Playing with Paper and Silver

For some time now I've been thinking of making some bezels for mounting very small paintings and collage images.  I think this would be a nice marriage of my new love of art journaling and the silver work I started doing a few years ago.

So today I pulled out my slightly neglected silversmith tools.  In my perfect life I have a separate area (heck...since I'm dreaming, why not make it an entire room?)  for each of my creative loves, but the reality is that when I switch gears I have to rearrange things a bit, pull out different equipment, etc.  This is one reason my studio generally looks like someone picked it up, turned it over and gave it a good shake.

Below is a bezel in the rough stage.  I actually love the way these pieces look before they're cleaned up.  The pink discoloration you see is called firescale.  It's formed from copper that "cooks" out of sterling silver when it is heated.  This has to be removed with chemicals or with abrasives.  (I use a little of both.)

Here a a few pendants ready for resin.  At this stage you can see the brush marks in the gloss gel medium that covers them.  I apply several coats (front and back) so the paper elements don't soak up the resin and become transparent.

You can definitely see the look of my my journal pages creeping into my jewelry designs these days.  I'm still just playing...seeing what works, what doesn't, what I'd like to develop further.   

The pendents will look a little different once the resin is in place and cured.  The brush marks from the gel medium will disappear and the design will look sharper.  I'll post more pictures when they're done.

Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to.  I'm linking up again with Creative Everyday's Art Every Day Month.  Be sure to take a few moments and check out some of the amazing artwork that's being shared there.  It's so inspiring!

Enjoy this beautiful day!

Bird Invasion

We have been inundated with feathered friends this past week and I am much inspired to create some jewelry in their honor.
I began by collecting little bird figures from around the house.  They are a great visual reference for different ways to stylize wings, tails, etc.  Today I lined them up on the windowsill to watch the snow come down.  (Yes, we are getting more snow!...very unusual for our area.)

I have also been doodling little bird and flower motifs lately, so I pulled those out, as well.

The bottom right picture above became this delicate little pendant.  I love that the leaf swings freely...that really makes me happy.

I haven't hammered and soldered the earwires for these tiny little sterling birds beads yet, but I love the length.  The birds dangle so sweetly from their elongated perch.  These I will keep for myself, however, because I've discovered I need to make an adjustment.  In order to keep the birds facing forward, I need to make a fixed loop on top instead of using headpins through a hole.  I will like the look of the fixed loop better, anyway.

I've already started another pair and love that the birds I'm making today have a different personality from the first. Even birds need their own identity!

Hot on the Trail

A few years back my family and I began carving out a trail through the woods behind our house. Nearly a quarter of a mile long, it is a great place to get a little exercise and observe nature in action. The walking path requires a fair amount of maintenance, which is what I've been taking care of today...raking and trimming back stray vines and branches. I suppose I am something of a "woods whisperer" trying to disturb the the area around the trail as little as possible.

Having unlimited access to an unspoiled wooded area is such a rare opportunity. Observing this natural environment is fascinating and after nearly two years of working in it I am beginning to feel the rhythm of the woods. With each season comes a different experience...a different way to appreciate this amazing little corner of creation.

Today I observed how still the woods are in the summer heat. I particularly noticed that the birds, so lively and busy in the morning, are nowhere to be seen when the afternoon temperatures rise. Oh, to be a bird, that I, too, might be still and wait for the cool of the evening venturing out to accomplish the tasks set before me today.

Being still and waiting are two things that do not come naturally to me. I wonder why this is, when busyness is so depleting to my spirit. Just as hard work is necessary to a balanced and productive life, rest is essential for the health of our minds, bodies and souls.

So what lessons did I see illustrated by my feathered friends in the woods today? I see that they get right to work, doing what they were born to do. They don't procrastinate or complain or look longingly at other birds that appear to have a better life. In fact, they work with gusto, singing all the while. Their songs remind me how joyful life can be when we live with a glad and grateful heart. Then, during the heat of the day, the birds take a break. This reminds me that when life gets challenging, often the best thing to do is rest as I wait, trusting that things will "cool off". Evening always comes, as does the morning. How much more centered and productive we all could be if we balanced our lives as the birds do!

So on these hot summer afternoons, as the air gets still and the birds get quiet, I will let it remind me of my own need to rest physically, mentally and emotionally. The question is, "Do I trust that the world will go on if I take time to replenish, or do I think it all hinges on me?" Maybe something in me likes thinking it all hinges on me...but that's a post for another day :)

My favorite ways to rest are creating artwork in my studio, watching my kids play with their puppy in the front yard, and falling asleep reading with my head on my husband's lap. Where do you find your rest?