December Blog Roll... Handmade Holidays!!

December Project Blogroll – Handmade Holidays
Each month the Aspiring Metals team chooses a topic and each participant writes about that topic on their blog.

This month is all about the holidays which will be here in no time at all and so we are each writing about our ideas for making this a Handmade Holiday.

See all the great ideas by visiting the blogs below:

Mary Anne Karren - silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/
Jessica @ Abella Blue - www.abellablue.com/blog
Stacy - formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Brown – resurrectionsilver.blogspot.com
Lilian Genebra - www.girllovesglitter.blogspot.com/
Pennee- All Wired Up Jewelry Designs - allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Claire English - brightstar109.blogspot.com/
Gayle - thisartistsjourney.blogspot.com
Nancy - nancysjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Autumn Bradley - www.autumnbradley.blogspot.com
Amy Estelle - amyestellemetalworks.blogspot.com/2011/12/handmade-holidays.html

Yay!

I thought long and hard about this challenge. Things like making houses, a vegetable, fruit, etc. etc.  But these just didn't seem to cling to me.  I hope everyone finds this challenge interesting!  Okay here it is:

COLOR ON METAL

Here are some suggestions  on how or what to use:  Prisma Color pencils, enamel, paint, flame, but no LOS.  

Okay, on the mark, get set and GO!!

COLOR!!!!!!

So, the due date for all entries will be Jan. 5, 2012 ( just take into account the holidays).  Have fun!

Remember to mark your photos, December ASM Challenge, in our flickr site.

 Thank you all for this opportunity to present a challenge!

 

Here's a link to our team flickr stream!!! just upload your entries there and make sure to TAG them with December Challenge!!

TEAM FLICKR POOL

And the winner is........

The winner of the October Holiday Decorations contest is.....

Gloria of Hemlock Hollow!!!!   She took the grand prize with 11 votes...


And it was a nail bitter folks....second place was just behind by one vote....
Congrats for putting up a heck of a race...and a beautiful fold formed masterpiece ResurrectionSilver!!

Coming in third this month is Metal Adornments with her personalized snowflake ornament.

Thanks to everyone who entered and voted....this was a fun one!!  Keep your eyes peeled for the next challenge....Gloria will be throwing down the gauntlet in the next few days!!

Holiday Decoration Challenge Voting!!!!!

So last month we were challenged to make a holiday decoration....any holiday...even a made up one. Seems the winter ones caught our imaginations though. Check out the wonderful entries and make sure to vote. The voting is on the right side of your screen!!!

Our first entry is from ResurrectionSilver. This one just blew me away. It's huge, it's beautiful and it makes me want some turkey...NOW!

"My challenge piece for October is a Copper Cornucopia. I love cornucopias as centerpieces for Thanksgiving, so here is my version. Challenges this piece presented me with were seaming together two large pieces of copper sheet and fold forming on a large scale. There is probably more metal in this piece than I've worked with in my short career combined. I also did some light flame coloring on this piece, a first for me as well. This piece measures 18.5" long and about 6.5" diameter at the opening."

Our second entry is for Hanukiyah...a lovely stained glass Menorah. Hemlock Hollow did a wonderful job on this one....I can picture it sparkling every night as the candles are lit. And it makes me want some challa, NOW!

"Made from beveled glass and lead strips. All soldered and cemented.This is used for the holiday of Hannukah!"


Our next entry is from Wabi Brook Studio. She admits, it is a bit of a recycle....but then again, it's Peace on Earth something we could all use???

"Created from scrap copper, scrounged craft wire and crochet cotton. Hand cut and flame coloured copper. Not particularly challenging, (except for writing in wire - not my forte!), but something fun and meaningful for the Aspiring Metalsmiths challenge, and to sell at an upcoming Christmas Market."

Our fourth entry is from LadySmythMetals. She's been getting to play with bronze clay and made this tree ornament. I think it's worth rejoicing to see the new-ish metal clays come out so beautifully.

Metalworks Jewelry brings us this pertty copper bell to ring in the New Year. It would look great on a dark green tree....or maybe just hanging in your window!

"3-D Copper Bell Ornament
Since this was my challenge idea, I needed to get something done! I cut the bell from copper sheet and stamped along the lower edge. I've never done anything truly 3D before, so cutting the slits properly was a challenge. I need to go back and file off the excess solder, but I'm happy with the look overall."

Metal Adornments took a poll on Facebook to decide what to make.....I think everyone picked a wonderful one!! A pretty personalized snowflake!!

SO....there they are folks....pick your favorite and vote. While you're trying to make up your mind (cuz it's going to take a bit I think) check out our contestants' shops by clicking on their names!!

Team Captain List

Hi all, it's Clarity here. As many of you know, my life has been in a rather dramatic state of upheaval for the last couple of months and I need to step down as the team captain at this time. I have compiled a rotating list of leaders who are willing to assume the captain's position for a month at a time, then switch it over to the next leader at the end of the month. Responsibilities are relatively minimal but involve starting each month's chat thread, responding to situations such as this, and interacting with admin should the need arise. There's no money in it of course, but you get the dubious prestige of wearing the spiffy Captains hat and get to feel extra special every day.

 So with that being said, I leave our team in the capable hands of the following friends who have graciously agreed to serve a term as Captain for a month at a time. I put them in some sort of general order by when people responded and/or said they could be available, not by any kind of importance or formal chain of command. This list is not set in stone and can be changed at any time as the group's needs change.

Pennee/ppennee
Asa/ASAPdesigns
Esmeralda/Silverblueberry
Stacy/formandfunktion
Claire/Brightstar
Beatriz/BeatrizFortes
Jason/HappyTortoise
Robin/EyemaginationRSB
Gloria/HemlockHollow
Lillian/GirllovesGlitter
Angela/AJjewelrydesigns
Sylvia Anderson
Lisa/Sandy Toes


Thank you all SO MUCH for all your incredible kindness and understanding during what has been a very difficult time in my life. It's been a pure pleasure to know each one of you and I count you all as my very good friends. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns or if there's anything else I can do to help this team continue to grow.
Clarity
 

October Project Blogroll - Share your Packaging

Each month the Aspiring Metals team chooses a topic and each write about that topic on their blog.

This month inspired by the gift giving season coming up, we want to see your packaging, or your ideas for packaging.

See all the great packaging and ideas by visiting the blogs below:

Beatriz Fortes - http://cjbf.blogspot.com/
ArtistiKat - http://artistikat-scratchingpost.blogspot.com/
Claire English - http://brightstar109.blogspot.com/view/classic
Mary Anne Karren - http://silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com/
Lisa - http://glenshire-shop.blogspot.com/
Stacy - http://www.formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com
Amy Estelle - http://www.amyestellemetalworks.blogspot.com/
Morgan MetalAdornments -http://www.metaladornments.blogspot.com   
Jason - http://happytortoisedesigns.blogspot.com/
Jessica @ Abella Blue - http://www.abellablue.com/blog
Gifted Designs - gifteddesigns.blogspot.com

Aspiring Metalsmiths October Challenge- Holiday Decorations

Decorate for the Holidays

Thank you for the votes! I, too, wanted to see lots of entries, so this is what I came up with……

Make a holiday decoration, for any holiday. Think Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day. Any holiday! It can be an ornament for a tree, a table decoration, something you hang on a door, whatever you create. If you have time, try a new technique, a new metal or a new patina. Maybe even recycle an object from the recycling bin. Just make something other than jewelry.

Make sure that you tell us how you challenged yourself and what you made it from so that we can vote accordingly! Add your entry to the Flickr pool tagged 'AspMet October challenge'. Photos of finished items are due November 4th by Midnight!!

I’ve included a few photos to get the wheels turning……

For Halloween

For Thanksgiving

For Christmas

Instructions: You must add your entry to the Flickr pool by midnight November 4th (it's a Friday night) Remember to tag your photos with "AspMet October Challenge", so we don't miss it!