Tag: ornament

The final AJE Component of the Month reveal… for 2014!

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AJE COM Dec14

I hope you are all well and feeling fresh-faced, ready to tackle 2015. Personally I have “resolved” to do quite a few things… more on that in another post. 

I’ve spent the limbo week between Christmas travels and now doing some cleaning and organizing. Out with the old, etc. 

One piece of fabulousness from 2014 that needs to be attended to is the December Component of the month over at Art Jewelry Elements. We thought the timing would be best to start fresh with this reveal – showcasing a stoneware snowflake of Diana’s! 

Ornament WIP

Here is the scene: Mid December day. Fresh cuppa coffee in hand. Dog napping on bed in the studio. I sit down to work on gifts, and my COM… and there are flurries! The first of the year! Barely a dusting, didn’t even cover the grass. But I was feeling festive… 

Above is the work-in-progress shot as I planned my piece. Plexi on the left, a nickel silver banner from Beaducation, and a shrine window pair from Rings & Things. It all happened because I was so enjoying the flurries out my window… 

Sparkle winter ornament

The finished piece: 

  • Stamped and patina/tumbled banner
  • Window framing handmade paper with silver leaf flecks. Tube riveted. 
  • Loops of crystal and waxed linen at top. Seed bead loops with crystal at bottom. 

Sparkle in situ

I was going to hang it on the tree, but it was lost amidst the leaves. It hangs in the branches of my dryad sculpture – on the mantle behind me as I write this. I do think I will keep it out all winter long! I really enjoyed doing somehting not-clay, not-jewelry. It was a creative free-for-all, and very freeing. 

I have big plans for this year – stay tuned here. But for now:

Please check out the pieces created by my AJE teamates and our guests. Let’s ring in the new! 

Monthly Winners
Dana Hickey
Cate Van Alphen
 
AJE Blog Team
Lindsay M Starr
Linda Landig
Lesley Watt
Caroline Dewison
Susan Kennedy
Jen Cameron
Melissa Meman
Kristen Stevens

 

Deck the Halls! 2014 Ornament Swap is here!

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ornament 2014 badge

This is a favorite swap hop of mine! 

Sally makes it festive, and keeps it small, personal. I was thrilled to get Patti’s name as my partner; we are ARTBliss friends! I sent her a silly survey, to keep our emaill conversation going, and to harvest a few ideas… 

And a silly Survey: 
1. Fav beverage. 
2. Fav color
3. If you won a million dollars you would_____
4. fav Xmas tradition/decoration. 
5. Last good book you read
 
I took some of her answers ( blue & green, coffee) and made this:  

felt for Patti

Inspired by winter window landscapes, when you sit inside, snug, with a furry kid at your feet, and coffee in your hands, watching the snow sparkle. The trees dusted with glitter, a cardinal bright in the evergreen… I was on a felt jag this year, after finishing a crazy complicated felt/sequined/beaded stocking for my 9 mo. old nephew. His first Christmas – so exciting! Well, there was more felt, and embroidery floss… So there you have it. 

Art beads: 
Porcelain Celtic knot by Caroline of BlueBerri Beads.
Lampwork red bird by Lori Lochner

 

And what did I receive, you ask? Gorgeousness!

ornament from Patti

It’s too cool for the tree. It needs its own place, and is right now hanging in the dining room window. Heavy, luxurious wire wrapped nest/wreath! Adorable house charm from Marla/Marlas Mud! Lampwork bluebird from Donna Millard. And an embellished hanger/hook… I tell you Patti has outdone herself – this may stay up all year! 

I’m sorry to be so brief today – I have presents to wrap… WAIT! I still have presents to finish making! And there are blogs to hop… please join us! The links of the partner/pairs are listed below. Happy Holidays everyone! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling festive! The November AJE component reveal!

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 Its hard to believe we are on the cusp of December. I just posted the Art Jewelry Elements December Component of the Month – my turn next, and its hard to think about that reveal being on New Year’s Day!!! But I digress, and get ahead of myself…

For the current month of November, filled with fall leaves, and roasting delicacies… we have this harbinger of the season to come… a bronze clay snowflake from member Lesley Watt in the UK. 

Lesley's snowflakes

I immediately wanted to make it spin, to wear it on a long necklace over a tunic sweater… but the actual size was larger than I expected. I think my design is similar to what I had imagined, but as I started creating a new idea formed… I was working in polymer as time was limited, so earthenware clay was out. No time to make it, dry it, fire it, glaze it… you get the point. I wanted to frame it with an ornate, even Victorian type pattern… 

 sketch and front view

… but when I put the polymer and the flake together, I needed a visual rest to focus the eye on the snowflake. I used leather scraps in a deep teal, wrong side up, and the color picked up accents in the polymer very well. The back is dealt with as well, since both sides of an ornament are on display: 

sketch and back view

Te leather and polymer “snowflake” button also camoflauge the wires where the front bead is attached. 

AJE CoM November

I had been reading and re-reading some seasonal folklore on the plants holly, ivy, and mistletoe for my AJE Holiday Open House posts. It was so much fun to create polymer leaves and bead berries. I even have extra – perhaps a sprig for my lapel? The snowflake theme had me feeling very festive, and I made a few additional polymer snowflakes. I think a give away is in order! 

Winners will be randomly selected – 2 winners – from comments here and  on my Facebook page (Please leave an email in your comment so I am sure to find you if you win!) Let me surprise you with a pair!

snowflake earrings

Happy Holidays! I am starting to think about decorating the house….

But wait! There is more… My team members offerings: 

 

OH! Dont forget! This is the last day to enter for a free Labyrinth Component of the Month! ANd I have 5 to give away! The post is here: December CoM at AJE. 

AJE CoM

Ornament Swap! Make new friends and keep the old…

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OK – Good morning! Sorry I wasnt “here” sooner. This is the first Saturday in over 2 months that I haven’t rushed off early to teach Ceramics classes at the studio. But I can’t think of a better morning than coffee and a blog hop/swap!

 I met Sally Russick at ArtBliss in DC. Can I just pause here to rave about that retreat! Close to home! Fantastic national teachers? Great hospitality! Fantastic hosts – Cindy Wimmer and Jeannette Blix! Ok – back to the blog post… Sally posted about an ornament swap – a million years ago – it seems. Of course I was interested! Make a pretty and recieve a pretty? Yes! Meet new friends? Yes! Keep in touch with old freinds? Yes!

When it came time to make, and mail said ornament, I realized time had crept up on me. What was a generous time frame, well – I procrastinated a bit. I usually work in clay. Earthenware and stoneware. Now with drying time, firing time. glazing… it wasnt going to work. So, I turned to polymer. I like it. I want to experiment with it more. I respect it after taking a class with Christi Friesen. The most frustrating thing is weeding out the old and crumbly in my stash that frustrates me every time I try to work. Fresh polymer is quite nice!

I wanted to do a winter theme. My preference in decorations are seasonal, and having email-chatted with my partner  Christine Altimiller and perusing her blog – I thought this would be a good fit. ( Enough chatter – pictures please!) 

my ornament

I went with the shrine shape as that is a style I work with often. A reporoduction of an antique postcard shows a winter angel decorating a tree. She is framed in polymer and stamped copper. 

ornament detail

For the dangles I knew I had to include river rock,  a fav of Christine’s and an artist’s bead – one of my stamped ceramic eucalyptus charms. The pod print recalled snowflake shapes in my mind. 

The ornament I recieved, you ask? It was as if Christine had been in my house! So perfect! She must have super mind reading powers…

Christine's ornament

Driftwood, ethereal beautiful seed beaded snowflakes in icy blues and lavendars! Delicate and gorgeous!

details

details 2

I was completely stunned. I am so appreciative of the delicate seed bead work done here! The time and patience it takes! Mad skills! Thank you to my ever talented and creative partner for sharing this sliver of winter magic with me!

So – refill your coffee and please head over to Christine’s blog – One Kiss Creations! And definitely check out the other ornaments. I am feeling festive already! 

 

Thank you for stopping by! I would love to hear from you… 
Happy Holidays!