JewelrybyTamar ♥s fuzzishü

Check out this fantastic treasury on etsy by JewelrybyTamar. Tamar thanks all of us for being beautiful and I thank Tamar for seeing the beauty in the simple geometric design of the squaring.

C is for Charms...

New to the Iowa State Fair for 2010! You've made a ring, now create your own sterling silver charm or pendant to match.


They make excellent gifts for new mothers, teens, grandmothers, mothers and more. You'll start with a small silver blank and learn how to file, stamp, solder and finish these small pieces of jewelry all in about half an hour. Hope you'll join us!

J101 Final Project

This session of Jewelry 101 ends with both pleasure and sadness. We had a fantastic, creative hardworking group of students that made some stunning pieces of jewelry. I look foward to seeing them all again (I hope!) in J102 this Fall.

Here are some photos of their final project, a wire bracelet. You may notice I was a bit more...hmmm...flexible with the parameters of the 'wire' part of the bracelet this go around.


Teri blended her handmade glass beads and funky floral aesthetics in this fun summer-y bracelet. The back is just as decorative as the front and a textured leaf clasp completes the piece.


Amber's final piece incorporated dark lusterous pearls paired with natural patina'd and dapped copper. Her bracelet is finished off with a retro looking clasp.

[kristin's bracelet goes here]

I forgot to get a picture of Kristin's piece but will make sure to get one soon.

Hannah just returned from her European Jaunt and is working hard to catch up! Bracelet photo to be added soon.

Profession Rings

My current J101 class did a fantastic job on their second project - soldered rings. Some of the designs morphed and changed as we worked on them but I think everyone was pretty happy with the final results. They had a chance to show them off at ArtFest Midwest while assisting me last weekend. I think they impressed many prospective students. :D

Teri chose to commemorate the textile industry by weaving silver strands to decorate her ring

Amber created a fun and funky retro vibe ring based on the idea of skee-ball

And Kristin's ring is an abstract representation of a fountain in a zen garden

All in all, great rings that anyone would be proud to wear. I am really looking forward to our final wire bracelet assignment and seeing what these creative chickies come up with.

dm art center teen class

This summer I taught a beginning metalsmithing techniques at the Des Moines Art Center to a class full of 13 to 17 year olds. For a week they sawed, filed, riveted and finished reversible pendants as well as a stamped ring. Lots of work but well worth the effort!

KerstinHanson ♥s a go go 9 element necklace

A big thanks to Kerstin for featuring my necklace in her fantastic colorful grouping!

Start my 15 minutes Mr. Warhol

Mollie Cooney did a fantastic segment on her 'In the Artist's Studio' program of studio fuzzishu, myself and my upcoming classes. A big thanks to everyone at KCCI who helped make this happen. Even if I do sound more than a little bumbling ;-p There's a reason I stay in the studio people!!!

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Selling at 80 mph

What a weekend! I just came back from Wheaton, Illinois where I took part in the Cantigny Fine Art Festival. The weekend started off inauspiciously with a major storm - 80 mph winds and torrential rain - just in time to set up! Sadly, I didn't get any photos of this phenomenon. Many tents ended up flying like kites...one or two landed on my car. Luckily my tent stayed put.

I did get to try out my new display. It was a breeze to set up and tear down each day...just take the frames (with jewelry still on them) with me. However, if they are customer friendly is still up in the air.

Also, my aunt and cousin were in town for the day and we all went out for a delicious dinner at Tango in Naperville, Illinois - home of the world's longest steak...and amazing tapas! Having grown up in Naperville it was kind of fun to see how the town has changed and view it with new eyes. I also was able to catch up a bit with my best friend from childhood. Not a bad weekend, despite the weather!

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek of some new products/workshops studio fuzzishu will soon be offering.

Whimsical Pendants

I've been a brutal task master and had my students saw and file til their little fingers fell off for our first project. Here are the fruits of their labor.

Teri based her pendant on her whimsical homelife in this smart geometric design. She also created each of the glass beads to represent her and her family members, including the black and white schnauzers!

Kristin was inspired by the curly vines she and her mother observed on a walk in the Greenbelt. The chain and bead really pull the piece together and help to express 'nature'.

Hannah's love for baking might not be readily apparent in this abstract pendant but look closer and the swoops and swirls. Is anyone else hungry for cupcakes?

Amber used a photo she had taken of some octopi and reinterpreted their tentacles in her asymmetrical copper pendant. The sinuous curves, warm hue, and balanced 'suction cups' say sealife.

I think my students did a fantastic job on this first project and I'm eager to see what they come up with for the next assignment! Watch out, world, we're soldering!!!