Well, the Bluff Park Art Show just keeps on giving....as a result of that show, I will have a spot on ABC 33/40's Talk of Alabama on Oct 30th at 9:00 am!  Very exciting! Maybe I won't ramble on too much...?! :)  Check it out, if you can get the station!

Here's a before & after photo of the tree pendants that I make out of sterling silver spoons...

FGS Convention Aug 30 - Sept 1st

I am so excited about being an Exhibitor/Vendor at the FGS 2012 Conference!! I will be in the East Exhibition Hall at the BJCC, Booth #222. I will have a daily drawing for an original 'Barb's Branches' piece, so make sure you come by and register with me! :)
I'm working fast and furiously with less than 72 hours to go! Here's a little preview of what I've been making and what I'm still working on.... come see the finished products Aug. 30th - Sept 1st!

I'm posting a photo of another Tree of Life (or Family Tree) along with some sterling silver spoons to give you an idea of the process I go through designing/creating one of these! Each one is 'Hand drawn & sawn'!  I am also including a photo of my Jeweler's (Coping) Saw that I use.  You can see/purchase my Tree & Branch Jewelry at www.barbsbranches.etsy.com

Blowin' In The Wind

Have to share my latest Tree pendant... a bit different from the rest...talk about a Tree of Life... how many times I have felt the mighty wind blow and I could barely hang on... This is my tree! :) I'm very pleased with how it turned out...it shows the weight and pull of the stress...and still remains planted firmly!  I hope you enjoy it! :)
You can find this Tree pendant in my Barb's Branches shop on Etsy.com
https://www.etsy.com/listing/106873081/the-answer-my-friend-is-blowin-in-the

Barb's Branches & the FGS!

Well, it's been over 2 1/2 years since I wrote on this blog...I'm going to try to do better!  I'm excited over a new project...at the end of August, I will be setting up as an exhibitor at the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) 2012 Conference in Birmingham, AL at the BJCC! http://www.fgs.org/2012conference/index.php

This is a big leap for me, as most of you know, I do approximately 6 Juried Art Shows (and a couple of Craft Shows) a year...this is totally different. Number one, because I've been researching my family history for over 16 years (and still have a long way to go) and I will come in contact with alot of professional researchers...some who may have some information that will help me with some of my family 'mysteries' (not to be confused with miseries)!  Number two, this could be a great venue for my variety of Tree and branch/leaf jewelry; each piece is handmade and different from the next, as is our own family trees.  I will be doing alot of drawing, sawing, fusing, and polishing over the next two months and am so looking forward to it! So what do you think? Is combining the two a good idea...will people attending this conference really want to purchase a piece of Barb's Branches to take home with them?

Earring Project

Here are the latest pair of earrings we are making in the Jewelry Workshop at Hobby Lobby and The Lily Pond Art Gallery. They are sterling silver, approx. 3/4" in diameter & you have a nice selection of Natural Gemstone beads to chose from; Iolite (shown), Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, etc... I also have some vintage crystal &/or glass beads... :> The class for Oct. 5th has been cancelled, as only one person had signed up, and I'm still very hoarse and coughing. We'll reschedule the Hobby Lobby class for the evening of Oct 12. We are still on for the Oct. 8th class at the Lily Pond on Thursday afternoon from 1 - 2:30...hope you can make one of those classes!
The class is 1.5 hours and costs $25.00...this covers all of the supplies and tools used!

I forgot to add pictures to the Workshop post....so here are some pictures of the leaf pendants you can make... or design your own! :)