Sand and Sea Sneak Peek

Quite a while back, I received this sparkly collection of beads from Lisa Lodge of A Grateful Artist blog, in conjunction with her Bead Table Blog Hop II (Sand and Sea Edition). The bead collections are in two possible colourways: either "sand" tones (tan, brown, etc.) or "sea" tones (blues, greens, etc.) Lisa made the selection for each of the twenty participants. I was absolutely thrilled when I opened my parcel and learned I would be creating with a blue palette!

Here is a photo collage of what I received from Lisa:

A pretty selection of glass and pearl!

No, that top photo is NOT my design! *TeeHee* I just needed to string my collection so I could get an idea of relative sizes and weights.

The idea is to use just the components provided by Lisa, and possibly combine some extra/leftover/miscellaneous stuff from our own bead table. We will be sharing what we have created on **MARCH 9th, 2013**, next Saturday. We will have a list of participant links, so you can enjoy a leisurely blog hop and be inspired by the colours of Sand and Sea. Hope to see you there! 

 

L'Hiver: 2013 Challenge of Music

This is one of the easiest decisions I've made in my journey to becoming more confident in my jewellery design: selecting a piece of instrumental music to inspire my creativity. Such was the request of Erin Prais-Hintz, of Treasures Found for this year's Challenge of Music. Almost instantly I knew I would be using a composition I have loved since childhood, the Winter Concerto from Antonio Vivaldi's 1723 "The Four Seasons".

I have always considered these four concertos "different" from other music of the Baroque Period. While following the "rules" of that period, this music nonetheless contains many innovations, including the use of solo instrument and the imitation of the sounds of nature. I learned much  about both Vivaldi and his most famous musical work while researching.

There exists an abundance of recordings of this very well-known work. I chose the Vang Church venue, site of yearly Christmas concerts broadcast internationally from Hamar, Norway. The featured soloist is the ebullient Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelson. I chose this particular recording not just for its musical and architectural beauty, but also its northern location, as part of the winter symbolism.

Awesome, isn't she? Mari and her brother, cellist Håkon Samuelsen, are world-renowned musicians and often perform together.

As always, the actual design of my jewellery proved problematic. I made several false starts (I won't call them failures because I didn't FAIL to learn from them). I knew I would incorporate polymer clay. As I sat pondering my storage space, I saw one of my "brain canes", and that was the starting point for my successful design.

That's the original cane design on the bottom right, and my version to the left of it. My first sucessful "cane adaptation"! The original is from a tutorial by Cindy Lietz, one of my favorite PC innovators and teachers. 

The swirling pattern brings to mind the fury of the winter wind as evoked by the first movement (allegro non molto) of Vivaldi's concerto. For balance I wanted very quiet and restrained elements, as represented by the white quartz and elegant silver (that chain is actually a pre-made bracelet). This symbolizes the slower second movement (Largo). The third movement (Allegro) reminds me of moving swiftly through snowy fields and forests... perhaps in a horse-drawn sleigh? I added the large crystal snowflake and created a charm using the Snowy Tree Cane I made in 2011, another of Cindy Lietz' designs. 

It amazes me how something composed almost 300 years ago continues to inspire similar emotions with audiences in our age, just as it did in Vivaldi's day. I love the contrasts in this musical story, but also in the approach Vivaldi chose. He was certainly ahead of his time! Though he respected the framework and the traditional motif of his time... three balanced movements: fast, slow, fast... his composition was filled with much that was unheard of in his time. He took the tools available to him and came up with new and wonderful uses. 

In our own small way, I think we as artisans are dreaming of innovation as we play and design with each new process put before us. I felt like one such dreamer as I worked through this fun challenge. Thanks so much, Erin... it has been a thrill as always!

You can find links to the other participants by scrolling down below this final collage picture:

The names bracketed by *asterisks* are those who, unfortunately, were unable to join in at this time. Hope to see you at the next challenge, ladies!

Erin Prais-Hintz

Alenka Obid

Ali McCarthy

Alicia Marinache

Amy Severino

Amy Grass

Carolyn Lawson

Cece Cormier

Cynthia Riggs

*Ema Kilroy*

Emanda Johnson

Emma Todd

Erin Kenny

Evelyn Shelby

Evie and Beth McCord

Gerd Andersson

Holly Westfall

Jennifer Justman

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Jess Green

Judy Campbell

Karla Morgan

*Kay Thomerson*

Kristina Johansson

Lola Surwillo

*Lynn White*

Malin de Koning

Mallory Hoffman

Mary K McGraw

*Melissa Meman*

Melissa Trudinger

Michelle Escano

Michelle Bourbonniere

*Michelle Heim*

Michelle Mach

Molly Alexander

*Molly Schaller*

Monique Urquhart

Niky Sayers

Pam Farren

Rebecca Anderson

Sally Russick

*Sharon Palac*

Sharon Driscoll

Susan Kennedy

Tari Kahrs

*Tracy Stillman*
Veralynne Malone

Out of the Mouths of Babes

A good friend emailed me this funny story. Neither of us knows from whom it originated. Perhaps someone out there in Blogland could help. I would love to give the author credit. The only clue is NSW (I am assuming New South Wales)... any Aussie readers know the origin of this charming tale?

A 1st grade school teacher on the mid coast of NSW had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first-graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic! 1. Don't change horses until they stop running. 2. Strike while the bug is close. 3. It's always darkest before Daylight Saving Time. 4. Never underestimate the power of termites. 5. You can lead a horse to water but how? 6. Don't bite the hand that looks dirty. 7. No news is impossible. 8. A miss is as good as a Mr. 9. You can't teach an old dog new math. 10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll stink in the morning. 11. Love all, trust me. 12. The pen is mightier than the pigs. 13. An idle mind is the best way to relax. 14. Where there's smoke there's pollution. 15. Happy the bride who gets all the presents. 16. A penny saved is not much. 17. Two's company, three's the Musketeers. 18. Don't put off till tomorrow what you put on to go to bed. 19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and you have to blow your nose. 20. There are none so blind as Stevie Wonder. 21. Children should be seen and not spanked or grounded. 22. If at first you don't succeed get new batteries. 23. You get out of something only what you see in the picture on the box. 24. When the blind lead the blind get out of the way. 25. A bird in the hand is going to poop on you. And the WINNER and last one! 26. Better late than pregnant.

Czech Beads to be Won

The generosity of our fellow beaders continues! If you skip over to Cyndi's Beading Arts blog, you will find out how to win some lovely Czech beads courtesy of The Best Beads. There will be THREE winners... plus there is a BONUS... but you'll have to go to Cyndi's blog to find out what it is! 

The deadline to enter is March 6, 2013.

Cheerful Chickadee Treasury

My newest treasury on Etsy. Chickadees are one of the highlights of our northern winters. They have been interpreted by lots of talented artisans and I love them all!

'Chickadee, Chickadee, Fly Away by SewMF'

The chickadee's playful demeanor and cheerful song has inspired these artists in many beautiful mediums. Enjoy!

The CHICKADEES are BRANCHING... Cricklewood $275	Chickadee-dee-dee sterling s... wearthou $42	Winter Chickadee Hand Beaded... FollowMyHeartS... $75
Felted Purse Handbag Chickad... FeltedFantasie... $165	Pair of Chickadees - Print kvwilkinson $17	Chickadee Family Hand Carved... jjstudio $395
Needle felted Chickadee HandmadeByNove... $32	Chickadee and Dogwood Cerami... CathyKiffneySt... $125	Chickadee - 763 / Glass Tile... crystalbouquet $10
Made to Order / Gourd Bird... SharonsCustomA... $50	Little Chickadee with hat - ... poordogfarm $10	Chickadee Stained Glass Snow... StonehouseGlas... $220
Ceramic Chickadee with Berry... AndersenStudio $38	Carved Glass Chickadees and ... braithwaitestu... $75	Chickadee Silver Bracelet - ... ADelicateWorld $29.95
Chickadee in a Coral Tree Wa... JessilynJoy $75

Treasury tool supported by the dog house