Snake bracelet

Hi, remember me? I'm still alive, barely. Anyways my spring break was a busy one, I got dragged into making a comic with some of my online friends, working on my pinkie cosplay for big apple ponycon ( more on that later) and I had to work on my art history project, because when the professor allows you to make something instead of writing a research paper, you take that offer. 

I decided to recreate a piece of ancient Greek jewelry: a snake bracelet, here have some history: Spiral bracelets in the form of snakes were very popular in the Hellenistic period. This type of bracelet, like a snake coiled around the wearer's arm, continues the form found in the Classical period. Such bracelets were always worn in pairs, around the wrists or the upper arms. The size of this pair, solid gold and quite heavy, indicates that they were meant for the upper arm. The goldsmith took pains to recreate the sinuous motion of a coiled snake and the texture of its skin at the head and tail. The back loop-closure, which was held by a copper fastening pin, is rather unusual; most snake bracelets slipped on.                                                                                                   

                                                                  

  A lot of the detail that I carved into the clay was lost when I added the paint, gold leaf, mica power and gloss mix, but I still think that it came out well. And no it can't be worn, it's for display only.

  My other big project: Pinkie Pie for Big Apple Ponycon, I still have to make the hat and put the finishing touches on the dress.

Busy,Busy,Busy....Oh look shiny!

Right, I'm sort of taking a hiatus from jewelry making and instead working out a few things like what the heck I'm during with my life and all that good stuff. Meaning that I will not be posting as much as I would like to.....Anyways remember all the way back in December and I attended the T.A.R.D.I.S Christmas party, and I had to get a gift for the White Elephant gift exchange. In which I took the easy way out and wrote out a coupon for either a piece of artwork or jewelry design  related to Doctor Who, British culture, or sci fi? Well time to paid my dues. Thankfully the owner of my gift wanted tea cup earrings. (I can do that!) Only I'm down to one lampwork tea/coffee cup....what to do, what do.  Mix/match earrings it is!

Planing out a design and on a side note: what inspires you.

My blog post for Artisan Whimsy:

First off let me state this,when I started out creating jewelry I rushed out and bought a ton of magazines and trolled websites such as Etsy. And so I started to develop and learn. I had so much fun that I continued despite having no clue or guidance, no knowledge or ability to see what worked and what didn't. Eventually I found my aesthetic, or 'voice'.  However, I continue to see exciting artists who do something that makes my ears perk up and my muse say "I wanna do that!" It keeps me energized and full of ideas, and keeps this fun. When asked where their inspiration comes from, people always say, among other things, "from everyday life." What a maddeningly tired answer. It has been studied (citation needed, I know) and it turns out that artists get most of their inspiration from other artists! Why else would we spend 10 hours a day combing through the internet? So that means when people say they get inspiration from everyday life, they're actually stealing a line they got from interviews of other artists! Mind-boggling. 

Anyways, for me planning out a design can go two ways after inspiration hits; there is exhibit A when I actually plan out my design in one of my many sketch books (My artwork and jewelry designs tend to blend together...) and then there is exhibit B in which I just sit down with a pile of beads and wire, look at it and say what the hell can I make with this?! or when an idea just pops into my head. I have found myself going done this road more and more. But the times that I do plan it all out I end up making changes to the design half way though, somethings on paper don't work out in reality. What about everyone here? Are you exhibit A or B? Or just a combination of both? Or even *gasp* something different?

Memories and Thanks blog hop

Christmas 2009 Nana and my cousin Bella

So many times I had to stop writing this and just walk away, if this was on paper it would be tear-stained and ink would be running allover the the place. Sorry.....
 For me the most influential person in my life was my grandmother, or as I called her my "Nana". She was the one who always told me never to give up on myself and I was always happy to teach me something new in art or just to talk. She was more than my grandmother; she was a mentor, a friend and a hug whenever I needed it. Unfortunately, About 4 years ago she was diagnosed with pancreatic  cancer. The doctor's said that because of her old age she wouldn't live six months, she passed away a month before my high school graduation in early 2012. The Harmers' were always stubborn my mom joked. I had lost my closest friend, and I was ashamed that I hadn't even been there.  We once had plans to go to New Mexico for the Balloon Festival; I did end up going but without her. She would have loved it. I decided to make this bracelet in honor of her, in some way I feel like I'm trying to atone for the guilt of not being there for her. The bracelet is based off the desert and the Native Americans of New Mexico. Two strings; one of Navajo sliver beads and the other a mix of sliver, turquoise, cat's eye, lapis, redstone and green and black stone, disk beads that I don't know their official names blend together one shiny and bright, eager to learn and the other a mix of experiences willing to share.  

Close ups of the sliver beads details. 

Merry (Early) Christmas!

Sorry about such a long break, but finals,packing, finishing up holiday shopping and all that jazz does take up a lot of time. Speaking of holiday shopping; I treated myself early this Christmas and got a bamboo tablet, it' really nice but so different from paper and pencil...for now I might just use it for coloring. But it's one of my goals for the new year to increase my skills as an artist and never stop learning new things, which I have to thank everyone in my circle of blogging/Facebook beading friends  I feel like over that past year that I have improved so much thanks to all you.

This is  a really bad photo.....why am I using it?

Here have me looking artsy, No I don't have artist block.

I hope that everyone has a Happy Holiday and can enjoy with their loved ones and also I can't wait to see what the new brings us.

Thrift Store Finds

I had no classes yesterday, so I decide to go down town before hitting the books. I did geeky things; get coffee, hit up both the comic book store and finally check out the new thrift store. Let me put something out there, I love a good thrift store and a good hunt. Mostly because I enjoy finding something tacky that I can turn into something wearable. This is what I manged to find that I could work with... 

The necklace on top had really cute charms that looked liked oxidized metal but with the chain that was used it was really to busy for my tastes. Time to take that one apart. The earrings on the left were well...tacky to say the least. But the wooden beads in the middle gave a great idea, the same thing goes with the pair on the right, the charms are cute, but the both pair in my mind need to be a bit more "rustic".

Right, I took all the charms of the the necklace and basically turned them into a charm bracelet with some extra blue beads that I had laying around. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the chain though.....The earrings on the right I swapped out the blue beads with czech picasso seed beads and also added a third dangle to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The last pair I updated "Little Blue Bird"  with the wooded beads. Ta Da!

In other news: final week, right I have two finals and of course the first one is on Monday and the last one is on Friday. So I have to stay here all week.  

New Items in My Store.

I have had three sales in my Etsy store this week! *sqeee* Sorry about that, I'm really happy. But it reminded me that Christmas is almost two weeks away; it doesn't seem like it here. Anyways I'm restocking my store today, it's mostly earrings, but I'm also listing "Cute as a Button" and a new necklace called "Water Talisman." 

In other new, tonight is the T.A.R.D.I.S Christmas party, that I had to get a gift for the White Elephant gift exchange. I took the easy way out and wrote out a coupon for either a piece of artwork or jewelry design  related to Doctor Who, British culture, or sci fi.