AJE Component of the Month for September...

featuring a very cool copper clay focal by Kristi Bowman!

I decided that my design should stay fairly simple to show off this wonderful pendant, but wanted to incorporate some color.  I found these pretty serpentine beads that I was saving for a rosary and decided to do a necklace of wrapped links.  Serpentine is one of my favorite stones and this strand had such wonderful autumnal colors that really work well with copper.  I decided to add a bit more weight and paired the wrapped links with some small copper chain from my stash.

I punched an additional hole in Kristi's focal so that I could dangle a bead below...unfortunately I didn't have any serpentine briolettes, but this quartz one has the right pale celadon green shade to pair with the serpentine.

Quirky me decided at the last minute to add a bead to one of the holes in the pendant, just for another bit of color and fun...I used a copper headpin and a round copper disc in the back to hold the bead in place.  I am not sure I like my clasp...I may try to come up with something different that doesn't distract, or possibly move the clasp to the back (gasp!).

Here is the list of other designers who created...go show them some love!

  SJ Designs Jewelry

Kari Asbury

Shirley Moore

AJE Team Members

Caroline Dewison

Diana Ptaszynski

Lesley Watt

Melissa Meman

Linda Landig

Kristen Stevens

Jenny Davies-Reazor
Sue Kennedy

May Component of the Month, featuring SueBeads!

It is that time of the month for Art Jewelry Elements' Component of the Month blog hop!  It seems that I am only getting the chance to blog when I have a challenge deadline, lately!  I was able to sneak in a more personal one yesterday, sharing some photos of my boys, though.

This month, our lovely components were created by Sue Kennedy of SueBeads.  Sue is an amazing glass artist, and if you are familiar with my work, you will see that she is one of my favorites!  Her beads are always consistent and lovely! Expecting nothing less for the challenge components, I was thrilled and excited to receive mine!

I have to admit, I went through about 5 designs before I decided on a necklace, but once I decided it would be a focal pendant on a chain, it sort of made itself!

I had an etched brass disk, just waiting to be used, and I decided I wanted the pendant to also be a toggle, so I punched out a 1/2 inch hole with my disc cutter, then riveted the lovely bead with one of my double headpins swirled around in the back.  To bring out the pretty purple Sue edged the bead with, I dangled a small amethyst briolette from the bottom.

Unfortunately, I didn't punch in the spot I had measured and it sort of hangs a bit wonky, so I may have to play around with figuring out how to fix!

There you have it!  Go check out what others at AJE and the winners of Sue's component giveaway came up with!


Guest Bloggers

Lorelei Eurto   http://www.lorelei1141.blogspot.com/
Birgitta Lejonklou   http://lejonklou.blogspot.com/
Heidi Post   http://www.expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/
Lola Surwillo   http://beadlolabead.blogspot.com/
Kay Thomerson   http://kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/

AJE Team

Jennifer Cameron  http://glassaddictions.com/
Jenny Davies-Reazor   http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog
Susan Kennedy   http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com/
Linda Landig   http://www.lindasbeadblog.com/
Melissa Meman    http://melissameman.blogspot.com/
Rebekah Payne   http://www.treewingsstudio.com/
Jo Tinley     http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com/
Lesley Watt    http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com/

AJE Component of the Month Blog Hop - April Edition!

Hello out there!!  Today's post showcases lovely lampwork headpins, created by our fearless leader over at Art Jewelry Elements...Jennifer  Cameron of Glass Addictions.

I was thrilled to receive 2 pale blue transparent headpins with swirled copper wire inside!  You know me and swirls!  She indicated that we didn't have to use both headpins, but how could I resist?

I have been holding onto some special brass flowers to add to my enamel arsenal, and I decided they would be the perfect component to pair with the headpins.  I enameled them in a base of robin's egg blue, then dusted some orchid into the folds and torched.  Then, for good measure, added a bit of transparent raspberry!  I totally love how these turned out and have a few more sets of these that I will be playing with and offering for sale.

I decided to make some tiny caps for the headpins in the same orchid/raspberry hue.

Finished with some of my hand-wrought sterling and copper earwires, and embellished with Czech glass flowers, these awesome earrings measure about 2.25 inches.

Thanks for stopping by to see my creation!  Go see what everyone else came up with...you'll be glad you did!

Guest Designers:

Erin Prais-Hintz

Kathy Lindemer

Alice Peterson

AJE Team:

Susan Kennedy

Francesca Watson

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Lesley Watt

Melissa Meman...you are here!

Linda Landig

Jen Cameron

December AJE Component of the Month...Labyrinth

Good morning, all...just getting in under the wire to still say that!  Happy New Year's Eve!

One of the cool perks of being a contributor for Art Jewelry Elements is getting to participate in the Component of the Month challenges.  Each month, one of the AJE members offer a selected component and create a limited number for members who want to participate, a few to giveaway to random commenters, and of course some in their shop for anyone else to join in the fun.

This month, our hostess is Jenny Davies-Reazor, who creates amazing ceramic pieces. She designed these amazing, colorful labyrinth pendants.  We had our choice of color and the number of holes.  I felt drawn to the 3-holed ones. Here is what I came up with...

I had a piece of leather with sterling ends already for a necklace that I never got around to using and thought it would add to the rustic charm of the pendant.  I went through several designs, however, and nothing really latched on.  Originally, this was going to be mostly leather, with a couple of beads, and a front clasp, but the leather was not cooperating.  I ended up using these gorgeous Czech glass beads in a mulberry and black, from ArteBella Surplus.  By the time I got it looking the way I wanted, it was so long, I decided to 86 the clasp altogether, so it slips right over your head!

I may go back and ditch the leather as well, and incorporate some more silver and maybe some chain...I think I will live with it for a couple days and decide!  What do you think?

Here is a list of the other participants...please go and see what lovely pieces they created!
This months guests of honor:

Emma Todd

Lee Koopman

Jess Green

And participating AJE team members: 

Jen Cameron 

Kristi Bowman

Diana Ptaszynski

Kristen Stevens

Lesley Watt

Francesca Watson

Melissa Meman...me

Jo Tinley

Linda Landig

Sue Kennedy

Jenny Davies-Reazor, your hostess 

Let it Snow!

I participated in Art Jewelry Element's November Component of the Month Challenge.  This month's component was a gorgeous snowflake created by the talented Lesley Watt of bronze clay.  Aren't these fabulous?  Big, too...like an inch and half!

I have to admit I was a little stumped, but I pulled it together at the last minute!

I decided to use white enamel and created a back plate for the snowflake and riveted them together.  While I was at it, I enameled an assortment of filigree beads to incorporate as well.

I used some faceted white Czech glass beads that have been in my stash for a while...my crappy photos don't show their yummy matte finish.  Needing something else, just a tad smaller, for variety, I remembered I had a few howlite beads left over from a rosary and incorporated those as well.

Of course, I was singing "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" all last night!

Thanks for stopping by!  Go see what my colleagues created!

Jennifer Cameron

Kristi Bowman-Gruel

Diana Ptaszynski

Kristen Stevens

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Lesley Watt

Francesca Watson

Melissa Meman (ME!)

Joanne TInley

Linda landig

Sue Kennedy

Jean Wells

Marie- Noel Voyer-Cramp

Therese Frank

Fun With Lampwork Disks

A  week or so ago, friend, colleague, and fellow AJE contributor, Sue Kennedy posted a few pairs of lampwork disks on her blog.  These weren't your basic disks, these had frit around the edges...they reminded me of candy sprinkles!  After clicking on her Etsy site and not finding them there, I left her a comment saying "Where are they? I want!".  Sue emailed me and sent me photos of what I could choose from.  Uh, oh!  I want them all!

Here is the photo I took after I received them...

As I am in production mode for a couple of upcoming Holiday shows in the next 2 weeks, I  totally justified getting them to create earrings for my inventory. At least, I figured I would be making earrings from all of them, after all, they are pairs, but once I starting working with them a few other ideas filled my head.

I thought it would be fun to blog about the designs I came up with, and after getting checking in with Sue, here we go!

 This is a group shot of all my works in progress...nothing is finished yet, but wanted to show you some of the possibilities of these gorgeous beads.

This quirky pair has mixed metals and will eventually have dangles on the bottom as well.  I plan to hammer the silver and add patina.

These have been connected to texturized copper disks and embellished with Czech glass leaves.  You can barely tell where the lampork ends and the copper begins!

Embossed copper squares hung on the diagonal - pardon the firescale!

More texturized copper...these have sterling disks and headpins.

More sterling...these reminded me of sea glass, so I decided they needed pearls as well!

Not quite so far along on these, but I know the green Czech glass leaves will be dangled underneath!

This is another unfinished project...with the addition of a few disks I had hoarded from Karen Leonardo, I decided these are going to be a charm bracelet...haven't decided if it will be one with just disks, or 2 with some Czech glass added.

I hope these have given you a few ideas about how to use these yummy colorful wheels.  This was just a drop in the bucket!  I think singles would make great button-style clasps. 

What about you?  Do you have any innovative or unique ways to use these gorgeous beads?  We would love to hear about them!

Playing with Enamel Pens...Hooty Hoo!

Go see my trial and error introduction into the use of enameling pens over at Art Jewelry Elements!