From Polymer To Art - Purple - I'm in it!

Hurray I have just received my copy of From Polymer To Art - Purple! I'm so excited because have an article in it! You can see me in the top left hand corner of this 'contents' picture.

I was asked to write an article about my curing experiments. If you have been following my blog for a while you will probably have read all about my tests to try and cure Kato clay so that thin bangles wouldn't break. I also did some tests with Fimo soft to see how the curing time/temp effected the strength of Fimo Soft - you can read about it in the article in the magazine. I will publish those results of my Fimo tests here in a while, and I have more tests planned too for the new year (slightly busy with Christmas just now!).

Thank you Saskia and Marjon for giving me to opportunity to contribute to your wonderfully colourful magazine!

Christmas owls

I suddenly had a seasonal moment last night and made some Christmas hats for a couple of new owls

and a sleeping cat!

They came along with me today to Bristol's Shortest Art Trail (in 2 houses 2 doors apart). We all had a jolly time drinking mulled wine and talking to lovely local Fishponds people. One of the other artists suggested I should put hanging loops on them so they can be ornaments - so obvious, why didn't I think of that! Watch this space for Christmas owl tree ornaments! All these owls were made from scraps from my latest red and green jewellery set - I'll show you that when I have strung the necklace.

Some more new jewellery

I have been very busy making things this week. Here's a couple of my newest pendants. I am trying to always add a little extension chain and dangle, it means the length of the necklace is adjustable to some degree and the clasp is more likely to stay at the back.  I wrote a blog post a while ago about keeping necklaces in place - you can find it here

Tiny little owl earrings

I love owls, and it seems they are very fashionable just now. I have been busy making more of my little owls as I sold nearly all of them at the weekend. Whilst I was making them I decided I would see if I could make them tiny, for earrings. The answer is yes and I think they are adorable! What do you think? Do you like the wacky bright colours?

Little owl earrings, they are about 1.2cm tall.

Mummy owl with her earring babies!

I am managing to be very focused and productive so will have plenty of new things to show you, just got to find time to post the pictures!

Hope you are all having a good week.
Cara

Facebook give away

I had a brilliant weekend at the Totterdown arts trail, meeting lots of lovely people, receiving many compliments about my work and selling lots of jewellery and little creatures, thank you people of Totterdown and the people who came from further afield!

Here's one of my pendants that has gone of to a new home!

I was also lucky enough to spend lots of time admiring the art work of the other people exhibiting in the house -Emily Ketteringham  and Rebecca Howard.

Having had such a good weekend I thought I might do another giveaway. I've decided to do one on facebook this time, for the people who like my page www.facebook.com/CaraJaneContemporaryJewellery, to say thank you to them.  I will pick one person who likes my page  at random when the number of likers hits 100 to receive one of my creations. If you already like my page, thank you and good luck. If you don't now is a good time, and do tell your friends!

I'll do another give away here soon too, possibly as part of the launch of my online shop.... when it's ready!

Welcome to the home of Cara Jane

Soon, after the Christmas rush, I will be revamping this blog and adding an online shop! In the meantime if you do wish to buy anything you have seen you can email me.

Just in case you hadn't noticed the link bar above you can use the links below my title to take you to:

• see more pictures of my work in my flickr photo gallery 
• my facebook fan page (please do come 'like' me, it makes me happy when you do!) where you can also see some photos and keep up to date with what I am doing.
•  my Diary page where you can find out where I am selling my jewellery and what workshops I am running. 
•  my Twitter account, I've just added this link.

I'll leave you with a photo of a teeny pair of tortoise earrings I made last week.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my website,

Cara

Totterdown Arts Trail this weekend

This weekend is the Totterdown Arts Trail, in the Totterdown area of Bristol, UK. I shall be exhibiting my jewellery at 13 Hawthorne Street along with the very talented 

Emily Ketteringham

and Rebecca Howard

The trail is on the 18-20 November and you can come along during these times:

Friday 6p.m - 8p.m.

Saturday 12p.m - 6p.m.

Sunday 12p.m - 6p.m.

Here's a small collection of new teal and grey jewellery I will have for sale at the trail along with many others!

Teal and grey flower pendant

Teal, navy, grey and white square pendant

Teal grey and white mirror image pendant

Hope to see some of you there! Do let me know you read my blog if you come.

Cara

Stroppel Cane Flickr Group

I was hoping to show you some new creations today but my sanding pile is still very large and I haven't quite got there yet, soon!

In the meantime I have set up a Flickr Group for The Stroppel Cane. I have been discussing the idea with Alice Stroppel and now it seems that so many people are posting pictures of work using this wonderful technique that it's hard to keep track of them all.  I am hoping that by starting the flickr group the pictures can be posted there and we can all be inspired by each others creations and peoples little twists on the basic technique. Please come join the group, add your pictures, tell your friends!

Pendant made by me using the Stroppel Cane technique with scraps from one project

Tortoises made with Stroppel Cane slices from some old cane scraps

If you haven't tried the Stroppel Cane technique yet and you have a few cane scraps, or old canes you aren't keen on, give it a go this weekend. It's great fun and the results are stunning!

I'm back, with creatures....

I have been playing with my clay, it's been very therapeutic at this difficult time. I've also been clearing up my work space and sorting out all my clay scraps and using them to make creatures! My son is doing well, his arm seems to be healing nicely. Thank you for all your kind messages of support, it's nice to know you are there!

I'm having a table at my kids school Christmas Fayre (Begbrook School in Bristol, UK on the 3rd December if you are local!) and one of the criteria is that you should have things available for the kids to buy. I normally sell little tortoises I make with my cane end scraps

Here's a small selection of my 60 odd tortoises

and of course I had to see what they looked like with Stroppel Cane shells!

Last year some one requested owls so I made owls too, and promptly sold them all. Finally I made more...

My latest Parliament of owls.

One of my friends has a collection of cute little cats so I thought I might try cats too and am very pleased with how they turned out. I am really enjoying making them from one piece of clay. I will try and do a tutorial for them when I next get a quite moment (probably 2012 at this rate!)

And finally I am taking part in the Totterdown Arts Trail (18-21st November, Bristol, UK) and they are inviting people to create Guerrilla Ducks, decorated ducks, so here is my first attempt at a duck. Can't quite get the beak right, I did try adding a yellow beak but that just didn't work for me. I will try again another day.

If you want to find out where I will be displaying my work, or when I am running workshops don't forget to check my Diary page (you can use the link bar at the top of the page too). They are all in Bristol, UK at the moment but sure I will venture further afield one day;)

Will try and post some photos of my latest jewellery at the weekend, got to do some sanding first though!