Friday, January 31, 2014

AJE January 2014 Component of the Month....Dream!

I am honored to be a member of the Art Jewelry Elements blog team.  One of the major perks is to be able to participate in the Component of the Month challenges!  This first one challenge for 2014 was definitely that... a challenge.  My lovely and uber talented team mate, mixed-media artist Jenny Davies-Reazor, created these amazing polymer clay and resin components filled with vintage dictionary entries...click the link to read more about them.



I fell in love with them the minute she even hinted at what they were going to be.  When she showed her samples, we could choose a color and our word, or we could be surprised.  I asked for one of her   pretty blue ones, but let her choose my word.  I wasn't disappointed!



Now, I said it was a challenge...let me explain a bit.  I was thrown by the holes in each corner!  At first I thought maybe a bracelet with beaded chain connecting to the holes, but was worried about wear and tear, because I envision wearing this piece a lot!  Of course, it had to be a necklace!  But still, what about those bottom holes?  Drape-y chain?  Dangles from each  hole?  My next thought was to create a backing of textured copper to form a frame around the frame, and rivet the pieces together.  Hmmm, that would have hidden the secret backing she included...oh, I haven't shown you that?


I don't know if that was a coincidence, or planned on Jenny's part, but see the entry?  It would have been a shame to cover that up, plus the resin and paper let light through which is wonderful!

So late the other night, I was thinking of other jewelry designs in my head, as I am prone to do, and I was thinking about those rivets I was going to use with the copper backing, and thought, 'could I use headpins and wire-wrap it to something?  Finally, the neurons were sparking!  I created a frame from 14g copper wire.  I solved my bottom embellishment roadblock with adding a loop in the center, then formed an open rectangle to fit the back of the component (more or less),  rounded the ends in the flame a bit, and formed spirals for connectors to a necklace.  I then created long copper balled headpins out of 22g copper and used the corner holes to wire-wrap the component to the frame.



Of course, my dangle embellishments would be little flowers!  I think these pretty blue Czech glass blossoms really belong with Jenny's sweet design.  My original plan was to have a beaded chain for it, which might still happen, but I just didn't have the perfect ones in my stash and I waited to long to shop! They may be a later addition, but for now, I like the simplicity of the copper chain and hook, which is sort of my M.O. lately, especially for necklaces I am keeping for myself!

Thank you, Jenny, for creating the perfect focal piece for me!  You can get one for yourself...check out Jenny's shop, because I think she is making more!!   So there you go...want to see what kind of designs other team members came up with?  Here is the list of participants!  Go, drool!

Guests:
Hope of Craftyhope -
Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry

AJE team
Jennifer Cameron
Diana Ptaszynski
Lesley Watt
Susan Kennedy
Caroline Dewison
Linda Landig
Melissa Meman (that's me!)
Keirsten Giles
Rebekah Payne
Kristen Stevens
Jenny Davies-Reazor


13 comments:

  1. Melissa you did a fabulous job solving your problem. Your necklace is awesome. The blue Czech flowers are the perfect accent.

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  2. Wow! I just love that copper frame you made! The little blue flowers are just the perfect touch too. And keeping it simple just lets the focal shine all the more.

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  3. I don't think I can effectively express in words how much I love this. Your ingenuity with the wire is so very inspiring. It's wonderful that you were able to keep the focal dainty and romantic. I really, really adore what you've done here. Of course, I don't think there's a piece you've made that I haven't liked!

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  4. I love what you did with this frame! The little headpins are actually a great embellishment to the focal, they add a lot in themselves. The swirling wire echoes the design on the focal so nicely too, I love that the ends of your swirls end in ball shapes, rather than just cut ends, it gives it such a finished, polished feeling. Your dangles are perfect too! I'd love to see the rest of the piece all together.

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  5. The wire frame is awesome! What a great idea. Wish I had thought of that. The little rivets are darling. Your design is so flow-y. Love it!

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  6. My head exploded. You solved all the ??? I didn't realize I had. Can you send me a pix of the back? The text was simple synchronicity - as that was the flip side of the page! I love a dangle and the center loop is perfect. Lovely. Wow. Thank you. Cool.

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  7. I don't even know what else to say other than that it's awesome! So outside the box for me and so amazing looking!!!

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  8. Anonymous5:25 PM

    This is amazing! What a brilliant idea to frame the frame with wire! And not just any old wire, but with swirling lines like in Jenny's frame. And those balled headpins in the holes give it such a polished look. I'm so impressed!

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  9. Anonymous8:57 PM

    Fantastic! Love the feminine look of the wire and blue dangles. A beautiful piece.

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  10. WOW you totally rocked it by creating that frame!!! I adore all the metal work and the dangles finish the whole thing off beautifully!!

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  11. I love your beautiful metal work! I especially like the way you used the ball pins to hold the COM in place!

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  12. I always love your metal-work Melissa—this is no exception! What a fabulous idea to make a frame with headpins as rivets! Beautiful necklace and definitely a keeper!

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  13. This is Melissa - your wire work really complements Jenny's focal perfectly.

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I love reading your comments!!!

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