Something Sublime

Summer Jewelry Challenge-Project 6

"Window 2" by Deryn Mentock-project 6

Well, believe it or not, this is project 6 of my summer jewelry making challenge.  I'm working through Mary Hettmansperger's wonderful book "Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet" through the summer and would love it if you would join me!  I'm on project 6 but you can jump in anywhere and do as many or as few projects as you like.

Mixed Metal Earrings by Mary Hettmansperger

Project 6 in Mary's book is her "Mixed Metal Earrings."  Uh...I guess I forgot to read that page of the book.  Ok...I did read the description of the project but, I just didn't feel like making earrings!  In fact, once I got started, my project 6 was nothing like Mary's project 6.

Mine turned into a necklace somehow!  But, that's one of the things I'm enjoying the most about this challenge...seeing what unique twist of my own comes with each project.  I'm loving seeing what you all are inspired to do as well.   Remember the pod necklace?  Heather Thorpe made hers unique (and beautiful) by using crocheted wire for her pod form:

pod-project 5 by Heather Thorpe

But, back to project 6...

This is a mixed metal project but I ended up using mostly brass.  I layered mica with one of my cemetery photographs and an old brass stencil, then added some vintage brass trim.  This project is the first of chapter 2 which concentrates on commercial cold connections.  I used eyelets and tiny little brass screws for my cold connections.

Techniques for project 6:

• apply heat treated patinas
• liver of sulfur patina
• install eyelets and brads
• making wire wrapped loops

I added a wrapped link with a faceted citrine drop to the bottom of the focal.  This linke is wrapped in an awesome mystery material.  It's that intriguing, golden colored, textured stuff in the above photo.  Can any of you guess what it is??

The rust colored cord wasn't in the plan but it was handy so I cold connected it to the piece with wire wrapping and used an old game token for the "eye" part of the hook and eye clasp.

I'm not exactly sure how this came about either but, I ended up with a tassel on each side of my focal.  I added tiny metal beads and some old bits of copper that had been laying on my workbench forever.  Hmmm...you just never know what the end product might be around here!  I know some of you are making the earrings.  Take a look at Melissa Merrill's:

Mixed Metal Earrings by Melissa Merrill

Beautiful!  By the way, I'm trying to get everyone linked in the left sidebar of my blog.  If you've done a project and you don't see your name in the list or, if your link doesn't work, make sure you let me know.  I'm working on a better way to keep the list but, in the meantime, check there for participants projects.

Arte y Pico

I've been awarded the Arte y Pico blogging award by my sweet friend Pilar at Pip Notes AND by the very talented Mei at Wirebliss AND by fantastic wire artist Delia at Delia's Stone Studio.  Thank you ladies!  There are so many great art blogs out there.  As always, it's hard to choose just 5 but, I've run across some recently that are new to me and so I will pass them on to you...

Arte y Pico is meant to be paid forward to five bloggers who you want to recognize for their creative talents, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community...helping to make the world a better place, one blog post at a time! And now...the envelope please! (click to see their blogs):

 

1.  Art Bead Scene--very cool collaborative bead and jewelry blog

2.  Beth Quinn Designs--she loves to create!

3.  Caspiana--the very generous Sarah shares tons of technique and art

4.  Robin's Nest--Robin Dudley Howe's senseless acts of beauty

5.  Spirithelpers--Tammie Lee in God's country...Montana

 

If you have been selected for the award, please pay it forward, following the steps below:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.
2) Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.
3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the "Arte y pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) Please post these rules! - Be my guest to copy and paste from here.

 

The Arte y Pico blog is in Spanish. To read it in English, click here.

A Little Ditty

I really want to get some of my vacation photos posted but there are a gazillion of them and I have to edit them first.  I'm also working on a project (actually a couple of projects) that was due before I left.  Obviously, I'm running a little behind.  I'm in a music cd swap hosted by the lovely and exotic Sylvia Luna and I should be burning cd's right now but I was working away, listening to someone's cd from the last swap, and thought I would share this funny song with you.  It's a little "ditty" from the Ditty Bops whom I'd never heard of before the swap.  Click here...you might have to turn up your volume a little.

I had fun taking photos of Number One's 12 string for the artwork for my jewel cases...

Here's another from the Ditty Bops for your afternoon entertainment.  They're...uh...quirky...  What do you think?

Stuck On Project 5

"Pod Prince" project 5

Ok...I know we're supposed to be on project 6 of my summer jewelry making challenge but project 5 was so much fun the first time around, I decided to give it another go!  This time I loaded the pod with a tiny bisque baby dug up from the grounds of a German doll factory.  I've been seeing these babies around for a long time and expect to see more as more become available.  Aren't they adorable?!  I gave this one a tiny crown and above his crown rests a vintage aurora borealis crystal bead.

I wrapped both ends with brass wire, added a pearl drop to the bottom and wrapped him up tight with steel wire and seed beads.  His pod is metal mesh lined with velvet.  A very luxurious bed for a little prince!  I'm thinking of giving him away at the end of the challenge.  You all remember that I'm giving away one of my project pieces to a randomly drawn participant?  If you're just joining us...great!  Do as many or as few projects as you like.  You can take a look at the ones I've completed in the photo album on the right sidebar of this blog.  Check out the challenge guidelines here and have a look at the participants projects by clicking on their links on my left sidebar.  I've been working on project 6, although, it's not exactly like the piece in Mary's book.  So, come back for that and tales of my summer vacation as well...

A Charming Exchange-It's Here!

Oh, oh, oh!  What a delightful package was waiting for me when I returned from vacation yesterday.  (You didn't even know I was gone, did you?!)  Ruth Rae and Kelly Snelling's incredible collaborative book "A Charming Exchange" is here!  I love this book so much.  Yes, I'm honored to have a few pieces of jewelry published in it but, even if that wasn't the case, I would love this book.  It's beautifully written (mostly by me dear friend Kelly) and beautifully executed.  The photos are lovely but, even more important, the projects are absolutely fabulous...really unique.  There are many step-by-step projects, but this book is not your average how-to.  This book is all about sharing and collaboration between artists.  Most of the projects are of a collaborative nature and the results are inspiring.  So, let me dispense with the excited blabbering and show you a little preview!

"Gothic Romance" necklace by Catherine Witherell

contributing artists:  Ruth Rae, Jessica Moreau-Berry, Crystal Neubauer and Deryn Mentock

When I joined Ruth's charm swap group, way back in the summer of 2006, I never dreamed we would have such wonderful camaraderie or that so much creative energy would be shared.  One of the projects the group did for the book was a round robin style piece of jewelry.  The originating artist made the basic piece then passed it on to four other artists who then added their magical touches.  Catherine's stunning piece (above) was from this swap and is one of my favorites.  Catherine is one of the most creative and original jewelry artists I know.  She cleverly created a felted heart and precious metal clay cross as her centerpiece.  She made every one of those fabulous, round links by hand.  You can see my contribution in the vintage chandelier crystal and rosary wrapped, red pearls.

"History Lesson" necklace by Crystal Neubauer

contributing artists:  Ruth Rae, Catherine Witherell, Jessica Moreau-Berry and Deryn Mentock

I fell in love with Crystal's piece for the round robin immediately when I saw it.  What's not to love?  Crystal is so talented at bringing together bits and pieces of everyday life and creating something meaningful.  Her camera lens focal piece is gorgeous!  Jess made the precious watch charm.

When I got this piece, the focal was a bit loose on it's hammered wire bar so I added some vintage bark cloth wrapped in wire.  I also added a wrapped quartz crystal and some very special charms to the chain:

My mom's neighbor, knowing my penchant for unusual items, gave her some puppy teeth which my mother then passed on to me.  You know, those sharp little teeth your puppy looses when he gets his big dog teeth?  They just seemed like the perfect element to add to Crystal's necklace.

"One Wild Thought" necklace by Kelly Snelling

One of the group's favorite themes was "found objects".  This piece, by the sweet and gifted Kelly, shows how creative and talented artists can elevate ordinary materials to extraordinary heights.

I think this bracelet was a favorite of everyone in the group.  It's just so danged adorable!  Holly Stinnett used her vintage paper dolls to make charms for this whimsical piece.  Polymer clay artist Michael Johansson contributed the amazingly detailed "cupcakes" and "cookies" and Ruth Rae brought it all together with her amazing jewelry making skills. 

Now I'll show you something that is my pride and joy.  I hope that's not too conceited to say but...I really love this next piece...the meaning behind it.  It's hard to believe I made it over a year ago in May of 2007!

"Shepherd's Amulet Bag" necklace by Deryn Mentock

One of the things our little jewelry group did was to make special talisman pieces.  My girl Sally Turlington made a fantastically clever piece that I won't show here (much as I'd like to, I can't show everything in the book!).  My piece is this one, "Shepherd's Amulet Bag."  You might recall a sneak peek of it from this post. 

Long, long ago and far away, my mom and I found this sweet, tiny, leather coin purse on one of our junking trips.  I picked it up, knowing it would make a great jewelry element some day.  I wasn't even going to join in on the talisman project but, when Ruth asked me about it, this little purse popped into my head and the idea for this piece came to me fully formed.  It was truly inspired...not by me but by the Shepherd.  The image on the purse is one from my collection of vintage prayer cards.  In the book, you'll find step by step instructions on how to apply the image.

The Shepherd’s Amulet Bag was inspired by one of my favorite passages in the Bible from John 10.  This passage tells the story of the Good Shepherd and his flock.  Christ is, of course, the Good Shepherd and we are His flock.  Verses 27 and 28 speak to the Shepherd’s dedication to His flock:  “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”  The devotion offered to the sheep and the protection provided by the Shepherd is deeply moving to me.

 

 

I added a tourmaline stone with a vintage brass cross; representative of the Shepherd’s sacrifice.  Inside the bag is the Shepherd’s “guidebook”.  It consists of pages from John (of course!) compiled into a tiny book.  It’s bound with vintage brass trim, green garnet beads, vintage rosary beads and a vintage religious medal that carries a stamping of the Shepherd Himself.

 

 

The chain of the necklace contains some very special elements.  On one side is a piece of petrified wood dug from the riverbank of the Shoshone river between Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone; two of my favorite places on earth.  The petrified wood represents the Shepherd’s staff. 

 

 

On the other side of the chain is a stone heart given to me by my younger son who is always on the lookout for things to give me for my artwork.  The stone heart represents the heart the Shepherd has for His flock:  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep” (Jn. 10:11).  The chain also contains hammered links made with wire and green garnets.  The bright green color of the garnet beads represents the green fields the flocks pasture in.  The rest of the chain is composed of vintage chain, twisted wire jump rings, wrapped links made with tourmaline beads and a twisted wire clasp.

 

 

All the parts of this piece were hand made; twisted, hammered and bent into shape with these scriptures and verses in mind.  Although I’m not superstitious, and don’t believe in the power of objects, this amulet necklace reminds me where the real power in my life lies…with the Good Shepherd.

 

 

"Animal Crackers" necklace by Jennifer Rowland

So, that's my review of "A Charming Exchange".  In a word...it's fabulous.  There are over 25 projects, at least 35 pair of earrings and tons of step-by-step instructions.  If you're at all interested in mixed media jewelry, this is the book for you!

 

 

Collaborative earrings by Maija Lepore, Kelly Snelling and Deryn Mentock

 

Did I mention earrings?  We did the most fabulous collaborative earring round robin.  There were three of us in each group.  The first artist started the earrings then passed them on for the other two to work on.  My earring group included the extremely talented (and fun!) Maija Lepore and Kelly Snelling.  If you like these, you should see what the other artists did!  Oh...I almost forgot...Ruth and Kelly have set up a separate blog just for this project.  It's called, what else, A Charming Exchange.  If you want the latest info on the book or group or want to ask a question about one of the projects, take a look at the blog.

Jewelry Making-A Few Basics

Doesn't everyone want to learn how to make jewelry?  Well, maybe not everyone but, if you're reading this, you may have some interest in making your own jewelry.  I'm just getting back into teaching and would love to teach you myself but, since my teaching engagements are limited (to one this year!), I thought I would make a few recommendations.  A lot of people ask me where I learned to make jewelry and who my inspirations and teachers are.  So, here goes!

Pixie by Stephanie Rubiano

Sharilyn Miller is one of my early teachers, and I have recently learned a lot from her about professionalism, but I first learned the basics of wire wrapping from my friend Stephanie Rubiano.  I've known Stephanie for a long, long time and, though we don't get to see each other as much as we like, she's one of those sweet people you can pick right up with.  Stephanie is super talented and has the most creative mind.  Take a look at her website and you'll see what I mean!

Another huge influence and one of my favorite teachers is the fantastic Richard Salley.  Richard is the one who first clued me in to steel wire.  This is a watch locket piece I made in his class.  By the time Richard and I met, I already knew wire bending but Richard really helped me see the possibilities of using different materials and expanding my style.  Not only is he a wonderful and generous teacher but he's just a dang nice guy (and his wife, Jane, is a sweetheart!).

The other teacher who's helped and inspired me is Susan Lenart.  I made this bracelet in class with her.  Susan is a happy and generous soul and, even if you think you can't learn anything more (believe me...I know I have a ton more to learn!) she will teach you something new.  It's the way she thinks...always outside the box.  Susan constantly encourages her students to try new things and...the great thing is...she really believes they can do it!  Susan has a beautiful book out called "Making Connections" which you can find on her website.

And now for a few book recommendations...  Mark Lareau has a fairly new book out called "Getting Started Making Metal Jewelry".  This is a great book for beginners and takes you through the very basics including explanations of tools and equipment.  The projects in the book build upon each other so, if you start with the first one and continue on to the end of the book, you should be able to build a nice set of basic skills.  Mark also has an excellent book of basic wire skills called "All Wired Up".  This is the publication you should get if you're just starting out.

Nicola Hurst's book "Step by Step Jewelry Workshop" is a little more in depth than Lareau's book but still great for basics.  It covers everything from sawing to texturing to making bezels with excellent step-by-step photographs.

Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention my mom!  From the earliest age, she's inspired me to be creative and crafty.  When I was young, we spent many an hour together at our local craft store carefully picking out a handful of beads and findings to create our own earrings.  We took painting and stained glass classes together and are still spend time creating whenever we get the chance.  Of course, my mom thinks I can make just about anything.  You just can't beat a teacher like that!

Jewelry Challenge-Project 5

"Pearl Pod" by Deryn Mentock-Project 5

I'm loving seeing all the beautiful projects you're doing with my summer jewelry making challenge...wow!  I know a couple of you have caught up to me so I'll post the next project.  This is the fifth project in Mary Hettmansperger's book "Wrap, Stitch, Fold and Rivet".  Mary calls it her "Wrapped Beads" necklace.  She used sheet metal and encased her beads inside the pod form by drawing a bead on the bottom of her wire, inserting the beads into the pod and wrapping the wire at the top.

Techniques for Project 5:

• drawing a bead on wire
• bead design
• forging and texturing sheet metal
• applying heat patina
• wire wrapping

The sheet metal makes a beautiful pod but I wanted to do something different.  I lined a piece of metal mesh with fabric, turned the fabric over the edges and wrapped both ends.  The beads encased inside are vintage aurora borealis crystals, tiger eye, vintage cotton pearl, Ethiopian copper, moonstone and another vintage crystal.

I forgot to heat treat my copper mesh for color and didn't think of it until after the whole pod was assembled...too late!  It would have damaged the beads to take a torch to them at that point so I darkened the mesh a little with a Galaxy black pen and wiped it off immediately.  Perfect!

 

I wanted a very simple, sleek look for the necklace part of this piece so it wouldn't detract from the pod so I used another piece of Number One's discarded guitar wire...I love that stuff!  I tied it together by using the same vintage cotton pearls on the necklace that I used in the pod.  These "pearls" are so nostalgic for me!  I remember my grandmother having these.  They're made from the same type of spun cotton that vintage Christmas figurines and ornaments were made of and covered with a pearl coating.  They're very unique now and a bit hard to find.

A little brass ball chain added to the back and it's finished.  This is a different type piece than I normally make but I really love it and will be experimenting with the pod form.  I see a lot of possibilities for using all kinds of different materials in this project.  I can't wait to see what you all do with it!

Summer Jewelry Challenge-Participants Projects

Jewelry Challenge-Project 1 "Spinner Necklace" by Beth Bricker

I'm absolutely delighted that some of you have taken me up on my summer jewelry making challenge!  I know that some of you are still waiting for your book and getting your tools together as well.  Just jump in whenever you're ready.  In the meantime, take a look at what some of the participants have done so far:

Project 1 "Spinner Necklace" by Deborah Truesdell

Project 1 "Spinner Earrings" by Diane Cook

 

Project 1 "Spinner Necklace" by Molly Alexander

Project 1 Spinner Necklace "Day 29" by Richard Salley

Project 2 "Folded Earrings" by Beth Bricker

Project 4 "Layers Necklace" by Beth Bricker