OWLS!

Aren't owls such incredible birds?  Britannica refers to them as the bird of Athena, the Greek goddess of practical reason.  Makes total sense to me - and I am totally drawn in.  Some owls moved in to our back yard a few years ago, nesting in a very old, mostly dead tree that had lots of internal nooks and crannies and external year-round foliage.  They were white and gray, so I think they were juvenile grays based on the Idaho F&G site.  My husband didn't believe me when I whispered "THERE ARE TWO OWLS ON THE FENCE", but he slowly came to where I was and saw them with his own eyes.  Sometimes that's what it takes... for him to see with his own eyes!! But, back to the owls... it felt like a magical moment to have them in such close proximity and in our garden!  From that day forward, we started hearing their haunting hoots and calls on a regular basis.  So, to have Gaea capture their beauty in her art work and art beads is a wonderful gift.  The eyes draw you in immediately.  This finished piece started with the owl and became what you see.  Something about Gaea's art brings out the best in me too... 

The ceramic bead is also from Gaea.  I felt like the blue star went perfectly as part of the arrangement.  I wire wrapped 4mm fire polish and 11.0 seed beads around the top and bottom and then added some blue translucent drops around the bottom of the pendant.  The top piece is herringbone stitch.  It just felt good as I put the pieces together...

Creating While Learning a New Stitch!

Learning something new is always a lovely choice... sometimes I get it soon after beginning the process, sometimes it takes a few projects to perfect it.  This new stitch "peyote with a twist, not crochet" is a load of fun.  It looks like crochet, but you don't have to string on all the beads ahead of time, which is awesome.  And, truly the designs are so endless.  I was focusing on stitching correctly - one stitch after another - and, imagine! this piece took on a life of its own... always such a surprise to me.  :)  As I was progressing, I looked through my stock of favorite bead artist pendants, and Gaea's feather jumped out at me, and the colors were so delicious with what I had already started, it joined the flow of it all.  My earrings were actually started before I finished the necklace.  Ooh la la... Fall here I come.  There's so much joy in these beads.

PEYOTE TAKES CENTER STAGE!

Hours of peyote stitching and assembly for just the perfect placement of each component... but well worth every minute of my sometimes "longer than needs to be" process.  I am in LOVE with the color combination, the design, just everything about this piece.  And the clincher - what truly ties the whole concept together - the pendant from Gaea (isn't she incredible?)!   It's a "me" piece for sure.  The component designs are from a Tutorial "Golden Night" by Miroslava Felguth. Pretty much just awesome!

Earrings to match ... Had trouble getting the second earring wrapped... and by that time I had switched around the dang triangle, so both head the same direction.  Oh well... Practice and more practice in my future...

And, here I am wearing my new creation!  

FLOWERING MOON INSPIRATION

My newest creations using a Flowering Moon pendant by Gaea Cannaday. Her latest hand formed copper and resin pendant creations are so incredible.  They look and feel so happy and wear beautifully.  The colors in this piece - from the moon, to the rays of hope and love that exude, well, all I can say is thanks so much Gaea for inspiring me...my pictures do not do your pendant justice.  Necklace and earring designs by JDreams.

BLUES and other things...

I do love the color blue.  In fact, when asked, I've historically said blue is my favorite color.  But, I LOVE all colors!  But, back to B L U E!  Here are a few of my latest creations using ceramic creations from two wonderful artists.  A large owl pendant created by Gaea hanging from my latest twisted herringbone necklace.  Also some blue bird earrings using hearts created by Bo Hulley, which I messy wrapped in copper wire (thanks for that knowledge, Beth!).  And, last but not least, a darlin pair of budding flower earrings in what else?  Blues...

Additional Spring Color projects . . .

A couple additional projects . . . Colors are not as true in these photos as I would have liked, but you'll get the idea.  I tried the dark silver, almost black, chain link with the pink leather and LOVE IT, for both the necklace and the wrap bracelet.  It shows the deep contrast of the two -- really shows off both the leather and the chain links, I think.  I've also shown the earrings again from my last post to show how cute the group is together.  The darlin bee pendant (It's really a clasp, but I used it as a pendant!) is a Gaea original; the pewter heart button is green girl studios. 



A turquoise necklace with an adorable owl. I found "him" in Helena, MT. It's not ceramic, but more of a pliable clay-like material. This piece just came together - I had the right beads in my head and in view - and it all worked well, from strining the first bead... Can't remember where I got the ceramic flower beads, but the roughened Czech glass turqoise beads came from Bead Street and I tossed in copper for the spacers and closure.