Incorporating my art in jewelry has been an exciting experience and sharing the process is just as fun.

This photo was taken last week after I'd gotten all my images in bezels and was getting ready to pour the first of two layers of resin. Yes, that is a bed of rice under all the pendants. The rice creates a base that is easily manipulated for any size piece to insure the resin pours evenly. After the resin is poured it takes about 24 hours to fully cure and then I can begin the process of assembling each piece of jewelry.

Here is a quick tutorial on creating resin filled bezels.

For me over 1/2 of the process is creating the art that goes in each bezel. Painting and mixed media art is what makes my heart go pitter-pat. I love nothing more then to have a new white stretched canvas on my easel. The bigger the canvas the better and I love working on 30"x40" canvases and larger. Of course the size of my studio limits to some degree the size I can work with but I've been creative in the past and combined multiple smaller canvases that hook together to create one large canvas. Combining acrylic, oil pastel and paper is my absolute favorite media to work with and of course I am inspired by places all over the world and I endeavor to bring these places in to my art. The smells, sounds, colors, textures, people and culture. I don't want to just be a tourist, I want to see and feel a place as if I've lived there my entire life.

After I have finished a piece of art work then I begin the process of making my jewelry. Depending on the size of the art I will either have a professional photographer take high resolution pictures or I'll take the canvas and have it drum scanned. It really depends on the size and detail I want out of each piece. After I've gotten my art digitized I then start the process of deciding what part of the piece I want to be a focal point for jewelry. This can include zooming, cropping and light adjustment in CS3 before I adjust to the bezel size I want fill.

*** More of this post coming *****

Any purchase totaling $100 placed by May 1st will receive an artisan ring of your choice worth $28.00.

How does it work?

1) Visit www.charmingsam.com and choose any combination of product(s) totaling a minimum of $100.

2) Visit www.charmingsam.com/artisanrings.html- add one ring to your shopping bag.

3) During checkout use code MOM09

NOTE: Rings will ship seperately in 1-2 weeks and will NOT be delivered with your purchase. You will receive a seperate email verifying a delivery address for your ring.

Every day I find other artists who inspire me. All types of artists, some famous and some not so famous. Art is subjective and everyone has their own thing they are attracted to. Unfortunately I am attracted to so, so, so, much!

The thing that has been on my mind this last week is Zines. From Wikipedia - A zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine, or magazine; pronounced [ziːn], "zeen") is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier on a variety of colored paper stock.

I actually think this definition is a bit out dated as zines have really evolved to be ANYTHING the author or artist want them to be.

So, I am thinking about zines. Travel zines, art zines and jewelry zines. I am thinking......

One of my favorite places to see some artists books and zines is Rowan Morrison - http://www.rowanmorrison.com/store_zines.html

There is no simple way to explain the extraordinary beauty of the jewelry made by Joanna of Jorgensen Studio. The stacking rings to the left are probably her only quirky piece but I love them so wanted to share here.

I love her work so much that I contacted her a couple of weeks ago and she was kind enough to suggest collaborating on a few rings with me. I am beyond excited! Wait 'til you see what we've come up with!!

Unfortunately, the bases are on their way to me now and then I'll labor over what image should go in each...or maybe I should do an original painting for each? Yes, that sounds good.

In the meantime go visit Joanna and revel in the beauty of her work at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5090809

Our friends over at Simon & Schuster have been kind enough to let us give-a-way TWO copies of this lovely little book.

Really beautiful with wonderful tips for decorating your home or just spiffing things up. This is a hard bound book chock full of great information. The most wonderful thing is you can WIN your very own copy.

It's simple. Enter to win by filling out this quick :05 second entry and we'll notify you if you've won no later than April 23, 2009. All entries between now and midnight on April 21, 2009 are eligible, duplicate entries will be deleted prior to random selection.

Please be sure to use an email address you check often since that is how you will be contacted if you win.

Click HERE to enter this wonderful contest. Two entries will be chosen!

Or you can buy one yourself by going HERE

Tell me these aren't super cute earrings? HA! Find them and more like them at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5411241

There is a lovely gallery in Bethlehem, PA called Monsoon Gallery. They have been an amazing supporter of my work for several years and I think the world of the owner, Ranjeet and the gallery manager, Rori. Really nice people and so supportive of artists.

Over the last year they have been expanding their on-line presence and have added some amazing jewelry artists including Belle Brooke, Gisele Theriault (The Barber's Daughter), Martha Sullivan & Kathy Bransfield.

The gallery has also been kind enough to offer a 10% discount on ANYTHING through the end of April. Which of course includes Charming Sam jewelry!

I highly recommend checking out the website www.monsoongalleries.com and picking up some beautiful art or jewelry or both! Of course getting 10% off Charming Sam is the best part.

Cheers!

Amy

There was a time one could use the term "twitter" and refer to something a bird does. That's not necessarily true any more. But I am "all a twitter" about getting accepted to the Alltop Jewelry guide! Extra cool, hopefully some good traffic and if I should sell something then all the better. Yeah me!

Go check out Alltop and go thru all the categories to find something you enjoy. Be sure to check out the Jewelry Alltop and look for Charming Sam Studio.