More Leather

Here are two more leather bracelets/bangles I've made. The cuff is more upcycled leather from a rifle strap. It already had the holes that I laced some pink leather cord through. I love the combo of brown and pink and the pink bead clasp.

The bangle is pink leather cord and a neutral leather cord with copper crimps I made from some copper tubing. This one was fun and easy. I need to do more color combinations of this.

I'm BAAAAAAAaaaaaack

Okay. No long explanation as to where I've been. That's way too deep a subject for this blog. That requires multiple long sessions with my therapist (which I've had by the way, thank you Lisa). Anyway, I want to start blogging again. So here goes.

Since we last spoke I've been inspired by some new elements. Leather for one. And paracord.

First leather.

I made this from a belt of my late husbands and some upcycled lace from one of my old undergarments. This will have to stay mine. It's way to intimate to sell or give away. I got this mother of pearl looking bead in a bead swap. I added the metal element to it a long time ago and then it just sat there until I got the inspiration for this cuff bracelet. I really love this for obvious sentimental reasons but I have gotten lots of compliments on it from others as well. I can pretty much wear it with anything. It has a cool button closure on the back. Sorry. Didn't get a picture of that. Anyway. Here it is!!

Love to know what you think. And tell me what new inspiration you have discovered lately.

Second Saturday State of Your Studio Blog Tour

Wow. It's already the second saturday in April?? Check out the Beads of Clay Second Saturday State of Your Studio to get into the studios and into the minds of some pretty creative people. The state of my studio is kind of like the state of my mind right now. Kind of chaotic. Everything halfway done. Half assed is one of my favorite terms, sorry. I'm moving my studio AGAIN. Long story. On the up side, moving really forces you to pare down, throw out, LOOK at what you have and what you need.

I like change. I've always been pretty open to change. I think I must have some Bohemian in my background somewhere. I love it when the weather changes. I love watching little children learn and grow and change. That saddens some people to see their little ones grow but I think it's fascinating. I actually like moving. It's an opportunity to redecorate, rearrange, repurpose. Still some changes are very very difficult but it really helps to think of them as part of a whole Circle of Life kind of thing. Everything has a reason, a purpose. I didn't know where this post was going when I started it. Now I do. Kind of random. But hey, like I said, that's kind of the way my mind is right now.

April Art Bead Scene Blog Challenge

I love doing the Art Bead Scene Blog Monthly Challenges. They come up with such interesting pieces of art for the inspiration. Here is this month's inspiration piece.

Finches and Bamboo, Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)

Emperor Huizong (1082–1135, r. 1101–1125) Chinese

Handscroll; ink and color on silk; 11 x 18 in. (27.9 x 45.7 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

John M. Crawford, Jr. Collection, Purchase, Douglas Dillon Gift, 1981

My first thought was there wasn't alot to this. Not alot to draw inspiration from. But I loved those little green bamboo leaves and I was actually drawn to the bottom right corner and thought that would make a cool bracelet shape. I had some wood and other natural material bead in different sizes and shapes that I put together. I also had some silk ribbon in the color of the bamboo leaves. The inspiration piece was done on silk so I thought that was a nice touch. I used my own ceramic bamboo colored leaf pendant as a focal for the bracelet. I think it's cool and funky and fun. I was going to add a little bird charm but I try to keep myself from interpreting these too literally so I left that off. What do you think?

Bead Table Wednesday

It's Bead Table Wednesday. On my bead table are two necklaces I put together in honor of Spring. I had a little box of beads from Mary Harding that I received in a swap quite a while back. That little box has been sitting in my swap drawer. I have always been mesmerized by the color combo and knew I wanted to use them together. I got this Wildflower Heart Pendant from Mary and a colorful assortment of beads. Red, bright apple green, a yummy little dark lavendar bead, and the prettiest blue beads, all Mary's ceramic beads. I know I've looked at that box about 700 times literally but then one day I look at it again, and a design is born. I think it was those little orange glass bows that I picked up somewhere that perfectly matched the color of the wildflowers in Mary's pendant that brought the whole color scheme together for me. Plus I had some green silk ribbon with unfinished edges that went so well with the green beads. I added my pink ceramic beads and some copper findings and I absolutely love this necklace. I'm wearing it today to a March Birthday Lunch with my pottery group with a lavendar cardigan. Gorgeous. Thanks Mary!!

I was still in the Spring mood and I put this bright little number together. It's lovely too. I might have to deal with all the threads in my unfinished edge silk ribbon, though.  I like the look but not sure everyone else will.

Happy Beading. Happy Spring.

Three Beautiful Things

I love this blog. Every day she writes about Three Beautiful Things that have brought her pleasure. They are simple things. So here goes mine:

1. It's pottery day. I get together with my pottery group on Fridays. Good work and good therapy.

2. I get to go see my table today. A young friend is crafting a table for me using some metalwork that came off of my grandmother's house after she died.

3. Dark Chocolate Truffles. I had a dark chocolate truffle this morning with my coffee that I had saved from last night's dessert. mmmmmmmm

Emotions in Earth Project - The Form

At Beads of Clay we are doing a year long project called Emotions in Earth. The goal is to make some form of body adornment. It does not have to be classic jewelry or even have to be wearable but it should reflect your emotions, your life, and of course should be made of fired clay. I have a friend who does ceremonial face masks for people. She makes a mask of your face with the same stuff they make casts out of. Then you cover it with plaster of paris and decorate it to reflect your feelings. I had been trying to get together with her to do my face mask for some time. But when I started thinking about my Emotions in Earth project, I realized I also needed a form for my project so I had her do that for me at the same time. Here she is getting ready for the ceremony.

And here I am, after being covered in this material. It was actually quite soothing. It doesn't take long to dry but you have to stay perfectly still while it dries. So very relaxing. Looks pretty eery. 

So for my Emotions in Earth project I had decided I wanted to make some sort of breastplate. I think because of its proximity to the heart where your emotions lie. I love the way this form turned out. After I finish with it as a form, I think I'll hang it in my studio. I just love the way it looks.

And here is my face mask. Willette says the first thing she does with the mask when she removes it from the person is hold it in her hands face down and give it to the person in their hands, face down so they are holding their face. Then she has them turn it over. Some people are kind of freaked out by holding their face. Some people will give it right back to her feeling uneasy about holding it themselves. And some people don't like looking at their face. It's not like looking in a mirror. Something about the 3D image doesn't hide anything. People don't really recognize themselves that way. I thought it was all very cool. It's very weird looking at your own face that way. Almost like what I imagine it would be like to have an out of body experience and see yourself for the first time.

So this is the beginning of my project, Emotions in Earth. I am very excited about this project and now that I have my form, I'm ready to get started. Stay tuned....