Something Sublime

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

"Fine Christmas"

Remember these little bottle snowguys?  Believe it or not, I still have this one left...and he's adorable! 

I decided to go ahead and let him find a new home so he's listed in my Etsy shop, for now. 

He looks so nice with his vintage teal and silver mercury ball beads.  I love these things...the teal was a rare find.

He's the perfect Christmas companion!

Now, a little more about this piece...

"Wing and a Prayer"

Available on Etsy

You know from my previous post that the fabulous focal is a hand cast pewter piece from my friend, Lynn Davis and that we did a collaborative project featured in the winter issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.  This piece wasn't published in the article but I thought I'd show you some photos of it as it's a favorite design of mine.

Lynn's pewter pieces are so much fun to work with!  For this focal, I also used a carved cross buri seed, a faceted agate with crystal roundels, and a handmade copper milagro from Mexico.

These special milagros are made in the old style of milagro making.  Each has a lovely patina.

For the rest of the piece, I went a little crazy using lots of my favorite vintage things like this length of old, black glass rosary, complete with it's lovely connector.  The faceted gold beads are vintage Czech and really gorgeous.

I had only a few of these antique, black and gold glass buttons  and used one for the clasp.  It connects to a length of black silk and ribbon.

On the other end of the silk is a textured brass ring from France.

More of my favorite things...these faceted agate beads paired with crystal roundels...beautiful.  I added a small French brass connector and one of my sterling wrapped silk links.

  "Wing and a Prayer" was created as a sister necklace to the one featured in the article.  That necklace was one that I ended up keeping for myself...

"Heart to Soul"

...sometimes that happens!

 
 

Online Class With DJ Pettitt-Memories and Manipulations

Wouldn't you like to create digital art like this? 

My dear friend, DJ Pettitt, has a huge talent for photography...

...and for altering that photography, digitally, to create amazing works of art.

All of the photos and works of art you see here were created by DJ.

Lucky for us, she's offering to teach anyone who wants to learn...in the form of an online class called Memories and Manipulations.

Knowing DJ as I do, I have no doubt that this class is going to be spectacular.  She puts her whole heart and soul into what she does and this will be no different.

Aren't these samples tantalizing??  I just finished with Susan Tuttle's Visual Poetry class (I think she'll be offering a second one, soon) and I can hardly wait to take DJ's class, as well!

Registration has already begun for DJ's class...click here. 

Come with me...it's going to be a wonderful adventure!

Belle Armoire Jewelry Winter Issue...With Friends

Have you seen the newest issue of Stampington's Belle Armoire Jewelry?  This issue has to be one of my favorites so far.  It's jam packed with beautiful jewelry like my friend Crystal Neubauer's unique encaustic pieces.  I'm the lucky owner of one of these gorgeous pieces...you can see them here.

I was so pleased to see the work of many of my talented friends in this issue:  Kecia Deveney, Jana Ewy, Jessica Moreau-Berry, Diane Cook and Cece Grimes.  My Objects and Elements design team sisters, Kristen Robinson and Barbe Saint John,  have wonderful pieces published here.  Best of all, my uber talented friend, Richard Salley, is featured as the "Designer Collection" artist...a well deserved honor!  His interview is fascinating along with some of his favorite pieces of jewelry.

Watch Case Locket With Wooden Nickel 

I did this watch case piece in one of Richard's classes, years ago.  He's been a huge influence on me as an artist and as a friend.

"Wing and a Prayer"

 Another friend who's more recently influenced some of my designs is Lynn Davis.  She and I collaborated on an article featured in this issue of BAJ.
 

"Victoriana"

I've been working with some of her incredible, hand cast pewter elements.  They're so intriguing and a great match for my style.

"Biker Chic Protection"

 

I've been wanting to feature Lynn's amazing pewter elements on my blog for a while.  I fell in love with them and still have quite a few pieces to work with so look to see more in the future.

"Elegance Negligee Pendant"

I don't have all these pieces back from the publisher yet but I'll be posting them to my Etsy shop when I get them.  Email me if you see something here that you like and I'll hold it for you  Oh, make sure you check out Lynn's Etsy for her gorgeous elements.

On The Thirteenth Day Of Christmas...A Baker's Dozen

Ok...so there really is no thirteenth day of Christmas but, this year in our ornament swap, we have thirteen participants so it will be a baker's dozen for us!  My good friend, Lorraine George, has day thirteen.  I always look forward to seeing what Lorraine has come up with because her work is so meticulous and gorgeous.  This year I was surprised because Lorraine didn't use metal in her ornament but the surprise was so very pleasant...

Lorraine's piece this year is all soft, icy colors and layered stitching.  You can't really see it in the photos but, Lorraine's ornament has layers and layers of papers, fabric, vinyl and I don't know what all!   Of course, it's perfectly and beautifully done. 

Lorraine's attention to detail is extraordinary and I know she spent hours creating these beauties.  What a great way to wrap up our exchange!

Matthias

The name Matthias is derived from a Hebrew name meaning "gift of Yahweh."  Matthias was the twelfth apostle and was the man chosen to replace Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus.  Matthias was one of Jesus' disciples that had been with Him since the time of John's baptism.  The book of Acts relates the story of how Matthias was chosen by casting lots.  It was Peter who suggested the need to fill Judas the traitor's spot according to Old Testament prophecy.  Two men, Joseph (called Barsabas) and Matthias, were chosen and lots were cast, falling to Matthias.  Casting lots, using rocks or sticks, was a common way to discern God's will in a matter.  In this way, Matthias became one of the twelve.  No more is said directly about him in the Bible but we know that he went out to spread the gospel with the other apostles.  It is believed he died a martyr, like ten of the other apostles, but the method is not known for sure.  Different sources have him crucified or stoned then beheaded.

 

One of the most amazing things about the twelve apostles, is that, in the face of threats, pressure and persecution...even torture...they never recanted their testimony concerning Jesus.  (Click here for an interesting writing on this.)  Each one of them was called upon to pay the ultimate price for their belief in Christ.  John was the only one to die peacefully but this after persecution and banishment to the island of Patmos for hard labor.  Their faith and belief in this man, Jesus, whom they knew personally and loved, was proved out in their lives, their witness and their deaths.

On The Twelfth Day Of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas ornaments, I opened this beautiful, hand decorated box from gifted artist, Lou.  Lou has a special talent for assemblage and giving all her creations a wonderful vintage look.

For this year's ornament, Lou used a small (vintage?) baking tin and attached a sweet, tiny image.  I can't quite decide if this is a tintype or a paper image covered with mica...Lou has cleverly disguised it if it isn't a tintype!  In either case, it's precious and will be a great addition to my Christmas art tree.

Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus is our disciple for day twelve.  Judas was one of the original twelve disciples, called by Jesus but not one of the twelve apostles who were sent out after Jesus' death.  (Since I have thirteen days of ornament swapping this year, I'm including Judas in my study and will post about the last apostle tomorrow.)  Judas was the only one, in the group twelve, from Judea, the rest being from Galilee.  He is always listed last in Bible lists.  Judas is never mentioned in the Bible without his betrayal of Jesus being noted.  Jesus, of course, knew that Judas carried His betrayal in his heart.  He knew Judas' character, even better than Judas himself did.  Judas was in charge of the money for the twelve disciples and, it is noted in the Bible that he was a thief who had no love of the poor. 

The chief priests of the time, came to despise Jesus because of His large following and influence on the people.  Not only were the priests jealous of his fame and the attention he garnered, they were also concerned that Jesus would stir up trouble for them with the Roman authorities.  They were looking for their chance to dispose of Jesus and it came about in the form of Judas.  In both the Matthew account and the Mark account, Judas is the one who approached the high priests and offered to hand Jesus over to them.  The Luke and John accounts say that Satan entered into Judas before the betrayal.  The night of the last supper, Passover, was the opportunity Judas had waited for and the priests were delighted to pay him thirty pieces of silver for his disloyal deed.  It was after this, while Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, that Judas came, with the soldiers, and identified Jesus to them by kissing him.  Jesus was arrested and later crucified. 

 
According to Matthew, after Jesus' arrest, Judas was filled with remorse and tried to return the money.  The priests, of course, would have nothing to do with it and Judas ran away and hanged himself.  The other account of Judas suicide is in the book of Acts during a speech by Peter.  Peter tells us that Judas hanged himself, the body broke loose and the bowels gushed out.  That place became known as the Field of Blood. 

There has been much speculation about Judas and how he could be a close follower and friend of Jesus but betray him.  Many believe he was evil and irredeemable.  The thing that gives me hope about Judas, and for all of us, is the passage in Matthew that says he was repentant.  As I wrote before, Jesus knew Judas' heart...all along, even to the end.  None of us can say whether or not Judas was truly repentant and reconciled to his Lord.  The one thing I know for sure, the thing that is abundantly clear in the Bible, is that God offers us (and offered Judas, as well) chance, after chance, after chance for forgiveness and redemption...to come close to Him...even to the end.

On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas...

The eleventh day of Christmas swapping is my turn to give ornaments to my artsy friends in my ornament swap group.

The wrapping is always a bit of a dilemma for me.  I have several different options, stashed away from years previous, but I'm never truly happy with them so I end up with something completely different than what I started with.

This year, I found this incredible, embroidered and beaded, wide ribbon which I encased my ornament in and stitched it closed.  I wasn't thinking of this when I wrapped but, in our swap group, peeking is a huge temptation so stitching the wrapping closed is a good way to keep things secret until the special day!   So, here is my secret revealed, for day 11...

rel i quar y

n. pl.    rel i quar ies

A receptacle, such as a coffer of shrine, for keeping or displaying sacred relics.

I've developed quite an obsession for boxes, lockets and, especially, reliquaries.  I love the idea of a small keeping place in which to tuck a precious bit of treasure.  Traditionally, religious reliquaries are shrines or containers used to hold holy relics;  pieces of clothing, bones, hair or other objects associated with saints.  I used vintage prayer cards inside my Christmas reliquaries, as well as a bit of metal bullion, a scrap of silk and a strip of antique Bible text.

I covered the inside and outside of my reliquaries with antique Bible text and added a crackle finish.  I also added a little trim to the outside of each box;  rhinestones, antique metal trim or velvet.

 

From the bottom of each, dangles a cross or crucifix and I used vintage Czech beads to accent.  The backs of many religious reliquaries are sealed with an embossed wax seal to ensure the authenticity of the relics inside.  For the backs of my reliquaries, I added wax seals I made using a special mold I made from a vintage religious medal.

 

Each seal was painted and affixed with it's own bit of silk, representing the silk cord found on many old reliquaries.  These are pretty small, in keeping with my friend Richard's description of my work "in the land of tiny."  The actual container is only about 1 1/4 inches across.  A happy Christmas wish to my swap friends is also sealed inside.

Simon the Zealot

The eleventh apostle is Simon the Zealot, so named for his zeal for Jewish law before he was called as a disciple.  Like the other apostles, he evangelized for the cause of Christ but where he actually preached is uncertain.  He was a martyred for his faith but the place and method are in dispute.  Some traditions have him crucified in Samaria, others say he was sawn in half in Persia.

Echo-Surprise

I'm running a little late with the most recent Echo photo prompt given by Susan and Chrysti.  The theme is "surprise" and I had several photos to choose from.  When DJ sent me her photo for the prompt, what ran through my head was:  nature, autumn, animals, outdoors.  This photo of flowers seemed to meet all of those criteria (except animals!)  I remember being surprised, at the time that I shot it, by how much they reminded me of a Van Gogh painting.

Here's DJ's wonderful photo.  At first glance, these two photos don't seem to mesh well but, after further consideration, they made a better fit than I thought, at first.  Maybe that's the surprise!

On The Tenth Day Of Christmas...

The tenth day of ornament swapping is reserved for my vivacious and talented friend, Kelly.

As evidenced by her packaging, Kelly's ornament is always  as lighthearted and vibrant as her personality.

When I got this box, I had no doubt there would be something colorful and wonderful inside...just look at this shiny blue paper...

I'm never quite sure what to expect from Kelly, except that it will be fabulous and whimsical...

...and, oh!...down the rabbit hole we go!  Just look at this adorable snow bunny.  In true Kelly style, she has given us a lovable, precious, little pet to add to our Christmas tree.

I can't even imagine the amount of work that went into these sweet bunnies.  They're fairly large, about 4 inches, and each is enameled...front and back.  I know that Kelly's hands must be worn out from sawing!

 

The front is snowy white and the back, ooh la la!...is deep crimson.

This enormous jingle bell explains the mysterious tinkling coming from the package...ok, ok, I did shake it before I opened it...just a little...gently!

Jude Thaddeus

Thaddeus, also known as Jude or Jude Thaddeus, was the brother of the apostle James the Less.  Some versions of Matthew list him as Judas the Zealot.  All of these different names may have been an attempt to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot.  It is not known for certain how Thaddeus died except that he was most probably martyred.  Possibly, he was beaten to death with a club, then beheaded.  In any case, he was instrumental in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ after His death.

 

On The Ninth Day Of Christmas...

Oh, happy ninth day...it's time to open Joanna's ornament!  I love the way Joanna wrapped hers, this year...revealing, in a clear plastic bag but shrouded in a bit of red and white fabric and strips of vintage text.  When I opened the bag, I was greeted with the scent of the cloves Joanna had sprinkled inside.  Tantalizing!

What a delightful, feminine ornament was hidden in that fabric wrap. 

This is the sweetest thing...a small bodice, made from patterned metal and backed with red velvet. 

The skirt is charming strips of vintage lace and fabric, tied with bits of red velvet.  Joanna comes up with the most inventive ideas and every year I look forward to seeing what she's thought up.  Pure inspiration!

James

Our apostle for this ninth day of Christmas ornaments is James, son of Alphaeus, also known as James the Lesser (as opposed to the older, James the Greater, son of Zebedee.)  Nothing more, for certain, is known about this apostle except that Jesus chose him to be one of the 12 pillars of the church.  Tradition shows James martyred for his faith;  thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple and beaten to death with clubs while praying for his attackers.

On The Eighth Day Of Christmas...

Day eight of ornament exchanging belongs to my dear friend, Sally.

 

Sally wrapped her offering in something very special...her exceedingly gorgeous, hand decorated paper.  I've had the privilege of learning how to make this fantastic paper, right from the master.  You'd never guess what it started as...

...a brown paper bag.  Very humble beginnings, indeed!  I've seen Sally's finished sheets of these papers in many different colors and it's dazzling.

Turns out, the inside of this package is even more beautiful than the outside.  I know that Sally worked long and hard on these stunning ornaments and the payoff is evident.

 

From it's glowing, luminous paint to it's lovely, vintage jewelry parts...everything about this ornament is elegant.  My favorite part:  the crackly image of the holy family.

Matthew

Matthew, whose name means "gift of the Lord, was also known as Levi.  He was a tax collector who left his work, sitting at the tax collector's booth, immediately when Jesus called him.  Tax collectors often cheated people by collecting unfair surcharges, or extra taxes, and pocketed the proceeds.  They were very much looked down upon and grouped amongst the "sinners."  Also, Matthew was a Jew but was hated by the Jewish Pharisees because he collected taxes for the non-Jewish government.  Upon his calling, Matthew created a stir by having Jesus in his house for dinner.  This caused the Pharisees to question Jesus' disciples asking how their teacher had the audacity to eat with such motley crew of tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus' reply:  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."  Jesus was not interested in appearances but in the heart.  Matthew was thought to author the biblical book of Matthew with reliance on Mark's account.  Matthew is thought to have spread the gospel of Christ in many places but most sources list Ethiopia and Persia.  It is not known for sure if Matthew was burned, stoned or beheaded but he was martyred for his faith.