On my work table: Body parts...

I made some doll parts with a Staedler mold to be used as cabochons, earrings or pendants. Actually I won this new mold together with a fimo set to create different skin tones from Kellie at "Make it with me". Thank you again! Now I just have to start using them to create jewelery ;)

Smaller and smaller... ceramic ear studs (my first ones)

To test ceramic pieces, the new (very old actually) kiln at the Makerspace Leipzig as well as the glazes, it all takes a lot of time since I have to work next to it, managed to get several colds and of course are also doing stuff with family and frieds (or sometimes just collapse on the sofa!)...

So after a long time my next round of test pieces: I show you the ones for ear studs here! These little earrings are really adorable.

I wanted the little bit rough and organic look. You can actually buy perfect small ceramic caps but not these more rustic appearance which I love in all my work.

The pins are just silver plated, but since I am using a lot of brass, copper and bronze either way, I am okay with this.

I also love the white clay in contrast with the colour!

So, you can expect more tiny wee earrings from me. Since I am often not showing my small studs, just write me, if there would be a certain colour you would love to have!

Street art meets politics... (Ibiza / Eivissa)

As serious as it is, the image is beautiful! The fight against the oil companies rather serious...!

Back from the island.... Impression from Formentera (Spain)

First things first: I want to go back to Formentera right now! ;)

I am still bot really back in my rhythm so I thought I would show you some impressions. Lizards are little living jewels...

Our house is more home to me than any other place and just look at the colours and the light!

Really, really rare for summertime: Heavy rain! Some years it doesn't rain at all and now this!

The cala saona early in the morning after the rain. Red, blue and green... clear and strong colours.

I always pack a lot of stuff. Sometimes I also do a lot, sometimes not. This time.... not... but I made these for Rumpel. Hippie style, a little bit boho... looks good on men!

...and some other bracelets...

...still without clasps...

More later. But just you know, I am back :)

Wings to fly...

My last wings for some time due to different reasons. First and foremost: I used my last material. I still have some butterflies to finish but nothing to create new ones. Second: Rumpel and I will finally go to have some holiday!

Third: They look so small but actually they are a lot of work to make, a lot of steps to do.

These ones I made because I was asked very nicely (and she already had some of my wings :)). Also she had a lot of patience! She waited several weeks for me to finish them!

Still, seeing them before me, I have to say, I just love them! 

This time I went for a deeper etching and I changed again back to only a black patina. This creates a harder contrast (especially with the brass ones). I can't tell what kind I prefer, the more greenish imperfect organic look or this clean stark contrast. Maybe this will always depend about how I would use them :)

They will be on their way later today and I will see whether I may get some new material when I am back from holiday and also whether I may find some more motivation to make them. I need to change what I am doing quite often, otherwise I get bored ^^

On my worktable... (right now)

Summer is full of colours... just have to add ear wires to them all!

A tiny wee key I got from a friend to use in my work combined with some of my new ceramic beads...

More wings in copper and also brass this time... (I was asked soooo nicely, I couldn't say no... but now I run out of wing material... but will also have some new brass butterflies)

Embroidery yarn is perfect for everything! Wrapping old metall bracelets...

"Age-old ocean" - Earrings

I really thought I already showed these earrings on my blog a long time ago. Seems that I was wrong. Unbelievable if I think how much I love them! ;)

They are actually quite simple: Some of my own polymer clay beads combined with some numi-sticks made by Kimberly Rogers and oxidized copper wire...

...but their look isn't simple. They look old and crusty, fossils dug out from deep inside the earth, remembrances of oceans long gone...doesn't the enamel on the numi-sticks look like sea-shells and barnacles?

I am sorry that it took me so long to show them finally... because they have a beautiful story to tell :)

Yes, they are also in my shop finally! Here.

"How to catch a firefly" - Earrings

As a first warning: There a lot of pictures in this blog entry. A lot. All of them showing just a single motiv: The same earring pair.

But to take pictures of these earrings are really a super high level challenge! Problem number 1: The copper wings. They reflect the light with their shiny surface and to really catch their patina as well as colour and shine... I already complained about this long enough ;)

 Challenge number 2: To catch all the subtle glow and colours in the gorgeous beads made by Julie Wong Sontag (uglibeads). Uhm....

There is not a single picture I wold say: Yay, that's it! So... I take the other road. I show a lot... with different light and shown from different view points (and in case that is not enough, just ask, I have more on my computer).

They glow, together with the wings (and a challenge I wanted to take part in but never managed it in time), were the inspiration for the fireflies...

...the difficulty to catch their true beauty, that was the inspiration for the name.

And it also even may shimmer and glow blueish!

In the end they have something magical in them. Their subtle glow, their pay of colours, the danglinh wings, the shiny surface and dark green patina, it all captures my imagination.

As soon as I can decide about the picture to use for etsy (only 5 allowed!), I will put them in my shop.

After a long time... ceramic clay again!

This beads are my first ceramic clay beads after a long time. I love to use different media in my work. Somehow I more see myself in the visual impact I want to create and not as a person defined by it's medium (like a painter, a silver smith, a potter). 

Mh... okay... I am also not officially trained in any of this too, still, I enjoy to create and there is a part of me in my work. So for me my creations are not about the material and but all about the person, the process and the perception of the piece!

Why did I come back to ceramic clay as medium? I just stopped because it was to stressful and often timewise not possible to go to a ceramic workshop. Now I joined the makerspace (this was my christmas present for Rumpel and myself: our membership there) and they got a kiln donated! 

A kiln I am responsible for now! Yay! They also got a lot of material and tools donated, but it all has to be sorted out (I am already nearly through and now know what is still needed or has to be replaced... the kiln shelves have some non removeable glaze because they were not goo prepared...). The glazes are all dried, but this is a solvable problem. I also bought new clay to test and play with... 

Makerspace logo... in black ;)

I bought different colour of clay with different properties but also for myself paperclay! So... can't wait to test the glazes (okay... I also bought some new ones) and a lot of techniques. My polymer clay molds already work wonderful!

I will also give some workshops in the future, about making copper earrings, polymer clay beads... and whatever else.

...and teal... very steampunkish!

If you want to have a look (but it is in german):

http://makerspace-leipzig.de/
https://www.facebook.com/makerspaceLeipzig?fref=ts

"Deep down" - Earrings

There is something so magical in the work of Kimberly (numinosity beads). It may sound simple: copper sticks combined with enamel on both sides. It may even be simple... until you get to this small step that makes a huge difference. The part where you create something with depth and beauty, something complex and fascinating, something just magical from these simple components.

To achieve this, that is not an easy task. It makes all the difference. I will always recognize a numi-stick even if there are a lot of different enameled copper sticks available. Some are boring, some are beautiful on their own... but always different.

Beads, findings, material, jewelery... it has to speak to me. Not just pretty but beautiful and this means (at least for me) some form of attachment, the piece has to stir something inside of me. 

Just a few numi-sticks left... some more on their way... but I am proud of myself that I am finally able to use them even with the danger of running out of numi-sticks! ;)

I will have to redo the earwires... so still some time before I'll put them in my shop ;)