New Material, New Ideas, New pieces

Remember me telling you that the farm where I get my organic produce opened up a couple weeks ago? I guess that helped to jump start me after a long winter. A winter I thought I'd be really able to be making a lot of things with all the texture plates and molds I'd taken over the course of last summer and fall. But it was not to be. Other things got in the way. Things I thought I should be doing and things that helped everyone but myself. It took it's toll on my health and well being and I was barely making a handful of new things per month. Recently I've had a relapse in my health and have decided that in order to be able to do what I want and what I need I have to learn to stop apologizing for not being able to do everything and volunteering and just say no. This is very hard for a classic INFJ to do, this group isn't called the Nurturers or Protectors for nothing. But I have to learn first to protect myself and nurture my innermost being first else I am no good to myself or anyone else. As it is I haven't even been able to go out to the farm yet, hopefully this week that will change.

So without boring you, my dear reader with any more of this, I have just decided to stay away this past week or so from places and people that bring negativity into my life and who squelch my creativity until it can hardly raise its head. It's taken me a bit to recover, especially since this affects my heart from over stress and anxiety and instead of it pushing any further and possibly giving me a heart attack or stroke, I have chosen self preservation. :) And in this time of healing (much bed rest) I have been able to actually make some things, fill some commissions and basically get my schedule back to normal again. I'd like to show you some completed pieces and one which is in the prototype stage.

First is this 'coin' necklace, which is made from various hand mixed shades of greens and copper clay and finished in various mediums. Then all joined together with bronzed findings. In the pictures it is attached to a bronze chain but the final produce will incorporate a gun metal lava stone which I think will harmonize with the 'coins' well and repeat the circular theme. As you can see by the two pictures, it is reversible, so even if flipped while wearing the viewer will always have something to enjoy looking at. I have stamped Aux Fine Herbes on the central focal bead, and even though these are not the classic mixture called generally aux fine herbes I thought it was an appropriate title. ( NOTE: you can click on the pictures to get a larger view if you'd like).

Then I have finally finished a retro Black and White Checkered set I started a few weeks ago. Making the squares was a bit difficult as I wanted the tiles to go all the way through and there to always be a black touching white. But once sculpted and baked I was not sure how to put them together. I choose to use some black and white eyelets to finish the holes but didn't want to use a black or white ribbon or cording, I wanted that retro 50's look. After going through my boxes and boxes of findings, I came across this ball key chain, I had purchased them in sizes from very large to very fine. I knew the pendant would work ok with this but was not sure how it would work with the earrings, but I figured it out! I think they came out great, and as one who loves black and white ( as I sit her typing under my zebra shaded lamp with my Dalmatian lying behind me ;) ) I can tell you it looks pretty fine! Very bold, graphic and nostalgic at the same time, but timeless all the same. I hope I get a chance to revisit this theme again, and will be putting this today into my Polka Dot Sandals shop if I can part with it!

One other thing I'd like to share with you is what I did with the set of beads I received from the Bead Swap I participated in with my etsy guild. These green jade beads were made by Jill Palumbo. She is a French and Japanese HS teacher and I asked her to carve something in Japanese into what ever she was making me, (she asked me what I'd like, not knowing we were to keep it secret until sending them, but I was happy to have the chance to get something very unique from this lady who is very versatile with her clay!). So I pondered it a bit, knowing that I would not have this chance again and choose to have the first seven words in the Torah inscribed in Japanese on them. I think she did a wonderful job carving them (she told me she hadn't ventured into this avenue of experimentation with Polymer clay yet and was happy for the chance to give it a try!).

I had no idea what the beads would look like and waited in anticipation for them to arrive. When they did I was thrilled! They were done in a very realistic Jade, carved on one side, Genesis 1:1 and embedded with a flower and butterfly cane on the other. I studied them for awhile wondering how to string these. They are quite large, the center one being about 2", but after looking through my bead collection I think I found the perfect match. I strung these on a steel cable for strength and can't wait to wear them out somewhere! Thank you Jill for such beautiful beads, I will treasure them always!

She tells me that they read from left to right and from top to bottom and basically translated:

When there was yet nothing, God created Heaven and Earth.

Pretty Cool, I think!

3409