Late Fall/Early Winter Goings-On

Hidey-ho friends,

Ovenfried Beads has been spending a lot of time doing things other than polymer clay lately. I've been really inspired to experiment with inks on papers (various kinds of both), creating non-subjective patterns and weird shapes.  I have no idea what they'll become, but when I figure that out, I'll have a lot to work with!  Have you ever tried Suminagashi?  Suminagashi is a Japanese marbling technique that is just so fun....not as messy as Western fabric or paper marbling.  I'm still in the wee experimental phase of doing it, but I'm really happy with the results.  It's very mesmerizing.  I will add pics once I get them taken and uploaded.

This summer, after I took a fabric marbling class, I started rusting fabric.  Boy is that fun!  It's one of the easiest things on earth to do, much like the mushroom spore prints I played around with during warmer, mushroom-producing months.  I have lots of pieces of fabric to play with, and look forward to the cold cold days of winter when there's a foot of snow on the ground, work is called off and I can just play with the reserve of materials that were created.  Below are photos of the rusting setup, rusting result and a piece of multi-media art I created.
   

This is the fabric over the rusty bits I collected for years

                                         This is the fabric after it was rusted, rinsed and ironed.

                                       

                                          This is the multi-media piece of art I made from leftover paper.


Shows have been scarce for me this year.  My day job requires working weekends, which is when most craft shows occur.  I'm okay with that...I love my job, but I also love selling my work.  SO, if you are in Cincinnati, or will be visiting, you should totally come see my booth at a 2-day show on December 6th from 5:30-8pm and December 7th from 11am-5pm.  I'm having a hard time uploading the swanky PDF that the organizers provided, so here's the address until I can get it up on here.  The New School Montessori, 3 Burton Woods Lane, Cincinnati OH, North Avondale neighborhood.  If I didn't have to head off to work in 5 minutes I'd hunker down and make the poster happen.  Anywhoo, all I can say is that it's going to be a fabulous show featuring staff and alumni of the school.  I used to work there, so I guess I'm staff alumni.  Some of the new experimental work will be for sale.

Gotta run....I'll bring more updates sooner than later.  It's been a crazy month, so I hope this weekend or early next week I can entice you with more photos of new work!

First Outdoor Park in Eons -- Folksiders in Edgewood

The frequency of my blogs is pretty unacceptable, and I accept that.  Why on earth did I wait until 2.5 days before a big show to say anything here?  Because I am a procrastinator.

Tons of new stuff.  Some loose beads and buttons, but the focus will be on new jewelry.

Come one, come all!  39 vendors to browse and shop.  I know some of them.  Cool cats they are!

Folksiders
Freedom Park
Edgewood, KY
Saturday, September 7, 2013
12 noon - 8pm

Bead De-Stash at Pendleton Art Center Annex

(July 3 update....I will return with my destash beads for the July Final Friday.  That will be my last destash opportunity for you to get great deals.  No bagged beads sold last week, so they're all there, waiting for you!)

Hey Cincinnati-area fans....

This Final Friday at the Pendleton Art Center Annex, I will be selling most of the beads that I have accumulated over the last 10+ years.  There's nothing wrong with them....it's just that as the jewelry market gets more and more competitive and my own creative interests turn more and more to fiber, I want these beads to go to good homes.

Click here to see pictures of my sale display.

These will be in bags and strands, priced no more than $5, with many retailing now for $20 and up.  One of the only exceptions is seed beads, which I plan on keeping and using.


~ Pyrite
~ Malachite
~ Hematite
~ Coral
~ Moss agate
~ Picture Jasper
~ Agate
~ German glass
~ Vintage German Lucite
~ Seeds (natural seeds, not seed beads)
~ Wood
~ Abalone
~ etc, etc

There is a table of a variety of great earrings, bracelets and necklaces (and a seed bead embroidered barrette) that are Buy One Get One Free.  You don't have to worry about if it's going to be hot in the studio, because the Annex has central air....if it's 100 degrees outside, you will cool off.  Shop in comfort.


Final Friday Annex, suite 10 on second floor. (Window has large red neon circle in it. The studio window faces the larger main building...you can't miss it.  Stair access only.)
June 28 and July 26, 2013
6pm-9:30pm
Valet parking available.
Due to my day job, I will not be there any Second Look Saturdays.
The studio is being graciously lent to me by Margie of Going In Style.

There is a possibility that I will be continuing the de-stash for August's Final Friday.  Stay tuned here or follow me on Facebook to stay informed.  My polymer clay beads will likely creep into the mix in July and/or August.

Ovenfried Beads is back on Facebook

So I was on this "I'm leaving Facebook" kick and had a great time with a much simpler life:  a quieter mind, more time to hike and create and get back into beadmaking again. 

Well so much for that.  This time I'm going to be much better at managing my time on it. 

I missed out on family event photos and stuff.  Ovenfried Beads had one less majorly important place to toot it's horn about shows and new merch and Etsy sales.  

SO, if you like Ovenfried Beads, then please "LIKE" Ovenfried Beads.
The page is basically brand new again but I will refill it with pretty pictures.

In the meantime, I will be selling my jewelry at the Pendleton Art Center Annex tonight (May 31) from 6 to maybe 9:30 if there are people there.  The Annex is the short building across from Artist Alley.  There's a big sign that says ANNEX.  I'll be upstairs.  It is air conditioned!

New photos coming soon.....new mokume gane pieces have been baked but need a little more work before they're presentable and ready!  Stay tuned!

April Polymer Clay Classes

I'm teaching 2 classes in April at Silk Road Textiles in Cincinnati.   The messaging system on the class descriptions page doesn't work for all emails, especially Gmail (I know because I work there...we're looking into it), so it's best to stop in or call to register.  I copied the class descriptions straight from the page, so that's why it looks like I'm referring to myself in the third person.  ;)

For the button class, I will provide a pasta machine and a whole bunch of neat tools to play with.  When it's summertime, I plan on doing an extruded cane class, but for now we're doing basic canework and fooling around with experimentation.

Class size is limited to 4 (5 if someone brings a pasta machine), so sign up early. 




Stacker Beads/Embellishments                             
$65
Skill Level: No Experience Necessary – appropriate for adults and teens
Fri. 4/19 10am-1pm

Students will learn how to make “stacker beads”, a polymer clay bead design by the instructor, Amy Wallace. Amy created this bead design 12 years ago, and it is popular among polymer clay artists. Her “stacker beads” were published in Polymer Café magazine in 2003. They work great as embellishments on quilts, finished yarn projects and coiled bowls as well as making beautiful jewelry.




Polymer Clay Button Making                                
$65
Skill Level: No Experience Necessary – appropriate for adults and teens
Fri. 4/26 10am-2pm

Students will make handmade buttons using various techniques with polymer clay. Safety and proper tool use will also be covered. Student may bring their own tools and clay if desired, however materials are included.

Final Friday in Cincinnati

This is the main Annex building.  I'll be upstairs.

This is almost as last-minute as you can get, but this Friday, March 29, from 6pm-9:30pm I will be exhibiting and selling my polymer clay jewelry at the Pendleton Art Center in Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati.  It has been  a little while since I was there.  My friend Margie has a gorgeous studio in the Annex, the shorter building directly across the brick alley (aptly named Artist Alley, from what I recall) from the 8 story main building.  There is a neon sign in the second story window...formerly the studio of Frank Satogata....just take the steps to the second floor, and I'm in the first studio, #10.  Margie has work there, as well as wire/metal sculptures from Cincinnati artist John "Wire".  Since this is my "maiden" show in her studio, I will be bringing only my most awesome jewelry....loose beads and buttons may come at a later date.

Who knows....if you come and mention you saw this blog, I may just have a special goodie for you.  I accept cash and checks with photo i.d.

If you don't want to wait for or pay for valet parking, the new Horseshoe Casino a couple of blocks away has free parking after 6pm.

Hope to see you there. 

(Updated March 29..... Tonight I had a great time up in Margie's studio.  It's such a warm and comfortable room with such a neat variety of items inside.  I plan on being there again for Final Friday on April 26.  Thank you to all who visited and purchased some of my work!)

Addicted to Fiber

Working in a yarn and fabric store means a lot of things.  For one, I am surrounded by amazing things that I could never afford.  Most of it is totally within the realm of my pocketbook, over time.  But the cool thing is, I can be around it, talking about it, teaching about it, squeezing and touching it, five days a week, and get paid to do it.  (Although, some of my paycheck does go right back into the store....cycle of life, right?)

Then there's the other part. Being around it so much means I have a LOT of ideas of what to create.  I want to create so much more than I will ever have time for, and it often overwhelmes me.  Unless someone comes by, sweeps me off my feet and says, "Live your dream, Amy....I'll take care of the rest," sewing, knitting, polymer clay, paper cuts, you name it.... will always be for my time away from work.  Sometimes I want to lock myself into the house for a week and just see what happens.

So here's part of my newest yarn acquisition.  Malabrigo Worsted Weight ....merino wool....a perfect felting fiber.  I've gotten it in my crazy head that instead of buying wool to cut, stitch, embellish, and sculpt, I can make my own felt fabric.  And will I!  This is going to have to wait though, because I spent over 10 hours in the last week working on a giant scarf (approximately 6-1/2 feet long, and very wide) that I finished at 11:05am this morning.  Technically I still need to weave in the tails, but I wore it to work today and people loved it. 

My next project will be featured in my next post.  Here's a hint:  My mom left me with 19 pieced quilt squares that I discovered only after she died.  There will be photos.