Sunday 10 January 2016

Re-birth of the Sun - design Challenge Reveal


It seems like an awfully long time since I launched this winter AJE design challenge and I have to say I would like nothing more than to see some sustained sun right now...  so far winter in the UK has be unrelentingly grey and wet! But never mind - a blog hop of designs with a sun theme is a pretty good substitute and if you missed the original post you can find it here.

I have to admit that although this theme was my choice it did give me something of a challenge in that I struggle to work with yellows...a bit of a hinderance when it come to the sun. The first thing I did was make some ceramic pendants to put in my shop and made myself break out some yellows and golds for the glazes. Although though I didn't use any of these in my own design there may be one or too appearing in the blog hop.


For my next design I turned to bead embroidery - my favourite past-time of the moment  to create this brooch. I used one of my own cabochons featuring the spiral symbol often associated with the sun, accented with beads in shades of gold and bronze and with a picot edging to give the effect of sun rays.


Next up is a pair of earrings featuring a tribal sun design which I've etched into hand cut and domed copper discs. The beaded drops feature faceted Citrine and Labradorite beads - simple but pretty.



For my final piece I wanted something a bit more substantial so I decided to make a necklace using a technique I learnt from Jenny Davies-Reazor which combines a cold set bezel and polymer clay. The focal of this piece features one of my own porcelain face charms set in a bezel formed from two Vintaj flower blanks. The bezel is attached to a textured polymer clay pendant which has been painted with acrylic and sanded back to create the effect of sky, clouds and the sun's aura.


Because the focal is quite detailed I wanted to stay fairly simple with the necklace so I chose to go with inky blue/purple pearls interspersed with gold seed beads to pick up the hues in the pendant. Little brass sun discs add accents at each end of the necklace.


A crescent moon cut from sheet bronze and a Hematite star charm hanging beneath the sun signify it returning to the dominant position and another star charm hanging from the end of an extension chain completes the piece. It took me a while to get this one the way I wanted it but I'm really pleased with how it turned out in the end.


Please excuse the less than brilliant photo's - I like to take them in natural light and it's been in very short supply of late! I'd just like to thank everyone who has taken part in this challenge and I hope you now join me in visiting the rest of the participants to see what they've created - just click on the links below.

Guest Designers

AJE Team
Lindsay Starr

Lesley

17 comments:

  1. Love your inspired designs Lesley especially the last one x

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  2. Oh that necklace is gorgeous! And I did find it hard to pick out one of those pendants of yours for my piece, so many to choose from and all gorgeous!

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  3. What wonderful pieces! I love the earrings that you made. Your sun components are so well done. You made a great necklace with your sun focal. Thanks for putting together this wonderful challenge!

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  4. Stunning designs Lesley, from the components to the finished pieces. I particularly love the brooch, your colour choices are wonderful, you should do yellow more often :) Thanks for a brilliant challenge, it's been fun!

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  5. I'm glad you forced yourself to use some yellows for those ceramic components. I think they're brilliant and quite enjoyed working with mine. (I still have the bronze version in my tray, waiting for inspiration.) Your bead embroidery is wonderful. Your final necklace is a showstopper design, yet still very wearable. I'm a sucker for copper and rustic, so the etched earrings are my favorite. You got such an amazing rich patina on them. Thanks for a great challenge theme, and fun components to work with.

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  6. So yes, everything you make is awesome! that beaded piece is fantastic, the earrings are perfect and I have no idea how you get such great ideas for your necklaces! Your creativity amazes me!

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  7. These are all fab! Can't tell it was a challenge at ALL.

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  8. All of the pieces are beautiful, but I really love your sun pendant.

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  9. Oh wow, I wish I had known about this one -- the pieces are amazing!

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  10. Wow - each of your pieces is stunning. I am serious love with your etched earrings.

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  11. They're all so lovely, Lesley! I am particularly drawn to the bead embroidery piece with the cab - great use of pattern and color.

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  12. Oh my! Lesley, firstly thank you for such an inspiring theme! Secondly, oh wow you got a lot done! Your brooch is just wonderful I love how you used the picot edging to give the effect of sun rays, it really works so well! Your copper etched earrings are fantastic, I really love the look of etched metal but have yet to try it! And you last piece oh Wow, stunning design! I love that every single element of the necklace goes together so very perfectly!!! Just a stunning piece!

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  13. Stunning jewellery, love all the pieces and the colours you chose to use. Inspiring as ever. I especially love the necklace. Lyn x

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  14. Oh! Those etched earrings! I love etching, and don't do enough. You inspire me! I LOVE the polymer/MM piece. You really were very inspired and prolific! Happy New Year!

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  15. This is absolutely wonderful sunny theme! Necklaces and earrings are gorgeous! My friend http://jessicamcneil.co.uk loves jewelry like this, so I will share this post with her.

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  16. So, so, so impressive! I've really enjoyed looking at all the entries. What a wonderful, inspiring idea you had, Lesley!

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  17. I absolutely LOVE this necklace. Your work is beautiful. I love the balance between all the colors of the pendant the beads and the findings. Very classy and unique.

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