Tuesday 30 September 2014

AJE Component of the Month - September Reveal....

Almost October already - how can that be? It seems like only yesterday I was planning my summer holidays and here we are charging headlong into autumn. So it is that I welcome you to another reveal for the AJE Component of the month challenge ( full details here) this month featuring these lovely copper pieces from Kristi Bowman which she calls goddess vessels.


The component I chose to work with was the white copper piece in the centre of the top row and I have to admit it did give cause me some headaches trying to come up with a design. For some reason I struggled for a while to find beads in a shape or colour that I felt worked well and then when I did find something I liked for a bracelet I didn't have enough beads to do what I wanted to - argh! At one point I got quite quite stroppy, shut the door on the studio and went off to sulk.

But then 10 minutes later an idea popped into my brain to make some chain links that mirrored the shape of the focal and after playing around for a bit I hit on something I liked using steel wire. So all I had to do was find some beads to go with them and there they were sitting on my bead table - a new delivery of Czech glass flowers from Buttoned Up Beads Extra. The lovely blue of the beads went really well with the colour of the metal  and the result of the combination is this necklace called 'Blue Steel"


It has quite a minimalist urban feel which I love... the strong  contrast of the two colours and the way the flowers, despite being very cool in colour add a certain softness appeals to me.


I played around with the positioning of the beads for a while, in the end opting for an asymmetrical format. The piece is finished with black brass chain and the focal is embellished with a little crystal and silver charm to balance the asymmetry.


I'm pretty happy with how this turned out in the end and it just goes to show that it pays to take a break when your muse isn't playing ball.

 

Thanks to Kristi for providing this months challenge and to you for visiting this post today - please now join me in seeing what the rest of the AJE team and our guest have made with their components using the links below.

Lesley

Guests


AJE Team Members

Jenny Davies-Reazor
Sue Kennedy

25 comments:

  1. Really beautiful design and the beads are lovely!

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  2. Gorgeous design,and wow the wire work is fabulous,love those urns xx

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  3. That made me giggle, I can just imagine you having a strop at it! It was worth it though, your final design is stunning. I love the industrial feel, but it's delicate and pretty too!

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  4. Fantastic and primitive, beads are lovely too, I like them very much.

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  5. Love the cool ancient/modern vibe, Lesley :)

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  6. This necklace is very beautiful. I love the combination of blue and copper and the wonderful links you made.

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  7. STUNNING!!! I love the asymmetry and your chain is fab! I love how it takes the shape of the component. Sorry you had to walk away from it for awhile but that's how it goes sometimes isn't it. Thank you so much for playing! Beautiful work as always!!

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  8. This is a real stunner - I love the links you came up with and the blue is perfect. Love, love, love!

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  9. I quite like the chain that you made. It mimics the urn shape of the focal perfectly! And I love also how it is not symmetrical but perfectly balanced. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  10. Hi Lesley, your necklace is lovely. I really like the wire links that you can up with. They compliment the focal well. As does the blue beads.

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  11. Those vessel shaped links are crazy good.

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  12. WOW! I love how it all turned out. I hate when my muse doesn't play proper but some how stepping away always helps. The chain you made is perfection with the focal and the blue flowers at just the right touches.

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  13. Love how you reflected the goddess form in your chain links. Simply stunning design.

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  14. What a sweet necklace! I love the blue flowers and the asymmetrical placement!

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  15. Thank goodness for your sulk because the wire links are sensational!
    What a perfect necklace.

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  16. Can I just borrow your muse for a while? You always come up with the best ideas! Love the idea of mimicking the shape, that set the tone for the whole piece. And I was seriously giggling thinking of you stomping off to sulk! :)

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  17. Wow, love the links you made! And the blue is great with the pendant! Love it!

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  18. Brilliant. I want to make chain all the time now. We have a good give and take going here. Your chain on the mixed media amulet inspired my CoM chain. Now you have more chain, I want to make more chain... Sorry. I digress. The necklace is lovely! I like the openness. The size of the links plays to the pendants scale, bit the negative space keeps it light visually.

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  19. What a beautiful necklace! It really has a great feel and would be perfect for an Urban Shaman.

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  20. I'm amazed with the chain links you made! And I also love the gentle asymmetry you achieved. Lovely work!

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  21. Oh my gosh, Lesley, this is gorgeous! I am constantly amazed at your creativity. The links are perfect, the pops of color, the arrangement - everything. Love it.

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  22. What a bright idea to make the chain echo the shape of the pendant. The flowers are just the right softening touch. I like this necklace a lot!

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  23. Okay girl that chain is AMAZING! I love how it echos the shape of the pendant and I think this is a piece I will covet for quite a while!!!!!

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  24. Those chain links are absolutely perfect!

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