BEADED HERON

I'm just so happy right now I might as well blab here while the excitement is fresh.  If you have been reading along you would have seen my work in progress as I put together a jewelry set for the TRASHION wearable art show at EBSQ, a show which required that 75% of the materials used  had to be recycled.  I am here to brag that I WON!  Heck, there was even a cash prize involved!

 You can see the show and my winning entry and artist statement if you click on this link!

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtShows/cmd_166_Exhibition_Entries.htm

EBSQ Self representing Artists  http://www.ebsqart.com/

This necklace is perfect for anyone that loves to make a statement with your clothing or accessories as it is very BOLD.  

The necklace is 24" long and the pendant measures 2 3/4 inches including the Black Onyx dangle bead.  Black Onyx beads are accented by two long long dark amber color agate beads that measure approx 2 inches long which are painted with a design in black which is baked into the finish.  There are also 2 black and amber 1 inch x 1 1/4 inch square black and amber agate beads above the dangling painted agate pendant.  The pendant is wired with non tarnish Argentium silver.  This piece is very rich looking and will definitely be noticed.

This necklace is strung on C-Flex .018 coated 49 strand beading wire and four 2mm sterling crimps and crimp covers secure the sterling toggle clasp. 

This necklace is very yummy.  I am going to have to hide it on myself! 

The necklace is 22 1/2 inches long and sports 6 chunky coral pieces which are accented by golden freshwater pearls, sterling silver spacers and shell daggers.    There are two lampwork glass coral branches on each side above the 1cm multi faceted Swarovski crystals.  Strands of white freshwater pearls and coral colored cut shell beads lead to the sterling silver toggle clasp. 

This necklace is strung on C-Flex .018 49 strand coated beading wire closed with 2mm sterling crimps which are covered by sterling bead caps and joined to the toggle with sterling split rings.   

I will be listing this necklace in my store at ETSY today.

http://beadedheron1.etsy.com

I hope you enjoyed your visit today and thansk for looking!

Stephanie 

This red coral necklace is pure fun!  3 different cuts of red coral are combined with lampwork glass coral branches and the result is this stunningly beautiful necklace.  The necklace is 21 inches long, and the little dangly lampwork coral branch I dangle is 3 inches long.  The red coral lampwork glass branches were made by me in my studio and kiln annealed for strength and durability.  The clasp is a hammered sterling toggle.  This necklace is strung on .018 40 strand C-Flex beading wire and secured with 2mm sterling crimps and crimp covers. The pendant is wired with non tarnish Argentium silver and a swarovski crystal and cut coral bead dangle adds interest. 

Chunky Red Coral

Lampwork coral branches

cut coral 

sterling togggle  

I will be listing this necklace inmy ETSY store today!  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!  I've been beusy and am hoping to add a necklace a day this week!

Happy beading! 

Stephanie 

This stunning necklace is the perfect accessory for almost any summer outfit.  I have accented the beautiful flat stones with Chalcedony side focals, two round barrel blue agate stones and a wonderful blue agate stone  pendant which measures 2 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide. The necklace without the pendant is 25 inches long.  Other accents include cut fancy glass and size 6 seed beads.  The hammered sterling silver toggle works wonderfully with the stones and sets off the piece.  I willpost a photo of the matching earrings in a little while...

The Chalcedony side focals & close up of cut glass beads

Fancy Blue Lace Agate Pendant 

Hammered silver closure

This necklace is strung on strong C-Flex .018 gauge 49 strand nylon coated beading wire and secured with sterling 2mm crimps which are covered with sterling crimp covers and attached to the clasp with sterling split rings. 

Thank you for looking!  Stephanie 

Walk a Mile in My Moccasins; A Journey and an Amulet
 
This piece came about quite by accident, although the components did not.  It was only after starting to work on my first loomed beadwork piece and wondering what I would do with it that I came up with the ideas for composing a piece specifically for this show. 
 
The recycled components:
 
The moose hide came from my worn out 15 year old Steger Mukluks that finally sprung a leak two winters ago.  They cannot be re-soled, and I tried in vain this past winter to use Shoe Goo, to no avail.  It was time for them to go in the trash.  Before I sent them there though, I cut away the leg portion.  No sense in wasting good moose hide. I also used the moose hide as a base for the bracelet, and the necklaces.  I used the mukluk laces as the border of the necklace and bracelet after I embroidered them.  I sewed them and the loomed beadwork to the moose hide rectangles painstakingly through each row.  Velcro from a decade old previously constructed purse was used as a closure for the bracelet..
 
The quills I incorporated in the earrings came from a porcupine that happened to cross a dark lonely two lane blacktop country road one dark night 25 or 30 years ago, as I was coming along and accidentally hit him.  I stopped and could see his shadow from my brake lights that he was still moving.  I didn't want him to suffer, so I did the only thing I could and I drove over him again to put him out of his misery.   Then I got out of the car and picked up the quills that had spread across the dark road using my headlights for light, all the while apologizing with tears in my eyes and thanking him for the quills.  No sense in letting perfectly good quills go to waste! It never dawned on my until I was working on this jewelry set that hitting that porcupine is what actually started me beading all those years ago because I wanted to make earrings from the quills. 
 
The earring bead caps and wires were from the first two pairs of earrings I ever made, shortly after running over the porcupine.  I made the two pairs but now only had one earring of each pair.  I was never able to dispose of them, for they remind me of my humble beginnings into the world of beads.
It was time to recycle the caps and wires now for this special set. I didn't have to destroy those first earrings, however.  I was able to just cut away the metal loops.  Now the earrings can go back into their drawer where they can forever remind me of where I started.
 
The silver conchos that I used for the bracelet and the necklace came from an old pair of moccasins. Once they wore out, they were ready for the trash about ten years ago.   First, I cut the hardware off, though.  As you can see, I have been an avid recycler for decades! :-)
 
The hair on the necklace concho comes from three sources - my dearly departed horse Bucko, the love of my life, Sars Amira, my beautiful Arabian mare, and a lock of my own.  The three of us shall remain together for all time according to Ojibwa culture.  I have kept both horse's tails and mane hairs together along with my own hair since the passing of my beloved steeds.   I have also sewn some of Bucko’s and Sars Amira’s and my hair inside the necklace beadwork. 
 
The only new material I used in these pieces are the seed beads I decorated them with.   
 
This set is my amulet.  All parts either separately or together are things that have been with me everywhere I have been for the past quarter century and more.  There is significance all the way through it's creation as I did everything in threes.  Three rows of beadwork, three diamonds on the pendant,  Bucko’s and Sar Amira’s  and my hair, and my beloved summer and winter moccasins that took me on many a journey and one poor unfortunate porcupine that met its fate on that dark lonely road so long ago.  . 
 
I hope you enjoyed this work and thank you for looking,
Stephanie

I don't have a photo of today's progress because I ran out of daylight.  I put another full days work into this jewelry set today.  I will add necklace progress sometime tomorrow afternoon. Here is the beginning of the necklace.  I cannot decide whether to make it a choker or make it longer.  I am working on the beaded portion and tomorrow i will also reveal the secret ingredient!  WHAT will I hang from that concho?

Edit 4-28-08 to update...

Please excuse the crummy photo but I ran out of daylight.  I promised to come today and tell you about the secret ingredient to this necklace so here I am!  Today I finished the embriodery around the loom beaded section.   Now I can tell you about the very special part of all of this set.  Inside the beadwork and inbetween that and the moose hide, I sewed  some of Bucko's and Grammie Crackers  mane hair and  I also included a bit of my own.  I Will be able to carry my beloved steeds with me whenever I wear this necklace.  If you are not familiar with who Bucko and Cracker are, they are my departed equine family. I lost Grammie Cracker 3 winters ago and Bucko left me last August and they will forever live on in my heart.  I had both of them with me for decades and they passed to old age. Bucko was the love of my life so this piece is very emotional for me.  This jewelry will last centuries and now I am together with Bucko & Cracker for that duration through this amulet. 

Now on to the significance of the work.  As you can see the pendant has 3 diamonds.  That was decided because Bucko, Cracker, and I are one in this work.  This is also why there are three rows of embriodery around the Amulet necklace and also on the bracelet.

I hope to have the whole set finished tomorrow and if I do I will certainly be here to show it off!

I haven't cut away the excess moose hide yet as I am still deciding on the necklace itself but this should give you an idea of the direction I am headed.  I will also use Bucko and Cracker hair to add to the concho on the necklace...

My beloved and terribly missed Bucko and Grammie Cracker.  Yes this set matches them...

Update 4-29-08

The necklace at this point might be finished.  I have to inquire about adding fringe.  I am afraid by adding fringe my entry won't be considered 75% recycled.  I will now start working on the simple earrings while I wait news.  

I am about to make the simple earrings.  I will use earring findings from old earrings I made about 25 years ago.  This is something I have never shown before...my first ever beadwork.  The quills in the earring on the left are from the same porcupine!  you might say that hitting that porcupine is what first started me to bead and I had never realized that before until I started working on this set.

It is only fitting that I now take the scissors to my first ever earrings for this set of jewelry since it contains just about everything else I have had for over 3 decades!