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
