An Abundance of Tree Inspiration

When Caroline chose trees as the theme for September's challenge I was thrilled! I have been in awe of trees for a very long time. I have taken countless photos and have used trees as inspiration in my jewelry and fiber art for several years.
It wasn't until I sat down to make some jewelry for the challenge that I realized just how many items I had already created using trees/leaves as inspiration.
After completing the tree challenge I wanted to do another blog post so I could share the numerous pieces that I have created over the past 8-10 years with trees as my inspiration.
As you will see trees can be depicted in any medium. They lend themselves to hand stitching, machine stitching, creating leaves from copper, creating trees from wire, stamping in clay, stamping on fabric...The opportunity to use trees as inspiration in your art is endless!
                                            A few pieces of jewelry using leaves-

Brass Etched Leaf, Agate & Acorn Necklace

                      

Hand Forged Copper Leaf & African Turquoise Necklace

Rustic Raku Leaf With Tibetan Agate & Glass Beads

And a beaded cabochon that looks as though you are peaking through hanging limbs at a misty pond.

Bead Embroidered Jasper Necklace Hanging From An Antler

You can etch copper with trees and encase in resin.

Etched Copper In Metal Bezel With Resin

                                     Trees can be embroidered by hand and beaded.

Detail Of Crazy Quilt

Fiber Collage With Ribbon/Embroidered/Beaded Tree

Felted Fiber Collage With Beaded Tree

Photo Printed On Fabric With Multiple Layers of Embroidery & Beads

Trees can be machine embroidered and embellished with jewelry type elements. These are close-ups of art quilts with trees as the central element.

"Keeper of the Woods' Art Quilt

"Can't See the Forest for the Trees' Art Quilt

                              You can use rubber leaf stamps to print on fabric or paper.
                              I used the same hand-carved stamp for both of these pieces.

"Spring Revival" Art Quilt

"Central Park Player" Mixed Media Collage

Or you can actually use leaves to paint and print onto fabrics. After I printed with the leaf I encased the painted leaf between fabric and tuille then edge-stitched it.  I attached the leaf on the printed fabric to create more dimension.

Fiber/Mixed Media Mini Quilt

And again, I used a real leaf in a mixed media collage below.

"Be Who You Are" Mixed Media Collage

Leaves can be used as a resist for sun printing with setacolor paints as in the photos below. The first photo also has leaves stenciled on the fabric. And the second photo has a screenprinted dandelion.

Dyed, Sun Printed, Stenciled, Screen Printed

Dyed, Sun Printed, Screen Printed, Machine Embroidered & Beaded

These trees were screenprinted onto hand dyed silk with discharge dyes and are just waiting for me to do something with them!

Dyed Dupioni Silk Screen Printed With Discharge Dyes

Dyed Dupioni Silk Screen Printed with Discharge Dyes

Leaves can be used to impress into clay. The one below is raku.

Elephant Ear Leaf Plate

The ones below were rubbed with oxides then high fired glazes applied on stoneware.

Hosta Leaf Plate

Hydrangea Leaf Plate

Maple Leaf Plate With Leaf Handles (I forgot what leaves I used?)

Believe it or not, there are still other ways I have used trees.  I mentioned all the photos I've taken- well, they could possibly be a whole series of blog posts by themselves so I will stop here.

Hopefully, you will be inspired by trees in ways you had never considered before. Maybe we will revisit the tree theme here again in the future. If you didn't get a chance to see all the participant's tree inspired pieces please do so. They were fabulous!

Looking forward to October's component of the month-sugar skulls.

It's a Boondoggle!

This week, I thought I would do a 2nd attempt at kiln enameling and started cutting out a boat-load of copper shapes.  While cutting copper and dreading the epic fail I think kiln-enameling holds for me, I got distracted by some fold-formed shapes on Pinterest,  I have only touched the surface of foldforming but I have the bible...Charles Lewton-Brain's book, Foldforming.  I have done the simple folds to make cute leaves, hearts, and components like my fold-formed hoops in the newest Easy Metal publication  from Interweave, but I wanted to try something new.

Fast forward to the book and finding the page about what he calls "Boondoggle" OMG, doesn't  this take everyone back to childhood summer camp or vacation bible school?  I was intrigued and decided to play!

Remember making cord/plastic lanyards or keychains? This is the same technique, only in metal. Charles doesn't go into detail in his book about the procedure, as it is out there in  the realm, but I documented my steps. Sorry for some blurry photos :(

Materials/Tools required:
Copper sheet (I used 24g but you could go smaller)
Flat nosed pliers
2nd pair of any type of plier
hammer (any type)
rubber or rawhide mallet
small torch for annealing
steel block
metal shears

Steps 1-4

• Cut copper strip to desired length and width; shape ends if desired
• File/sand edges until smooth to touch
• Anneal with torch 
• Fold over ends
• Interlock as shown and pinch tight

Steps 5-8

• Start folding metal over onto itself
• Squeeze tightly after each fold
• Continue until there is no more left
• Once the cube gets to big for your flat nose pliers, switch to tapping with hammer

Steps 9-12

• Align the shape with hammer as necessary
• Anneal with torch and pull out tabs on the ends
• Using pliers, holding the tabs on the ends, pull apart.  Twisting as you pull adds more dimension.
• Shape on mandrel

Pickled and ready for use!

As you see, I didn't quite have enough to complete a bangle bracelet, but think I will add chain and a clasp!  I really like it and think smaller segments for earring components would be very cool! So many possibilities.

Go have fun!

How to Spark Inspiration/Motivation, Part 387-D

So, a short and sweet little lesson in sparking inspiration when you are so absolutely unmotivated you could cry! The last few weeks have been totally stressful for me...my day job has been converting to new financial systems and I have had to focus on training and learning an entirely new way of doing my job, which involves sitting at my desk staring at a computer screen. I have been so mind-weary every day, creativity has been lying dormant.

Today after work I decided to just sit at my bead table and look. There were some things that had been sitting there for a while that I just hadn't played with yet. I pulled out a couple of bags from recent purchases and looked at them. Walked away, came back, walked away, etc...

Small raku-fired beads by Keith O'Connor

I saw this pile of raku beads I got from Keith O'Connor's trunk show at my friends house.I remember loving them so much when I saw the stacks of these he had in almost every color of the rainbow. I wanted some of each, but was strapped for cash so chose pairs of my favs.  I intended to used them as pairs in projects...earrings, probably. When I saw them all in a pile like this, though, I thought...don't fight it! Use them all!

Copper bracelet with Keith's gorgeous beads.

I didn't add anything else, just wire-wrapped them with copper wire and made a quick clasp.  Simple, yet totally effective!  Disclaimer, I used a stupid headpin as my charm that wouldn't patina, so I'll have to go back and fix it!

Karen's gorgeous beads!

The second package I picked up was an auction I won at the Ceramic Art Bead Market on FB from our own dear Karen Totten!  I remember when I bid on them how much this color combination moved me.   I have been looking at them and fondling them for a while.

Wrap necklace with Karen's beads, an enameled bead by me, and one of Keith's raku beads.

I have been seeing lots of simple wrap necklaces...beads or other components on each end of a long chain that can be wrapped around the neck or just looped over in front.  I thought this was a cool way to show off gorgeous beads in a different way.  I hope to be creating a few more of these.  Again, pretty simple, yet colorful and unique!

So the crux of today's lesson: You don't have to be inspired or feel creative. Take the time you need. It's okay to walk away from something and come back to it as many times as needed. Trust your first instinct. Take a chance.

Riveting Show & Tell

A couple of weeks ago I splurged and ordered this set from Interweave.  I was lucky enough to see a FB post reminding me that the Interweave Store was offering a limited 40% off sale.  Wow, I thought that was too good to pass up.

My physical haul from the kit...plus my earrings!

 The kit arrived and included everything you see here...the first obvious perk is a wonderful little Fretz riveting hammer.  I have to admit, this is my 1st Fretz and it is so sweet!  It also included the DVD by Tracy Stanley, Making Jewelry with Metal Tubing, a Bead Smith punch and riveting tool, 2 packages of hollow rivets to use with the tool and a variety of Vintaj blanks to play with.

Earrings made from Vintaj blanks and brass stampings...riveted with sterling.

The kit also included 3 digital products, Making 3 Perfect Rivets and Riveted Earring Project, both by Tracy Stanley, and Bodacious Copper Bangle Project by Kim St. Jean.

Now, I have done rivets before, but am by no means a pro at it.  Tracy made it look so easy and was really engaging in the videos.  I had to put it all on hold until I got back from my beach vacation, but this week I played a bit.  The above earrings are Vintaj blanks from the kit, raw brass stampings I had on hand that I riveted with sterling wire following Tracy's instructions.  The Fretz hammer worked like a dream and I think made all the difference.  These are still a bit rough!

Next, after watching the Tubing DVD, I decided to try a bracelet, but didn't want the dangles, so I opted to streamline and make a bracelet bar with chain.  I had 1/4 inch copper tubing on hand, so that is what I used.

My 1st riveted bracelet!

 I flattened the tubing and textured it as in the instructions.  I opted to shape the ends, rather than folding over, as Tracy did in the DVD.  I was going to create the chain with my own links, but when I found this big copper rolo chain, I opted to use it instead, just adding my own sterling connector links and clasp.

Wow, the Fretz hammer even makes a great prop!!!

 I didn't want this novice piece to be blingy...I knew it would be staying with me, and I don't really do bling!  Mixed metals?  Yes, please :)  I decided to add 3 of my white copper metal clay components,,,2 flowers and a heart.  As you can see, they are askew, but Tracy says in the DVD, "you meant to do that"!

How it hangs on my wrist...don't like the big jump rings at the sides....must. fix. 

I have to admit, these wire rivets were harder to do than I remembered from ages ago.  A couple of things I would take away from the DVD and Tracy's other video...make sure your hole punch and wire match!  The wire should barely fit in the hole!  I made a few mistakes and am not showing the back side because of that!

I didn't use the punch/rivet setter yet...I wanted to on the brass earrings I showed earlier, but rivets in the kit were not long enough.  Tracy also suggests using brass escutcheon pins/nails for taller stacks, but I didn't have any in  my stash.

I lucked out and got a great discount on this set.  I think right now it is marked down to half price, but the DVD alone is a great resource.  Now, I am off to practice!

***Disclaimer...this is just my 2 cents on this kit!***

Saturday Share - Polymer Clay Headpins

Recently, I was presented with the challenge of coming up with a headpin component that could be used as a functional embellishment to another flat component.  With our fearless leader, Jennifer Cameron's gorgeous glass headpins as inspiration, I decided to try my hand at polymer clay ones.

My finished pin bouquet!

I started by making balled headpins of 18g copper.  Then I formed small round balls of clay. Initially, I wanted to keep them round and embed the copper pin within the ball, but they kept getting way distorted and plus, I wanted to texturize the clay.  I opted to flatten the balls by pressing them into my rubber stamp, then pushing the headpin through the middle.

Raw clay with headpins, and little balls waiting to be smushed.

I questioned whether just baking them as is would be strong enough for functional use, so I added liquid clay between the pin and clay.

Translucent liquid clay around the base of the headpin.

I pushed the clay base up to the pin, then cleaned off the excess liquid clay.

I also added it to the back of the piece, trying to work it down in the crevice!

I let them dry overnight and then debated how I was going to color them.  I decided I wanted them to have an "old world" feel to them and the texture plate I had used reminded me of a damask-type pattern, so I opted to use Pearl-Ex powder before baking, which left them with an irridescent glow.

After baking, I sealed them with Varathane in a matte finish.  Success!

In a light bulb moment, I thought this design would be cool with translucent clay, and had recently acquired a few packages of  Pardo Translucent clay.  After I first started playing with polymer clay, I purchased a great tutorial by Ginger Davis Allman, of The Blue Bottle Tree, featuring faux glass effects and wanted to give it a try.

After tinting the base clay with various alchohol inks, I made my bases as before.

After adding liquid polymer and  Pearl-Ex, plus some additional texture.

These turned out just ok...not very translucent though.

These, however, turned to molten blobs!

Well, as you can see, I need to go back and figure out my baking time/temperature for these!  My hubby really liked these burned ones, though!  I definitely will be adding some of the original ones to my shop and will be playing with the translucent ones some more...stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!