Monday, June 3, 2013

My Jewelry is in Bead Chat Magazine!

The June issue of Bead Chat Magazine has published a few of my jewelry pieces!  

Back in April I found out about Artisan Whimseys (AW) 5x5 Test Group. This group is comprised of 5 AW artists who test 5 identical samples from the host for that month. The host for the June issue was going to be Elaine Ray, a sweet and talented ceramic artist.  I was chosen as one of the testers and Elaine sent me the following components:
Elaine Ray Components for June Bead Chat Magazine 5x5 Test Group
My job was to play with these components, comment on them and create with them...FUN!!
I started with the leaf headpins, these earrings came to me pretty easily, I love headpins and I LOVE how these came out!!

Elaine Ray Leaf Headpin Earrings June 5x5 Beat Chat Magazine
Next was the square component.  I think it looks like a pendant and would make a great one.  I also saw it as a bracelet focal and I really wanted a wide flat piece of leather to go through those wire ends.  I asked the hubs if he had any leather and he offered me an old leather glove!  

So, I cut out a strip and wired it in place...voila!
Elaine Ray Component bracelet
Next up was the dark blue dangle.  All the loops had me stumped.  I thought about dangling chain or connecting strips of macrame between the loops but nothing seemed to come out the way I saw it in my head.  I did end up trying a section of wire macrame inspired by Lesley Watt (see it at the top on either side of the glass art bead)!!  Here's what I made:

The last piece had me completely stumped!  My mind kept going to a "Stop Light" which didn't help.  Once I changed my perspective and opened my mind a bit I thought of a planter box or trellis.  I made this one into a magnet.

Here's a picture with all of the jewelry pieces I made together

This experience has been so much fun!  I loved "meeting" Elaine Ray and working with her components.  You really need to check out Bead Chat Magazine  now, you can see what the other 4 testers did with these same pieces!  

The whole magazine is full of gorgeous Eye Candy and some seriously talented people.  I am so happy I got picked for this challenge!


6 comments:

  1. Lovely designs! I especially like that bracelet with the recycled leather. How cool that you used an old glove for the leather. What a fabulous idea!!

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  2. Ah ha! The mystery of the glove solved! Everything is really wonderful - Thanks again, Elaine

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  3. Lovely work, it so interesting how we all came up completely different ideas, I especially like the bracelet

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  4. Oh what fun! I really liked how you thought outside of the box on a couple of the pieces like your magnet.

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  5. Very creative. I really like the earrings. I have given handmade glass headpins to people as gifts and they always tell me they don't know what to do with them?!

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  6. Ohhh, I love leaves, so the ceramic headpins are my favorite of the art beads -- and your earrings are gorgeous! The beads, the tendrils, beautiful, beautiful. And the bracelet -- way cool. Not just because of upcycled leather, but the shape of the ceramic that you repeated with the shape and richness of the leather and the wire work just comes together into total cool! You magnet is fun! Very creative and your necklace's wire macrame has me heading to check out Leslie's blog too!

    Congratulations on being published! You created beautiful jewelry with Elaine Ray's work!

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I love that you are taking the time to comment on my blog, your comments make it all worth while!