Category Archives: Creative Journey

Paisley Lizard’s 2017 Year in Review

before and after craft room

This is a before/during and after of the craft room in my new place. Things were stacked in boxes for too long, as often happens when trying to decide where to put them.

Here we are at the end of another year and I’m rounding up the highlights of my creative journey for 2017.  One of the biggest things that happened to me in 2017 wasn’t exactly creative, but it had a huge impact on my creative output.  I moved mid-year, and misplaced my creative mojo in the process.  As a result, I didn’t get around to making as many new things as I had planned, and I also neglected my blog more than a bit. Continue reading →

Evolution of a Custom Order

When a friend asked if I could make a crib mobile for her son’s room, I was willing to give it a try even though I’ve never made a mobile.  She shared some photos of the nursery, which has a Calvin and Hobbs theme with birch tree silhouettes on the wall.  She didn’t want anything too cutesy because the plan was for the mobile to be part of the room’s decor beyond the baby years.

colored sketch of leaf mobile

This was the sketch of my original plan for the mobile. I used the same pan pastels to color the sketch as I planned to use on the mobile.

Continue reading →

Finding the Right Round Nose Pliers for Jewelry Making

Round nose pliers

Thee brands of round nose jewelry pliers tested. From left to right: Beadsmith, Lindstrom, Beadalon.

I have been searching for the perfect pair of round nose pliers for my jewelry making.  That’s not the reason I’ve neglected this blog, and you, my dear readers, for over two months.  But the two things are not unrelated.  You see, I moved in the spring and am just now getting back to my jewelry making. Continue reading →

Jewelry Design Challenge – Fairy Wing Fail

Copper wire earringsI signed up for a jewelry design challenge with the theme “Welcome to Faery.” I had visions of making delicate shimmery translucent earrings in the shape of wings. I was going to do a “light” fairy version and a “dark” fairy. Or maybe I was going to make fairy wings for each of the four seasons. Yep. Grand plans, I had.

Because all these diaphanous winged earrings looked so spectacular in my head, I didn’t worry about getting off to a late start with the actual making of said wings. I didn’t wait until the very last minute. Neither did I allow enough time for the “error” part of the trial-and-error process of designing something I’ve never done before. Nor for a plan B when things went pear-shaped. Continue reading →

Recovering a Polymer Clay Mishap with Swellegant

Stamped copper cuff with patinaEarlier this year I experimented with two new-to-me polymer clay techniques: the Sutton slice and Swellegant metal paints.

Sometimes I make things that don’t turn out as planned. Sometimes, the results of an accident or a change in plans are better than what I first set out to create. And sometimes, well, they’re just bugly. Continue reading →

Jewelry Design Challenge: Copper Etching

Etched copper earringsMy newest jewelry-making technique involves a bit of chemistry and physics. I gave metal etching a try this month. Etching and electroforming are the techniques featured for the Self-Representing Artists in Jewelry Design challenge in August.

I began researching etching weeks ago, and decided on salt-water as my etchant almost immediately. My studio, which is sometimes otherwise known as my kitchen counter and dining table, is not equipped for harsher chemical techniques that generate more toxic fumes. Continue reading →

B’sue Boutiques Build a Line Design Challenge Part 2: the progress

Five Elemental Lizards focalsHere we are for Part 2 of the Build a Line design challenge (BALC for short) where I’ll be showing my progress in creating a line of jewelry using components from our sponsor and instructor, Brenda Sue (aka B’sue) Lansdowne of B’sue Boutiques.

In Part 1 of the challenge, the other participants and I revealed the themes we’d be exploring and components we would be using. Some of us (the over-achievers) even had a finished piece of jewelry or two to show off.  In Part 3, coming up in a month from today, we will be debuting our completed lines, which must have at least five related pieces. Continue reading →

Introducing the Cactus Frog Logo and Jewelry Brand

Cactus Frog LogoThe Paisley Lizard would like to introduce you to her close cousin, the Cactus Frog. I have a fabulous new logo to go with the new Etsy shop where I’m offering my brand of handmade whimsical jewelry.

As this is my year to focus on a cohesive look for my jewelry designs, I took a hard look at the offerings in my original Etsy shop and found a split personality.  And then decided I needed a second shop, and hence, a new logo. Continue reading →

B’sue Boutiques Build a Line Design Challenge Part 1: the proposal

Lizard jewelry componentsI am thrilled to be participating in the Build a Line design challenge, hostessed by Brenda Sue (a.k.a. B’sue) Lansdowne of B’sue Boutiques.

The challenge is to design five pieces of jewelry that could form the basis of a line. The participants, nearly 60 jewelry designers, will be blogging about our progress along the way in a series of three blog posts, each about a month apart. This first post is to introduce ourselves and the concepts for our lines. Continue reading →