final step completed

it's all in the details... 


and what a difference this wax makes - 


shannon discusses the sealing phase in her patina tutorial and promotes a very specific wax... i understand why now... in articles i had previously read, minwax had been used... this is world's apart... 

my indigo isn't as vibrant as shannon's, so i know that i have lots to learn... but i am very happy with my first attempts at it on the bracelet... and it may turn into the first non-earring finished piece that i have made in a while!

new stuff

sally: i get restless. i can't help it.
dr. f: it's a phase, my dear. it will pass. we need to be patient, that's all.
sally: but i don't want to be patient... 
(the nightmare before christmas - one of my all time favorite movies)


this is how i have been feeling - restless... different from my usual need to experiment and learn new things... i thought that maybe i could calm the frenzy with a challenge of doing something new that i had to concentrate on... so i tried a bit of this -

verdigris

&

persian indigo

now i have to be patient while it develops... i can do that... 

but i am restless again... 

if you haven't seen shannon levart's new tutorial color drenched metal and the process interests you, i encourage you to look into it... 

shannon is a fellow love my art jewelry member - as is barbara lewis... barbara posted today about her torch-fired enameling (and she has a tutorial available and a book on the way)... i am feeling like the underachiever here! 

on things primal

i had the opportunity to work with components made by d'arsie at mamacita beads this week which made me really happy as i have long admired her work in pewter... a friend/neighbor asked me to make her something with a pendant and i got to pick out something too... she chose the good morning pendant for me to work with... having hit a rough patch in her journey, she is learning about herself by working through it, moving forward, being kind to herself... 


there is something about morning that brings hope and optimism... the birdsong that lets you know that first light is imminent... i decided to back the pendant with copper etched with an african proverb:

'however long the night.

the dawn will break.'

my choice in healing stones was howlite and green garnet... 

as for me, i chose the wise mama...

and she is divine... i knew i had to have her... she spoke to me on a deep level and needed to become part of a personal talisman... i had a couple of ideas in my head but nothing was feeling Right... and then, shannon posted her wonderful article on the abs blog - it had to do with creating neck cuffs... i hadn't made them because i thought i had to have a necklace mandrel... shannon freed me from that! my most favorite necklace in the world as a teen was a simple wire that i would put different things on... it got lost somewhere along the way, but i never forgot it... as i read the article, synapses started firing so fast that i had to run upstairs to get my visual journal... and just as quickly started pulling out components... this was a piece that surged out of me, demanding to be born... 


copper wire formed into a cuff... one wise mama... a hammered copper paddle with 'peace' stamped into it & adorned with gaspeite a stone believed to bring spirituality into every day life... a large drop of turquoise - master healing stone... the acorn known for strength, potential, patience... a resin paddle set with a small leaf... and an ethereal enamel bead by barbara lewis - made from glass and fire and metal, but exuding delicacy and earthiness...


fibers wrapping around one piece to represent the threads of life... and all intertwined with steel wire... fragile strength... 


and look at her back - she has the tree of life on it... 

and she's mine!!


* as i thought about this necklace last night and the placement of the wise mama being directly on the base of my throat, i decided to look up the throat chakra... it relates to honesty in expression - whether artistic or personal... hmmm, this is even better than it realized!


happy friday saturday! 

inspired by ~

a book... 


over at nancy schindler's blog the rabbit muse a book club of sorts is going on... the first read is 'the house at riverton.'  she also set up a flickr group where you can post pics of 'inspired by' pieces... 


as soon as i started reading the book i knew that i would be using some components i had picked up from lynn davis ... 


let me just say now that **** there are NO spoilers**** so my thoughts will not have all of the details they might... 

meet grace... she is a girl of two worlds... the poor village where she is raised by her mother... and the wealthy estate riverton... she has within her a burning need to love and be loved... 

the ardent polymer clay bead is by shannon at missficklemedia... a spoon top link by lynn davis... elegant sterling and steel links are spaced with faceted beads from a dismantled chandelier... up the other side, i have combined a coarser fabric and ball ended sterling lengths to represent sewing needles... then above it is a length of pearls and sterling... for the hope, strength and beauty that grace holds within her... there really is so much more to this, but you will have to take my word for it and read the book!

for hannah i created an empowerment necklace... things i wish for her... she also is a girl/woman of two worlds... she is locked out of things she yearns for because of the times and her position in life... recycled sari fabric, apatite, amazonite, turquoise, lapis, lepidolite... all selected for their powers to heal, encourage, protect... beautiful lock by lynn davis as well... 

my trusty assistant, winston, who has the ability to know whenever i am working on anything jewelry related!

and my warrior of the hill... sporting no coat like only a 14 yr. old boy can!

looking forward to the next one! (book that is, not snow storm - but no one is listening, because another one is supposed to start tomorrow!)