This week I was commissioned to make a collar for an energy healer. She has a herkimer diamond that she wears 24/7, and her previous collar (not by me) broke after many years of taking it off and putting it on.
She wanted the new collar to incorporate gold-filled and silver, to represent sun/moon and male/female energy. I added 11 bindings (master number 11 represents intuition), and with the exception of the binding at the base of the “V”, each of the bindings is a multiple of 3.
The disappointment of having to cancel my classes in Germany was mellowed a bit this week, when news came from fellow instructor Dian Hierschel that my necklace “Pop! Goes the Circle” had placed second in the Metals/Wirework category at the International Bead Awards! The IBA was exhibited as part of Beaders Best Perlenkunst Messe, just wrapped up in Hamburg.
Dian kindly sent along this photo from show.
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I worked at break-neck speed on this necklace, spending most of New Year’s Eve finishing it. It was uploaded almost at the last minute before entries closed. The sore shoulder lasted a few days, but this makes it all worth while! Thank you to the jury and to everyone who voted for it!
I mentioned in my Week 6 post that I was making felted beads, and now I can share the results of that effort. Initially I was going to pair the felted beads with the crochet beads just as I’d made them, in fine silver white. Then it occurred to me that over time, the silver is going to tarnish, and the necklace will be difficult to clean without taking it apart.
The solution was to add LOS to the silver.
Liver of sulphur stinks to high heaven, but it creates such interesting effects, especially when a bit of salt is added into the solution! I love how the colours change, and in this case, how they became mottled in the purple-blue range.
A friend of mine asked me to produce a bunch of pieces for her to use in the fall for a fashion show, so this is going to be one of the things I send her. It’s not my typical style, but it will work well with the clothing being shown.
More photos:
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I attended the opening of Zilberschmuck Art Jewellery’s National Juried Exhibition “Connection” on Thursday evening. Running concurrently with that exhibition (see the outstanding work here) is “The Retro Show”, a retrospective of past shows organized by Zilberschmuck.
It was standing room only at Shao Design, which was hosting the event. Cheryl Fraser, owner of Zilberschmuck, gave an emotion filled speech welcoming everyone, and thanking Shao Pin Chu for opening his studio for the show. It was great to see lots of familiar faces and to meet a few new friends.
Two of my pieces from the Karen Kelly Fashion Show (2004) are included in The Retro Show, and I was able to snap this photo of the case:
The exhibitions continue until May 30, 2009. Directions here.