Here's this month's inspiration and what Eric had to say about it:
With more and more snow around us, I struggled to find something with color for this month's challenge. I discovered this picture I took of a mural inside Breakside Brewery in Portland last year and felt I had color, shape, and texture all for your inspiration pleasure! Have at it!
As luck would have it, the same day that Eric gave me this inspiration photo I had a torch enameling class scheduled with Sara Lukkonen of C-Koop. She had some millefiori for us to try out and I managed to make a pendant that perfectly echoed the mural's design! Since I wasn't really sure what things would end up looking like, I'm pretty pleased with the results I got. I knew that I was going to be in big trouble with the hubby if I didn't make something with this little guy, but not surprisingly, the pendant had some flaws from trying to get it off the welding mandrel. I ended up working some magic to hide the flaws with my messy wrapped bail and a copper spacer.
This one is probably for me since it's my first real enameling attempt. I strung the pendant with tons of Czech glass, fire crackle agate, star cut carnelian, and yellow jade. Lots of yummy colors that I pulled from the pendant design as well as the inspiration piece!
Seeing as my bead purchases tend more toward the organic than the geometric, I was worried about having things that would work in my bead hoard. Luckily I did find a few goodies! First up, a pair of earrings with some fun charms by Diane Hawkey that I paired with some sari silk cocoons from my friend Anna Pierson of Saga Hus.
I also still had a couple of fun and bright focal beads from Golem Design Studio that featured a series of bulls eye shapes in various colors. (I made a different tassel necklace with one of these back in March 2017 but with a plain chain and beads decorating the chain tassel ends.)
When I was looking for the cocoons for my first pair of earrings, I discovered some other fun goodies from Saga Hus that felt right for the challenge. Anna wrapped some fun millefiori glass beads with fibers and wire for bright and cheerful links. I added some Czech glass dangles in coordinating colors and used niobium ear wires with bright copper accents.
Still thinking about how the patterns in millefiori glass echoed the mural, I grabbed some little coins in orange, white and clear. I added some teardrop shaped beads on jump rings as a fun dangle for these playful ear bobs!
Now it's your turn! Please add your links to your own creations below. I love seeing what everyone else is making too. Please check back March 1st to see what Eric has in store for us next month!
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/share/party/8fe82efdb5034060b3b562a6b8a4b0e4
The way you have translated your inspiration into the enamelled pendant is very new and interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou were able to get SO MANY designs created for this. Your enameled piece is great. And, if you hadn't mentioned that you were trying to hide flaws, I would have just thought that the bail was a decorative accent. I think it's only right that you keep that first attempt for yourself though. It's like your trophy! Thank you to both you and Eric for another amazing challenge. This one inspired me more than you know (you'll see in my blog post). So, thanks for everything!
ReplyDeleteI am super impressed by your enamel pendant. I love that you found a way to hide the flaw where it came off the mandrel. If you didn't tell no one would know that wasn't just a cute design element. I really like all your pieces. The photo was great inspiration! Just the sort of colorful thing I like.
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