And More New Collage Pendants

you've seen this one before, but it was a crappy photo!

my all-time fave and of course its the one that sold :)

the tag on this one reads 'dance'

More Collage Pendants

just a couple of the collage pendants that made their debut at the group show. all the collage pendants are reversible (with painting on the backside) and are made with wood, acrylic paint, recycled gift cards and sterling silver.

couple more tomorrow.....

Successful Group Show

Veronica Stewart-Cameron, Nicole Schon, me and Linda Hickey right

before Group Show No. 2 began!

Veronica and her eager helper, Bronwyn, showing off all the lovely Japanese papers and albums.

Happy customer rocking her new bling.

Nicole with her beautiful teapots and AMAZING tea.

Linda talking quilts (you should see the one I got!) with a prospective client.

Group Show No. 2

a creative collective featuring:

Stacey Maddock Designs
jewelry
www.smaddockdesigns.com

Pebblestone Papery
handbound albums & books
www.pebblestonepapery.com

Linda Hickey
fibre art

tnik
premium teas & accessories
www.tnik.com

Saturday, September 26
10am – 5pm
2007 Ramsay Street SE
Calgary, AB


visa, mastercard, cheques & cash
gladly accepted

Pay It Forward Art

check out this new blog! this is such a great idea! i'm on the list and if you have even one creative bone in your body, you should too!! if you're interested contact amy weber, our pay it forward hostess :)

check it out! http://payitforwardart.blogspot.com/

Ballad

This is a teaser from Maggie Stiefvater's BALLAD, a novel involving homicidal faeries and kissing that's coming out October 1st.

He turned towards me. For a long moment, he stood facing me. I was held, anchored to the ground – not by his music, which still called and pushed against the music already in my head and said grow rise follow – but by his strangeness. By his fingers, spread over the ground, holding something into the earth, by his shoulders, squared in a way that spoke of strength and unknowability, and most of all, by the great, thorny antlers that grew from his head, spanning the sky like branches.

Then he was gone, and I missed his going in the instant that the sun fell off the edge of the hill, abandoning the world to twilight.

Buy it here. Enter the contest at Maggie's blog here.

Razzy Boy

Photo by Jessica Lee

They say the dog is man's best friend. That he is loyal, faithful, protective and never judges. He is the friend who is there for you when no one else is. He brings joy, laughter, and let's be honest, the odd moments of anger too. But above all of that, he brings many great memories to your life. Sometimes a dog will even bring you to tears...

Today the tears are tears of sorrow of a life past. The tears are for a friend who brought so much to our lives, yet never spoke a word. He didn't have to speak for you to get to know the kind of gentle soul he was. You just had to witness the way he pranced around with a prized stick in his mouth, or how he would get oh so close to new born baby without touching it, to realize how gentle he was. Always the gentleman, he would wait for you to walk down the stairs or out a door before he would follow. He was also the house exterminator - without hesitation, he would gulp up that scary looking spider or that pesky moth that had entered the house.

One of our fondest memories goes back to when he was a couple of years old. Stacey was walking Shiraz and the newly born Bronwyn at the dog park. A group of hornets surrounded the baby buggy and it looked certain that our precious baby would be stung. But the gentleman stepped in and wedged himself between the baby buggy and the hornets. He was stung three times. Bronwyn and Stacey were unharmed.

Today after a brief struggle with cancer Shiraz bid us farewell. No words can really express what he meant to our family. He was the dog you always dreamed of owning. He was gentle, kind and loved being around people.

When we picked his name over 11 and half years ago we could not have imagined that it would have suited him so perfectly:

In the words of Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate describing a Shiraz: full-bodied power, great definition and lovely elegance.

Please take a moment to view this incredible video that was made over 10 years ago by a very special friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DZEZMKC4dg

Ian, Stacey, Bronwyn, Fintan and of course Mouton

Collage Pendants #2

this is the backside. sorry for the photo glare, but the clearcoat doesn't like the camera.





i've been going crazy with these collage pendants! they are so fun and colorful. i've got 3 more works in progress, but not ready for their 15 minutes of fame. here are 2 that are completed. think i might have to keep the orange and red one! i also painted the backs. it covers the rivet evidence, but also makes the pendants reversible. crappy photos, won't be taking professional shots until closer to my show in september. have a great day!

Collage Pendants

after taking a wee bit of a break after my spring show, i am back into the swing of things! you don't realize how tired getting ready for a show makes you until you wake up from a 2 week nap. gee, guess i was a little worn out :)

school is almost out, spring is finally hitting calgary and i got the creativity bug again. i have so many cool and colorful gift cards, just begging to be recycled into something cool, that i thought i'd give using them in a new, fun way, a whirl. here's the first result. there are two more in various stages of progress on my desk, but i'll save those for next week :) as usual its not a great photo, just sitting on my centerpunch block with some sunlight, but it'll have to do. this one is painted wood with recycled gift card and sterling silver riveted to it. haven't decided what it'll hang from either...any suggestions?

have a great weekend everyone!

Success!

thank you to everyone who came out to the spring show this past saturday, it was great!

and congratulations to the gift certificate winners, gwen, heather and berri-lynn!

Spring Show 2009

It's time for the 2009 Spring Show and Sale!

Saturday, May 2

10am - 5pm

2007 Ramsay Street SE

Calgary, Alberta

New designs, Mother's Day/Father's Day gifts,

teacher gifts and more!

Light refreshments served.

Questions?

403.262.3795 or

maddocki@telus.net

Visa, Mastercard, cheques & cash gladly accepted.

www.smaddockdesigns.com

Hope to see you there!

Art-O-Rama 2009

If you are in town, be sure to come to the opening on Thursday night!

Thursday, March 5
Preview (with sales) 11-6 pm
Opening (sales continue) 7-11 pm
Saturday, March 14
Final Day of Sale 11-3 pm
Friday, March 6 to Friday, March 13
Exhibition & Sale Continues 10-6 pm
Closed Sunday, March 8

2009 AHST (Artist Home and Studio Tour)*
Maura Byrne
Thomas Debicki
Conrad Ouchi
Deborah Lougheed Sinclair
Bee Kingdom:
Ryan Marsh Fairweather
Phillip Bandura
Tim Belliveau

Ted Godwin, OC, RCA
Eric Cameron, RCA
Katie Ohe, RCA
Ron Kostyniuk, RCA
Peter Deacon, RCA
Seka Owen, RCA
Brent Laycock, RCA
Phyllis Godwin
Neil Liske
Plus over 35 SPECIAL GUESTS including::
Mary Swain
Pauly Wong
Susan Kristoferson
Helena Hadala
Aaron Sidorenko
Verna Vogel
Kai Scholefield
Janis Burns
Kim Bruce
Greg Robb
Lynn Robb
Greg Pyra
Errol Lee Fullen
Roger Scrimshaw
Myken Woods
Josh Holinaty
Genevieve Simms
Julie Chapdelaine
Thomas Harcsa
Reinhard Skoracki

Art–O–Rama Exhibition & Sale was launched as a way
to commemorate past years of AHST, as well as to
mark and anticipate the exciting line-up of the 7th
annual Artist Home + Studio Tour, to be held on March
28, 2009. On behalf of the Triangle Gallery, I would like
to extend sincere gratitude to each of these artists for
graciously inviting the public into their most intimate
spaces in an incredible gesture to help the Triangle
Gallery continue to present quality exhibitions.
The exhibition is our way to give back to these artists
and to acknowledge their contributions while presenting
their captivating works to both familiar and brand
new audiences. Featured this year are artists from all
of our previous AHST tours as well as Artist Circle
members and special guests.
With the state of our economy in the forefront of our
minds in 2009, Art-O-Rama will present a variety of
mediums: painting, sculpture, photography, illustration,
glass, jewelry, ceramics, furniture and printmaking that
is affordable and meaningful. The caliber of these works
and the generosity of the artists, have made the
experience of selecting the works for this exhibition an
absolute pleasure and privilege.
Rhonda Barber
Guest Curator/Gallery Administrator

Finished the laundry

yep, it took over a month, but i finally finished the laundry! haha, it's as good an excuse as any for not being better about writing here. i've been doing a bit of work in the studio, but mostly just running around with the kids...there's a lot of soccer practice on my dance card these days. and helping out at the school etc. usual mommy stuff. but now its time to hunker down and get to work. i have 3 shows coming up. the first is at the triangle gallery as part of their art-o-rama show starting on march 5th and running for 10 days. if you're in calgary, be sure to stop by the opening on the 5th at 7pm! then in may i'll have my spring show and a group show in june. busy, busy....more pix to come! cheers!

Happy 2009!

happy new year everyone! hope it is starting off well for you. mine can't officially start until i finish the 10-15 loads of laundry from our holiday trip! so i'll be in later with some new photos of work and maybe a few holiday shots. have a great day!

Another Month

another month goes by and i've just had my head down working away. my fall show is on november 22nd and i'm not done yet, aaaaaaaaaa! the show at the triangle gallery is all ready and opens tomorrow night. will try to take some pictures to post. i'm taking my kids for the first time. even though they are only 6 and 8, i thought it might be nice to show them what mommy does outside of the studio! should be a great show.

i am almost done with a bracelet to match the 'mongo necklace'. just have to devise a unique clasp to go with it and then i'll post a photo. hope everyone is having a great fall!

l-r: nicole, allison, me, veronica

WHOA! has it really been over a month since i last posted? the group show on the 13th was a huge success. thank you so much to veronica, allison and nicole for making it so great! and of course to all the wonderful customers and friends that came out to support us!



now i'm gearing up for 3 fall shows. the first is a 3 day show and sale at the triangle gallery here in calgary, called the 2008 Studio Art Sale & Bohemian Extravaganza. if you are in the area, check it out from November 6-8 with the opening being the 6th from 7-11pm. the second is my annual fall solo show on november 22nd. check the website for exact times and address. and third, on the 23rd i'll also be participating in the Ramsay Arts and Crafts Sale from 12-4. again if you in the area, stop on by! hope to post more new works soon, inbetween slaving in the studio :) cheers!

Recycled Gift Card Earrings

here are the aforementioned earrings using recycled gift and credit cards. the 3 layers are riveted together, but the rivets are very small. hard to see, but makes for a simple, clean surface. have a great weekend!

Recycled Gift Cards

some of you have probably seen my little dangly bracelets using old gift and credit cards. but have you seen my new pendants with the cards sandwiched between 2 sheets of silver and riveted? WELL, here are a few.....

p.s. check back tomorrow for some earrings in the same line!

Happy Dance!

finished the mongo necklace! arm pump, high fives, happy dance! this still isn't the greatest picture on the planet, but i haven't had a chance to set up a really professional photobox. next week! this necklace will be for sale at the group show i'm hosting on september 13th. if you'd like details, price etc. email me here.

Locket

this custom locket was on order for michelle k. for waaaaaaaay too long. i FINALLY finished it this morning! sorry 'chelle! glad she liked it though :) it was designed in memory of her beloved cat, samantha. these aren't on the website yet, but if you want one, just fire me an email and we can chat.

i finished the mongo necklace today too (happy dance!), but it was too late in the day to photograph it well. hopefully tomorrow!

WIP #7

here is the progress on the mongo necklace so far. i still have to make the links to go the rest of the way around the neck, but it's close.

i've also been designing some new earrings. these pair sterling silver rods with coin pearls. have a great long weekend!

WIP #6

the wedding ring is done and delivered and the clients were happy! yea, always a good thing :) here is a picture of the finished product. the client's ring is the one on top. it begged to be propped against something and so i used my own symbols ring. in the photo, i noticed mine is a little worse for wear after 5 years! to order a custom symbols ring of your very own, go to my website.

tomorrow's post....back to the mongo necklace!

WIP #5

above you can see the shiny bits of the necklace are currently tumbling away :) it is spinning, you just can't see it and i didn't feel like filming it. tres boring.

and here are the ones to be darkened. they've been filed and flattened and just await a dip in the liver of sulphur.

and finally this is what i've been working on when i was suppose to be working on the mongo necklace. it's a rose gold symbols wedding ring for my friend james p. the symbols haven't been darkened yet and as usual i've posted a crappy photo, but you get the idea! you can see lovely, more professional photos of other symbols rings on my website (see at right).
have a great weekend!

On Hold

wips and other sundries have been put on temporary hold while i work on a wedding ring for a friend leaving for his wedding on sept 1 (hurry, hurry!). and use my olympic willpower to not watch too much t.v. :) have a great night!

WIP #4

this hardly qualifies as a work in progress shot, but after much deliberation, i think this the way the links will play out. the white will be the high polished, shiny ones and the gray will be the distressed, darkened ones. this may change as i progress and start putting the pieces together, but right now this is the configuration.

not a super productive day, but it was 95F/34C here today and i spent it wandering the zoo with the kids. am i nuts?! i think a glass of iced tea is in order :)

WIP #3

so i've finished all the torch work on the disks, took a little while! i have them all laid out and now have to decide which ones will be darkened for contrast and which ones will get tumble for a high shine. after those decisions are made, it'll be filing time. bleh, the most boring of jobs, but has to be done :)

someone asked to see a pic of my work space. it's way too messy to show you the whole thing, so here's just a wee shot. when (if ever) i get it cleaned up, i'll post more!

Working Away

okay, i didn't take any wips of these new pieces, but here's proof that i HAVE been working! the top photo is of 3 pieces that will eventually be pendants. they still require rivets to hold the layers together and a back piece to hang off the chain. okay, so maybe they are a bit of a wip :)

they are made with sterling silver and recycled gift cards. can you guess where each card comes from? the bottom photo will be earrings in the same vein. have a great weekend!

Nada

nothing new to share tonight in the way of wips....i'm been shlepping kidlets to swim lessons, running errands, arranging play dates and cranking out production lines during the inbetween times...of which there are few. so no new work on the mongo necklace, but its next in line. so stay tuned!

(my dog shiraz, bringing in the paper that i don't actually have time to read. actually this is my neighbor's paper. i think she usually reads it :)

WIP #2

here's the newest wip (work in progress) of the necklace i'm working on. it's coming along. i think some of the links, which are still rough and unfinished, will be flattened and darkened for contrast. still trying to decide if i will add any plain disks for additional contrast. your comments and opinions are most welcome. have a great weekend!

Work in Progress - The Very Beginning

in an effort to be better about posting, i thought i'd give you a work in progress shot. now, you're probably looking at this and thinking "what progress?!" its there, i promise! this is the very, very, very baby beginning of what will eventually be a one-of-a-kind necklace probably in my granulation style. not 100% sure of the direction it will take in the end, but i had a dream about it, so i figured i better get started. stay with me, it will progress...and hopefully the photo quality, though i don't make any promises on that point :) cheers!

PMC Guild Conference Report

well, i've actually been back for a couple of weeks now, but as usual, life gets in the way of life. or blogs in this case. i had an AMAZING time at the conference at Purdue University. i came back brimming with ideas and processes i wanted to try. unfortunately i am just getting back into the studio now and its back to work in a serious way since i'm hosting a group show in september and frankly have nothing to show! crunch time! as some of the conference ideas trickle into my show work, i'll post pix. for now here's a picture, just a smattering of the amazing people i met (including tim mccreight who was especially influential on my early metals education). and that's my roomie, nadine, 2nd from the right...thanks nadine! ciao and have a great week!