AJE October Component of the Month Reveal

The components for our regular monthly challenge at AJE (Art Jewelry Elelments) this month were these lovely copper clay Ammonite cuffs by Kristi Bowman - Gruel...

 

This is the piece I got to work with - so beautifully detailed...

Because the cuffs are quite large and fairly weighty I felt the bracelet element needed some heft to it for balance so lampwork beads seemd the way to go. While rummaging for the right beads I came across some chunky sections of chain mail which I'd taken off another piece with a patina that was a perfect match for the focal.

 I wanted to use earthy tones to complement the ancient theme of the ammonites so picked out some gorgeous disc beads by Kaz Baildon with a stone coloured base with flashes of purples, teals and blues.

The structure of the bracelet is fairly simple with the beads wire wrapped to attach them to the chain and focal. To finish of I added one of my own bronze ammonites and some pretty Czech glass charms which pick out the colours in the lampwork beads perfectly.

And here you have the finished piece - quite subtle with Kristi's lovely focal as the very striking centrepiece.

 

To see what the rest of the team and out guest designers did with their components just click on the links below....

Guests

Kym Hunter Designs
MiShel Designs

AJE Team Members

Jennifer Cameron Glass Addictions
Lesley Watt Gossiping Goddess
Kristen Stevens My Bead Journey
Caroline Dewison Blueberri Beads
Jenny Davies-Reazor 
Melissa Meman
Rebekah Payne Tree Wing Studio
Francesca Watson
Kristi Bowman Design

 
Lesley

Mud Messing Round 2...

Yes - I've been messing with mud again...After the excitement of completing my first firing last week I couldn't wait to get back to it and play some more. I'm limited to working with low fire earthenware clay until my new kiln arrives so I decided to make up some quick pendants and play with some glazes a bit more. Most people would test their glazes before using them on real pieces but I get so exited seeing the end result I just got straight to it - I'll test more with the new kiln - honest I will! So then, this is the little assortment that came out of the kiln this morning...

I find it really interesting to see how the same glazes can vary from item to item and I'm assured by those in the know that there are no end of factors that can influence the firing outcome. I guess this would be really frustrating if I were trying to match the pieces of a dinner service but for beads I kind of like it...I'm something of a haphazard person and don't like to be too regimented in anything I do.

This little Physalis pendant was my first attempt at simple modelling, something I don't think I've done since I was a child and not in any big way even then. I do a fair amount of repetitive work with my other mediums so with clay I would like to spend a bit more time doing one off or small groups of work to keep it fresh. I've got a whole lot to learn about the basics before I start going down that road but that's the long term plan.

These two are staples of my Bronze Clay inventory and I wanted to see how they would translate to glazed clay. They're rather rustic and the owl does look a little dishevelled poor thing... that's down to my over-ambitious use of multiple glazes. I have to remember that they don't blend in the same way as metal patinas do but then again nothing ventured... He also seems to have been born with Heterochromia Iridum - different coloured eyes, but he shares that with David Bowie so that's no problem for me.

On these last two I used underglaze with no top coat of gloss - mainly because I forgot to order any but also because I just wanted to see what it did as I'm a big fan of matt or etched finishes. I think the fir cone might be better glossy but I really like the flower pendant and the effect created by wiping the glaze off the raised areas.

So whilst I may not be going about this in the most scientific manner I'm having a ball and I can't believe that it's only two weeks since a discussion with my AJE team mates sent me hurtling headlong down this path - thanks guys!

Now, I have bronze and silver work I have to get back to for a couple of days but I don't think it will be too long before I'm back with this again...especially since today was rather a good post day...

See you soon for more mud messing !

Lesley

Exciting Times...

Well here we are on a bright and sunny Autumn Saturday morning and I find myself with a little time to catch up with some blogging. My posts have been a bit few and far between of late for which I apologise...I have so much on my to do list at the moment it's hard to fit everything in but, I must try.

It's almost 4 months since I moved into the new studio and I can safely say getting that done has proved to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. It's just so liberating to have the space to work on different projects and in different mediums concurrently. I have a low boredom threshold so I'm much more productive when I have several things on the go and there is so much cross pollination that my head is buzzing with ideas. I'm even thinking of abandoning my note book and using one of the big blank walls for writing my ideas down...creative graffiti if you like!

My studio Manager Cleo at her work station...

 If you follow me on Facebook or the Art Jewelry Elements blog you might have seen my debut ceramic pieces earlier this week. I've wanted to have a go at this for ages but was limited by space and so I thought, a low temperature kiln. But my AJE team mates put me right on this and persuaded me to give it a go and I'm so glad I did - it's just so much fun and I'm completely hooked and now want to try so many things in this medium...

First firing of ceramic beads...

Because my kiln limits me to low fire clays I went a bit mad and splurged on a new higher temperature one that will allow me to work with porcelain and stoneware and so I've been told, get some really exciting glaze effects. Even better - it comes with an enameling collar so that's another technique I can do more with. Only problem is I have to wait 2 weeks for it to ship from the US which is going to drive me nuts!

Paragon Caldera A

I've also been doing a bit more traditional metalwork lately, practising my long neglected soldering skills and trying out some fold forming...

Fold formed earrings available in my ETSY shop

You'll probably have seen that I got myself set up for etching a few months ago too and that's also so much fun with so many possibilities.

Etched copper vintage illustration pendants

So what you may ask, am I going to do with all these new found skills. Well as I mentioned I get bored easily and need variety to keep me focused so I'd really like to do more original and one off work with less reliance on commercial tools. I will of course be continuing with my metal clay work but will be selling other mediums alongside it and am hoping to come up with some combined offerings too. And of course, I want this to feed through to my jewellery design...I've not done a lot of that lately either but it would great to have mixed media pieces with everything made by me.

Recent bronze component work...

It's very early days yet but I'm very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and I'm looking forward to having something to share with you here.

For now though I hope you have a great weekend in the offing with lots of creativity in the mix...

See you soon,

Lesley

Autumn Design Challenge Reveal

Welcome to the Autumn Design Challenge and Blog Hop hosted by myself and Caroline Dewison of Blueberri Beads. Today's participants will be showcasing designs made with a selection of THEA Elements and Blueberri Beads, beads and components that Caroline and I liberated from our own beads boxes and of course, we are playing along too.

So then, this is the set of Caroline's beads I kept for myself - a lovely chocolate brown puffy heart and co-ordinating beads in shades of pecan and pistachio...

 

I wanted to pull the heart pendant out of the group and find a bronze component to complement it and since the aim of the challenge was to use our older components I had to have a good rummage in my rather large collection that is a mish-mash of things that may be a bit flawed, a little bit fugly, experiments that didn't quite work first time around and quite frankly - some things that I have no idea as to why they are there!

I had a vague notion about doing something layered and in a single colour and eventually dug out a couple of text connectors I made way back last year and rejected because once oxidised, the text wasn't really clear enough against the textured background. It occurred to me that if I clean them up and just left the patina around the wording they might be OK... why I didn't think this at the time I don't know...maybe I did and just got distracted.

The text comes from one of my favourite poems "He wishes for the cloths of heaven" by W. B Yeats...

Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

This seemed an appropriate sentiment to combine with a heart so I cleaned one up and it did indeed come up sparkling so I attached it with linen cord so that it would act as a kind of bail. I made a beaded bronze chain with some gorgeous Czech glass beads that have a gorgeous matte bronze sheen (hard to see here but they look like rough Pyrite nougats) and finished it off with a bronze wire clasp and this is how it finished up...

I like the fact that it seems to feel quite delicate but at the same time has a sense of solidity...

So that left me with the set of beads...I was thinking that a bracelet was the way to go but I couldn't find any of my own pieces that seemed to work well for that. What I did find was a couple of last seasons leaf clasps that I thought I could maybe put to a new use. As one was green and the other orange I patinated them both in an antique bronze and strung them on waxed linen with the beads along with one of Caroline's birds and a matching bead I just happened to have in my art bead stash.

I had a hank of tiny aged seed beads that were a perfect colour match so I threaded strands of these through the clasps and plaited them together to create a loose rope. I finished off with brass bead caps and another bronze wire clasp.

The result is a lovely soft autumn hued necklace and I think the leaves look pretty good as connectors...

I had just two ceramic beads left which obviously meant the making of a pair of earrings...I found a couple of flat flower discs and dapped then into bead caps then and added a pair of dagger charms to hang from the bottom. Pretty simple but effective none the less...

So that's my offering and I hope you like the designs and will join me in visiting all the other participants using the links below... I can't wait to see what everyone's done. Many thanks to everyone who has taken part in this challenge and of course to Caroline for hosting with me and providing such lovely beads to work with.

 

Lesley Watt - http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.co.uk/

Caroline Dewison – http://blueberribeads.co.uk

Sue Rennie - http://moonandsevenstars.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/autumn-design-challenge.html

Gay Messander - http://gaysiemay.blogspot.co.uk/

Made By Jules - http://madebyjulesjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/

Heidi Post - http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.co.uk/

Janet Bocciardi - http://www.honeyfromthebee.com/

Alice - http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com

Dolores Raml - http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com

Lucy Haslam - http://faerystone.blogspot.co.uk/

Pine Ridge treasures - http://www.gratefulartist.blogspot.com

Shirley Moore - http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com

Tracy Collins - http://travelsintimedesigns.blogspot.co.uk

Melissa Trudinger – http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/

Mags - http://magsinhelmet.blogspot.com

Pepita - http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.co.uk/

Jo-Ann - http://itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.com

Toltec Jewels - http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com

Judith Johnston – http://www.judith-johnston.com/blog

Janine Lucas – http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories

Madeline Bunyan – http://madelinebunyan.wordpress.com/

Chic and frog – http://www.chicandfrog.wordpress.com

Lesley

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AJE Component of the Month Reveal - September

Time for another little tour around the blogs of the AJE team members and guests to see what they've done with this months component - my own bursting seed pods...

Well the first thing you'll notice is that the component I've used isn't one of the colourful ones pictured here. When I made these I had an idea in my head for using two caps to create some sort of collar necklace but, by the time I got around to making it much later things had changed. I'd been busy making new autumn stock for the shop and fallen in love with a chunky pine cone pendant which was demanding to be used.

 Part of the attraction of this piece was the natural kiln produced patina and I decided the pod needed to match and so my design was driven towards a very earthy and muted (even for me) palette. I used the pod to cap a ceramic bead from AJE team mate Diana and attached this to the pine cone to create a focal pendant.

I mixed some more of Diana's beads with some carved ebony beads that I have a passion for and accented them with tiny brass spacers that echo the texture of the pine cone. On one side I added one of my bronze acorn caps and on the other one of LeAnn Weih's gorgeous ceramic birds. The beads are strung on waxed linen attached to a couple of textured bronze ring connectors. and finished with a hand forged bronze wire clasp.

I was thinking of using some sari silk at the back but whilst I was rummaging I came across this lovely printed cotton ribbon from Smitten Beads and it was such a perfect match I decided to go with that instead - I really like the folksy feel it gives. I used a double thickness and a simple capped rivet to join the ends on the underside at the back.

And this is the finished design...

Since the Beatles song 'Norwegian Wood' just happened to come on the radio as I was finishing the piece I took it as a sign and decided to make that the name.

I hope you like my design - looking back on the past few COM's I have noticed a certain similarity in my designs so I'll have to try and shake it up a bit next time...but I'm happy with this one.

To see what everyone else has done with their components just use the links below to visit their blogs:

Guest designers:
Erin Prais-Hintz - Tesori Trovati
Cate - Fulgorine
Claire Lockwood - Something To Do With Your Hands

AJE team

Jennifer Cameron

Kristen Stevens

Jenny Davies-Reazor
Francesca Watson
Melissa Meman
Linda Landig
Susan Kennedy
Rebekah Payne
Caroline Dewison
Lesley Watt                 You are here!

Have fun!

Lesley

And the Winners are...

  

Many thanks to everyone for another great response to the giveaway and I'm delighted to announce that the winners are:

Bronze components - CLAIRE of OBSTINATE PURSUIT

Earrings - LINDA LANDIG

Congratulations ladies - I will be on touch shortly.

Commiserations to the rest of you and better luck next time as I'm pretty sure there will be a next time!

Lesley

Another Milestone and a Giveaway...

2013 has been a pretty good year for me so far and I'm delighted to be able to celebrate the fact that THEA Elements has now passed the 2000 sales mark in just a little over 18 months. I'm gobsmacked by this and I've said it before and will continue to say I am immensely grateful to everyone who has supported and encouraged me throughout this period. So in the time honoured tradition I'm having a giveaway to say thank you. Since I'm celebrating 2 thousand sales there 2 prizes up for grabs...

First up  is a little collection of my bronze components with a bit of an autumnal feel. There is a  lovely sea urchin pendant that's been enameled with glass frit, a leaf skeleton clasp, a pair of maple leaf headpins and a pair of bronze scroll ear wires by made by the lovely Lisa Quinn...Think you could do something with these...?

The second prize is a pair of my wire macrame earrings featuring lovely etched lampwork beads by Sue Priest, accented with Czech glass and oxidised copper wire and hung from hypo-allergenic Niobium ear wire. I love the soft muted colours of and have called them 'After the Rain'.

So, two lucky people will walk away with one of these prizes each and it could be you because all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. But there are are lots of ways you can increase your chances of winning too... Do any of the following and leave an additional comment each time and you will get an extra entry for each one:

• Share this giveaway on your own blog.
• Share this giveaway on your Facebook pages, Google+, Twitter etc.
• Become a new follower of 'The Gossiping Goddess' - see sidebar.
• Become a follower of my Facebook page.
• Follow me on Pinterest
• Like my Etsy shops THEA jewellery and THEA Elements.
• Anything else of you can think of to spread the word.

Don't forget to leave a separate comment for each method to maximise your chances though!

The giveaway will close at 8am BST (UK time) on Wednesday 25th September 2013 and I will randomly select and announce the winners later in the day.

So all that remains is for me to once again say a huge thank you to everyone who has made 2013 such a great year so far and long may it continue...oh - and good luck with the giveaway!

Lesley