YOJ Week 17 - Organically Yours

Sow a thought and reap an act
Sow an act and you reap a habit
Sow a habit and you reap a character
Sow a character and you reap a Destiny 
.... Charles Reade


I made these bronze and copper metal clay leaves for earrings but thought they complimented this agate leaf perfectly.

Year of the Jewelry - Week 13: A Personal Talisman

"Courage and perserverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air" ... John Quincy Adams

Keeping it short and sweet - for this weeks challenge, I resurrected a piece that I had started some time ago but never finished - after a little bit of work - I'm reasonably happy with the design.  I have long had a fascination with Goddess pendants - I have a small collection of goddess beads that I  will eventually make into a design. This piece is continuing my theme of incorporating dichroic glass in PMC.

Year of the Jewelry - Week 11: Rescued from the Scrap Bin

"The purpose - where I start, is the idea of use!  It is not recycling, it's reuse" ... Issey Miyake

I enjoyed this weeks challenge - I found these samples that I had made when testing the kiln and had put to the side some time ago, but when thinking about what to do for this weeks challenge, remembered I had them tucked away and thought I would use them to create a pair of earrings - why should they sit there in the back of the cupboard? 

They are not perfect - far from it, and I'm the first to admit they needed a lot of work however I love the texture and the rawness and decided to add some my lampies from my hoard ... voila - another pair of earrings to add to my collection.

Design:  Caron Michelle
Technique:  Metal Clay
Materials:  Bronze clay, lampwork beads from N Valentine Studio, handmade ear wires

Year of the Jewelry - Week 10: Wabi Sabi

"Wabi sabi is the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, the antithesis of our classical Western notion of beauty as something perfect, enduring, and monumental." -- Leonard Koren, author of "Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers"

This weeks YOJ challenge was exactly that - a challenge, to create a design that reflects the true connotations of Wabi Sabi.  However, I did it.  This week I took some time out from my looming and went back to the metal clays and finished working on a design I had started some time ago. 

To me the pendant is the epitome of imperfection whilst retaining beauty within, maintaining the very essence of wabi sabi.  I'll let you be the judge xo

Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) - 2nd place!

I'm so excited - Tzigane won second place at the Royal Queensland Show (otherwise known as the Ekka).  What a surprise to find out that I had won second place in Bead Art - Wearable Jewellery, especially as it was the first competition I have entered.  Thank you everyone for your support and to my dear friends who have encouraged me along the way. xo

EKKA Time

Every year in August, the Ekka rolls into town (http://www.ekka.com.au/about-ekka/history.aspx).  This Agricultural show is currently going through a revival period however has a rich history dating back to the 1800's in Queensland.

This year I have decided to take the plunge and enter my first show ... today I submitted a loomed cuff entry  (Arts and Craft) which incorporates a mixed medium combination of seed beads and metal clay.

Here is Tzigane (French for Gypsy).  Thank you to Tayla who had naming rights!