winter olympics

Please allow me to shamelessly brag about my children just one more time!  These drawing from my daughter Tamara, age 11, are part of a series that she drew last week while watching the Olympics.  Each picture takes her about 20 minutes and the pictures are from her imagination...wow!

article about Abby's bat mitzvah in St. Louis Entertains magazine

http://www.stlentertains.com/articles/celebrations/batmitzvah/

The Mezuzah Project- February

For this month's mezuzah I decided to go in a different direction.  I have a little more control over the metal clay since taking the certification course.  I am more comfortable with the time I have to work the clay and I feel more confident making forms that are less textured.
This mezuzah is definitely more of a classic design, but I think the metal clay makes the piece look much more handmade and therefore more interesting......at least to me.  Stayed tuned to some additions to my Etsy shop later this week, perhaps this mezuzah among them.

personalized yad

Here is the latest version of theYad.  This was difficult to make for two reasons. First of all the pointer of the yad is actually a carved hand.  I carved the hand separately using original formula PMC which is easier to carve, but shrinks a lot more than PMC+.  Then I fired the hand, and then embedded it in PMC+ which is the formula I used for the body of the Yad.

The personalization was then stamped on a thin strip of metal clay and then carefully attached to the Yad.  This version would make a wonderful Bar or Bat Mitzvah gift.

what is a yad?

Well, yad is the hebrew word for hand, and so a yad is actually a pointer, which is used when one reads from the torah scroll. 

I made this yad from PMC in silver.  I carved the pointer and made a decorative spirals for the finial.  I am also working on a version with a carved hand. And one that can be personalized.

It's a little funny to be that I am actually sculpting with the metal clay.  Sculpture was my least favorite subject in art school.  Funny how things turn out, Professor Shaun would be proud, well, probably not.

St. Louis Entertains Magazine

Exciting news! St. Louis Entertains Magazine has an article about Abby's Green Bat Mitzvah in this month's edition.  For local st. Louis people, the magazine is available at Schnucks, Dierbergs and Straub's in Ladue, town and country, Frontenac and Chesterfield.  The article is really nice and features great pictures of Abby, her Bat Mitzvah , our  decorations, invitations and other green ideas.  Pick one up if you are in the area.

Also, had a great Showme Etsy meeting tonight!  It was so great to meets all these talented local artists.