Key to My Heart...

A couple of weeks ago, I shared my Molten Morsel components for AJE's Component of the Month challenge for August.  I was wowed by the wonderful comments I got for them...you are the best readers ever!  One of the favorites of the morsels, it seems, was the oval "key" component.

I haven't really incorporated actual keys or key images into my work before, but I must admit that I am drawn to them.  I always look for them if I am out and about browsing antique and/or thrift shops.

Antique market finds!

What is it about these vintage, ornate (or not) keys?  It seems I am not alone in my love and fascination for them...they seem to evoke some romantic and mysterious vibe. If you search for "antique keys" or "skeleton keys" on Pinterest you come up with loads of stuff!  FYI...Did you know that a "skeleton key" refers to a specific type of antique key that actually is able to unlock multiple doors, and many that are referred to as skeleton keys, are not at all!  Here is an interesting article I stumbled upon while reading up.  http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/unlocking-the-riddle-of-skeleton-key-necklaces/

This week, after looking at keys and different designs, I decided to create one out of copper sheet.  I traced a key I have onto copper sheet, sawed it out, filed it, embossed it, and gave it a LOS bath.  It turned out cute, but I decided it was lonely.  I then cut out a free-form heart shape, added a key hole, dapped it and enameled it in a pretty red shade.  Not to leave anyone guessing, I added a tag stamped with "key to my heart".  Cute...they will probably become a simple necklace. Note to self...use heavier gauge sheet for future attempts!

A few other beautiful examples of key love...

Ceramic pendants by Jenny Davies-Reazor

Bronze clay heart and key by Lesley Watt

Brass key with patina by Sue Kennedy

Lampwork necklace by VenBead

Do you share my love of antique keys?  Have you incorporated vintage keys in your designs? Tell us about it!

Happy Saturday!

Melissa Meman
Melismatic Art Jewelry
Art. Life. Love.

Folklore Friday: Have a heart ( Ancient Egyptian amulets Part2)

Welcome back! Last time I talked about Ancient Egyptian amulets in general - and some of the iconic symbols that many if you had previously seen. This week I wanted to delve a little deeper into a few of the more obscure, yet quintessentially Egyptian motifs. ( It has been hard for me to decide what to include, as this topic enchants me. I thank you for your attention and perseverance!) 

The Tyet knot, also called the "Girdle of Isis" depicts a looped and folded cloth; they were placed on the neck of the deceased. The tyet symbolizes strength/power/protection. They are often red, for blood, as they represent the blood of Isis; her protection and by association the magic and power with which she raises the god Osiris/her husband from the dead. Life and death and regeneration are the essential beliefs in Ancient Egyptian mythos. 

The Djed pillar represents stability, strength, endurance, and protection. Symbolically it depicts a stylized Tree of Life and simultaneously Osiris' backbone. It was placed... near spines of the mummies and was thought to lend them strength. The spell in the Book of the Dead associated with them calls out to the god: 'Raise yourself up Osiris! You have your backbone once more. O weary-hearted One; you have your vertebrae!'

Thoth, Sekmet & Tawaret. glazed clay/faience.
 App. 1.75" - 2"

Amulets of Egyptian deities were worn to honor that god or goddess and seek their protection. There are so many, and so many interesting myths - I cant go into it all here...

( The Ancient Egyptian Mythology page gives an overview... )

 I will be discussing materials and methods in my next post though... 

What really inspired me lately - both in the studio and to write these posts - were the heart amulets. 

Images from Walters Art Gallery, The Met,  British Museum

Their shapes are reminiscent of urns - urns where the mummified actual heart was placed. These amulets were only used for the deceased, placed at the heart. Vessels often symbolize the soul across cultures, but to the Ancient Egyptians it was more:  For the ancient Egyptians, the heart (ib) was the source of intelligence, feelings, and actions. A person's memory was also housed in the heart and so at the judgment ceremony (Weighing of the Heart) in the afterlife, the heart was able to speak on behalf of the deceased, accounting to Osiris for a lifetime of deeds. Therefore, heart amulets were only used on the mummy to protect the owner's organ and to ensure that his heart gave a positive response at judgment.

Left: Anubis, God of Afterlife leads the soul. Center:Anubis (smaller) weighs the heart/urn against the feather of Maat. Right: Ammit, the Devourer of the Dead (hybrid crocodile, lion, hippo) awaits to eat any souls deemed unworthy. Thoth, God of Writing records the ritual. A jury of gods and goddesses are seated above to witness. 

Balanced against a feather? Yes. the feather of Maat.   She was the Goddess of truth, justice, balance, order, law, morality. She was world order and harmony; without her - chaos. So when the heart was balanced with a feather - it was a feather that stood for... "rightness" and a life lived in harmony with the principles of the culture. 

But I digress. The beads.... the inspiration... harvest from the studio ^10 gas fire reduction kiln... 

These are stoneware, very rustic, with a simple stain of iron oxide. The larger round one has bits of glaze in the impressed designs. I am thrilled with the results, and may have to save one for myself to wear at Beadfest! ( Come see me - Booth 461). I see it with earthy colors; jasper, jade... or maybe turquoise! Hmm. What do you think? 

Until next time - 

Jenny

www.jdaviesreazor.com

Bead Fest Prep and Studio Drama over a tiny piece of Brass

Bead Fest Philly is about 2.5 weeks away. But it feels like 5 minutes. I am trying as hard as I can to fill my booth, but have had two major issues all summer.

#1-my family...particularly my kids being involved in so many things over the summer. They have had some amazing opportunities. Because I am the "chauffeur", this has been at great cost to my beadmaking time. I am not very good at saying no to them when it comes to these opportunities, but did manage it a couple times.

#2-my lake house studio. As you can see here and here, I have been trying to get it set up. And it was. Except for the correct brass connector to connect the torch to the gas line. I made several mistakes which cost me precious time.

First, I didn't take the hose or the extra gas line plug the plumber had left on the windowsill. And I was trying to do my shopping in a different city than where the lake house is located. To make a long story much shorter, I finally went to the welding shop for what I thought was the final piece of the puzzle (left handed thread for the hose)

It wasn't. When I tried to fit it into the gas line side, it was way too small. I am embarrassed to say there was screaming and maybe some swearing. My 15 year old came running out to the garage to see if I was ok. Physically, yes. Mentally? Not so much.

I threatened my very patient husband with calling a plumber to deal with it. This helped motivate him to help me figure it out. Let me stop for a moment to mention that my dad and brother are both engineers. I did NOT inherit the engineer gene. Where they measure things out, I estimate with my thumb, hand, arm, leg, whatever happens to be most handy *snicker*

Anyway, paying a plumber $100 to bring the right $1 connector and to install it wasn't particularly appealing to my darling. So he had the brilliant idea to bring the connector that works with the hose end (left hand threaded) AND the plug sitting on the windowsill like it was meant for us to use it to make sure we have the right connector.

Last night we found it. Finally.

The first thing we did when we got back was to try it. Success!!!!!

Finally I can make beads to my heart's content while my kids enjoy the lake.

Are you going to Bead Fest? Five of us will be vending there. Check out this awesome spread Karen put together for us.

If you will be in Philadelphia area the weekend of August 23-25, you must come to Bead Fest and say hello to each of us (booth #'s in the photo above). And if you're not planning on being in the area, you need to change that! You can come see the 10 beads I managed to make all summer sitting lonely on my booth. 

You can also see this guy helping me for the weekend. He's pretty excited to meet a bunch of crazy bead ladies...

You can get $5 off admission to the show too. Just save this to your computer and print it out. 

Have a great week!

-Jen Cameron

Glass Addictions

Playing witih Polymer

Two years ago, I took a polymer class at ArtBLISS with Christine Damm - it was so much fun and I really enjoyed it a lot. Obviously I didn't have enough time because I came home and promptly put the supplies away and never took them out again... ****pouty face**** Here's a couple photos of what I made - the purpose was to make a stacked pendant; the first photo shows the pieces I actually managed to color in class with alcohol inks. The second and third photos show the ones I made in class, but never added any color to at this point.

Recently, I purchased a tutorial to spur me on to get the polymer back out again. While I didn't get any further along the path in terms of coloring, I did make these components and still have to finish them.

I did get a few spare minutes recently to play with some more clay. I used blue and fuschia clay first, then used the bronze colored polymer clay to make the heart. I actually LOVE the heart so much, I'm not sure if I should add any paint to it or not. I was thinking of adding a gold color, then wiping most of it off so that it would just be in the indented portions of the heart. Of course, I really need to bake these first!

I really like learning new mediums and I am taking another polymer bead class with Christine Damm in September at ArtBLISS making actual round beads. I'm excited, I really like Christine's work. So, what new mediums have you been playing with lately? Do you love it or not? Would it make you leave your current medium or have you found you enjoy sticking with one?