otherworldly.

esther pearl watson's work is a bit different than what i'm normally attracted to, but all the tales behind them really reel me in. her dad used to build these 'flying saucers' from scrap parts etc. in their yard and seemed an overall quirky fellow. it makes me think of my dad, who was always so gifted with his hands and would build me things as a girl. 

Who Doesn't Love a Challenge?

Today I am honored to be participating in Erin Prais Hintz's Music Challenge Blog Hop.

Here is what Erin said about the hop.

• Participation is limited to the first 100 to sign up from February 1st-4th, 2012.
  
• Decide on Your Song. Listen to it. Write your thoughts about it. Think about the words and emotions and mood and color and tempo that it evokes. If the lyrics are particularly important to you, find the lyrics and highlight your favorite phrases. Research the singer, the songwriter, the time period or the inspiration for the song.
• Create an accessory of your choice that evokes that theme song. Any accessory is applicable. Art beads are encouraged, but are not required. Feel free to use your stash!
• Find a way to share this song on your blog: write out the lyrics, tell us some background information, post a YouTube video of the song. This will be a great way to connect with new music and share your taste and help us see the connection between what you create and the song.
• Mark Your Calendars: Blog Hop on February 29th

I was blessed to make it into this challenge.  I love to create based on inspiration, and music is such a deep and rich source for me, that I could not wait to play!

Here is a list of the blogs who are participating.  So take a hop and check it out/

Erin Prais-Hintz

Marcie Abney

Christine Altmiller

Elisabeth Auld

LJ B

Lori Bowring Michaud

Shannon Chomanczuk

Cece Cormier

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Malin de Koning

Beth Emery

Michelle Escano-Caballero

Erin Fickert-Rowland

Therese Frank

Amy Freeland

Tanya Goodwin

Stephani Gorman

Amy Grass

Beth Hemmila

Kristina Johansson

Emanda Johnson

Jennifer Justman

Tari Kahrs

Susan Kennedy

Ema Kilroy

Kathleen Lange Klik

Kirsi Luostarinen

Paige Maxim

Beth McCord

Natalie McKenna

Alice Peterson

Cat Pruitt

Bobbie Rafferty

Johanna Rhodes

Cynthia Riggs

Sally Russick

Sarah Sequins

Amy Severino

Staci Smith

Kristen Stevens

Lola Surwillo

Stefanie Teufel

Sandi Volpe

Lesley Watt

Holly Westfall

Shaiha Williams

white eyelashes.

iamamiwhoami have moved out of the woods & into a minimalist and colorless apartment complex in this month's offerings. despite the less surreal quality of its mysterious lead singer, there is still a bit of magic to the videos that i find charming thou a bit less of a magnetic force as their previous fantastical escapades.

Guest Post - Lauren Luquin

Jewelry from the Heart

Greetings.. My name is Lauren Luquin. I am so grateful that my friend Izzy asked me to contribute a guest post here at this lovely blog. Thank you ‘Love My Art Jewelry’ for having me...

I’d like to take this opportunity to share a bit about myself and what I do, with the intention of hopefully inspiring others in some way. My works are all about sharing in love and gratitude, and being true to myself as I evolve on my path, peacefully.

I am a married mama to 2 young children who constantly amaze me and challenge me to become more present and aware. After years of education and several jobs teaching the youth in public schools, I decided to stay home to homeschool/unschool my eldest and run my business. In August 2009 I opened my Etsy shop VisionWise, and started a blog as a way of expressing myself. Since then I’ve made lots of changes and transformed many times, and my business has grown slowly but steadily. I enjoy creating whatever I feel guided to make, but I spend most of my crafting time designing wearable art jewelry, and other spiritual medicine. The entire creative process of making my jewelry is guided from my heart-center and intuitive mind. The energy I feel permeates what I create, so I focus on love and healing... I write about the healing properties of the minerals, crystals, shells, and animal medicine I use, so that the deeper elements of what energy is being exchanged is known to the wearer, or anyone who reads my listings... This is a very important part of my creation process.

I’d like to share more about the deerskin cuffs I make because I have been thinking a lot about them and have the intention of creating lots more of them in March. My Etsy shop has been slowly running out of items because I’ve been deeply involved with my latest project- Intuitive Heart eCourse. Even though I haven’t been making as much stuff for my shop as I usually do, I know that my journey inward and my day-to-day experiences play a roll in the overall outcome of my creations, and that they will manifest in divine timing...

I use deerskin to make pouches, medicine bags, necklaces and cuffs. 90% of the deerskin I use has been given to me by other medicine people and lightworkers. The times that I have bought hides I have purchased from Native American Trade Posts that respect the animal’s life in ceremony. This is important to me because deer farming is not something I want to support in any way. Deers are sacred to me and I have learned so much from them. I love working with deerskin because it’s so soft and yet very durable, natural, and grounding.

When I feel drawn to make a cuff I get into a meditative state and burn white sage- purifying my workspace and giving thanks for the deerskin, and crystals, etc. I use: natural fiber sinew, a leather needle, a lighter, sewing scissors, a leather hole punch tool, and various organic beads. Sometimes I use recycled cotton fabric for the inner lining of cuffs, pouches, and bags.

When I begin handling the deerskin I envision the shape of the piece and begin to cut it out freehand. For cuffs, I use my own wrist and a measuring tape that used to be my grandmother’s to decide the length and width. Then I lay the deerskin onto the fabric I am going to use, and I trace around the edge, and then cut out the fabric. I punch holes around the edge of the cuff, then I get my sinew and needle and I sew on the beads of choice, and usually a coconut or abalone shell button... then I pin the fabric to the deerskin... and then cut a small hole on the opposite end of where the button is.

To start sewing, instead of making a knot, I use a lighter to burn about 3 inches of sinew into a hot waxy seal that I press flat onto the deerskin, paying attention to detail and trying my best to keep all of the seals concealed. I hand sew the entire piece and charge it with love and light... always. When I finish, I burn sage once again and move the cuff through the smoke purify it once again from any residual energies that it may have accumulated in my environment. I take great care to ensure that all of my items are passed along with the purest intention.

I feel healed when I follow my heart and create art jewelry using organic materials. It fills me with joy to share my works with others, and it inspires me to hear that my pieces affect people in positive ways. It is a beautiful exchange of energy that I am so grateful for.

I hope you’ll come check out my shop, and visit my blog... That’s where you can learn more about me, and contact me if you’re interested...

I’m also available on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Here's more on my Intuitive Heart eCourse.

Thank you all for reading. Blessings on your path...

Much love,
LL

all the masks.

tim walker for love magazine.

always.

2012 Oscar Jewelry Round Up: The Top Ten from Tinseltown

 

Oscar jewelry at the 84th Academy Awards was an elegant affair complete with Wonder Woman cuffs, capes and crazy carats galore.

While some of my Oscar predictions came true (Angelina wore studs. Again; gold dresses were everywhere; blue sapphires made a showing, statement earrings are still trending) - others totally missed the mark (necklaces weren't the no-show I thought they were going to be - not by a long shot).

For fashion followers, the colors of the night were a mix of devilish red and angelic white - with a lot of black or black and gold and a smattering of blues/purples.

Here's the ubiquitous Top Ten List for your reading pleasure. Be sure to weigh in with your rants and raves!

TOP TEN (in no particular order):

1.  Gwenyth Paltrow

Gwenyth Paltrow, in a white, caped Tom Ford number and a 6-inch diamond cuff by Anna Hu and tons of right hand rings had all the crazy jewelry-loving tweeps on the Live Tweet Fest (#oscarjewelry) gasping for air.

2. Viola Davis

Viola Davis sparkled in green emerald stunners by Lorraine Schwartz and a Vera Wang masterpiece (I love you, Meryl, but Ms. Davis SO deserved the Oscar this year. Sigh)

3. Michelle Williams

 

Michelle Williams wore 30-carats of old mine-cut diamond ice by Fred Leighton for Forevermark around her neck and added a bow brooch on her dress (not pictured) to boot. Perfection. Almost too perfect, perhaps?

4. Stacey Keibler

Stacey Keibler wowed in marvelous Marchesa and Lorraine Schwartz earrings (that I swear I've seen on Beyonce before).

That dress was simply made for her - a nice consolation when George shows up with someone else next year.

5. Octavia Spencer

Big winner, Octavia Spencer, looked lovely in the night's white color trend (another Tadashi Shoji number) and platinum and diamond deco-drops from Neil Lane.

6. Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman in Harry Winston. Classic. Elegant. And a one doozy of a necklace sighting - the night's most surprising trend!

7. Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain won big in $2 million worth of Harry Winston jewels and an Alexander McQueen number that had the red carpet buzzing.

8. Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz sparkled in another stunning riviere necklace (a la Michelle Wiliams) and diamond clusters by Chopard. And that dress! To die!

9. Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich was the first 'big' star on the red carpet, and she set the bar high in this stunning white beaded Elie Saab number and Jacob & Co. diamond jewels. Big win!

10. Emma Stone

And finally...I'll go with Emma Stone's rockin rubies by Louis Vuitton EVEN THOUGH SHE WORE THE SAME DRESS AS NICOLE KIDMAN from the Oscars a few years ago. Fashion faux pas, my dear.

The losers for me were Shailene Woodley in a dress meant for someone twice her age, Rooney Mara for boycotting jewelry altogether (even though her Givenchy couture dress was divine, and Sandra Bullock in barely there diamond drops (zzzzzzzz......)

And finally. Angelina Jolie wore $2.5 million of Neil Lane diamond ice in the form of some back brooches and (wait for it....) diamond friggin studs. Again with the studs? Yeah, I'm disappointed, but when you can rock a frock like that (the audience literally applauded her legs when they appeared on stage)? Who needs jewelry.

So who am I missing? Weigh in with your thoughts - and be sure to check out the Oscar Sale I curated for Jewelry.com with looks inspired by many of my favorites of the night!

Its the Monday Strut..................

by staci smith


...................strut your stuff that is!

I am so happy that our very own Mary Jane added these to the group, because I really wanted to be able to feature them this month.  It's still February, and hearts are all around, but I really admire the thought and process of these.

This is what she had to say about these................

open heart

'only from the heart can you touch the sky.'
- rumi

and this one too.....

on love and rumi

'your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find
all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.'
- rumi

And I also picked this lovely work of art!  It an enamel piece by Zenamels, Julie Holmes, and I enjoyed the story behind it.

She writes......

Roam

This piece was inspired by my son's road trip. He's a grad student and he and his friends did their trip the college student way....little planning...economy motels...cheap rental cars. They had a ball. So glad we live where we are free to roam as we wish. I did this piece very off the cuff as well...the shape was drawn free-form (my boys say it's not unsymmetrical enough, that it looks like I was trying for symmetry and missed), the stamping was random and the finish is rough....but it's the way I intended it :)

Thanks for sharing!  There is still time to enter Strut Your STuff this month.  The winner will be announced next Monday.

Have a wonderful and creative week.

somewhere else.

these days:

i've returned to my pinterest boards. i've been especially interested in collecting interiors. 

only a little reading this week, but watching 'the piano turner of earthquakes' by the brothers quay.

wishing i could go to sf again next weekend to see 'clamour of rooks'

especially & always dreaming of here.

Collaboration as a means of growth....

By Barbara Bechtel

It can be a very solitary existence being an artist. Most artists feel the need for a certain amount of solitude in order for their inspirations and ideas to take shape. However, it is also important to reach out to those around you as a means to either discuss art, exchange tips and ideas, and uplift and encourage one another during the peaks and valleys of creativity.

The internet has made a invaluable contribution to the way we are able to communicate with each other and forge new relationships and alliances. Add blogs to the mix and it becomes an exciting way to collaborate and exchange ideas. Before I began making jewelry, I found and participated in some other art/mixed media swaps and was immediately hooked!

Collaboration, whether it is online through blog hops/ round robins, or whether it is exchanging a piece of work back and forth with a friend in another town is a great way to push yourself outside of the box. By working thematically or working collaboratively on the same piece, each artist can help each other learn new things or overcome specific problems they are having in their own work.

Many times, you may even be introduced to a new medium, technique, or style that will influence and change the way you work! It wasn't until I first participated in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party that I saw the potential of how such collaborations could help me with the solitude that a life being creative sometimes creates. Not only has participating in these types of exchanges allowed me to make new friends, it has even enabled me to connect with other people who live right in my backyard who I didn't know were there!

 

How do you use collaboration to help you grow in your work?

 

What ideas have you come up with to reach out and connect with other artist's and jewelry artisans? 

 

If you're interested in participating in an upcoming swap, Lori Anderson is hosting Cup of Bead Soup, an extension of her Bead Soup Blog Party and I'm very excited to be the first art bead partner! For more information, please go check it out.

Where are we?

Just in case, you have been wondering where else to find our group on the web, here is a quick reference guide.  We would LOVE to have you follow us at any of these spots!

Just click any to be taken there....

GOOGLE +

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

PINTEREST

FLICKR

TWITTER

Or..... You might want to follow the....

ART BEAD LOVE TOUR CHAIN

where you can share to love of exchanging art beads while promoting your own blog at the same time.

Follow Silver Rose Designs so you do not miss out......

Thank-you for supporting those who create handmade with handmade.

MaryAnn

metal stamping

mary jane dodd

one of the first techniques i tried was metal stamping... 

how hard could it be? you have a metal blank and hit the metal punch with a hammer on an anvil or bench block... 

right?

well, yes... 

and, no... 

i learned that you could get some very frustrating results... 

like double striking - you know that one, where you get a double image of the stamp... 

or the letters are drifting up (or down)...

or the character is sideways - because you didn't check that one last time to make sure it was being held correctly in your hand... 

when you make mistakes in stamping, it can be incredibly frustrating - you can be almost to the end of a phrase and get careless... the metal gets put into the recycle bag... but if you aren't able to cut your own discs, you have now lost one blank in your limited supply... 

like any technique, it is worth learning about... trial and error are always important learning methods, but the waste of time and money can be teeth gritting... 

double strikes - if you are using a steel hammer to hit a steel punch on a steel bench block there is a lot of bounce back... the energy has to go somewhere... for me, a brass head hammer has really been helpful... a softer metal, brass absorbs the shock... 

brass head hammers are also recommended any time you are hitting something steel - like when using a disc cutter... metal work hardens when it is repeatedly struck... eventually it can snap... using the brass lessens that effect... 

wonky orientation - draw a line with a sharpie marker, double check just one more time that the stamp is facing the way you want it to...

and find the position that works best for you... meaning, whether you are sitting or standing depending upon how high your work table is... it matters in terms of the strike... i have found that i really do need my elbow to be able to come to a 90* angle...  stamping is also not really a technique you can do on a plastic card table... you need some stability behind it... 

i hope these tips will reduce some of the frustration for you... because there are such fun and beautiful stamps out there to purchase... and it is a rather inexpensive way to personalize your work... 

if you want to be inspired by clean stamping, take a look at the work of cindy pack - she is a great example of one who knows her tools and the techniques by which you optimize their use... 

if you want to dap your discs, use a wooden set...


a great source (besides etsy) is beaducation ... 

2012 Oscar Jewelry Predictions

With the 84th Academy Awards a mere days away, it's time - once again - to put the champagne on ice and dish out some juicy Oscar jewelry predictions. You know you love 'em.

But first, a quick reminder that this Sunday at 6pm EST all the jewelry-loving tweeps will be using the #oscarjewelry hashtag to Live Tweet all the red carpet shenanigans.

We may not have a Glam Cam - but we've got fangs sharper than a diamond shard when it comes to arm-chair quarterbacking the fashion choices of the A list. AND we play drinking games. Me-OW! 

Prediction #1 - Wonder Woman Cuffs

 

I just participated in a Style Counsel piece for InDesign Mag where we 'trend spotter' types all touted the arrival of the double cuff on the red carpet. Sofia Vergara, Elle McPherson, Kate Beckinsale and Nicole Ritchie all sported the look during Awards Season this year, and the trend is likely to continue on Sunday night.

Why wear one gazillion-dollar piece of arm candy, when you can have two?

Prediction #2 - Neckwear No-Show

One would think the 'case of the missing necklace' would be solved now that Lindsay Lohan is the 'home stretch' of her community service - BUT - the little devils just aren't coming out to play at all on the red carpet lately.

Gone are the bib necklaces of Awards Shows past (like this stunner on Amy Adams in 2008). We're not even getting a decent-sized diamond Y-neck!

While I may be off here, I'm thinking the statement earring trend is where the big boys are going to play again this year - and with designer Lorraine Schwartz dominating the red carpet, I'm sure the celebs have been doing their ear lobe exercises all week.

Prediction #3 - Blue Sapphires

 

Emerald jewelry has become the gemstone of choice when it comes to adding a splash of color to a red carpet look - from Angelina Jolie's emerald earrings in 2009 to Reese Witherspoon last year.

 

BUT - the 2012 runways have been swimming in a sea of blue hues (Chanel Couture, Anna Sui, Oscar de la Renta and more), and I think the jewelry world may just follow suit. Just a hunch.

Prediction #4 - Golden Gowns

While shiny dresses may be an 'easy way out' when it comes to making a statement on the red carpet (Taylor Swift, anyone?) metallics are - indeed - trending, with Badgley Mischka, Naeem Kahn, Marchesa and many more featuring them in their Fall 2012 RTW shows.

The vintage sequined look of the Great Gatsby-era is also big right now - and so are those long, head-to-toe sequined looks that belong to the Alexis Carrington/Dynasty days of the 80s.

So, ladies. When in doubt? Wear a big shiny dress to the Oscars. At least you'll make the Joan Rivers "Best List".


Prediction #5 - Angelina Jolie and Michelle Williams Will Wear Studs

I've given up hope that Angelina will bring us another Lorraine Schwartz jewelry juggernaut like the emeralds of yesteryear. Every time I think: "THIS is going to be the event where she graces us with something other than studs, hoops or 'just Brad' in the accessory department," well..I wind up as disappointed as a tree-hugger at a logger convention.

Coming in a close second on the list of "Can't Seem to Top Her Own Fabulosity"? Michelle Williams.

I LOVED her 2006 Tangerine Dream of an Oscar dress and her 19th Century vintage diamond necklace from Fred Leighton was the perfect complement. But these days? I haven't seen her sparkle in anything other than barely-there studs and an eye twinkle. Zzzzzz......

C'mon A-listers! It's the Oscars. I want to wear a bib to catch the drool this year. I want my jaw to hit the floor so hard I have to put in carpet to cover the cracks. I want Kelly Osbourne's hair color to return to something resembling... 'human'.

But I digress...

With Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Natalie Portman, Penelope Cruz, and Emma Stone all presenting, I'm sure there will be plenty of jewelry conniption fits to complement my champagne.

What are your thoughts about the Oscar line-up this year? Agree, disagree with my predictions? Weigh in...and be sure to check Jewelry.com on Monday where our post-Oscar coverage will include my Oscar Jewelry For Less Sale, a thorough round up of all the night's best bling and more!

We gawk harder...so you don't have to.