Everglades

"There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth, remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them…”

- Marjory Stoneman Douglas

When I saw this lampwork glass bead, I was reminded of a healthier time when I would hike through the Everglades. I loved the beauty of it, the peacefulness and sense of well being it gave me. The little creature on the bead looked like one of many I saw lounging on a fallen tree trunk. Such a small thing but so amazing in its natural surroundings.

I used white turquoise, chrysocolla, red jasper and freshwater pearls on this bracelet, along with a glass bead and glass spacers, and of course, the lampwork glass bead of the small creature. I also used Bali bead caps and spacers with a fancy leaf clasp.

The reason I refer to the little animal on the lampwork bead as "creature" is because I'm not too sure what it is: pointy face = lizzard, but, no tail = frog. It is definitely a reptile of some sort and I am totally sure of the inspiration it brought to me upon seeing it.

A Good Mistake

Turquoise Howlite Necklace
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

Sometimes a mistake can end up being a good thing. The seed bead circles started out as connectors that ended up a bit too long for their intended purpose. I put them aside knowing that I could possibly come up with another use for them at some time. They are on a wire with eye loops at each end. I got these turquoise howlite beads and immediately thought of the connectors. I didn't want to use them in their straight form because the howlite beads were round and I wanted more roundness in the final creation. I wrapped the wires around a mandrel and voila!

Sometimes mistakes can lead to creative inspiration.

My Notes from the Universe

This mystical looking necklace was inspired by the wonderful messages I receive daily from the Universe. No, I haven't "lost it." The Universe I'm referring to is a great website that sends daily affirmations via e-mail that anyone can sign up for. I learned about it through Traci Bunker's (amazing artist) blog - check it out at http://www.tracibunkers.blogspot.com/.

For example, this is the message I received the other day:

One of the things I've learned from witnessing civilization after civilization after civilization, Mireya, is that one should never underestimate the profound resiliency of the human spirit, nor how swiftly things can change for the better - often overnight.
Swoosh - The Universe

Then, as a P.S.:

Actually, Mireya, I could have learned this just from watching you.

I just love reading my daily message from the Universe. They are so positive, uplifting and a lot of times, downright funny. Here's the link to that site: www.tut.com/nftu.htm

About the necklace, the briolet is some kind of blue jade type material (again the mystery gemstones - I'm going to have to ask the bead store lady what the heck it is next time I'm there.) I made a squiggly with wire off which I hung the pendant, some turquoise howlite beads and 4mm Swarovski crystals. More cystals and turquoise howlite beads are hung along the chain.

I can't wait to read what message the Universe has for me tomorrow.

"It Don't Come Easy"

Dali
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

Well, I admired Laurie Mika's work incredibly before attempting a mosaic of my own, but after having done so, I have an even greater respect for her work. Unlike paper collages where you can always go over and add and remove elements to get the composition you like, mosaics take a lot of planning to get the right composition. I was happy with this one but let me tell you, it didn't come easily. Again, Laurie Mika rocks!

I was inspired by her wonderful book, Mixed Media Mosaics. It has fantastic exemplars of her work and it is jam packed with her awesome instructions and ideas. You have got to check out her book.

Mixed media mosaic tiles made from stamped and hand textured polymer clay and adorned with watch parts, beads, charms and colored using Perfect Pearls and acrylic metalic paints. The yellow tile in the right upper hand corner has a quote from Dali (though it did not show up so clearly on the photo) - it says, "The difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."

Funky and Weird

Funky Bracelet
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

The bracelet is funky-eclectic while the blistered freshwater pearls (on the otherwise traditional necklace) are weird. The bracelet was made with leather cord using a knotting technique to keep the glass and agate beads in place. I used a funky black ring and clasp and included a piece of industrial looking chain. I really love the big yellow bead. It's yellow agate (no, I didn't dumpster dive for the bead store tags I'd thrown out -- which left me not knowing what material my natural stone beads were -- these beads are new and I've starting labelling their respective baggies before I cut the beads from the strands.) This is how I know that the big red bead is red fire agate. I love the crackled look of them both.
These freshwater pearls are so weird! I couldn't resist getting them - what the heck happened to them, I don't know. I used smaller burgundy freshwater pearls (of a more normal shaped variety) and Swarovski crystals on this one.

I'm going to be working on some more artsy pieces soon. I've been on a kick with jewelry lately but I am going to be doing some more painting, collaging and assemblages in the coming days. I'm really excited to try some mosaic work. I've got the materials lined up and I'm gearing towards that.

Of note: I was so ecstatic today - I am going to be able to go on my vacation after all! I'm going to Hampton, Virgina to attend Art & Soul! Because of work concerns, for a while it seemed that I would not be able to go (double drat as I'd have lost the money I'd already paid for the non-refundable airplane tickets, hotel and classes.) I'm getting really hyped up about Art & Soul - imagine taking classes with Michael DeMeng, Claudine Helmuth, Traci Bunkers and more! Whoohoo! (Can you tell I'm excited?)

Wire Works Bracelet

Wire Works Bracelet
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

This bracelet was incredibly easy to make and took very little time to complete. It features many layers of different gauge wires in different colors wrapped over the natural and glass beads. The last layer of wire has several sizes and colors of Swarovski crystals which are woven throughout the bracelet. I finished it with a couple of Swarovski crystals at the ends. Just for fun, I coiled the copper wire before wrapping it. There is a little jump ring with more crystals at the end of the focal bead. This bracelet was my own interpretation of bracelets featured in an article in Belle Armoire Jewelry, Winter 2009.

Ode to Frida

Ode to Frida
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

To say that she was morbid is probably an understatement. Skulls and skeletons were a predominating theme in her paintings. Yet I cannot escape the fascination with her art and her life. I think some women artists identify with her for her strong personality in a male dominated society. She would not be relegated to the shadow of her artist husband but rather she would make the world take note of her own worth as a remarkable artist. So, a small ode to Frida.

The necklace has three strands, one with jasper chips, another of chain links, and the longest made of carved bone and seed beads along with some kind of agate (I guess ? Those darned discarded strand labels!) The picture of Frida was "laminated" with mica, pierced carefully, and thereafter a 24 gauge (very thin) wire run through the small holes to create the loops at the top and the bottom. I put the finished Frida pendant on a heavier bale to add some susbtance. As if she needed any more.

More Bracelets over the Weekend

Perhaps I should have preserved the tags that came on the strands of natural stones I recently bought from the bead store because... I am embarassed to say... I don't remember the names of any of them. Duh. Agate? Quartz something or other? Anyway, this one is made with memory wire and a wire clasp I made myself. It has purple glass seed beads, amethyst chips (the only reason I know this is because these came in a tube so it still has it's label - ha!) and freshwater pearls dyed purple.

This was an experiment in a technique from Margot Potter's book The Impatient Beader. It is an excellent book for learning jewelry basics and it's where I learned most of the basic techniques. I could not get the picture to show the technique so well but it entails exposing the beading wire around some of the beads. This one has some dichroic and regular glass beads with a small Swarovski crystal at the end of the chain.

The center part of this jingly-jangly bracelet uses a technique from a magazine (Beadwork's Jewelry Gifts for the Holidays, December 2008). The whole bracelet can be done using this technique which entails extensive use of seed beads. I just did a small section (in case it didn't work out though thankfully, it did.)

I also made a pair of very simple blue and clear crystal bead earrings for my aunt to match a necklace she has had for over 50 years! I wonder if the person that made that necklace so long ago would have imagined that 50 years later it would still be around and being worn to go out. I could only dream that something I made would someday be cherished that way.

Friday's Bracelets

I spent Friday after work making a couple of bracelets at my little home studio. These copper disks came off a roll at the fabric store - they were drilled at each side and linked with jump rings already. I think they may have been to make some funky beaded-type curtains or belts? I aged them with liver of sulphur. I added a brass washer with my favorite glue in the world (E6000) and then added a rhinestone cabochon in the middle. For the focal point, I attached a vintage date ring (a watch part) and a watch movement. In the watch movement, I added some gears and rhinestones for a little glitz.

Railroad Tag Bracelet
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

I'd been thinking about making an asymetrical bracelet and I got an idea when I came across this old brass railroad tag. The railroad tag already had one big hole drilled at the top. I drilled three smaller holes on the bottom. I love my Dremel tool! I used beading wire and crimps with a variety of glass beads and metal bead spacers. I used a short piece of chain and attached the wire clasps which I'd made myself(my first! - thanks to great instructions in A Charming Exchange by Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae.) The wire for the clasps was quite bright and liver of sulphur wasn't doing the trick so I used this new product that is like a black nail polish (but made specially for this purpose) and it worked really well.

That black polish/paint I'd purchased at a local bead store called Bead Need in Davie, Florida. I'd been dying to go there and finally I got a chance to do so. OMG! Every single kind of bead imaginable - the nicest surprise - the owner, Dee, is someone I used to work with a long time ago and whom I'd held in great esteem. It was so nice to reconnect with a wonderful person from the past.

Steampunk Bracelet

Steampunk Bracelet
Originally uploaded by art4mysanity

I love using things in an unexpected way. I had bought this clasp in the sewing section with no real purpose in mind. I wanted to use a mixture of materials in a bracelet to include soft and hard textures. I knew I wanted three sections so I started looking for a three tier spacer when I came across the big copper clasp again. I attached a length of leather to each end of the clasp with copper wire. A copper eyelet on each end of the velvet ribbon secures it to the clasp and the copper chain is attached with jump rings. Larger jump rings were used to attach the charms and there is a smaller jump ring attached to the chain to keep the large jump rings from shifting. The copper bezels are store bought. In them, I used polymer clay as a base and then attached vintage watch faces, gears and charms. Hard and soft elements.

Steampunk Experimentation

I love the gears and the metals of steampunk. I don't do too much of it so this past weekend I decided to do some more experimentation with the style. I made three necklaces including the one in the picture. The chain has brass washers and bolt nuts, gears and some other weird hardware store nuts (which did not take to liver of sulphur so I had to "age" them using a combination of Sharpies.) I wrapped some natural stone pebbles in wire and used some copper bead spacers and glass beads. The pendant is made of polymer clay which I textured using various found objects as stamps and embedded a watch movement and gears. I had also embedded some little metal loops I'd found in the sewing section from which I hung small copper bead spacers. Those little metal loops are are really used to close bras. Heehee. Inside the biggest gear, I glued a tiny little skull and crossbones charm.