the bottom of one of his old shirts ...

I know we've been promising to do a video, but this is "A Prelude to the Video."  Stay tuned because Eugenia's hole punch can do so much more! 

You can purchase Eugenia's hole punch here. 

Art Jewelry Elements

There's a great post today by Lesley Watt at Art Jewelry Elements.  When I saw Lesley's post and her pods I thought about the interconnectivity of things. First she mentioned the book by Angie Lewin.  I saw this book at a recent Surface Design Guild Meeting in Sarasota and was blown away by her work.  Being the bibliophile that I am, I ordered Angie's book right away!

After seeing Lesley's great pods, I started thinking of  Carrie Boucher's elegant pierced sterling silver pendants.  She's teaching a workshop at Painting with Fire Studio on using the jeweler's saw.  A pierced pendant will be one of the projects.  Here's an example of Carrie's pierced work ....

The photo doesn't do justice to Carrie's work, but we all know how to use our imaginations!  Carrie referenced this book by Ernst Haeckel as a source of inspiration.  

Here's another example of Carrie's work from her Pink Crow Studio etsy shop.  This is probably the work for which she is most noted. The green on the inside is not money.  Correction: I guess it is a form of money.  It is a bond certificate!  

So back to Lesley, who started the whole thing.  Here's just one of the examples of Lesley's pods.  They are wonderful!  

Please visit Art Jewelry Elements today for more examples of Lesley Watt's pod work!  She inspires me!  

New work!

While Jim has been in Maryland for the week, I decided to stay at the apartment over the store.  I wrote about setting up a workspace in the apartment in a previous post.  If you're coming late to the party, you can read about it here.  

I'm really bearing down on the book projects.  When I awake, the studio is in the next room. So, I bound out of bed, anxious to get started! The convenience encourages me to work later.  I was joking with the kids yesterday that little does their father know that he'll be staying here with me when he returns to St. Pete on Sunday! Ha, ha! 

But, it's nice and cozy.  David is across the hall from me.  When we keep both apartment doors open, we can talk, I can watch the Washington Capitals hockey game while I work on projects.

Here's a photo of my perch this morning.  The weather is beautiful!  I don't feel guilty gloating about it because most of the country should be having good weather by now, after finally putting Old Man Winter to bed!    

At the end of the block, we have an incredibly cute store called "The Iron Pelican."  They specialize in, well,  I don't think they specialize in anything which is what makes the place so friggin' awesome!  Let's just say, they're "purveyors of the unique and incredibly irresistible." But, they always carry a great selection of antique furniture that they've painted in gorgeous colors.  

 I walk in there and I see an old Mediterranean-style dresser that I swear they stole from my teenage bedroom, and now I want the thing!  Color, color, color ...  They have an eye for it! 

So, I have easy access to The Iron Pelican.  It's only a few doors down.  At Christmas, when my family gave me a gift certificate to The Iron Pelican, I nearly cried!  Look at what I spent it on! I know this doesn't look like much ...

But, does this help?  Yes, these are vintage watch crystals.  I have over 1000 of them!  They came in 3.5 rusty cabinets with lots of drawers.  These G-S watch crystals are cast plastic crystals and made for many watches that are no longer in production.  

When I saw the crystals, I thought, "These have to be good for something.  Hmmm..."  Boing!  Remember all of those stamps you got from your husband's aunt?  Aunt Monie worked for diplomat, Charles Ball, who had a career that included serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Under Secretary of State in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations.  He was the one dissenter in the Kennedy Administration who was against the Viet Nam War.  

This comes from Wikipedia, Ball is quoted as saying to Kennedy, "Within five years we'll have 300,000 men in the paddies and jungles and will never find them again."  In response to this prediction, "JFK laughed and replied, 'Well, George, you're supposed to be one of the smartest guys in town, but you're crazier than hell.  That will never happen."

Interesting stuff, huh?  Anyway, back to the stamps.  Here are some of the results.  There was quite a learning curve, but I found a system.  I used Lisa Pavelka's UV resin, which I absolutely love.  I bought the UV lamp, using my Michael's coupon, which cured the resin in 5 to 10 minutes.

Here's a pair of earrings I made with some of the smaller crystals.  I also made a project for the book, but you'll have to wait for that one.  

So now that I've showed you my "booty" from The Iron Pelican, I'd like to introduce you to Hillary and Daniel. Aren't they cute?

They're not only very nice, but generous, too.  Hillary gave Laura and me a big bag of vintage jewelry to pick through for Laura's wedding bouquet.

Here are some of the temptations I face everyday when I walk down the street! 

Couldn't you think of a million ways to use these suitcases?  They were called "suitcases" back then, not luggage! LOL

I swear we had once of these ice chests (not a "cooler") back when I was a kid!  

 They have some cool ... and reasonably-priced ... jewelry!  Hillary and Daniel make it look so inviting!

Don't look at the lady in the mirror ... I dare you not to look ... it's a ghost! 

Too bad this keg isn't full, but it is cool!

Thanks for spending so much time with me today.  Do you have any "special or serendipitous" finds?  I'd love to hear about them! 

A busy Winter and Spring!

I'm finally home, sleeping in my own bed, with the furry four-legged creatures of the Lewis family.  Maybe this is why we really travel, so that we can breathe in the bliss of being home!

February started with twelve days in Tucson, which was wonderful, of course!  I love meeting people, especially ones I've talked to in cyberspace and now can put a face to the name! I know we all have facebook avatars, but I find that few really look like "us!" We taught 85 students while we were there and came home with an order for over 900 beads for Lima Beads.

Two weeks after we came home, we celebrated the marriage of my daughter, Laura, to Matt Albright.  The wedding was held on the rooftop of Painting with Fire Studio and officiated by Linda Champagne, a customer and friend. It was beautiful.

Okay, now scurry, scurry, scurry to get the Lima Beads order in the mail before we leave for the Glass Craft Expo, where Laura renews her vows in Vegas. This was planned as the "official" ceremony.  It's a long story, what can I say. This marriage should definitely "take."

The flight back was smooth! David sat next to Bobby McFerrin ("Don't Worry, Be Happy") on the first leg of our trip ... Vegas to Charlotte. How cool is that?!!! They talked music ... what else? 

I've announced to the family that I'm going "underground" to finish the projects for my second North Light book,  "Torch-Fired Color" (working title).  I'm not coming up for air unless someone's bleeding!  Along the way, I look forward to sharing little peeks of my projects, which are due on June 3.  However, since we're leaving for Bead and Button on Friday, May 31st, it will be an earlier self-imposed deadline.  

There are still openings in the "Floral Cascade" and "Painting with Fire Workshops" at Bead and Button.  Would love to meet some of you in class. :-)  And, guess what, I've signed up for a class for myself!  What a treat!  I'll be taking a lampworking class with Sally LeGrand on "The Mystery and Reaction of Highly-Silvered Glass."  

Here are some examples of Sally's work ... 

Aren't these luscious?  But tell me, what has your past few months been like? Any good things, bad things, or in-between things?  I would love to catch up with you. :-)  Barbara

Grant Competition

I can't believe it's been over a week since I've been here and now I'm coming with my hand out!  Chase and Living Social are sponsoring a grant competition for small businesses.  In order to get our application reviewed, we need 250 votes.  We're at 144 now.  Could you please take a moment to click on this link and type in "Painting with Fire Studio" under the name of the business and vote?
https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/pledge/1962437-BarbaraAnnLewis#.T-GlD49QQox.email

On another matter, I've been working on our new website.  Except, I know just enough to be dangerous!  I was making great headway until I clicked on a button!  Yeah, you know that button ... the one that does something you didn't want it to do!  Reminder: don't click on buttons unless you know what you're doing!

Thanks for your help with the grant.  I appreciate it!