Summer Love

Over the last few days I've managed to squeeze in some time to make a couple of necklaces for store. May followed by June are my most favorite months of the year. Why??? Cuz the weather is nearly perfect. In the low 80s with the humidity down in the very pleasant range. The other reason is it's so lovely and quiet here. We have the city, beaches and restaurants to ourselves. School for the Northlands is done this weekend so vacations haven't started. It's around the 20th of June before summer vacation starts for the kids in Mexico.

 

It's this time of the year that we really take advantage of the lovey quietude and spend as much time as we can at the beaches. The "kids" say it's the bestest place for an afternoon siesta :)

So now do you understand why it's really hard to stay in my little art corner working, much less finding much inspiration there!!

I did make a little garnet and tourmaline necklace.

I made a little bridge piece with 2 faceted oval tourmaline garnets and iolite heishi beads. I finished up with a couple of little scraps of vintage silk sari. Which by the way is how customers know it's my work. What?? I said to Helena. Yep no one else in Mexico does that so it's become you signature. Who knew?? Oh! Oh! I have to show you something I've been practicing, now that we have found stubby propane bottles for my bench torch. Yeah well those tall narrow ones used in BBQs are way to tippy for this klutz. They are a disaster waiting to happen on my work bench. Okay so what I've been practicing is putting a ball on the end of my copper and sterling wire!!! See the ends of the wire holding the verdigris patina heart??? Hum kinda small, hang on a minute you can see it better on the next piece.  

For the clasp I used a vintage screw type. I thought it would fit the whole simple uncomplicated feminine look of the necklace

In keeping with the Summer Love theme the second piece's focal is a good size vintage chandelier prism that I transferred a piece of clip art. The infamous Romeo and Juliette balcony scene. I mean what could be more romantic?? I finished off the edge with some copper tape. I think it kinda frames the scene and helps your eye focus, or that could be a bunch of artsy fartsy hooey and it just looks cool. Whatever I liked it so I did it! ;)

I used a vintage rhinestone necklace to hang the crystal on. It's nice and well worn, with a few greying stones. On this piece I made a bridge with garnet stones and a little annealed heart locket. Then attached both the rhinestone string and garnets together with a couple of nice chunky garnets and faceted quartz crystals.

I attached the "bead" sections to some luscious  pomegranate colored sari silk. I folded the torn strips in half lengthwise and did a bit of a decorative stitch down both pieces. Sometimes the torn silk can get a bit ratty looking after it's been tied and worn a few times. I thought doing it this way would help slow down the ratty looking stage. Around the ribbons I wrapped some copper wire that I strung garnets and iridescent crystals on. Oh yeah see where I finished off the wires with cute little balls??? ;) I have been wanting to do this since I read Deryn's article in the Autumn 09 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry!! It's such a nice clean finish to the wire, I think.

I'm rather pleased with the way it all came together. And with the ribbon ties you can wear it at whatever length you'd like depending on your outfit and how you want it to look. even with the bling it's still most definitely a bit playful. There's nothing serious "black tie" about it. More like miniature golf (do they even have it any more?) and cheeseburgers :)

Hopefully you have made it this far and didn't get stuck up there watching Rubi and Charli sleeping. If you did (make it this far)I wish you an audacious art filled day no matter where you are in the world  p;)