Something Sublime

Friend of Souls

 

"Friend of Souls"

available on Etsy

 

faceted garnet heishi, vintage brass locket, dupioni silk

 

vintage German frozen Charlotte bisque doll, metal finding, vintage text, collage papers

 

dupioni silk, black sheer fabric

     

vintage text and resin filled silver charm, vintage bronze watch fob clasp and charm, vintage brass and crystal beads, vintage crystal rondelles, faceted garnet, copper

   

vintage bronze watch fob clasp and charm, vintage brass and crystal beads

 

vintage text and resin filled bezel

 

available on Etsy

I tried to get good photos of this piece but these just don't do it justice.  The necklace is made with a solid strand of faceted, garnet heishi.  The garnets are absolutely gorgeous;  deep red and very sparkly. 

Inside the locket, I've set a very old, very tiny, German bisque frozen Charlotte doll.  Frozen Charlottes are highly collectible.  The story behind the frozen Charlotte doll is interesting.  They were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century due to a song written by one William Lorenzo Carter.  In the ballad, Fair Charlotte and her beau set out for a dance, some miles away, on a cold, wintry night.  Charlotte's mother warns her to keep warm but apparently Fair Charlotte was more worried about appearances than keeping warm.  Needless to say, mother knows best and, by the time the young people reached the ball, poor Charlotte was cold, silent and lifeless.  The darling baby angel in this piece is only one inch tall.  She lives inside a vintage, embossed, brass locket which is tied with a scrap of sheer black and a piece of dupioni silk.  Behind her, and in the other half of the locket, is a piece of vintage text from a book of Christian poems.

The back of the necklace is almost as pretty as the front.  The closure is an antique bronze watch fob clasp complete with it's original charm and a small length of chain.  From the chain dangles a beautiful, faceted garnet chunk with vintage crystal rondelles.  On either side of the clasp are more vintage brass and crystal beads and a silver bezel set with vintage text and resin.  You'll want to wear this piece to the ball but, listen to mother, cover up and keep warm on the way!

   garnet stack earrings also available on Etsy.

Gift Giver

 

I'm blessed to have people in my life who are gift givers.  They are people who give unselfishly without any expectation of receiving.  It always surprises and delights me.  Wife Whisperer is one of those.  He gives to me on a daily basis...love, respect, adoration...it's good.  My dear friend in Louisiana is on of those.  I can drop into her home after not seeing her for years and she has dinner ready for my whole family...and it's like we never parted.

   

card by Mija Andrade

My list could grow quite long if I continue so I'll limit it for now and tell you about my sweet friend Mija Andrade in Oregon.  I received a huge envelope on Christmas Eve, from Mija.  I'll tell you, I don't know where Mija gathers the treasures that she collects but she has some fabulous sources!

 

Mija has a knack for knowing exactly the kind of thing I like.  For instance, she made a lovely little pillow box from an old Christmas card.  I don't think Mija knew this but, I love this particular saying "Wise men still seek Him."  And, inside the box was another surprise:

 

pussy willows.  When I was a kid, the neighbors had the most glorious pussy willow bushes in their back yard.  I loved when the fuzzy little buds emerged in early spring.  Since then, I've never lived in a place where pussy willows grow so I've missed them.  How could Mija know that??

 

In amongst the furry little "cats" was tucked this gorgeous, felted acorn.  Acorns are another favorite nature element of mine.

 

I'm sure Mija crafted these herself.  Not only is she generous but a very talented artist.

 

Here are a few things I can't wait to use in jewelry making; a vintage silvered, glass (yes, glass!)buckle and a tiny magnifying glass.

 

Maybe I'll pair them with some of these awesome beads...

 

...or this beautiful, big, fat, faceted briolette in my favorite green.  How does Mija know these things??!  And, what are those cool brass metal thingys?  There were several of them in the package, each embossed with a date.  They'll be perfect to work into jewelry pieces.

  

Mija included some collage sheets of vintage prayer cards and genuine joss papers.  I bet she has a huge collection of prayer cards.  It just seems like something she'd collect.

 

I believe this one depicts the archangel Michael in battle with Satan...throwing him out of heaven.

 

More jewelry making ecstasy happened when I found this little metal thingy.  I'm not sure what it is but it caused quite a stir with me when I saw it!  Oh, and you can see a few vintage religious medals (yum!) as well.

 

Speaking of a stir, look at this sweet, old medallion.  It's grungy goodness makes my heart race.

 

Oh...and there was this strange and interesting finger gadget.  It looks like some kind of faux fingernail...maybe if you have a really bad itch?  Or, maybe if you need to tap your kid on the head to get his attention?  Ok, so, nonsense aside, I think I've figured out how Mija does it.  How she knows the perfect lovelies to send...she cares.  She observes, she ponders, she digs through her treasure trove and finds the very things she knows I like.  She is a loving friend and Mija, I thank you for that most of all.

Malodora-Dee Wilder

 

Before Christmas, I treated myself to a little present...this gorgeous necklace by talented artist  Dee Wilder.  Dee is a wizard with polymer clay, as you can see.

 

Her pieces are incredibly detailed and lifelike.  The flowers look like you could pluck them from the vine and the other pieces, well...

 

These bird skulls make you think she must have picked them up on a nature walk through the woods.  Dee painstakingly makes each piece perfect.  I plan to use these as soon as I can get back to my bench.

 

I was thrilled to get this gorgeous cabochon from Dee.  I occasionally like to use elements that are a little dark or quirky so Dee's things really appeal to me.  It was hard to photograph this cab properly because of the high shine on the dome.  The colors are rich and the piece is full of gold leaf and sparkling inclusions.  Look for this in an upcoming piece of my jewelry as well.

Isn't this bracelet fabulous?  No, it's not a real antler but, who could tell?  If you haven't seen Dee's work, do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to look.  You'll be amazed!

Christmas Blessing

 

Blessings to you and yours on the birthday of Christ, our Saviour!

Christmas Cookies-A Gift For Your Thighs

I don't know where this recipe came from but I've been making these cookies at Christmastime for quite a few years now.  The white chocolate/cranberry combination is fantastic and, even if you're not a fan of oatmeal, these are so good you'll be making them every year too.  Try them.  I promise your thighs will love you.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature (no margarine!)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups oatmeal, uncooked

1 pound white chocolate baking chips (amount can be reduced if desired)

2 1/4 cups dried cranberries (amount can be reduced if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter with sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.  In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and oatmeal.  Add to butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in white chocolate and dried cranberries.  Place by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until very lightly browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack.  Makes about 46.

Christmas Greetings

My Christmas cards were a bit late in the mail this year.  Just when I think I have them all finished, I remember another that must go out.  For those of you I was unable to send a hard copy to, please accept this cyber greeting!   This year, I used one of my altered, vintage Christmas cards as the cover for our family cards.  I inherited a couple of  boxes of cards, receipts and papers from my dear grandma, several years ago.  Among the ephemera was a small collection of vintage Christmas cards.  They seemed to call out for altering and this card is one result.  I applied the same techniques I use for my altered cabinet cards.  Fun, fun!

Belle Armoire Jewelry

 

I just recently got my copy of Stampington's winter 2008 Belle Armoire Jewelry and was honored to have a few projects included in this issue.  One of them is a collaboration I did with my dear friend DJ Pettitt.  It's an off shoot of the collaborative workshop Mingled Elements that we teach.  You must visit DJ's blog as she's posted some beautiful handmade Christmas cards.

 

"Springing Up"

 

 

When DJ and I first got together on the Mingled Elements project, she mailed me a package of fun stuff to play with.  In the box were high quality prints of her original artwork, laminate chips and text scraps.  These pieces were done with DJ's prints, collaged onto laminate chips with various paints and elements.  The wire leaves, swirls and charms were then added around the edges.

 

"As A Bird"

 

 

The other project I was pleased to have published was a tutorial on how to create wire wrapped links to use in jewelry pieces.

 

The photos for the article included these three pair of earrings which are now available in my Etsy shop:

 

 

"Blush"

available on Etsy (sold)

For these earrings, I wound fine gauge steel wire around a wrap of larger gauge, adding glass seed beads for a little sparkle.  The tiny leaves are steel wire and vintage Bible text.  Blush colored, faceted chalcedony briolettes dangle from the bottom.  They're about 2 1/4 inches from the top of the sterling ear wire to the bottom of the drop.

 

 

"Twining Vines" (sold)

available on Etsy

This pair is another in my "twining vines" series.  I wrapped fine gauge steel wire and glass beads around a heavier gauge steel wire.  The leaves are more steel wire with vintage Bible text added.  The ear wires are hand formed sterling.  These measure about 2 1/4 inches form the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the leaf.

 

This style, with the leaves and vines, has been so much fun to work on.  Each piece comes out uniquely beautiful.

   

"Pear tree"

I've threaded varying shades of glass seed beads onto fine gauge steel wire and wrapped vintage fabric to create the delicate fabric links for these earrings.  The orange hued, faceted chalcedony briolettes are wrapped with steel wire and topped with tiny leaves made with wire and vintage Bible text.  The little drops remind me of pears.  The ear wires are hand formed sterling.

 If you're interested in learning how to make wire wrapped fabric links for your projects, pick up a copy of the magazine for the how-2.  It's easy-peasy...anyone can do it!  Take a look here for a great example of beautiful wrapped beads.

Exhibition 36

 

It's here!  It's finally here.  Susan Tuttle's new book "Exhibition 36"  has hit the market.  This has to be one of my favorite mixed-media art books of all time.  Susan did a fantastic job gathering the work and thoughts of 36 artists, creating a personal gallery experience you can hold in your hands and tour any time you like.  She gives you access to the inspiration behind the pieces as well as instruction and even discussions on such things as originality, artist's block and dealing with mistakes in your work.  Susan has a terrific "show" of artists in her "gallery."  I was excited to be included and delighted to see the work of many of my friends.  Let me give you a peek:

   

Judy Wilkenfeld

 

Richard Salley

 

Marie Otero

 

Izabella Pierce

 

Katie Kendrick

 

Joanna Pierotti

 

Roben Marie Smith

 

and, of course, the fabulous Susan Tuttle

This is just a tiny taste of the offerings in this book.  There are many more artists featured...too many to list!  You must get a copy for yourself; sit down in that comfy chair by the fire, with a cup of coffee, and spend a few hours enjoying the exhibition.  I'll be posting more photos of my work for the book later but, for now, here's a glimpse:

 

 

Christmas Long Ago

 "Christmas Long Ago"

(sold)

This little man is the last of my snowman series for this year.  His glass bottle body is filled with a sparkly Christmas tree along with glass glitter, beads and snowflakes.  Two pieces of vintage text read "Christmas Long Ago" and "Old Santy might be comin'."  He's bundled up with a red tinsel scarf wrapped with steel wire and more glass beads and decorated with silver Christmas balls and a candy cane.  His brass filigree hat is topped with a glass bead.  That and his hand-painted, clay head are dusted with a coat of glittering "snow."

 

He's quite the merry little man, all decked out in red and white.  I used three strands of small, glass seed beads for the necklace.

 

This guy wouldn't be complete without a few vintage, mercury glass, Christmas beads, all wrapped with steel wire.  The red ones are a shape I haven't seen often.

 

The silver ones have a lovely, shimmery look from age.  I remember garlands of these beads from my grandma's Christmas tree.

The piece is finished with a hand-formed, steel wire clasp.  I wore this necklace to dinner last night and developed quite a close relationship with this little man but he's found a new home.

The Alabaster Jar

 

"Devotion" (sold)

There is a beautiful incident, recorded in the Bible, during a supper that Jesus attended six days before Passover, which would have been right before His crucifixion and death.  This is a story about the love and deep devotion of a woman's heart.  Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus whom, you may remember, Jesus had raised from the dead.  At a dinner given in Jesus' honor, Mary, overcome with emotion, broke open a very expensive alabaster jar of perfume and poured it over Jesus' feet.  With tears pouring from her eyes and the fragrance of the perfume filling the house, she wiped His feet with her hair.

 

Some of those present were indignant and rebuked Mary harshly.  The money, they said, was worth a year's wages and could have been given to the poor.  Mary's act was somewhat scandalous as the perfume was very costly, worth a year's wages.  It was a servant's humble work to attend to guest's feet and respectable women did not unbind their hair in public. 

Jesus' response was quick, "Leave her alone.  It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you but you will not always have me".  Jesus knew that they did not truly care about the poor at all; their intentions were not good.  He also knew that He was to die in the next few days and would, physically, no longer be with them.  Perfume and oils were commonly used to anoint the dead at burial but not in the case of criminals.  Jesus was to die a criminal's death and Mary unwittingly anticipated this.  Also, Mary knew something that we often seem to forget:  she was anointing the feet of the King.  She didn't care what anyone thought or said.  Her love and devotion for Christ was pure and the object of her affections was more than worthy.

"Devotion"

As I worked on this piece, this beautiful vintage perfume vial reminded me of Mary's alabaster jar.  It's not made of alabaster but iridescent shell and aged brass.  The tiny stopper still has it's original cork and moves up and down on a small, brass chain.  I connected it to the necklace with a vintage religious medal featuring a chalice that represents the last supper.

I used a very old, lavender crystal rosary for one of the chains.  The crystal beads have been used for countless prayers, I'm sure, and purple is the color of royalty.  The brass chain and connectors are patina-ed with age.  I used several shades of faceted moonstone in the links and a faceted moonstone onion briolette for the drop.  I didn't realize this but moonstone is known as "lovers' stone" which makes it a perfect choice for this piece.  I added one, fat, faceted amethyst bead.  Amethyst was included as one of the precious stones in the breastplate of the High Priest of the Jews and also in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Revelation).  The small, cream-colored cross is carved buri seed.  The freshwater pearls echo the shape and luster of the perfume vial.  The gemstone and pearl links are all wrapped with sterling wire.

 

I finished the necklace with a very small, luminous seed beads and a vintage clasp.

 

I have to say, this is one of my favorite creations.  The crystal, moonstone, pearl and shell make it absolutely glow and give it just the right subtle sparkle.