Mah Jongg Jewelry at NMA

I have been making Mah Jongg jewelry since 2005 when friends Jeannie & Jackie asked me to find a Mah Jongg jewelry supplier for their store ClayNichols. I said "I can do this". And thus I created the Hand From Heaven ~ Mah Jongg jewelry line.

Hand From Heaven~ Mah Jongg Jewelry was enthusiastically received, sold well and was sold exclusively at ClayNichols until they closed in 2008. I thought my days of making Mah Jongg jewelry were over.

2005 Heart from Heaven ~ mah jongg jewelry, Trunk show at ClayNichols

Then last year, Jackie, now a gift store manager asked me to supply Hand from Heaven ~ Mah Jongg jewelry to the Nevada Museum of Art, museum gift store. Hand from Heaven ~ Mah Jongg jewelry is sold exclusively at NMA.

Hand from Heaven ~ Mah Jongg jewelry selections, sold exclusively at the Nevada Museum of Art

ArtFest 2010 part 2 ~ the happenings

ArtFest 2010 was GREAT!!!!

ArtFest at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA is a very unique event in a very special place.

Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA - collage

I stayed in an old dorm with a very tiny room. But I would not change the experience for anything.

My tiny dorm room

Everyone arrived on Wednesday, registered and got settled in dorms, then we went to dinner, began reacquainting and frantically trading! see previous post.

Dorm mates ~ Jill, me & Jacque

After dinner on Wednesday, we were welcomed to ArtFest 2010 Opening Ceremonies by a concert from Surrealized, a Seattle based techno, electronic and rock band featuring a multimedia showcase. Their CD is available on iTunes.

Artfest 2010 Opening Surrealized

Photo from Surrealized site

All day art classes were Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
On Thursday, I had Nina Bagley - vintage necklace keeper class. While it was not a dynamic or new techniques filled class, it was perfect for my jet-lagged mind.
Nina Bagley is a lovely giving person, whom I so admire. Nana and her Vintage Jewelry Keeper.
My vintage jewelry keeper is for the Mah Jongg jewelry that I make for Nevada Museum of Art (future post to follow).
On Friday and Saturday, I had Susan Lenart Kazmer. Susan is dynamic, full of energy, enthusiasm and talent. I was so glad these classes were Friday and Saturday!
Friday's class was Transparent Text Jewelry. In the morning we worked with Ice Resin to make resin papers and fill bezels. later that afternoon, we made a copper hinged booklet for resin papers.
Saturday's class with Susan Lenart Kazmer was Altered Surface Charms. We learned all about patinas, cutting and metal working copper and cold connection joining....to make charms for a necklace. I made 6 charms and now want a disc cuter and dapper set!
I am happy to say I finished all three projects on evenings, lunchtime and after classes.

The other nights evening activities included:
Thursday, an Iron (Chef) Artist Challenge between all of the teachers. Each teacher was given a kit (either 2D or 3D depending on type of artist) and had to create something in 30 minutes using all of the pieces..some used all..some did their own thing. It was great to see each artist's style emerge in their creation.

Friday Vendor Marketplace where over 20 teachers sold their art works. It was crowded with so many people and beautiful creations.

Saturday evening culminated in the Students Show-n-Tell Gallery Show.
I finished my class projects and was able to show them on Saturday evening at the Students Show-n-Tell Gallery Show, below are my creations.

L to R ~ altered surface charm necklace (Susan Lenart Kazmer, Teacher), resin paper in copper locket booklet necklace (Susan Lenart Kazmer, Teacher), and vintage jewelry keeper (Nina Bagley teacher)

Sunday morning, a few of us awoke early to get the shuttle back to SEATAC airport and fly home. It was with sadness that we said good bye to our dorm mates (new friends) and each other. But each attendee vowed to return next year...It was like saying farewell to classmates at the end of the school year and heading off for summer. We all shared email addresses and blog sites and will reunite on the world wide web. We are all off for another year to try our wings and hone our skills till ArtFest 2011.

I know I have been blessed with a gift for art. At ArtFest 2010 that gift was further developed and expressed thru hard work.

ArtFest 2010 was all truly a magical fairie tale ....
a Once Upon a Time adventure.

Art Quote
The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. ~ Emile Zola

Artfest 2010 trades

WOW again.

It has been a week since I returned home last Sunday (3/28) from ArtFest 2010.
I had a fabulous time. ArtFest is a time to rest, reconnect with friends from last year and make new friends this year, learn, be inspired and CREATE!

So as I promised to show you my trades ... here they are.
The theme this year was "Once Upon a Time". My trade was a mini story book. I made 72 booklets...28 short of my goal of 100. So as I said I'd do ... I made 30+ business cards embellished with the heart & key charms.

The booklet covers are made of Tyvek paper that was painted with acrylic paint. To print the text on the cover & back I coated the painted paper with Golden Digital Ground Medium, let dry then print text and logo on ink jet printer. Inside text was printed on linen paper, cut and folded accordion style, glued to cover and embellished with jump ring, floss and heart and key bronze charms. The mini story book contained a tiny bedtime fairy tale guaranteed to put you to sleep!
The story...

Once Upon a Time ~A Nouveau Fairie Tale of Damsels in Distress

I also made Artfest 2010 mini Banners (16) for my dorm mates. These were made of Tyvek paper, same process as covers above. Dorm mates hung the banners around their window or between bunk-bed posts to brighten up the dull dorm space!


I gave out all the booklets, some of the cards and all of the mini banners. Although I must admit I did not get as many trades as I gave away. It seemed I came across a lot of people who were either new and did not have a trade or just were not trading. Oh well, I was happy to give my booklets to them and I love the trades I did receive.

Unlike last year's trades that are still sitting in a zip lock baggie, I put the cards and tags in card protector sheets and was I able to use some of the trade material, paper and stuff in creating my class project.

On Friday evening of ArtFest, I was able to make a trade charm necklace.

All the trades I received...thank you everyone!

Trades are FUNN!!!!!

Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art.
~ Konstantin Stanislavsky