In November of this year, I finally got serious about selling my items on Etsy. I set a goal to join a team. I found the Dirt Road Artists. This is where I met jewelry artist, Lorri Amidon.
Lorri was born in Jamaica, New York and now resides in Ottoman Virginia. Lorri enjoys camping, baking, and reading things of that nature. She also enjoys bird watching, bridge, rowing, cooking, reading, walking thru the woods and crabbing.
Lorri is passionate about family. She also believes that congressional elected officials should have limited terms with no permanent benefits from serving in Congress. She feels that all states and government must have a balanced budget and can only spend the money they have just as each and every family needs to do. She also believes in The Bill of Rights and individuals rights.
Lorri loves working and designing items from metal. She continues to work hard to be more proficient and efficient in her craft. She strives to make affordable yet unique jewelry. Instead of trying to match earrings as a pair, she challenges herself to make every piece different and unique.
Lorri’s sense of style and design is less rather than more. She does design items that she personally would not wear knowing there is a person out there that would love to wear it, cherishing it for all the love and work that goes into making it.
Lorri got started as an artist by taking adult education classes at her local high school. She was looking for a hobby to do in retirement. She experimented with every art medium available except painting. She knew in grade school that she could not paint in a way that made her happy.
Lorri started developing her jewelry making skills 1989 when her kids fledged the nest. In 1997, she felt she was ready to sell her pieces. A friend told her about Etsy, a website to sell all things handmade. Lorri’s Things opened up shop on Etsy in July of 2009.
Lorri has had many mentors. She got her start by accompanying her artistic blacksmith husband to conferences and guild meetings. She wanted to hammer but not on steel. A mentor by the name of Faye has showed her how to work with copper. Every time they meet, he gives her little tutorials to help make her designs in copper and silver.
Lorri favors using sterling silver and copper. She can hammer them making them move into all different shapes. Each piece she creates becomes a part of her. She would love to work with gold but it is cost prohibitive. She calls her copper and silver work “play” because she gets so much enjoyment from handling it and learning more about it each day.
Lorri dabbles in other mediums as well. She creates folk art. Some of these are Street urchins (Christmas Carolers) created from gesso, Styrofoam, paint and odd pieces of material. She up cycles by reusing recycled bottles of different sizes. Lorri also creates garden sculptures from antique or old dishes that she drills, copper and copper pipe.
Lorri has participated in the Artist’s Studio Tour that the local library sponsors. It allows people to visit her small studio, learn about her craft and purchase her pieces. She also sells her work at a local gallery, Rappahanock Hang-Ups.
My interview with Lorri
Q: Do you have a special story about a piece you created?
A: I created a whimsical crab pin. A friend has a love of pins and she buys a pin everywhere she goes. She happened to have on a crab pin one day and I said I could make her one that would give her a grin. I proceeded to draw and make one out of copper. Then I made another, which I fired making it turn the color red like a cooked crab. I went further and added some beads for eyes. So, making her laugh I have now made about 15-20 crabs all different but very whimsical. I did find it very difficult to get a pair to match perfectly, so I have only made one pair of earrings. To make them match exactly takes too much time and no one wants to pay for that added time.
Q: Do you have a special story about someone who has bought one of your pieces?
A: Yes, I have a charming elderly lady that comes to my booth at the farmers market almost every month. She has me repair items she has bought from a vendor that sells commercial pieces. Almost every bracelet she buys breaks. I tried explaining that she is too hard on delicate jewelry and then I proceed to fix it at a nominal fee. She always buys a piece of my jewelry. She bought a pair of earrings that were black onyx and silver. She came back the next month saying she lost one at a funeral and was there anything I could do… Of course there was. I took the remaining earring and went home to make a duplicate. The next time I saw her I handed her the earring and she insisted on paying me double what I asked for the replacement.
Q: Do you have a special project you are working on now?
A: The project I am currently working on is Christmas ornaments of angels. These angels are of copper or brass and their head, legs and arms move freely. Only, I want to add some enamel work to each of them and that is where the trouble lies. I want the enamel to be a striking but not overly so element. Maybe I will have them done before Christmas 2011.
Have questions for Lorri? Contact her at:
lorrisThings@gmail.com
or
 |
| Lorri Amidon |
Lorri is passionate about family. She also believes that congressional elected officials should have limited terms with no permanent benefits from serving in Congress. She feels that all states and government must have a balanced budget and can only spend the money they have just as each and every family needs to do. She also believes in The Bill of Rights and individuals rights.
Lorri loves working and designing items from metal. She continues to work hard to be more proficient and efficient in her craft. She strives to make affordable yet unique jewelry. Instead of trying to match earrings as a pair, she challenges herself to make every piece different and unique.
Lorri’s sense of style and design is less rather than more. She does design items that she personally would not wear knowing there is a person out there that would love to wear it, cherishing it for all the love and work that goes into making it.
Lorri got started as an artist by taking adult education classes at her local high school. She was looking for a hobby to do in retirement. She experimented with every art medium available except painting. She knew in grade school that she could not paint in a way that made her happy.
Lorri started developing her jewelry making skills 1989 when her kids fledged the nest. In 1997, she felt she was ready to sell her pieces. A friend told her about Etsy, a website to sell all things handmade. Lorri’s Things opened up shop on Etsy in July of 2009.
Lorri has had many mentors. She got her start by accompanying her artistic blacksmith husband to conferences and guild meetings. She wanted to hammer but not on steel. A mentor by the name of Faye has showed her how to work with copper. Every time they meet, he gives her little tutorials to help make her designs in copper and silver.
Lorri favors using sterling silver and copper. She can hammer them making them move into all different shapes. Each piece she creates becomes a part of her. She would love to work with gold but it is cost prohibitive. She calls her copper and silver work “play” because she gets so much enjoyment from handling it and learning more about it each day.
Lorri dabbles in other mediums as well. She creates folk art. Some of these are Street urchins (Christmas Carolers) created from gesso, Styrofoam, paint and odd pieces of material. She up cycles by reusing recycled bottles of different sizes. Lorri also creates garden sculptures from antique or old dishes that she drills, copper and copper pipe.
Lorri has participated in the Artist’s Studio Tour that the local library sponsors. It allows people to visit her small studio, learn about her craft and purchase her pieces. She also sells her work at a local gallery, Rappahanock Hang-Ups.
My interview with Lorri
Q: Do you have a special story about a piece you created?
A: I created a whimsical crab pin. A friend has a love of pins and she buys a pin everywhere she goes. She happened to have on a crab pin one day and I said I could make her one that would give her a grin. I proceeded to draw and make one out of copper. Then I made another, which I fired making it turn the color red like a cooked crab. I went further and added some beads for eyes. So, making her laugh I have now made about 15-20 crabs all different but very whimsical. I did find it very difficult to get a pair to match perfectly, so I have only made one pair of earrings. To make them match exactly takes too much time and no one wants to pay for that added time.Q: Do you have a special story about someone who has bought one of your pieces?
A: Yes, I have a charming elderly lady that comes to my booth at the farmers market almost every month. She has me repair items she has bought from a vendor that sells commercial pieces. Almost every bracelet she buys breaks. I tried explaining that she is too hard on delicate jewelry and then I proceed to fix it at a nominal fee. She always buys a piece of my jewelry. She bought a pair of earrings that were black onyx and silver. She came back the next month saying she lost one at a funeral and was there anything I could do… Of course there was. I took the remaining earring and went home to make a duplicate. The next time I saw her I handed her the earring and she insisted on paying me double what I asked for the replacement.
A: The project I am currently working on is Christmas ornaments of angels. These angels are of copper or brass and their head, legs and arms move freely. Only, I want to add some enamel work to each of them and that is where the trouble lies. I want the enamel to be a striking but not overly so element. Maybe I will have them done before Christmas 2011.
You can see Lorri’s creations at her Etsy shop:
Lorri's Things - Etsy ShopHave questions for Lorri? Contact her at:
lorrisThings@gmail.com
or
I have one of Lorri's adorable, fun crab pin's. I loved wearing it during Crab Fest, and got lots of compliments on it.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to read about another member from the team. Great feature!
ReplyDeleteGreat and interesting read. Lorri is superb at her craft and the blog did and excellent job of helping us to know this wonderful artist better.
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview feature, Mel and Lorri.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to know more about Lorri.
I have some of Lorri's wine glass charms and they are so beautiful and fun! Great job on the interview - good way for us to get to know each other. Love your blog! :)
ReplyDelete