Silver Bee

Silver Bee is cooking...bead soup!

You may have already heard of Bead Soup Blog Party but in case you haven't it was created by Lori McDaniel Anderson. The first Bead Soup Blog Party was in December 2010, and it's been held twice a year since then.

So, first you sign up, then Lori does the monumental task of assigning you a partner. Nearly 500 particpants from approximately 38 countries signed up for the 8th Bead Soup Blog Party. Next you create a bead soup for the person you've been partnered with and send it to them. They in turn send you theirs and you each create with the soup you've been sent. When you are done you reveal what you have created with your soup. Today is my reveal!

I was lucky to have an international partner, Marjolein Trewavas, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England. She is a textile designer who creatively up-cycles treasures she finds at auctions, second hand stores, thrift shops and anywhere else they may show up. In her words she creates an "eclectic mix of colourful sometimes vintage bazaar style pieces that are sometimes slightly kitsch, sometimes romantic and shabby chic but always visually stimulating and fun to wear or to have in your house."

After exchanging a few emails to get to know each other a bit more I went about trying to put together what I hoped would be a the perfect bead soup for Marjolein. 

It was so exciting when the parcel arrived from Marjolein and just as exciting unpacking it. I was overwhelmed by her generosity; there were so many materials that I had never worked with before.

   

She suceeded in pushing me outside my comfort zone which is a good thing. So it was time to get to work and see what I could come up with. It was a challenge. I tried many different designs and was happy with none of them until I decided I was going to cook up an 'everything but the kitchen sink soup' which just means everything goes into the soup pot. I put all the beads in a bowl and randomly picked a bead to wire wrap. I then added lengths of brass chain both bright and antiqued in between each successive bead I picked. There was no rhyme or reason to my process. I trusted it would all work out. And work out it did! I was so pleased with the result. It's unlike anything I've made before and I loved the mix of colours. I couldn't use all the beads for the necklace, what's left is reserved for another piece. One of the Bead Soup rules is you must use the pendant piece and the clasp. Obviously I broke that rule with this design but I couldn't bring myself to make any changes. So I tried for another piece and I was almost happy with the result but not quite enough to reveal it just yet. That will have to wait for my next post.

Now for the big reveal. The necklace measures 275 cm which is approximately 108 inches. There are a few options for the number of strands it can be.

 

Please visit Marjolein's blog, Room for Change, to see what she has created with the bead soup I've sent her. Thank you Marjolein for your incredible bead soup! It was a pleasure to get to know you through our emails and I hope we stay in touch. I promise to keep designing with beads left in the bowl and to share those reveals with you.

Next take a trip around the world following the links on Lori's site, Pretty Things, to the other blogs also revealing their Bead Soup. It's going to be quite the party! Take the time to leave a comment if see something you really like.

Thank you to Lori McDaniel Anderson for all the hard work she has put into this. She inspires me with not only all the work hours it takes to pull and keep this all together but the fact that she did it while dealing with a serious illness. I know that there were also many on her team who stepped up to the plate to help when it was needed. Thank you to them as well.

Looking forward to the next Bead Soup Blog Party!

Silver Bee tries glass fusing

I signed up for a beginners glass fusing class at Fort Langley Art Glass this weekend. It sounded intriquing. It was something new to me and I was curious. What more could you ask for? I think patience would have also been a good mix with the rest. I didn't want to make coasters, dishes and bowls. I wanted to skip over all of that and make the small pieces that I had in mind when I signed up for the class.

Gary, a seasoned instructor, had run into all sorts of personality types in his years of teaching and he was very patient with my impatience. I can hardly believe I'm admitting this, especially since I teach and have been through this with students.

I  finally did settle into the class and enjoyed it. There was a considerable amount of detail to learn about the likes and dislikes of glass, like opposites don't attract in glass. All the pieces need to have the same COE (co-efficient) and glass always wants to be 1/4" thick. This was important to understand when I was putting the glass pieces together. Of course there were many other things I had to remember which I'm not sure I did when I saw my first experiments with glass come out of the kiln. 

When we first  arrived we were taught how to cut glass and "break" it. Next we created a very simple piece and it was put in the kiln so we could see the process of fusing. I didn't bring my camera the first day so these pieces are what came out of the kiln. But wait, there's more. They were going back into the kiln to be slumped over forms. I wanted mine to just be a coaster so I could take it home, but after it was wrestled out of my grasp (just kidding) it was put into kiln. We were given a peak into the kiln just as it reached the all important annealing stage and then one more look as it was ending the cycle. Mine is the one in the upper right corner.

 

I won't be able to see my finished pieces until I get out there again. The black and white small dishes were still too hot to touch and the larger plate still needed to go into the kiln. I plan on going out there soon to rent studio time to make some pieces for my jewellery.

There were three other students who were quite artistic and keen to produce some very nice pieces. My creativity and ideas need time to bubble to the surface so I went with the "less is more" concept which really means I didn't have a clue what to design. :-)

 


I would recommend taking a class from Gary to anyone who is curious about the process of fusing glass. The classes are small, personable, fun, informative and very reasonbly priced. As a bonus, on the second day we were treated to fresh cinnamon buns before we started. Now how nice is that!

Silver Bee has a few classes to tell you about!

I know it's been awhile since my last post when my dad asks when I'm going to write a new one. Has it really been that long dad? I felt like a child for a moment trying to explain why it's been so much time has passed when I realized there are no excuses (that was the adult). Just sit and write! Even a little note just to stay in touch with those who do read my blog (thank you). I have a long list of classes to tell you about but don't worry about having to remember them all I'll post again to remind you. So here they are:

Fraser Valley Bead Show is just three weeks away and I am thrilled at the classes Barrie has lined up for everyone to chose from, three of which I'll be teaching. They are brand new classes and I'm so excited about them. If you have a sudden urge to jump right in and sign up, there is on-line registration. How easy is that!

First don't be scared off if they are listed as an intermediate class. It just means this class is meant for those with a little experience soldering. That way I'll be able to jump right into the project rather than starting from scratch with how to solder. Of course you'll get my usual safety lecture and here is a head start.

Wear natural fibers when you are working with flame and hot metal. Consider bringing an apron to protect your clothing. I also recommend you wear shoes to protect your feet if anything falls, tools or otherwise. No scarves, please, and tie long hair back. I will be providing dust masks to use. If you need corrective lenses for close-up work please bring yours. Safety glasses are another important item. I have a few pairs to lend. See that wasn't difficult.

DOUBLE DOMED STERLING EARRINGS

Friday, March 25
3:00pm - 6:00pm

The name is a tongue twister but you’ll soon find out the technique isn’t. In fact you’ll be making the sterling silver double domed bead twice. You’ll also be making your own headpins and earring wires for a totally made from scratch project. Combine that with some texturing, a little old world charm antiquing, and something sparkly to make a unique pair of earrings you can proudly leave the class with.

P.S. I had a little fun using colours for the patina and different patterns each earring. Mostly just to show you the possibilities! You can make yours matching and create a black patina.

 
STACKING RINGS (The Next Step)

Saturday, March 26, 2011
9:30am - 4:30pm
(includes 1 hour break for lunch)

Do you remember those colourful stacking rings that graduated in size and taught little ones about hand, eye co-ordination? Imagine instead a grown-up version that you stack on your fingers and that’s what you will be learning to make in this class. We start by learning to properly measure, saw and file the silver for well-fitting rings; then we add a bezel-set cubic zirconia onto one of the bands. Lastly we learn to add the personal touch to the other rings to complete the set.  

EXPLORE ENAMEL ON COPPER

Sunday, March 27, 2011
1:30pm - 4:30pm

Discover how to use a micro torch to hand fire enamel onto copper discs. Learn some basics of enamelling with a few design techniques and soon you will be creating a variety of fun, colourful pieces you can use to make charms, earrings, or pendants. After an introduction to this brand of enamelling you’ll have time to experiment with what you have learned and take home several pieces you can wear.

But wait there's more!!

For those of you that haven't had the chance to take the Spinning Ring Class at the Fraser Valley Bead Show I am teaching it for the Burnaby Continuing Ed program. Here's all the information:

FLARED SPINNING RING

Saturday, April 9th, 2011
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Byrne Creek School

 
Learn how to make a ring that has flare and a little spin too! First make a ring with sterling silver sheet and then give it a spin with textured sterling, gold fill or copper wire. Flare the ends to keep the spinner in place. What could be more fun to wear!

 

New Westminster Continuing Education Program has also asked me to teach. They are not listed online yet but as soon as they are I'll post the links.

So that's all folks!

This one's for you dad...am I still grounded?

 

 

Silver Bee has a little to say about everything.

A quick note first.

My blog and gmail have been compromised. I'm not too sure how the spam got past the safeguards for Typepad but there have been a few comments that were inappropriate and a blog post that apparently I wrote about a great site I found. If you have received any emails from me regarding that please don't click on the link. I don't know what happens but my suggestion is to change your password on your email account.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post!

It's been quite a time since early August and I haven't been able to keep up to my promise of launching my new website. The truth is I hurt my left shoulder about a month prior to that but I kept thinking whatever it was would go away. I had so much to do and so little time to do it in. Or so I thought.

So the long and winding road of learning to launch a website turned out to have a Yield sign along the way. Ignoring it I was still trying to get everything finished. My shoulder kept getting sorer and more difficult to use. After an ultrasound I found out that I had some major issues going on and could no longer pretend I was super human. We all go through it, admit it, I'm not the only one. So you can guess what I saw next on the road, a big red STOP sign. 

  
So I've been grounded since then, well almost since then. I had to try to keep working on things. I asked the physio what else I should do after she gave me instructions on how to do one exercise. Her answer, "nothing". Busy Silver Bees don't like to slow down but I did. I would occasionally try to get back up to speed but I have family and friends who would gently remind me about  the big red STOP sign.

So fast forward to now and I'm still grounded although my arm has improved. I have to get used to the idea that it will take some time to heal. I keep thinking if I'm good that I'll get paroled sooner. Funny how our minds work.

Despite all that there is the Fraser Valley Bead Show coming up and I haven't done my usual shout out about what I'm teaching or about the show in general. The bead show is this coming weekend, October 22nd - 24th and I have three classes on the roster. I've always had wonderful friends that have stepped forward to help out and this year is no exception. Nadine Mageau is helping me for the entire weekend! I am so fortunate to have friends such as her.

So here's the schedule for this show, a little late as I said but I couldn't not tell you about it. For more information on the Fraser Valley Bead Show, check out the site.

*MASTER CLASS*

DELUXE SILVERSMITHING
EPIPHANY BRACELET AND CHARM

Friday, October 22
11:30am - 6:30pm
(includes 1 hour lunch break)

It’s the ‘aha!’ moment when you realize the possibilities open to you when you get that solder to flow for the first time! So imagine the possibilities after this one-day class where you will learn the basics of silver smithing, and how to set a faceted stone into a bezel. You will learn what it takes to successfully solder by creating a chain and beautiful toggle to hold it all together. You’ll take it one step further by learning to set a faceted stone using fine silver bezel wire. Throw in learning many different techniques of hand texturing for the sterling silver base and the skill of antiquing to give your piece that old world charm and this could be your Epiphany class!

SPINNING RING   

Saturday, October 23
1:30pm - 4:30pm 

SOLD OUT

This is the second year in a row this class has sold out! Thank you everyone who signed up for it!

 

PRONG SET PENDANT

Sunday, October 24
1:30pm - 4:30pm

Prong settings are one of those skills that seem elusive when you are just starting out but it doesn’t have to be. In this class you will learn a basic prong setting using a round cabochon. Learn how easy it is to use that geometry you learned in school to make the perfect size every time - and if you weren't a math whiz, don't worry!! Brendalee will show you how fun and easy it is to figure out! 

So there you have it, my first blog post in two months and it's a long one. I'm still going slow but I'm going to try to get back to what I love doing best. Letting others know all about the wonderful world of silver smithing. Oh yes and tools!

 

Silver Bee is on a long and winding road!

I’m not the most prolific blogger but lately I’ve been unusually quiet. I creating a website for Silver Bee and I kept thinking completion was just around the corner. I didn’t anticipate just how many curves there are in this learning process. I was getting discouraged. Then I remembered something I may have said a time or two when teaching, “This is the first time you’ve made this and it’s wonderful!” It was time to listen to my own advice.  I wanted to build my own so I could understand and appreciate what goes into the process.  It’s the same sort of curiousity I had when I was learning how to solder. I wanted to understand how it happened not just that it happened.

The colours and logo are primarily the same but there are going to be pages...lots of pages...all with tabs to tell you exactly what they are all about. You’ll be able to find information on classes, tips, tools, books and whatever else I can think of. There will be a tab dedicated to students, “It’s all about you”.  This is where you will find galleries with your work in it! 

If you’ve seen my workspace you know I love this sort of organization. Don’t get me wrong, a mess definitely happens when I’m in a creative mode but I have to stop eventually and tidy things up. Then I can make a mess again. But I'm getting sidetracked.

Back to being excited about the new site but add a dash of impatience! Here’s my promise to you and to myself: it’s going to be up and running by the end of August regardless of how many lumps and bumps there are to fix. Similar to when I’m teaching, I tell students there is a point that can be reached when it is “good enough”. Perfection comes with lots of practice. So I’m going to take my own advice. 

The moral of this story is to listen to your teacher!

P.S. This photo was taken some time ago but nothing has really changed except there's more of it.

Silver Bee features YOU!

I'm creating a new feature for my blog: it's all about you! You, that is, who have taken a class from me. Why? Because I’m excited when I see a piece that was created with the skills you learned in one of my classes. 

Most of you who I’ve taught went looking for classes because you were bursting with inspiration and needed to find another way to express it. You wanted to take your work to the next level. As a designer I know it’s a liberating feeling to have more knowledge -- tools if you will -- to realize the ideas in your head.

 Can you imagine the energy and excitement I feel when you start to learn? I get caught up in the enthusiasm you express when you solder for the first time or attach a bezel to a ring shank. It’s like I’m learning it all over again and get excited thinking about the possibilities.  I want to stay in touch to see what you have created, which brings me to the inspired pieces I want to feature as part of my blog.

So here’s the deal: if you have been a student in one of my classes I would love photos of your creations to show on my blog. And if you have them for sale somewhere, whether on a website ,a blog, or Etsy, for example, let me know and I’ll include a link so visitors can find it, and other pieces, you’ve made.  If someone expresses interest in your work and you aren’t set up to sell then I’ll make arrangements, with your permission of course, to connect them to you. As well, if you are showing or selling your work at an exhibit or other event and you want to put the word out include the link or information and I’ll post it as well.

At first I’m just going to post the photos and information.  In time I will have an actual page where all of you will be showcased. I didn’t want to wait until everything was perfect. I have a dream of creating a community and this is the beginning! :-) 

The minimum I need to post your work:

-photo, around 600x400 pixels (I may resize and/or crop)

-your first name; your surname if you wish

-your website or blog URL

Don't be shy! If you are unsure of how to size, crop or send your photo, let me know and I can help. Don't forget this is all about you.

P.S. The very first contributor Trish Chinnery-Guidi wore this bracelet the day she took a silver smithing class. Trish took a Viking knit class a couple of weeks prior and this was her first piece. I love it!

Silver Bee says thank you!

What I know for sure is the gratitude I feel at the opportunity to teach something I feel so passionate about. I’m talking about silver smithing of course.  The opportunity was the Fraser Valley Bead Show, March 12-14^th. I have some wonderful friends who assisted me with the classes. Heartfelt thanks to Elizabeth, Nicole and Suzanne! They helped the classes flow on schedule, got the room ready for the next day, for Sunday’s class helped pack up everything.  That work was made so much easier with extra pairs of hands.

Getting ready for the show was, as always, a panic. No matter how much time I have I a lways work to the last minute to get ready.  This year I had everything packed into one large box thinking it would be efficient, and then I tried to pick it up. I had purchased a hand-truck for moving the box to and from my car but it couldn’t manage it either. The box was too large and way too heavy.  So I went back to the hardware store and exchanged it for a cart. I picked up smaller plastic bins so I could at least lift them one at a time.

The Deluxe Silversmithing class was the first time I had taught a full day and it worked out better than I imagined. The Spinner Ring was a challenging project for first time students but everyone rose to the challenge and walked out with a ring on their finger!  Bezel setting a Cabochon was a big success with all the women walking out sporting a necklace with a beautiful pendant.

I’m looking forward to the Fall show and I’m also working on some new classes. Thank you Barrie for a wonderful Spring Fraser Valley Bead Show. I’ll see you in October.  

Silver Bee wakes up and it's 2010!

First I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and second how did it get to be January 3rd already! So far this year is flying by. But that is what happens when there is so much to do and so little time to squeeze it all in. I just wish I didn't enjoy so many different things. Actually I take that back. I would rather be busy with too much to do than time on my hands and wondering what to do. So enough with the preamble.

As you can see from my list in the photo I have a lot planned for the next few months. I'll briefly fill you in on everything with details for each as we get closer to the event.

It's that time of year again when all the new classes start up. I am teaching again this term for Vanterra Education. Linda has once more come up with a great line-up of classes. If you have taken my class before you will notice the format is different. I'm no longer teaching the beginning class, instead I'll be teaching Silversmithing - Level 2. Follow the above link, scroll down to the middle of the page to find my class.

Details:

Date: Monday, January 11 - March 1 (8 sessions)
Time: 6:30-9:30pm
Location: Lucas Centre
Instructor: Brendalee Astells
Course Fee: $185

Further develop the skills you learned in the Introductory class. This is primarily a studio-based course where students work on their own projects. With the help and instruction of the instructor you can get the guidance you need to improve your skills. Brendalee has taught several levels of Silversmithing including the 'Intro' class, and specialized workshops. (Prerequisite: you must have completed the 'Intro' class or equivalent).

It was a bit difficult to give up the beginning classes because I love it when a new student has an 'ah ha' moment when learning to solder. That said I am really excited about teaching this new class. The ante will be upped for those 'ah ha' moments and the thrill will always be there for me when someone learns something new. 

Okay so what next...oh yes, it's the Fraser Valley Bead Show! It's making an early appearance this year, and Barrie is busy putting together an amazing line-up of classes. No details yet other than the dates which are, Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14th. There's a new location as well, Executive Inn Coquitlam, 405 North Road, Coquitlam, BC. I'll post again when things are more definite around the classes. Barrie has added  three one-day classes  named "Master Classes". I'm teaching one of them so the name sounds a bit grand, but hey who am I to turn down such a prestigious sounding title?

I am also working on  "Part 2 of Lost Wax Casting" post which somehow got lost in the Christmas rush. 

So I guess that's all that is new. Well there a couple more items but I'll wait until they are closer. Now I'm going to set up a mailing list and let everyone know this post is here. Thank you if you received my email and are reading this.  Thank you.... well you get my drift.

Here's to a wonderful, exciting, creative and full 2010. Let's get started!

Silver Bee takes a class

I love learning new silver smithing techniques! This weekend I took an Advanced Stone Setting class. My brain is spinning with the possibilities of what I might create next. It's also spinning with the new information I absorbed. Our instructor, Natalia Khon taught four different techniques for setting stones. Tube, gypsy, prong and flush setting.

Already quite familiar with tube and gypsy settings I still learned something new about each. Natalia had her own unique way of teaching. I appreciated both the skill and confidence she possessed.

I was not so familiar with the prong or basket setting as she called it. I didn't have a lot of success completing my example in the class. Using an unfamiliar torch I managed to melt it fairly soon. I didn't let it bother me because I know that when I learn something new it doesn't always work the first time. I am confident that eventually I will be able to do it but I also know that it may take many attempts. You see I don't only preach about practice I also practice what I preach! Besides silver has more than one life. If it doesn't want to be a basket setting in it's first life then it just may find it's way into a pile of beans and who knows what it will be after that.

I have to admit that a headache got the better of me and I left class early. However I didn't want to miss the demonstration for the last setting. So I stayed until I watched and had asked enough questions that I thought I could give it a go on my own. I've never seen this particular type of setting before and it's difficult to describe. The round cabochon was inserted through a hole in the pendant which was somewhat smaller in diameter so that two thirds of it would be visible from the front. The bezel that had been soldered onto the back side of the pendant was folded over the bottom of the stone which set it in place. I apologize if the description is fuzzy. If anyone gets what I'm trying to describe and knows of an image I would love to hear of it. While I'm not sure if I would use this type of setting it was still interesting. Of course new knowledge is never wasted and I did learn about using an inverted bur to create a beveled edge. One day I'll be scratching my head wondering how to make a stone sit just right and with luck I'll remember this technique.

As an instructor it was a particular treat to see how someone taught and Natalia was great. She has a great sense of humour which in my books is extremely important. It's the only way to bring the many different personalities of a class together by uniting them with laughter. We all relax a little, take ourselves less seriously and then really settle into learning.

I leave you with this wonderful quote by Scott Adams.

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."

Silver Bee hits Facebook!

I can hardly believe I did it! Well I didn't really, my daughter did. She kept encouraging me to create a page on Facebook for Silver Bee Jewellery Design. I just couldn't see the point. I'm still getting used to the idea of promoting what I do for a living, well at least part of it. So thank you Ashley for being so supportive of your mom's work!

I've decided to post some of the first pieces I've made. I thought perhaps a little history of Silver Bee would be fun. I didn't always work with almost exclusively silver and stones. Instead I started with seed beads, needle and thread. I have a few friends who do beautiful intricate work with seed beads and I am humbled by their talents.

It was fun to go down memory lane while choosing the photos. There were so many of older pieces. I realize that in time it is easy to take the work for granted and not record it as faithfully. Despite the fact that I have a wonderful camera to take photos with!

So take a look and become a fan! Silver Bee Jewellery Design.