Earth Hour, Made in Alaska, and playing tag

Did you participate in Earth Hour last night? We did: I turned off all the lights, unplugged the computers and TV, and listened to the silence and my husband playing his acoustic guitar. It's always pretty quiet here, and there's not a lot of artificial light outside the house, either, but it was so nice just to sit and enjoy the time together. Wonder why we do so little of that?

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Before we get to the game, I must report that I finally applied for (and was accepted into) the Made in Alaska program. I'm not sure why it took me a decade to do this, as the process is completely painless and the cost is minimal. But this means I can now display the Made in Alaska logo on my jewelry cards and other materials. For folks who already live in Alaska, this may not matter. But for our many visitors from elsewhere, it's a reliable assurance from the Alaska Department of Economic Development that they're not buying "Alaskan" tchotches actually made in China.

Plus, the logo is kinda cute: a polar bear mom and cub..

Now for the game: I've been tagged by wonderful painter and photographer Joanne Giesbrecht, so now you get to learn stuff about me you probably don't really want to know. Or maybe you do? In any case, here goes:

What are you wearing now?

Jeans, a Georgia Bulldogs long-sleeve T (tho I'm not a fan, husband is), organic cotton socks and sheepskin slippers.

How often do you blog?

I try once a week. But fail.

Who was the last person you hugged?

My husband. I think it was by lamplight during Earth Hour last night.

Which item from your closet are you wearing most lately?

Still wearing my heavy Scottish wool cardigan most nights.

What's for dinner?

I don't want to think about that.

What's the last thing you bought?

Three larimar cabochons — and probably paid too much, but oh! so pretty.

What are you listening to right now?

Blessed silence. And my finches beeping and chattering.

What is your favorite weather and why?

A crisp autumn day. I still get that "new beginnings" feeling from all those years starting school in the fall. And the leaves smell so good.

What time do you usually get up?

Between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. (Yes, weird. I go to bed at about 4 a.m.)

What is your most challenging goal right now?

Finding all the papers to do my taxes — and actually doing them. And then cleaning up my studio.

Say something about the person who tagged you.

Joanne pays exquisite attention to detail, not only in her wonderful paintings, but also in her photographs. She loves and is inspired by the natural world as much as I do/am.

If you could have a house — totally paid for, fully furnished — anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?

Sewanee, Tennessee, my heart's home.

Favorite vacation spot?

Any vacation anywhere would be nice. Haven't had a true vacation in many years.

What movies can you watch over and over again?

O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Amelie, Ronin, Dead Man, Baghdad Cafe, Howl's Moving Castle

What is your favorite tea?

Earl Grey or a good green chai

Who are you tagging?

Erin Bowe

Emily Roe

Birches and serendipity

When I'm working at my bench, a giant birch tree is my constant companion. All I have to do is look out the window, and there it stands, a gorgeous guardian spirit.

Most of our property is covered in black spruce, so the bright white bark of this birchtree stands out. When I'm daydreaming or trying to figure something out, my eyes rest there.

Here's my companion birch in early summertime.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Decked with a rainbow in the golden light of a late summer rainstorm.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

And here is a close-up of her bark.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

No wonder, then, that one of my favorite jewelry patterns is called "Birches." Inspired by my faithful birch tree, it's also a lot of fun to make, as I enjoy hammering the bark pattern.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Here I've added a tiny, pale citrine to the pendant. It reminds me of birch syrup, which I keep promising myself I will learn to make. These earrings and pendant are polished to a high shine; unfortunately, the shiny part shows up as grey in my photos. But I can promise that you will stand out as brightly as my birchtree when you're wearing them.

Serendipity is one of my favorite words, and it's a concept I embrace wholeheartedly: That so often when we're looking for something, we accidentally find something else that's even better. So I should not have been surprised to find an email waiting for me after my last blog post asking if anyone would be interested in bartering a bit of web design for jewelry.

But here's the fun part: The person who emailed me is substitute teaching in Fairbanks. She had picked up a copy of an Ikea catalog at the school (on her first day working there), and my business card fell out. She liked the design, was surprised that I'm in the Fairbanks area, and so she looked me up on the Internet. Ta daaa: There I was, asking for help with something she loves to do.

So we've talked, and it sounds like we've got a deal. Don't you just love it when the Universe gives you exactly what you need? And makes you laugh and shake your head at the same time?

Serendipity.

How do you know you're buying my jewelry?

Does that seem like a silly question?

Well, it just occurred to me that I haven't shown you my logo, so you wouldn't know what to look for when you visit one of the galleries or shops that support me. Of course, you could just ask, and they'll take you right to my things. But in case you're shy, here's a photo of my Ruffles chain and the matching earrings — on the Tin Cup Designs card.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

I hope soon I'll either figure out how to incorporate the logo into the blog layout or that I can barter with a graphic artist to set up a layout for me. I'm also hoping to sell a bit on-line, and my "store" will need to show my "brand," too. (Hint: If you're a graphic artist and you like my jewelry, get in touch and let's see if we can work out a barter arrangement.)

At the moment, I have an experimental "booth" set up at Bonanzle. I've only posted four items: two chains and two pairs of earrings. I'd like to hear your reaction to the site: Is it easy to use? Is it appealing? Would you actually buy something from there? 

One feature I do like is that customers can chat with me while browsing if I'm on the site or leave comments I'll see immediately if I'm not. The idea of having a conversation with you is appealing.

I'm also planning on setting up shop on Etsy and Artfire. I'll let you know when I do, as I'll want feedback then, too. I feel a little like Goldilocks: I need to try them on to see which site is "just right" for me and for you.

I do want to emphasize that I have no intention of allowing my on-line sales to overshadow my galleries and shops. They will continue to be my primary outlet, and in these tough times, I want to do everything I can to promote and support them. Please help keep the arts community alive and vibrant by visiting the galleries where you live.

Longing for summer in Alaska...

It's March. We've still got two or three feet of snow on the ground, depending where you step. It is warmer: Yesterday it was about 27 degrees F. We're gaining nearly seven minutes of daylight every day, and our days are already nearly 12 hours long.

But I'm impatient. Yes, I could be out there on my snowshoes, enjoying the clean sharp air and looking for animal tracks and birds. I do love the way snow makes various things — say, a stack of summer tires or a clump of small spruce trees — look like cupcakes with icing or sugared donuts.

But dang it, I'm ready for some color! I want leaves and flowers and butterflies!

When I'm feeling like this, the best thing I can do is pull out the dried leaves my friend and I collected over the past couple of years and make a Forest Floor cuff. Like this one:

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

When I'm working on one of the Forest Floor pieces, I'm not just shaping metal. I'm enjoying summertime in Alaska.

Did you know that scent is considered the strongest trigger for memory? The scent of the leaves, stored in layers of blotting paper, is fresh and earthy — and when crushed in the rolling mill, the leaves' sap and oils perfume the studio. Instantly, I'm back in the woods, kneeling on thick moss, watching the sun shine through the canopy of birch leaves, picking berries.

Here are just a few of the plants I use in my jewelry. All of them live on our 10 acres in Two Rivers.

This is Alaskan Dogwood. (Being from the South, where dogwood is a tree, I laughed when I first saw this tiny earth-hugging bush. But it makes a gorgeous carpet of green in summer and crimson in fall.)

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

This is High-Bush Cranberry, good for jelly.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

And poisonous Red Baneberry.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Here is Fireweed, the barometer of our summertime. As the blooms progress up the stalk and finally burst into puffy white seed fluff, we know summer is going and it's time to batten down for winter again.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

And here are our lovely Alaskan Wild Roses. They seem to bloom all at once, and only for a few days. They're everywhere; the air is sweet with them. And after the roses come the brilliant red and orange rosehips.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

You'll find these and many others in the Forest Floor pieces.

Just as in nature, no two cuffs or pendants or pairs of earrings will ever be the same because the leaves are crushed and destroyed in the embossing process.

After the metal is embossed, I saw the edges a bit and file them. I like to make the pattern irregular, like the bug-bitten edges of some plants and trees.

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

The leaves always shift a bit while going through the mill, so I'm never sure what I'll see until it's done. There's always a "flaw," where the metal slipped too much and the pattern didn't take or where the leaves cracked or moved too far apart. This actually delights me.

These are opportunities to play, serendipity instead of mistake. In the cuff you see here, a slight diagonal space along the bottom edge didn't take the leaf pattern at all. Wonderful! It gave me an opportunitiy to hand engrave cross-hatching there. The straight lines contrast nicely with the irregularities of the natural forms, don't you think?

Now you know that each Forest Floor piece carries with it the reality of nature in Alaska, the memory of specific summer days and specific places, and a little bit of serendipity. What a wonderful mix!

No fear.

Listen to the news and you'll think the world is ending. People are losing homes and jobs, and everybody seems afraid of the future. I will confess to feeling a little anxiety myself from time to time. When people are cutting back on the groceries they buy, why would they buy jewelry?

But here's the thing. It's okay to be afraid, as long as you don't stop there. The real answer to fear is this: Do something. Preferably something positive, that will help another person. Because we're all in this world together, and when we open our hearts and our hands to one another, we create energy and strength that can overcome whatever it is we fear — and then some.

So here's what I've decided to do. I've never liked the old stereotype of the "starving artist." I think most people are more creative with a full and happy life. So I've joined the Stone Soup Challenge. This is a grassroots movement started by artist Laura Bray. The goal is for artists and crafters to help one another by promising to use a portion of their monthly profits to invest in a fellow artist's shop.

I already buy many of the beads I use from small local shops (The Spinning Room and Pristine's in Fairbanks), but I can do more. I'd like to buy more lampwork beads for special pieces, and so I'll be searching those out from local artists and on sites like Etsy.

I also plan to put some money aside every month so that I can start buying small paintings again. This feels great, because I used to have a nice little collection, but it was all destroyed in a house fire a decade ago. The Stone Soup Challenge has given me the little push I needed to start buying again.

What can you do? Well, of course you can buy my jewelry. If you're in the area, you can help support the galleries and shops that represent me. If not, contact me directly, and I'll be happy to make something for you. And beyond that, whenever you have need of a small gift, consider original art (mine or any artist's). Art feeds the soul, which may be even more important when it feels like all news is bad news.

Most important: Don't live in your fear. Do something. Help someone else. Life is a big circle, and the good you do will come back to you with interest.

Swiss cheese, anyone?

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Or perhaps a lunar landing?

I don't make these very often, but I always have fun when I do. Dropped them off at New Horizons yesterday, along with some very shiny, very curvy thin cuff bracelets.

Still playing with brooch options for the Leaf Moth. Nothing's quite right yet, but I dreamed about it last night.

Leaf Moth pendant in progress

Here's a first quick look at a copper and sterling silver Leaf Moth Pendant. I've figured out an interesting way to convert it to a brooch and hope to work on that tonight. This made me so happy, though, that I just couldn't wait to share it. It's going to be awfully hard for me to sell it. If you have the least bit of interest in it, start sweet-talking me now. *grin*

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Color Joy

Need a spot of color to brighten your day?

Stop by the Artworks or New Horizons in Fairbanks. 

I'm making a delivery of these sterling silver and glass swirl drop

earrings later today.

Tarnish or patina?

Do you wonder about the best way to clean and care for your sterling or copper jewelry? There's no single best answer.

Probably the first thing to consider is whether you're dealing with tarnish or with a patina. The two conditions are similar and the difference is largely in the eye of the beholder: If you don't like the dark coloration, you probably call it tarnish. If you do like it — or if it is part of the artist's design for your piece — it's a patina.

For instance, take a look at these two bead rings.

Both are sterling silver wire with a carnelian bead. I just made the top ring; I've worn the bottom one on and off for several years. Personally, I think the patina improves the older ring by accentuating the curved lines of the wire, but to other eyes, it may simply look tarnished. It's case of personal preference.

Sometimes the artist has decided to add coloration as part of the design of the piece. For instance, the embossed leaves would not show up if the Forest Floor Cuff lacked a patina.

In contrast, the high shine works well for the Folded Cuff because it shows off the smooth fold against the dimples of the hammered surface.

In these Random Copper Dots earrings, the difference between patina and clean, polished metal is a key part of the design. The dark patina shows off the embossed pattern and contrasts nicely with the bright, shiny copper beads on the earwires.

So, to get back to the original question about cleaning and caring for copper and sterling silver: As in medicine, the best cure is prevention. 

If you want to avoid tarnish, gently clean your jewelry with a soft cloth before putting it away. This removes oil and dirt that can react with the metal.

Silver and copper (and even gold, although much more slowly) oxidize when exposed to certain gases in the air. Therefore, don't leave your jewelry out on your dresser: Keep it in a jewelry box, preferably in air-tight zippered plastic bags. Placing individual pieces (or pairs of earrings) in separate bags will also help as some metals react with others. Better quality jewelry boxes are made with special anti-tarnish cloth linings, and you can also purchase drawstring or zippered bags made of the same material. These work very well.

Even when you keep your jewelry clean and properly stored, tarnish happens. How you clean it depends on what materials you have.

If your jewelry includes gemstones or an artist-applied patina, clean it very gently with a jeweler's rouge cloth. You can buy these at any jewelry store, and they last for years. Rub the metal (not the stones or pearls) with moderate pressure, and be careful not to remove too much color if the patina is important.

I don't recommend using ultrasonic cleaners for jewelry with stones, because the vibrations will break some gems. Also, never use chemical jewelry cleaners on gemstones and pearls; the chemicals can discolor the stones or even create pits in the surface. Again, a rouge cloth is best, or take the piece to your jeweler to have it cleaned professionally (usually at little to no charge).

Jewelry made entirely of metal is simpler to clean.

Most of my chains are finished to a very high polish. Using a rouge cloth on large-linked chains is too labor-intensive, so I recommend a chemical cleaner for these. (I use liquid Tarn-x. You can find it in the cleaning supplies aisle at your grocery store.) Simply pour a very small quantity of the Tarn-x into a glass or plastic bowl, put the chain in it and swirl it around for a few seconds until the tarnish is gone. Then rinse in warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

Here's one of my chains: Heavily tarnished in the top photo, and then clean and shiny after being dipped in Tarn-x.

Just remember that any chemical tarnish remover will strip away all of the oxidation, including intentional patina, so don't use these unless you want absolutely no dark areas on your jewelry.

For copper, I recommend a product called Bon Ami. You will find this powder at the grocery store alongside other kitchen cleansers, such as Comet or Ajax. However, never use the other powder cleansers for jewelry, as they can scratch and damage softer metals. Bon Ami is made especially to clean copper and is not abrasive.

I generally put a small amount of Bon Ami in my palm and add a little water to make a thin paste. I use my fingers to rub the paste onto the copper. If there are crevices or if the tarnish is especially heavy, I sometimes use a soft (baby) toothbrush. If you do this, be very gentle, as too much pressure on the brush can cause scratches. When the tarnish is gone, rinse the piece in warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

Here are a couple of before and after pictures of part of a thin copper bracelet.

I actually like the way the patina in the top photo highlights the hammer marks, but I wanted to demonstrate how the copper looks after cleaning with Bon Ami. The patina will come back gradually as I wear the bracelet.

This brings up another issue: Your body chemistry affects the way metal will tarnish as you wear it. Some people cannot wear copper next to the skin because it turns green. Some can't wear silver because it leaves black marks on their skin. Some people are allergic to these and other metals. If you're one of these folks but you love silver and copper, choose jewelry that won't touch your skin, such as a brooch or a chain that you can wear over a turtleneck.

If you visit one of Alaska's many hot springs, be sure to take your jewelry off before going into the water. The high sulfur content will turn your jewelry completely black, even gold jewelry. In some cases, the metal may be damaged or the tarnish may never completely be removed.

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, or feel free to email me.

How do you make that?

Many, many times I've been asked, "How do you make that?" or even, "Do you really make all these things?" So I thought I'd show and tell a little of the process.

Most of my work starts out as a coil of silver or copper wire of varying gauges (thicknesses). Some of it, such as the cuffs, begins as a plain sheet of silver or copper. I keep the raw materials in a chest by my bench.

Today I'll just talk about how I make the chains. 

First, I cut off a length of wire and wrap it around a wooden or steel dowel until I have a coil of 20 to 50 or so links, depending on the size. I use a jeweler's saw to cut the coil down one side to make a bunch of open links.

Next, I use pliers to push the ends of the links flush together. I then solder some of the links closed with an oxygen/propane torch. I line a lot of them up at one time, and this is what it looks like (except that the board is usually at least half full of links).

Once I've soldered those links, I join them together with others and then solder all of those to make a chain. Some chains require more than 100 solder joins. (Yes, it takes time and patience.)

Next I hammer each link of the chain. Here are my beloved hammers.

See the one in front on the right? That's a planishing hammer, and I use it 90% of the time. It's my oldest and most beloved hammer.

After everything has been hammered, I toss it in a rotary tumbler with steel shot and let it go for up to eight hours. This is where it gets the bright, shiny finish.

And here you have an 18-inch "Paperclips" chain and earrings with 42 individually soldered and hammered links.

So, every single piece of every single chain I make, including the shepherd's hook clasp, has been formed, soldered and hammered by me. (The only thing I don't make is the earwires for the earrings. If I did, I'd spend days and days just making earwires, and even I'm not that crazy.)

A Taste of Art

We all need hope — and sometimes a little help, too.

I hope you'll mark your calendar for February 21 and make plans to attend A Taste of Art, to benefit Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption. This year's theme is "One Heart, Many Faces." The fundraiser includes silent and oral auctions, dinner and entertainment. Scroll down for details, but first, take a look at my Circle of Hope necklace, which could be yours... if you submit the winning bid...

I apologize for the poor quality photo, but in scrambling to get to town to deliver the necklace, I forgot to take a picture. This is from my camera phone. However, isn't Danere Hanna, FCA's secretary, a lovely model? (Hint: You might find yourself in a bidding war with Danere's husband if you want this one-of-a-kind piece.)

The necklace is sterling silver. Both the hammered round-linked chain and the large circle focal point are incised with lines, which create real sparkle when polished (and will make an interesting, almost tribal, pattern if you prefer to let your silver oxidize naturally over time).

You really should go to the auction and get a good look at it for yourself. Here are the details.

A Taste of Art

6 p.m. to midnight February 21

at the Westmark Hotel Gold Room in Fairbanks.

All proceeds benefit the programs of Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption, which provides counseling and support for families, pregnant women and girls, as well as adoption services.

For more information and tickets, please call 456-4729.

I'd love to hear from you if you're the lucky winner of the Circle of Hope. I will be happy to make earrings to match!

Well, hello there!

After much prodding and a few well-placed (but gentle) boots to the figural behind, I'm starting a blog for Tin Cup Designs. I don't know why it has taken this long, because I've always wanted to share my creative process, new designs and upcoming shows with you. And I certainly want to hear what you think, so please let's make this a conversation.

First of all, I'm headed into Fairbanks later today to drop off some jewelry at Artworks and New Horizons Gallery. Stop by if you need a quick gift for Valentine's Day — or just a pick-me-up for the JanFebs. (That's what I used to call the winter blues before I moved to Alaska and discovered that winter can last from September until May or June. And with the temps headed towards 50 below right now, if you're here, you probably need a boost.)

The pendant at the top is one of the new pieces I've just finished. There will be more very soon, I promise.

This one is called "Chained Heart." It's a repoussé copper heart attached to a matte-finished sterling silver trapezoid with hammered edges. The heart swings back and forth on a tiny silver chain attached by a copper rivet. 

I've been thinking a lot lately about the paradoxes of loving anyone or anything deeply: How love can make your heart soar, free as a bird — and then tether you before you get too far away. How the bonds of love can be a comfort and, sometimes, an uncomfortable limit. Most of all, how love truly is the energy that fuels the Universe, and that when I'm really working — when the hammer sings and the metal dances — I'm filled with it.

Have a lovely day!