Artisan Clay: Walk Down Memory Lane

This month the Artisan Clay Design Team is doing a fashion show a la Paris or Milan.

So here's my collection rockin' the runway (from youngest to oldest!)

I hope you like!

The first up is my most recent piece that we saw last month called the Clock and Dagger.

In case you didn't catch last months post, The blue shard that the whole pendant hangs on is a button!

I riveted two textured sheets of copper and clock pieces to the front to create a very industrial, steampunkish pendant.

This second piece was heavily inspired by the arte deco shapes from architecture from the 20's. I wanted to capture the sharp angles and tight curves of arte deco and still find that layered look as well.

(Hint: If you want two pieces of metal to reflect themselves perfectly, cut them out at the same time by taping them together!)

Okay, now we're going back in time a bit.

This piece is an embroidered pendant that I created around a connector from Kristie that I turned into a cab.

Same thing with this one in just softer colors.

(To convert a connector to a cab, just snip the metal connectors from the edges, and file them down until they are flat against the new "cab")

Because Kristie's pieces are porous, they hold really well with E6000 if you're embroidering.

Now going waaay back in time. This was the first embroidered piece that I ever created with Kristie's work.

It's a big chunky pendant featuring one of Kristie's glass cabs. The inspiration was water and really tall high waves.

I really like this piece and I've had it for about three years and it still looks great and is totally wearable!

Be sure to head on over to Kristie's blog and check out the runway shows from the other designers!

Have a great day all!

Artisan Clay and Emilio Pucci

This month for the Artisan Clay Design Team, Kristie sent us "surprise" beads.

Now, to let you in on a little secret....I HATE surprises. I hate to give and receive surprises.

I'm the one at Christmas dying to know what I'm getting while at the same time dying to tell you what I've gotten you.

So, I was just a little nervous to open her package....

and for no reason.

She sent me a bright green cab with the creamiest center of shattered glass.

My immediate feeling was to do something soft and springy maybe with a floral theme.

Uh-uh...the beads just weren't having it.

They wanted bright pop art in concentric circles and I was more than happy to deliver.

I layered the beads and even used orange! (I don't know what's gotten into me)

As I was working, I kept thinking of Emilio Pucci who really pioneered the bright kaleidoscopic patterns from the 1970's that are still so popular today.

via FIDM

I've listed it in my shop here: Emilio Pucci Pendant.

Also, thanks to everyone who has taken advantage of my celebration sale from my last post!

The coupon code still stands and will be good until June 1st.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back tomorrow for the Margie and Me reveal and a surprise!

I hope you'll take some time to visit all the Design Team blogs today. Hop on over Kristie's blog and see what the other designers created using her pieces.

Two heads are better than one...

I think that in general seed beaders have a hard time figuring out what to do with art beads, and rightly so. It's difficult because most seed bead projects are all about the tiny little glass beads and it's so easy to use them for everything. Don't have a cute little clasp? Make one! Need a pendant for that beaded rope? Create one!...So, when I get the chance to stretch my creativity and work with beautiful handmade beads and components I jump at the chance.
Which is exactly what happened when I pulled these connectors from Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay out of the stash.

I was drawn to the little glazed lines that she had created in the clay and I wanted the bracelet to reflect those lines. The bracelet is kind of in the "negative" from the connectors because the color of the lines is the buttercream and not the translucent blue. For the clasp, I joined the connectors to each other and then to the bracelet. Two beaded toggles finish off the bracelet. I wore it yesterday for a couple of hours and it wears really well.

Hope you had a good Labor Day!