Tag: team

Welcome the light! The December theme challenge at Art Jewelry Elements

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Happy New Year!

Here’s to a creative and magical year of successes – creative and personal! 

To start this year off we at the Art Jewelry Elements team have the reveal for the December themed challenge. The theme was the sun, the return of the light as celebrated in cultures the world over on the Winter Solstice. (You can feast your eyes here at Lesley’s original post.) My piece grew with the beading – and will be a wall piece for sure: 

Sun swirls

It started when I was playing around… and found a face that fit in this textured circle. These arent my usual colors, but it was sunny; the swirls as rays… SO I went for it. I liked the darker area in the glaze that inspired the moon/sky section at the bottom. 

initial idea

So far so good – peyote bezel on the face. 

Beaders block

Cooky sent me some bead she was destashing! The colors were perfect! Definitely colors I did not have in my stash… My original plan was to bead spirals out and around – drawing out the spirals in the ceramic donut. This is what I did… but now I’m not so sure. It feels to me like two pieces. I wish I had left the ceramic sun face as is – a brick stitch edge and done. I love the way the spirals turned out, but no longer love them with the ceramic piece. 

details finished

 I also wish I had gone for a little more contrast in the spirals themselves, a little more “pop”; and to unify the spirals with the glaze palette of bright yellow. I really do love the copper triangles that frame the clay piece though – that may be my favorite element. 

As the year ended, I re-started my art journal practice – for the millionth time! I have decided this year to focus on a page a week. AND I am working on loose paper. I love that this gives me time to set aside a wet page and start a foundation collage for a future page. Here is my sun themed offering. The word “solstice” is derived from the Saxon word for wheel… 

art journal page 

Drawn on collaged encyclopedia paper – crayon, marker, alcohol ink, image tranfer, you name it! 

Here’s to a BRIGHT year ahead! 

Please click back to the main page at Art Jewelry Elements to continue your hop! 

 

 

 

 

Dryad dreaming – The October Component of the Month reveal.

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FaerieCon is less than a week away. All my thoughts, energy, work this week and next are of the Fae variety. So when I sat down a week or so ago to work with this lovely focal from Karen of Starry Road Studio… 

Dryad Dreaming

My first idea was all crazy complicated and it involved antique images and resin and mixing the media all up! The piece asked for simple. I wanted to make the most of the center opening. All I could hear in my head was a little voice asking: “What would a dryad wear?”

The focal to me conjures up the patterns of concentric tree rings, but it has a spiral as well. The warm brown/iron oxide color was perfect. The hole in the tree—- who lives there—- friend and companion to the dryad—–owl!

dreaming details

 

 

I love the result, I like the color palette of woodsy browns and greens. I would wear it long, and fiddle with the dangles all day. 

PLease dont miss the fantastic creations from the AJE team and out guests this month: 

Monthly Winners
Lindsay Starr / Phantasm Creations
Sherri Hartman Stokey / Knot Just Macrame
Staci Louise Smith / Staci Louise Originals
 
AJE Blog Team
Diana Ptaszynski / Suburban Girl Studio
Susan Kennedy / Sue Beads
Caroline Dewison / BlueberriBeads
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Lesley Watt
Melissa Allford Meman
Francesca Watson
Jennifer Stout Cameron / Glass Addictions

On golden wings… AJE Component of the Month reveal

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<sigh> I havent posted here in a month! I have many things to show you, and I will try to get caught up this week. But for today: 

AJE Component of the Month! On Gilded wings… 

Gilded wings

Caroline of Blueberri beads is responsible for the beautiful treasures the AJE team is working with this month.  These ceramic moths have flown across the Atlantic in droves? a flock? ( What does one call a gathering of moths?) As with Melissa’s enameled heart last month – my first response was color. The gold called for burgundy, in an opulent, Victorian/Pre-Raphaelite palette. I wanted this large focal to be a dramatic statement piece worthy of a PRB “stunner’. In my mind’s eye it was to be worn with velvet… 

DGR Monna Vanna

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Monna Vanna, 1866 

 

JWW Crystal ball

 

John William Waterhouse: The Crystal Ball [with the skull] – 1902

So here is my creation: a relatively simple triple strand of pearls and garnets. The back is finished with a ribbon of sari silk. Gilded Wings CoM1

 

Gilded Wings CoM2

Gilded Wings CoM3

I wire wrapped connectors with colored Parawire to link the strands to the fiber element. ( Thanks to Kerry Bogert for that inspiration!) I was away for a large chunk of March and was delighted to arrive home knowing this was waiting for me. While my piece is simple – its true to the feel of aht I envisioned. Right now its rather long at app 24″ I may need to shorten it a bit… and there is a place I could add a dangle at the bottom of the wings. I am still debating that. I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Please visit the blogs of my AJE team mates and our guests this month to see their pieces incorporating this lovely ceramic focal! 

Guest Artists

The AJE Team

Caroline Dewison – http://www.blueberribeads.co.uk 

Diana Ptaszynski – http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com

Susan Kennedy – http://www.suebeads.blogspot.co.uk

Kristen Stevens – http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/

Keirsten Giles – http://cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com

Melissa Meman –  http://melissameman.blogspot.co.uk

Rebekah Payne – www.treewingsstudio.com

Lesley Watt – http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.co.uk

Linda Landig – http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com

 

 

 

November CoM! A day late… but worth it.

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Hello all – and sorry to be late the the “party”! The Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month party, naturally… 

Let me be brief: 

Kristen send amazing beaded beads. 

Life got really crazy wtih multiple shows and the holiday. 

I am late, and finally decided what to do! 

Nov CoM bracelet

Kristen’s beads are a luster finish, grey/silver/purple… that is hard to describe, and harder to photograph. They inspired the entire palette! 

The design process started here: with an assortment of gems, plain antiqued polymer components, and artist beads. ( Caroline Dewison, Karen Totten, LeAnn Weih)

ingredients WIP

Athenas owl focal

CoM complete!

Gems include: blue calcedony, jasper, and moonstone. 

I would love to hear what you think! Back to the studio… Big show at the DCCA this weekend. Talk to you all later. 

Special Guest
Alice Alice Dreaming
 
Jennifer  Glass Addictions
Lesley  Gossiping Goddess
 
 

Blissed out. ArtBLISS 2013

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 Follow your bliss.

I know this J. Campbell wrote may be used overmuch – but it is a mantra for my chosen life and creative career. And it relates to the past weekend where I spent a blissful time with friends, old and new, creating, learning, experimenting, sharing and socializing. 

ArtBLISS 2013. 

Many heartfelt thanks to Cindy Wimmer and Jeanette Blix for the community they have created. Yes, its an art retreat; classrooms and a small sales venue. But its much more. Lifelong friendships are started, and nurtured. Support and encouragement offered freely. Inspiration and creativity are the daily norms.  

AB13

ArtBLISS faces

The only complaint – there arent enough hours in the day. Or night for that matter! So refreshing to meet faces that priviously had been a computer avatar. Equally satisfying – spending time with like minded people… 

AB 13 charm swap

The annual charm swap – gorgeous, diverse charms created and swapped amongst particpating students. Amazing packaging! Great work, a priceless momento. 

AB 13 polymer

Saturday I had the pleasure to work with Christine Damm for a second year. The pastels and crayons dazzled the eyes! Class mates Terri, and AJE teammates Karen and Diana working, each piece stirring new ideas… 

3 ring circus

Friday and Sunday I was taking class with Richard Salley and Jessica Papke. Two rings of their “Three Ring Circus” class series. It was so phenomenal… I am going to go a little more in depth into that experience in another post. Really. 

My Ab 13

My weekend’s treasures. A polymer work in progress – a palette, and a process to work with going forwards. The rings – as I said – the class was so rich, and so fantastic… and it carried extra weigth with me. I am giddy with pride at the results of my labors and so excited moving forwards. And yes – I am wearing them now – a talisman to keep in touch with the energy of the weekend. 

I will save my philosophical musings for another time – I have supplies to order, and artwork to create. Thank you one and all for making the weekend so magical!

 

April Component of the Month! Headpins…

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 (If you are looking for the “Inspired by Reading” post and creative reveal – please click here. )

 I love it when a plan comes together. I received these simply gorgeous glass headpins from the hands of Jen Cameron for this month’s Component of the Month at Art Jewelry Elements. But I was out of town. I got home with 36 hours until the reveal… and I was tired and had mounds of laundry to do… When I sat down this afternoon I was thrilled to make it work – and I am pleased with the results. 

Jen's headpins

The headpins made me think of water. Not only the color, but the spiral and the tiny bubbles… I have been working on and off lately on a series of Goddess necklaces. This color and the element of water made me think of Yemanja. She is the Yoruba orisha, or diety of water, childbirth, the essence of the ocean. She was and is revered in many Afro-American regions, from Brazil to the Caribbean. (My Yemanja figure, shown on my “water” shelf with Sulis from Bath, is from New Orleans. ) Over time, Yemanja was seen to share many characteristics with the Virgin Mary: protectress of women and children, robed in blue, Mother of all… Mary is also known as Stella Maris/Star of the Sea thus linking her with the ocean as well. 

Water elementals

So I started browsing the stash… and started with a piece of sea glass. Here is a little “photo essay” of the selection process: 

planning pix

After that – the Parawire and the seashell were kept in the mix, along with copper links. I found the color blue more vibrant than the gems in my stash, and turned to Czech glass and crystal to satisfy my palette. The copper links are stamped “etoile” and “de la mer” to reference Yemanja/Stella Maris/Mary. 

the necklace

Coiled wire bail, dangle headpin, stamped copper links, wire wrapped crystals and glass beads, sari silk, seashell, hand made wire clasp. 

Not bad for a day’s work! What do you think?

Please stop by these blogs – my team mates and the guest designers participating this month: 

Guest Designers:

Erin Prais-Hintz

Kathy Lindemer

Alice Peterson

 

AJE Team:

Susan Kennedy

Lesley Watt

Melissa Meman

Linda Landig

Jen Cameron

Pumpkin spice and polymer skulls…

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So I think I havent posted for a week. Sorry. It was a busy week. At times I think fall will settle down, when shows are over for the season and I resume my teaching on Saturdays. Not so. FaerieCon is 2 weeks away. I have workshops and classes going on in addition to the regular Sat kids cermaics class. I am thrilled !!! to be a member of the Art Jewelry Elements blog. Working on the October AJE design team reveal, as well as regular blog posts. All good, but busy. So here are a few snapshots for you…

pumpkin spice

The flavor of the season…

Muertos

From my ofrenda table/altar in the house. And yes – he has a gold tooth!

bee and flower

Last of the harvest…

muertos2

Waitresses and a happy couple…

polymer sugar skulls

Sugar skulls! Read all the details at the AJE blog or shop for these on Etsy!

Coast 2 Coast piece.

A collaborative piece from me and Cooky Schock. Read more about out shared creative ventures at Coast 2 Coast Creative!

lunar hares WIP

Copper, enamel. faux bone… work proceeding nicely for FaerieCon. 

Steampunk cameos WIP

Steampunk cameos… some with a bit of cheekiness…

 

So pour a coffee, enjoy the weather on the deck, and stay tuned for more work in progress as I create magic in preparation for FaerieCon!