Friday, July 22, 2011

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads, Grand Prize Silver Medal Winner


I've produced so few new pieces in the past couple years, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to be able to reveal, finally, one of my favorites - my bracelet entitled "Evolution". Fire Mountain Gems and Beads has just announced the winners of its 2011 Metal Clay, Metal Beads, Wirework or Chain Jewelry-Making Contest. I am so pleased to report that my bracelet has taken the Grand Prize Silver Medal in this contest.



My original concept was a substantial cuff - something that would take up a large portion of the lower arm - combined with one of my cabinet of curiosity pendants. It's a little difficult to tell in these photos but this bracelet is huge. (There is a photo of the piece being worn by a model on the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads website that gives a better idea of scale.)

As always, the chain and box were all handmade by me using silver metal clay. In this piece, I've included a beautiful fossilized urchin, polished half geode, fossilized polished trilobite, fossilized ammonite and a vintage glass taxidermist eye. The bracelet has been weighted so that the focal will sit properly on the wrist.

Thank you to Fire Mountain Gems and Beads for showcasing my work. Please visit the company's website to see the other award-winning designs from this contest (I am personally quite smitten with Rachel Justina Fleming's cufflet "Robotic Take-Over" which won the Silver Medal in the Bracelet category and Michela Verani's piece "The Dragon's Hoard" which took the Grand Prize Winner Employee's Choice Award.)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Still Alive, Still on Hiatus


My in-laws were visiting, and they took the SO (and me) to the Museum of Science and Industry. Ironically, he wanted to spend most of his time there in the 727 they have as a walk through exhibit on the top floor - this is the same child we can barely get to sit still for a two hour flight... Of course, he did have some fun with this exhibit - the outlines were all generated by his bouncing around in front of a projector.

Life is good, but I'm still not making any jewelry! Hope all is well with you.