August 2015 Etching and Electroforming Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge

Before we begin with August, congrats to Sue Thompson for being the randomly chosen winner from the July submissions.

Sue, here is a list of the prizes accumulated so far. Select your gift from here. Just msg or email me with your selection choice.

And now.... Our theme for August 2015 was “Etching and Electroforming”. Click on each artist's name to see more of their work.

Here are the beautiful offerings of the SRAJD members…

Kerry Collett: This is a pendant made with a piece of dichro that has been etched using a polymer masking technique. This technique allows incredible detail!

Tammie Everly: Chemically etched copper cuff bracelet. Sari silk accent with a coordinating alcohol ink wash.

Tammy Adams: Salt water etching was used to create the design on the copper focals. The etched copper pieces are accented with Czech glass beads on copper wire.

Kelly Hosford Patterson: "Metamorphosis" -- I received the ceramic art beads by JSB Arts for a challenge. The nubby textured beads reminded me of cocoons, and that was my inspiration. I wrapped them in sari silk to make them appear as they had just been broken open. The pair of butterfly wings were hand drawn, and deeply etched in copper (with Ferric Chloride) to look as if they are just emerging from the chrysalis where they have been undergoing their amazing transformation. Coated in a rich Cinnabar red patina and buffed to highlight, leaving just the perfect amount of color in the recesses and a brilliant shine.

Laura Bracken: This piece holds a special place in my heart, not only because it’s a love letter written by Oscar Wilde, but because of the mixed inversion and extroversion effect I did in the paneling. That’s one thing I really like about etching… you get to choose if you want the accents to stick out from the metal or be recessed into the metal. Here, I chose both.

Laura Bracken: One of my specialties is turning photographs into etchings. I like how it’s permanent and pretty hardy. I’ve worked with resin coated prints before but somehow managed to destroy them. What can I say, I’m hard on my jewelry. But etched metal is a solid bet for quite some time.

We hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these wonderful creations. Make sure to check out the other monthly challenges.

If you’d like to get in on the action, join the SRAJD organization. If you’re already an active member, submit your jewelry challenge piece here for the current month.

July 2015 Bezels and Lapidary Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge

July 2015 Bezels and Lapidary Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge

Before we begin with July, congrats to Marcia Tobolsky for being the randomly chosen winner from the June submissions.

Marcia, here is a list of the prizes accumulated so far.  Select your gift from here.  Just msg or email me with your selection choice.

And now.... Our theme for July 2015 was “Lapidary Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge”.  Click on each artist's name to see more of their work.

Here are the beautiful offerings of the SRAJD members… 

Sue Thompson: This is an Australian Boulder opal chip, too small for most jewellery and too lovely to throw away. I hand polished the front side of it with diamond grit polishing pads to bring out the flash and the back is left rough. It's wrapped in sterling silver.

Sue Thompson: A very small opal chip that demanded to be seen. It's hand polished on one side with a rough back and wrapped in Sterling silver. Quite a difficult exercise to get wire around teeny stones but I am happy with the end result.

Linda Pawlowski

Neva Murtha: I decided I wanted to learn how to make freeform bezels so I watched a Bill Fretz video, got the stakes, bezel wires and stones and started playing. This is one of my more recent ones - and the first teardrop shape stone I have worked with. It's a sugilite cab from a cutter in the USA, set in a bezel I fabricated to fit the stone with 14k gold bezel walls on a hammered sterling silver band.

Neva Murtha: My new favourite watermelon tourmaline stacking ring set with a faceted high dome tourmaline, 14k gold bezel walls and 3 hammered sterling silver bands, all fabricate by me...though I got the stone from one of my favourite cutters.

Neva Murtha: A super rare and stunning American turquoise cab I fell in love with in Tucson set in sterling silver. Again all fabricated by me...but I did not cut the stone. I've found it to be a lovely challenge to solder the larger bezels to the back plates...though I have worked out the technique.

Laura Bosch: Beaded Kyanite Cab Bracelet. I wear this more than anything else I've made (except earrings)! Peyote stitch for everything, using size 11s & 15s. The fire polish beads are sewn on after the whole bracelet is finished.

Laura Bosch: I love beading around donuts & it's much less fattening too! I made this a few years ago so it maybe the 2nd one I made. Czech pressed glass beads accent the fringe, the strand, which I really want to re-do, is brown goldstone & blue goldstone.

Laura Bosch: Do you think I like Kyanite?! These are earrings I made for a friend of mine & she loves loves loves them. Cabochons with small Kyanite drop dangles. Must use other stones!

Laura Bracken: This is the first non-round piece I ever set  I have a new respect for people who set square or other odd shape stones.

We hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these wonderful creations. Make sure to check out the other monthly challenges.

If you’d like to get in on the action, join the SRAJD organization. If you’re already an active member, submit your jewelry challenge piece here for the current month. 

June 2015 Polymer Clay and Metal Clay Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge

Before we begin with June, congrats to Trish Gray for being the randomly chosen winner from the May submissions.

Trish, here is a list of the prizes accumulated so far. Select your gift from here. Just msg or email me with your selection choice.

And now.... Our theme for June 2015 was “Polymer Clay and Metal Clay”. Click on each artist's name to see more of their work.

Here are the beautiful offerings of the SRAJD members…

Amanda Aldridge: This is a reproduction of a silver gilt mount that was found at the Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon burial excavation in Sussex UK. It is made from Artclay Copper and is approx 5¾ cm long and 2 cms wide. I etched it on the Silhouette Cameo and hung it from a length of leather thong for an authentic early feel.

Mary Hargrave: The clear green/blue glass beads were a gift from my daughter, who instructed me to do whatever I wanted with them. Recently inspired by Helen Breil, I made this pendant to evoke the mood of a serene pool. Ooohhhmmm.

Marcia Tobolsky: I had this beads that I did long ago with the pre mix the poly-clay, I fallow the instruction and put in the oven as I think that work, but forget all about to use, until today decide to use with crystals and old hair pins.

Mary Hargrave: This is made of underlying scrap clay from a project of red, pink color that I overlaid with thin black polymer and impressed with a grid of quarter inch square wire. Then I carefully sliced off the black to reveal the colors underneath.

Marcia Tobolsky: After I made the bracelet, I realize that I have more poly-clay beads so I design the earrings and necklace to made the set.

Mary Hargrave: Tube beads are pretty easy to make, but the colors and design of the polymer clay take some work to make them interesting. I see these are purple butterfly wing beads.

Mary Hargrave: Silvered black squares make up this double stranded polymer clay necklace.

Tammy Adams: The butterfly collage neckpiece is solid polymer clay. The faux pressed glass beads in the neckline are made from translucent polymer clay. On matte black brass chain, with a painted butterfly charm at the clasp.

Maxine Booth: Camo is so popular here in the south...you see whole families dressed in it, even on Sundays! I was playing with my polymer clay and wanted to see if I could concoct a cane that looked wearable. After baking it, I looked through my beads for colors that would enhance and complement the clay, and voila, it came together.

Maxine Booth: I wanted to play with my clay and dug through my molds that I hadn't used for awhile. I found what looked like fun and began conditioning the clay colors I wanted to use, squished them into the molds and baked, then pulled out some acrylic paints, a brush and went to town. That was really fun, but the hard part was in finding a chain or ribbon that would look good with both sides of this reversible pendant!
(photo pending)

Helen White

Helen White

Helen White

Laura Bracken: Pulled these from the archive and it really makes me want to get out the polymer clays again. These were like my only foray into the medium. I love the vibrant colors and patterns available with polymer clay.

 

Laura Bracken: Here’s one of my latest metal clay pieces using all three metals I work with… copper, bronze, and steel. It’s called “Road Trip” and was a lot of fun to make.

We hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these wonderful creations. Make sure to check out the other monthly challenges.

If you’d like to get in on the action, join the SRAJD organization. If you’re already an active member, submit your jewelry challenge piece here for the current month.

May 2015 Enamel and Resin Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge

Before we begin with May, congrats to Maxine Booth for being the randomly chosen winner from the April submissions.

Maxine, here is a list of the prizes accumulated so far. Select your gift from here. Just msg or email me with your selection choice.

And now.... Our theme for May 2015 was “Enamel and Resin”. Click on each artist's name to see more of their work.

Here are the beautiful offerings of the SRAJD members…

Molly Butson: This is a torch fired copper enameled bracelet in the sgraffito style. It is slightly domed so it fits nicely around the wrist. I call this one "spring fantasy".

Karen Stahlecker: Last year, I spent several months living in nature and working with my new enameling kiln in a small "workshop" (shed.) I was surrounded by natural beauty, was watching the seasons change, and became very inspired. Later, in the winter, I used the enameled pendants with mixed materials to build necklaces and pendants.

Karen Stahlecker: My primary theme last year, while learning to use my new enameling kiln, was aspects of nature, especially landscapes. I came to call a part of the 2014 work "The American Landscape" series as I am located in the Midwest, where there is a lot of agriculture. In this piece, I was imagining the first snows on the plowed fields. I distilled these images and then, mixed them with other materials to develop finished necklaces.

Karen Stahlecker: Later last fall, as I was getting a little more control over my use of vitreous enamels, I developed a few pendants that were pictorial. This one was more successful, and features a red oak tree in an autumn landscape. I'm preparing now to return to my "summer enameling mode" and I wonder what will happen next! To be continued.....

Tammy Adams: These cufflinks have a turquoise blue background with little schools of fish, and gold tone whales embedded in resin. The background is scrapbook paper and the whales are repurposed earrings with the posts cut off the backs.

Tammy Adams: The color on these earrings is from Iced Enamels, which is sealed under resin. I coated brass blanks with red, purple, and turquoise. The round beads are polymer clay base coated in purple.

Trish Gray: Butterfly brooch, made using recycled silver, cast and then rolled. Enamelled using wet laying enamel techniques. I love to try using a colour merge, such as the two shades of blue in the wings.

Cyreathia Reyer: I do a lot of these picture resin cabs and wrapped for the Bullysrule Bulldog Rescue. I donate them for their fundraising events. Once the auction is over, the winner then sends me a picture of their bully baby and I create a custom necklace for them. These have been very well received and usually bring in good amount for the benefit of the rescue.

Mowse Doyle: Hand done inkwork on polymer clay cabachon with resin finish. Was done as an experimental piece for a shelter fundraiser.

Mowse Doyle: Another experiment this time using dog sticker and polymer clay flower canes on a polymer clay cabachon. I often make items for the animal shelter fundraisers. I try to keep a variety of items on hand.

Mary Hargrave: I love to combine old and new - in these resin earrings, I have inserted many different recycled rhinestone chains. The earrings were then spruced up even more with the reused rhinestone studs. I get large jars of recycled jewelry bits and use them wherever I am inspired to put some "old" into new configurations.

Lindsay Philipson: These earrings are built around pearlised enamelled vintage tin connectors by Kimberly Rogers. I have wire wrapped amethyst drops to echo the lilac in the connectors. Part of my new series inspired by Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience - No. 11, The Blossom.

Linda Anderson: I made these sweet little earrings with some faux enamel connectors I made. They feature lampwork beads with hand painted, hand resined wood components that I've started making. They remind me of summer, bright sunshine and the vibrancy of the Caribbean.

Darlene Orlowski: A brass bezel with a black cat image embedded in resin. A copper stamped charm with MEOW, paw prints, and scratches is wire wrapped to the bezel. Oxidized copper links that are made to look like knotted twine are connected with fire agate beads.

Laura Bracken: For this enamel piece, I saw pierced some copper sheet in a quasi-Kokopeli design then made a cage out of the pieces by soldering spacers along the edges. I then enameled different colors on two sides of another piece of copper that I slipped into the “cage”. The jumpring bail keeps the enameled insert from falling out.

Laura Bracken: For this ocean themed bracelet I combined both enamel and resin. After forming the copper bowls with a dapping set, I enameled the interior then added a few “beachy” items to be held in place with resin. I completed the bracelet by adding charms of silver, stone, and pearls.

We hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these wonderful creations. Make sure to check out the other monthly challenges.

If you’d like to get in on the action, join the SRAJD organization. If you’re already an active member, submit your jewelry challenge piece here for the current month.

April 2015 Stringing and Bead Weaving Theme for SRAJD Jewelry Design Challenge

Before we begin with April, congrats to Darlene Orlowski for being the randomly chosen winner from the March submissions.

Darlene, here is a list of the prizes accumulated so far. Select your gift from here. Just msg or email me with your selection choice.

And now.... Our theme for April 2015 was “Stringing and Bead Weaving”. Click on each artist's name to see more of their work.

Here are the beautiful offerings of the SRAJD members…

Judith Williamson: The beads tell me and lead me in my designs. I like contrast and vividly colors. This piece was insured by the beads. I am a stringer mostly. Always on the lookout for different beads and unique findings.

Maxine Booth: Made with strung MOP flat teardrops and marquise shapes, white freshwater pearls and goldplated chain, beads and curved tubes, this necklace and earrings set would be perfect for a wedding or formal occasion.

Paula Huckabay: I fell in love with a necklace worn by Padma Lakshme on the finale of Top Chef and that was my inspiration for this piece. The technique is basic stringing with a little layering of components in the center. Although it may look elaborate it is extremely flattering to wear.

Carole Grant: Gorgeous oversized cuff bracelet with dichroic glass cabochon as the focal. Tiny seed beads of different accent colors, as well as pearls, stones, and glass beads. The back of the cuff is lined with a royal blue microsuede and the clasp is a gold plated box clasp.

Carol (Britt) Clay: Bronze Brocade Bracelet is a combination of knotting and weaving using beads to create a bracelet with chaining and a handmade clasp. After knotting a base bracelet with dark bronze Miyuki delica beads, a secondary weave followed on the perimeters. The bracelet has been created completely from seed beads ranging in sizes. A handmade etched hook clasp was added to chain that extends from each end of the bracelet making it adjustable from 7-8.5." 
       Inspiration: I see elegant evenings in the Pavillion at Avalon Bay, on Santa Catalina Island, this bracelet on the arm of a dancer in the hours of late evening.

Sarahbushka - Sarah Clay: Transparent golden peach delica seed beads are all lined up to make a pretty row, with stations of sparkling bead combinations, with each one including a faceted fire polished coppery beauty in the middle of each station. All lines lead to the front center, where a solitary pretty peach stick pearl rests, in full focus.
      Sarahbushka is a 3A gal, an Aloof Artist with Autism. She creates and sells her Art Careers necklaces. Sometimes if we’re lucky, she even allows us to share in the fun with her!

Carol (Britt) Clay: 3 row Boho Styled Beaded Cuff. I chose this entry for the April Challenge because April is also Autism Awareness Month. This Boho cuff features the standard 3 row style with a fully formed button hole and square knot button closure. Double needle lashing was used with crystal FireLine. The white leather cords hold the large creamy white Swarovski Elemental Crystal Pearls bordered by Firefly beads (glowing matte seed beads) in the basic Autism Spectrum Awareness colors of Indigo, Scarlet, Pale yellow and Sky Blue were used. The shank button is a patterned gold metal.

Tammy Adams: Rustic faux copper patina flower beads, made from polymer clay, are strung with turquoise-dyed howlite and copper spacers. The back of the necklace is antique copper finish chain for adjustable length.

Julie Vargas: This Antique Style Bracelet is 8 in long with a lose feel, delicate and comfortable to wear. Bracelet is made with using basic stringing techniques and with 18 mm Tiger Eye, Faceted Carnelian Beads (Orange, Cream and Opaque White) Creamy Burgundy Bead, 10 x 8 mm Lt Topaz Rondelle Faceted Crystals,6 mm Round Faceted Garnet Crystals, Sterling Silver Spacer Beads, Handcrafted Antique Style Sterling Silver Bead Caps, Antique Style Sterling Silver Toggle Clasp.
     I like to design jewelry for all kind of life styles but the antique style jewelry has being my favorite, it reminds me of an era of elegance and style.

Julie Vargas: Wanted to design something that had a fan shape but still fashionable, stylish and with some bling! My inspiration was a lace fan that had some seed beads, it look so delicate and beautiful. So using simple and basic stringing techniques I combine some round Hematite Copper with AB faceted petal leaf golden shadow crystals, amber faceted cubes and an Antique Toggle Clasp to design the necklace and made the matching pair of earrings using basic loop techniques.
     The total length of the necklace is 18 inches and the earrings are 2-1/4 inches long.

Barbara Swinton: This focal bead has been waiting for just the right inspiration and this month's challenged called for me to finally do something with it. Multiple strand necklaces are challenging for a number of reasons, the biggest for me is getting them to lay on the neck in a pleasing way...shorter on the inside, longer on the outside? Or braided together so they stay put? And then how to attach to the closure? The Noreena jasper and the seed beads pick up the colors in the pendant and the strands lay separately and attach to a triple ring connector.

Barbara Swinton: In trying to use up many of my beads at one time, I've thought that memory wire bracelets might be a great way to use lots of goodies and would be a fun project for the beaded challenge. This bracelet was created using the colors and stones of the Southwest - lapis, carnelian, turquoise, silver... in addition to some vintage millefiori beads, howlite, magnesite and yellow jade. My first memory bracelet - casual, colorful and a nice bead sink....

Laura Bracken: Here's one I thought turned out really well.  Beaded beads necklace.

We hope you’ve enjoyed looking at these wonderful creations. Make sure to check out the other monthly challenges.

If you’d like to get in on the action, join the SRAJD organization. If you’re already an active member, submit your jewelry challenge piece here for the current month.