What a happy time this has been, creating beautiful things from a kit filled with new and interesting supplies! Lisa never ceases to amaze and inspire me to grow in my abilities through her blog hops. I challenge myself to try new techniques and color combinations that I normally would not gravitate to and integrate them into a cohesive style. This year my personal challenge was to add wire~working to my repertoire and I so enjoyed incorporating that skill in these pieces. Thank you Lisa for being such a huge source of artistic inspiration for me. Enjoy my collection ~ the birds and the bees!!!
Will wonders ever cease??? I remembered to take this picture of the incredible kit Lisa send me for this event. My first thoughts were, "Oh my God! What could I ever do with all of this?" These thoughts were quickly followed by one of my new creative habits . . . sketching ideas. I have rarely gone through this step since I started on this creative journey, but it is fast becoming one of my favorite parts of the process!
My first piece was inspired by the gorgeous multi~strand bracelets that I admire so much in the Facebook jewelry groups I am a part of. I used the bird focal and the blue and yellow beads from the kit, adding only wire and the green crystals for the branch.
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| love birds
My song birds bracelet uses my kit's green sea glass rounds wired onto strands of beaded wire and closes with the beautiful toggle clasp from the kit. Two tiny copper birds grace the clasp area.
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| song birds And, of course, as a newly certified beekeeper I needed to include my little fuzzy friends in this collection. These tiny brass bumble bees are set against the honey colored sea glass to create these simple yet stunning earrings. |
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| humble bumbles |
This sweet little necklace was not in my original sketched ideas, but when I found the bird piece in my stash and had enough of the yellow polished crystals left from the kit, it just begged to be included. I wire~wrapped the crystals onto the focal piece and added a lovely, hand forged beaded wire chain to create a namesake for this blog hop!
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| sunny day |
My final piece is another "bee" piece and makes me so happy which of course inspired the name! I have worked hard to be able to make consistently accurate and beautiful spirals and can finally see the progress I have made in my work. I was excited to find that the free~formed green sea glass actually could fit together like puzzle pieces if I measured and crafted accurately.. I used raw copper wire exclusively in this piece . . . 16g for the focal piece and 18g for the beautiful hand forged chain.
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| beeing happy |
That is all from me for this epic blog hop . . . the morning clouds have cleared and I am going outside to enjoy the gift of this beautiful sunny day! Thanks again Lisa for all the gifts you bring to our creative lives and to all my fellow artists for their beautiful work and spirit! Please visit all the sites below and enjoy!!!
Your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Stephanie McGinley, TBDCarolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations
Adding the birds and the bees to the theme was a genius idea! The last necklace is my favorite. Or maybe the first bracelet. Oh what the heck I love them all.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris all of your designs are beautiful. Kudos on the wirework. The two bee pieces are my favorites.
ReplyDeleteEspecially creative and well executed!
ReplyDeleteI love how you added the bees in, they fit in perfectly with the theme. Lovely pieces!!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, congrats on your certification! What a beautiful way to celebrate it.
ReplyDeleteAs always, your designs are beautiful! You have a knack for putting together collections. Your 'Beeing Happy' necklace is incredible. I would never have the patience to get it all lined up.