Inspired by Reading April Blog Hop...

The April book for the Inspired by Reading Book Club was "Paris to the Moon" by Adam Gopnik.  The premise of this book club is a little different than most book clubs.  Once we've read the book, we do more than just discuss it... we make something inspired by it.

My piece is a little rougher than I would have liked, but I do like some of the concepts behind the piece.  I did a photo transfer of an etching mentioned in the book (actually the inspiration for the title of the book) onto polymer clay panels.  The panels form the focal of the necklace.  Flanking the focal, I had two French coins that were turned into supporting charms.  I added milagros that were symbolic of themes and imagery from the book.  I wanted to add a pop of color with the Chinese crystal rondelles.  The author mentions a movie called The Red Balloon and I wanted to reference that.  The bronze chain is pulled together with a copper toggle clasp.

Some of our locals who intended on coming to the book club were out of town or couldn't make it.  However, Laurel Ross and Terri Greenawalt came!  Terri actually came from another state and drove over two hours!  For the meet up, I made some beef bourguignon and an apple and apricot puree puff pastry tart. We had some wine and Laurel brought some champagne!  It was a really fun time and I am so glad that we could get together to discuss the book and our creations... and a lot of other stuff.  

Here is Terri's piece!  Isn't it amazing!  I love all the textures and how she's managed to capture an eclectic spirit.  It's so rich!  I know that the gears were meant to symbolize the working gears within the French windmills... they also gave the piece a contemporary, Steampunk flavor.  Isn't it beautiful?!

This is Laurel's piece!  She combined the bright red with the black lace to create a really sexy and sensual piece.  The necklace has an interesting mix of fibers  and chain.  The bold focal really makes the piece POP!  Didn't she do an awesome job making this piece?

Want to see what others were inspired to make?  (This is just the first wave of submissions!)

Mary K. McGraw

Mary Harding

Sarajo Spurgeon Wentling

Jenny Davies Reazor

Judy Campbell

Sharon Palac
Michelle Mach

Andrew Thornton, Laurel Ross, Terri Greenawalt

There are more submissions to come!

The next month is slotted for "A Rumor of Gems" by Ellen Steiber.  If you want to participate, one of the best ways to keep in touch is through our Facebook page.  CLICK HERE to visit our Facebook page.

The Winner...

The winner of the latest Allegory Gallery giveaway is Grace Neff.  She was randomly selected from the comments and will take home this porcelain pendant of a tree with stars detailed with fine silver.  Congratulations!

Spring...

The past few days have simply been a gift!  The winter was hard on me.  It seemed relentless with one snowstorm after another.  But the climate has slowly been getting warmer and the skies have been getting progressively brighter.  Flowers are in bloom and there's a sense of levity in the air.  The landscape is coming alive and I feel like I'm coming alive as well.  I've caught the Spring Fever and have been busily working away.  I try to sneak some gardening time in when I can and have been planting flowers and herbs at the shop.  At home I'd like to put in a perennial bed with peonies, toad lilies and fritillaria.  I've had success with peonies and toad lilies in the past, but haven't tried my hand at fritillaria before.  I am excited and I feel ripe with possibility!

Beaded Links...

A Bead A Day
What are YOU making for spring? Stop by A Bead A Day to share.

About.com Jewelry Making
Innovation and beads go together, and this new book review gives you the 4-1-1 all about it.

Art Bead Scene
Rebecca shares some homemade bead artists from her native shores of Britain with Art Bead Scene readers!

Beading Arts
Here's something that goes especially well with beads... chocolate whiskey fudge!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Incorporating t-shirt yarn (tarn) with other fibers will result in some gorgeous necklaces if you use a kumihimo disk to braid them.

Resin Crafts!
Rubber stamps will get a new life in the jewelry studio if you work with Jewelry Clay!

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean uses DIY videos (see a cool example of one) to help her learn jewelry techniques from expert, Eni Oken.  See Jean's Wabi Sabi ring inspired by Eni!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Using glow-in-the-dark polymer clay, Andrew creates some unique floral-themed pendants!

Facebook Page Giveaway...

We just hit 800 likes on the Allegory Gallery Facebook page!  Hurray!  To celebrate, we're giving away this handmade porcelain pendant!  It has fine silver accents and is a part of a limited edition series.  To find out how you can win, CLICK HERE!  But hurry, the drawing for the winner will be at midnight EST on Monday, April 29th!

Last Week of Nest at Allegory Gallery...

For the last week of Kathy Dorfer's art exhibition at Allegory Gallery, I've listed the show online!  If you can't make it to the shop to see the show in person, you can see it online!  "Nest" is a show composed of twelve original artworks.  The pieces are watercolors done on handmade paper.  Two of them are housed in handcrafted, plaster nichos.  CLICK HERE to check out the show and if you like a piece, they're for sale as well!

Novel Art at the Ligonier Valley Library...

The Ligonier Valley Library is hosting a creative fundraiser called, "Novel Art".  They put a call for submissions to transform old books into artwork.  The fundraiser will culminate in an evening of festivities on May 3rd.  Attendees are able to bid on their favorite creations in a silent auction and be entertained by storyteller, Scott Pavelle.  All of the proceeds will go towards upgrading the library's computer equipment.  To find out more about the project, CLICK HERE.

I love reading and I love books.  My Library Card was a beloved treasure when I was growing up.  I spent countless hours combing the stacks for my next adventure.  It is only natural that I would want to contribute a piece to help out my local library.  

For my submission, I broke out the Now That's a Jig! and a spool of copper wire.  I arranged the pegs almost randomly and took the piece of wire for a walk.  I coiled it and created a bubbly configuration.  In the loose spots, I secured them with thin gauge bronze wire.

When I saw the shapes, I was reminded of a scene from Thomas Hardy's book, "Far From the Madding Crowd".  Bathsheba performs an act of bibliomancy by asking a question and placing a key in the pages of a Bible.  The words within the hole in the bow of the key are the answer.

I cut the pages of the book to fit the circles of wire and glued them in place.  I then dipped everything in resin.  Once it was hardened, I wire-wrapped tiny Czech glass crystals on to exposed copper wire.   I incorprated the focal with coral teardrops, a faceted natural garnet rondelle, a piece of branch coral, a pearl, and a 

Book Club Update...

The first "meeting" of the Inspired by Reading book club is less than a week away!  Did you read the April book, "Paris to the Moon" by Adam Gopnik?  Have you made your piece (in whatever form it'll take) inspired by the book?

We have many ways to get involved.  On April 30th, those of us who are participating will be sharing their creations via a blog hop.  We will also have an online discussion happening on the Facebook group page.  Jenny Davies-Reazor has done a wonderful job maintaining and promoting the Pinterest board.  AND... Allegory Gallery will be hosting an in-person meet-up in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.  If you are planning to attend, let us know and we'll save you a seat.  If you're planning on hosting your own meet-up, let us know and we'll help get the word out about it.

The book for May is, "A Rumor of Gems" by Ellen Steiber.  The Reveal for the May book is Tuesday, May 28th.  If you haven't gotten your book yet, please consider supporting your local independent bookstore or library.  You can also order the book from Second Chapter Books by contacting Laurie.

Happy reading!  Happy making!

Online Sale...

We're gearing up for some exciting new changes for our website and online store.  As a result, we've been doing a little spring cleaning.  You can save 35% off your entire order (except on classes)!  That's a pretty significant discount.  Just use the coupon code, "SPRING" at the time of check out.  The sale goes until Thursday evening at midnight EST.  Once the sale is over, we'll be streamlining our online offerings.  So if you love something, get it before it's gone!  CLICK HERE to visit the online shop!

Beaded Links...

A Bead A Day
Bead love... Lisa's got it!  How about you?  Stop by A Bead A Day to share your bead love story.

About.com Jewelry Making
Get hammered with beads, copper, and wire when you make these pretty flower earrings.

Art Bead Scene
Gaea shares some colorful art bead inspiration in the form of a treasury based upon this challenge piece by Monet.

Beading Arts
Cyndi attempts to get her "Mental Gears" in order in this stringing project!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Have you made a slider bracelet yet?  Carmi wirewraps her main slider to create a floral window box effect.

Resin Crafts!
Sometimes a pendant looks so much better if you collaborate with another designer!

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean is hosting a giveaway of the wonderful book, Suzanne Golden Presents Interviews with 36 Artists Who Innovate with Beads!  For a chance to win this GREAT book, see Jean's blog!  Hooray!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew participated in a cool blog hop challenge hosted by Tara Linda!  The prompt was a NASA image of a nebula!

Grow and Glow...

With green slowly seeping back into the landscape and spring finally taking root, I've been in a very earthy mood.  After a long winter, all I want to do is just take walks and look at the newly awakened vegetation and all the growing greenery.

With flowers on the brain, I decided to make these polymer clay pendants with floral motifs transferred on them.  The color of the clay reminds me of bone or a bleached wood or ivory.  I used images of old woodcut prints from a copyright free Dover book.  I really like how clean and crisp the transfers turned out.
 

The coolest part happens when you turn the lights off.  I used a glow-in-the-dark polymer clay mixed with a translucent clay and pendants are quite luminous in the dark.

I'm probably going to use these in the new window display.

Art of Science Challenge: REVEAL...

The lovely and talented, Tara Linda, hosted a challenge on her blog.  The prompt was an image of Orion's Nebula taken by NASA.  She first proposed the challenge HERE.

I have always loved these images of outer space.  To me, they've always looked like the most luminescent silk paintings of billowing celestial clouds.  This is the birthplace of stars.

The image of a place of creation stuck with me.  I kept thinking that this faraway place will make new constellations... they will be constellations within a constellation. This is where the children of the heavens are born... the star children.

I did two things in this piece that I normally don't do in my work... I broke out the plastic babies and the glitter.

I gessoed and covered the plastic baby in gold-leaf.  Simultaneously, I prepared the inside of a copper, fold-formed box I made recently.  I sealed all the seams, coated everything in gesso, and then added layers of paint.  My trusty hairdryer helped speed this process up.  I then had a high quality image of the nebula printed on a laser printer and glued it in place.  I sealed the image and noticed that the photo had sort of flattened.  Those sparks of life that give the original a truly ephemeral feeling kind of disappeared.  So this is where the glitter comes in.  I sparingly used it to simulate the stars. I glued the baby down and once everything was dry, I embedded the baby in resin.

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the end result.  It needed something else.  I busted out the drill and created four recessions in the corners of the surface of the resin.  I set vintage rhinestones in the holes.  I think that it's a nice little detail that elevates the piece.  The crystals seem to float and gives it another dimension.

The pendant that I made was simply strung on a stainless steel ball chain.  I had originally planned this elaborate embellished chain with clusters of beads in the colors from the photo, but I thought it distracted too much from the actual pendant and had a little too much Rainbow Brite action.  So I edited it down to just a length of ball chain.

Check out what the other challengers made:

Tara Linda
Angie Warren
D of Wondrous Strange Designs
Sarajo ~ SJ Designs
Marina of Fanciful Devices
Andrew Thornton (You are here)

Learning and Unlearning...

Right now I am in the middle of sorting out my student loan situation. It's an unpleasant task and one that I have put off for far too long.  Part of the process is finding documents that were tucked away in cardboard boxes and plastic bins and have survived (or not survived, as I am discovering) nine moves and over ten years.

While I was digging through the unorganized collective paperwork of over a decade of bad record keeping, I stumbled upon an artifact.  It was a piece I created during a summer residency program.  It was something that I made more for myself than anything else.  I still included it in the showing at the end of the program.  It was simple – a diary page mounted on a piece of wood with a plastic baggie stapled to it.  In the bag were clippings of hair.  Believe it or not, I have tried to sport over the years (with little success), longer hair styles.  The cutting of it was a cathartic act and something that I would do again years later.

Looking back at that work, I see how unprepared I was for art school.  I was quick to pick up the lingo and immersed myself in the rhetoric and theory, and I could put a good spin on what I made, but I didn't really understand it.  

Now that I look back at it, if I had the option, I would burn it all.  (And I might just do that to the fragments that I still own.)

What I see when I look back on those old paintings of hollow-eyed self-portraits is a black-hole of sadness and a struggle for identity.  I was broken and while I had inclinations of it, I didn't fully grasp it.  I was unhappy, but I didn't understand it.  I layered it with pseudo-spirituality and phony metaphysical mystery to protect it.  If I could defend it, sell it, and make my pain a commodity, then it was Art.

I think part of the problem was that I was under this romanticized notion of the "tragic artist".  I fell in love with a myth that the most successful and powerful artists and writers were ones that were indeed fractured and hurt beyond repair.  Their bloody, gapping wounds displayed in art museums and on bookshelves were somehow sublime.  My ambition only damaged me further.

Even later in my work, I see this persistent confusion and desperate searching.  I could conceptualize it and explain it and cite artistic influences and theoretical basis, but all I was doing was masking the quest to fully understand myself and my place in the world.  My body, my sexuality, why I did the things I did and felt the things I felt were all so amorphous to me.  These things were a cloud without shape.  I felt empty, a vessel for this soupy mess and I was trying to give it structure and fill it up with words.  I took comfort in explaining it all away.

Looking back on these artifacts, I see pieces to a puzzle.  Striped of their theory and weighted down words, I see the map they make.  While they outline a country that I do not care to trend again, I see them for what they are and where I've been.

Wired Cross Prototype...

Occasionally I get requests to make things.  If I have time and I think I can do the project justice, I agree.  If it is something that I haven't done before, I like to make prototypes and test the design out first.

This is a prototype for a commissioned piece.  It's light and dainty.  I formed the cross out of sterling silver wire and then micro-wrapped faceted tanzanite beads in the negative space.  The picture makes them look a lot darker than they actually are.  They're really a smoky, lavender blue color.  Held up in the light, the blue really shines... and the color reminds me of the sea before a thunderstorm.

It took some figuring to get the stones placed just right and to have the wrapping done evenly and tightly.  For the final piece, I'm going to go back and tweak the design slightly and add jump rings to hang the piece from a silver chain.

Even though it's just a test sample, I'm pleased with the result and am excited about creating a finished piece with the wired cross.

Beaded Links...

A Bead A Day
Spring has arrived along with the rains!  Lisa's embracing it by pulling out flowery beads.

About.com Jewelry Making
Mix metal, seed beads, and gemstone beads in this new necklace tutorial.

Art Bead Scene
Guest 'Pinterest' Blogger, Kaushambi, leads us through a Spring-themed abundance of art beads!

Beadings Arts
Cyndi examines different ways to make your stringing projects unique and special!

Carmi's Art/Life World and Dazzle-it
Carmi is hosting a jewelry making blog hop for Dazzle-it this week that is sure to inspire.

Resin Crafts
New bezel sets from Spellbinders make for a fabulous tiered necklace!

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean is in a blog hop FOR Carmi, and explains what she did for the Dazzle-it! hop on her blog!  She had a ball!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew had a lovely creative playdate with artist and jewelry-maker, Lynne Suprock.

Slide Bracelets...

I was recently sent some samples to play with from the Cousin Corporation.  They included components from their Slide Bracelet program that is available at selected Jo-Ann stores.  The pieces in the new program are similar to the very popular Regaliz or "licorice" leather bracelets.  They are easy to use and create striking, unisex bracelets that can be worn individually or stacked.  I totally wore mine after I made them and really enjoyed how they looked and felt.

The thick, bicast leather comes in a variety of evenly saturated colors and has a nice sturdy feeling.  It can be left plain or embellished.  The red bracelet that I made (shown above) only has the closure.  The grey piece (shown below) includes the rubbery plastic stop bands, two decorative accent sliders and one focal slider.  The sliders come in sets and both the metal closures and slider accents come in gold and silver finishes

What I love about these bracelets is how easy they are to put together.  It's a simple procedure and the results are consistently good.  CLICK HERE to check out the How-to video and step-by-step instructions.

One of the other nice things about this new DIY program is that the stylish components are widely available.  I remember when the licorice leather first debuted and how tricky it was to find components that fit the unique size and shape.  These pieces can be found at Jo-Ann stores across the country.  CLICK HERE to check out the store locator map (and scroll down below the video).  They make great foundation pieces that can be customized and embellished endlessly.

This a wonderful product and I can't wait to see what others create with it.  Want to know what Cousin Corporation is doing next?  CLICK HERE to visit their Facebook page.

Open Table Tuesday...

Last night we had an Open Table Tuesday event at the store.  We do this every second Tuesday of the month from 5PM to 8PM.  We had a really nice time.  The doors were open and people were making things and chatting!  I love the sense of community and camaraderie.  Most of the folks who joined us belong to the Westmoreland County Jewelry Artists, which is a great local group that is really active.  I can't wait till next month!

28 West Second Gallery...

Earlier today, I headed out to Greensburg.  My mission was to see a friend at the St. Vincent de Paul store to check out some glassware and furniture.  I just so happened to park in front of 28 West Second Gallery.  Just after we opened Allegory Gallery, I met the owners.  Michael Bendik and his wife, Michelle Eng-Bendik (who are also transplants from New York) were super encouraging and had a wonderfully progressive energy.  We've been so busy that this was my first time I was able to see their space.  I was really impressed with all the work they've done!  The show up right now is called, "Whatever Works" and is an anniversary celebration.  Here's a picture of Michelle in front of one of the participants of the group show, Jim Miller.  He does meticulous etchings depicting scenes from the area.  CLICK HERE to check out their Facebook page to see all the artistic events that they host.

Hellebore Update...

I was worried that the hellebores wouldn't survive and thrive as well as they did due to the winter lasting as long as it did.  I was particularly worried about the black death.  A few weeks ago, I aggressively cut back last year's growth and pruned all the dead leaves.  I probably did it too early, but they seem to be doing well now!  The flowers are gorgeous and the healthy, new leaves are filling in.

Below are some images that I took of my various hellebores:

Beaded Links...

A Bead A Day
Can you use beads to make you happy?  Lisa is sharing some happy beads and chain to do just that!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy adds another incredible designer to her monthly series.

Art Bead Scene
Brandi pulls out a beautiful colour palette from this month's challenge by Monet.

Beading Arts
It's "Innovative Stringing mont" on Beading Arts, and Cyndi is looking for new inspiration from YOU!

Resin Crafts
A good craft disaster story is the highlight of the week on Resin Crafts blog!

Snap out of it, Jean!  There's beading to be done!
Jean discusses the words Crazy and Creative and somehow ends up at jewelry!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew recaps the last week of projects created for the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge.

A Morning with Lynne...

Lynne Suprock of Simply Pretty Stuff dropped by the shop today.  We scheduled a playdate and while it was busy, we got a chance to make some things.  What a wonderful day!  She showed me how she works with the butts of the gun shells in a jewelry application and I started working on a bracelet.  I wanted the finished piece to be a surprise for Lynne and I will reveal it in a few days.  She is such a warm soul and a supportive teacher!  We are lucky to have her come and teach in October for SWARM! She'll be instructing four amazing classes.  She had some of her samples out and every person who walked by was instantly enchanted by her work.

It was an extremely pleasant day and I wished she lived closer!  We were rapidly bouncing ideas off of one another and thought up some pretty interesting concepts.  I love that she's not afraid to use unusual finds and transforms them with inexpensive Harbor Freight tools into charming works of wearable art!

Vote for Heather...

Heather Wynn Millican of SwoonDimples, who is a wonderful and sensitive artist, submitted a picture to be considered for the Jones Soda labels.  The image conveys a lovely message that is worthy of being spread.

If you have a moment and like her submission, please consider voting for it!  CLICK HERE to view her piece and to cast your vote!

Inspired by Reading Book Club Tips...

When we decided on launching the Book Club, I asked some of my English teacher friends if they had any suggestions on how to improve retention and get the most out of the books.

Here are some of the suggestions:

- Create a "book journal" with two columns running down the pages.  While you're reading, list in one column the major events of the book and in the other, write your reactions.  It only has to be a few words describing your emotional response and/or your critical appraisal of the author's writing style.  Does it move you?  Does it bore you?  Does the flow of language fit the sequence and pace of events?

- Keep a list of any quotes that you felt were particularly powerful or stand-out... especially ones that underscore the theme of the book.

- Is there any imagery that is strong?  Make a descriptive list of recurring visuals and why they are important.

- Do a little research.  Who was the author?  When was the book written?  Who were the author's contemporaries?  How was the book received by critics of the time?  Does the book remind you of any other books?

-  When you're finished reading the book, create a list of five words that capture and epitomize your response to the book and the author.

- Imagine sitting down with the author.  What questions would you ask him or her?  Were any plot points confusing and needing clarification?  Is there anything you wished that the author elaborated more?

Are there any tips that you recommend to help readers come away from the book with a fuller and richer experience?

Soft Flex Spring Cleaning Bead Sale...

Soft Flex is doing a bit of seasonal tidying and is having an AMAZING sale on beads!  From April 3rd - 10th, they are offering 75% off selected items!  That's more than half off!  To save on your retail purchase, use coupon code "BEADS75"!  If you are a store, use coupon code, "BEADS40"!  CLICK HERE to visit their website and take a look at all the wonderful treasures that are on sale NOW!

White Swan Illuminations...

Yesterday, I had a wonderful treat at the store!  Gina Chalfant of White Swan Illuminations and Pam stopped by for a visit.  Gina is a supremely talented artist and does the most enchanting art history-inspired glaze work.  CLICK HERE to visit her Facebook business page.  Not only is she a stellar artist, but she's also one of the kindest, most generous and encouraging people that I know.

Look at the treasure that she brought for me!  I've been lusting after these owl ornaments since I saw them on her Facebook page.  Isn't it beautiful?  I am going to hang it in my studio with the rest of my owl collection.

She didn't just bring a goodie for me, but she presented a lovely selection of ceramic pendants that we will be selling at Allegory Gallery.

Last year we had a get together and I shared with the group my mold-making technique.  This colorful assortment of components is the result!  I'm so proud of her and her amazing work!  They will be marked at $18 each and will debut in the store starting on Friday!

All I Ever Wanted Was Everything...

When I was in art school, I also worked at a few different restaurants and while I was behind the counter, I met a lot of really interesting people.  One of them was a very talented musician named Susan Robkin Ruth.  Her music reminds me a little of Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crow.  I used to put her CDs on my Discman and walk around the City.

Years later, I still listen to her music.  It was nice to hear that she is still making music and actually working on a new album!  The new album is called, "All I Ever Wanted Was Everything".  She has started a Kickstarter campaign with hopes to raise money to fund the project.  If you would like to help support an artist and encourage the pursuit of their dreams, CLICK HERE to find out more about how you can help.

Somebody Loved...

I've been a little blue and mightily frustrated lately.  There are a lot of contributing factors, but I've tried to make a mental shift to focus on the positive and acknowledge gratitude in my everyday.  It has helped, but there are lingering traces.

Noticing that I've been battling some winter demons, William surprised me with a gift!  He got me three bronze buttons from Anne Choi!  We've been trying to conserve funds and I put on a show about how we need to be responsible and how gifts for no reason were not the picture of frugality.  I couldn't keep a straight face though.  I kept grinning!  I was beaming with happiness and eventually, I stopped protesting too much and sat there, admiring my new treasures and smiled like a silly clown doll.

He said, "See... it was worth every penny."

Inspired by Reading Book Club: Paris to the Moon...

The April selection for the Inspired by Reading Book Club is "Paris to the Moon" by Adam Gopnik.  To participate, all you have to do is read the book and create something inspired by what you've read.  You can make anything you like!  The reveal day is Tuesday, April 30th.  The night before I will be collecting blog addresses of participants or pictures from those who don't have blogs.  The cut off to send your link or photo in is April 29th, 11:59PM EST.

We encourage you to spread the word and create local book club meet-ups, where you can discuss the book and your creations in person.  If you are organizing one of these meet-ups, let us know and we'll post about it and promote it!  You can also CLICK HERE to join our Facebook Group to keep up to date on the latest information.  AND Jenny Reazor- Davies started a Pinterest board, where we can pin supplemental inspiration.  CLICK HERE to visit the Pinterest board.  There are lots of ways to get involved and participate!

If you'd like to see the entire list of books, CLICK HERE!  The selections for the entire upcoming year are posted so that you can get a head start and plan your projects accordingly.