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.