My Jewelry Making Space

For you, Peggy...
My jewelrymaking workspace I procured from a space in my hallway on the first floor. I have been so happy here in this warm part of the house, working on jewelry, scrapbooking and encaustic painting. It needs to get cleaned up before hubby gets home, though!

Encaustic paints and griddle and 20 cat foods cans are under the desk...My studio is in the cold upstairs, so I will photograph it later, on a warmer day.

My new shop http://www.folkarttreefandangle.etsy.com/ has been filled with products made from this very spot.

Box of Heads

I have been a sculpting fool this past couple of weeks. I've made so many santa faces I'm dreaming faces! Each face takes me an hour or two to sculpt. I use glass or plastic eyes (plastic...not a good idea when I am baking the heads, but if I bake longer and at a lower heat, I can manage it without distortion.) The eyes tend to speak to me as I lay the clay on. Sometimes just one swipe of the modeling tool sets me on a whole new track in where I am going with the face. I may start thinking, 'he is a serious face', and then, with a little more clay on the cheek than I wanted, suddenly his eyes sparkle and I am adding more clay and making him laugh. They evolve for me, taking me with them as I bring forth the face they want to be. Once I add the wool to these faces they will take on a whole new look and feel. Some faces that I am not too happy with will sometimes be the ones I step back from and admire as a finished santa, and sigh with pleasure. I never know where this process will take me.

Check back for the next stage of santa building. Bases and bodies....