This week's winner is Lisa Peters! Congratulations! You have won a Simple Truths pendant from Erin! Send Erin an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.
This weeks Studio Saturday is my turn, Shannon with missficklemedia.com. And I am making leaves. Leaves in glorious colors and crinkled textures crafted from sheet metal. Pair together fold forming and patinas and you have a seemingly endless variety of metal play for fall pendants!
Indigo Washed Chestnut is my favorite finish for leaves. The swipe of mica powder makes for a shimmering, mystical quality. This is the leaf closest to the one featured in the fall issue of Stringing.
The verdigris is so unusual! I imagined them paired with more chain and stone, in contrasting colorways, but the lavender chain and the violet leaves gave me pause for thought.
Maybe orange and beige pearls would look nice? Each one is unique, with twists of metal and pools of color that mimic the one of kind leaves in nature. I haven't decided what to do with my own leaves yet but I set this one aside to offer to our winner for next weeks draw;
To enter simply leave a comment to this blog post, answering this question; what combination of materials and technique have you discovered that enhances your jewelry making?
Thank you for visiting us here at Art Bead Scene!
Much Love & respect,
Shannon
missficklemedia.com
36 comments:
I took a foldforming class with Kim St. Jean at Beadfest Santa Fe last March. I loved it and having been playing with it.
What I also love doing is just heating the copper and seeing the colors develop. I try to catch the color with a spray finish.
Metal and heat rock!
Pepita
These are beautiful Shannon, I love them all but the Verdigris is perhaps my favourite! (Can't stay away from turquoise...) I have recently started stamping metal and using acrylic paints to highlight it's textures. Fun and therapeutic with the hammer!
I'm brand new to jewelry making and in the learning phase so all the techniques are new to me ;) I'd have to say that so far, my favorite is using stamps to emboss clay and using mica powders to highlight areas.
oh Shannon those metal leaves are breathtaking. I love them all. Right now I'm lovin' metal etching and I'm combining that with soldering.
I just recently added some new wire links/wrapping and some fiber. I've wanted to try fiber for a while and it turned out great. Sold the necklace to the first person that saw it.
Love these leaves and the patina. Have been interested in learning metal folding and those are wonderful.
Shannon, your fold formed leaves look even more amazing with your patinas! There are so many techniques I've been wanting to try but time is always an issue. So for now I am still mostly a stringer with a bit if wireworking skills, a bit of soldering skills, and a growing love for artists made beads and components. The combination of these, I belive, has brought my jewelry to a new level.
The Story of A Most Forgiving Medium: Polymer Clay
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq7ekkgjHFI/Tirhr6-4NZI/AAAAAAAAAEw/GPHfWdD90ug/s400/done.jpg
(sorry didn't know how to get a pic in this comment)
One of my first attempts at stamped beads was (A) in a copper overlay on green PC. I made them in several different shapes as seen in the next pictures. HOWEVER, I was Not happy with how they turned out. I was hoping for something close to a Mokume Gane look, but as you can see, failed terribly. So, lets add some brown acrylic paint (B) to give them an antiqued look. Not much better! What else is in my drawer? How about some gold embossing powder (C) and rebake? Nope, not applied evenly enough!
So they got put away in the "maybe some day" box. Until, I found a lesson on using "PC putty", making a slurry out of colored polymer clay and Translucent Liquid Sculpey, which could then be applied to indentation on beads (D). Then sand, sand, sand and buff. Hmmm, getting closer.
Picked the best one of the bunch (E) and wire wrapped it. As a finishing touch, add High Gloss Glaze (F) and voila, Ugly Duckling no more!
Shannon, first of all, wow! I love the variety of your leaves. The colors and textures are mesmerizing. I am a beadweaver, and as such use seed beads. Through the different challenges I have participated in, and getting to know some wonderful artisans like you, I have started exploring adding different elements into my designs, using the beadwork and artisan beads to complement each other.
Thank you for such a beautiful giveaway!
I love to combine polymer clay with metal, particularly copper. Those copper leaves are gorgeous and I'd loved to pair them with polymer flowers.
I like to pair stone beads or antiqued chain and metal with my shiny enameled pendants and beads. Your leaves are great! I think that rough but colorful finish would blend with my beads also. I might have to buy some, or maybe one of your kits with the DVD, hmmm, I better check my PayPal balance. 8D
That is one of the best things about designing to me. To combine materials so they either complement or enhance each other. One thing I like to combine is a robust rustic feeling, such as in your patinated components or as in non-shiny ceramics with the softness and slight shinyness of silk ribbon made from recycled saris, or in dupioni silk.
Your patina technique is intriguing. The love copper and texturizing. I'm seeing more radical patinaing coming my way too..
Amazingly beautiful leaves!!
I've got so many things on the list to 'try' but lately I've been using fabrics and different materials and various stringing and wrapping techniques to enhance my designs - so far, I love the changes I see in what I've created.
Shannon- what you do with metal! Such rich color.
The most versatile techniques for me have been wire wrapping and macrame. So, wire and C-lon cord would be my choice of materials.
Right now I enjoy wire wrapping and making my own components from copper. I recently began exploring polymer clay, but haven't made any jewelry with it yet. Combing clay and metal might be my next step.
the leaves are awesome, Shannon!
I use a lot of pearls as accents in my jewelry. Often it is one single pearl with a combination of other elements. It seems to work for any style. The other thing I use consistently in my designs is wire. I love a messy tangle of wire wrapping to create a bale for any kind of briolette or dangle.
The leaves are stunning!
What I do... as a ceramic artist, my jewelry has mostly been focused around my own ceramic components, but lately, I've been getting more and more into glass and metal, especially patinated metals that are compatible with my clay art. More recently, I'm being inspired by metal patinas to create a new glaze palette. I'm really stoked and excited to explore this further!
Another avenue... So far, I've been using mostly vintage illustrations fired onto my ceramic pieces but I do like to draw (I was a painting / drawing major back in the day, heh). I'm planning a series using my own sketches. I can't wait to see how this develops!
So much to do, so little time...sigh,
- Karen Totten
Starry Road Studio
Well, I have to say that your patinas and tutorials enhance my jewelry making!
Your leaves are beautiful, Shannon. I love torch patina on copper and am always amazed at the individual results, like snowflakes, no two patinas are ever alike!
I have begun raiding my husbands worktruck seriouly.I've always grabbed the stray copper,but one evening,I dug deep.Pipe cutters lots of copper pipe and sheets,bolts,sealants,all kinds off things I don't what they are,but I think they look very intresting.I have boxes filled,and hidden,waiting for me.I'm starting Monday,when he goes to work!
Metal and glass!
Seems simple, but I was working in sterling and now I've added copper to some of the mix. Sterling's gotten so expensive, so the addition of copper helps with that a bit. It also adds interest, and I can patina them both for a "worn" look.
There are so many beautiful items on your blog. I sure enjoy spending time here.
I love everything you make.
Lately I have been liking the combo of turquoise and copper. Like the old pennies that would turn green or the old copper roofs. I like that old-new combo.
Cilla
www.tellyourgirlfriends.com
Shannon, your fold formed leaves are amazing! I love how the color pools in the dimples. This week I experimented a little with waxed cotton cord--but I was frustrated because 1. the 1 mm cord wouldn't fit through most of the holes in my beads and 2. the end of the cord kept unraveling, making the end "mushy" instead of nice and stiff for easy threading. :( I must be doing something wrong.
btw, I'm listing a new pair of earrings in my shop today that have your hoops paired with some matte lampwork beads.
I've been using more Brass & Copper because Sterling is so costly now. I actually like the different metals and patinas and missficklemedia's is wonderful! Love the leaves....
Love the leaves, they're just so very pretty. I can think of so many things to do with them :).
As for myself, I love copper. It's my favorite metal to work with. My favorite combination is copper with a teal blue. Blue fabric, blue stones, blue paper... anything teal blue.
Shannon, your leaves are incredible! How perfect now that we're all looking to fall.
I'm "playing with clay" these days and exploring how to combine my poly pendants with chain and my beautiful semi precious stones.
Thanks for the beautiful photos.
Diane
Wow - your leaves are gorgeous. Can't decide which is my favorite. Right now I'm working with torching copper and loving it.
I want to say that these pieces are very inspirational and they look very novel and innovative.The leaves in various shades of your imagination look very nice.
i find my creative journey constantly evolving and detouring, but my current obsessions are resin, alcohol inks and gilders paste- i just want to slather them on everything. Plain cast resin aquired depth and interest with an application of ink or paste or both. The same wth raw metal (which is a new adventure for me)
LOVE, love, love!!! your leaves, I'm especially partial to the verdigris, amazing next to the bright copper! I have to admit, I have sooo many techniques on my list to try, but have not yet had time to do so...working with poly clay, glass fusing and beadmaking, metal shaping and patinas...seems the possibilities are endless. Right now I am loving working with different textures, metal, stamping, fabrics, etc.
One last thing, I would love to purchase a tutorial from you, Shannon, on how to make the folded leaves, if that is something you would be interested in preparing!
I love the leaves. I've been having a blast trying out your patinas this week. Soooo happy with the russet red on some brass leaves!
What gauge is the copper you use for these fold formed leaves? I'll have to check in to Charles Lewton Braine's book for more info. You are an inspiration!
Those are absolutely wonderful. You are a master of patina.
Your leaves are stunning! I love the uniqueness of them - each one different.
I like combining old & new, for a vintage looking piece, but with a modern twist.
I love those leaves! So perfect for fall.
What have I been doing? Lately I have been combining pearls, crystals and other semiprecious stones and knotting it all up together
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