tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169368312024-03-23T10:50:03.040-07:00art in the garageKaren Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.comBlogger1061125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-12715326436612202292016-05-20T15:24:00.001-07:002016-05-20T15:25:50.323-07:00A CommitmentA couple of people have asked me about my blog recently, and I'm making a commitment to myself and all my fans (haha) that I will get back to blogging and posting how-to's regularly.<br />
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One reason I quit was that the studio computer died. First, my Ethernet cable got cut accidentally. I'd run it under the house and then buried down the hill to the studio (we are all about the high-tech stuff here, doncha know!). Then, after I replaced the Ethernet cord (which included bribing Miss Jenny to climb under the house), the computer itself just stopped powering up. So I gave up and disconnected the computer and hauled it up to the garage to await disposal...<br />
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But, last month, I started thinking about it. What if the only thing that was broken was the electrical part? So I took the computer apart and looked up the power unit--found a replacement one on Amazon for $13--and voila! My computer is good as new!<br />
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Now I'd love to tell you that this was really hard and tricky and fraught with peril...but it wasn't. It was just a matter of taking my time and using deductive reasoning. I didn't disconnect the old power unit until I had the new one, and then I would disconnect a plug and reconnect a new one in the same place...<br />
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There's a lesson here--I always bemoan the fact that we live in such a disposable society, yet I was ready to give up on my old computer...<br />
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Lesson learned...Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-46137839460476555742016-01-19T20:12:00.000-08:002016-01-19T20:12:10.595-08:00Grit and Grace Classwork on Raw Canvas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Really like this one. Drew with charcoal using non-dominant hand, then looked for shapes I wanted to emphasize--saw the hand first, then saw the face--emphasized the face...Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-31533649232169472692016-01-18T20:07:00.000-08:002016-01-18T20:07:36.362-08:00Mark-making and Playing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was one of the pieces I did last week while exploring charcoal and vessel mark-making in my class. I like to tape paper down to cardboard so.I can work on multiple pieces at a time--on this one I used painter's tape to give a clean edge. I used my hair dryer to make sure it peeled away cleanly when I was done. If you look closely you can see all the texture and layers that are incorporated in this--Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-21400901736784493782016-01-11T19:12:00.001-08:002016-01-11T19:12:11.389-08:00"Grit and Grace" with Katie Kendrick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was the first day of my online class with Katie Kendrick, and it lived up to my expectations! These are what Katie called "mark-making warm-up exercises". So much fun. I'll be doing this again. Love how adding white grasp and marking in the wet grasp added so much texture.<br />
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I'm planning on scanning these so that I can print out pieces of them for use in collages and paintings!Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-28813346090234830132016-01-04T16:39:00.001-08:002016-01-04T16:39:20.081-08:00"Grit and Grace" Online Class with Katie Kendricks<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Image copyright Katie Kendrick}</td></tr>
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I am so excited! I signed up to take Katie Kendrick's new online art class, <a href="http://joyouslybecoming.typepad.com/gritgracelaunch/#" target="_blank">Grit and Grace</a>. It begins on January 11th and runs for four weeks. I've always loved Katie's art as well as her blog, and this is a Christmas gift I bought for myself from the proceeds of my before-Christmas trunk sale of my jewelry.<br />
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I've done a couple of online courses before, and while they're not as intense as an in-person class, they have lots of ways to make up for it. There's usually a Facebook group, which allows for getting to know other students in the class. It also provides a way to see other people's work, which is always inspiring. The other wonderful thing about an online course is that you can watch the videos over and over again, gleaming more from the teacher each time. I'm a big believer in learning by doing and doing and doing again, so it's perfect for me.<br />
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I'll be posting my work here on my blog as well as on my Facebook page. There's a link above if you're interested in joining me on this journey!</div>
Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-81731828787541838432016-01-02T22:49:00.003-08:002016-01-02T22:49:17.366-08:00Playing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Drawing and coloring at night...relaxing and fun. I have this theory that all of us would benefit from a little more kindergarten time--coloring and painting is good for my health.<br />
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Trying to work my way thru all the paint party Friday entries--so much cool art!Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-180066538763532992016-01-01T22:33:00.002-08:002016-01-01T22:33:33.752-08:00Paint Party Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm making some promises to myself in this new year. One of them is that I will start sketching in the evenings while everyone is watching tv. I used to do this as a regular practice, and then stopped when I started doing a lot more reading in the evenings. Nothing wrong with reading, but I drifted into reading lighter and lighter material, to the point where I realized I might as well be watching tv...<br />
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So tonight I was making some little sketches for a friend. When I finished I was flipping through a magazine and sketched some women from ads. This one was my favorite.<br />
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Linking to Paint Party Friday...Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-31954262596423917012016-01-01T21:51:00.001-08:002016-01-01T21:51:11.459-08:00Illustration Friday: Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Piper's Moon"</div>
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[Stretched canvas, collages and painted background, vintage book illustration, moon stamped on old book page, gold leaf]</div>
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Years ago, when I first had my studio and was really experimenting with art techniques, I used to religiously participate in Illustration Friday. It was the perfect way to make myself think outside the box and work quickly. Then, as I sold more art and had a few.gallery shows and then branched out into jewelry and metalwork, somehow IF fell by the wayside.<br />
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As a nod to getting the blog back up and running, I'm going to commit to doing both Illustration Friday and Paint Party Friday. So, in the spirit of New Year's resolutions (which I am not a fan of) here's my first illustration. This week's topic was "Moon" and I was just three days ago considering putting this piece up for sale in my Etsy shop! It's kismet...Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-48387484199716081002016-01-01T21:22:00.001-08:002016-01-01T21:22:45.710-08:00Twenty SixteenHappy New Year! I'm not officially actually in 2016 yet, but I'm jumping the gun a bit.<br />
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I remember the first year my mom and dad said my sister and I could stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve. We were maybe nine and ten, and had grand plans for all the things we would do in the hours leading up to midnight. I think we'd fallen asleep by ten p.m.. We woke up the next morning, so disappointed that we needed to wait another year to stay up late...<br />
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Fast forward to now. Fifty-two years old and I have virtually no desire to stay up till midnight, at least not unless there's a good reason. Working on an art project? Midnight's not a problem. Reading a good book? There's no bedtime. Talking to a friend? I'll stay up as long as I need to. But just to see the clock flip over to twelve o'clock? Not that into it...<br />
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I've signed up for an online class that starts in a week and a half. I'll post more about that in my next post.<br />
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Lots of other stuff going on in my life. I'm promising myself that I will try.to post regularly this year. My bloggy friends were a big support for me for a long time--and then the computer in the studio croaked and I let life's busy-ness pull me away from it. That's going to change, even if I have to blog from my kindle in the evenings!<br />
<br />Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-88611303117950281992015-07-02T22:07:00.000-07:002015-07-02T23:54:23.775-07:00Journaling<div class="mobile-photo">
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My college roommate and her seven year old daughter were here last week for a visit. I made journals for me, Katie, Jenny, Josie and Kelly. It felt so good to do some doodling and journaling--so after they left I got out some of my incomplete old art journals and I've been working on them. This is one of the pages--Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-26774081851461379812015-05-17T09:29:00.001-07:002015-05-17T09:29:24.705-07:00When an Artist Has No Time for ArtIt's been a busy week around here. Katie came home for the summer after finishing her second year of college at Cal State Long Beach, I did some math tutoring, Richard was home sick with an awful flu, and on Friday, I spent the day at Strathmore Middle School participatomg om their Annual Career Day!<br />
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The kids were in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, and they were awesome--polite, respectful, and full of good questions! I talked about being an artist, but also told them about my other career as a math and English teacher, and about how they probably won't have just one type of job in their lives. I told them that right now every single door is open to them, since they have no mortgage, no car payments, no bills, and no financial commitments. I told them about Coursera.org, where there are tons of free courses available from universities all over the world. I told them that learning was all about passion and persistence.<br />
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It was a little sobering when I asked for a show of hands and only about fifty percent of the kids had access to a computer and the internet at home. It seems to me that the Internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, and that in a country as wealthy as ours (the Land of Opportunity!!!) kids should have access to all the information and learning that's out there. They do have computers and the internet at school, but that is not the same as having leisure time where you can pursue information and ideas and education...<br />
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I did find time to make a few rings using some new bronze and copper wire I recently bought. I really struggle with the business side of making art, so I am trying to force myself to post new work on Etsy on a regular basis.<br />
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Does anyone else like making art more than selling art? I am looking for ideas (and encouragement) for getting myself in business mode more often and more eagerly?<br />
<br />Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-17233800390480776232015-05-04T20:25:00.000-07:002015-05-04T20:25:17.610-07:00My Sweet Katie<div class="mobile-photo">
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Katie just changed her major to theater arts. She's been thinking about this for a long time, and wrote me a five-paragraph essay in a text (haha) including quotes, explaining her reasoning--but the most important part was when she said,
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"...all I know for sure is that I need artistic expression in my life - whether it be music, acting, writing - so those are the things I want to pursue. I truly believe that if I follow those, they will lead me in a direction that is right for me..."
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Here's her first 'headshot', done quickly because she's auditioning for a play that's going to be produced at CSULB next fall.
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Just had to share--Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-59332853846617673832015-05-01T14:49:00.001-07:002015-05-01T14:49:19.059-07:00Game of Thrones "Winter is Coming"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I mentioned a few days ago, I am rereading the Game of Thrones books. I haven't read book five, yet, so am reading them from the beginning--I'm two-thirds of the way through book three and I'm enjoying them so much!<br />
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For those of you who haven't read the books, the motto of one of the primary families featured in the story is "Winter is coming." So of course, I had to made a ring with those words on it! I'm looking for other good quotes to put on rings, so please leave me any ideas in your comment!Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-56467566700609477562015-04-27T18:51:00.001-07:002015-04-27T18:54:42.372-07:00Today in the Studio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is nothing quite as exciting as getting something in the mail! Letters are the very best, but a close second is a box with art supplies.
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A box arrived today from Rio Grande. I only placed the order a few days ago, and just paid for regular shipping, so it arrived super fast.
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I ordered some new cabochons (red carnelian and green aventurine) some Sterling silver gallery bezels, and some pretty patterned wire for ring shanks.
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Here's one of today's creations--Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-62458592086371153742015-04-25T14:15:00.001-07:002015-04-25T14:20:16.932-07:00Awesome New Cleaning SolutionFound several different version of this via Pinterest...<br />
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When we moved into this house in 1996, the house was already twenty-five years old. The sinks were all original to the house, and they were all...stained? Yucky?<br />
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Over the years I have tried lots and lots and lots of different cleaning products to make them look better. I know, I know, I could have just replaced the sinks, but doing something like that starts a domino effect that I just wasn't ready for. And now, with two kids in college, redoing two bathrooms and a kitchen just isn't going to happen.<br />
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The truth is, my kitchen sink is AVOCADO GREEN. Really really REALLY AVOCADO GREEN. So, honestly, even if I could get the scratches and hard water and etching and just general yuckiness to be gone, it would just be more. avocado. green. Which was the height of interior fashion forwardness in 1970, but now, not so much.<br />
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Anyhow, on to the new cleaning super weapon: vinegar and Dawn dish washing soap, mixed together in equal parts and put on the surface and left to soak for a couple of hours. <br />
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Then just wipe it off.<br />
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That's it.<br />
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I've seen posts where baking soda is included, but that didn't seem to make a difference. The white sink in the girls' bathroom has never looked so white, and with no scrubbing! I think I will do the whole process again on the back part of the sink, and maybe scrub some, because when I look with my super x-ray mom eyes, I can still see a little bit of discoloration, but WOW.<br />
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And let's just say that avocado green has never looked so, well, so avocado green. Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-10508448226067894462015-04-24T21:00:00.000-07:002015-04-25T14:17:37.865-07:00Delivering a Custom Order<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Delivered a custom order today--a sterling silver and Chrysoprase ring. Custom orders are always a little stressful, whether it's a painting or jewelry. What if the client doesn't like it?!?! I've never actually had that happen, but I always worry about it. </div>
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An added difficulty on this one was that I had to purchase the stone and the patterned silver. I was worried about ordering the stone without having seen it in person. </div>
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It all turned out perfectly. I delivered the ring today and the client loved it!</div>
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I am rereading the Game of Thrones books--had forgotten how much I enjoyed them. I've never watched the show, although I've heard great things about it. Sometimes I like a book so much I don't want to watch a movie or tv series. I feel that way about the Outlander books. Best books ever. Seriously. Haven't had the heart to watch the show, because what if Jamie isn't as awesome in the show as he is in the books?</div>
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Also have a new.secret weapon in my cleaning arsenal. Ill write more about that tomorrow.</div>
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Hooking up with<a href="http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Paint Party Friday</a>.</div>
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Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-72479814120327021272015-04-23T15:11:00.001-07:002015-04-23T15:21:21.585-07:00April's Resolutions (I'm a Little Bit Slow...)I have been falling down on the job. The truth is, in a dream world I would just make art, and all the business and social aspects of my business would take care of themselves. And I'm not sure why that it--I am a social person and I like talking to people, but I've been diligently avoiding both blogging and selling my art.<br />
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One of my friends actually told me that she was worried about me turning into a hermit! I didn't drive much following the back surgery, and by the time I was completely off the vicodin, I was just out of practice at making the twenty minute drive down to town. It was no longer a habit in my life. Not good.<br />
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So one of my new April resolutions is that I will get out of the house at least once a week. I've had a couple of exciting things happen on my trips to town (more on that later), and I'm pretty sure I'm over that.<br />
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Another resolution is that I will try to post something new in <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/ksmithey" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a> every day. When I started on Etsy in 2006, it was nowhere as ginormous as it is now. People could find me on Etsy. Now, even when I am posting regularly, I feel like I just get lost in the shuffle. I can't fix the enormity of Etsy, but I've really been working on posting every day. I work in the studio in the morning, bring things up to the house to take pictures at lunch, and edit and post in the afternoon or evening. <br />
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Finally, there's the blog. I am going to try to write every day, at least for awhile. If I don't do something EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I seem to quit doing it entirely.<br />
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How often do you post to your blog? I suppose I could write every day and only post two or three times a week, but I would definitely have to schedule it and have my phone remind me on days when I was supposed to post. (I'm fifty-one; I can't even remember an every day word like "plate.")<br />
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Here's the bracelet I made yesterday--lots of shades of purple with oxidized brass wire and findings.<br />
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P.S. I forgot, there's one more thing I'm going to do every day: comment on and visit other blogs. I got so much encouragement and inspiration and friendship from fellow bloggers, and I know I need to get that back into my life.Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-38643457591841309042015-04-22T17:24:00.001-07:002015-04-22T17:24:17.794-07:00Cleaning up Metal Typewriter Keys<div class="mobile-photo">
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Went out to the studio this morning, nothing specific on my to-do list. I put on music and started organizing, and ended up getting all my old typewriter keys cleaned off.
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I got a 1940's typewriter a couple of years ago at the second hand store. Normally, they are pretty pricey, but the one I bought looked like someone had dropped something in it--it was mangled, which meant I could cut it up without feeling bad--<br />
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Taking things apart is an art. I don't always have the patience that I should, and the typewriter was a classic example of that. One day last year I cut all the keys off using my handy-dandy bolt cutters, which worked well but didn't allow a very close cut.<br />
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So I was faced with a bowl full of keys that looked something like this one. I got out my Dremel (Best. Tool. Ever.) and put on the metal cutoff wheel. The keys were impossible to hold using my big vice--I didn't want to clamp them so tightly that the keys would get distorted or crunched, so I ended up holding the keys using my needle-nose pliers. <br />
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I just got the safety glasses this week. I usually just wear my regular glasses, but noticed that sometimes I would not have them on when I went down to the studio and I'd use the Dremel without any eye protection because I'm lazy and didn't want to run all the way up the hill to the house. These cost around $4 at WalMart and I just leave them in the studio. Not to mention the fact that they're so stylish, having that oh-so-hip, "I cut things up with electric saws" vibe...<br />
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Anyhow. I got the metal pieces all cut off (without cutting any of Karen off in the process, which is a good thing. I slipped with the grinder a couple of weeks ago and grinded part of a finger nail off. Ouch.) <br />
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The keys are grimy, kind of an ancient greasy dirt that doesn't want to come off. I have been cleaning metal with a new solution, which consists of some vinegar, heated up in the microwave, and some salt stirred in. It cleans things without any scrubbing or using any nasty chemicals--you should see what it does to copper! Drop in an old penny, stir it around for a second, and voila! Hot vinegar and salt--it's the bomb. Cleans off that yucky years-old buildup without any scrubbing.<br />
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Also have made rings from the portion of metal that holds the little tiny keys that actually strike the paper. This one (left) is for sale in my<a href="http://etsy.com/shop/ksmithey" target="_blank"> Etsy shop</a>. My goal is to use the entire typewriter in one way or another. When I eventually solder these keys to rings, or add jump rings so I can use the keys for bracelet charms, I will have the clean the spot where I will be soldering immediately before I solder. This old metal (steel, I'm pretty sure) oxidizes extremely quickly and must be sanded, fluxed, and soldered all in the space of a few minutes or the solder joint just won't hold--and yes, that's the voice of experience.<br />
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<br />Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-7223838699918292582015-04-21T11:10:00.001-07:002015-04-21T11:10:04.352-07:00My GirliesI've been fascinated by antique dolls ever since I read <b><i>Missing Melinda</i></b>, a young adult book that was one of my sister's and my favorites back in the seventies. You can find this book, used, on both Amazon and on Abebooks. In it, twin sisters Ophelia and Cordelia move into an old house with their parents and find an old doll while exploring. The doll ends up being stolen, and in their quest to find her the two girls learn lots about the world of antique dolls.<br />
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So, when I found out that there was a man in Germany digging up broken doll heads and selling them on eBay, I was immediately intrigued. At first I purchased some doll arms and turned them into charm/pendants by soldering the tops of the arms. While I thought those charms were totally cool (I loved the idea of someone unearthing these forgotten doll parts from a field next to a factory that was bombed by the Allies in World War II) most people thought they were a leeeeetle bit creepy. Like many unique items, though, there were people who absolutely ADORED them...<br />
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Fast forward to now. I started making art dolls using old doll bodies and heads. I use wooden printing blocks, brass letters, children's alphabet blocks, dice, old wooden thread spools and tart tins to help form a little doll, and when my amazing college roommate, Kelly, sent me an enthusiastic email saying "I love your little girlies!" I knew these new assemblages were named. The Girlies were born.<br />
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I actually made the top Girlies' head using polymer clay and a face mold I made. I then painted her face myself--it turns out my hands are steadier than I thought! The bottom is a Frozen Charlotte doll, suspended in two-part resin, in a house-shaped bezel that I made using an old silver-plated serving plate I chopped up. <br />
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I'll post soon about more of the unique bits and bobs I've been using in my work--Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-43663306690310799062015-04-20T12:33:00.000-07:002015-04-20T12:33:54.517-07:00It Was a Most Excellent DayHad my neighbor, Kathleen, over one day last week to look at my new work--mostly jewelry and my assemblage "Gilies" (more about those later).<br />
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She loved my stuff, and on Thursday I got an email from her at work--she's an interior designer, and she'd showed my Etsy site to the women she works with. They loved it, and she came over Friday morning to remind me again that they wanted her to bring some of my work in so they could see it in person and perhaps make some purchases.<br />
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So I spent a good part of Friday making sure things were priced. I took the stuff over to her house and thought about it a couple of times during the day on Saturday, wondering if I'd make any sales.<br />
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She came over after she got home from work on Saturday evening, and told me that she'd sold over $500 dollars worth of my merchandise!<br />
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Over. Five. Hundred. Dollars.<br />
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It truly was a most excellent day!<br />
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<br />Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-75089228460336971412015-01-05T13:40:00.001-08:002015-01-06T18:33:59.166-08:00A Scumble? A Scrumble? I Don't Know!<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">
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I kept seeing these amazing freeform crochet pieces on the Internet, and finally got out some yarn and tried it myself. </div>
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I found a tutorial <a href="http://www.irishcrochetlace.com/en/patterns-and-lessons/irish-crochet-lace/548-a-chestnut-leaf" target="_blank"> here</a><u> </u>and messed around with that. It didn't turn out the way the picture did, but that's okay I like how it looks! If you remember, a couple of years ago my favorite book was "Knitting for Anarchists." I was intrigued by the idea of knitting bases on what the result looks like, as opposed to only following rules. I love intuitive painting, a la Flora Bowley, and I guess I love intuitive fiber work, too! I'll have to post a picture of the freeform quilt I'm making for Katie--</div>
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<span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">Anyhow, this has been very fun. My friend Karen said, "Beautiful! And what will it turn into, </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">eventually?" Haha. Eventually it will probably be a throw, although I've seen amazing pieces</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"> of clothing made like this. I'm not sure I'm up to crocheting clothing ;)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">If you've been doing any work like this, please please please leave a comment and a link, so </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-family: .HelveticaNeueUI;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">I can go "ooh-ahh" over your stuff, too!</span></span></span></span></div>
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Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-60781759011294544472015-01-01T18:20:00.001-08:002015-01-01T18:20:13.155-08:00Happy New Year!<div class="mobile-photo">
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Can't believe it's 2015. I remember when my sister and I were little and we'd imagine how OLD we would be at the turn of the century--37 and 36, respectively, haha. And now I'm 51 and well, wow.
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Katie and Jenny are huge "Back To The Future" fans, and Katie's big comment was that this is the year they have to invent hover boards!
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Went to a New Year's Eve dinner at my friend Jacquie's last night. We've been friends since we met in MOMS Club when Jacquie was expecting Madison, who is now a senior. There are five of us moms who still hang out together, sometimes with our kids, but more often without now that they're more grownup. After Madison graduates, I'll be the only one left with a kid in high school...
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Got some cool stuff at Jacquie's church bazaar in November, and Jacquie had set some cool stuff aside for me. There were a set of pictures that I told her I'd buy if no one ended up buying them. There are four, two large and two small, solid brass with CURVED glass! So today I worked on one of them, taking it from this<br />
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To this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGMF_gRdLUetQTh8HgGjVYQrCKGL2H7Rl1a1ksB3eDsybQw2Al9853CscJHHRZcUP609A1qj27Iwz7UPKLVmSJ_7pEk_t3X9JLGA3GQNJ-ccqEGsvfu2qwSOq3y0kzo2iFLxIcg/s1600/image-740445.jpeg" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGMF_gRdLUetQTh8HgGjVYQrCKGL2H7Rl1a1ksB3eDsybQw2Al9853CscJHHRZcUP609A1qj27Iwz7UPKLVmSJ_7pEk_t3X9JLGA3GQNJ-ccqEGsvfu2qwSOq3y0kzo2iFLxIcg/s320/image-740445.jpeg" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6099527187913618498" width="300" /></a></div>
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I used Looking Glass spray paint--the same stuff I used to make faux mercury glass--I haven't decided whether I'm going to age this 'mirror' or not. What do you think?Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-65070296926116000622014-12-24T17:33:00.001-08:002014-12-24T17:33:19.464-08:00Rebar Wire Chain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzNOb-CXcoiaJe4KcmwSQ8CX33r1S2OJNFi6vrqwUrPHgS4c7cGSCWSgtVrF1MNB0TWGWgZ7ywj6oltQ345o9s3mtkneHqxXdhDTdaonFCx0w604LtDFwPNnjCl6Km1bAaZLohQ/s1600/photo-789648.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzNOb-CXcoiaJe4KcmwSQ8CX33r1S2OJNFi6vrqwUrPHgS4c7cGSCWSgtVrF1MNB0TWGWgZ7ywj6oltQ345o9s3mtkneHqxXdhDTdaonFCx0w604LtDFwPNnjCl6Km1bAaZLohQ/s320/photo-789648.JPG" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6015562510161237794" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've been experimenting over the last year or so with making my own chain. I love brass, but have found myself completely in love with blackened steel. Another name for blackened steel is REBAR WIRE. How can you not love this stuff? It's super affordable and readily available. It's another example of what I love to do best: take an everyday item and make it into something unique and special. </div>
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These are a couple of examples of chain I've been making lately using rebar wire. Regular rebar wire, like I've pictured here, is available at Home Depot, Lowe's, or at your local hardware store. It comes with a thin coating of oil on it--you can actually make it more silver-colored by running it through a scotch brite pad or a piece of sandpaper, or you can just wipe it off using a heavy piece of paper towel like I did here. I wipe it with a paper towel until no more blackish oil comes off. </div>
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Drawbacks to rebar wire from the hardware store include the fact that it is relatively heavy (16 gauge) and therefore can be tough to cut with lightweight cutters. I've ordered 19 gauge blackened steel on Amazon--the 19 gauge is much easier to cut and to bend, but is also not nearly so cheap.<br />
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Joel is on the train coming home from Sacramento. Katie got home from Cal State Long Beach last Friday. It'll be nice to have our whole family here for Christmas.<br />
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Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-12956911862008065042014-12-23T15:02:00.001-08:002014-12-24T17:25:42.149-08:00New Year's Resolution<div class="mobile-photo">
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I've run into too many people lately who have said, "You never post on your blog anymore!" (I'm looking at you, Dorothy!) so I'm promising myself that I will start posting on my blog AND commenting/visiting other people's blogs. I used to enjoy it so much, and for some reason I let it fall by the wayside...
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But--my back is finally really feeling more normal (the six month mark seemed to be a really turning point after the surgery, FYI) and I'm going to have the girls bury a new ethernet cord for the studio (old one got run over by lawn mower) and I'm not going to let myself make excuses. I even can post from my phone!
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I did not do the biggish art show that I normally do in October. I didn't think my back was up to it, and I probably was right. I did, however, do a Christmas Boutique on December 6-7 that was held here in Springville. Amazingly enough, I did very well there, selling both jewelry and paintings and making over $800 over two days! Plus I've had three more sales as follow-ups, which added another $100 to the total. So all in all a very productive December!
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I've been trying to post the jewelry I had left over to my etsy shop. It's a long slow process, primarily because writing the description for each individual item takes so much time.
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I'm including a picture of my front yard from this afternoon. Everything's very green--we've had some good doses of early rain. Need lots more snow in the mountains over the course of the next four months to make any kind of dent in our drought, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16936831.post-44172982800623262552014-05-21T14:55:00.000-07:002014-05-21T14:55:00.554-07:00More Beads<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJ65soEMZ6A1bazns6GEE-N435dColaMdcHeMbPd4fnyKiwwhpx5fyiQABA14ru0eUnyw7bFyj_7761r8YTMUx-B9bQ1vZ1-7ChHFll0of3QeyMAqyOTd8CTLbLBQvgJ9UE9lA/s1600/photo-752408.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJ65soEMZ6A1bazns6GEE-N435dColaMdcHeMbPd4fnyKiwwhpx5fyiQABA14ru0eUnyw7bFyj_7761r8YTMUx-B9bQ1vZ1-7ChHFll0of3QeyMAqyOTd8CTLbLBQvgJ9UE9lA/s320/photo-752408.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6015246236727044866" /></a></div>
More beads from my experiments. The house is approximately 1/2 inch thick. I've highlighted it with gold gilders paste (one of my new favorite things!).
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The top left bead is hollow, like a pod would be. I twisted up tin foil and formed the clay around it. I removed the tin foil after baking. I texturized it with some seed beads I had that were on wire.
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I intended that the bottom bead also look very organic, like a seed or a nut. I wrapped the clay in some crepe paper that I stole from the girls' stash of party supplies. I've decided that I don't like the gold gilders paste highlighting the white clay, so that's going to change. I may use black, or dry brush it with some burnt umber acrylic,,,<br />
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<br />Karen Smitheyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04584636153202712192noreply@blogger.com1