rachel kranzberg miller-artist

the story of the needle case

2012-02-06T19:18:00.000-06:00

original needle keeper

my new version

shown open

About 25 years ago, I was a sweater designer visiting the Orient a few times a year to work with factories. Most of the time, I was in Hong Kong, and most often I was in some bland office working, but every so often, we would get a chance to get out and explore the city. I don't actually remember where I acquired the case, it may have been on an out of the way street market, or it could have been in a fancy antique store in the vast shopping malls. But I do remember that I had never seen anything like it. It was not expensive, it may not even be silver. But, it is beautiful.
I wear the needle keeper from time to time. It is always noticed, always a conversation starter. It has been the inspiration for many of my own creations, like the tiny secret keeper necklaces. I finally decided to make a more literal version of the necklace. My own design is constructed just like the original, though slightly smaller. It also has a skinny leather cord. I used my own floral textures for the design and added applique silver flowers. It is of course fine silver.
The first time I wore it it was noticed. It's been purchased and is gone.....until I make another incarnation.

kitchen stool transformation

2012-01-25T21:56:00.001-06:00

Just a short break from metal clay.....

I had these sad looking faux leopard upholstered kitchen counter stools since I moved in to this house. They were a gift from my annoying real estate agent. I never liked them, as I am no fan of animal prints. I finally got around to changing them up to modernize the look and get with the mid-century modern look of the kitchen and den.

sad chair :(

happy chair :)

The hardest part was finding the Missoni inspired fabric. I searched local upholstery fabric outlets with no luck until I found this fabric at an Etsy store made up as a pillow. The store said it was a Schumacher fabric, and I was able to order it locally thru a decorator store.

I just ripped off the old fabric and stapled on the new one, and they look fantastic. Now I will just finish it off with a good spray of Scotchgaurd and they will be ready for many meals in the kitchen.

The URJ Biennial

2011-12-23T22:08:00.000-06:00

Last week I had a wonderful time at the Union of Reform Judaism Biennial Conference. I was part of the vendor's in the Exhibition Hall which was open during the conference. My booth was simple and I sent most of the display materials via Fedex to the hotel a few days before I arrived. I think that it turned out pretty nice, but I should have invested in some lights.

The event was at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland. This beautiful Hotel located in a artificial community called National Harbor which is full of shops, restaurants, hotels and residences. The hotel atrium house a 15 story atrium with a beautiful faux candy glass Christmas tree. There are overpriced restaurants and shops beneath but a nice place to people watch or grab a snack.

After the first night of the convention I invited to a meeting for the American Guild of Judaic Art . It was wonderful to finally meet all these people I have admired for the last couple of years. The Guild provides a support system to the artist involved and also information and inspiration for artists and collectors alike.

Another exciting event at the Biennial was that Pressident Obama came to speak. The security was high, and to tell you the truth, the sales at the Exhibition Hall that day were pretty dim as most of the attendees were in line starting at 10am. Still, the president's speech was a highlight. Although I didn't actually go into the hall to see him speak, I watched it on a computer hookup with many of the other Exhibitors.

Saturday the Exhibition Hall was closed for Shabbat so I went into Washington DC with a couple of fellow Artists to visit some museums. First we went to the Renwick Gallery, the Smithsonian's American craft museum, which featured pieces from the white house collection. It was wonderful. Then we visited the Textile museum which had an exhibit of African textiles from the Kuba people who reside in area of the Republic of Congo. The textures and designs of the weavings were so inspirational.

I met so many great people at the conference. I have many new customers and I loved to hear their comments about my work. I also met a lot of artists. I want to thank each and everyone of them who were so forthcoming with information and help. I feel as though I have many new mentors and I am so grateful.

Next to my booth was Claude Riedel, who makes the most beautiful Eternal Lights (Ner Tamids) for Temples and Synagogues. The lamps are a combination of metal and glass. He works closely with the temples and their architects to create a Light unique to the space.

Karla Gudeon's hand colored engravings are incredible. Her artwork is featured in musems and galleries as well as books. There is. nothing else like it.

Speaking of unique, check out Joan Edelstein's scarves. They are so amazing I had to get one for myself.

Simcha Textiles is the name of Elaine Phillip's work. Her handwoven tallit and wraps are are luxurious. When Elaine and I visited the Textile Museum we were like kindred spirits.

Finally, I want to thank Jim Cohen for all his support before and during the show. I had never met Jim before, but had bombarded him with questions via email which he gladly answered for me. Jim is a master metal smith. His designs are what I can only describe as modern classics.

I also want to thank my sister in law, Francie Kranzberg for her incredible help during the show. Francie got me to and from the airport, helped me unpack and pack, and kept me company during most of the show. Franice knew a lot of the Biennial attendees due to her work at Washington DC's Jewish Federation. It was a pleasure to have her with me.

Well, I am already excited to attend the URJ Biennial in two years, which will be in San Diego.

URJ Show

2011-12-04T11:58:00.001-06:00

Well I'm packing up for my biggest and most exciting show of the year. It's the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial Conference in Maryland. December 14th-18th at the Gaylord Hotel Complex in National Harbor. This important Jewish convention is a great opportunity for me to expose my artwork to 5000 plus people from all over the United States. President Obama will be speaking at the conference as well as other Political, and Spiritual leaders. I am especially excited to meet my fellow artist from the American Guild of Judaic Art.
If you, or anyone you know, is attending the URJ Biennial this year, please drop by booth #323 in the exhibition hall and say hello.

announcing the new rachelmilllerartist website!

2011-11-28T09:28:00.001-06:00

I am so excited about my new logo, branding and website. Now it will be easier to find me on the web and be able to see everything all together. At rachelmillerartist.com you can find galleries of my past and present pieces in Judaica and Jewelry. There is also my bio, my artist statement and resume of my work. Plus there is an easy link right to my Etsy shop to purchase items. On the home page you will also be able to see exactly were I will be exhibiting and selling in person. And I especially excited to have this blog linked to the rest of the site, so you can read about all the new creations and inspirations. Special thanks to Ran Mano of Manointeractive.com for putting this all together.
Please let me know what you think of the site. Comments and criticism are welcome!

questions answered

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

I've been doing some local St. Louis craft show and I get a lot of comments and questions from people.

What are you doing here? This is a craft fair.
Well That's true, my things are more artwork then craft and the prices are a reflection of that, but most of the local fairs I participate in are in Temples and Synagogue. That a good place to meet Jewish people who are more likely to purchase my mezuzahs, yads and Jewish star necklaces. Even though they may not be interested in buying anything today, they will take my card and remember me when they want to get a special gift or piece for themselves.

Is everything you make Jewish?
No it is not. I make a lot of jewelry. My fine silver jewelry is a reflection of my personal style and aesthetic. I like jewelry that is causal. I am a former sportswear designer so I keep current with the trends and try to incorporate styles that are up to date but still stand the test of time.
There are a lot of wonderful Jewelry Artists out there who work in PMC. One reason that I started to concentrate on making Judaica is to keep myself unique and find a niche in the market. Of course, through that process, I found I was able to express myself even more creatively and making the Judaica became my focus.

Your stuff is so beautiful, why are you not showing at Laumeier or the St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton?

Well, first of all thank you. I really appreciate that you like my work. I would love to be a part of those shows, but there is a short answer on why I am not. I do not have a booth. A proper tent (booth) with lights and display costs $2000-$4000. In order to be considered for these shows you must have a picture of your booth in your application. These shows are juried and the competition is fierce, especially in the Jewelry category. So you must have a professional display and booth to be considered, and no you can't just rent one. Buy my work and I will invest in the booth, I promise.

busy in the studio....

2011-10-26T14:04:00.001-05:00

Ive been very busy working in my basement studio making all sorts of pieces for my upcoming shows, especially the URJ show in December in Maryland. It has been incredibly fulfilling to be creating all day. I just hope everyone likes the pieces as much as I do.
I haven't added anything to my etsy shop yet because I have too many local shows coming up, but I thought I'd just post a few pictures to show you what I have been up to. I also have been experimenting on some new ways to photograph the mezuzot, I like to show them hanging instead of lying flat.

mezuzah with amythest

This ancient building necklace opens up

If you are in the St. Louis area I will be at the Bnai Amoona Chanukah Bazaar, this Sunday October 30th, 9-1. Come by and see me!

a work in progress

2011-10-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well, my daughter's Bat Mitzvah is behind us (she was awesome, by the way) so it is time for me to concentrate fully on my metalwork. There are a lot of changes in the works, a new logo and branding, a new website, and probably a new destination for this blog. It's a lot of work, both inside and outside the studio. I've been constructing some new awesome mezuzot and yads and some have been snatched up even before I could post them or add them to my etsy shop. I am mostly preparing for a big show in December. It is in Maryland at the URJ Convention, Union for Reform Judaism. But I have some local St. Louis shows coming up in the next couple months. So I better get back down to the basement studio and start creating!! The I hope to unveil what I have been working on in the next few weeks. Please stay tuned. I plan to return, even better.
I want to post a picture, but seriously I haven't actually photographed my work for months..... so much to do, so little time.

it's never good enough....

2011-07-20T22:52:00.000-05:00

Recently, I a couple of my mezuzahs have been getting some attention. Having a picture of one of my pieces in print or on the web is a real honor and a thrill. The Brownstone mezuzah, which is a part of the Mizel Museum's collection, has in featured in Metal Clay Magazine, The Metallurgy Online Exhibit on Crafthaus, and was chosen to be in the 2011 PMC Annual Book. The Zentangle Mezuzah is also featured in these publications. I am very proud of both of these pieces, but I suffer from a common problem many artists have.....It's nice, but the next one I made was so much better.

When I finish a piece, at first I am usually a bit disappointed. Most of the time, the result isn't quite the same as the original vision. Maybe I am a bit hard on myself because after a couple days, I get excited about the piece again. Sometimes I have the piece professionally photographed. Getting a professional pictures taken of your work is always a good idea. I wish I could afford to do it more often. I am quite sure that the quality of the photographs of the work was as important factor as the work itself in getting it published. But as I examine the work I am constantly looking at the flaws in workmanship, and the improvements I could make in the design. And, if I make a new piece based on what I think I have learned from the previous, it too has it's own list of flaws and design problems. I guess this is what artist go through and why we are constantly challenged. It one reason I love my work. I love to create, improve, problem solve and then make more problems for myself.

Here is a new version of the Brownstone Mezuzah, fresh out of the kiln and ready to be patinaed and polished. Don't even get me started.

Butterflies

2011-06-12T20:55:00.001-05:00

Well, it's Bat Mitzvah time for me again. This time it's my daughter Tamara, who is an extraordinary artist. She is very talented, but I am most impressed by her lack of restraint. She always is coming up with a new and different way of looking at things. I have to admit that I wish I had a bit more of this quality. She does not always follow the "rules"which makes her work magical.

Tamara designed original artwork for her invitations, and is now helping to create the centerpieces which will be used at the Luncheon following the Bat Mitzvah service. We have decided to use butterflies to symbolize the metamorphosis that has occurred this past year as Tamara studies for and becomes at Bat Mitzvah. Tamara created the colorful butterfly wings using window paint and copper wire. I will fashion then into butterflies and then make then "fly" on branches (some of which come from our own garden).

2011 pmc annual

2011-06-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

I got news this weekend that two of my mezuzahs will be in the the 2011 PMC Annual book! I am so honored to be a part of this collection of artists. The mezuzahs featured are some of my favorites. The Zentangle Mezuzah. which features a doodle texture I created with symbols of Israel and Judaism, and the Brwnstone Mezuzah, which is part of the permenant collection of the Mizel Museum of Jewish Art in Denver.

my mezuzuah is part of a museum collection

2011-05-09T20:49:00.000-05:00

I am honored to have my brownstone mezuzah selected by the Mizel Museum in Denver to be a part of their permanent collection. The mezuzah is fine silver and is inspired by brownstone homes that I used to walk by in Boston and New York. It features a bay window and a street lamp. I am honored to be a part of this wonderful Jewish Museum. The mezuzah will be displayed as it was meant to, on a doorway.

To read more about please check out the museum's newsletter, The Mizel Tov, and click on the link for the museum newsletter (It is the Spring 2011 edition).

new mezuzah

2011-04-25T19:44:00.003-05:00

My latest mezuzah case takes the form of a house. The original texture of the walls of the home I created myself. It is a wallpaper like pattern of flowers reminiscent of the arts an craft movement in the late 1800's. I also included a raised scroll design. There are three arched windows, one of which is open so one can see the scroll that would be put inside the mezuzah. A dormer juts from the left wall of the structure and a chimney is on the roof. But the most spectacular part of the mezuzah case is the door, which I made tiny silver hinges when opened reveals in Hebrew, the word,"Shema".

As usual, piece is one of a kind, fine silver.

the price of silver :(

2011-04-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

I just checked the price of silver and it is hovering just below $40 an ounce. The cost of silver has sky rocketed in the last year, with no sign of slowing down. The predictions on just how high it will go are frightening! I regrettably, have had to adjust my prices accordingly. I love to work in silver and would like to continue to do so. I hope that my customers will understand the what I have to do in order to be able to function in this market. Silver clay or PMC, is nearly twice as expensive as sterling silver. But the wonderful detail and technique I am able to achieve with this medium is definitely worth the price. Some metal clay artist are switching to copper or bronze clays. So far I have been disappointed in my results in this medium. But I will continue to explore the possibilities.

I hope that you will drop by my shop and check out what things I have been working on. I just completed a couple of new yads and I now can personalize your yad in both English and Hebrew!

What does it mean to be an artist?-the artist statement

2011-03-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

I have been struggling the last few years to first of all be able to confidently call myself an artist, and then to define what exactly that means. It is something that many creative people go through. I have been successful and able to feel comfortable calling myself an artist. Partly because it is what I am passionite about and also because I have had some degree of success.

Being successful commercially can be tricky. I spent a lot of time this year making jewelry this year that was pretty, fashionable and relevent. But I have to say it was not an artistic experience. I mean it did not satisfy my need to create from the heart or to express myself. I find that when I make a piece of Judaica, for example a mezuzah, I am much more engaged in the process. I am happier with the results, and people are much more affected by my work. So I have desided to concentrate on working on art pieces and judaica ritual objects.

I have just completed writing my artist statement, which I am sure, will be revised as time passes. Special thanks to my dear friend Andew Raftery, who encouraged me and helped me through this process. Let me know what you think:

Artist Statement

Judaica is the vehicle that brings together my creative energies and my personal values. Tapping into the history and traditions of Judaism gives my work tremendous significance. Artistic relevance emerges from the link between my creative vision and my understanding these traditions. I respect the laws of the Jewish faith and create art which can be used as ritual object or symbol of faith.

My design process begins with sketching, working out major design decisions and dilemmas with pen and paper. The medium of silver clay informs the next steps. Silver metal clay starts off soft and pliable. Its unique qualities allow manipulation throughout the construction of the piece. The consistency of the clay changes as it dries which gives me the opportunities for building, texturizing, shaping and carving. After the clay is fired and becomes solid silver, the surface can be worked by chasings, polishing and patinas.

I am influenced by art, architecture, and even pop culture. My collection of Mezuzahs based on classic architecture are not rigid copies. Through the use of custom textures I transform these building into fluid objects of art, free zones for the viewer's imagination. Many of the original textures I create are inspired by calligraphy, illuminations, art nouveau and Moorish and Islamic art, and the arts and crafts movement of the late 1800s. I make a piece that is relevant in our time but also brings these ancients values to the present.

hinges

2011-02-07T12:42:00.001-06:00

I finally conquered the hinge, thanks in part from the wonderful advice and encouragement of my colleague of the emc team. The result is this pseudo locket which has a hidden star of David inside. I mainly followed the instructions on how to make hinges from Hadar Jacobson's book, The Handbook of Metal Clay,textures and forms. The book doesn't go into super detail so you just have to go for it and work things out as you go. The hardest part for me was lining up the hinges with the "pin" after everything was fired, but I finally was successful and I was very happy with the result. Check it out in my etsy shop. I can't wait to make more hinges pieces and as looking forward to incorporating hinges into my mezuzah designs!

Now I wonder, what is the next challenge?

I am featured on Crafthaus!

2011-02-06T18:57:00.000-06:00

Check out tis wonderful website dedicated to connecting artists all over the world.
http://crafthaus.ning.com/

new work- stars

2011-01-28T21:52:00.000-06:00

This week has been very busy for my mom. She's sculpted, put together, fired, oxidized, and polished seven new star necklaces. I really like these stars in particular because my mom used some new textures she made, so they're very unique. My favorite new star necklace is the one that uses the texture with the vines, scrolls, and pomegranates. From far away, it just looks like pretty swirls and lines, but close up, you can see the detail very well. I also like the star with the double layer and the star. It's simpler, but it also has the Hebrew letters in the background, which adds a really elegant design.

You can find many of the new necklaces on her Etsy Page.

Love,

Abby Miller

festival of jewish life

2011-01-23T17:22:00.001-06:00

I have been asked to be a part of a presentation and discussion on Jewish art with three other local artists. This is all part of The St. Louis Rabbinical Association's Festival of Jewish Life which takes place January 29-February 3rd. There are lots of very interesting and impressive lectures, demonstrations, films and workshops at the event. Tickets are $20 for the whole series which gets you into most events, or $5 for individual events.

I'll be speaking Monday January 31 at 7pm along with Ilene Berman, Jeane Vogel and Helen Schwartz. I'm sure we will all have a unique perspective on the art scene and how Judaism affects our work. If you are interested in tickets or more information please go to festival website.

tamara's yad

2011-01-18T13:38:00.000-06:00

My daughter's bat mitzvah is coming up in September and she has been studying and preparing for it. I decide to create a very special personalized yad for her and give it to her now so that she could use it during her practice sessions. She was so excited with the gift. The yad has her name wrapped around it and also the date of her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. I designed this yad with her personality in mind, with a whimsical top and a butterfly, which is a theme throughout her invitations and decorations for the lunch after the service.

Personalized yads are always available in my etsy shop. You can discuss exactly what you would want to include on this very special gift.

mezuzuah project-2010

2011-01-11T19:33:00.000-06:00

My completed year of Mezuzot for 2010......

2011 promises to be even better.

mezuzuah project-december

2010-12-20T21:35:00.000-06:00

Well, It's been a year and I have completed my goal of creating at least 12 new mezuzot this year.

This final mezuzah is a conglomeration of many of the techniques and ideas that have influenced my work this year. First of all, I have stayed true to my love of antiquity with a nod to Yemenite filigree and my love for the Art Nouveau styles. The texture design is all my own made from a original polymer texture plate I created from a graffiti like drawing, or Zentangle, of modern and ancient Jewish symbols. This combination of traditional and contemporary styles is just what I always strive for in my artwork. It is a fitting end to a year of discovery.

custom work

2010-12-20T13:38:00.001-06:00

I just completed these two custom mezuzot for a customer. It seems that my building mezuzahs do not last long in my collection or my Etsy shop, so it's best to order one made especially for you. It takes me about 2-3 weeks to complete the mezuzah, but you can select the style roof and wall finish that you want as well as any other personal touches you might like. I think these can out really nice.

Do you want to learn to create with silver metal clay?

2010-12-12T20:06:00.000-06:00

Well, now is your chance. I am offering up a two part course in the basics of silver metal clay with me at my basement studio. During the first day (about 2 hours or so) you will be introduced to this exciting medium. I will teach you basic skills that will allow you to create unique charms. You will learn how to roll out and texture clay, make a mold and make a 3 dimension piece. Then I will fire the pieces and the next day we will learn to polish, patina and finish the charms and then add them to a necklace with gemstone accents. The class is $165 person and includes a 28 gram pack of fine silver clay, a sterling silver ball chain necklace and the use of silver wire and many of the gemstones in my studio. I will provide you the use of all my tools at the studio and of course let you know where you can get everything you will need should you decide to continue to create with metal clay on your own. Classes are only for adults and are limited to only 2 students at a time. If you are interested, please email me and I can schedule at your convenience.

mezuzuah project-november

2010-12-02T13:13:00.000-06:00

I'm a little late again, but I think it's worth the wait. My latest mezuzah is inspired by brown stone buildings in the cities I've lived like Boston and New York. Hope you like it.

This time I'm getting the mezuzah professionaly photographed so it won't be in my Etsy shop for a bit. If your interested email me and let me know.

free shipping at my etsy shop

2010-11-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

Now until December 19th, I am offering free shipping in the United States to all items purchased from my etsy shop. http://www.rachelsthings.com/

Don't forget the holidays are upon us!

a blog article about me!

2010-11-18T15:02:00.000-06:00

Please check out this article about me from Corine from Goodness Recycled.
http://www.goodnessrecycled.blogspot.com/

very special gift

2010-11-07T09:58:00.000-06:00

Every time I wear my charm bracelet made with charms created by my fellow Etsy Metal Clay artists, from all over the world people notice. It is truly an exceptional piece. Now, you too can own one. We had a charm swap and each made enough charms for a bracelet from each and two extra charms to make two additional bracelets to auction of and raise money for charity. The first of these bracelets is being actioned right now on EBay to benefit Autism Speaks, If you want a very special bracelet for yourself or a gift please bid for a chance to own this very special piece

.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320612944730&_rdc=1

ARTstravaganza

2010-11-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

The Best of Missouri Hands show is finally just around the corner, next weekend Novemeber 5, 6, and 7 to be exact. The show promises to be very high quality and exciting. All the srtists showing this weekend are juried members of the Best of Missouri Hands.
The show is at the Crestwood ArtSpace this year, which is a new venue for the show and has plenty of free parking. The easiest way to get to ArtSpace is to take Linbergh south to Watson Road. Go east on Watson and the mall will be on your left. For those of you that remember it's the old Crestwood Plaza which has been turned into a creative space with art studios and theaters. It's pretty cool, so check it out.
The show hours are as follows:
Friday, Nov 5th 4pm-10pm
Saturday, Nov 6th 10am-6pm
Sunday, Nov 7th 11am-4pm

Please come by and visit!!!!

mezuzah project-october

2010-10-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

I'm just in time to post the October mezuzah. I actually finished this mezuzah in the beginning of the month but didn't get around posting it until now. This mezuzah was inspired by the floral lentil pendents that I have been making. They are very popular (I actually only have one left to sell!) I think it would be quite happy on a cottage style home, by a garden....oh it would really look good on my front door!

Well I have sad news, the quick fire bronze clay that I have been so excited about is not all that it seems. I was happy to begin a new project in the bronze clay today and I went back to my test piece take a second look. I decided to test it's strength, and I gentle tried to see if I could bend the metal and it snapped in half with very little effort. I spend so much time constructing the mezuzahs. If the bronze is not fully sinstered and therefore strong it ruins the integrity of the piece. I don't have these problems with silver clay. I know that the material is so much more expensive, but for the time, effort and skill needed to make the piece I think the price is worth it. I am once again abandoning the bronze option. I just wish that the companies that make these products not use the artists as testers before they release them.

Chanukah Bazaar

2010-10-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

I will be at Bnai Amoona's Chanukah Bazaar this Sunday October 24th from 9am-1pm. Please stop by and say hi. Remember Chanukah is early this year, the first week in December, just around the corner.

trunk show

2010-10-10T17:04:00.000-05:00

Well, its finally October, and now I am busy at local art shows. Please come by and visit me if you are in the area, and take a look at the Jewelry and Judaica in person! I will be closing down my Etsy shop for a few weeks on Tuesday night so that everything in stock will be available at the shows.

I will be at Essential Elements at 9224 Clayton Road in Ladue on Wednesday, Thursday and and Friday this week (October 13,14 and 15). Store hours are 10am-5pm.

Please come and see me!

2010-09-26T19:23:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about all the wonderful things I have been making these past few months. I am ready for the fall shows and holiday gift giving season. I have a few great shows coming out starting with a trunk show at Essential Elements October 13, 14, and 15. I am about to send out a postcard with all the show dates for this fall, if you want to be included on my mailing list, please email me.

mezuzah project-september

2010-09-22T17:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the completed September mezuzah. The Moorish tile Jewish star texture looks very different after the piece is fired and the patina is added. It's interesting to me that the hexagons around the dark stars takes on it's own presents and a star shape too. I didn't anticipate this, but I'm delighted with the result.

I nixed the funky shin idea for a more geometric modern star. I think it related better to the texture and modernizes the design. I'm very pleased with the way this month's mezuzah turned out. Right now it is not in the shop, but you can inquired about it by email to me if you are interested.

Inspiration and possibilities

2010-09-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Labor day weekend was a wonderful time for me. I was fortunate to spend some quality time with an old friend, Andrew Raftery, whom I went to college with at Boston University. Andrew and I were both painting majors and although I went on the fashion design, Andrew perfected his skills and went on to study at Yale. He is now a master engraver and Professor at Rhode Island School of Design. There are many things that I love about Andrew, but what I admire about him is that he is always true to his heart and passions. Watch Andrew create a master engraving of a 16th Century drawing.

Having time with an artist and print maker like Andrew gave me the opportunity to discuss process like I haven't done in a long while. It was so inspiring to me. He really encouraged me to explore making more of my own texture plates. I have been carving textures in the past, but the possibilities of making textures with photo polymer was intriguing to me. And Andrew explained to me the process and connected me with some high quality suppliers.

But for my first attempt I decided to go low tech. There is no point in investing in a technique if it will not work for me. I purchased a basic photo polymer kit from Cool tools, which allowed me to expose the polymer with an ordinary 60 watt bulb. The hardest thing for me was creating the artwork. I wanted to create a Moorish tile pattern that utilized a six pointed or Jewish star. I could find the pattern I wanted anywhere so I had to draw it out and then copy a repeat the pattern (if I only knew how the use my graphic software). I then scanned the pattern into the computer, made it into a negative and printed it (twice) on a transparency. The process of making the plate this way was fairly easy, although I did tear the plate once while scrubbing out the polymer. I think my second attempt will me even better.

With the texture finished, I moved on to creating a mezuzuah in silver metal clay. Unfortunately the polymer packs that come in the kit were not quite long enough for the whole mezuzah. I do think the texture came out pretty nice, although I would love to try this pattern on a plate that was not so deep.

Now that I have begun to construct the mezuzah I realize I have absolutely no plan of design. The texture is very nice, but different then I expected so I have to think about this for a while and decide what to do next.

I made a funky shin for the piece which I think may be a nice contrast to the geometric pattern, but I'm not sure yet.

I will post the finished mezuzah for the September mezuzah project.

fast fire bronze-success

2010-09-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

I have struggled with bronze and copper clays in the past. My mezuzot never could withstand the firing process with out falling apart or changing shape. When fast fire bronze came out I checked out the blogs of my fellow metal clay artists and was encourage by the success they had. Last night I made a test piece, a very narrow and tall 3 sided box (like a mezuzah). The result is perfect and the form did not contort. Although the clay feels and acts very differently then silver clay, I do think it is worth my time to pursue. I'm very excited and motivated to create mezuzot in this medium....stay tuned to see what I come up with.

mezuzah project-august

2010-09-02T19:43:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm late again. This time I'm just late about posting because I finished this mezuzah in August.

This design is like one I made last year, but better now, beacuse one year means more skill. I love the modern texture and the non traditional approach to a mezuzah.

This month I have been very busy preparing for fall shows. I'm having a trunk show at Essential Elements in October and the Best of Missouri Show is in November. There are some small venues in between, I'll keep you all posted.

what inspires me.....

2010-08-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

I have been working every possible moment I have in my studio these days preparing for the fall shows. I have a trunk show in October and The Best of Missouri Hands show in November (more details to follow). So I need a lot of beautiful things to sell, especially jewelry (as opposed to Judaica).

What inspires me? Well, my approach to designing jewelry in very different than Judaica. For jewelry, I have to go back to my roots.

First, I research. I look at everything! I see what the metal clay artists are up to. Most of this research is on the web. I look at artists I admire and also those I don't. I want to see what everyone is excited about creating. I get ideas about trends in style as well as technique. Maybe a new way to add a bail to a pendent. Of course, I never copy, but use my own style to interpret the technique. I always take a look at my old metal clay technique books too. Sometimes something old looks new again. That's also why I go through my old sketch books. I interpreted my old wire wrapped designs into metal clay!

Now it's time to research the fashion trends. I was a knitwear and sportswear designer for years so I am very interested in fashion. I'd like to think my jewelry is timeless design, but I can't help to make designs that relate to whats in. It's just fun for me. So I look at sportswear, couture as well as accessory and jewelry trends. My favorite places for high end jewelry designs, Barneys New York! For real trendy, young jewelry you have to check out Urban Outfitters, (of course it may fall apart by the time you get home). Ideas can come for high and low end, so I look everywhere.

Finally, I always take some time to design for me. It may sound silly, but some of my best sellers have come from this approach. I just bought a new dress for the Jewish holidays. It's a solid purple Susan Monaco, from my favorite boutique in town Essential Elements. The dress is understated, so its perfect for jewelry. I designed these link chandeliers to wear with it. I think that a necklace with the earrings would be way too much, but lots of chunky silver link bracelets will look great! Stay tuned for these to show up in my fall collection.

I never make jewelry that I myself wouldn't wear. I've tried to honor a customers request when I didn't like the idea and I am always disappointed with the result. So trend or not, if I don't like it, it's not going to happen for rachels things.

Well, I better get back to the studio, I have a lot of work to do.

I'm featured on a metal clay blog

2010-08-19T00:31:00.000-05:00

Check out metalclaymagic.com
My whimsical house mezuzah is featured on this blog. It's so cool to see my work accepted into the metal clay artist community. I have admired the work of so many of these artists on these blogs and to be featured with them is a great honor.

setting goals

2010-08-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

How do you work? I like to set goals for myself. Some goals are clearly not ones I will realistically be able to accomplish but I set them anyway. Having a goal gets me on a schedule and gives me the drive I need to complete work.

I have a big show coming up in in November. For a show you need enough work to make a nice display and give customers a chance to browse and select. I recently purchased a large iron earring display which holds 75 pairs of earrings. So the goal is to have at least 65 pairs available for sale. And, I would love for them all to be different from each other....but that is the unrealistic part! If I can have all my pieces for the show completed by the end of September then I will have the month of October to organize and style the display.

I have about 40 pairs of earrings completed, 15 more in clay state, drying and then off to the kiln, and 10 more to complete this weekend. After the earrings, I will make more necklaces and bracelets.....but they take a lot longer to make!

so many houses for sale......

2010-08-06T18:24:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's a buyers market, there are so many houses for sale in my neighborhood. But these are different kinds of houses. They are my handmade, one of a kind, tiny fine silver pendent necklaces, which depict some pretty special fantasy buildings. Check out the new varieties in my ETSY store.

mezuzah project-july

2010-08-01T15:50:00.001-05:00

OK, I know it's Auguat 1st, but last month was crazy. I won't go into the gory details, but I was really out of it for most of the month. Let's just say that I wasn't physicaly able to produce any work, so the mezuzah for the month is debuting a little late.
I am vey very proud of this mezuzah. I actualy started working on it in June and I spent more time on this piece then any other. The mezuzah is an art piece which depicts a whimsical house with a front stoop, tree, and hanging swing. As with many of my designs it is meant to be hung indoors as there are cut out windows. The mezuzah probably not like any other you have every seen, and like all my designs is made individually by hand is is one of a kind.
You can find this mezuzah for sale, as well as others, at my etsy store.

craft alliance emerging artists show

2010-07-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

http://www.craftalliance.org/exhibitions/delmar/emerging-artists/2010/emergingartists10.html

I made these earring at a metal class I took last fall at Craft Alliance in the UCity loop. It was a great experience, I highly recommend taking metal , clay or glass classes there. My daughter who is 11 took 2 excellent classes there this summer, one on metal and one glass bead making and she loved the experience.

Anyway, I submitted these earrings which I made the "old fashioned" way and was please to be included in their Emerging Artists Exhibition. If you are in the area stop by and check out the work and also the wonderful gallery store, which always has something worth buying and has a great sale going on right now!

flower chain necklace

2010-06-30T20:06:00.000-05:00

I've been crazy busy in the studio this week making all sorts of things to get really for the fall and holiday shows. Here is a new necklace that I just added to my Etsy shop. It's a delicate looking chain of fine silver flowers, perfect for a strapless dress or a wedding gown.

woodland cross

2010-06-24T18:27:00.001-05:00

I made this very special cross for my new godchild Harper Elizabeth. It's my first real attempt at making a cross so I hope I did it justice. The design was inspired by her beautiful room which was designed by her talented mother Liz, my very good friend. I made it look like two twigs which form the cross surrounded by tiny flowers and leaves.
I am honored to a part of Harper's life and hope that she will always have her faith to guild her.

the mezuzah project-june

2010-06-20T00:23:00.001-05:00

Well, I've spend the last few weeks helping my kids, finishing the school year, going on a great family vacation and then getting them off to summer camp. Now, it's finally time to get serious, get back in the studio and do some real work.

I am especially excited about this mezuzah which inspired by woodland flowers and also art nouveau. I have been working on this piece for a while and also have a secret keeper necklace based on this design.

emc charm swap

2010-05-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

The wonderful group of artists that I am a part of (etsy metal clay team) recently had a charm swap. 22 artists participated and each of us created 24 identical charms (or close to identical) made from any kind of metal clay. The swap means that each of us got each others charms and we have enough left to make 2 additional bracelets which will be auctioned off for charity.
When I received my package of charms I was overwhelmed at the talented group that I was a part of. Each charm showcases the artists spirit and unique technique. I wanted to make a bracelet that reflected the handmade charms. Luckily, Catherine Witherell, posted a great tutorial on the emc blog so I followed the directions and made this fine silver fused link bracelet. I made it exactly like the tutorial except I used heavier 16 gauge wire. I really loved the way it turned out. It looks great with all the charms.

I loved the look so much I decided to make more chain so that I could them attach the bracelet to it and turn it into a necklace.

triple flower earrings

2010-05-25T13:09:00.000-05:00

I've added additional flowers to my periwinkle earring to make this chandelier style. It makes a real statement! Check them out on Etsy!

check out this blog

2010-05-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

I'm featured!

Cuteable

special gifts

2010-05-21T16:07:00.001-05:00

I was honored to make some personalized yads last month. I've made yads (pointers used to read from the torah) before, for Bar and Bat Mitzvah gifts. This is a unique way to honor the event and if given before the service the Bar Mitzvah can use it while he reads from the Torah. Adding the name of the child and the date of his or her Bar Mitzvah make it a very special keepsake.
This month I was ask to create a yad for the "teacher" of the Bar Mitzvah. What a beautiful gift to give a teacher. The customer chose to personalize the yad with the name of the teacher with gratitude and love from his student. I am told that the teacher was extremely touched by this very special gift. It was for him one of the most favorite gifts he had received from a student. I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful journey.

kate mckinnon-sculptural metal clay

2010-05-13T22:19:00.004-05:00

Just received my signed copy of Kate Mc Kinnon’s new book, Sculptural Metal Clay, so I thought I’d write some of my thoughts I have about this book.

As many of you know, I first learned about metal clay from Kate when she was living here in St. Louis. The book is set up much like a workshop you would take from the artist herself, the emphasis being on techniques and not on projects. This is the real difference that I see between this book and most other metal clay books on the market. Most books have set by step instructions on how to make a ring, pendent etc. Instead, Kate describes the techniques she uses to make components, which you can incorporate into your own jewelry designs. She discusses, among other things, ring bands, rivet posts, prongs and box building, 19 elements in all, a wealth of information.

There are also 10 projects in the book, but even if you were to copy these projects exactly, they wouldn’t turn out exactly the way they are in the book. Kate used her favorite beads from other artists in the projects and it makes them easy for you to personalize.

As with any book or class with Kate you are going to hear a lot about safety. She feel it is her duty to warn others about the dangers of firing metal clay incorrectly and working with it without respecting safety issues. Personally I think the beginning of the book is a little preachy, but that is Kate’s way. She works very clean, advises artist to make clean cuts and never sands or uses slip. When I first started working with metal clay, I was so nervous about handling the clay too much I swear my heart pounded the whole time. I have since experimented myself and worked with other artists and therefore I am not freaked out about rehydrating or sanding from time to time. But if you have never tried it Kate’s way, I suggest that you give it a shot. If you work the way she suggests not only are you handling the medium safety, but your pieces will look more organic, they will look like metal clay pieces, not like refined silver that mass produced jewelry looks like. Why not take advantage of the possibilities of this incredible medium. Embrace it.

I wish that she would have added even more information of work hardening and finishing pieces. Although Kate writes more than most authors do on the subject, there is never enough information for me on this subject.

In conclusion, this book is a welcome addition to every metal artist’s library. The beginner will learn to basics and safety issues and the novice will get the opportunity to learn an important metal clays artist’s point of view and pick up some great techniques along the way.

the mezuzah project- May

2010-05-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

This month's mezuzah is a variation on some of my past designs. It featured the Hebrew scripture texture with a ribbon "tied" around the scroll to reference the way the torah is tied when it is stored in the ark.

As usually the mezuzah is solid fine silver and is available in my Etsy shop.

nishmah

2010-04-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful afternoon at St. Louis' Nishmah conference on Women's health and Spirituality. They had a vendor section and there was a nice of people at the conference who were checking out the artist and other associations and vendors present. It was nice to meet up with old friends and meet new ones. And making some sales was great too!

I meet Israeli and Kansas City artist Limor Katz-Evans who makes really fantastic original designed t-shirts other garments with inspirational Hebrew motifs. I bought a couple for my girls, check out her website, the t-shirts are really excellent quality too.

a charmed life

2010-04-19T14:17:00.000-05:00

I am so happy and honored to be participating in the emc team, Etsy Metal Clay, charm swap. If you don't already know, the emc team is a group of extremely talented etsy artists who specialize in working in metal clay. I was juried into the group last year. The artists lend support to one another by promoting our shops and also exchanging ideas, techniques and resources.
For the charm swap we were required to make 24 identical charms, 22 to exchange with the other artists, and 2 additional charms that will be made into bracelets that the group auctions off for charity. Honestly, the last bracelet that was made (a year ago) was incredible and really priceless. The charms had to be in metal clay, silver or you could use bronze, copper or a combination.

So here is what I came up with. They are not identical, but pretty close. They are silver. I decided to make a 3 dimensional charm since I love to construct my pieces. I just send the box of charms off, and I should get a box back next month with 22 different charms from all over the world. I can't wait to see all the different techniques and points of view. I might make a bracelet out of it, or maybe a charm necklace. Oh, by the way, this one will not be for sale!

the mezuzah project-april

2010-04-14T14:10:00.002-05:00

This very special mezuzah has a lot of detail and personality. I am especially proud the raised scroll design as I carved the the design myself on a rubber block and used the carving to texture the metal clay. I think that this mezuzah is a perfect example of how I try to create modern art which has great reverence to antiquities.
Please remember to check my etsy shop for new designs (this mezuzuh will be featured there soon), and visit me at Artrophy or Monday evening at the JCC in St. Louis.

Artrophy

2010-04-10T19:01:00.000-05:00

This week is very exciting because I am finally getting my * together and I am showing my artwork ad jewelry in 4 venues during the next two weeks.

I have a private studio art tour visiting my home and studio on Tuesday. I will tell you more about it later this week. On Saturday I am participating in Artrophy. The spring show of handmade arts and crafts sponsored by Showme Etsy. These are a great group of local St. Louis artists who also have Etsy shops. I am really looking forward to being in this show. If you want to enjoy a wonderful St. Louis day and check out Lafeyette Square neighborhood, head down to the Squires Restaurant and check out the show. There is truly something for everyone. Show runs from 10am to 3pm.

Coming up I will be at the JCC for Yon Haatzmauit and the Nishmah Women's Health and Wellness Fair.

and now for something completely different.........

2010-03-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

I created this multi-strand necklace for my good friend Linda P's 40th birthday. She is very girly, a bit trendy and into classic looks. I made my version of the popular ribbon necklace that are a must have this year. The colors are golds and pale pink. The materials are pearl, tourmaline, rutilated and and pink quartz and gold fill chain. It was a challenge to make and allowed me to practice my wire wrapping skills. Oh, and she loved it!

the mezuzah project-march

2010-03-21T17:31:00.000-05:00

For my March mezuzah I decided to make a mezuzah that looks more like an actual house and less like a traditional mezuzah. The stone texture is unique as I created it myself and made my own texture sheet and mold. This literal design approach is a little different than some of my previous designs. I'm not sure how it fits in with my other work, but it was challenging and fun to make.
You may notice the beautiful professional photograph of the piece. I had some pieces photographed by local St. Louis photographer Don Casper, who did a beautiful job. I hope to use these pictures to get into Juried shows and professional associations. Thanks to Don Kelly, a wonderful silversmith artist, who has helped me with these pictures and connected me with Don Casper.

what should I call this necklace?

2010-03-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

This silver pendent necklace was inspired by a silver needle holder I picked up years ago in Hong Kong when I was designing sweaters. The tiny tube shaped vial measures about 2" tall from the top of the knob on the lid to the bottom of the fine silver loop where 4 semi-precious stones dangle. The cap stays on because the 32" necklace chain secures it together. I don't know what you would stash in the vial, but use your imagination, maybe a special note from a loved one. I haven't listed this on Etsy because I am preparing for 4 shows and special events next month. If you are interested on anything listed on the blog that is not in my Etsy shop please contact me.

now- smaller jewish stars

2010-03-03T08:19:00.000-06:00

I used to make small delicate jewelry. I few years ago when I did a lot of wire wrapped gemstone jewelry, most of my work was the kind of things that you really appreciated up close. And, although many people loved it, I did get comments that some customer wanted bigger bolder pieces. When I started creating jewelry with silver metal clay, it was much easier to work bigger, and so it was a natural progression for me to make my pieces bolder. The star of my classic Jewish star necklace measures about -7/8" which is pretty bold and although many customer love them I have gotten some comments that people would prefer a smaller more delicate version.

Well, I have been working on this I have come up with a smaller design, still unique to me and very modern. The star has the same two level design as the original star but only measures 5/8" across. So far I have only made an applique heart version, but I promise to work on the rockin star (the one with the rivets) in the future. These also come in a smaller price than the original star, which is also nice!

winter olympics

2010-02-21T22:31:00.000-06:00

Please allow me to shamelessly brag about my children just one more time! These drawing from my daughter Tamara, age 11, are part of a series that she drew last week while watching the Olympics. Each picture takes her about 20 minutes and the pictures are from her imagination...wow!

article about Abby's bat mitzvah in St. Louis Entertains magazine

2010-02-18T15:01:00.000-06:00

http://www.stlentertains.com/articles/celebrations/batmitzvah/

The Mezuzah Project- February

2010-02-16T20:35:00.000-06:00

For this month's mezuzah I decided to go in a different direction. I have a little more control over the metal clay since taking the certification course. I am more comfortable with the time I have to work the clay and I feel more confident making forms that are less textured.
This mezuzah is definitely more of a classic design, but I think the metal clay makes the piece look much more handmade and therefore more interesting......at least to me. Stayed tuned to some additions to my Etsy shop later this week, perhaps this mezuzah among them.

personalized yad

2010-02-11T12:37:00.000-06:00

Here is the latest version of theYad. This was difficult to make for two reasons. First of all the pointer of the yad is actually a carved hand. I carved the hand separately using original formula PMC which is easier to carve, but shrinks a lot more than PMC+. Then I fired the hand, and then embedded it in PMC+ which is the formula I used for the body of the Yad.

The personalization was then stamped on a thin strip of metal clay and then carefully attached to the Yad. This version would make a wonderful Bar or Bat Mitzvah gift.

what is a yad?

2010-02-07T22:47:00.000-06:00

Well, yad is the hebrew word for hand, and so a yad is actually a pointer, which is used when one reads from the torah scroll.

I made this yad from PMC in silver. I carved the pointer and made a decorative spirals for the finial. I am also working on a version with a carved hand. And one that can be personalized.

It's a little funny to be that I am actually sculpting with the metal clay. Sculpture was my least favorite subject in art school. Funny how things turn out, Professor Shaun would be proud, well, probably not.

St. Louis Entertains Magazine

2010-02-01T21:56:00.001-06:00

Exciting news! St. Louis Entertains Magazine has an article about Abby's Green Bat Mitzvah in this month's edition. For local st. Louis people, the magazine is available at Schnucks, Dierbergs and Straub's in Ladue, town and country, Frontenac and Chesterfield. The article is really nice and features great pictures of Abby, her Bat Mitzvah , our decorations, invitations and other green ideas. Pick one up if you are in the area.

Also, had a great Showme Etsy meeting tonight! It was so great to meets all these talented local artists.

PMC Certification

2010-01-26T19:52:00.000-06:00

I just returned from a 3 day course at the lovely Vitrum Studios in Beltsville Maryland. I took the Rio Grande PMC certification class which allows me to get a discount on PMC products and to teach classes in PMC. The extensive 3 day class is about technique, it is not a creative class. But even so, it is defiantly worthwhile
.

My teacher was Terry Kovalcik, a master a PMC manipulation and technique. He was a great instructor for this course, tough but with a good sense of humor. And he generously shared a lot of his personal tips and techniques at the end of the class.

For this class you are required to finish seven projects. The projects are a bit silly, but they are designed to practice skills and intoduce you to the different PMC products that are available. I'm glad that I was exposed to some of these products, even if I never choose to experiment with them. One example is the torch fired ring. First of all, I don't believe in torch firing PMC, and a ring made this way is not practical as it will never be strong enough. Even Terry advised against it, but the experience of making the ring was a helpful to me. Also made another ring with a set CZ fired into it, something I will probably never do again.

OK, what did I love to make? The tetrahedron project was a real challenge and sometimes the sanding a polishing was tedious, but it was an important exercise. The lentil bead project was a lot of fun. I loved all the possibilites of PMC sheet, and even though the woven earrings I made are not anything I would ever wear. I'm so excited to work with this type of PMC. Same for the gold Aura 22.

My favorite project by far was the last, the pen. I can't wait to make Yads (for torah reading) based on this project.

I have been contemplating taking this class for a couple of years. It is expensive, especially because it is never offered in or near St. Louis. And the class definitely is a demonstration of product and a certain technique. This is the technique that is mandated by the makers of PMC and the artist that they have selected as their masters. They do things and certain way and believe that they is the only way it can be done. Well, I do not think that is necessarily so. But I do believe that knowledge is power. And I have learned a lot of alternative methods to join, decorate and finish PMC. I think that the skills that I had before combined with the new knowledge will help me with my future designs and projects. I so look forward to getting a bulk of time in the studio to work.

January mezuzah project

2010-01-20T19:03:00.000-06:00

The last week has been very stressful. The is a lot of terrible and wonderful things happening all at once. I was lucky to carve out a bit of time to make the first mezzuah of the year. It's one I have been contemplating for a while, and even though it's completed, I wish I had done things differently. Still, it's a nice attempt at a castle motif. Next time I want to make the roof detail more prominent.

I am off to Maryland tomorrow to attend my PMC certification class. It's three days of classes that teach technique and use of materials. I am very excited for the challenge as well as the opportunity to meet other serious PMC artists.

the mezuzah project

2010-01-13T12:20:00.000-06:00

I've decided to start a new design challenge this year. I am calling it the mezuzuah project. I am going to design and make a new fine silver mezuzah case each month and feature it on my blog and in my Etsy store.

This month I am creating the castle tower mezuzuah. It's in the kiln right now, stay tuned....

the art of business/ the business of art

2010-01-09T15:45:00.001-06:00

This last week I have been focusing on getting serious about my artwork and making it a viable business. I have spent hours on the computer networking, building my brand and getting my name and my Etsy shop out on the world wide web. You can find links to my blog, my etsy store, pictures of my fine silver metal jewelry and Judaica, and personal bio, all over the place. Yet, there is so much more to do. I am only about half way through my list of free marketing tools on the web.
You can now find me on linkedin , whohub, and flicker, plus countless other small art, handmade, and craft sites I will not bore you with. I have become a part of great networking communities, like my etsy metal clay team and Showme Etsy a local St. Louis group of crafters. And, I own the domain rachelsthings, so www.rachelsthings.com will connect you directly to my etsy store!
In the near future I will be getting a new logo, etsy store banner, and I am off to DC for my PMC certification!

Please feel free to link my blog or website to any you might own, and I will do the same.

snow day

2010-01-07T13:32:00.000-06:00

There was a snow storm last night with super cold tempertures and everyone here in St. Louis freaked out so all the school are closed. It seems pretty silly really, I mean it's bitter cold yes, but the snow is really powdery and easy to clear away.

It's nice to have the girls home from school today, but I will probably not get as much work done as I would have liked. But this morning I did get a chance to photograph some new things for my Etsy shop. Here is a new necklace called "Hidden Treasures". The silver charms looks antique to me, like something you might find on an archeological dig in Europe.

i've been busy

2010-01-01T16:41:00.000-06:00

I'm making 4 new Jewish star necklaces, 3 pairs of periwinkle drop earrings and 3 tiny house necklaces. Still working on the tiny houses and the earrings, but check out the etsy store later this week to see the finish products.

I also recruited Abby to model a necklace so that people can get more of an idea of the scale. Doesn't she look professional!

what I am comfortable with.......

2009-12-18T15:51:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, now this is how it's suppose to work. I just can't seem to get the bronze clay to do what the silver clay does for me. This mezuzuah case was fun to make and didn't fall apart at all after I fired it! I just wish the silver was less expensive and so I could make more outrageous designs and not worry about wether they would sell or not. I would also like to reach more people, but asking them to spent $185 is a lot these days, even if it is a totally unique handmade piece and is solid silver.

During winter break I am going to make more inventory ( I am almost out of star necklaces and only have 2 mezuzot left). I think that I will concentrate on designs that I have already made and sold as I anticipate being creatively charged after I take my PMC certification course at the end of January in Maryland. I have about 3 50G packages of PMC left. I'd like to wait to buy more after I get certified and get a better discount. Actually I'd like the clay fairy to drop about 10 packages to me for free? I believe, I really do:).

done with bronze clay

2009-12-14T21:36:00.000-06:00

Well, I've attempted bronze clay yet again and yet again my pieces did not stay together. I spent a lot of time constructing the mezuzzah but the slabs do not stay together when they are fired. I think that the size and shape of the mezuzah makes it a poor choice for bronze clay and the way it behaves when fired in the carbon.

The tiny tower, which is supported by 4 walls instead of 3 actually held up fine, but I am not really interested in making towers out of bronze so I am yet again going to abandon the whole bronze clay thing. I did hear that Hadar Jacobson has a copper clay available which can be fired without the carbon pot, which may be a better solution for my pieces. Still I am waiting to hear more, because so far I've only seen smaller accent pieces made out of this material, not larger pieces like I want to make.

bronze clay....yet again

2009-12-13T22:37:00.000-06:00

I am making another attempt at bronze clay this weekend. This time I made simpler structures and concentrated on keeping the connections clean and secure. They are in the kiln now. I will post the results tomorrow...keep your fingers crossed, this could work.

artist annual

2009-12-03T22:47:00.000-06:00

Artists and galleries produce portfolios of their works in the form of books or artist annuals. In my quest to validate myself as an artist I decided to create an annual of my own. It's a mini booklet of the work that I produced this year mostly in pictures with a few comments. I naturally chose blurb.com to make the book the book and I plan to give it to my friends and customers who have supported me in this year as I make this journey. The book cover featured a "Rockin" jewish star charm and the back cover the same charm, but the backside!

marketplace boutique

2009-11-17T08:08:00.000-06:00

I will be at the Saul Spielberg Early Childhood Center Marketplace Boutique this Thursday November 19th at United Hebrew. The boutique takes place in the evening from 5:30-9:00pm. I will have my Jewish star necklaces, some towers as well as some inexpensive whimsical earrings. I only have 2 mezuzahs left, I've made another but I'm not sure I will have time to finish it before the show. As always, all my jewelry and artwork is solid fine silver and make by hand by me! There should be a lot of great vendors at the show so you might want to stop by and see if you can find a unique gift for a friend, or yourself.

my new favorites

2009-11-10T20:57:00.000-06:00

I've been wearing these earrings almost everyday. Well, not these exact earrings but some similar ones. I decided to make some less expensive earrings so that people could buy them as gifts. I made a couple different flowers and some hoops and stars, all about $35 a pair. I found myself really loving them. They look great with everything!

I made the team

2009-11-05T18:17:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I got great news. Last month I reopened my Etsy shop. If you are not familiar with Etsy, you should definitely check it out. It is a wonderful resource to find one of a kind handmade items for sale. So since my reopening I have spent a lot more time and effort on making my shop look nice, photographing my work and making interesting pieces which I hope people will find unique and exciting. Anyway, through my research I found this group of PMC artists who sell on Etsy. They are talented artists, many of whom are published in books and magazines and who have won national awards. I submitted my shop to them and yesterday I found out the good news. I am honored to be part of the Etsy Metal Clay Team.
So far I have been bombarded with emails of congratulations from other team members as well as a lot of info on promoting my shop. If you haven't checked out my shop in a while you should!

recycled centerpiece

2009-11-04T14:55:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to post this photo of the origami centerpieces that I made for Abby's Bat Mitzvah. Here they are in their reincarnation! At Megan's Bat Mitzvah party at Third Degree Glass in St. Louis. They look even better in this beautiful setting. My thanks to Linda King for helping set up all the centerpieces and to Stacy Carman for the beautiful photograph.

silver and glass ring

2009-10-27T20:21:00.000-05:00

Here is the sterling silver ring I created at metalsmithing class I took at craft alliance. I cut a ring band out of 18 gauge sheet silver. I cut out a little curvy design to make the shape a little more interesting. Then I formed the ring shape around a mandrel and soldered it together. I got this super cool tiny glass cabochon from Kara, a lampwork and silver artist in my class. I made a silver bezel setting, soldered it on to the ring and then set the blue stone.

fusing fine silver

2009-10-21T22:10:00.000-05:00

My fingers are killing me. I've spent the last 3 hour in my basement studio fusing fine silver rings together on bracelets and earrings. I love being able to use the torch without the fuss of solder. The fine silver just melts and fuses together. I am getting pretty good to this, but my fingers still hurt from opening and closing rings and trying to get them to fit together just right. Plus I did a lot of cleaning up my PMC fresh from the kiln with a brass brush. It's not exactly easy on the hands. Oh well, I gave up on manicures years ago.

Here is a glimpse of a link bracelet and some really sweet periwinkle earrings. I am also experimenting with Jewish star earrings.....not sure about them.

making things for rachel's things

2009-10-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

OK, I've been really busy in the studio the last few weeks, making PMC pieces. I really love the metal smithing class, but I have to say that it's not really as fulfilling for me as creating with metal clay. There is so much more fuss, and planning involved. And to tell you the truth, I am not really turned on by all the hammering. As far as the torch goes, soldering is a lot of fun, but the nasty pickle is, well...nasty.

Back in my basement studio I am busy creating things is less time with more detail and weight then I can in class. I am planning to be in a home show next month here in St. Louis to benefit The Reform Jewish Academy. Someone from the school heard about my mezuzahs and invited me to participate in the show with other local St. Louis artists. I am excited about getting back to my business after spending so much time on the Bat Mitzvah. The show also has forced me to get an inventory of items made, and also to get serious about my Esty shop, "rachelsthings" , which I have revamped and I am in the process of reopening. Here is just a sample of what I have been working on.

falling flower earrings

2009-10-13T21:59:00.001-05:00

I finished the silver earrings. After soldering the silver wire to each flower, I threaded them through holes I drilled, and balled up the tip of the wire with the torch. Of course I screwed it up and had to redo a couple of torch firings. Plus I almost lost one of the tiny flowers on the studio floor when it flew out of my hands when I was polishing it. Thank goodness we retrieved it by sweeping up the floor!

I decided to mount the earrings so that you see the balled up wires, but you could reverse the ear wires and wear them so the balls don't show. I made the ear wires too. Just a 2" length of 20 gauge sterling balled up with the torch on one end and then formed into a shepherd's hook earring.

metalsmith earrings

2009-10-06T22:01:00.001-05:00

Last week I soldered! I had to solder silver wire on to the backs of the tiny flowers I cut out. I will thread the wire through small holes I drilled in the flowers to attach the flowers together. The whole soldering process was pretty easy. But I have to admit I am not a fan of all the mess and toxic fumes and chemicals. Plus, this kind of metalworking requires a real studio with proper and expensive equipment and ventilation. So I think I will continue to taking classes at Craft Alliance and learn more techniques but I will stick to metal clay at my home studio.

more mystery tour

2009-10-06T21:45:00.001-05:00

Part of our party tour was dinner and cooking demo at the Viking Cooking School. We provided these aprons personalized at Embroid me.

magical mystery tour

2009-09-29T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm posting 2 final posts on ideas from Abby's Bat Mitzvah!

So for Abby's party, we hosted 20 girls in a hummer limo on a "magical mystery tour". Yea, I know, not exactly eco-friendly! Anyway, here are some cool gifts for the girls. Blue heather hoodies, from Alternative Apparel, printed with our logo at Embroid me.

metalsmithing class

2009-09-25T17:48:00.006-05:00

I am taking a metal fabrication class at Craft Alliance in St. Louis. This is old school, not the metal clay I have been working with. I think that going back to basics will be a good learning experience for me and can only help me more with my metal clay pieces.

I haven't worked metal like this since Mr. Marshall's class at Ladue High School, but it's all coming back to me. I am really good at fine sawing, to me it's just like drawing real slow. I decided to dive right in and work with silver, you put the same amount of effort as you would with copper or brass, you might as well end up with something that doesn't make your skin turn green.

My teacher, Cindy Howenstein is really great. What I like about the class is that there are no specific projects to make. The students can explore the medium and make whatever they want, and she demos different procedures as they come up. We are making bezels, learning to solder, and learning polishing techniques. There are also advanced students in the class who are working independently, and you can learn from them just by observing.

So far I have cut out these tiny silver hydrangeas which I am going to either solder together or join them some other way so there is movement. They are going to be earrings. I'll post my progress.

blurb book

2009-09-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

OK, here is the coolest thing ever. All those pictures that I used for the photo collages, I spent lots of time scanning old family photos. But, not just for the posters. I used the pictures for this very special pictures book I made for Abigail. I presented it to her right before her Bat Mitzvah. The book has chapters on youth, family hobbies, friends and more. At the end there are autograph pages which her friends signed at her kid's party! I built the book using Blurb software. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed making the book. I worked on it for about 8 months before I published it, but that is because I wanted to get it just right. The quality of the book is just beautiful. It's a great keepsake for any occasion.

photo montage

2009-09-13T20:37:00.006-05:00

You can't show a video montage of your Bar or Bat Mitzvah kid on Shabbat, so instead I decided to make some photo collages and displayed them on easels outside the sanctuary. I made these though Snapfish. The only complaint that I had about the process is that you cannot choose exactly which pictures went where in each collage. They just scramble randomly and you just have to settle on a layout that you think looks best. Still the price was right, about 15 dollars a poster! It cost more to have the posters mounted on foam core after I received them in the mail, but I think they looked great!

Bat Mitzvah booklet

2009-09-13T20:23:00.004-05:00

In many temples and synagogues, they have handouts available for congregants and guests. We decided to personalize these handouts and actually made them ourselves on our home computer and printer! It really wasn't that hard, it just took a bit of time. I designed the booklets in Microsoft Publisher. Inside I wrote a welcome letter, information on the Bat Mitzvah girl, the temple, service, and the special honors given to family and guests. On the front and back cover I put pictures of Abigail that were taken by our professional photographer, Lisa Mandel. I printed the cover on heavier stock (recycled). It took a lot of ink, but printing the booklets myself cost about 1/4 of what it would at a print shop.
Instead of staples, I punched two holes on the spine and tied them with blue and green raffia ribbon.

kippot

2009-09-13T20:01:00.005-05:00

We are trying to make this Bat Mitzvah as "green" and eco-friendly as possible so no leather yamakahs! There are a lot of options out there, but Abby thought these crochet straw ones were pretty cool. I got them from Kippot World . Their website is pretty easy to navigate, but the color card that they have on line isn't great. Because straw is hand dyed, matching exact colors is pretty much out of the question. I called them directly and asked for samples and they were not the best at customer relations, but we decided to take a leap of faith and just go for it. Abby wanted blue and green and the resulting kippah was just perfect!
We ordered the upgraded personalization on the inside, which looks really great. And everyone must have liked them because I thought I over ordered, but there was not one left after the services!

the tables

2009-09-13T19:43:00.004-05:00

Abby's Bat Mitzvah went off without a hitch labor day weekend. So for the next few posts I'm going to show you exactly what I did to decorate and accessorize the event, and how I did it. Please feel free to comment and ask questions.

The centerpieces looked great and the impact of 18 tables decorated was great. It took about an hour to set it up. Then we added the personalized biodegradable plastic cups and napkins. The paper plates were also personalized but they were placed at the buffet line. All the personalized paper goods were purchased from Printglobe online. They were pretty easy to work with, the quality was fine. My only complaint is that they charged an extra surcharge after the fact, which I was warned about. But still remember there is a surcharge, so the price you are quoted may not be the final price.

I would like to post more pictures of the room but one cannot take pictures during the Bat Mitzvah as it is on Shabbat. But trust me, it looked good.

out of towner bags

2009-09-02T00:19:00.003-05:00

These are the reusable totes that we filled with goodies and are giving to those guests who will be visiting from out of town. We collected information on St. Louis attractions, some sweets, nuts, and energy bars, water, and St. Louis rootbeer. My daughter Abby designed the Bat Mitzvah recycle logo and we had it printed on the bags! The bags are finished and ready to be delivered to the hotels Friday. We used this logo again other places; I'll post those pictures soon.

pashmina tallit

2009-08-25T21:20:00.003-05:00

Can you believe this beautiful tallit. It was made by my friend Sara Shapiro who has spent the last three years in India. Sara is a talented and gifted artist. She also a fellow allumnie of Boston University were she was studied weaving. Sara found these beautiful Indian pashminas that are also embrodried and beaded. She added squares and a collar piece in silk and then added the tzitit from threads she got in Israel. I am so honored to own this beautiful tallit, not only because it is so gorgeous, but also because it is made by someone I really admire. And yes. I'm gonna wear it at the Bat Mitzvah- it looks great with my dress!

Bimah Floral Pieces

2009-08-16T19:58:00.004-05:00

This is how the large floral pieces which will flank the bimah turned out. They are made of rolled up magazine pages which are held together by hot glue. I also added some origami lillies to make them look more like floral arrangements. The bases are large decoupaged glass vases. The finished products measure about 3 feet tall by 2 1/2 feet high. I made two arrangements, which are slightly different from each other and they will be placed on either side of the bimah at the synagogue.

personalized programs

2009-08-07T13:24:00.002-05:00

I finished printing the synagogue programs, which include information on Abigail, the Bat Mitzvah service and the who is getting special honors during the service. We printed all the copies ourselves on our home computer printer. They featured two full color photos of Abby which were professional taken by our photographer Lisa Mandel. To finish it off we tied each program with blue and green raffia ribbon. And, of course, everything was printed on recycled paper!

can you believe this is going to turn into something?

2009-07-29T22:23:00.003-05:00

It is......check out the blog again to see how it turns out.

making vases

2009-07-29T22:07:00.003-05:00

These are the vases that we are using for the 2 large centerpieces with will be placed in the synagogue for Abby's Bat Mitzvah. Here Abby is decoupaging the glass vases with the same paper we used for in envelope liner in the invitations. Actually we used the scrapes! no waste here!

future designer

2009-07-19T00:09:00.005-05:00

Check out these fabulous fashions designed and executed by daughter Tamara. She took a Fashion Design Camp at St. Louis' COCA. Here she is on the runway and then posing in her green tee and cropped jacket. Both were remake redesigned. The green top from an ordinary tee shirt and the jacket from a man's button down shirt.