DonnaBarnako.com

Treasure Hunting in Maine

As I watch the summer fly by in oh-so-cool Maine, (temperature cool, that is), I've had two exciting jewelry "encounters". The first was a trip to Bucksport, Maine, where we supposedly were attending the town fair.

The REAL reason, as far as I was concerned, was to find the studio of BILL FRETZ, silversmith extraordinaire and designer of the Cadillac line of jeweler's hammers and tools. Designed by Mr. Fretz and manufactured by his son Jordan, in Vietnam, the hammers are a dream of balance, precision and beautiful wood. Mr. Fretz proudly showed my husband and me photos of his just completed factory, bright, modern and busy.

When I am creating a piece of jewelry that takes hours to make, I want to use the best tools. It makes me feel good, and the specialness of the tools is reflected in the specialness of the jewelry, I feel. Here are my two new Fretz hammers and his catalog which makes me lust for adding more to my collection.

 

 

My second encounter was of a different sort, because I found an antiques dealer in Maine who specializes in Bakelite pieces. Bakelite was accidentally discovered in 1907 and is the first synthetic plastic. It was used extensively in the 1920s-1940s in buttons, jewelry and even the dash boards of Mercedes Benz cars! It has since become relatively rare and much sought-after.

My dealer was only willing to part with some of her pieces because her collection had grown so large over the years. I have wanted to work with Bakelite for a very long time and this opportunity was not to be missed!

This photo shows my new pieces, mostly buckles, one button and a few caramel "beads" which I think will make good earrings. The buckles will become wonderful focal beads/closures for necklaces or bracelets. I have several designs in mind already. These are rare pieces of Bakelite...see if you find any like them on eBay! I hope to have them incorporated into designs in time for our big Great Falls Studios fall open studio tour on October 20-21, 2012. More about that later!

Looking for a Home

With three venues for my jewelry, private clients, as well as shows through Great Falls Studios, I have been challenged to fortify my inventory. 

Since I will be teaching this wonderful macramé bracelet class at Star's this Spring (details below) and since I have sold every one of these bracelets I've ever made, I decided to get to work!  And this is what I produced:  one completed bracelet, "Sticks and Stones" that fits my 6 1/4" wrist, and four equally fabulous pieces waiting for their "forever homes".  Each will be custom-fitted to the new owner's wrist.  Each is $350.

"Sticks and Stones" features all the colors I love and I would not be unhappy if it chooses me for its forever home.  It's chock-a-block with semi-precious stones in earthtone shades of green, clay, taupe and teal.  There's hidden surprises in all these bracelets and this one features a watch gear, a carved stone bear fetish, a tiny filigree butterfly and lots more.

Number Two is "English Country Garden" with luscious shades of lavender, lilac, sea green and aquamarine.  There are four lovely handmade torch fired glass beads and some very pretty vintage two-toned lavender flowers.

Number Three is "Fade to Black", a dramatic midnight, periwinkle, teal and black number that has stars, several Murano beads and a spectacular dichroic stained glass button as closure.

Number Four is "Antique Lace", with shades of ecru, ivory, gold and a nifty little Sterling hedgehog charm that I found in England.  The gold is 14K and the square button which matches perfectly is from Dublin.  An international bracelet!

Number Five is "Chocolate Obsession" which features copper, brass, crystal and yummy vintage leaves in a half dozen shades of brown and taupe.  Jet black beads set it all off and a cool bronze button I bought in Dublin is the closure.

If you are interested in any of these pieces, drop me an email.  If you're "from away" you can always just send me your wrist size!

My class, "Daggers and Dandelions" will be Saturday, April 23, 10-4pm at Star's Beads in Vienna, Va.  (tel 703-983-7018).  Registration begins tomorrow (January 18).  The class is $60 and requires no previous experience.

I will also be teaching my "Steampunk Style" class again on Friday, May 6th, 10-4pm at Star's.  This class has been full each time I've taught it and includes many wonderful techniques. 

Hope to see or hear from you soon!

New year, new designs!!!

I've been busy, finding a few hours here and there to make these slick fibulas.  

They're kind of fancy large safety pins, meant to be worn with a loosely woven or knit scarf or cowl.  

They're fun to make and since I have an endless supply of cool artists' beads, they're a perfect vehicle for using up, however slightly, my inventory.  

I have variously used beads of Raku pottery, vintage, kiln-fired lamp work, crystal and some fab new torched copper beads made by cottage industry in Afghanistan.  

I think they are literally made in people's cottages where they are then dipped in a gold liquid which gives them the most incredible colorations.  The fibs range from $75 to $125 depending on the combinations of beads used.
 

Have a fun and safe New Year's!

Summer in Maine, so far

Our 2010 summer in Maine has started off with great weather, a Fourth of July lobster bake and exciting plans for a trunk showing of my jewelry in Wiscasset, Maine for July 22-23.  Here's a link to the press release.

I am very pleased to have completed Random Acts of Beads, a necklace five years in the making, shown in the press release (and above).  It is comprised of 18 separate beaded components which were then sewn onto a separate beaded necklace base.  It's in shades of caramel and copper with purple accents and made to sit at the base of the neck for all to see.

I have also been very busy making a half dozen unusual freshwater cultured pearl necklaces (above).  They're unusual because of the pearl shapes and incredible iridescent colors.  Shown are Jacks (they remind me of the Jacks game we used to play as kids), Merlot and Hummingbird.

For the many lovers of purple, I made a seven-strand pearl bracelet that is definitely BLING.  The custom two-inch dichroic glass and Sterling clasp is meant to be worn on the front of the wrist, the better to show it off, along with the 14 Swarovski crystal cubes alongside it.

The last photo is NightBloom (above), one of two stunning (if I do say so) bracelets that really need to be seen in person.  NightBloom features scores of beads:  vintage, glass, stones and gems in black, gray, taupe, silver, copper, lavender and teal. The closure is handmade glass in black and white stripes by David Christianson of Providence, Rhode Island.  The second bracelet (no photo) is in lime and turquoise with seahorses, shells and fish with an eye-catching ceramic toggle clasp.  This is a happy bracelet.

If you're anywhere in the midcoast Maine area on July 22-23, please stop by and see the trunk show as well as DebraElizabeth's wonderful shop, right on the banks of the Sheepscot River.  Be sure to get in line for a lobster roll at world famous Red's Eats, right at the end of the block.  Deb's phone # is 207 882 8485.
 
If I don't see you there, be sure to mark October 16-17 on your calendar for the Great Falls Studio Tour.  I'll be opening my studio once again for this event, which gets bigger and bigger each year.

Artifact

My very most favorite thing to do recently is this, making my new design, Artifact. 

It takes several days to construct due to the number of steps involved:  etching the copper or brass which has been stamped with a design, in an acid bath; cutting the shape with a jeweler's saw, drilling the holes for the rivets, applying a patina and antiquing the metal, riveting the piece together, making the chain links and finally, applying a fixative.

The necklace, or pendant version, which I've called Ancient is very special, too.  I have acquired rare and unusual-looking stones and fossils from a stone cutter (lapidarian) in Tucson. 

For each I have custom cut an underpinning with prongs which I attach to a metal base.  The prongs fasten the stone to the underpinning, which I then rivet to the metal base.  There is one on display at The Artisans and I have two more on my work bench in progress:  one is a lovely fossil sand dollar and the second is a very unusual stone called Ribbon Turquoise.  It actually has a strand of turquoise cutting through it like a narrow river.  Quite beautiful.

I will be teaching Artifact, the bracelet, for the second time on Saturday, April 24 at Star's Beads in Vienna.

Hooray for the Red, White and Blue

A rainy Sunday and being stuck indoors has, nonetheless, led to a productive day. 

I've just made some fabulous Nautical/Fourth of July earrings that will look great with some white slacks and a blue or red shirt. 

They're priced from $40-$50 and all have stars on them.  Some are striped vintage blue and white plastic, others are blown royal blue glass.

One pair incorporates triangular hand made art glass from David Christenson of Rhode Island. It's in the upper left hand corner of the photo.  (Click on it for a larger version.)

Most of the earrings are Sterling with Argentium silver (much better than Sterling) ear wires and a few are copper niobium (hypo-allergenic).

I think they're great!

Still Working Hard

We have reached our "summer camp" in Maine, unpacked and are getting ready for the arrival of our first guests next week.

In the meantime I have placed a number of my pieces at the new Heritage Village in Wiscasset; a new undertaking of local artisans ... furniture maker, alpaca breeders, Maine wine makers and brewers and my friend Betsy Pare' who makes wonderful lampshades and painted furniture. 

Betsy invited me and several others to share some of her retail space at Heritage Village.  It is located on the left side of Route #1 as you come into Wiscasset from Portland..  Look for the lighthouse which is home to a new lobster restaurant.  There's also a resident artist painter in a little "schoolhouse" and fresh blueberry pies and jam in another building.

As always, I have set aside time to do my favorite thing:  make jewelry.  In fact, three necklaces and two bracelets, and here are two of them. 

The bracelet is (pictured above) one I am very proud of as it incorporates many pieces of Raku pottery beads, several of which I've made myself.  As well, there are numerous vintage beads and some hand-made glass ones and even an agate bear fetish that I've had for some years waiting for the perfect piece.   To top it off, I've made the toggle clasp myself and embellished it with tiny beads and wirework.  Oh yes, in the middle of the bracelet is a beaded bead that kind of looks like a sea urchin...this one bead has over 50 smaller beads in it.  I call this piece MOOD INDIGO.

The second piece is just a really nice necklace that I started before we left Virginia.  The center piece is a stitched section of Russian Spiral beading and finished with two really nice Thai Sterling silver bead caps, four good turquoise stones, separated by large Raku discs and more  Sterling.  A chain and clasp finish off this handsome necklace made to be worn as a loose choker.  I'm calling it ... RUSSIAN SPIRAL!

Click on each of the pictures to see them in a larger version.

Coral Reef

It took three weeks stranded on a lovely island, but I found the perfect way to jump start a project that has been on my to-do list for several years:  TAKE ONLY ONE PROJECT TO WORK ON!!! 

So here is the result.  It's called Coral Reef, with my inspiration the incredible turquoise waters and scenic underwater locales on St. John, U.S.V.I.

It all started with a precious hand-carved seahorse made in the rain forests of Costa Rica,  which I purchased several years ago.  Now, many hundred beads later, he or she sits on a bed of coral with fish, shells and starfish for company. The toggle clasp is handmade of enamel and there are many handmade glass and vintage beads, too. Whew!  What a relief to have it done! (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

Etched Copper Earrings

Here is my first pair of etched copper earrings.  They're about an inch in diameter and I've made some tiny wireworked twisted Sterling coils as accents. 

They may look elegant in their simplicity, but many steps were involved in getting there. (Click on the photo for a larger version.)

    Starting with a thin 3" X 3" sheet of copper, I used very fine steel wool and kitchen cleanser to abrade it; stamped it with decorative designs using special carved stamps and ink.

    The sheet was then immersed in a caustic solution for 45 minutes.  It emerged quite blackened and had to be steelwooled vigorously to remove all the caustic agent.

    Next it was "antiqued" with Liver of Sulfur, a smelly concoction much used by jewelers to add a patina and definition to their pieces.  Again vigorous cleaning with the steel wool and then I used a disk cutter to make as many small 1/2" and 3/4" disks as I could out of the now-etched sheet.

Oh yes, I also tried to center the designs to best effect on the disks and each had to be sanded as the cutter had left edges which were quite sharp.  Finally, I used a dapping block to form and shape each disk.

At last they were ready to be made into  "simple, but elegant" pieces of jewelry!

Pagoda Earrings

Here they are, my new Pagoda Earrings.  I finally have two pairs that are not spoken for. 

One set is Sterling Silver, hand hammered and pierced, with gorgeous etched Raku beads.

The second is 14K gold-filled, again hammered and pierced, set off by stunning Ocean Jasper semi-precious stones with a most interesting design. 

Either pair, $85. (Click on the photo for a larger image.)