Who IS The ShuttleSmith (aka Karen Bovard Sayre)

I have recently become enamored with Wordles.
 A Wordle is a visual depiction of words in a “word cloud” from text that you provide. It seems to be a great way to quickly understand the essence of a person in word-form. I got the idea after visiting a cemetery. Most of the tombstones that I saw had a descriptor such as ‘wife’, ‘mother’, ‘daughter’, etc. I got to thinking about what one or two words that I would want to represent me forever, actually ‘carved into stone’, and realized that there are sooooooo many more descriptors needed to adequately get an idea of who I am/was, as is true for everyone. So, I created this Wordle using descriptors/labels that represented my life. Since creating this, I decided to keep a list of attributes that I think represent me.

Karen Kay Reuter Bovard Sayre: TheShuttleSmith, Mother, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Tatter, Sewer, Embroiderer, Fiber Artist, Lacemaker, Needlelacer, Motorcyclist, Sidecarist,
Motorcycle Safety Instructor, Dirt Biker, Trials Rider, Electron Microscopy Technologist, Neuropathology Technologist, 4-H Member, Smocker, Designer, Author, Publisher, Silversmith, Enamelist, Christian, Gardener, Teacher, Dana College Graduate, Lapidarist, Tatting Shuttle Maker, Nebraskan, Iowan, Farm Girl, One-Room Country School Student, Wisner-Pilger Gator, Baton Twirler, Piano/Guitar/Banjo/Mandolin Player, Farmer’s Daughter, Divorcee, Single Mother

I think that it is important to look at an individual as the sum of their parts. The above descriptors are the parts of my life, some more important to the whole than others, but still parts. I keep adding to the list as my life changes….but I never take away a descriptor.

It seems to me that a Wordle would be a great tombstone….I’m looking into this concept in the future.

This one started as a light yellow base color, but in the firing process the color mellowed out quite a bit. The crackle details are formed from two colors of blue: a darker transparent and a lighter opaque.

Enameled Tatting Shuttle #347

This shuttle has DEPTH! 

The base color is 'clear' which allows the brilliance of the underlying copper to shine up and through. The blue crackle design features are created with a transparent blue and an opaque light blue.

This and other 'crackle' technique enameled tatting shuttles can be 'adopted' from my Etsy shop:

TheShuttleSmith Etsy shop

Crackle Enameled Tatting Shuttle of the day #350

This shuttle has a clear enamel base that show up and through the red and black 'crackle'.

New 'Crackle' Enameled Tatting Shuttles

I have been trying for quite some time to create ‘crackle’ effect in my enameled shuttles. Just recently I have been able to achieve some success.

The technique of ‘enamel crackle’ is fickle. It’ more of an art than a science, but in actuality it’s relies on a lot of physics that really are not completely understood. Each color of enamel has different properties that may vary from batch to batch.

Getting crackles in your enamel depends on the use of at least two layers of different enamels which have different coefficients of expansion (COE)–told you physics was involved. The crackle effect is produced using a base coat of enamel with a very low coefficient of expansion (which means it flows/ moves readily sooner than other enamels would at the same temperature). After firing this ‘lower COE’ enamel, a top coat of usually two different colors of enamels with a slightly higher COE is applied and fired to a high temperature for a longer period of time. If the enameling-gods are with you, you will get a ‘crackle glaze’ look!

My 3 favorite colors in one piece-teal, orange & yellow. Actually the ‘orange’ started off as red but somehow changed appearance. There is a lot of chemistry & physics happening in enameling, especially in ‘Crackle Enamel’ pieces. (BTW, this piece is MINE!)

Watch for future posts of the crackle enamel tatting shuttles I have been producing. I will also be posting on my FB page: ShuttleSmithTatting

Crackle Enameled Tatting Shuttle #348

This is one of my first 'crackle' shuttles and is actually quite a complex design. 

The base is probably a clear, transparent enamel which allows the copper metal to shine through. The coloration is a mix of a transparent blue, opaque red and yellow.

Tatting Fern

I saw this in a gardening catalog quite a few years ago.  In the last year my friend Anita Barry either bought one or found reference to this plant.  I am archiving it here on my webpage for my own future reference.  Maybe one day I will actively try to find/plant one.

Social Distancing = Time for me to Make Enameled Shuttles