I am back... and some bathing pigeons!

What else? ;) We are back from holiday (as always too short, never knew where the time went). Since I didn't manage to edit the images until now I'll show you instead some bathing pigeons I watched some days ago in Leipzig! They made me smile :)

PS: No. There are just bathing pigeons for five minutes, nothing else (okay, water is changing and they try to get the best place and also show how unbelieveable flexible pigeons and their wings are... but nothing else...)

"Stone and Glas" - Earrings

I already showed these from our "crafting" day... but here with some more details because I really love this style! The rough lava beads, the beautiful smooth ceramic beads and the playful pressed glass beads (I love their irregular shape full of imperfections!). They are quite simple but they have so much movement. 

I already used the grey beads for another bead/earring combination here. 

"Watergreen" - Earrings

I realize that I often stick to shapes and forms that I already have used and loved. But by doing so I know that I am also limiting myself... as well as getting closer to being bored. I need change from time to time, a new material, a new technique, a new challenge... I will come back to the things I really enjoyed (like working with polymer clay) but with break in between.

This also goes for earrings. So with this pair I tried an shape being somehow uncomfortable for me at first. If you have a good look: The upper czech glass beads (from Rebeccas "The Curious Bead Shop") and the lower green ones with the wire loop have both the same size / diameter. That may not sound like a big deal for you but I learned a lot about my own preferences and what I perceive as pleasing shapes. While every earring (or other type of jewelery I create) consists of single parts, I am at first not seeing the single parts but rather an overall shape. Mostly roundish and organic, changing the shape from bigger to small or vice versa. But not as even like this. This looks for me like a kind of square. It is after I decide for the kind of shape that I am looking for the right components to fit in in size and shape, as well as colour and texture.

A square. After finishing I was not sure whether I like them or not. I was not sure for a very long time (or rather every time I looked again at them in the last few weeks). I just decided now (to my own surprise) that indeed I like them. They are in the right shape and also balanced. The shape was just new for me. ^^

"Whispers in the tree" - Necklace

If there is something I really should learn: Take pictures from necklaces... either showing only details or an overview where the details are lost, both not satisfying options. But still, here we go ;)

This is a mixture of czech glass beads, old pressed glass bead, not-at-all old metall findings with a rather really, really old mother-of-pearl-button, cotton cord, copper wire...

Some of the czech glass beads (the round ones) are from Rebeccas Curious Kit "Whispers". I also bought the other czech glass beads from her (here). She also showed on her blog a wee tutorial about creating the birds nest. Since she is selling these cute sprinkled egg-like looking beads, I had to make one on my own. I was already tempted to make one for a long time since last year this kind of nest/wrapped pendant was seen all over in a lot of variations (and also tutorials) but just these beads finally made me do it.

A little twig, a tiny wee bird, combined with the nest and the beads. It is a rather delicate design for me but I like it. The button is also the clasp. It even hangs good while worn. Yes.... that can be a problem with a design like this where both sides of the twig have to be balanced and since all the components are so small and lightweight, I was worried whether I was able to get it right. I added the chain to the bird for this.

Crafting session - All the beads...!

About a week ago we had another crafting session (another one sounds good since I didn't even show you the results from the one before ^^). This time it was using all the beads to create some jewelery. The session before we made beads with polymer clay. The group was mixed with beginners to people like me creating stuff for quite a while now. Two of us brought their stash and stuff with them (a friend of mine, the one with all the beaded jewelery, brought so man findings, swaroswkis, seed beads, stones with her... and I brought my polymer clay beads, czech glass beads and other kinds of glass and metal beads...).

I really love the earrings above! (made by my friend who also brought her stash ^^) Long and dangling with a vintage vibe...

The necklace was called "Fundstücke". The person creating it wire wrapped beads for the first time. She did really well... and complained also a lot about it ;)

Can you count all my polymer clay beads used?

I also really like how she used the chain to attach the little polymer clay ammonites.

@Michelle: Do you recognize the beads? The same person creating the necklace above also made these earrings and the bracelet with grey cotton thread. Yellow still is a difficult colour for me, so I was surprised how well it went with the grey thread!

...and more ammonite earrings :)

Made by the same person like the first earrings shown (you see a clear colour scheme? ^^)

...and the following four earring pairs are made by me. The first two also with some of my polymer clay beads...

...and no, I still have a big stash of beads...

I already used this style for earrings in the past and it also won't be the last time :)

All of the next pieces are also made from one person, her first jewelery made by herself...

...and yes, we spread the addiction!

The backside of the pendant (again polymer clay).

I made these magenta beads already a long time ago and I am happy that they finally found a home!

Magenta/pink with purple and silver, always a perfect colour combination.

Have a closer look at the way she made the knotted necklace, something I have to remember for myself.

This was an experimental bead I also made a long time ago. I loved it but... it was not me. So it made me smile that it was used now!

I always enjoy getting together with friends to create "stuff" (polymer clay, sewing, jewelery... whatever!). I also enjoy teaching as well as learning... sadly it is always really difficult to find a fitting date. *sighs*

Etching brass!

I finally did it. I bought some ferric chloride (FeCl3) and some brass sheet. I would have prefered copper but that was not available. Also I got a small metal scissor. Great for small details but not to work with a big sheet. Still, I got some test pieces out of it. My favorite is the little bee! I also etched the backside (the brass was thick enough). Since I am working in a S2-laboratory normally I always take care of the safety - from the gloves and goggles to the neutralisation of the solution and the information where I can safely deposit my waste (the ferric chloride as well as the copper inside the solution after the etching). 

The bird was a combination of a stamp with Staz-On and because not all areas were nicely covered I also took a red edding to enhance the image.

Some test pieces using different kind of markers as well as Staz-On stamping pad. The red colours (edding or sharpie) really seem to be better than the black ones. Maybe I also just had them too long inside the etching solution because also the Staz-On started to go off. The liver of sulphur is not working well on the protected brass regions but very well on the etched regions. There you also get a reddish coloured surface (I think the copper) and the liver of sulphur works great!

I also used the blue and green patina from Christi Friesen (Swellegant) on the brass after I used the liver of sulphur. It was difficult to catch the shades of blue and green but I really love the effect!

And in my hand so you get a better idea about the size :)

So many possibilities! Okay... the sanding and sanding and sanding... that is a part I hate. But still the end results make it worth!

"Hidden treasures" - Earrings

Slowly my stash of these old and worn silver beads gets smaller. One bracelet was all I had from them. I have seven beads of this size left. Seven... huh... But I try to use my precious stash (regardless if we talk about beads, fabric or something else). There is nothing special about hoarding your beloved and special items so that the only collect dust. They should be used and adored ^^ If someone buys earrings made with them, they should be loved! If fabric tears from use than also just because it was loved. If I used a found object that is completely unique than also my creation is unique. It took me a long time to let go of my precious stah.. and yes, some items are still hard to part with (parting as in using not as in giving away or even selling, that is another topic ^^) but I am getting better and better doing this. Why should I use "ordinary" things if I could use these special items? Quite often I kept things just for "the special project" not realizing that I could make every single project special just by using an item I fell in love with! 

I learned that the silver beads are actually real silver beads (seeing the patina and how they work during a gentle cleaning I already guessed). A thin layer of silver sheet is formed and filled inside with a kind of resin. I love there worn and torn (yes, had to use these words together!) look, there aged outside, the story they tell... Probably not every one can understand the beauty I can see in this beads especially because they show that they are old and used, because of every dent and scratch. I personally just completely adore them!

The glass beads are from the curiosity kit "Jacaranda" (from Rebeccas "The Curious Bead Shop"). It is a simple stacking of beads and this time also on one head pin (so no movement in between, just with the hook). It is a kind of colour gradient but also the shades of light and dark purple go well together with the aged silver. 

You see the colour now? I tried to capture the rich and lush purple. In the evening the flowers look dark nearly black but as soon as you got a little bit of sunlight the colour just shines :)

PS: I just had a last view over this blog entry before I want to set the time to publish it. Normally I take all my pictures at one day and then start editing my blog entries and if possible already set them in advance (put in "try" ^^). Honestly I am a little bit astonished how much I can write about a pair of earrings. I could even go on and on, why the colours speak to me, how I love the unusual but organic shape the combined beads have, why weight of beads is important for their movement... and on and on... But it also shows me why my own work is special to me. My work (with polymer clay, with jewelery, with other media...) evolved and developed over time. I can see how much let alone my earrings change from year to year (and still curious where I will go!). But especially for the last year (plus / minus), I know that in every single pair of earrings went a lot of thought. Nothing is "just combined" because of the colours or shapes or sizes but rather more had a story or an image for me that I wanted to show. Every single pieces shows a little bit of me and yeah, realizing this, that feels good :)

"Daisy mine" - Earrings

The little czech glass flowers and the tiny keys were part of the last curiosity kit "Jacaranda" (from Rebeccas "The Curious Bead Shop"). Even while I managed to integrate the name from the last kit in the names of the created earrings ("Whispers"), I have to admit I didn't find any way to do the same with "Jacaranda". 

I used a small leftover from waxed linen cord I had. This was used by Rebecca to hold some wire together... but it went so well with the turquoise and bronze, I tried to use it. It was really hard, I even had to tale a tweezer to make the knots. ^^After this I frayed the ends more that it got a worn and irregular look. 

"Tribal keepsakes" - Earrings

The ammonites are art beads made from polymer clay (some of mine ^^) combined with the beaded beads (yes, I like how that sounds, childish as that this might be!) made by Rebecca. I got them as well as the daggers as part of her curiosity kit (beads from "Jacaranda" and the daggers from "Whispers" - all the kits have names!). 

It seems that I always make batches of beads (could also be due to the fact that I am easily bored with repetitions...). Have a look here at the other polymer clay beads I made along with these ammonites. :)

The bigger - the better! Wrapped loop earrings

Not that I don't have things to show... just my camera and me... *sighs* You know the hard times close to the end of a relationship? You know, it is over, but you still can't take the last step? That is my camera and me at the moment... 

I made this earrings already weeks ago and just wanted to make new pictures because both of them are not showing all details and the intensity of the colour. But also... my blog is so quiet! Therefor I decided that I would show you them even without perfect pictures ;)

Recycled/Upcycled loops wrapped with handwoven silk from thailand and cotton thread with a lot of jump rings and beads to dangle. The loops are really big (see the comparison with my hands above?) but still surprisingly light weighted. 

I am still wrapping jewelery with silk, it just has such a beautiful effect!