New Singular OOAK Piece

I love this time of year where the ground is covered in a smattering of autumnal hues after the leaves have danced from their limbs and the morning dew so prominent, everything around us appears to twinkle.  The garden is slowing down as we head into the early part of winter and the brisk mornings make getting out of bed that little bit harder.  We're having to start a fire as soon as we get home as the daylight promptly turns to night with the chill seeping in through the large amount of glass windows.  This time of year, my most favourite part of the evening is when all around us quietens and all is finally done for the night.  We sit down for a brief time before bed in front of the fire, winding down with our cat at my feet whilst I weave.  I've slowly been working on some weaving - a project I had started before we moved house which will be a year ago in a couple of weeks.  I look forward to sharing it with you once the fabric is complete.  I find weaving to be something which allows me to shut off my busy mind once the loom has been warped and each thread is deliberately pulled and beaten in place to create straps, which are then hand sewn together, emitting the true essence of handmade.  It's an enormous task, but one which I enjoy immensely all cosy mosy in front of the fire.  

Studio time has been quite limited as we've been getting home quite late over the past few weeks.  I've very slowly been able to work on a piece, again embodying my love of nature in my artistic statement type style.  I made the callistemon flower bead awhile back.  Creating the cup part where the stamens normally grow from was a lesson of supreme patience as I would tend to squish a few.  It was inspired by the Australian native callistemon for its silky stamens in deep, rich and vibrant colours, for its nectar-filled cups attracting Wattle birds and New Hollands to feed upon, for the beauty of its seed pods and ever changing foliage.  This bead in turn inspired this piece "Nature's Way - 2".  

I used my handpainted focal bead to represent the Callistemon flower pod; handmade beaded leaves to represent the ever changing leaf colour in Autumn; a Tagua nut, wood and ceramics as earth elements; and Dupioni silk to represent the fact that the plant looks rough from afar, but the foliage and flowers are silken to the touch.  All components are bound together by my favourite vintage bronze wire and measures 52cms around the neck, with the pendant being a further 15cms.  

Wishing you a great week ahead!

New Singular OOAK Piece

Wow, what a wonderfully productive weekend!  I love the weekends where stuff gets done, with time to play and socialise, and great quality sleep thrown into the mix.  It gives me that energised jumpstart to the new week ahead.

On Saturday, after getting all the household and business to-dos out of the way, I spent the afternoon cleaning the studio whilst figuring out what to work on next.  I was feeling spritely so I put on the Bob Marley "One Love" tour and an hour and a half later, this is what happened:

New swing tags for pieces I've recently completed using my handcarved stamps ...

... unpacked and hung all my pieces ....

... and finished this new lovely - yet to be named:

This piece features my handpainted polymer clay stick and wire pendant, my cocoon connector using a gorgeous Vintage Rose coloured lace, Czech Glass, Mykonos ceramics, silk ribbon, The Spacer Queen lampwork and a beautifully flashy labradorite.  

Am not sure what I'm going to work on next.  I'm itching to get my paints out and also finish off a piece of wall art I've been working on so I may have something different to share in my next post.  I hope you're enjoying seeing what I'm working on, as much as I am creating them.

Have a wonderful week!

New Singular OOAK Piece

You know Murphy's Law when you don't have time to create but the muse decides to go bananas and throw a bunch of ideas at you?  Well such is the case with this new piece.  Last year, during our busiest time for work, my muse decided that enough was enough and send me into a tail spin.  I sketched furiously out my designs and set it aside. Then I pulled out beads I wished to use, made notes and bagged it all up for a "free" day.  

Um ... so 11 months later, whilst in the process of forcing myself to work through my piles of unfinished projects, I set about working on this new piece.  Let me tell you ... I have ummed and ahhed my way through the whole 9 days it took me to complete it.  It certainly didn't come together as easily as my last two :(

Here's a snapshot of the pendant:

Top to bottom - altered brass bullet casing, my own enamelled round, my handmade faux wooden polymer clay connector and a delicious array of dangles including Scorched Earth's intoxicating "Galaxy" porcelain drop, fibre, brass, stone, bone, wood, and kyanite. 

I was loving the vibe and I knew what it meant for me, but I was stumped as to what to call it.  It didn't fit within my other series and I knew it was to be a stand alone piece.  So I put out a post on my Instagram and Facebook pages asking for some help.  I had a few wonderful responses that sounded like they would suit, but still didn't fit with my initial "vibe" of the piece.  I'm so grateful for those comments as they steered me in the right direction.

After chatting with a friend about my stumpedness, and putting the suggested names passed him, he asked me what the piece meant for me, specifically the bullet casing as I've never used this type of material before.  I couldn't answer him directly as I was unsure why I was drawn to it as guns and bullets make me terribly uncomfortable.  Through our conversation, I discussed with him my longing for how it used to be.  Meaning the importance of handmade and how we, as a society, these days, have a "right now" mindset.  Let me explain ...

Whatever we want is at our fingertips.  For example, you've plans on a Saturday night and, as life is so busy, you only decide Friday night what to wear.  You don't have that piece of jewellery that's just right so you go down to the likes of Diva and pick yourself up a cheap, mass produced piece that suits ... for right now. Our need is satisfied instantly.  Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.  It's convenient.  And often gets you out of a spot.  But ... for me ... I find this sad.  My old soul yearns for times where the jeweller would spend many months making a piece using his/her own hands and simple tools and that piece would be handed down through generations and still hold meaning. And still be important.  Not just junk.

So ... we arrived at "The Death of Handmade".  It sounds depressing but the intention isn't so but to just raise the awareness of how important it is to support handmade.  It's more than just the tangible item you're buying.  You're also getting the love the artist has for what they do; their energy and something of meaning which, in my opinion, is priceless.

Here she is hanging:

... and a completed view:

Enjoy your week :)

Available - Singular One of a Kind Pieces

These pieces are ones that had their own story and which weren't styled for a particular series.  New pieces will be added from time to time.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions.  Combined shipping is also available.

AUTUMN BREEZE

Length: 36 cms from base of neck to bottom of pendant

Style: Clasp

Materials Used: Moonstone, Yellow and Poppy Jasper, Vintaj leaf charm, Irish waxed linen, Czech and Toho seed beads, Czech glass, lampwork, animal bone, brass findings

Price: $AUD30

Postage: 

Within Australia (up to 500 grams) -

Standard: $8.25

Express Post: $10.55

International -

Postage is calculated based on location.  Please PM me for a quote.

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NATURE'S WAY

Length: 41 cms from base of neck to bottom of pendant

Style: Clasp

Materials Used: Artisan Highly Strung handmade beaded leaves and enamelled bead, Raintree wood bead, Czech glass, Czech and Toho seed beads, Vintage Bronze wire, brass findings

Price: $AUD40

Postage: 

Within Australia (up to 500 grams) -

Standard: $8.25

Express Post: $10.55

International -

Postage is calculated based on location.  Please PM me for a quote.

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SUNGAZING SOFTLY

Length: 34 cms from base of neck to bottom of pendant

Style: Clasp

Materials Used: Artisan Highly Strung handmade polymer clay connector and cocoon beads, Czech, Toho and peanut seed beads, Mykonos Greek ceramics and castings, Czech glass, animal bone, Vintage Bronze wire, brass findings

Price: $AUD35

Postage: 

Within Australia (up to 500 grams) -

Standard: $8.25

Express Post: $10.55

International -

Postage is calculated based on location.  Please PM me for a quote.

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Please PM me on my Facebook page or send me an email to highlystrung0@gmail.com should you wish to make an enquiry or an order :)