Well it's seems like an awfully long time since we launched this way back in late November but finally, It's time for the reveal of our design challenge inspired by our einter solstice theme of the rebirth of the sun. If you missed the original post for this you can find out more here.
Despite the chaos that is December and the holiday season we have wonderful designs from the AJE teams and guest designers to inspire you - just click on the blog links below to start hopping.
I'm FINALLY back in the studio making beads again. I've been lacking bead mojo for awhile due to a variety of reasons. It was nice to be back in the studio but I'm taking things slow. The focus right now is to catch up on swaps I owe people, fulfillment of pieces for event donations and restocking the shop with some popular pieces. Hopefully once these things are done, I can spend some time just playing and get some of my mojo back. Let's have a little peek...
Porcelain
Here's the block of porcelain before I got to work. I love the weird, earthy and musty smell it has.
Porcelain slab
The first order of business was to roll out a slab of the porcelain. I pulled a bunch of leaves outside for the autumn collection. Because I use real leaves, I have a limited time in which to make this collection. Once the cool weather rolls in and the leaves fall off the trees, I can't make more of these pieces. They truly are seasonal work.
Porcelain leaves
I made a series of buttons for a friend who does leatherwork and the rest are pendants and charms destined for the shop and the Ceramic Art Bead Market.
Leaf cabochons
There was also the business of making lots and lots of little leaf cabochons for Beki Haley'sBeaders Dream Retreat. I'm sponsoring the event, so each attendee will get a porcelain or stoneware leaf cabochon in their bag. I am working on the stoneware pieces today while the little kiln runs a bisque-firing.
Porcelain beads
I'm also running dangerously low on beads so I rolled some up. Most of these will be glazed to coordinate with the leaf pieces.
Speckled stoneware
After I completed the porcelain work, I cracked open my speckled brown stoneware. Mmmmm there was that nice earthy and musty smell again.
Rustic stoneware coins and beads
I made a bunch of rustic stoneware coins for the shop AND for next months Component of the Month (you won't want to miss that one). I used the center cut-outs to roll some beads. I also made a bunch of disc beads for a wedding order I'm trying to complete.
As of right now, I'm still working in stoneware and I've got a bisque-load running in the garage. Sea urchin cabochons and more little leaf cabochons are on the table today. I'm really looking forward to completing this batch because I plan to move away from so much production work and start playing more. I'd like to spend some time coming up with new designs and also working in art that isn't necessarily bead-related. Change is good.
I hopped a cruise ship to Bermuda yesterday. Before I left I wanted to make a few extra pieces of jewelry to bring with me.
I had made this bracelet earlier in the year to wear on the bead cruise but found that I had selected some beads that made it too heavy and the waxed linen began to stretch.
Original bracelet
While it's a really cute bracelet, I couldn't have it expanding in size on me so I took it apart. It turns out that it also contained some beads that went really well with a dress I purchased for my Bermuda cruise.
Dress Fabric
There were so many wonderful colors in this print to work with; aqua, cobalt, yellow, pink... I began pulling out lots of wood, lucite, shell and art beads to play with!
Messy Desk
Then I remembered I had some memory wire and thought it would be fun (and easy) to work with that. After lots of pulling out beads, putting back beads, pulling out more beads, I had a finished bracelet!
Finished bracelet
I used art beads (bronze, ceramic & polymer), wood, brass, czech glass and shells.
Art beads
I'm really happy with the finished piece. Although I do miss the original bracelet, this works so well with my sundress!
The next time a piece of jewelry doesn't quite work out the way you hoped, take it apart! You'll find inspiration elsewhere...maybe even in a sundress!
Now that summer is finally here (thank goodness), I don't really want to spend my time locked inside the office making intricate jewelry while the weather is gorgeous. Instead, I'll make a bunch of simple art bead pendants that are perfect to slip on a ball chain necklace and wear with my tank tops.
By the Sea pendant
Just stack a few coordinating beads together, hang them from a ball chain and you are ready to go!
What I love about this is I can whip something up in 15 minutes. So if I buy a new top and have nothing to go with it, 15 minutes later I've got a cute handmade pendant.
And ball chain is inexpensive and comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors. You can have a whole assortment on hand to mix and match with your new pendants!
Floral Fire pendant
If you do craft shows, this is also a great way to add a lower price-point (but quality) item to your booth.
In addition to stacking pendants, you can also whip up a few charms and then just slide the charms on to the ball chain. I made this set for the bead cruise and I'll be wearing it again on my Bermuda cruise in a couple of weeks!
There are so many fun options with this style. If you are stressed making something more intricate, take a break, grab just a few beads and make yourself a simple pendant!
I've always envied designers who have a clear coherent style or design ethos. My head is always so full of half formed ideas that I lurch from one thing to another with no clear path or direction. In some ways I love that because I get bored quite easily and it's that plethora of ideas that keep me inspired. Just recently however I have found I'm using a recurring design element and have created a range of components that do have a clear style
When we did the Spring hare challenge back in March I wanted to include spiral symbolism in my designs somewhere to represent the rebirth and growth of the season. I'm still working with that design and have been developing new versions for the summer...
The spiral patterns in these designs are hand carved and I find this process very calming which is quite interesting when you see this definition of the symbolism of the spiral:
Spiritually the spiral symbol can represent the path leading from outer consciousness (materialism, external awareness, ego, outward perception) to the inner soul (enlightenment, unseen essence, nirvana, cosmic awareness)". http://www.whats-your-sign.com/spiral-meaning.html
Shortly after making the hares I was thinking about a new design for an owl component - always popular but mine have been around for a while now. I wanted to try and keep it quite simple and stylised and if possible incorporate the spiral again and this is what I came up with...
The spirals are not quite as full but the idea is still there.
At this point I wasn't planning to start an ark full of spiral decorated animals but my team mate Caroline suggested I should do a fox and course once she'd sown the seed there was no going back until these little fellows appeared...
Hot on the heels of the foxes came butterflies...
Followed in quick succession by turtles...
At that point a kiln failure brought everything to a halt which might be a good thing as it stops me getting carried away with the idea and doing it to death. That said I am pleased with the way this theme has developed and I do have plans for a couple more pieces but I might keep those for the future as you can have to much of a good thing!
Hopefully the kiln will be repaired shortly so that I can finish these little critters and get them into my shop so they can go out into the world and spread a little more enlightenment.
Lately I've been working on a series of Bird Totems. I'm really loving this idea and each time I approach the subject, I continue to expand on the idea and improve it. Watching it evolve is a lot of fun.
Here are some of my pieces...
Here are some newer pieces, in clay (not yet fired)... one of the images shows my hand carved stamps used to create the belly symbols. I am playing with the idea of the Bird Totem as symbolic of the Bird as Messenger - who brings us insights, messages, and gifts of inspiration from the inner workings of our soul / consciousness, and from the connection we have with sources outside of ourselves and our everyday world.
About Creativity and How Art Happens...
As artists, we sometimes play with ideas, not really knowing where the underlying sources of inspiration come from. Upon seeing my bird totems, a friend pointed out that they reminded him of native american art, especially that of Pacific Northwest nations. Fascinated, I looked up some of the art of these sources and was immediately excited. I love the idea of art as a dialogue with our our selves, our culture, other artists, and historical - often ancient - sources. Art is not created in a vacuum, but rather, works as a kind of PLAY on themes both old and new. I emphasize the word "Play" because it is critical to step outside of one's routine and get into a state of absolute flow. One must not worry or fuss about the particulars (such as planning what to make, how to make it) of a particular meme or idea, but rather, continue to play with it, riffing on it with each iteration. The particulars happen as part of the flow. This flow must not be interrupted by our logical reasoning daytime brain. Moreover, it is important to sometimes "sleep on ideas" - when one is stuck or tired, just allow it to rest, go to bed and approach it anew.
Here are some of the native american pieces that I find absolutely fascinating and inspiring. I was not consciously aware of this body of work prior to making my bird totems, but when I reflect back I clearly see a line of evolution... (these are all images from the Shaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY.
Thoughts about Creativity from John Cleese...
Finally, I would like to share a lecture by John Cleese, about how we create. I think you will find this enlightening... particularly about the notion of how our unconsciousness contributes to the creative process... I invite you to watch and learn...
Back on June 9th, our AJE Facebook page hit 1,000 likes! To celebrate this event, we wanted to have a really fun giveaway to thank all of you (full details can be found here).
Today is the first day of this event and these are the two components we will be giving away...
Chain maille has been on my to-do list for years. No really, years. I bought this kit at a Bead Fest several years ago and just never got around to actually doing it.
The kit is from fe Maille and includes detailed instructions on both jewelry basics and the weave pattern (byzantine variation), jump rings, seed beads and an artisan clasp. You just need to supply your own pliers.
It only took me a few minutes to understand the basics of making the first byzantine link. I did have a couple of "What the heck?" moments but they didn't last long. The instructions really are that good.
I was able to get through making five more links relatively quickly with only minimal destruction to a few jump rings. I've always suffered from plier death grip-itis.
I left the house for a bit and when I came home I easily completed the large jump ring and seed bead connectors. It doesn't hurt either that I have tiny baby-sized wrists so I didn't have to create as many links.
Well look at that! I made my first chain maille piece....a Byzantine variation bracelet!
And since my wrists are so ridiculously small, I had enough jump rings left to make some earrings! I paired them with my porcelain ammonite charms. I think they look pretty spiffy! Yes, I said spiffy.
I was warned that chain maille is addictive. It's true. I've since ordered a practice kit from The Ring Lord and plan to order higher quality saw-cut rings from C&T Designs once I'm confident I won't wreck all the good stuff. I also purchased two books on Amazon; Chainedand Chain Maille Jewelry Workshop.
I hope you'll enjoy following along with me while I embark on this jump ring-filled adventure!
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