all things secret.

these days:

*finishing up the new 'sea witch' line (sneak peek here), which i can now officially announce will be released in tandem & in collaborative thematic similarity to Ovate's new line. i've been so excited for this project as i've been a long time fan of audrey's work. i feel her clothes were made just for me somehow !

* reading 'the flame alphabet' 

*nicola samori's (above) odd works make my teeth shiver. 

* wearing beetlejuice jeans on a rare night off.

* i made a special necklace for artist charmaine olivia for her recent art opening. take a peek at her whole look here.

how has 2012 been treating you?

Mixtures of Materials - Celie Fago Jewelry

There's so much variety in the jewelry
created by Celie Fago.
She works with both precious metal clay
and polymer clay and highlights
everything with metal work.

The best parts of her work
emerge whenever she creates
unique textures. By layering
multiple processes and multiple materials
 upon one another she constructs pieces
that push creative and technical boundaries.

This pendant provides an example of
her focus on texture.
And I love the delicate calligraphy.

Again, texture is the

predominant effect.

Mixing polymer with metal produces

subtle colorations with striking effect.

Her work evokes a marriage of superb

quality and creative design.

Every piece provides a broad

range of visual interest.

The polymer work is exceptional.

The metal clay work is exquisitely designed.

The overall effect is amazing and inspiring.

And one of the best things about her
artistic journey is that she is willing
to teach all she has learned.

For more images and information
see Celie Fago's website.

Guest post - Kristi Bowman

I am thrilled to be sharing on this wonderful blog.

 Rather than talking about myself today 

I'm going to show you some fun things I've been working on.

I dug out some amazing carved wood blocks I've been hoarding for awhile 

and did a bunch of new copper pieces with them.

Once I got started I could kick myself for letting them sit on the shelf!

This is a vintage block and I made several pieces from it.

 

I don't believe this one is vintage 

but it's absolutely stunning and no surprise I got a stunning piece from it.

Cut out a few bits added a few bits 

and it turned in to one beautiful and versatile component.

 

I had a bracelet focal in mind when I made it 

but I can see it could make a stunning necklace focal as well.

It has the center flower cut out, 

holes on either side and copper bits added along the side.

 

 

Above are all made from the same block.

It's the one in the first photo on the bottom right.

I've used it before and can do a lot with it!

Thanks for joining me on my first Guest Post on this blog.

If you'd like to check out my BLOG, ETSY shop, or ARTFIRE

I'd love to share the rest of my work with you.

Kristi

Detailed Glass by Mercedes Brugh Jewelry

Mercedes Brugh creates fused glass jewelry
with tons of details.

Each piece is filled with realistic details because she

takes the time to include elaborate amounts of

details in each of her drawings which are
then etched into the glass.

She does this by using computer-aided design
taking 20 hours or more for each drawing.

She explains her processes as follows,

It all starts with my original drawing, which I create using Computer Aided Drawing. CAD is the compulsive's friend, allowing for screaming detail. . . Drawings take twenty or more hours to perfect. Once I'm satisfied with the drawing, I etch the drawing into the metallic coating on dichroic glass. Then I cut other pieces of sheet glass and stack the pieces like a sandwich. I carefully fuse them at 1450°F to achieve a nice melt without turning the cut shapes into blobs. Finally, the schedule I use to cool the glass tempers it.

Here is an example of her newest work.
Each color pops against the black background.

This pendant of an idyllic wooded scene shows the

rich detail she etches into each piece.

and this three-part pendant is
equally detailed

This artist's detailed glass art is
vibrant and brilliant.

There's a lot more to see
 at Mercedes Brugh's website.

SYS Monday Showcase

This is the last Monday Showcase of our 

January Strut Your Stuff

and tomorrow is the last day to enter the 

January challenge.

As we've seen, this has been one great month 

for creativity and imagination!

Thanks to all who entered.

In case you've forgotten, 

here's what the randomly chosen winner will receive,

just for Strutting Their Stuff.

Prizes for January's challenge are...

All this eye candy courtesy of 

MAKU Studio

And all these beauties from

our own wonderful Mary Ann.

Without further ado let's get to the showcase.

(I have to mention that this week was one of my favorites.)

These beauties contain two of my most favorite colors.

Vintajia Adornments

This gem makes me dream of blue skies.

CiaoLucia

Everything by this dear friend makes me smile.

Our own Staci.

Just in time for Valentines Day.

Kristi

And to close... some very sweet romance.

AdobeSol

I will put all participants in a hat,

have either my cat, dog or husband

(who ever is most available)

to draw a name.

Winners to be announced on 

February 6,2012

along with the new challenge.

Good luck everyone

and happy Monday!

Bonnie Jacobsen

Bonnie sent me some pictures of some lovely work she's been doing with phosphor bronze wire. Thanks, Bonnie! You can see more of Bonnie's work on her Facebook page BDJ Designs.

Guest Post - Wendy Wetherbee

I was flattered to be invited to write a guest post. I love to write but honestly, I’ve been sort of blocked about where to go with this. I didn't want to write a lot of empty biographic crud that waxes poetic about me.  I thought about lots of subjects but couldn't really narrow anything down. I decided that whatever I wrote I wanted it to mean something to someone else. I wanted to write something that would resonate with someone, or inspire them in some way. Lofty goals for a first time guest blogger, especially when everyone is inspired by different things. But after giving it some thought I realized that sometimes my favorite blog posts are about what gets another artist going, feeds their fires and propels them to "make art".

So I decided to share a bit about what makes me tick, I hope that my words will draw a picture for you about what inspires me most.

----------------------------------------------------------

Maybe its because I grew up in New Hampshire, but I love walking in the woods. Since I can remember the forests have been around me and I have been around them.

The landscape of the "Granite State" is in my blood, I breathe it in and keep it in my heart. I love the trees that grow here. I love the musky perfume of the balsams and evergreens that fill our forests. I love the damp smell of the earth and decaying leaf litter. I love the way a well worn path gives slightly to cushion my steps.  I love the earthy red-brown softness of a pine needle carpet and the way the twisted root cobbles rise on the path every spring with the freeze and thaw of the earth.

On a cloudy day the woods are soft and dark and quiet and meditative. On a sunny day the dappled sunshine streams in through the tree limbs and turns the scene into a natural cathedral. Bird songs pepper the air, woodpecker knocks echo cavernously, great horned owls hoot to tell me I might be getting too close.

For me this piney environment is a calming place to be. I can go there, camera or sketchbook in hand and l can leave behind the morning rush of backpacks and lunch money, my looming deadlines and upcoming expenses. Everything fades away into the mossy green darkness. When I am particularly lucky I can travel even further north, to places where moose out number people. Where loons cry their mournful call and mist rises like spirits over lakes and ponds.

It is in those places where I am completely at home. There is a feeling of timelessness that I can't explain. Senses that I didn't even know that I had are opened. I am most inspired and awed when I can feel the pulse of the woods and know that I am not the most powerful thing there. I want to know that other eyes are watching, twitching ears are listening, and flaring nostrils have scented me a mile before I stepped foot on the trail.

On my luckiest days, I am graced with the presence of another creature. Among the many I’ve crossed paths with are deer, moose, bear, ravens, crows, the occasional porcupine, coyotes and like winning the lottery - even a bobcat. If  I’m quiet and still enough, they will stay and eye me with the same curiosity that I eye them. For as long as they allow me to, I study their fur or feathers, I notice how the sun glints in their eyes, or shines off their coat. I amaze at the way an ink black feather can with a glint of the sun become a rainbow of prismatic colors. How in an instant a bull moose, larger than my truck can disappear like a ghost into invisibility. And how a flutter of wings can sound so loud when a bird flies so close you can feel it like a whisper against your cheek.

For as long as I remain there, breathing it all in, I belong to no one but the woods. It envelops me in its comforting familiarity of sight, sound, and smell, and long for it again as soon as I leave.

Whether I am sitting at my easel or at my jewelry bench, those are the kinds of experiences that I hope to share with others through my work. Nature is a powerful, transformative thing, and I hope to do her justice in everything I do.


Wendy Wetherbee
Pure Dichotomy

Wendy's amazing jewelry, photography and art can be found here. Please go take a look at her shop, all her items are incredible.

soapbox.

"Charming Getaway" recap

by Kelli Pope

I've been telling you about the "Charming'" getaway for a couple weeks, so now it's time to tell you what an ABSOLUTE blast it truly was. First and foremost, I must thank Mary Noelker for this brilliant idea, and for providing her family's incredible cabin for our escape. She was the epitome of a charming hostess!

Initially, "cabin at the lake" can conjure all sorts of images; primitive fishing shack, minimal camp lodging, empty log cabin for roughing it, nice chalet...... We were all incredibly thrilled at the accommodations! WOW! What a beautiful place!!

It was cozy, and Mary made us feel right at home immediately. The property was completely surrounded by row upon row of evergreens.......... GORGEOUS!

The plan was to pull out the charms on Saturday, exchange and make our bracelets. Yeah, right!!! We could hardly wait until everyone arrived Friday night!! We did manage to wait until after dinner. The excitement was high!! We each took turns unveiling and describing our charms, then passed them around so everyone could choose one.. or 2 depending on how many the artist had made. There was wine, and laughter, and more laughter, but when we got all the charms out, and the chain distributed, you could have heard a pin drop. We all were SO intent on making the bracelets!!!

Here is a finished piece!!! VOILA!! We have glass, aluminum, found objects, ceramic, hammered metal, stitched beads, sterling silver and even antique, resin-filled class ring forms! So, with our project finished, what do we do on Saturday? More talking, laughing and swapping funny stories. And oh yeah...we're at the lake!!! Even though it was really, really, really cold, we went down for a walk around the lake to collect fossils.

Back to the cabin to get warm, open the wine, and have dinner. And what better pass time after dark, than roasting a few marshmallows for s'mores over the fire pit! YUM!!!!!!! Even though Mary (left) claims she won the largest, puffiest, most toasty-brown marshmallow roast off of 2012, I'm MORE than positive Leslie (center) won with the most puffage of all!! Thanks ladies for all the fun and laughs. It was great meeting new friends and connecting with old ones and getting to know you better!!! Can't wait until the Summer gathering! hmmmm.... what shall we make for that retreat?
Michelle Weston, Leslie Baete Fawcett, Mary Noelker, Marianne Brown, yours truly
and Robbie Moriarty in front (unfortunately, Theresa Kibby had to leave us before we got this pic)

and tomorrow blood will leave my body above the breast. . .

a joan of arc mood board.