Whimsy Wednesday! Warm Heart, Warm Hands!

Hello Hello!
Welcome to this Whimsy Wednesday!
Winter has most definitely arrived and settled in for a spell in my neck of the woods!
There is much sparkly snow and plenty of colder temperatures outside! This, along with late Winter Holiday present coordination inspired me to create these heart-warming ornaments in the early morning hours today.
Take a look!
Sparkly side!
Golden Yellow Side!

These ornaments were created along the idea of the saying "Cold hands, warm Heart". See how those mittens are cradling the heart, helping it to stay warm?  And how the heart is sparkly-firey-red and sunshine gold?  Perfect to return the favor and keep those mittened hands toasty!!!
My wish is for everyone to have both warm hands and a warm heart, especially during this colder season! These are also created with a little bit of "heart-warming" whimsy and with an eye towards wishing people all the warmth and best of life has to offer! 
Quite a bit packed into those little creations, eh?!
And with that, I'll close this post and look forward to seeing you on Friday!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! Open and Closed!

Hello Hello! 
Welcome to Fini Friday! 
I've a finished creation to show you today that is a bit different than jewelry! 
Let me recall to mind this Fini Friday post featuring the new materials acquired. Now! 
Let me show you what has grown into completion!
The bag open....
And the bag closed...

Interesting details include the stitching along the bottom. 
I hand-stitched the bottom with a pattern that developed as I was stitching. Once the bottom was done, it reminds me of basket-weaving! 
The side is finished with an cross-stitch, with the fabric left unhemmed. It intrigues me to think that the edges will fray over time (only to the point of the stitches, of course) and I'm looking forward to seeing how that adds dimension and detail to the bag! 
Other bits I love are finding the perfect ribbon to use as a drawstring!  That fiber strand flows beautifully between the rich golds and browns into vibrant green and back again!  YAY!!!
So there you have it! 
The fini of this Fini Friday (and this creation!)

Before you go, I've an event coming up this Sunday to share with you!
Sunday, Nov. 10th from 12noon to 6pm....
1st Year Anniversary Celebration - Fluevog Minneapolis Store!!!
Click here for the Event Page on Facebook!
Click here for the Minneapolis Fluevog Store webpage!
I'll be offering Faerie Readings!
There will be Live Good Music, puppets, MN RollerGirls, nibbles and beverages, door prizes and exclusive VOG stuff!!
It will be fun! 
Come help us celebrate!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Scrolling Right Along!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

The goal with these posts is two-fold.

First, to infuse some whimsy into the day and our lives.

Second, to give a peek into my artist's life and studio!

Today found me working with scrolls, curves and fluid shapes...hmmm... I wonder if that is the influence of Summer?

Title: Contemplation of the Heart

Ingredients: pearls, wood and bone beads, lead-free pewter, Czech glass, copper, surgical steel earwires (silver-plated, hypo-allergenic).

The pearls are called "potato pearls" in the industry, as they are irregular in shape and colour and resemble...well... potatoes!

I loved the idea of mixing such organic shapes with the comfortably-precise heart-shaped scrolls in the wood and bone focal beads. The designs of these beads seems both elegant and approachable, as if the dark wood shape in the centre were some sort of half-forgotten symbol of an earlier time!

A last-minute edition of the silvery stars seemed fortuitous and wise.

Title: Tempting a Pisces

Ingredients:  Birch wood, Czech glass, lead-free pewter, Artistic wire, surgical steel earwires (silver-plated, hypo-allergenic).

These earrings started with the cut wooden Pisces symbol and grew into completion with charming Czech glass fish, fluid-relief accens and brightly-coloured wire! 

This is a Pisces person at their best...warm, with a light touch and flashes of brilliane yet solidly 'grounded' in the rhythms of the Universe!

Note: Even those these are absolutely inspired by water and aquatic denizens, please do keep them dry!

Let me wrap up this post by wishing you a very best next few days and I'll see you on Friday!
Ciao!

Fini Friday! A Little Early....

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

It is true that today is Thursday (rather than Friday), however tomorrow will be quite busy (away from the Internets) for me, so I'm posting early! 

I've finished creations from materials that might look familiar from this Fini Friday post! 

Let's take a look! 

Title: Her Majesty's Money 

Ingredients: Resin-encased (hand-coloured and painted with non-toxic resin) faux paper currency, Swarovski crystals (Sapphire and Crystal), Czech glass, Jeweler's Brass, surgical steel earwires(gold-plated). 

The idea for both of these creations was to pair them with Swarovski crystals in colours of jewels worthy of royalty. Gold, too, is always favored by the wealthy. And that is metal colour common to these two creations. 

Of course, the Queen Mother (featured on this faux bank notes) would have Diamonds (the closest Swarovski gets to diamond is crystal) and Sapphires! Also, whilst there is some 'frippery' to the design, it remains elegant and simple. 

Just like the Queen would want! 

Onward to the second fini creation! 

Title: Investments 

Ingredients: Resin-encased (hand-coloured and painted with non-toxic resin) faux paper currency, Swarovski crystals (Ruby), Czech glass, Jeweler's Brass, surgical steel earwires(gold-plated).

These bank notes focus on a gentleman of stature and repute and so the creation needed a bit more lavishness and adventure! I wanted the earrings to be elegant, yet "dripping" with rubies" (which is the colour of the Swarovski crystals, by the way!). 

Also mixed in the design was the desire to convey a more inquisitive, and worldly mindset (indicated in the metal wire-work and mixing of metal tones). 

These are for those who seek their fortunes in the world, rather than those who rule the world with their power and fortune. 

 All in all, quite a wealthy bunch, wouldn't you say? 

Don't forget my next exciting event TOMORROW!!!

I'll be a Faerie Reader at Fluevog and Opportunity Partners Charity Event Friday, June 21st from 5-9pm!

This is an RSVP only event and Charity Fundraiser, so click over here for more details and to get your name on the list!

I'll be offering brief 5-10 minute Faerie Readings at the Minneapolis Fluevog Store! 

It would be wonderful if you could join us!

See you soon!

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Be the Light!

Hello Hello!
Welcome to Fini Friday and the end of most folks' work week!
I've the creative path from raw materials to completion to show you today!
First, some of the materials!

I found these materials in the form of a necklace/badge holder when I was on Walkabout a while back.  They definitely have a Winter Holiday theme to them!
The colours and the well-made glass "lights" were what fascinated me the most.  I wanted to create several things that might or might now match the original Winter Celebration theme.
Let me show you the first one to grow up!

Title: Be the Light
Ingredients: Swarovski crystals, glass, metal, surgical steel earwires (silver-plated and hypoallergenic).

My vision for this creation was something like a candle, a lantern or luminous device...perhaps from a distant Fae land!
I'm so pleased with how they grew into completion!
Stay tuned to see what the rest of the light beads are woven into!
WHHHEEEEEEEE!!!
So!
What am I up to this weekend and coming week?
Check it out below!

Saturday, May 18th only! 

Spring Psychic Faire at Lake Harriet Spiritual Center! 

Many of you have seen me at this Faire offering my Sprite Creations jewellery and creations. 

However! For the first time ever!!! I'll be offering Faerie Readings during this fundraising-event! 

There will be good food, hand-crafted art of all mediums and wonderful insights offered, so consider joining us! 

PLEASE NOTE! THE TIME CHANGE OF THIS INTERVIEW!!!

I have another Faerie-inspired BlogTalk Radio Interview!!! 

Tuesday, May 21st from 12 Noon to 12:30pm (CST, USA) with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! 

Join us to see what insight the Faeries have for the month of May! 

See you Monday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Legends!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been fabulous so far!

This post is all about Legends and I'm excited to show you what is ahead!

Title: Grounding Tiger Spirit

Ingredients: Hematite, Fimo Tigers, Czech glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

Hematite is a natural stone that is thought to offer protection and grounding to the wearer as well as helping with focus and concentration.

Tigers are legend all their own! They, too, are often seen as protectors and royalty (Buddhist Saints have been known to ride tigers).

I chose the glass beads to bring out the colour of each Tiger's eyes. This also gives an eerie and ethereal quality to otherwise very concrete and solid materials.

The second creation I have to share is...

Working Title: Raven Royalty or Morgan LeFaye

Ingredients: Czech glass, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

  Morgan LeFay has long been associated with Morrigan, Ravens, the battlefield, death, rebirth, lust and so forth. You can read more about the legends here.

I've had these glass beads in my collection for a long time now and this designed fell into place. I love the progression from the ethereal 'true red', chased with gold to the darker crimson and fluttering feathers!

There is a bit of th 1920's flapper in those dangling feathers...an inspiration of which I think Ms. LeFaye would approve!

Where is the whimsy in these two creations, you ask?

Surely a purple tiger is made of whimsy!

As to our ravens and fay? Whimsy comes in all colours - from grand and charming to thoughtful and ebon!

So! There you have it!

The fini of this Whimsy Wednesday!

See you Friday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Sharing and an Experiment!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been grand so far!

I've been experimenting with wire and beads today, among other things, so I'll start this post with that!

Working Title: Summer Jewels

Ingredients: Czech glass, vintage acrylic, Artistic wire.

I love the opportunity to play free-form with wire and this idea popped to mind a few weeks ago... the mixing of the greens. This is a bit of a mono-chromatic palette for me, yet I think it grew into beautiful completion!

Next up is a very sweet creation that grew out of a pendant I found on Walkabout. Details are here!

Title: Sharing

Ingredients: Czech glass, vintage acrylic, hand-wrapped "yarn" wire ball, metal. 

I created the wire "yarn" ball by wrapping scrap portions of wire into a ball and suspending it from a matching wire from the silvery chain. This creation is really all about that precious kitten pendant! 

I included things kitten-friends would share...such as admiring a butterfly, a ball of yarn and perhaps a lunch of fish! The heart-shaped clasp is the final endearing touch on this simply charming creation! 

This will be up in my Etsy shoppe by the end of this evening! 

And that's a wrap for this Whimsy Wednesday! 

Have a comfy rest of the week and I'll see you on Friday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Christmas in April?!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope this week has been good to you (so far)! It has and is snowing in our neck of the woods!

We received about a foot of snow yesterday and it looks like more is on the way. Why do I mention this? The snow is so beautiful! I took photos! I also started experimenting with turning Christmas ornaments (given to me a few years ago) into earrings, hence Christmas in April! Let's start with a photo of that gorgeous snow! I like how the snow swathes everything in a soft, clean, winter white!

Next up! A photo of the set of those ornaments I mentioned!

Aren't they lovely?!  I see all sorts of possibilities with them!

So! Let me show you what a few pairs of ornaments grew into!

Title: As Yet Unknown

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, plastic ornament, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

 

 Title: As Yet Unknown

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, plastic ornament, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

The idea behind both of these was to nab them and some wire and create from there!  I love the Czech glass drops and wanted to play with the spiral texture of each ornament!  The iridescent, pearl-like ornaments have a vintage feel to me and so played with that feeling, while the brilliant blue ornaments were more vibrant, modern and fun!  They have a more electric and eclectic sense of grace about them! 

I'll have these up for adoption at my upcoming show, barely a week away!

What show is that, you ask?

Why the... Saint Paul Art Crawl!   I'm so pleased to be a returning Guest Artist at the Lowertown Lofts Artist Co-Op - in the 3rd Floor Atrium!

Come on out and see me Friday, April 27th; Sat. April 28th and Sun. April 29th!

Click the links above for details!

See you Monday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Writing the Story of Spring & Mermaid's Treasure!

Hello Hello!
Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday and posts chock-full of ...you guessed it...whimsy!
Warm temperatures are definitely heralding Spring in, here in my neck of the woods, and one of the creations I have to show is inspired by that!

Title: Writing the Story of Spring

Ingredients: Artisan glass, hand-made silk bead (USA), lead-free pewter, metal, brass and copper pen (USA).

 The tender, spring-time palette begins with the lilac-hued pen, accentuated by the blue hand-wrapped silk bead inscribed with lovely French words (the language of l'amour, some say...). The focal point of this pen and design is the beautiful floral bead in silvery tones, both lush and spare at the same time, and reminiscent of the spring growth waiting to burst forth!  This is flanked by two artisan glass beads of subtle yet fiery hues and shining silver-coloured accents abound!

Also, all of the beads spin freely, making this the perfect fidget toy to use when mulling over that perfect word choice in your head! I tested this pen myself, and the weight of the silver foliage bead towards the end of the pen gives this pen a very comfortable feel while writing! 
Whee!!!

Onward to the second creation of this post!  A wine bottle stopper!

Title: Mermaid's Treasure

Ingredients: Mermaid's Tale Mood bead, Rosy-Posy Mood beads, Stainless steel (and rubber).

 My favorite parts of this creation are the Mood Beads (of course!).  These beads change colour as they change temperature! How fun!  The larger round bead in the center of this wine bottle stopper features a Mermaid!  I've included a photo of both her head and her tail, so you can see how she's swimming around the bead!  Isn't she gorgeous?!

She is surrounded top and bottom with two smaller mood beads in a rosy-posy pattern (which also change colour).  This colour-changing ability would be especially fun to see as this is used for it's most practical purpose- a wine bottle stopper!  Other fun things about this creation - the mermaid!  Mermaids are, of course, denizens of the deep and tend to be pack-rats (or is that pack-fish?) or hoarders of wonderous and valuable things!  What a lovely statement (and inspiration for this creation's title) of how one values their fine bottle of wine!

YAY!

Well! I think this post has gone swimmingly (couldn't resist), yet it is time to batten it down (ha!) for the day.

I'll see on Fini Friday!

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Skating Through the Week!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

This is the day that I showcase whimsical and fun creations!

I've two to introduce today! They are a 'riff' on the older-style roller skates as well as mixing old and new colours, textures and ideas!

Here we go!

Working Title: At the Rink

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, metal charms, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

The juxtaposition of older roller skate charms in an antiqued brass finish paired with the ultra-modern faceted, rainbow-hued Czech glass reminiscent of furnace glass is something I love! This creation reminds me of evenings at the roller skate rink, with the lights turned down and coloured spot-lights bouncing off the disco ball and all around the building in sync with the music of the day!

Whee!!!

Working Title: Skate and Key

Ingredients: Czech glass, coated copper wire, lead-free pewter charm(USA), metal charm, silver-plated surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

Once upon a time, roller skates had keys. These keys were slung around the necks of kids, usually on a cord or ribbon, so that the skates could be taken on or off of the shoes at any time. More information about it is here! Again, I had so much fun mixing the modern colours (red and clear) within the cathedral-cut Czech glass beads with the skate and skate key charms (which are many, many years old now). Roller skates gave such a feeling of speed and freedom and it is my hope that both of these creations embody this! 

So! That's it for today's zoooooming post! 

I'll see you on Friday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Cycles!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

The last few days have been filled with sunshine and I'm pleased to note patches of bare ground here and there! 

Yay! 

This post is all about cycles...the cycling of Winter into Spring, bi-cycles, cycles of creation and so forth! 

In keeping with the Fini Friday tradition (and illustrating the completion of the creation cycle!), I've a new creation to show today! 

You might remember this Fini Friday post with the newly-minted Popcap pendants. Another creation has grown up! 

Title: Cycles 

Ingredients: Popcap Pendant(hand-coloured non-toxic resin, stickers, popcap), lead-free pewter(USA), anodized aluminum. 

Isn't that chain gorgeous? It reminds me of a bicycle or mechanical (Steampunk?) chain! 

The bottle cap that was used in this particular pendant is from a bottle of New Belgium Brewing's Fat Tire Ale. The logo on the back is a picture of a vintage bicycle. This played a huge part in the design and title. The colours on the back are gold and an almost cinnabar red, which are echoed in the bi-coloured jumprings. The gears in the Popcap pendant echo the image of bicycle or mechanical gears. 

Of course, the raw materials of ales and beers go through several cycles to become the beverages that many of us enjoy. 

Here is a close-up of that pendant... 

The red and orange rings are woven in a mobius-strip (or infinity) chain maille pattern. Infinity could be considered another cycle! 

So there you have it, a relatively simple design inbued with many, many details! 

I hope you have a lovely weekend! 

I'll see you on Magical Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Natural Good Luck!

Hello Hello! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday and Spring! 

Today is the day of the Spring Equinox and many people are chomping at the bit for warmer weather! 

In celebration of the new season, I have wonderfully whimsical new earring creations to show you! 

Take a look! 

Title: Natural Good Luck 

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic). 

These are a "riff" along the same design idea of ladybugs perched on leaves. I decided not to decide on only one design and create both! 

I find these both incredibly cheerful!!

Title: Nature's Tableau 

Ingredients: Czech glass, Artistic wire, silver-plated surgical steel earwires(hypo-allergenic). 

I love the idea of asymmetrical earrings and the expansion on the bright and sunny colours of the initial design! 

Did you know that ladybugs are thought to be a symbol of good luck? 

They are! 

And so I'll wrap up this post by wishing you-all a huge bit of good luck! 

I'll see you on Friday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Sweetness and Passion!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope your week has been grand so far!

This post will be a bit shorter than usual as I'm making the final preparations for my first show of 2013!  Yes! In spite of the snow, we intend to be at the 10th Annual Burst Into Spring event in Cambridge, MN (USA)!

I had so much fun creating earrings with the Honey Bee Mood beads you saw on Wednesday, I decided to create one more pair!  Here they are!

Title: The Sweetness of Life

Ingredients: Honey Bee Mood beads, Czech glass, lead-free pewter(USA), metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

I'm so pleased with what these grew into! I love the bit of sunny yellow that shines through those gorgeous dark teal flowers! And it's neat that the illusion of the Bee drinking from the flower is made! YAY!

This second creation is an earring and necklace ensemble. The ceramic links and pendant are hand-crafted by Melanie of Earthenwood Studio. They've been languishing around the studio for quite a while and I'm thrilled that they've grown into completion!

I adopted the two round links and Passion pendant together because they evoked a sense of weaving Passion into life in the style an Old World (or perhaps Fairy World!) tapestry. I also love the idea of Passion growing!

Let's start with the entire ensemble: Title: Passion Grows Ingredients: Earthenwood Studio ceramic links and pendant, artisan glass, lead-free pewter(USA and other), metal, surgical steel (silver-plated) earwires (earrings), steel cable neckwire (necklace).

And the focal of the necklace!  I adore the accent of matte black leaves that form a sensuous fringe around the generous slices of fiery artisan glass! What a luxurious feel!

Our last photo is of those fabulous earrings!  I've always found keys mysterious and intriguing and love the idea of giving people the key to their own locks.  I thought it was fitting to use a heart-shaped lock, since what is Passion without Heart?  More of those matte black leaves add an organic flow!

These creations (and more!) will be available for adoption at my first show of 2013!

Burst Into Spring!

It is in Cambridge, MN, USA and details are here! 

It would be grand to see you there! 

In the meantime, I'll see you tomorrow or Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Winging Towards Spring!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! 

This post is chock-full of whimsy and winged-things! 

The perfect thing to help celebrate many of us as we look forward to Spring! Whee!! 

Both winged creations are earrings and we'll start with a bit of buzz! 

Title: Abuzz 

Ingredients: Honey Bee Mood beads, Czech glass, lead-free pewter(USA), metal, surgical steel earwires. 

The Honey Bee beads are Mood beads, which means they change colour according to the temperature around them! Isn't that nifty? They are accented with honey-coloured beads and dangle from hypo-allergenic surgical steel earwires! Honey was considered to be the food of the Gods in Mayan and Greek cultures. Bees have long been associated with kings and gods and even the birth of the human race! Little wonder given the yummy richness of the honey they produce! 

 

Let us turn to another winged creature - the dragonfly! 

Title: Dragonfly Alights 

Ingredients: hand-made metal dragonflies, Czech glass, Artistic wire, Sterling Silver. 

I found the hand-made, metal dragonflies on Walkabout and knew they were destined to grow into some much more! Don't they have such a wonderful, architectural feel to them? 

I suspended them from a lush green vine from sterling silver ear hoops, wrapping in a vibrant leaf the colour of new growth. The idea was to capture the vision of a dragonfly pausing to rest on a stalk of grass. Dragonflies have long been associated with the ability to see through the illusions of life and that which holds a person back from their dreams and goals. 

Both of these creations will be available for adoption at my first show of 2013!

Burst Into Spring!

It is in Cambridge, MN, USA and details are here! 

It would be grand to see you there! 

In the meantime, I'll see you Friday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! A Rosy Life!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope this week (so far) has not been too arduous and that you have many fun things planned for your weekend!

I'm pleased to have two new creations to show you today that grew out of materials that have been languishing far too long (in true Fini Friday fashion!)!

Let's start with the earring creation first!

Working Title: Tree of Life

Ingredients: Bone and wood, Czech glass, lead-free pewter (USA), metal, surgical steel earwires.

The focal pieces of these earrings are bone and wood cunningly fashioned into a tree of life design! I love mixing metals and had fun mixing the shiny silver with a bit of warm copper, mirroring the contrast of bone white (HA!) and dark wood! The Czech glass accent bead is a beautiful combination of shimmering metallic-matte and clear copper! I also love throwing in many different textures into what seems, at first glance, to be a clean and uncomplicated palette! WHEE!!!! The Tree of Life focals have been with me since last Fall and this is the first creation that's grown out of them! 

This next creation grew out of materials that have been lounging about for more than a few years now! 

Let me show you! 

Working Title: The Rose Garden 

Ingredients: hand-carved Jasper rose, Rose Gold-plated brass chain, hand-made brass clasp (Thailand), wood, metal, Jeweler's Bronze.

 

I brought the hand-carved Jasper rose home many years ago.  I selected it because of it's beautiful shape as well as the small streak of yellow at the bottom of the rose!  The chain is has a hefty elegance to it.  It is brass over-layed with Rose Gold.  If you look closely, you can see that there are vines in raised relief twining all along the links of the chain!  I adore creating with fabulous little details such as that!

 

Here is a view of that same necklace on dress-maker's dummy!

 

So that's it for this Fini Friday!

Before I go, I'll mention my first show of 2013!

Burst Into Spring!

It is in Cambridge, MN, USA and details are here! 

It would be grand to see you there! 

In the meantime, I'll see you Monday! 

Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Out of the Cocoon!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday! 

I hope your week has been full of good cheer so far! 

Like many people, I'm turning my thoughts towards Spring and my first show of this year! 

The title of the show is Burst Into Spring, organized by Master Gardeners, and I'm taking that as inspiration for a new batch of creations! 

Let me show you the start of it! 

Title: The Joys of Flight Ingredients: hand-carved and painted wood dragonflies, anodized aluminum, repurposed acrylic butterflies, sterling silver. The hand-painted wooden pieces in these and the necklace I'll show you in a moment are repurposed. I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them and knew I had to play with them! I love the colours, the textures, everything!! The idea was to update them with punches of colour. The green jumprings are woven in a mobius-strip pattern and bring out the verdant shades of the leaves behind the dragonfly. The lilac-coloured butterfly softens the colour palette and adds interest and becomes a companion to our dragonfly! These are so lively!!! 

Title: As Yet Unknown 

Ingredients: hand-carved and painted wood dragonflies, hand-dyed fibers (USA), anodized aluminum, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver, lead-free pewter clasp.

Everything that was mentioned above for those fabulous dragonflies holds for this beautiful wooden Monarch butterfly! 

The anodized aluminum is woven in the same chain maille style and the colour themes are along the same lines. The gorgeous fibers that comprise most of the necklace are hand-dyed from an artist in Idaho. 

The tiny butterflies seen here are Swarovski crystals to give a bit of sparkle and additional texture! Also! It is rare to see just one butterfly and so our Monarch gets companions, too! 

This necklace is especially long, roughly 32 inches, as I wanted to give the option of draping and tying it as a scarf. The pretty and petite clasp (with another sparkly butterfly!) will weight the ends and hang beautifully down the back! I've included a view of that lovely, lovely clasp!  

All in all, a post filled with whimsy, wings and definitely a coming out of Winter cocoon! 

My first show of this year, as I previously mentioned, is Burst Into Spring! 

It is in Cambridge, MN, USA and details are here! 

It would be grand to see you there! 

In the meantime, I'll see you Friday! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Elephants, Springs and Gears, Oh My!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I hope your week has been filled with magic so far!

In true Fini Friday fashion, I've two necklace creations that have grown into completion to show you today!

This first creation was a slight modification to restringing an already existing necklace.

Title: An Elephant and It's Parade

Ingredients: carved bone elephant, wood, copper, cable, sterling silver, metal. The only addition were the copper beads near the clasp. This is at the request of the necklace's person, who loved the necklace as it was originally designed and wanted very little deviation from it. I love the elephant! He is quite detailed for such a petite pachyderm!

Onward to our second and final finished creation!

Working Title: Spare Parts

Ingredients: Popcap Pendant (hand-coloured non-toxic resin, stickers, popcap) glass, springs, bearings, metal, aluminum.

 You might remember the Popcap Pendant from this Fini Friday post at the beginning of February.  I created the pendant-focal from hand-coloured non-toxic resin that I poured over the scrapbooking stickers placed in the pendant.  After the resin cured, I drilled out the popcap on my drill press (!) and attached the jumprings!  The clasp is to the left, near the pendant, and is at one end of this necklace.  This means that the necklace is adjustable as the wearer can choose the size of the loop around the neck!  The first big blue link from which the Popcap Pendant is suspended has actual springs threaded onto each side of the link!  Other real spare parts are bearings, which you can see on the side of the third big blue link from both the Pendant and clasp!  So many beautiful details make up this creation, including the stunning, handsomely-crafted glass beads whose colours range from sea blue to spring green to sunny yellow!  The fascinating colour variety echoes the sparkling reflectiveness of the blue gear stickers in the Pendant!  All in all, quite stunning and a simple, yet complex creation!

This necklace creation will be in my Etsy shoppe by Monday! 

I'll wrap up this post by wishing you an absolutely wonderful weekend and I'll see you on Monday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Moonlight and Air Travel!

Hello Hello!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week has been filled with fun so far!

This post is a bit of a celebration of the full Moon currently gracing us with her brilliance as well as Steampunk and whimsy!

Let's start with a little Moon magic!

Title: A Sliver of Moon, A Twinkle of Stars.

Ingredients: Swarovski Crystal (Opal Rose), Czech glass, metal, surgical steel earwires (hypo-allergenic).

This design centered around the moon light-coloured half-moon shaped Czech glass beads.  The cobalt stars seemed a natural addition and Swarovski crystals in shades reminiscent of Rose Quartz to soften the contrast makes the perfect earring creation!  The colour Rose is also thought to be a gently healing colour, which was a nice contrast with the celestial, sometimes a bit cold, remaining colours.  Beauty, fascination and gentle grace would aptly describe these!

Moving on to the Steampunk and whimsy!

Working Title: Vintage Ride

Ingredients:  Vintage acrylic, Czech & German glass,  Artisan-made Furnace glass (USA), lead-free pewter, repurposed chain, antiqued copper wire (USA), Czech glass.

The biggest piece of whimsy, for me, comes in the form of the repurposed, vintage acrylic beads that adorn the chain.  They are in primary colours of red, blue and yellow.  They remind me of hot-air balloons!  I love the mix of textures and colours that abound in this creation! We have brilliant primary colours, darker, more mysterious and antique colours, shimmering silver and intriguing copper and brass-tones!  This necklace creation will truly match just about any outfit, especially once the proper person is found!  The pendant is created by me and you can read all about that here!

And that will wrap it up for this Whimsy Wednesday!
See you on Friday!
Ciao!

Whimsy Wednesday! Fairy Berries and Flowers!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Whimsy Wednesday!

I hope your week is full of laughter and warmth so far! I've been involved with a good bit of learning new things this week! I've also come off of a small streak of BlogTalk Radio interviews, both of which I really enjoy!

I'm beginning to look ahead to March, the start of Shows and the first peeps of Spring! I've new ideas that will grow into completion between now and the first show, so stay tuned!

The creations I have for you today are in perfect keeping with what was just described above and life at this moment!

Title: Fairy Berries: Blooming in Winter

Ingredients: Swarovski crystals (Purple Velvet), Czech glass, acrylic, metal, silver-plated surgical steel earwires.

I love the luscious bits of dusky colour that surround the snowy bead-cap on each of these earrings. These are reminiscent of winterberries, fairy-style! (Hmmm... perhaps that would be a better title!....I'll think on it!)  I'm getting hungry from all of this thinking about berries!  Yum!

Working Title: A Fairy Flower, for Luck 

Ingredients: Vintage brass, Czech glass, metal(vintage and new). 

The golden-toned metal flowers are vintage, as is the silver chain from which they are suspended! These are cast brass and so the edges in the back were a bit sharp. I filed them down to a more comfortable texture. This design began with the vintage flower castings, especially when I noticed the center holes might be large enough to thread a chain through. I knew it was to be a silvery-toned chain because I love to mix metals! Not only is the contrast of colour and texture intriguing, but it means that this jewelry can be worn with a large variety of other accessories and clothing ensembles! Rarely can I create something monochromatic and so the burst of colour with a fairy flower was in order! Other little details include a four-leaf clover and leaf charm, all in that shiny, shiny silver! 

It just occurred to me that these could be wedding earrings! Something old (the vintage brass flowers), something new (the Czech glass), something borrowed (the repurposed vintage chain) and something blue (the fairy flower!)! How exciting! 

Look for these in my Etsy shoppe tomorrow! 

And that concludes this Whimsy Wednesday post! 

Come on back for a visit on Friday and see what I've been up to! 

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Creation and Resolution!

Hello Everyone! 

Welcome to Fini Friday! 

I hope your week has progressed swimmingly, so far! This has been an interesting week both creatively and using my time constructively! I'm stretching and preparing for new-ish things to me as well as dealing with a lot of paperwork. 

This Fini Friday is really a good reflection of my week and so let's get started! The first project is finished, though not in a way I normally care for. 

You might remember this Fini Friday where a simple necklace creation featuring a lampwork glass Geisha and pearls was starting to grow into completion. Today seemed like the perfect day to complete the creation and so I started wire-wrapping. Take a look at what happened next! 

Unfortunately, I wound the wire a little too tight (the heavier-gauge wire is also a bit more cumbersome to deal with) and that lovely focal bead sheared right in two! The bead could be glued back together, but I am reluctant to do that as the spot where the bead sheared off is one of the major stress points of the focal pendant. I wouldn't be able to trust that it would hold up. The hunt for another Geisha bead may (or may not) prove successful, yet it feels as if this idea is resolved. It feels as if it could be laid to rest as complete and the other materials moved along to other projects. This may be the first time I've done this with one of my designs! 

The second creation I have to show you fared much better! I introduced you to this design during this Fini Friday. I'm happy to say this pendant is now complete! 

Working Title: Vintage Ride 

Ingredients: artisan-crafted Furnace glass (USA), vintage German glass, Czech glass(some Vintage), lead-free pewter, antiqued copper wire.

I had a lot of fun wrapping these lovely beads into the vintage bike charm! The pendant looks part Faerie and part Vintage/Art Nouveau with a nod to Steampunk and tip-toeing through Goth! I'm not certain yet if it will remain only as a pendant or be incorporated into a necklace! I am in love with what it grew into, though! 

So, that's it for this Fini Friday! 

Here is what I have going on this weekend and into Tuesday of next week! 

I've a newly-scheduled BlogTalk Radio Interview this Sunday!

I'll be chatting with Marie and Beth of Divine Goddess Radio at 6pm(CST,USA) about Faeries and Freedom! I'll answer some of the most common questions I receive about Faeries and impart a specific message for this listening audience. Perhaps that will include you? 

And I'll be back on the BlogTalk Radio air in a few days with Cheryl Patton of 1Woman's Wisdom! 

Tuesday, Feb. 19th 3-3:30pm (CST, USA) A Special February Message From the Faeries! I'm not giving any hints, so hop on over for a listen that day to hear their message!

Both of these will be in the archives for later listening if your schedule does not allow you to listen to me live! 

I'll see you on Monday! 

Ciao!