New Endeavors in 2012

 

This year I have been moved to create in a whole new way!!!

Playing with light, color, texture, and dimension has never been more fun for many than now! Playing with different types of yarns, I've found a new avenue for self expression in wearable art! It's allowed me to create all of my Christmas gifts for family and friends this year! It's also helped me to augment my wardrobe with plush delicious designs that flatter my face and mask my chubby and totally kissable little neck! LOL
Hope you enjoy the pictures, Much more to come! I've thus far knitted and/or crocheted fingerless mittens in several styles, plus scarves, hats, infinity scarves, and ear warmers! I'm LOVING IT!







 My First pair of slippers!!!!!!! I'm so proud!!!!

Tips  On Mold Making!

Making My Own Molds Project

Welcome! It's been a while hasn't it! I got food poisoning and have been at home for a couple of days recovering. I finally feel well enough to actually do something in the studio that isn't to rigorous!

I've had on hand for a while now, an awesome product by Sculpey called Mold Maker and Polymer Clay Conditioner! It comes in an 8 oz brick and I've used to to capture
impressions of some of our Waterford Crystal and today I'm using it to capture a Star Fish. That's one project. The second is that I have a fondness for creating miniature foods from way back and have been wanting to create a pastry shell/cupcake mold for use with that hobby as well. So today I knocked out both projects and made the most of my starfish mold by using the extra space on top to create some pastry shell molds on the same piece of clay! This clay doesn't have to be mixed like some of the two part products do. It simply comes in a brick. You pull off what you want. Wrap the rest in saran wrap and put it back in the box. I used this about one year ago and haven't touched it until today. It's still like new. No break down, no changes...nada.
I broke off my piece and rolled it into a ball, pressed it flat on my flexible nylon pad and checked the depth to make sure I could get a good impression with the starfish. It needs to be deep enough to take a good impression without getting to thin on the backside. If it's to thin on the back after the impression is made the piece will come apart when you try to remove it from the flexible work surface. **BTW if you live in a warm place and can't cool your work space, put this in the refrigerator and cool it before you take your impression. It  will release better from your object and take a clean/crisp impression.**
 It cures at 275 degrees Farenheit for 20m minutes per 6mm of depth of your mold!
I used a corrugated teardrop shaped brass bead on a head pin to leave my pastry shell impressions. Just sprinkle a bit of baby powder on a paper napkin, roll the bead in the powder to evenly dust it
then give it a gentle push. Keep the small impressions about 1/8 inch apart so that they don't distort one another!

Can't wait to use  these! Just mist the mold with water, press in your Polymer Clay of Choice, release the impression and cure it in the oven! Simple as that!
Somebody over at Youtube was asking me about how to make a piece of Starfish Jewelry. This was an attempt to help them out!
May the Muse be with You!
Much Love,
Mona

Classes in Jewelry Design with Mona Hair

 I just signed up for something new today! It's a directory for artists of wearable art that would like to teach lessons! I love this idea and while I don't have lots and lots of free time to teach, it would be great to connect with a few students on a regular basis! I have frequently been asked about classes for French Beaded Jewelry of the type that I am well known for! I work in wire wrapping and many other types of jewelry design styles, so feel that I have a lot to offer someone attempting to learn jewelry design! Basic construction of jewelry components and small jewelry pieces all the way up through complex designs! I love teaching! We'll see how it goes!

Bellaire Beading And Jewelry Making Teacher

Meet Guest Artist Vanessa Walilko LIVE!

Vanessa Walilko is an extraordinary designer of wearable art. Vanessa's muse is expressed not only in expected types of wearable art such as jewelry pieces, but also in jewelry for the body as her vision works in more expansive spaces! Major eye candy in beautiful wearable art. An interview and exhibition of work not to be missed! This is an online event. NO TRAVEL REQUIRED. Our show is as accessible as your own PC! There will be an open question and answer session at the end of the exhibition! If you wish to participate in the live text chat area of the program you will need a user ID. It takes about 30 seconds to grab over at www.ustream.com. No user ID is required to watch the show passively!
Date: July 10, 2011
Where: http://www.jewelryconnecti​on.tv/
Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm Europe, 8pm UK, 4am Japan
Vanessa Walilko
Kali Butterfly
http://www.kalibutterfly.c​om/

Micro Mosaic Jewelry ------Then and Now

Join Mona Hair for a presentation of the history of Micro Mosaic Jewelry and what's happening today in this fine wearable art! How historical jewelry may influence contemporary artists!
Location:
http://www.jewelryconnection.tv/
when: Sunday 5-22-2011
what time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 8pm UK, 9 pm Europe, 4am Japan, 6am Australia

Today 5-15-2011 Mona will be presenting some history on the subject of the Victorian Era of Jewelry with lots of pictures...timelines...and a springboard for an educated attempt at creating Victorian Inspired Jewelry! Join us for a presentation of history through pictures of this expansive history of jewelry design!

Location: www.jewelryconnection.tv

Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 8pm in UK 9pm in Europe, 4 am in Japan

This is an on-line internet event. No travel is required and it's free! Join us!

Meet Guest Artist Kazuhiko Ichikawa of Japan

Time	Sunday, May 1 · 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location	http://www.jewelryconnection.tv
Created By	The Jewelry Connection
More Info	Join me in a live interview with Kazuhiko Ichikawa of Japan! We will enjoy a review of his work and a question answer session to follow! You may visit his website here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/KAZism Date: 5-1-2011 Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm in Europe, 8pm in the UK, and 4am in Japan ... Here is a brief introduction for Kazuhiko! "I design & make jewelries. I'm interested in antique jewelries especially in art nouveau & art deco. I graduated Kyoto Institute of Technology in 1979. I majored industrial design. After the graduation, I was working for a stationery company as a product designer and a planner for more than 20 years. Around in 1999, I was fascinated with antique jewelries. In 2002 I quit the company and entered to Tokyo Jewelry Craft School in 2003. In 2004 I graduated there and started my career as a jewelry artist." I'm looking very much forward to sharing this artist with you! Please join us! It's an online internet event and does not require travel. You can enjoy this event from where you are sitting while you read this!  Also you may call into the show via phone at 1-832-397-6317 Please hold calls until the question and answer session near the end of the show! Call and ask the artist questions or simply to let us know what you think of the show!  If you have SKYPE you can call direct with SKYPE to Mona77401

Older Archives of Featured Guest Artists

There is a treasure trove of previous guest artist's interviews to reminisce with over the Live Video, our sister site where we were doing our interviews prior to moving to Ustream!You might ask yourself who's there??

Harriett Estelle Berman, Tadd Hardy, Betty Stephan, Peter Sewell, Shay Stone, Jay Whaley, Lilian Chen, Maureen Zappa Brusellini ... and many more!

Archives of interviews, inspired discussion about design, season events! It's a great place to bath the muse!

Mona Hair - producer of The Jewelry Connection - a human interest story and an affair with wearable art!

http://www.livevideo.com/video/The-Jewelry-Connection

Meet Guest Artist Sharron Westeren

Time	Sunday, April 17 · 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location	http://www.thejewelryconnection.tv
Created By	The Jewelry Connection, Mona Hair
	Join us to meet guest artist Sharron Westeren - Independent Jewelry Artist! Sharron lives in Las Vegas and the name of her business is Delicate Designs. She is a member of the Las Vegas Art Guild and a Las Vegas Etsy group. You may visit her website at: http://www.delicate-designs.net/ Date: 4-17-2011 Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm in Europe, 8pm in the UK, 4 am in Japan Location:  http://www.jewelryconnection.tv This is a LIVE streaming internet event that you can enjoy from anywhere in the world. No travel is necessary and there are no fees attached! A 100% Positive experience from the comfort of your own home! Join us for an interview, review of work, and question answer session to follow! Mona Hair Producer of The Jewelry Connection - an affair with wearable art and it's artists! A human interest story!

Invitation for a Challenge in a Themed Design - Cave Paintings

You're invited to participate in a global (world wide) design challenge in wearable art with the theme of cave paintings!
Details:
1.-Independent artists may submit up to 4 submissions per artist
2.-Designs must reflect the theme of Cave Paintings
3.- artist must include name, website (if you have one) , city,state, country, and
     personal photo(this is a human interest story...not just a jewelry show)
4.-Pictures must be minimum 600x600 pixels and no larger than 900 by 900 pixels.
    Slightly off square will be accepted for example 600x500 pixels ect. Rectangular images
     will not be accepted.


5.-Submission Deadline is February 20th, 2011--- send submissions to
    mhair@pdq.net
6.-Jewelry show of submissions will be hosted on February 27th in the internet
    broadcast room of The Jewelry Connection at http://www.jewelryconnection.tv
    at 12pm PST, 1pm MT,  2pm CST, 3pm EST,  9pm in Europe, 8pm in the UK,
    6am in Australia.


   If you miss the show don't worry. It should archive at this site and be up for viewing within
   an hour after the    show! I'll also be preparing a presentation video of all  submissions and
    uploading that video to YouTube  the same day.
    Location of the video will be  http://www.youtube.com/mona77401


7. As a precursor for the show The Jewelry Connection is hosting a program on
    January 9th to share pictures of cave paintings as inspiration and to underscore
    the details of what is necessary to participate in  the challenge!
8.-Judges for this event have been selected who have a history in this subject and
    are eagerly awaiting your submissions! Prizes will be announced at a later date.
    Prizes will be awarded to First, Second, and Third Place.

As a final note, You don't have to be a seller of original wearable art. It isn't
necessary to have a shop on the internet or anywhere else. If you design jewelry
for the pure enjoyment and would like to join us in this challenge you are very
welcome to participate!

Warmest Regards,
Mona Hair
Producer and Host of The Jewelry Connection

Meet Guest Artist Sean Purucker of LA

Join us this coming Sunday for an on-line internet LIVE interview with Costumer/Designer, Sean Purucker, of LA. Sean is a successful designer of wearable art. Get the scoop on what its like to create wearable art using larger design space directly from this fascinating designer! A memorable human interest story!

Date:            November 28, 2010 
Show Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm Europe, 8pm UK, 6am Australia
Location:   http://www.jewelryconnection.tv

Looking forward to sharing this wonderful artist's story with you!
Mona

Where My Beauties May be Found!

In the not to distant past I moved my shop to a new location!  Art Fire is the Up and coming place to be for artisans and it's where I am too! Come see me! I'm in the process of moving all of my listings of available design work to this location!
Love and Light!
Mona

Pushing the Envelope in Design of Wearable Art

Usually we explore original art jewelry. We're going to expand the horizons just a little bit with this show and go for some wearable art of a broader range and offer resources on where you can find patterns for hats, gloves, hand bags, and much much more! Join us for some fun, some eye candy, and an exploration into t...he possibilities of where our art may go!
Location: http://www.jewelryconnection.tv/
Show Time is: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm in Europe, 8pm in the UK, and 6am in Australia.
With the time change occurring tonight this might throw international timing off a bit. No worries. You can catch the archive!
Looking forward to sharing this adventure with you!
Mona
Producer and Host of The Jewelry Connection

Meet Guest Artist Wendy Gell

World wide, well respected independent jewelry artist Wendy Gell will be joining us for a live interview, exhibition of work, and question/answer session! Wendy is famous for her Disney and Glamor wristies among many other types of designs! This is a show not to be missed! I'm very much looking forward to sharing this wonderful artist with you! The program is an internet (on-line) event. No travel is required. You can watch this at home on your computer monitor! High Speed internet access is recommended.

High Speed internet access is recommended.


Date: 10/10/2010
Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm Europe,
8pm in the UK
Location: http://www.jewelryconnection.tv/

Love to All,
Mona

Invitation for a Collaboration - Holiday in Jewels

You're invited to join us in a collaborative activity called "Holiday in Jewels". Our group has done this project for two years in a row and it's been a really beautiful and exciting sharing experience.  The invitation is for independent jewelry artists, creating one of a kind work, to submit up to three designs for a holiday themed on-line jewelry show and holidy jewelry video to be uploaded to YouTube!  You can see previous videos http://www.youtube.com/mona77401 to get an idea of what the videos look like. The broadcast room of The Jewelry Connection is http://www.jewelryconnection.tv
This is where the holiday jewelry show will be hosted.

Submissions must be in to me via my email address: mhair@pdq.net by November 14th and the jewelry show will be presented on November 21st. That allows 4 and 1/2 weeks of shopping for our fans to see the video, visit our shops, make their purchases, and get items shipped.
To Participate:
1. pictures need to by at 300dpi and no smaller than 600 x 600 pixels
2. up to three submissions per artist
3. include with your email, name, location, website
4. send all to mhair@pdq.net
5. Deadline for submissions November 14th 2010

Looking forward to sharing in this holiday adventure with you!
Best Regards,
Mona Hair
Producer and Host of The Jewelry Connection
www.jewelryconnection.tv

Free Tutorial Live on Sunday August 29th - Polymer Bracelet

On Sunday afternoon August 29th, 2010
Show Time: 12pm PST, 1pm MT, 2pm CST, 3pm EST, 9pm in Europe, and 8pm in The UK
This is an on-line presentation with live video and audio. High speed computer access is necessary to participate during the show.
Dial up is so slow that the audio and video will not stream well.

...We'll be hosting a tutorial in the broadcast room of The Jewelry Connection!
People have been requesting this tutorial for a while and I've been dodging it until I could get a good archive on it. Now that we are getting great archives at our new home I'm going to break out the toys and host a tutorial on this project! Pictures of similar bracelets are exhibited here!

A list of supplies and tools for this project if you want to follow along:

Tools:
Clay - Sculpey
Pearl-X powders - lots of colors - $26-$50
Pasta roller - $27.00
http://www.cistamps.com/rollagraph_jumbo.htm
Wheel embosser - Rollagraph jumbo $6.00 for handle
Shadow Leaves Rollagraph embosser wheel $7.50
Sculpey blade - $2.00
Clay Roller - acrylic tube- $7.00
Ink - varies
Brass bracelet cuff - 3.50
Amaco Polymer Clay Oven - $60.00
with additional Sculpey oven thermometer $13.00
Work mat
Baby powder
Flitz - metal polish long wearing to reduce tarnish
A rubber glove
Fine grit wet sander or sand paper
Basin of water
Soft polishing cloth
Future Liquid Floor Polish
Fine Sponge - make sponge is good

You're welcome to work along with me as I make the bracelet or you can simply take notes and refer to the archive at a later time as you wish! I'll be offering a lot of special tips on how to handle this design to create a very nice quality piece of work!

Looking forward to sharing this tutorial with you!
Love to All,
Mona Hair
Producer and Host of The Jewelry Connection

Papier (Paper) Mache' in Jewelry

Something interesting and a throw back to the 60's and 70's is the subject of use of paper mache' in wearable art.










What's interesting about paper mache' wearable art?

1. Ingredients are inexpensive and are probably in your home right
now!
2. The process goes way back in the history of wearable art!
3. The possibilities are endless for making jewelry, beads, and
masks of all sorts!
4. It can be molded into forms for solid/dense structures of design
5. It can be used to create a base design the over-layed with ornamented
scale work and other designs to create textural excitement and dimensional effects!

It is recommended in various different sites that adding a touch of salt or a few drops of Clove oil will retard growth of mold in the glue, but consider the other possibilities! Perhaps some chocolate scent in a dark brown flower of paper mache', or a magnolia scent in a gorgeous big brooch of a similar design!

It's a creative outlet that offers almost immediate gratification, allows anyone to indulge in a creative attempt, and can even be a terrific family project ---creating gifts for loved ones. Designs in any style are possible! Try something Pop Art, Romantic, Contemporary, Cubist, Religious, ......RUN WITH IT!
Please let me know what you do with this! I would love to see pictures!

Website resources on Papier (Paper Mache) include the following:
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/05/papier-mache_floral_brooches.html#more

http://www.squidoo.com/paper-mache
Newspaper Pulp Recipe familycrafts.about.com/cs/papermache/a/blpmpulp.htm
Resin Paper Mache Recipe - familycrafts.about.com/cs/papermache/a/blpmpastes.htm
Cooked Recipe for Paper Mache' - familycrafts.about.com/od/papermache/a/cookpmpaste.htm
No Cook Recipe for Paper Mache' - http://familycrafts.about.com/od/papermache/a/nocookpmpaste.htm

Love To All!
Mona

Thoughts on Inspired Design - Mona

Greetings Friends!
It's been a while since I posted anything here of a personal nature! I'm so wrapped up in doing the shows, editing images, creating videos, that I rarely have time to breath! I have the day off from work today and there is something that needs saying!

The idea that inspiration is hardly worth considering at all is exactly the kind of mentality that degrades the value of the inspired work of artisans by society and has people hacking out below par design work because they don't explore from within as they work. If creating was easy everyone would be doing it. If inspired work didn't exist there would be no differentiation in the quality and admirability of works at large.

That thing that happens in our heads that helps us design things with long enduring intellectual properties may be called anything we like, but it can never be called common or unnecessary.

This I can say with some authority as in my own experience I have made things that were uninspired and created designs via inspiration. I've also witnessed this phenomenon in others as well. These two processes are not exclusive of one another, making versus creating. You may begin to make something and then become inspired...that's when what you initially began to make morphs into something else but you like it better! Alternately you may have an inspired design that you tinker and mentally outmaneuver until it becomes less than it began. That's always a let down. If you have been at it long enough, you'll have experienced all of these things!
You may find yourself moved to create by your own dream or another's. You may be moved to create by visions of exciting architectural elements or a visit to a rose garden. Inspiration may come from anywhere at all! Don't live at your work table or in your studio. Get out and experience some life so that you have more to enjoy and more to share!
If you haven't been designing long I hope you find encouragement from my observations to reach within and bring those special visions of yours out and into the world where we may all enjoy the beauty of what and how you think!

With Love,
Mona

Greetings Friends!
It's been a while since I posted anything here of a personal nature! I'm so wrapped up in doing the shows, editing images, creating videos, that I rarely have time to breath! I have the day off from work today and there is something that needs saying!

The idea that inspiration is hardly worth considering at all is exactly the kind of mentality that degrades the value of the inspired work of artisans by society and has people hacking out below par design work because they don't explore from within as they work. If creating was easy everyone would be doing it. If inspired work didn't exist there would be no differentiation in the quality and admirability of works at large.

That thing that happens in our heads that helps us design things with long enduring intellectual properties may be called anything we like, but it can never be called common or unnecessary.


This I can say with some authority as in my own experience I have made things that were uninspired and created designs via inspiration. I've also witnessed this phenomenon in others as well. These two processes are not exclusive of one another, making versus creating. You may begin to make something and then become inspired...that's when what you initially began to make morphs into something else but you like it better! Alternately you may have an inspired design that you tinker and mentally outmaneuver until it becomes less than it began. That's always a let down. If you have been at it long enough, you'll have experienced all of these things!
If you haven't been designing long I hope you find encouragement from my observations to reach within and bring those special visions of yours out and into the world where we may all enjoy the beauty of what and how you think!

With Love,
Mona

Join The Jewels of Fall 2010 Collaboration of Artists!

You're Invited to join a video collaboration. It's that time of Year! Jewels of Fall!
Who's up for another video?? We did a fantastic presentation with last year's video. Once the submissions are all in, I'll create a presentation video for You Tube.
This has served us all very well for soft advertising! On September 26th..., Dr. Gail Devoid and I will host the video with all of it's contributors as our show at The Jewelry Connection!

I'm accepting submissions for Jewels of Fall 2010:
8-15-2010 through 9-19-2010.
What's needed:
!. a picture of your Jewel of Fall design
2. a picture of yourself to lead into your photo
3. a brief bio - name, city, state, country and web address
Please allow me to add the text information to your pictures.
Depending on how I pan and/or scan the shot, it might not be in the right place
if you have put the text there in advance! Also keep your photos as squarish as possible. Long rectangles vertical or horizontal do not work into a video very well.
Photo size requirements no smaller than 600x600 pixels. Anything larger is ok. It gives me more room to create a great video!

Send all submissions to mhair@pdq.net
This invitation if for designers of one of a kind wearable art. Mass Produced items are not represented by this video collaboration.
We had a great world wide representation of artists last year! I'm looking forward to sharing this project with you all!
Mona
Group Moderator
Producer and Host of The Jewelry Connection