Sweet Bird...

Sweet bird you are

Briefer than a falling star

All these vain promises on beauty jars

Somewhere with your wings on time

You must be laughing...

                                              ~Joni Mitchell, 1975

I sang this Joni Mitchell song almost the entire time I was making this necklace...I have been totally and utterly an ardent JM fan since junior high school when I first heard her on the radio in the 8th grade, 1972..."You turn me on, I'm a radio".  (Yes, I realize I am dating myself, but I am proud of my almost 53 years). 

I've had this necklace in my mind's eye since I first started playing with Stephanie Lee's Homesteading..you cover a piece of metal with lead-free solder and create bezels or in this case, embed metal stampings, filigree, etc into the solder.  I have totally fallen in love with this technique and I know there are other artists who are creating components similarly, but I am determined to incorporate my own style into this!

 
So, I had this brass bird just sitting around and decided to go for it.  I cut the loops off  some brass filigree connectors and added them to the corners and bottom, but I thought they looked unfinished, so I added little copper balls.

I had made a couple of smaller disks with the small birds for earrings earlier, so the light bulb went off to use one for a clasp.  I added brass rings for the connector parts and created a swirled hook with brass wire, embellished with copper.

The big briolette is some sort of agate...as are some of the rondells I used.  I bought a bunch of  what was labeled "amulet" agate, but I haven't been able to find it online anywhere or in the bead store I originally bought it at since.  If anyone knows what it really is, let me know:).  Also incorporated are smoky quartz, amazonite, Czech glass, fluorite, enameled beads, brass wire and chain.

I am really proud of this piece...aside from the gemstones, Czech glass beads, and chain, all the components were created by me!

Thanks for stopping by :)  I appreciate you all more than you know!