Bird a week 17/52 Silvery Moon

Bird a Week time!

This week some silhouetted birds. Made using Art Clay Silver this fine silver pendant measures approx 32mm in diameter. I actually made the domed section while demonstrating during my workshop at the recent Guild of Enamellers conference. On the reverse is a quick paper texture I made using Lynne Glazzard's technique. I finished it off with a 3mm square lab ruby and my little Joy logo.

There are still quite a few of us on the Bird a Week challenge :-)

Here are links to some of the others.....

Metal Clay Today Challenge - Time to Vote!

The latest challenge from Metal Clay Today is now open for voting.

The theme this time is Jewellery for Him.

Please do pop over to the site and have a look and vote for your favourite entry.

If you do not aready subscribe to this free online magazine then sign up while you are there!

Bird a Week 16/52 Splendid Blue Wren

Another week - another bird!

Actually I am rather chuffed with myself because I made this one but have the start on 3 others for future weeks. Lots more work needed but nice to have some ideas on the go :)

Anyway, back to the week in hand. This strange shaped domed pendant was an example for the workshop I taught at the Guild of Enamellers conference this last weekend. I fired it when I got back home on Monday and then added this bird.

Having made a wren I decided I did not want to enamel it brown so I searched around a bit on the Internet and there is a beautiful bright blue wren called a Splendid Fairy Wren in Australia. Just perfect for the colours I had in mind.

It is made in Art Clay Silver and the wren is added using my enamelled accents technique. It measure approx 32mm in diameter.

Here is the reverse set with a 3mm CZ.

And yes.... it is supposed to sit at an odd angle - I was not having a funny five minutes! ;-)

Bird a Week 15/52 - Where Bluebirds Fly

My 15th bird a week entry! The year is flying by.

This weekend I am teaching at the Guild of Enamellers conference so I made this a workshop example as well.

Just a simple rainbow and some blue birds enamelled on a silver pendant using my Enamelled Accents technique. It measures approx 34mm in diameter.

The reverse is a paper texture made using my friend Lynne Glazzard's technique. It is set with a 3mm CZ.

And...... wait for it.....  here is my haiku poem.... :)

Where bluebirds fly

Hope is springing eternal

I see a rainbow

Bird a Week 14/52 - Songbirds

This weeks birds are a pair of tiny little songbirds which will be a pair of earrings.

They are made using Art Clay Silver and have 24k gold keum boo and a Liver of Sulphur patina applied.

Cute eh :)

On the reverse is my Joy logo.

I have also written my latest Haiku poem to go with them.

Two tiny songbirds

Puffed up breasts glistening gold

Will they sing of Joy? 

This weekend I am dong Crafts at Lancing College in West Sussex.

This is a stunning venue and an excellent show of all handmade crafts.

Do pop in and say hello if you are in the area :)

Bird a Week 13/52 - Secret Green Bird

This weeks BAW is a locket. I made this while teaching a workshop in the last week. Hilary and Alli arrived with a photo of a similar locket and said we want to make these! Fair enough you might think BUT

1. I didn't know until they arrived they wanted to make this

2. I have not made a locket in this style before

AND

3. it was only the second time Alli has used silver clay and Hilary has only been using it a while longer!!!

So it was a bit of a challenge for me as well but they were more than happy for me to make one at the same time and work it out as we went along. Definitely two people who like to jump in at the deep end!! :)

We had three days so it was nice and relaxed and they also made wonderful pendants as well. They both did fantastically well and I will get their two lockets and pendants photographed when I can so you can see what a great job they did. We also had a really good laugh along the way and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Anyway back to the BAW. Once I had finished my locket I enamelled the bird inside, then the leaves on the front, added keum boo and finally patinated with Liver of Sulphur.

I have been reading a book of Japanese Haiku poems recently and really like the form of them so I wrote one for the locket.....

The bamboo dense, tall

A startled flash of green wings

My secret bird flies

I think I might write more haiku - you have been warned!!!! ;-)