Turquoise Cow Skull

This week, I painted a cow skull using my turquoise painting technique. This was a fun challenge. Painting a 3 dimensional object, like a real bone animal skull, is a lot different than painting a flat canvas. There are so many nooks and crannies on a cow skull.

Tom found a box of skulls that had been stored away for years.  This is Colorado, after all, and I assume everyone has cow skull and deer skulls in their storage units. What to do with them? I suggested pitching them. Tom decided to give them a good cleaning, then asked me if I would paint them.

The first one I painted was a massive cow skull. First, I gave it a good coating of gesso on all the surfaces I could reach. This step ensures that the turquoise paint will adhere and gave me a white background just like my canvas paintings. Then I used my professional grade, artist acrylics to create the turquoise look.  This cow skull turned out so nice, that we decided to post it for sale in Tom's Etsy store, Tom's Critters.

I think it would look great in a western or southwestern decor. For more photos and info, see this turquoise cow skull and more for sale at Tom's Critters

Mermaid Bracelet in Iridescent Blue

This is my mermaid bracelet in a new color, my favorite color, blue. This color knocked my socks off when I removed her from the mold. I love it! It's an iridescent, transparent, saturated blue. The mermaid changes color from aqua to blue to lavender as you rotate her in the light. She would be wonderful as a necklace, IF, I can find tiny beads in this color of blue.


Available here:
Mermaid Bracelet with Dolphin in Iridescent Blue by In Art studio on Etsy

Mermaid Bracelet in Antique Ivory Resin with Octopus, Dolphin and Treasure Chest

I love old scrimshaw, so I wanted to make a mermaid bracelet that looks like Antique Ivory. I think it looks like a bracelet found in an antique shop or maritime museum, or a bracelet carved at sea by a sailor, on an old whaling vessel. Titled "Treasure" from my Iridescent Sea Series. Imagine this Saltwater Siren swimming around your wrist. Stunning!
This beautiful Mermaid and her sea life friends are a 3-dimensional jewelry sculpture cuff bracelet, full of detail, down to tiny scales on both the mermaid's tail and tiny pearls and crystals. The Mermaid and her octopus girlfriend are trying on jewelry from a treasure chest. The girlfriend octopus has gone "over the top" with a tiara and jewelry on each arm, and is reaching for more. A baby dolphin is getting in on the fun, and sports a pearl necklace. A school of tiny fish are hogging the mermaid's mirror.

You can see all my mermaid jewelry for sale here: Mermaid Jewelry by In Art studio on Etsy

Designing a Dragon Wristband – Dragon Wings

All summer my poor dragon sat, wingless.

The summers here in Colorado provide wonderful weather for working outdoors. So I take the opportunity to sculpt outside of my studio. These sculptures are mostly 3 foot and larger, that will not fit through the door and are too messy to work on inside. I sculpt with a modified concrete mix and wire. Totally different material and scale from my jewelry. I have found that switching mediums gives my creativity a boost.

One day, the answer to my dragon wings problem dawned on me. Duh! I was stuck in a rut! I had gotten so used to designing for my standard material, urethane resin, that I could not find a solution for my wings. The wings were not the problem. The problem was my material.

And so my hunt for the perfect new resin began.

Monarch Butterfly Ring

Celebrate the return of the monarch butterflies. Perched on your finger, with his little wings uplifted, he looks so real, even his little body is 3-dimensional. This is not a real Monarch Butterfly, but a perfect imitation of natures fluttering jewel, captured inside water-clear resin. Monarch Butterfly rings, are perfect casual jewelry for summer.

Find them in my Etsy Store, available in size 7 or size 8"

Fantasy Castle Ring

This delightful castle ring has been a year in in design. My fantasy castle ring had to be absolutely fabulous and it had to be strong and durable. I designed this extraordinary fantasy castle ring for my daughter, in honor of her upcoming wedding. I gave the prototype ring to her, at her bridal wedding shower, as a reminder, that she will always be "my princess". She will be wearing it as a right hand ring for the wedding, in honor of her Mommy. What a sentimental bunch we are.

A miniature pearl castle floats above a cloud of pearls, iridescent glass beads, and a sprinkling of Swarovski rhinestones,  all cascading over a white pearl band ring. Each of the 8 towers on the white castle, is adorned with a tiny, 2.5mm iridescent Swarovski  Crystal Aurora Borealis bead. Exquisite!

Who says you need a Prince Charming to have your very own fairytale castle? Every woman needs to feel like a princess once in a while. Do you have  a "princess" in your life? Or, do you need a little something to make you feel special? Let me make a fantasy castle ring especially for  you. These rings are individually made to order.

Order one in my Etsy Store, available in size 6, 7 or size 8

Blue Morpho Godarti Butterfly Rings are Back

Finally, I have perfected my method for making these rings. Originally, making the butterflies was a hit-or-miss endeavor. Approximately half of them would have to be scrapped, due to imperfections. This was frustrating and a waste of materials, not to mention time. I kept at it, thinking I just needed to perfect my technique.  But finally, I realized, that I just needed a different technique.

After much thought, I came up with a better way to make my little butterflies. This new technique involves  more time, but, I have cut my scrap down to almost zero. Yeah! And, the butterflies are better than ever.

You can find them listed in my Etsy store, in a choice of size 7 or size 8.

Blue Morpho Godarti Butterfly Ring

Seahorse Bracelet with Shells in Blues and Greens

I wanted to try something different, with my favorite seahorse mold. Also, I had these fantastic Swarovski beads, just begging to be used. I started with a vibrant, azure blue and warm, lime green colored resin seahorse. Next I added turquoise and 22K gold seashells and Blue Zircon, Swarovski Aurora Borealis, 4mm bicone beads. And, finished with a blue-green Aurora Borealis Swarovski rhinestone eye. Tropical reef paradise! Can't you just feel the warm, tropical water washing over your skin and hear the Calypso music playing in the background? Stunning!


Light as a summer breeze, this is a hinged spring, clapper style bracelet is made for easy on and easy off. Fun to look at and fun to wear, I really enjoyed creating this seahorse bracelet design.


Find it here in my etsy store: In Art Studio

Coral and Pearls Resin Bracelet

I had been thinking about adding pearls to one of my coral resin bracelet designs for a while. I wanted a better attachment method than glue, and I wanted a more organic look than the standard round pearls. Since no solution readily came to mind, I put the design on the back burner.

On a recent shopping expedition, I came across a strand of gorgeous baroque pearls. I bought them, not knowing why I needed them (pure impulse buying) It wasn't until I got home, that I realized they were the perfect solution for my coral bracelet design. I love these pearls. They are soft and glowing, with such a wonderful, lustrous nacre, and delightful character. I fiddled with a way to attach them, till I realized, I could just string them on. Duh!

By drilling numerous, .032" diameter holes, and using clear nylon line, I wove the pearls in and out of the resin coral branches, in a natural, hap-hazard looking pattern. I added 4mm Swarovski bi-cone beads, in a soft turquoise color, interspersed among the pearls. The clear, nylon line is strong and invisible. The final design, appears as if the pearls and tiny turquoise beads, have been captured in the coral branches by the motion of the sea. Perfect.

Now, If I could just get some more jewelry designs off the back burner.

Silver Mermaid and Dolphin Resin Bracelet

I love silver jewelry, and have made sterling silver jewelry in the past. Being familiar with good quality silver, I am very picky about the color and mirror like appearance. I have been looking for a good silver pigment, for years. But have not been able to find one, that gives a realistic silver look. They were always too dull, or too sparkley, or just plain blah.

Just recently, I was testing some color combinations. I do this a lot. To my surprise, one of my tests came out a beautiful silver color. I was so excited, I had to run down to the shop and show my fiancé. By mixing 3 colors, that should never have worked together, I came up with a gorgeous silver. The only way, to get a more realistic silver look, is to use sterling silver leaf.

Well, here she is, my new silver mermaid bracelet. You can find her listed in my Etsy shop.

Mermaid Necklace in Antique Ivory Resin

This mermaid measures 5-1/2 inches wide by 3 inches from top to bottom. At each side are 2 resin starfish bead caps and 3 strands of real bone beads, ending in a gold lobster claw clasp and an extra 3 inches of gold extender chain. At the end of the chain is a bone bead and my logo tag, for Night Sky Jewelry. The necklace measures 18 inches long, adjustable to 21 inches long. Weight is 48 grams or 1.7 ounces.

Perfect for the modern bride who wants something avant-garde and distinctive for her spring or summer wedding. This extraordinary Mermaid and Sea Life Necklace combines antique ivory colored resin and antiqued bone beads. Stunning!


You can see all my mermaid jewelry for sale here: Mermaid Jewelry by In Art studio on Etsy

Mermaid and Dolphin Pearl Necklace

Imagine a bride wearing this Mermaid Necklace for a spring or summer wedding. Fabulous!

This beautiful Mermaid and Sea Life Necklace combines silky, pearl colored resin and real freshwater pearls. The Mermaid, her dolphin and sea life friends are a 3-dimensional and highly detailed, down to tiny scales on both the mermaid's tail and the fish bodies. I sculpted and cast two little starfish in pearl resin, to grasp the ends of each of the 3 strands of glowing freshwater pearls. A new mermaid necklace design, from my Iridescent Sea Series. Imagine this Saltwater Siren swimming around your neck. Stunning!

Butterfly 3-D Necklace

A new design, fresh from my studio, just in time for spring. Imagine this necklace on a bride for a spring or summer wedding. Fabulous! For evening glamor, wear it with your favorite little black dress. Or, dress it down, by wearing it peeking out from the neckline of a white tailored men's shirt paired with your favorite jeans.

Colorful, transparent Butterflies alight on a crystal clear bib style necklace. There are a total of seven 3-Dimensional Butterflies, each a different color. The butterfly colors are iridescent and shimmer in the sun light. Their 3-dimensional bodies and long black antennae are coated in black resin. Stunning!

This Crystal Clear base measures 6-1/4 inches wide by 4-1/2 inches long. At each side are 11 x 12 mm Clear Glass beads, ending in a silver lobster claw clasp and an extra 4 inches of silver extender chain. The necklace measures 14 inches long, adjustable to 18 inches long. Weight is 57.0 grams or 2 ounces.

Turquoise Seahorse Resin Bracelet

The color combinations of these bracelets is endless. I just had to try one in my favorite color, turquoise.

Like an ice cold drink, these colors are cool and refreshing. Clear iridescent blue coral colored resin sea fans, accented with a large seahorse in vibrant blue turquoise resin with flakes of 22K gold and a Golden Swarovski rhinestone eye. Seashells and starfish in 22K gold and turquoise adorn this light weight, comfortable and fun to wear bracelet. Light as a summer breeze, this is a hinged spring, clapper style bracelet made for easy on and easy off.

Find it here in my etsy store: In Art Studio

Long, Long Winters and Cooking Experiments

My Family is getting bored being couped up all winter. Experimental cooking has become the thing to do at our house. Last night we had Stir-fry Hot Dogs, with vegetables and rice. A real taste treat for sure. "Don't worry honey" my Fiance says, "I'll make it better next time." Next time !?!

Before that, my daughter made fried eggs with American cheese sandwiched between two blueberry waffles. There is just something about blueberries and American cheese that do not go together.

Oh, and then there was the sausage gravy and homemade biscuits. Coming from the South, I love good old fashioned, sausage gravy and biscuits, and was thrilled to hear that this was on the dinner menu. Was I in for a surprise. The biscuits had been sweetened with French Vanilla creamer, and the sausage used was maple flavored. I swear I heard the Confederate Army roll over in their graves that night.

I start to think of quick excuses, whenever anyone volunteers to cook dinner.

Painting a Multi-Color Mermaid Resin Bracelet

I have been working on a process for "painting" my resin jewelry castings. This is my first large scale test of applying multiple colors of powered pigment right onto the mold surface before casting. Using a small artist brush, I applied each color separately to the silicone mold. Powdered pigments are hard to control, as the powder tends to fly around and stick where ever it lands. So I painted the rougher surfaces first, carefully wiping away any stray pigment with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. Then I painted the smooth surfaces. The final step was filling the mold with clear resin mixed with gold pigment.

There was no way of knowing how the end result would look, until the next day when the bracelet could be removed from the mold. I was surprised at how well this worked. And how much fun it was to do. I took photos and listed her in my etsy store, and she sold the next morning. Thank you, Melissa.

Whoo-hoo! I get to make another one!

Variations on a Theme - Seahorse Clapper Resin Bracelet

When creating a new mold, it makes economic sense if the mold can be used for more than one design. The molds I make are expensive to produce, because I use industrial strength silicones. But, they last a long time and can be used over and over, without deterioration. Here is an example of another bracelet made from my fan coral bracelet mold. I combined this mold with an existing mold, to create this new bracelet.









I have had requests for a seahorse bracelet, and now I can make him in any color combination. And at a reasonable price.

Something Different - Vintage Black Lace Resin Bracelet

I was rummaging through an old box of fabrics when I came across some lace I had bought years ago. This beautiful old lace gave me an idea. I started with 2 pieces of the vintage black Venetian lace, cut to 7 inches long and joined them with a row of jet black crystal beads. Next I cut and bent sheet brass to cover the raw edges. The sheet brass was too garish, so I covered it in black grosgrain ribbon. Then, I saturated the whole thing in resin. Next I drilled 4 tiny holes through the ribbon/sheet brass edging to attach the Swarovski crystal beads, extender chains and lobster claw clasps. Finally, I attached a Swarovski Crystal Pendant to each of the 7 bottom points of the lace. I used a special resin on the lace that stays soft and flexible, but still makes the lace water-proof and gives the lace enough body to stand on it's own. The challenge was determining how much resin was needed to keep the lace pliable enough to wrap easily around the arm, yet, strong and resilient without looking like shiny plastic. I think it turned out very sexy.

My first spring loaded, clapper style resin bracelet

This bracelet has been on my design list for a while now. I wanted a resin bracelet that was easy on and off, comfortable to wear, and oval shaped. The biggest hurdle was finding the spring loaded jewelry hinges. The next problem was finding a heat-proof bracelet mandrel for post curing the urethane resin (see previous post) Once these design challenges were solved, I created the master and molds. The final problem was finding the right glue that would bind the metal hinge to the urethane resin. The glue needed to be heat resistant and give a strong bond, capable of withstanding the torquing stress of opening the bracelet, without failure. After multiple tests, E-6000 turned out to be the winner.

Here is the first of my new hinged resin bracelets. It's a fan coral design. I love the way the fan coral fingers interlace in the front, to give an almost invisible closure. When you pull the bracelet open, and let go, it gives a nice snapping sound. Or should that be a clapping sound?

This is the perfect style bracelet for me. I have small wrists and large hands. I wear a size 7 bracelet, but to get a bangle over my hands, can be painful. This resin bracelet is comfortable, easy to put on, stays in place without rotating, and light weight at just 38.6 grams. Did I mention it's my favorite colors for summer?

Sometimes you just have to make your own jewelry tools

I have a new bracelet design that requires an oval shaped bracelet mandrel for final heat treating. I bought a cast steel mandrel years ago (very expensive) but the steps are just not long enough for my current needs. The steps are 1 3/4" long and I need one 2 1/4" in length. I scoured the Internet for an oval bracelet mandrel, but the only ones I could find were tapered (won't work) or stepped, just like mine. Hummm.... what to do.

I was thinking, if I had access to a lathe, I could make one out of oak or steel. We have an ancient metal lathe down in the shop, but, it hasn't been used for years and I doubt it still runs. Still, I could spend a week moving the junk piled up in front of, and on top of it, cleaning the lathe and checking to see if it still runs.

Then, the perfect solution came to me. As usual, my ideas always seem to come in the early hours of the morning. I needed to find a plastic bottle, the right diameter. My oval design is 2.48" wide x 2.29"for an average diameter of 2.39". I buy plastic squeeze bottles from Wal-Mart for dispensing my assorted resins, and these turned out to be the perfect diameter. I ran a quick test for heat resistance. Yep, the plastic squeeze bottle can handle the 180 deg heat treatment temperature with no melting or distortion. I cut off the top of one of the bottles, squeezed it into the right shape with an existing metal cuff bracelet, filled the bottle with plaster of paris, and let it cure overnight.

Voila! Here it is! And, I spent maybe 2 dollars making it. My mandrel turned out a whopping 5 inches tall. That means, I can heat treat 2 bracelets at a time.