CWJs...'Year of Jewelry' 2007

Week 20 — Birth of a Water Nymph

Sorry for the long post, but I really could not make it shorter!  LOL!

This is one of the themes that appealed the most to me for this quarter, and I wanted to make something really special.  I'm afraid that I won't be presenting a piece of jewellery for the theme "By the Pond", but a tabletop sculpture that fits the theme perfectly.  In fact, it fits not only one but three themes!

Over the years, my hometown has acquired the title of Une Fleur en Rive  ("A flower by the shore") because of its beautiful award winning gardens and landscapings, and also due to the fact that we are located on the shore of the St.Lawrence river. The year 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of our town, and there are various activities for the occasion.  One of those special events was an visual arts contest to which I decided to participate.  The theme was A Flower Celebrating ("Une fleur en fête") and it was open to all techniques.  There were approximately 40 entries for this contest, all of them paintings; I was the only sculpture.  All entries were exhibited during a whole month in our Arts and Culture Center, a beautiful ancestral house by the river, and visitors were allowed to vote for their favourite piece.  Besides this popular vote, all pieces were to be judged by a panel of 3 judges, 2 of them painters, and one painter-sculptor.  There were three awards, plus four honourable mentions to be won.  Unfortunately, I did not win anything, besides the knowledge that some people, who did not even know me, have voted for my piece. I'm very happy about this experience because it was my very first sculpture, and I was told afterwards by the president of the Arts Foundation that the painter-sculptor judge really liked my piece, but he was overruled by the two other judges.

I also submitted this sculpture into another challenge with the very same deadline (May 30th).  This one was over the internet, and I did not have to produce the actual piece, only pictures, so it was perfect.  It was organized by a wire sculpture community, and the theme was Magic of the Aquatic which fitted very nicely with a water nymph and water lilies.  I waited until now to post my piece because the results of the challenge were supposed to be announced on June 25, but unfortunately there were massive spam attacks on the forum, and it eventually became corrupted.  It took a while before it was fixed and it reopened only two days ago.  Still waiting for the outcome...  Anyway, I decided to post it here anyway, because some other participants have theirs on their web site so I figured that it was allright under the circumstances.

It started with a quick sketch on a small pad, after hours of research on the web, and became a tridimensional character, entirely crocheted from copper and brass wire, with glass seed beads, Slovakian crystal, and a mirror.  The sculpture illustrates the birth of a water nymph.  She is holding a small water-lily in her hands, similar to the one from which she has magically emerged.  This flower gift symbolizes a tribute to life.  This dainty lady measures only 6½ inches.  It took me more than 25 hours to actually make it, not counting the creative process, research and problem solving. 

Here is a link to a musical slideshow where you will see pictures of the work in progress. The birth of a crocheted sculpture! 

You will probably find pictures showing other angles in by journal when it will be updated tomorrow.  :-)

Johanne from Quebec
My web site
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Week 20 Jacki/stefannsgirl

Just a simple strung watch with turquoise and a few czech firepolish beads.  I am try to get caught up here.  I am so sorry for being so behind.  Real life issues and health have sapped my jewelry muse for quite a while.

Thanks for looking.  Comments and critques are always welcome and appreciated!

Jacki

Week 20 - Lemon Chrysoprase Earrings

These pair of earrings drove me crazy!  I should have used a colored background to photograph them, the colors would have been nicer. 
The color of the Lemon Chrysoprase is beautiful, lemon with a touch of lime.  -Nancy

Tide Pool

I was excited about this one in the planning stages but it didn't exactly thrill me when I completed it. I love the turquoise free form nuggets with the forged silver but I will most likely make a hand made chain to complete it rather than the purchased chain I used here.

Mod Squad Redux

So i got the urge to make something utterly frivolous, and I thought, the 60's! The necklace is a little under 5 feet in length, I made a connector chain for the back. Made some earrings,(they're hanging at the top) Swaros, fun turquoisy vintage looking glass, buff colored pearls, a little silver, a little commercial chain. I feel so much like Julie! Where's Link and Pete!

Say what you will- I'm cool, man!   Perri

Week 20 - weirdlywired

The Brides necklace. Serious bling. I'm ALMOST done with this wedding commission. Besides the Brides full set and tiara, I'm doing the 5 brides maids, 4 Jr. Brides maids, a flower girl, wrapping the champagne flutes and drink markers for the wedding party. I got out of wrapping the utensils!  PHEW!
The only thing missing on this necklace is LOS!!! It kills me to see all that wire wrapping without it...it's just not natural!!! LOL! She's totally in love with it, so we're both very happy.
I'm having PC issues at home, but I will have more pictures soon of the entire lot. I'm very much looking forward to being able to create for me again, with stones, not crystals...
Thanks for looking and any comments or feedback you may have. My journal will be updated soon!

Thanks,
Angie S
http://www.allthingsangie.com/YearofJewelry.html

Jean Power- week 20

I was really fortunate this week to be able to take a 2-day master-class with Michael David Sturlin who is an amazing artist- and a fantastic teacher.
We spent our time learning how to make a chain as well as how to finish it. I plan to make another one the same as the one shown and at some point turn them into a 2-strand bracelet. Check back this time next year to see if I've managed to do it yet!
If you ever get the chance to do a course with Michael, jump at it. I'd be hard pushed to think of a better teacher I've taken a class with. You can see more about my course on my blog

Jean Power

Almost a Horse Pendant

      ... but I hate it.  I tried working some tiny pearls into the beads but in the end I think that's one of the things that throws it off for me. :(  I am still not done with it, there's still work to do.  I will update the pic when I'm done.  I only have until Saturday to finish it up, which should be plenty of time - but if I had a week I'd redo the whole thing.  I am just sooo unhappy with the way it's turned out.  Very disappointing.  It still needs more polishing, buy I'm throwing it out there for any feedback.  Any thoughts on how to improve upon it?  I'm planning to add dangles on the bottom and a bail of some sort on the top, then probably just put it on a chain with a few accent beads.  All suggestions welcomed and appreciated! 

Okay, posting with changes.  Forgive the pic, it really sux and does not do the pendant justice.  I'm sad that I will not have a good pic of the final product. :(  Ahhh well.  Thank you all for your suggestions.  In the end, I bent the ear forward a bit to make it look less like a horn and more like an ear.  Not a big difference, but it helped a little.  Then I added a mane as many of you suggested.  Cammy suggested a coiled mane, so that's what I went with.  The mane made a BIG difference in the final product.  Here's my horsey with the changes.

 

week 20 - copper everywhere

I am behind, but by getting this one in, I'm only a week behind - whew! This weeks entry is made using freshwater pearls in copper, Almandine garnet and Caravan seed beads in copper patina.  I finished it off using Delia's toggle clasp - a great way to end any piece, in my opinion.

I received the Caravan seeds in a bead swap last year, and didn't find a good match for them until I brought the pearls back from AZ in April.  I set them together by accident, and I knew they were going to be a bracelet when I had a second to work on it.

Pond

I am really enjoying working with bone components right now, and this one is no exception!  Cute little frogs woven around each other.  Bali silver charms, with sodalite briolettes, iolite chip beads, and carve flower beads...  so fun!