Art Jewelry Elements Fall Theme Challenge - Raven

I subscribe to several jewelry groups posting on various sites across the internet.  One of my favorites, Art Jewelry Elements, has various challenges and monthly component challenges among their members.  When I saw the theme for the fall challenge, I contacted Karen Totten to see if I could participate with a couple designs I had created using ravens, even though I had created them several years ago.

My Art Jewelry Elements were created by Jen Martin.  She is a very talented polymer and mixed media artist whose shop "graphixoutpost" on Etsy is currently closed.  One of the things that intrigues me about ravens is that they are attracted to sparkly bits.  They gather these for their "hoard", which I can TOTALLY relate to!!  Ironically, neither of my raven designs has much bling in them!

My first piece is called Genny's Raven.  It was a custom order several years ago for an amazing young lady celebrating her 16th birthday.  She is now a college student in her junior year (I think).  The focal was created using Jen's handmade dominoes and I loved that I was able to join the two together so that the quote was right below the raven.  I added a leather flower with a crystal center and made a "flying component" with a couple of wing charms and a bead all made by Tierracast.  The clasp, a clock toggle also from Tierracast. added a nice "steampunk" feel to the piece.  It was one of the first designs in which the clasp is not at the back of the neck.

My second Raven design is Poe's Raven. If you have been a reader of my blog. you may have noticed I LOVE Halloween!  You never have to clean house or cook extra for Halloween.  You can pretend for a few hours that you are anything you want to be, and no one will give you looks that say "wow you may need professional help".  I strongly believe in the joy and magic of make believe, and Halloween epitomizes that for me.  So for this piece, I started once again with Jen's handmade domino beads.  I wanted to create a focal for them, and I actually had Jen make these before the blue ones in the other design.  I learned by creating this piece that the beads needed to be drilled differently.  I wire wrapped the golden tiles to a frame originally designed as an eyeglass holder. I added various crystals and beads and pearls along with a tiny brass bird.  I didn't have any "raven" beads or I would have used that.  Along the chain I added groupings of beads, crystals, pearl sticks and a key charm.   Though the second picture shows that I used black cording to finish the piece, I later changed this design to have only chain to finish out the piece.  

A young Mina was my model in this picture, and she too is now in college!  Time certainly does flow by quickly!  If you would like to read more about ravens and the Art Jewelry Elements fall challenge click here!  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Halloween!

Fordite Falcon

I LOVE BEAD EMBROIDERY!!  I often say that it is the beading that I do for myself.  Not that I wear it often, but it is my "sanity" refresher when my business beading gets the best of me.  I use it to refresh my "muse".  Here is the latest piece I have created.

I used a piece of Fordite for the focal which I purchased from a distributor this summer.  Not familiar with Fordite, also known as Detroit Jasper? 
From Wikipedia:
Fordite, also known as Detroit agate, is old automobile paint which has hardened sufficiently to be cut and polished.^[1] It was formed from the build up of layers of enamel paint slag on tracks and skids on which cars were hand spray-painted (a now automated process), which have been baked numerous times.^[2] In recent times the material has been recycled as eco-friendly jewelry.

This picture was taken in process, when I was stuck.  Obviously, thanks to the gals in my Bead Embroidery Forever! group on Facebook, I became unstuck and was able to finish.  You can see by the orientation, that the layout shifted also.  I had planned on the layout here being a pendant, but things went a different direction.  That is what I love about bead embroidery.  I start it and it just "happens".  My style is more freeform.  I rarely have a finished idea in mind when I start.  I also love that it becomes almost a treasure hunt or hidden picture by adding in the bits and bobs as I go along.

Here are a few other pieces I have created:

Center piece from an Artbeads Blog Partner challenge

Bead Soup Blog Hop piece with partner Shirley Jones Moore

Beading Challenge from The Jade Dog

design using Chris's lampwork cabs and leather

Beading challenge with Pine Ridge Treasures

Swarovski Fancy stone with vintage cup chain

My very first project!  Only one that I knew what it would look like when I started.

My second piece, Frankly My Dear.  Jen Martin, made the polymer face.

Can you tell it is my favorite beading technique?!