Something Sublime

Frozen Charlotte Goes Heavy Metal

 

My friend, Judy Wilkenfeld has a terrific article in Stampington's new issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry (summer 2009).  It's titled "Casting Call" and it's about metal casting.  Judy has an Etsy store, chock full of incredible found objects, charms and cast metal pieces, perfect for use in jewelry making and mixed media.  She had the genius idea to cast a perfect, antique, bisque frozen Charlotte doll (take a look at this post for the story on frozen Charlottes) in pewter and this article describes that process and gives some inspiration as to just exactly how these heavy metal babies could be put into use.  Judy chose several artist friends to help her with this and I was honored to be one of them.

"Caged Charlotte" (sold)

For one of my pieces, I decided to enclose Charlotte in a little, wire birdcage.  I added some of my "signature" vines and leaves and a flower with a garnet center.  Charlotte wears a crown of vintage brass.

I hung Charlotte from an array of luscious stones and goodies... 

...chunky faceted garnet stones, a glowing freshwater pearl, a carved jasper cross...

...a velvet wire-wrapped link with vintage crystal button dangle, a gorgeous filigree brass bead...

...vintage rosary beads in crystal and garnet glass...

...a sweet, vintage rosary connector with silk ribbon...

...vintage brass chain, and some incredible, faceted red tiger eye.

Not to let the front out-do the back...I used a large vintage ring and handmade clasp...

...then created a long dangle from more faceted garnet and a beautiful vintage religious key medal. 

Judy's metal Charlottes are so much fun to work with, I made a second  piece:

"Sweet Charlotte" (sold)

This little darling is the focal of a three strand bracelet.

She's wearing a green silk sash and is connected on either side by sterling and rhinestone connectors.

I used lots of pearls, some vintage rosary chain and a length of lovely vintage tatting for the body of the bracelet.

I finished it with a handmade sterling clasp and a faceted jasper drop in the perfect shade of green.

If you've never seen Judy's work, you're missing something special.  Every piece that Judy creates is infused with insight and soul.  She's extremely talented and full of original ideas and inspirations...like little metal Charlotte!  When she came up with the idea to cast these dolls, she invited several of us to use them in our jewelry creations.  I was in the good company of fellow artists, Diana Frey, Ro Bruhn, Jen Crossley and Kecia Deveney.  All huge talents, so you can imagine how fabulous the pieces are.  We've waited a long time to see this article and Stampington did a truly wonderful job with the photography.  Make sure you pick up a copy of BAJ and take a look!

For The Love Of Spring

"Smoke"

Available on Etsy

Maybe  because the weather has been nice here, this spring, or maybe because of the long holiday weekend...I'm not sure...but I completely forgot to post the earrings that go with my necklace, "Turquoise and Stones."  I love smoky quartz so decided to draw that element from the necklace to use in the earrings.  I also neglected to post this photo of the necklace...

"Turquoise and Stones"

Available on Etsy

...which shows how pretty the faceted, carnelian tubes are.  I got these gorgeous, faceted tube beads in carnelian and mother of pearl...they're pretty spectacular!

Speaking of spectacular, there are some interesting things going on in my yard, this time of year.  I'm not sure what this plant is...ginger somethingorother.  It's been lounging in a corner of the yard for years and never offered anything more spectacular than a place for Miss Maggie to stick her nose into.  This year...bam...this strange and wonderful flower.

This beautiful thing made an appearance.  It's a daylily I'd planted years ago and gave up on when I lost my oak tree in hurricane Ike.  But, here it is, bursting like a firework.

My agapanthus exploded as well...a huge blue ball of flowering glory.

Sadly, this was the fate of my cardinal's eggs AND my robin's eggs.  Both nests were raided by some mystery predator.  I don't want to talk about it...sniff.

Now that Memorial Day weekend is over, the weather has gone back to the usual, drippy, humid, heat.  So, no more tea on the deck... it's back to work (inside) for me.

 

Turquoise and Stones

 

"Turquoise and Stones" double wrap necklace

Available on Etsy

In my studio, I have a stash of  strings of stones and beads I've been saving to create some jewelry with a touch of Western inspiration;  strings of turquoise disks and nuggets, heishi and one very beautiful, very large string of amber I've been hoarding.  I've finally decided to use some of these precious things, incorporating a touch of the West into my style.

  

I love this long (about 38 inches) necklace because it looks terrific worn single or doubled.

 

 This piece is formed around shell heishi and beautiful turquoise nuggets.  It's filled with beautiful faceted gemstones, as well; smoky quartz, carnelian and luminous, bronze-colored, freshwater pearls.

One of the turquoise nuggets happens to be heart-shaped. I also added a length of sterling silver chain...

 

and a hand-made, sterling clasp.

A medal depicting St. Jude Thaddeus serves as the focal. The patina on this vintage medal is wonderful.  St. Jude is considered the Patron Saint of Lost Causes, especially in health matters and life/death situations. Jude Thaddeus was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, in whom Jude put his trust. Jude is said to have died a martyr's death. To me, this medal is a symbol of perseverance through extreme difficulty.

The pearls are meant to be worn in the back, when the necklace is worn as a single strand, or in the front, when it's doubled.  It  looks amazing when worn with it's "sister" piece,  "Turquoise and Carnelian:"

"Turquoise and Carnelian" (sold)

Available on Etsy

The focal for this piece is an unusual, enameled religious medal, from Italy.  I don't see many enamel medals in red and orange.  This one is beautiful. 

 

On the front is Jesus...

and on the back is the Virgin of Carmel.

It's loaded with semi-precious gemstones, heishi, African copper beads, a handmade silver link...

  

turquoise nuggets and...

...a handmade clasp.

These two necklaces really do look amazing worn together...

Thanks for looking!

Oh...check out the latest change in my ever changing link of inspiration (upper left sidebar)...Kathleen Dustin.

 

Way Out West

"Turquoise and Stones Double Wrap"

Available on Etsy

For a very long time, I've wanted to do a line of jewelry inspired by the West.  Wife Whisperer is a displaced cowboy, originally from Wyoming....specifically, Cody...where I spent some years, as well.  Cody is a beautiful little town, set at the base of the mountains right outside Yellowstone. I'll never forget the day I pulled into town;  I immediately felt I was home.  And, while I love my native Oregon, my heart also belongs to Wyoming.

I've had a deep attraction to turquoise jewelry for years.  I have a few favorite haunts, in Cody, where I usually find lovely pieces and, over many years, have developed a small collection.

These pieces are made with turquoise from the American mines in the Southwest...Sleeping Beauty, Turquoise Mountain and Dry Creek.  Among these are a few favorites like this...

 

...and one gorgeous bracelet I picked up at a garage sale for 5 bucks.

Most of them are hallmarked with the maker's name like this:

Another favorite piece is this vintage ring given to me by my mom:

I remember when she bought it, years ago, and I thought it was the most beautiful ring...and still do.  It's made in a style that was popular in the 70's.

Of these bangles, three of them are Indian-made that I picked up in Oregon.  Yep, Oregon has a long history of cowboys and Indians...think Pendleton Roundup, Nez Perce, and Tillamook.

"Royston" (sold)

turquoise from the Royston mine in Nevada

Available on Etsy

As we prepare for a summer trip to Wyo, I'm looking forward to discovering a piece or two to add to my little collection and to coming away with plenty of Western inspiration.

 

Recycled Sari Silk-Objects And Elements

 

Jen has written an interesting post about using Objects and Element's recycled sari silks, over on the O&E blog.  I haven't tried the sari yarn yet but I'm thoroughly enjoying the silk sari ribbon.  You get a lot of it in one bundle and the colors are saturated and stunning.  If you try it, let me know what you think or, better, leave a comment on the O&E blog.

Treasure Box

Some days open up like a treasure box...one moment more delightful than the next.  Today, was not one of those days...or was it?  Just because, among other disasters, there were ants in the cereal box and the dog decided to start a flea factory, doesn't mean I can't have a happy day...right?

While parts of it were very stressful, other parts were delightful.  It would have been easy to be distracted by the unlovely but, I choose to focus on the delightful.

My sweet mailman delivered so many goodies to my door today, how could I not be enchanted? 

(I can't wait to do something with this bracelet!)  This is the mailman who personally delivers the large envelopes and packages to my door so they don't get mashed in the mailbox. 

The one who ends every one of our conversations with "Have a blessed day!"  I found out he's a pastor to college kids on the weekends.  Why does that not surprise me?

This (or something like it) can be had from my friend, Lynn Davis...

...as can something similar to this.  Lynn's so talented!

Talk about delightful!

These beauties can be found at Objects and Elements.

So can these pretty enameled rings and these great African brass rings.

I'm completely smitten with these bronze ammonites (again, Objects and Elements).

It was a good day! 

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Matthew 6:20

 

 

Objects And Elements Design Team-Susan Lenart Kazmer

  

I could hardly wait to share some exciting news with you!  Many of you are familiar with the incredibly talented artist and teacher, Susan Lenart Kazmer.  She's inventive, creative, original and on the cutting edge of jewelry design.  She and her team are re-introducing their outstanding line of jewelry-making components and tools available at Susan's online site, Objects and Elements.  In addition, they've started a new Objects and Elements blog.  Jen Cushman is their new media manager and has done a wonderful job putting the blog together.  The blog will be an exciting place with guest artists, reader challenges and opportunities to learn techniques.  Link up to it because you won't want to miss what's going on there!

 

As if that weren't enough, Jen is coordinator for the brand new, Objects and Elements Design Team.  This is a five member team of artists who will be creating fresh jewelry designs every month, using the unique components O&E has to offer.  The team is made up of some terrific artists Jen, Kristen Robinson, Barbe Saint John, Jane Salley and myself.  You'll be seeing some of these creations on the O&E blog.  When Jen invited me to be a part of the team, my heart skipped a beat, then my head started whirling with ideas!  Susan has been one of my favorite jewelry teachers as well as an incredible inspiration and encouragement to me over the years.  I'm so grateful to Susan, Linda (Larsen) and Jen for including me in this adventure.

 

Susan and the gals have added some great new things to the store.  Susan's long and prolific jewelry career has allowed her assemble a unique collection of  supplies and tools for jewelry making and mixed media.  I'm partial to the recycled sari silk but it's hard to pick...there are so many fun and interesting things to choose from!  The Objects and Elements store carries some things that I have a hard time finding, including those pesky, teensy, tiny eyelets in various lengths.  Of course, you'll find Susan's one-of-a-kind bezels and her new, super clear resin, ICE.  Did I mention tools?  O&E offers pretty much every tool you'll need for jewelry making, including bench pillows, which can be hard to find.  I hope you'll be inspired by the treasures in the Objects and Elements shop and by the new blog!

Jewelry Challenge-Project 18

 

"Nature Pod"

Available in my Etsy shop

Project 18-Bean Pod Pin

I'm just two projects away from finishing up my Mary Hetts jewelry challenge.  I've been working through Mary's terrific book, "Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet."  Project 18 in the book is a pin but I followed my own path and created a pendant.  I used sterling silver to make the wrap which, according to Mary, is based on a Japanese packaging technique.  Of course, I wanted to make the pod my own so I added some vines and leaves.

Inside my pod is a vintage cotton pearl, vintage Czech gold beads and vintage aurora borealis crystal beads.

 

I suspended it from a hand-twisted, sterling ring.  More of the vintage gold Czech beads and vintage black Czech beads are wrapped in sterling.  I dangled a silver wrapped vintage black glass and rhinestone bead off the side.

 

I added another cotton pearl and vintage leaf finding from my friend, Judy.  Judy has an amazing array of goodies offered in her etsy shop.  You really have to go see!

 

I finished it with two strands of very old, cut glass, seed beads interspersed with more of the gold Czech beads.  These gold beads are some of my favorite.  The patina on them really makes them gorgeous...nothing like the newer ones.  Despite the fact that this piece started with a rustic pod form, it turned out to be quite elegant.  It's really delicate and beautiful to wear.

Techniques for Project 18:

• wrapping and tying

There aren't many techniques listed in the book for this project but I found that I used several more including drawing a ball on wire and liver of sulfur patina.  This was a fun project...I hope to see what you've done with it.  If you've completed any of the projects, make sure  you leave me a link and I'll post your link on my jewelry challenge blog.  Also, if you've done one of the projects and you don't see your name listed in the links, please, let me know.  Click here to see the guidelines for the challenge.

Still Spinning In The Vortex

  

"St. Benedict" (sold)

Available on Etsy

A quick post to show you what I've been up to.  I love these earrings.  The pink, vintage crystals are stunning but, let me tell you about the medals.  They're St. Benedict medals, each slightly different.  St. Benedicthad a deep faith in the cross and a deep passion for Christ crucified.  He worked miracles under the sign of the cross and exercised power over evil with it.  These medals are very detailed and infused with meaning.

 

On the front, is the image of St. Benedict.  He holds in one hand the cross, symbol of salvation.  In the other hand he holds a book, his Rule for Monasteries.  On the pedestal to his right is a poisoned cup, shattered when he made the sign of the cross over it.  On his left is a raven, carrying away a poisoned loaf of bread meant, by an enemy, for St. Benedict.  Inscribed in the outer circle are the words meaning, "May His presence protect us in the hour of death."  The back of the medal reveals the power of the cross.  The vertical beam of the cross contains the letters C.S.S.M.L.: Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux which means, "May the holy Cross be for me a light."  The vertical beam contains the letters N.D.S.M.D.:  Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux--"Let not the dragon be my guide".  The four large letters outside the cross, C S P B, stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti--"The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict".  Around the outer circle are letters V.R.S.N.S.M.V. and S.M.Q.L.I.V.B.  These letters are the initials of a Latin prayer of exorcism and stand for the phrases "Begone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things" and "The drink you offer is evil; drink that poison yourself."  Above, is the word "peace."  Like I said, there's a lot going on here!  I'm drawn to the premise behind the words and symbols:  good triumphs over evil...Christ's strength overpowers Satan.  Yes...I love these earrings.

 

"The Brass Ring"

In other news from the creative vortex, I'm listing a few more things in my Etsy shop.  These gorgeous baroque pearls are so fine.  I paired them with vintage brass rings, heavily textured, from France.

 

"Chalcedony Columns" (sold)

One of my favorite stones is chalcedony.  These faceted columns were a find.  They're the perfect size for earrings and the translucency of the stone is lovely hanging from the ears. 

 

Both of my tutorials, wire nest charm and wire wrapped link, are available as well.  If you go to my shop and there isn't one listed, please contact me and I'll get one for you.  Back to the vortex....

Oh, Mama

 

There's a mama robin nesting in my back yard.  Her nest is perched in a limb that hangs just over the deck.  She bobs gently in the breeze, keeping a sharp eye on all the activity below her.  She's high enough to be out of Miss Maggie's notice but low enough to be a little nervous when we pass by.  She's spending more and more time on the nest and, this morning I saw her swap out with another robin...papa?

 

I'm especially excited about this little family after a big disappointment a few weeks ago.  A cardinal couple had built a nest in the same spot that they'd chosen last year;  a bush near my bedroom window.  Their nest was robbed and eventually blew to the ground.  This year...a cardinal nest in the same spot, same thing happened.  No baby cardinals.  So, now I'm hoping for baby robins.  The nest is up too high to see inside but I'll be able to hear them peeping when they crack the shell and maybe I'll figure out how to get a photo.  Happy Mother's day!