I've Been Around

Does this scene look familiar???  I've been traveling and boy, did I get around! I SO want to tell you all about it, and show the photos, but I've got tons of editing to do to them. For now, let me say that I finally got to see Niagara Falls. I also got to visit Number Two at the incredible Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Then I went down to Stamford to teach at Art is You....outstanding venue...terrific organizers...amazingly creative students. Yeah. I got around!

My next stop is teaching at Art Retreat at The Prairie. If you want to see what The Prairie is all about, take a look at this post. The Prairie is owned by the fabulously shabby chic, Rachel Ashwell. It's a gorgeous and relaxing place...a wonderful place for classes. This is a real retreat with like-minded people who love to create. And, it's coming up quick! Oct. 25-28. You can see a complete listing of the classes, here.

An Equisite Fusion

One of the classes I'm teaching is called An Exquisite Fusion. It's a mixed media class in which we'll be doing metal work...handmade soldered bezels...combined with images and resin (mixed media.) I finally completed this sample piece for the class but let me tell you about it. A long, long time ago, I just about threw it in the trash can. It was a complete flub-up that's been sitting on my workbench for two years, now. You can see, at the top, I've soldered these beautiful little vintage glass leaves and flowers. What a grand idea, I thought. Until one of two of them fell off from too much re-positioning. I'm a fiddler...I admit it. Then came my troubles with the resin. At first, it was a perfect pour. On second look...the resin had come into contact with one or two of my adorable little leaves which wicked most of the resin right out of my bezel. Bleh! Resin, everywhere. All over the back, the leaves, the front. Bleh. I let it dry and picked off/cleaned up what I could. That was the point at which this piece and I almost parted ways. In fact, I think I did throw it in the trash but later, fished it out.

There's something about this piece that I just couldn't abandon. My original thought was to make a tombstone shaped back, complete with graveyard flowers, top and bottom. I love the creepy-cool, shabby elegance of the piece. And, the image...well, the sacred heart is one of my very favorite icons. I finally overcame my frustration, just yesterday, and picked this up again.

I finished cleaning the focal up and decided that I actually like the amount of resin in the bezel. Of course, it was just begging to be blinged up, a bit, so I've used a disco ball and three vintage rhinestone clasps to get my point across. The beads are Victorian black glass...faceted on one side...meant to be sewn onto garments. They remind me of Victorian mourning beads and may have been used for decoration of mourning garments. They tie in perfectly with the somber effect of the piece.

Now this, I just adore...I added an old, old, faceted glass drop to the bottom of the focal using a stunner of a rhinestone headpin that a student gave me (thank you, lovely student!)

One thing and another...  Once you get your hands into a creation, it takes on a life of it's own. You pour a bit of your soul into it and can't help but become attached. The whole piece has a bewitching, romantic-grunge feel to it, that I love. (No, I don't believe in witches...I just like that word, bewitching. Also, I'm finally reading Harry Potter...light years behind everyone else, I know.) 

I'm taking it to The Prairie with me, to wear as my halloween adornment. Who knows, someone may love it as much as I do.

deryn xxoo

Comments

[Michelle]

Deryn!! You were practically in my backyard!! Hope you had fun visiting the Falls!! It is very beautiful!

[Elizabeth]

It looks great! Thank you for sharing that. I tend to look at designers like you and think that everything works great for you. I might even sulk about it. It makes me feel like I should keep trying.

[dorylyn]

Deryn, this is so beautiful! I'm gladit wasn't tossed!