September Theme Challenge Reveal - Trees

It's reveal day for the September Tree Theme challenge and I can't wait to see what everyone's created!

It was an inspiring theme and we have a great list of lovely people joining us to design something inspired by trees.

Follow the links below to join us in the blog hop, and don't forget to leave a comment!

AJE Team

Jennifer Stout Cameron

Lesley Watt

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Laney Mead

Niky Sayers

Cooky Schock

Cathy Spivey Mendola

Caroline Dewison 

Guests

Brooke Bock

Karin Grosset Grange

Merja Sundström

Cindy Martin Shaw

Allison L Norfleet Bruenger

Melissa Trudinger

Kathy Lindemer

Gloria Allen

Shai Williams

Tammy Adams

Mona Arnott

Terri Del Signore

November Component of The Month

There is no greater inspiration than nature, and this month’s component is inspired by lichens. I love to walk in the local woods, finding these little treasures on the bark of the trees. They make me think of tiny little worlds.

Lichen

The components are made from earthenware clay and have been coloured with a combination of my own recipe glazes. I love how they came out, matt with a crusty finish.

There is a choice of a cabochon or a pendant.

Lichen cabochons

Lichen pendants

Want to play along? Here are the rules…

• I will giveaway 1 lichen cab or pendant (chosen at random) to each of the 2 winners selected randomly from those who leave a comment below this post. Your comment MUST include your EMAIL AND BLOG address so we can contact you should you win.
• Please — only leave a comment if you can commit to creating a finished piece and blogging about it on the reveal date.
• The names of the 2 winners will be announced on Sunday, November 1st, 2015.
• This giveaway is open to UK and international countries, but please be aware that these will be posted from the UK and international addresses will have longer postage times… sometimes up to 3 weeks.
• The blog reveal will take place on Thursday 26th November, 2015. 

Good luck!

Wanderlust

I feel as though I am waking up from a long slumbering winter... having been sick since before the holidays (which I recently discovered was mono), I have been mostly in a fog, not getting much done, and when I do manage to accomplish some work, it is not nearly enough. I am starting to feel better (thankfully) and am anxious to return to a concept I have been thinking about and sketching for almost two years:  a series I call "Out West" or "Wanderlust", loosely based on musings of exploration and travels to wilderness destinations.

Wanderlust, definition according to Dictionary by Apple, Inc.

I offer here a sampling of "wanderlust"... inspirations and a bit of my own work.

Arrow Connector by me (Karen Totten, me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Distant Mountains, imaginary landscape sketch by me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Hiking, by Tomas Hein, Photographer.

Fantasy Mountainscape, by me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Glen Etive, by Revelation Space.

Bison Notebook, photo and notebook by Sam Larson.

Arrow and woodland beads in progress, by me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

65 / 365 - Radiance - Drawing 365 Take 2, sketch by Henry Baker.

Bear, Arrow and Fossil beads by me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Man and Woman on Southeastern Idaho Reservation, from Old Hopes & Boots.

American Vintage Badges from WE AND THE COLOR.

Bear sketch by Sam Larson.

Teepee bead by me (© 2013, 2014, 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Canoe bead by me (© 2013, 2014, 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Mars, from HiRise Mars Orbiter.

Martian "Blueberries" - small spherical pebbles found on Mars (Nasa).

Hello Universe by Ajit Menon.

Mars, from HiRise Mars Orbiter. 

Orion, by me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

Orion (fossil on back), by me (© 2105, Karen Totten, Starry Road Studio).

I think that the desire to wander often comes as Winter falls away. As snow and ice give way to running streams and sun on the hills, we come out of hibernation and seek new adventures. That is the spirit I hope to capture in my work. 

Lastly, I want to share an old song that is ironically about the beginning of Winter's descent rather than it's departure. However, I find that it beautifully illustrates a facet of Wanderlust...

Joni Mitchell - Urge For Going from JoniMitchell.com on Vimeo.

Crazy for Clay

Just another in the continuing series of updates from Starry Road Studio.... Needless to say, I have been knee deep in clay, relishing with joy the ability to work in this medium again after a so long a time away while transitioning from KY to NY over the past year. Yes, that's right, it has been nearly a YEAR since I packed up and left KY to return to NY. Most of my studio has been packed up in storage and only in recent weeks have I begun the slow process of getting everything set up here. I was dying to get my pottery wheel set up and thankfully I managed to throw a few pots this past week. I still have to get my spray booth set up for glazing, but for now I'll use some dipping glazes for these pots.

I am continuing to explore beads, creating a variety of new forms and ideas.

Continuing in my series of woodland-themed beads, I finally got started on a new design for "Camping Beads", based on sketches from late last summer. I blogged about it here.

I am having a blast playing with various textures. I am especially LOVING wood. This started with some woodland themed pieces (logs, trees, etc.). I am carrying it over into my line of ancient amulets and beads. I wanted to convey the sense of the ancient along with the wood texture, so I created a texture I am calling "Petrified Wood" (as seen in the dark brown pieces below). I love the mossy old stone (in the lighter, greenish pieces), and ancient wood look of these...

I plan to explore these textures in pottery. I can't wait! Here's an idea with a sort of plant form growing out of a "tree" base. I will throw this in porcelain and sculpt it after. I'll post pictures when I get around to it. And perhaps it will inform new designs for beads too. Stay tuned!

Winter Inspirations: a work in progress

A few weeks back I shared some winter inspired color palettes with you and yesterday since I'm on shop break (no new bead making until January 1st), I pulled out those palettes and my beads, and started making things.

I had the right bead colors and some ideas for both palettes, but after trying a few different designs, I stuck with the Blue Spruces for my color theme:

And here's what I came up with… so far… it's a work in progress, and I expect it still has at least a few changes to go through before I finish.

My own little sleepy squirrel bead and green woodland rounds in polymer clay, along with red creek jasper, glass, wood, and some brass. I would like to get a bit more grey and white in too.

Little acorn charms! No, there were no acorns or oak trees in my palette, but when I decided to use the sleepy squirrel, I couldn't help but give him a couple acorns to snack on.

What have you all been working on these day? Have you finished any fabulous new jewelry designs? I'll bet many of you will be giving jewelry to friends and family in just a few a days! ;-)

Or maybe you're just too busy with all the Christmas preparations that making jewelry hasn't even made it on to your to-do list! I do love this time of year, but I'm beginning to long for things to slow down a bit!

Well, for me, the rest of this necklace will have to wait until after Christmas… I'll let you know how it goes… right now I have pies and cookies to bake!

Wishing you and your loved ones a most joyful Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Rebekah

treewingsstudio.com