Happy Holidays to You and Yours!

Before we take off for parts south, my best buds Nan and Mick, disguised here as Santa's Reindeer, just wanted to wish you a very safe and pleasant Holiday.

Holiday Sale at The Rodd Umlauf Gallery

Here's our Wood Turner Hans Delius with some of the
beautiful turned wooden ornaments that he brought in.

And here we all are, Hans in the back row with Owner and Painter Rodd Umlauf, in front is Potter Kathy Mitchell and myself.

Cathy Bosacki was on hand with her chocolates to taste as well as a sampling of wine from Brigadoon

Winery located in Tripoli.

Just a couple photos of the Silver & Bold Show at Bassett Jewelers. It was a very nice experience to see my pieces under such wonderful conditions.....roomy display case complete with neck forms and earring holders and perfect lighting! It really did make things look nice.

Bassett Jewelry Show

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Come join us for Christmas shopping, at The Umlauf Gallery in Downtown Lake Tomahawk. Find your perfect Christmas gift among wood turned pieces, functional pottery, beautiful paintings, stained glass and glass bead and fine silver jewelry. Also on deck will be Wine Tasting and Chocolate Sampling from Cathy Bosacki's Chocolates and More. Refreshments and drawings for gift certificates. Stop by and visit with all the artists. Check the UPCOMING EVENTS column for more information.

Luxurious Lapis

If your favorite color is navy blue, then you'll love this Lapis Lazuli bicone shaped strand of beads. It has a strand of sterling silver Fair trade beads from the Karen Hilltribe in Thailand as well. And suspended from a three ring Fine Silver handmade bail is a deep blue striped wing heart. It has silver leaf and glass shards swirled over it and it sits on a Fine Silver handmade head pin. A delight for a Christmas gift or just for wearing to Christmas parties.

Olive Bronze pearls...

Also gone from the Bassett Show was this 34"
length of Bronze Olive potato shaped pearls. It
can be worn as one long strand or doubled.
The pearls have a clear glass heart that has
metallic shards and fine silver mesh to create some interesting texture and color. A fine silver
handmade charm dangles from the heart and the
Fair Trade Thai bird clasp complete the piece.

Check out the colors...

This pair of earrings sold recently at the Silver & Bold Show at Bassett Jewelers. I hope they make someone a very nice gift. Look closely at the color in the beads. It's that Silver glass again...it's always a surprise what's going to show up. The stirrup form that they are suspended from is a style I'm liking a lot.

New Earring Design

Here's a look at a new earring design

that I'm excited about. Just a little something different in terms of wires. I like the way they show off the glass bead disks that hang from them. They will be in the Silver & Bold Show on Saturday at Bassett Jewelers. There will be lots of new things to see, so hope to see you there. You might also want to check out the Salon Spa in Eagle River as The Art Gypsies will be there. And they put on a fine show. Check out potter friend Amy's blog for more details and some photos of her work. www.pigeonroadpottery.blogspot.com

Rich Garnet

I loved the somewhat stop sign shape of these rich red garnets. I'm often stumped though as to what kind of Lampwork bead I should add to the mix. So this time I opted for a simple Fine Silver charm. The large white freshwater pearl sits slightly off center and the bird clasp is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Kyanite

I have been searching for this particular precious stone for some time. Finally at the last Gem show I was at, I was able to acquire some. It's a very pretty cornflower blue with some striations running through it. This piece has some faceted ovals as well as some round disks. I paired it with handmade Fine Silver circles and a Lampwork winged heart bead, which is laden with Silver leaf and glass shards and frit. I love the silver beads that look like balls of string. This piece is one that will be in the upcoming shows.

SILVER & BOLD SHOW NOV. 22, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amy Higgason, Bassett Jewelers, 715-356-7272

Headline: Bassett Jewelers welcomes three local artists to their showroom

Bassett Jewelers is hosting a series of jewelry trunk shows featuring local designers on Nov. 22, Dec. 6, and Dec. 13 from 10am to 4 pm. "Silver and Bold: A Northwoods Jewelry Designers Showcase" will feature artists Kathy Furda of Rhinelander, Betty J. Christian of Lake Tomahawk and Wendy Powalisz of Land O’ Lakes on three separate saturdays in the store’s showroom. Each artist will be on hand to talk to customers directly about their pieces.
The event was conceived by owner Susan Bassett and marketing manager, Amy Higgason as a direct response to customer inquiries. "We’ve had so many requests for items made locally. We felt it was the perfect time, with the holidays approaching, to showcase some beautiful, hand-crafted pieces made by area residents" notes Susan Bassett. Higgason, who is also an artist, assisted in selecting the designers. "I’ve worked with all three of these ladies and their craftsmanship is first-rate. They each have their own signature style and unique approaches to their materials."
Artist Kathy Furda is first up on Sat., Nov. 22. Furda designs jewelry incorporating glass lampworked beads and fine silver pieces. She makes her beads over a torch. It involves melting glass rods over a metal rod and then reworking the glass into art forms. Furda fuses fine silver wire to some of her glass beads. She also uses fine silver clay to create silver beads that are then fired in her kiln. "I like the combination of smooth glass beads and textured silver. The range of color, style, glass and precious metals that can be utilized is unlimited. It’s a very exciting creative medium." states Furda.
The store welcomes Betty J. Christian on Sat., Dec. 6. Christian began creating wire wrapped jewelry in the late 90’s. Her intricate pieces are formed one at a time using only hand tools and jigs. She works primarily with sterling silver, but also uses 14K gold-filled wire and copper wire in some designs. Most pieces incorporate gemstones or other bead materials, including pearls, glass, wood, bone, clay, and seeds. "When I work with wire it seems to take on a fluid-like quality as it willingly flows into form. Each piece is a fun journey of creation" claims Christian.
Shoppers can meet Wendy Powalisz at Bassett’s showroom on Sat., Dec. 13. Powalisz lists playing with her grandma’s necklaces and big jars of buttons as an "early delight." Her fascination grew as she learned how antique beads traveled across the globe as currency. "Imagine the stories they could tell" she remarks. Powalisz began collecting vintage glass beads from Europe, African trade beads and semi-precious stones from around the world. She combines them with fairly traded silver from Thailand. "I still play with beads and buttons, but today they end up as one-of-a-kind jewelry creations."
"We are excited to share this fine work with our customers. It's a talented group and as a small local merchant, it's our privilege to promote these area entrepreneurs." Bassett ads.
Each artist will be at the store on their day from 10 am to 4 pm. Preview pieces are on view at Bassett Jewelers, located at the stoplights in downtown Minocqua. Please call 715-356-7272 for more information.

Something different...

I had to throw in something a little different, if for no other reason, than I simply don't like to be too predictable. This piece has a larger Lapis colored bead that's heavily silvered. It also has some multi colored glass shards and a soft velvety etched finish. A pyritized Ammonite fossil completes the piece.

Recently sold...

There was fun had by all at the Open House at Bosacki's Chocolates and More. Lots of wine was tasted, as well as gourmet delights and I even sold a few things. The matching earrings and pendant went to a good home. This pair of earrings has a little armature from which the glass disk is suspended. The disks are softly etched to give them a worn feel.

The pendant hangs from a Fine Silver bail and is in the company of a Tibetan Mali bead and some Dutch Dogan rings. I am working hard getting ready for the next show which will be at Basset Jewelers in Minocqua. Next posting I'll have more info.

Fine Silver Circles

Also at Bosacki's will be this pair of handmade Fine Silver disks and circles intertwined with each other. There's lots of movement in these and they're topped off with coin shaped Iolite and Freshwater Pearls.



Don't forget to vote today!!!

New Style

Here is a pair that I finished recently with etched glass disks of clear and a light steel green. They have Fine Silver disks in the center and a new style of wire. They will be at Bosacki's Open House on Nov. 5th. Stop in and taste some wine from White Winter Winery, specially blended chocolate by Cathy & Colleen, and a variety of other gourmet items.

YIKES!

This is what I woke up to on Monday morning! The view is actually looking out over the deck at my studio. Needless to say it was cold and the winter jacket and gloves had to come out. But there is a short reprieve for Thursday as we'll get into the 60's. More earrings coming soon.

Getting ready for Bosacki's Chocolates Open House....

The Art Tours may be over for the season, but for me there is still a line up of activities. Right now I'm getting ready for Cathy Bosacki's Chocolates & More Open House. This will happen on Nov. 5, 2008 from 4pm to 7pm. Cathy & Colleen run a wonderful business with some of the best tasting chocolate around. (My personal favorite is the dark chocolate Mocha Truffle, but I wish they'd bring back the carrot cake chocolate hint hint!) They invite the artists who have works at their store to be present with new work for sale. They also offer samplings of their other gourmet treats. It's a great time to try some things you just might need for the upcoming holidays, pick up some gifts, and socialize.

I'm concentrating on making a wide variety of earrings for this offering and this is an example of just one style. I'll post others as I get more photos taken, so stay tuned. The disk beads on these pieces are made from Black Nebula glass which contains lots of silver in the actual rod, which gives it the metallic sheen. The Fine Silver circles are handmade as well as the Fine Silver ear wires.

Northwoods Fall Art Tour

Just thought I would post a few new things that will be at the Rodd Umlauf Gallery in Lake Tomahawk for the Northwoods Fall Art Tour. It's this Friday Oct. 3rd - Sunday Oct. 5th. I will be there helping out all 3 days, so if you want to get a look at the Fall Colors and see some fine Northwoods Artists get in your car and go for a drive. You can find the info on the right side of this blog for hours, maps, places, etc.

This could maybe make the cut....

I was really glad I decided to photograph this piece again as it is one of my favorites and contains many different aspects of my work. There are hollow beads, lentil beads round beads, disk beads, etched beads, fine silver pieces I've made in the form of round shapes, heart shapes,tube shapes, and a charm. And of course the colors are some of my favorite earthy colors as well.

Something bright....

I had an inspiring photo session the last 2 days, so thought I should post some results. I'm trying to get some photos with a little pop for an upcoming show in Nov. This may not be one that makes the cut but the yellow was screaming at me to post it. I'll have more later on all upcoming events.

And We're Back....

I just had to take a little break. Lots of work, company, and summer things going on here. This piece sold during the Art Tour and since it was a personal favorite and I didn't get to see much of it, I thought I'd let it rest here for a little while. Enjoy.

Snapdragons

Our "past their prime" snapdragons that drew almost as many compliments as the artwork!

Famous sign...

Our famous YEP sign with a glimpse of our "boss" and painter Rodd Umlauf.

Another Successful Summer Art Tour

Hard work does pay off, and I'm happy to report another successful Art Tour is now history , but I thought perhaps you might enjoy a few photos from the sunny days we had. Here is the Gallery entrance where potter Kathy Mitchell is talking to customers.

Last post before the tour....

OK, it's 10pm and I think I have everything covered, photos taken, items tagged, inventories typed....and as I always say, "I'll have what I have".
So this last piece I just finished today and I love how there are several ways to wear it. It's a 36" strand of warm olive freshwater pearls with a clear hollow bead wearing metallic glass shards. Dropped from the bead is a handmade fine silver charm with a leaf pattern. A thin slice of watermelon tourmaline hangs from the toggle clasp with some coin shaped amber.

OK, I'm off!

Tonight's Offering

Here's another one of my favorite's this season. I just had someone refer to this as a raku bead...wish I had thought of that first. It really is reminiscent of a piece of raku pottery with all the metallic colors. The bail is handmade from Fine Silver wire and the charm is also Fine Silver with a raised heart, all suspended on an 18" rubber cord.

Dancing Stars

I recently placed this piece of Stained Glass at the Umlauf Art Studio. I wish the photo would have been a little better, but I have yet to find the perfect method for capturing glass. I wanted the stars to appear as if they were dancing when no one was looking, specially Mr. Man in the Moon. Although I gave his head the slighest tilt so he could keep an eye on them.

SIlver Plum Shard Beads

My most favorite piece this season, is made from clear hollow beads, with dark silver plum glass shards. The more heat you apply the more metallic colors appear. This piece happens to be a convertable ....it wears well as a pendant or converts to 3 bracelets. Freshwater Pearls in several sizes and colors complete this piece. Available at the Umlauf Art Studio for the Northwoods Art Tour this weekend July 25-27.

Silver Oak Leaf

And the last one for the evening, is a Light Amber Hollow decorated with Silver Plum leaves perched on a Fine Silver cone-shaped headpin. It's suspended from a Fine Silver handmade bail with my favorite leaf, the Oak, a sign of strength. Lemon Citrine, Moonstone and Pewter Pearls complete the piece. And you can find it at The Umlauf Art Studio.

Not just beads...

Let's not forget that there's also Stained Glass on the Art Tour. This small window is done in soft smokey gray greens with a touch of rose.It has a glass disk bead that echos the colors of the very special slice of Watermelon Tourmaline in the center. Right next to it is a thin square of Gypsum. Anyone know what that's used for? It has a wonderful appearance of an ice cube. This window can be found at the Umlauf Art Studio.

More Black Nebula

Since the Northwoods Summer Art Tour is coming right up next week end (July 25-27) I'll be posting a few things that are in Galleries in the area. And today I'm posting 3 things since I'll be gone for a couple days. So first up is this soft amber hollow bead with swirls of Black Nebula glass that has turned to swampy blues and greens. There is a Fine Silver swirled charm with it's own raised heart in the middle. The whole thing is suspended from a 24" Sterling snake chain. You can find it at the Umlauf Art Studio in Lake Tomahawk.

Metalic Shard Heart

Yet one more heart for your viewing pleasure....this one is in a bracelet with a double strand of Freshwater pearls. The hook and eye clasp are made from Fine Silver, while the heart has a clear base with fine silver mesh that gently shows through the Deep Silver Plum shard that blooms into many shades of metallic hues, while giving the shard a distinct texture. It's not the easiest thing to capture in a photo, but I have some more things with these beads that I'll be showing later.

And then there were two...

This piece has a light Transparent Amber Lampwork heart, decorated with pewter leaves. The charm is handmade fine silver also with a leaf design. They are both dropped from a strand of faceted, variegated, Green Garnet with a sterling clasp. And it's currently available at the Open Armoire in Three Lakes.

Hearts Galore

Yes , I spent some time this winter on making some voluptuous hearts. This one has a base glass of very light amber, with silver leaf and a silvered glass shard. The silvered shard shows up in shades of blue. It's strung on a strand of Afghani Lapis and a strand of Sterling Hilltribe beads, frosted Sodalite, and Freshwater Pearls. It's available at the Open Armoire in Three Lakes.

Umlauf Art Studio Pieces

I just took some pieces up to the Umlauf Art Studio in downtown Lake Tomahawk. So I think I'll show of few of those pieces this week along with some more that went to the Open Armoire. This canape set was made with a new glass I bought at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee. It's called Black Nebula, it's what's called a silver glass as it has silver in it's composition. (making it a little more expensive at $5 for one 18" rod) It's actually the glass that the swirls are made of. Hmmm, why is it called Black you say? Well the silver in the glass can be reduced in the flame and then makes some beautiful colors such as the blue & green you see in the piece. I like this glass and you can definitely count on seeing more of it.

Also available at The Open Armoire

This new piece is now availble at The Open Armoire in Three Lakes. It has a fine silver 3 ring bail and circle drop with a long lampwork tube bead made with silver leaf and fine silver mesh. Freshwater Peacock Pearls make a fine finish.

Available Now

This is a brand new piece that is now available at The Open Armoire in Three Lakes. It has 3 strands of olive green peacock pearls, Serpentine, and Sterling Silver beads. The front part of the pendant is actually a bracelet that has 3 Hollow Lampwork beads, as well as 8 pewter colored disks, sterling beads and freshwater pearls.

Sorry, here's the photo.

Sneak Preview

The Holiday Weekend is coming right up so I thought I'd offer a little sneak preview at some of the things that will be in some of the area Galleries. This piece is at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau. It has a long strand of beautifully graduated coin shaped Baltic Amber. A Cobalt glass heart with special glass shards and clear "wings" drops from the handmade fine silver bail. Take a look in person if you're in the area, check the link on the right for directions. Enjoy!

Summer Utensils

Having been on the road lately, I had the opportunity to make a stop at Carr Valley Cheese, a real treat. That, and the fact that today was an absolute perfect day, with those summer breezes blowing, reminded me that those special summer appetizers deserve the "good silverware". These are a matched set to spread those delectable pate's or stab that elusive kalamata olive, with rich colors in amber, sage green and pewter.

The Man in the Moon....

I love these these man in the moon faces. They add a bit of whimsy to a piece. I'm running low though and am having a heck of a time finding more. Hopefully, I'll find some soon. This piece has some Dichroic fused glass pieces as well.