Hidden Lanterns and Joyful Spinners!

I am very excited to be going back over the pond to the USA next month to stay with my good friend, the very wonderful Ann Davis. My flights are all booked and it is only five weeks away!! Ann is a truly amazing and very innovative artist. I always feel so inspired when I stay with her and come back with my head crammed full of new ideas. She has done so many things and is a real fount of all knowledge!!! I always learn new things from her.

 

While I'm there I will be teaching for 3 days at Ann's studio - La Ruche Davis, near Washington, DC.

 

First will be a two day Hidden Lantern workshop. These are complex little pendants with lots of exciting techniques to learn. Each side of the hollow pendant is gently curved.  On the one side we will be making textured areas to enamel into. We will also be adding lovely sparkly accent stones.

 

 

The reverse of each pendant has pierced out areas in the design. This is why they are Hidden Lanterns ;) 

 

On two of the pendants 24k gold has been added inside which shines out through the pierced areas and reflects the light when they are worn that way round. The third pendant is a variation with a removable base. This allows for something different to be placed inside to show through. Of course for me that has to be something colourful!! :D

 

 

This pendant also has small accent stones set down each side.

 

 



One of my favourite parts of these pendants is the tops!!! Each has a different design and loop to hang it with. These really add to the character of each one.

 

I'll also be teaching a one day Joyful Spinner Rings workshop.

 

These fun rings are a delight to wear. Hours of twiddling fun with the inner ring freely moving inside the outer channelled one. There'll be lots of stone setting too to give them sparkle.

 

I've been making lots of examples of them - I love making these!!!

 

This one even has tiny stones set on the sides for even more sparkle!!!

 

I can't wait to see what everyone makes on these workshops. One of the things I enjoy so much about teaching is seeing people take an idea and come up with variations that would never even cross my mind!!!

 

If you want to join us for all the fun do get in touch very soon!! Both workshops are nearly full but there is still a seat or two left at the moment :D I'm looking forward to meeting old friends again and making new ones!!

 

I know I'll come home having learnt so much too!

 

Meanwhile - have fun!!

 

Joy x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45/52 Joyful Parrot Fob

I couldn't post this one before Christmas as it was a present! :D

It is made in fine silver and about 4cm high. The colour is all enamel. It is a fob...designed to be attached to a pocket watch chain, hence the style of clasp on it. 

It's double sided and both sides are enamelled so it doesn't matter if it turns while it is being worn. 

It's quite thick to make it nice and strong.

I've been promising to make this piece for several years! Somehow each time I tried to start it I just couldn't come up with a design or style that I liked.

Parrots are very special in our family (my maiden name is Parrott ;) ), so any old parrot just wouldn't do - it had to be right!! It also had to be very bright and colourful (of course!)!! This is based on a macaw.

This year I've been making a lot more enamelled pieces in this sort of style and when I thought about it I realised, at last, it was perfect way to make the parrot. 

 I now have one very happy brother ;)

Have fun!

Joy x 

24/52 A Creative Spin

When I started this year long challenge in my 'mission statement' ( that sounds grand doesn't it!! :) ) I said that I would include some element of metal clay with each entry.

So this one is pushing it a bit!!! ;)

BUT...as it involves organising my tools etc to help me work more efficently with metal clay I think I can get away with it!! :D

When I'm working I have a whole crop of tools and little boxes that I like to have in front of me on my worksurface so they are readily to hand. For the last few years I have used a rotating desk tidy which is great (thank you Tracey Spurgin for that idea!), but now it has got to the point where I struggle to fit in all the tools, and I have a few others I would like to add! When I go to pull something out maybe another tool falls out at the same time. Something had to be done about it!! I laid them all out on the table and they looked quite a lot!!

I had a good search around various websites and couldn't find exactly what I wanted, but I realised that I did have things laying around to enable me to create my own customised work tidy :)

This Lazy Susan had been kicking around unused for quite a few years! It measures about 9" across.

Then I had these lovely little bamboo pots, bought a couple of years ago...becasue they were cheap and I liked them, but never used!! (I'm sure you have things like that too!!). 

So...time to break out the trusty glue gun! It is amazing what you can achieve with one of these :D

First I glued the base of the revolving desk tidy to the Lazy Susan, making sure it would still turn.

Then I glued on six bamboo pots. I still have another six of these pots, but I decided on restraint for the moment. Easier to glue on a few more in time that to try to pull them off again!! :)

Finally I loaded everything back in, and hey presto, organization!!! :)

 No doubt in time I shall move things around as I find what works best for me - but I'm loving the end result!!! 

Here it is in action!!!

Have fun!

Joy x

23/52 Aquaocity

I had fun making this piece! 

I've been trying out some new techniques for making a surface to enamel onto adding textured areas by hand. I'm liking the result and have another piece underway to see where it all takes me :) 

The little shell shapes have 24k gold added onto them, and there is also gold under some of the enamel. The little blue stones are 2mm lab sapphires and the pendant is set with a 5mm sea bamboo coral cabochon.

The back is also a change for me as I didn't add my normal style of bail but went for two half loops to attach the chain to.  

I wanted to make a chain to complement the pendant, but I searched through my bead stash and really didn't have anything I thought would go with it. In my mind I knew I wanted translucent watery look in the stones. So a trip to my local stone shop Stone Corner was in order. It is a wonderful shop, the problem is there is always too much to distract me!! True to form I returned with beads for this project...and things for a couple of future ones I haven't even thought of yet!!! ;)

I love being able to visit a local shop to buy, I went thinking I wanted aquamarine, but when I put the pendant by them they really didn't work on their own, they are the pale blue ones.

After much rummaging through bags of beads (and a great deal of patience by the shop owners!!!! :) ) I eventually ended up with a mix of aquamarine, apatite, labradorite, howlite turquoise and sea bamboo coral. 

Then  it was beading time! This was the end result.

The chain has more sparkle than I can capture with the camera, and the little labradorite chips have lovely flashes of colour too. 

All that was left was to think up a watery name for it.  

So this is Aquaocity :D

Have fun!

Joy x

10/52 - Mystical Moon Flask

Nearly a fifth of the way through the year already!! Wow the time is going fast.

So this week we are back to the Moon Flasks :) You might recall my very first challenge piece at the start of the year was also a Moon Flask - Chinoiserie Dreaming. Here are the two flasks together. The circular part of each flask is exactly the same size, just two very different looks. It's quite an optical illusion isn't it? :)

For this Moon Flask I've incorporated the stand into the flask, and gone all fancy with the stopper!! :) (I blame Ann Davis for that - I could tell she thought my first stopper was a bit plain, even though she didn't say as much - lol!!)

This flask has a higher neck, and I went really OTT with the stopper! Here is it before firing - tiny!! 

Making it was fun!!

The finished Mystical Moon Flask can be worn either way round as it is enamelled on both sides.

I'm very excited that I will be teaching this as a workshop both in the UK and in the USA this year.

In May I will be at La Ruche Davis, Washington DC, USA and I'll also be teaching a one day Chain Sampler workshop while I'm there. These little flasks make wonderful little perfume bottles, and we will even have a fun extra accessory on that workshop!! ;) 

If you want to know what it is you'd better book and come along!! :D

Have fun!!

Joy x 

A Host of Angels - Past & Present

I've made several angel pieces in the past.

 I've been searching back through my photos to try to find them.

It's always fun to look back and see the things I made before. I find it interesting how my work is changing and my photographic skills are gradually improving!! :)

 

Recently I've been working on a new design for an angel, based on a heart.

So this is the prototype, just to see how it looks. It's quite tiny, only 19mm in diameter, with enamel and 24k gold in the halo. 

The design needs a bit more work, but I'm liking it so far! :)

It will be interesting to see where this ends up!! :)

Have fun!

Joy x

Making Masks

 I've been very busy on the mask front over the last few months. I've taught various mask making workshops in the USA and in the UK.

This is the latest mask pendant I've finished. It is called Sentinella di Venezia. I actually started this one ages ago, and there it sat waiting, waiting, waiting... until inspiration hit and I found the time to bring it into life! :)

These are a few of the other mask pendants I've made recently.

This one is called Essenza di Venezia. You can see how this mask was made in my step by step online workshop with CraftCast. 

 The next mask pendant is called Fireocity, more of a devilish little friend! :)

And this one is called Shuki Iru. 

 

These masks will all be going in my website shop soon.

Meanwhile if you make jewellery and fancy having a go at making your very own unique silver and enamel mask pendant you'll find details of my workshops on my website, and I am now selling mask moulds for the basic face shape as well!! :)

Have fun!

Joy x