Muse Silk Painting ♥s a go go studs

I'm a little embarrassed at how long it's been since I last posted an update. I'll work hard(er) to make sure 2010 has more regular updates. As a kickoff, how about this sweet little feature from Muse Silk Painting's blog. Thanks Angel!

New project with Nauvoo Glassworks

matching the hot glass colors to my moretti

heating the color

'gathering' the clear glass

blowing a bubble to get it started

enlarging the form

heating the end so we can create a hole

blowing out a hole on the bottom of the piece

enlarging the hole and opening up the vessel

'blocking' the vessel with wood paddles to thicken the walls

spinning the vessel into disc form

removing disc from the furnace

almost done!

I've had a project in mind for awhile. A large sculpture using glass. This past weekend was devoted to getting this project off the ground. My mom and Lucky (my pup) spent the past few days camping with me in Nauvoo, Illinois while I worked across the street with Jim Topic of Nauvoo Glassworks.

Finding a glassblower in the Midwest is not an easy thing. The glass movement is primarily based in the Northwest for many good reasons. Foremost being the weather. Nobody wants to stand in front of a blazing hot furnace and play with molten glass in 90 degree plus humidity weather. After finding a select few glass blowers in surrounding states the next matter was finding one who would take on such a small and specific project. I had planned to be involved but I hadn't planned to be nearly as involved as I was working with Jim!

While at RISD I had considered majoring in glassblowing. I had tried my hand at it before and had been lampworking for almost 4 summers at that point. In order to make my decision I took a wintersession of glassblowing. After witnessing a major nasty accident, the trials and tribulations of hauling glass pieces to shows, and contemplating the start up costs alone I made the decision to become a jeweler. After this weekend I am doubly glad!

There's something mesmerizing about the flow of molten glass. The magic of the material as it begins to firm up into a shape you've coaxed out of it. Vivid colors, immediate textures, light playing in the transparency. Luckily I have the ability to still witness these qualities on a small scale in front of my torch.

sweet sharp ♥s squarings

I woke up to a fantastic email this morning - New York based shopping blog, Sweet Sharp, is featuring fuzzishü's Squaring - Pearl in their geometric jewelry post 'Of circles and squares'.

Go on over and check it out!

What's in a name?

Earlier this week I launched a quest on Etsy. I have a series of work that needed a name. They are beautiful little fine silver pendants on 14k gold filled chains. The contrast, the cut-out designs, the curly edges. Many little elements coming together to create a harmonious whole. But they were without a name. 24 hours after turning to my fellow Etsy-ians I have well over 30 suggestions. I was looking for a one-word name to go with my other series (retro, a go go, etc.)

The finalists were :

-melange

-glacier

-serenity

-ombre

-decoupe

-tranquility

-harmony

-silhouette

And the winner is....Silhouette! You can see the winner's post about the contest here.

fuzzishü spotting! Creston, Iowa

There's a fantastic article written about my project to stay in Corning in the Creston News Advertiser. Please check it out!

Artist seeks permanent home in Corning
By TYLER ELLYSON - CNA staff reporter

It was love at first sight for Rachel Sims, who has been an artist-in-residence at the Corning Center for the Fine Arts since July 2007. She lives and creates her handmade jewelry in Corning, and would love for it to stay that way.

There’s just one problem.

The young artist needs to sell close to $70,000 of jewelry before the end of February.

Go to the full article.

fuzzishü ♥s etsy

I've taken the plunge and started posting my jewelry on Etsy for the grass roots project mentioned in the last post (link). Etsy is a fantastic site featuring a wide variety of handmade goods by artists around the world. It is also a wonderfully open community. Another Etsy member interviewed me for her blog for the 'Interesting or Not so Interesting' section. Please go here and check it out. What can I say? I live my life like a Chinese proverb/curse - 'May you live in interesting times'. :P

fuzzishü spotting! Council Bluffs, Iowa

Council Bluffs did a fantastic article on both fuzzishü and the Corning Center for the Fine Arts.

Our Neighbors: Artist Sims right at home in Corning
by Emily Kesten, Staff Writer

...Linda Shearer, the center's board president, would like to keep Sims in Corning. "If you know of any projects for her, let us know," she said.

Artists in residence who open studios in Adams County following completion of their residency receive a reimbursement on their program rent. But more importantly, artists who stay can develop and sustain a creative culture in rural Iowa.

The young artist hopes to raise enough money from jewelry sales by the end of February to buy an 110-year-old building on Davis Avenue, Corning's main street.

"I saw it on my first day in Corning, and it was just like - boom! That's it!" said Sims.

After spending two and a half years in Switzerland, Sims took a chance on Corning, a small town she had never seen with "a population smaller than my high school." The chance has turned into a life decision.

The slower pace of life, close-knit community, its lively downtown and the can-do spirit appeal to her.

Check it out the full article here.

fuzzishü ♥s elements ltd.

Elements Ltd. is a modern and unique art jewelry boutique located in the Roosevelt shopping center in Des Moines Iowa. Founded in 1995 by Mel Parks, Marta Jones-Couch, and Sheena Thomas Elements displays some of the best known studio jewelers in the US. - such as Sarah Graham, Todd Reed, Chris Ploof, and Michael Daniels.


fuzzishü is very proud to be joining this line up (plus, how fantastic do the pieces look in their shop?!) Please stop by and say hi to the wonderful people at Elements and see what's on display.

Elements Ltd.
837 42nd Street
Des Moines, Iowa

515.277.7421

Sweet September Sweeps

I know you've been waiting. You can't take it any longer!!!

Who. Is. September's. Jewelry. Giveaway. Winner????

But I digress. As many of you know, when you sign up for the fuzzishü mailing list you are automatically registered to win fuzzishü jewelry 4 times a year (spring, summer, winter, fall) Pretty exciting, no? Granted there will be other contests on here from time to time, but do you really want to miss out on this?

So, back to the Sweeps. This past month we were giving away a pair of 'winter' earrings. The lucky winner was a visitor to my booth at the Uptown Minneapolis show - Robyn J.

... Bob, show her what she's won....

Robyn will have her choice of colors: blush (rosy pink), dew (yellowy-green), mist (lilac) , breeze (cornflower blue), frost (clear), bliss (seafoam green), or whisper (pale aqua).

For those of you who didn't win, don't worry you are still entered for the next drawing. If you still can't live without a pair feel free to email me. I have more available for purchase. And for those of you not on the list...What are you waiting for?!

Join now by emailing fuzzishu [at] gmail [dot] com with 'MAILING LIST' as the subject. Remember kids, it's as they say. You can't win if you don't play ;)

What's black + white + read all over?

*Update 10.11.08 - After viewing the actual paper I found the article was on the front page. Woo hoo!*

The Daily NonPareil wrote a very nice article about the Corning Center for the Fine Arts, including some quotes from yours truly...

CORNING - Many starving artists move to the big city only to find themselves working full time in order to cover rent while the art that they came to pursue slowly fades into the shadows.

"Most people say if you want to be an artist, you have to go to New York," said Rachel Sims, resident artist at the Corning Center for Fine Arts. "Most artists can't afford to live in New York, and you do everything but art."

Sims began her residency in Corning in July 2007 after living in Switzerland for 2½ years.

"I was coming back to Iowa to start up my business full time and was looking for a place to do that," Sims said. "When I was Googling studio space in Iowa, this residency in Corning came up and it sounded perfect. I'd never had a chance to live in a small town, and the housing was an added bonus; a place to live and work."

For the full article go here.