ZestyBetsy

My love & I are a world apart when it comes to gits at gift giving time. But this past christmas/birthday he really rocked it. hard. Even the title makes my day "Amateur Craftsman's Cyclopedia of Things to Make"
Awesome! (swoon)

Compiled by Popular Mechanics in 1937 this is page 9 (the first page with any Things to Make)


the instructions for making a variety of rings continue to page 10. The descriptions are about forming, shaping, and useful materials to work with "celluloid"

Continue reading "Things to Make ~ pg 9" »

Posted by Betsy at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Occasionally I'm asked for suggestions for inspirational quotes to engrave or etch onto a custom piece.
Here is a small selection. I'll add more in the future

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.
Martin Luther

In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
Carl Sagan

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
John Muir

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.
Rabindranath Tagore

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.
e. e. cummings

Posted by Betsy at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sunday I'll be at an artisan fair. At fairs, in addition to business cards I like to give away pinback buttons.

Tonight I need to make a few hundred buttons! So a glass of wine & a movie on hulu & I'll be a 1-man assembly line.

Posted by Betsy at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Newest addition to my Men's Accessories line: the Money clip.

Available in a variety of finishes: Shiny high gloss, brushed, hammered, distressed
Different metals: Copper, Brass and Sterling
It can be etched or imprinted to personalize for your fella

The size is perfect for holding good wad of bills, a subway ticket and an ID. Has a nice heft and feel in the hand or the pocket. Buy it here

Posted by Betsy at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have my first show of the season tomorrow. The Design Hive Market in Cambridge ~ not far from the venerable Lizard Lounge.

Stop by ~ mention you saw the event on my blog ~ get free stuff!
cool, no?

Posted by Betsy at 09:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I live within walking distance of the MFA in Boston. And like many a native, it takes an extraordinary measure to prod us to take advantage of the local educational, cultural, entertainment events and places...you figure it'll be there.

The extraordinary MFA hosted an exhibit of Art Nouveau Jewelry. So I had to go.

The MFA is one of the few major museums to have a curator specializing in Jewelry. How cool is that? Yvonne Markowitz is the MFA's curator of jewelry; she did a great thing in organizing the show. I especially appreciate that oriental influences, contemporaneous 2-d art, and some sculpture was also shown alongside to reinforce/illustrate the influences. The jewelry work shown was certainly of the zeitgeist of the time. The at the end of the handcrafted home~based artisan - at the beginning of the studio and design/manufacture decorative arts...Perhaps this is why there aren't more jewelry exhibits that can be associated with a movement? (I'll leave that hanging there, I'll have to think about it.)

The catalog includes additional influences, and the photography is wonderful. (I'm making some notes for myself) But I recommend you go and physically see. The front & back, the size and detail is best appreciated in person. The shear dazzle of a diamond flash on your retina.
There are articulated hairs on the damselfly legs! It would be unsurprising to find that she up and flew away. The serpents gave me a shiver. I hope they were intended to protect the wearer, and not a personality familiar, or personification.

Sebastian Smee in The Globe gave it a glowing review in words I can't compete with for elegance and wonder.

In the Torf Gallery until November 9. MFA for details

Posted by Betsy at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

PostCrossing lets you receive postcards from around the globe ~ just for sending them out!

Pick up some good cards from your town, Art museum, local attraction ~ anything you like really! Pick out a few. Purchase some stamps ~ local if you want and international. Go to the web site and after you sign up, Request an address. PostCrossing emails you an address of some new friend and a special code that identifies your card.
Some folks have little bios & suggestions for a postcard they'd like. Write them note & mail it off.

Now the good part happens; When your card is received that special code is registered.
Your name is now at the top of the list to receive a post card!

You will get a post card from someone else ~ another new friend! ~ and so you go to the web site to register their card. (now they are at the top of the list ~ round & round.)

The site lets you sign up for 5 at a time, local & international options, link to your blog & give a little bio. There are even a few different flickr group/communities to share your cards.

Such a small nice thing ~ a reason to look forward to the mail.

Posted by Betsy at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I inherited a post card collection.
My grandfather started it; my dad organized and added to it.
There are examples from every state, most of Canada, and Mexico, some from countries that don't exist any more. French post cards, penny post cards, and the travel cards from trans-Atlantic crossings are there. Artist Show announcements, musical events flyers, and tourist attraction postcard books are included. It is a smörgåsbord of post cards.

I wanted to be able to contribute to the collection, with more than just the reminders to visit the vet. I was at bit of a loss, people don't seem to send them much anymore, even if you ask them; I could send cards to myself ~ which seemed wrong...or at least just weird.

A colleague suggested PostCrossing, and I looked into it. It is perfect! you send cards and you get cards. I"ll show you how tomorrow.

TTFN!

Posted by Betsy at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Zesty Betsy takes custom orders. I keep sterling silver stock & blanks around for creating and customizing, a giant roll of copper and copper wires is around here somewhere. I even have a little bit of 14k gold and 14k gold filled for the same reasons, but only a little since it's pretty pricey to have 'hanging around'. I also have good suppliers and can easily get higher karats of yellow gold, green, rose and white golds, and fine silver too. I'd love to experiment with palladium and the like, but I haven't heard much call for it ~ it's pricier than gold.

But not in titanium.
Titanium is lovely. It's dark gray, but lighter colored than graphite. It's light and doesn't scar easily, so perfect for something worn everyday like a wedding band.
Why not? well Titanium cannot be soldered with any of the tools in the Zesty Betsy studio - it needs higher temperatures, vacuum or lasers, and nasty acids for cleaning off oxides ; nor do I have the bigger drill bits/press needed to make rings.

I'm still learning so much about copper, silver & gold. So, while I've worked with titanium findings, glorifying pieces, and incorporating it into some designs... Custom orders are limited to the metals I can work and source readily.

Posted by Betsy at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is a blast to play with new textures in the rolling mill. The easy ones that I've seen suggested are things like wire screening for windows, copper wire squiggles, and brass texture plates. These make beautiful and unique textures. Vaguer suggestions get tossed in to experiment with ~ fabrics and paper...odd laser cutouts even. Some of the best things are the least likely.

What would you try?

Posted by Betsy at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I studied Architecture in school; it holds a place in my heart. I've run across a couple interesting articles/things recently about dying towns & community.
I live in the city of Boston there is always something the urban planners tried, the city is planning,or the community says they want ~ and then there is an empty lot, a townhouse that serves as a refuge for feral cats, a scrap metal junk yard on the corner ~ it's especially a fascination to see how space/homes/stores/parking are planned then used & live there and travel on the streets myself.

So what...well Boston (maybe any biggish city) seems to have some parts dying, some growing, others maintaining ~ whole neighborhoods, or just a specific lot...but other towns in contrast just stop if some business or feature is removed and never recover or they struggle for ages to regain the loss, places like Youngstown boom, then shrink but have a different approach.

Architecture Week covers a revival in Charlotte It is revival? or are they tilting at windmills?

*Aside*
Town/subdivision planning as a cube farm?
Why plan it out like this?

Even Walt was more organic

Posted by Betsy at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While adding up all the figures to finish up my taxes; I'm still busy experimenting.

Today I'm trying some of the 'recipes' I've seen online for a copper patina.
I don't have miracle grow, or ammonia in the house...but I do have salt, vinegar, bleach, dry cleaning solution. And just to reassure you, I won't try peeing on it, even if it might work.

If anything turns out OK, I'll post some pics.

Posted by Betsy at 05:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In gushing about my new toy...ahem tool; my little gears started whirling...I could show off some other tools too!

This is the rolling mill. Isn't it a gor-gus green?

It is useful for pulling wire, or I can use it to change the shape if I want square wire. The picture shows the regular flat plates ~ where you can also change the thickness of metal ~ really useful if you want to try kembu. I love to use it to squish stuff and get a texture on the metals.

The copper goddess earrings in my Etsy shop are made with the mill.

Posted by Betsy at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With glass, the kiln starts cold. It's raised to about 1000 deg & kept there for about a half hour. Upped to 1300 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges of the glass start to look soft, then pushed up to 1500 degrees for 10-20 minutes depending upon one how much fusing you desire and they type of glass.

My kiln (hee hee *my* kiln) has a manual controller for setting the temperature; so these experiments have helped me figure out the tool, while messing around with a fun project. And ummm....If anyone needs random glass cabs for jewelry or mosaics, let me know ~ I'll list them.

Cool down is important too; Do not just remove the glass from the hot kiln.
No, no, no.
A heat soak on the way up then annealing on the way down the temperature scale. (it's a little like chocolate that way.)

This kiln retains heat really well (I bet most do) ~ opening the door loses heat quickly, but if you put it back, it jumps right back up. (even if the kiln is off)
So I turned off the kiln when the fuse looked ok; open the door (again be really really careful, wear fire proof mits ~ my first pair were singed *eek*, don't look in the kiln directly, wear your goggles.) and let some heat escape ~ down to about 1000 degrees, then replace the cover. And wait. Wait as long as you can for it to cool down to room temperature to remove the pieces. (It's so so hard to wait.)

Posted by Betsy at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The new kiln has got me all a-twitter. really.

Sis uses a ton of Spectrum glass in her art; She had scraps from a few cool projects (Brook Trout! Dragons! Turtles! She kinda has a theme going on there, no?)

Couldn't find my nippers, but picked out similar size pieces or broke with a hammer (Be Careful, please. Wear your goggles; put the glass in a bag if you're going to break it that way. oK?)

Continue reading "Molten glass" »

Posted by Betsy at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The new display set up looks OK
There are some changes I'm considering...but I like it & it was an improvement.

Now to ponder what I should do for the 6 foot tables...which are also 8" lower..,.that will work with this...and replace the earring display which I have become less enamored of...Next show is in 9 days...should I work on display or work on work...hummm

Posted by Betsy at 01:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Boston Handmade team held a materials swap this past week. It was a great time, Kristin brought fabric (Understatement) Amy & Betsy brought jewelry display & beads, Jessica had an old printer, patterns, there was paper from Dawn, fur from Jennifer, all great stuff!

It was pretty cool to see folks get reinvigorated and interested in something you had no idea what you were going to do with...ever.

Having something new to you can be as inspirational as anything else...I had a great time and didn't actually come home with any MORE than I came with...

Continue reading "swinging & swapping" »

Posted by Betsy at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is super exciting to get the email that reads "You Made a Sale!"...yet for some pieces it can be a little sad to package them up and ship them off. That's how I felt this morning putting this sweet pendant in the mail.

It's hand cut copper and brass with sterling rivets and bail. Then textured, patinaed and the back smoothed like a baby's bottom to rest against your skin. While a little wistful, I am really quite pleased and proud that the lovely person who purchased it seems so be a collector of other fine Etsian work.

Posted by Betsy at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)