Rheann's Fairy

My niece, Rheann, is also very artistic.  Last year I gave her a book on how to draw wizards and fairies.  She recently sent me this wonderful drawing of a fairy she created.  I love it! 

I like how she captured the folds of the dress and the color transitiions from white to yellow to purple and pink.  The face is wonderful too.  She didn't end in just drawing the fairy, she also gave the fairy a home at the base of a tree. 

Keep on drawing Rheann!  I will look forward to more of your artwork. 

Love you,  Aunt Cheryl

Oxidized Copper Wire Wrapped Pendant

This is another piece I created from the clay artwork from my Cruella DeVille jewelry pieces.  It has been wrapped with solid copper and tiny copper rounds.  I oxidized the copper to give it an old appearance.  The pendant hangs on a hand dyed silk ribbon. 

P.S.:  I miss my Tiggy.  :'(

R.I.P. Tiggy

Today, I lost my friend.  My cat, Tiggy, has been put to rest.  This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  My heart is broken and I can't stop crying.  I know in my heart that this was best for him, but at the same time I feel like I should have kept him with us. 

Tiggy was 19 years old.  We almost lost him a year ago.  Due to old age, his kidneys were not working very well.  I have been giving him fluids just about every day to flush his kidneys and keep him going.  I have tube fed him when he didn't want to eat.  Because of this, I have enjoyed him for more than another year. 

Recently, Tiggy stopped eating anything and this week he suddenly lost his vision.  He couldn't see or hear and he was totally in the dark; lost.  Tiggy was such a good cat, even though he couldn't see or hear, he searched for his cat box and always went where he was supposed to. 

He will be severely missed.  Now, he is the Grand Puba of kitty heaven!  Poppy will take care of him now.  R.I.P. Tiggy you were my best friend. 

Mokume Gane Clay Copper Wire Wrapped Pendant

This is another copper wire wrapped mokume gane clay pendant that I created recently.  I just received these wonderful hand dyed silk ribbons that can be tied around the neck.  The pendant can be worn as a choker or longer as a necklace.   The ribbon has the same colors in it as the pendant (seafoam green, baby blue and off-white).

This is my cat, Tiger, he is over 19 years old.  Just this week he has lost his vision.  I have been struggling with the fact that we must put him to rest.  He is my baby and this is just an impossible task for me to bear.  My heart hurts so much.  I will miss him, my little shadow.  And I will miss his kisses and snuggles. 

Copper Wire Wrapped Jewelry - Pendant

I love the look of this copper wire wrapped pendant.  I have named it vortex because it reminds me of a tornado.  Once I completed the wire wrapping, I then created a rosary style chain for it. 

Yesterday was the last of my shows for this season, so now I can concentrate on the holidays.  I went to a holiday craft fair at the local high school and visited a couple of my friends who were showing there.  I also bought a wonderful loaf of crusty bread and fresh made sausage.  I have to confess, my husband and I ate the whole loaf of bread.  So yummmmy.  I also bought some homemade potpourri to make my house smell especially yummy for the holiday.

Another Copper Wire Wrapped Pendant

This is another copper wire wrapped pendant that I had made recently.  This one was sold today at my trunk show at the Dutch Reformed Church in Hyde Park.  Thank you to everyone who came to visit me today.  I had a great time. 

Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Copper Wire Wrapped Clay Necklace

I have finally finished photographing and tagging my finished clay pieces.  This is one of my newest pendants that I have wrapped in copper wire.  The pendant hangs on a hand dyed silk ribbon that ties in the back.  The pendant could be worn as a choker or a longer length for a v-neck shirt or blouse.  This is one of my favorite pieces. 

I have my car all packed and ready to go to my trunk show tomorrow.  Come and visit me at the Dutch Reformed Church off Route 9 in Hyde Park, NY.  http://www.bodyice.net/  

Dragon Skin - Clay and Sterling Silver Earrings

I refer to these earrings as "Dragon Skin" because I created a sheet of mokume gane clay artwork that resembles dragon skin in the colors of green, purple and black. The clay has a shimmery pearl effect.  The featured teardrop pieces were cut from the sheet of clay artwork, sanded and coated with resin.  I made the earwires and the connections that run through the clay pieces with solid sterling silver.  The beads at the top are black glass crystals that add to the shimmery fun of these dangly earrings.  The picture appears to have a couple of bubbles on the clay teardrops, but they are simply reflections on the shiny surface of the resin coated clay. 

These unique earrings will be available for purchase at my trunk show this weekend.  Come visit me at the Dutch Reformed Church off Route 9 in Hyde Park, NY. 

Metal artists use a method called mokume gane where they layer different metals to create patterns.  Clay artists have borrowed this method and we are able to create very unique artwork using this ancient technique.  Layers of different colors of clay are manipulated and then shaved to use in our artwork.

Cruella DeVille Necklace

Last January, I posted a couple of blogs about my Cruella DeVille clay pieces and a design that I was working on for one of my necklaces.  Well, the necklace was finished a few months back and I am just now posting the finished picture for you to see.  So, here it is.. all finished and ready to be sold at my trunk show this weekend. 

The necklace is copper wire wrapped artwork in clay and light blue glass pearls.  Its a sister to this piece which was sold at its premier show in the spring:

I use the term sister because all of the clay pieces that are incorporated into the wire wrapped necklaces are from the same clay artwork. 

You gotta like large pieces that are very unique and artsy to love these necklaces.  So, if you are a more conservative type, we make jewelry for all tastes!  So check out our website at http://www.bodyice.net/.   

Getting Ready

Greetings,

While everyone is gearing up for the Thanksgiving Holiday, I am busy getting ready for my trunk show at the Dutch Reformed Church in Hyde Park this Saturday.  All of my artwork needs to be photographed, numbered and priced before I will put them out for sale.

I enjoy getting out in the public and helping everyone pick out that special gift for the person they love.  I get to see the other artisans and customers I have made friends with over the years once more.  I especially will like to see my friend Fran who has had some hardships these past couple of years.  I hope I will find all is well for her.  If you are in the area this Saturday, stop by and visit me at my table. 

This is a necklace and bracelet set my daughter, Denielle, made with green pearls and black satin glass.  Very lovely on the skin. 

Voltaic - Handcrafted Earrings

If electricity could be seen, I would imagine that it might look something like these earrings.

These earrings are made from clay Natashia cabochons.  Natashia beads are usually made with scrap clay of diferent colors, the clay is swirled to some degree and then cut to create artistic mirror images on each of the beads. Cabochons are cut stones, or in this case clay, that have not been drilled into beads. 

The clay was cured, sanded with many grades of wet sandpaper and then buffed on a soft wheel to a satin shine.  When I determine how I will use the cabochons, I then either wrap them or drill them as needed.  In this case, I drilled a single hole at the top of each cabochon and then created a sculpted ear wire.  The ear wire was then wrapped together with a small copper round with tiny gauge wire to finish each earring. 

The earrings measure 2 inches long and are 1/2 inch wide.  Very very light on the ears.  I hope you like them!

Contact me if you wish to purchase these earrings at $16.00.  Or, come see my artwork at the Dutch Reformed Church, Route 9, Hyde Park, NY on November 19th.  http://www.bodyice.net/

Aigaios - A new clay and wire necklace.

Aigaios was the God of violent sea storms and the ally of the Titans. The Aegean Sea was named after him. The art clay in this piece certainly resembles the torment of ocean seas and if you look carefully you might even see a face or figure in the structure of the piece. The two distinctive swirls representing water funnels and the white representing the froths of the oceans seas that are created from such violent sea storms. Afterwards, the sun shines brilliantly (as in the bright yellow Swarovsky crystals) above and all comes to a calm after the storm.

I first had to create the abstract art work in a sheet of clay before I could cut, cure and coat the central piece of this necklace in resin. I then started work on creating a frame for the pendant which I wove and wrapped with the clay piece in solid copper. I added a cluster of yellow Swarovsky crystals which give the pendant sparkle. I then created the chain from solid copper wire in a rosary pattern with small copper rounds and tube shaped beads of yellow, white and green, the colors of the pendant. And, finally, I created a copper hook from the wire to finish off the piece.

The pendant of this necklace measures 2 and ½ inches wide and is 1 and ½ inches long from the top of the bail. The chain measures 20 and 3/4 inches and has an extension chain for another inch making the total length of the chain 21 and 3/4 inches long. The chain can be shortened by removing one inch links as needed.


This piece will be available for purchase at the Dutch Reformed Church off Route 9 in Hyde Park, NY on November 19th.  Come and visit me there.  http://www.bodyice.net/

A New Art to Wear Necklace

Greetings,  I have been very busy helping my daughter get her new home together.  Mostly building a new kitchen for her.  I also love to do tile work.  Anyway, here is a new necklace that I created in clay and copper. 

Hopefully, I can get back to business working on my jewelry, blogs, shops and whatever else needs to be done for my artwork.  If you like my creations, I will be at the Dutch Reformed Church off Route 9 in Hyde Park, New York on November 19th.  Come and visit me there.  Or, you can see more of my work at http://www.bodyice.net/.  Thanks. 

Mokume Gane wrapped in Sterling

This is a pretty pendant that I made with polymer clay using a mokume gane technique.  Layers of clay are imprinted and manipulated and then slices are taken to get these great designs in the clay.  After curing the clay, much sanding, and a resin coating, I then made a sterling silver frame and wrapped the clay piece with finer sterling silver wire.  I accented the clay piece with gun metal grey hematite stones.  I like the shape and colors of this piece and I think the piece is rather unique.  The next decision is whether to oxidize the silver, but, I like the way it looks now.  So I might leave it alone.  I still need to create the necklace yet. 

Violet Polymer Clay Earrings

I have made these pretty earrings with polymer clay canes, glass pearls and sterling silver.  They are now available for purchase.  Check out my Etsy listings (see below) or my website http://www.bodyice.net/ while they are still available for purchase. 

Posting New Pieces

I finally completed all of the tax returns I had to do and today I am working on getting some of my newest pieces listed on my website's shop at http://www.bodyice.net/.  I have also decided to list a few pieces on Etsy, just for some extra exposure.  Our Etsy shop still exists at  http://www.bodyice.etsy.com/.

I have been busy exploring new jewelry techniques and have not spent much time promoting my pieces for sale.   This is not my favorite thing to do as I am a jewelry artist and not a website designer.  I am sure many other artists feel the same way.  However, one could continue to create beautiful works of art, but nobody would enjoy them if the artist didn't display his or her work for public viewing.   I need to get my work out there for you all to see.  And, besides, I also need to support my passion.  So, check out my website to see all of our available pieces for sale.  I appreciate your taking the time to join me here at this blog. 



Hand Crafted Clay Lentil Beads Wrapped in Copper with Genuine Amethyst Stones



Sterling Silver Wrapped Hyperstene Stone

This is another one of my favorite pieces.  I have taken this beautiful hyperstene stone that shimmers in the light and wrapped it in .925 sterling silver lace.  The necklace also features a sterling silver oak leaf.  Pictures just don't capture the way this stone shimmers.  For more information on this piece, click on the picture while its still available for purchase.  http://www.bodyice.net/

Sterling Silver Wrapped African Green Opal

This is a beautiful African Green Opal that I have created a heart shaped .925 sterling silver frame for and wrapped with the tiniest sterling silver wire.  The netting was done with a needlelace technique.  This pendant comes on a silver glass sand seed chain of your choice of length.  Click on the picture for a full description in our shop at www.bodyice.net/jewelry while it is still available for purchase. 

I'VE BEEN SICK

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I haven't contributed to my blog recently.  This has been the result of my being sick for two weeks, and its tax time.  I have been gathering my records and getting our returns ready for last year.  I hate preparing tax returns!

I also love to draw and decided that I would give a try to doing some pen and ink on polymer clay.  This is my first attempt and it came out okay although I will work more on the technique.  I'm thinking I will put this pendant on a black cord with some plain black polymer clay disk beads for a simple choker.  I was inspired to draw a koi fish from tattoos.  I figured that many people get koi fish tattoos and, while I love the artwork of tattoos, I'm not sure what I would want permanently on my skin.  So, this was my alternative.  A removable tattoo style pendant!

Anyway, I will continue to work on the technique and figure out what works best for me. 

Thanks for joining me on my exploration of jewelry design and techniques. 

Check out our website at http://www.bodyice.net/ for our available pieces.  We are multi-media jewelry designers and artists so we create with many different materials and techniques.  You never know what we will create. 

GEEEZ Another Snow Storm

My son's girlfriend, Allisa, took this picture this morning while he was driving me in to work. 

Oxidized Necklace

I have oxidized the necklace as I said I wanted.  I think it makes the clay pieces and pearls stand out better.  So which version do you like better? 

Finished Necklace for the Cruella DeVille Series

Well, here is one of the finished necklaces. I think I will oxidize this one to take the shine off the copper and tone it down a bit. It will give this necklace an aged look and make the clay and pearls stand out more. I will post a picture of the oxidized necklace when I have finished. Then, you can tell me which version you like more.



For this particular necklace, I have made it to fit like a collar. So I have also made extra chain to be able to provide a perfect custom fit for the person who will be wearing it.

How to Care For and Clean Your Copper Jewelry

While copper jewelry has recently enjoyed a new life in the marketplace, man has been creating copper jewelry for many centuries. Today, the price of gold has skyrocketed so high that many designers are looking for a more affordable material. Copper too, has gone up in price but it still allows artisans to create wonderful unique designs at an affordable price for the buyer. As an artisan and designer, I love to create jewelry with copper. It is a wonderful metal to work with and it has an earthy appearance.


Some people are afraid that copper will cause green marks on the skin. To understand the nature of copper, you must first understand that copper develops its patina from exposure to gases and moisture in the air and from your skin. It is this reaction that could cause a greenish mark. However, if you wash your copper jewelry with mild soap and water, rinse and pat dry, you should not have any problems with it leaving marks on your skin. I have personally worn my copper rings for days without having any problems.

As I said before, without cleaning, copper will develop a nice patina and darken to a warm brown color from general exposure to gases and moisture it reacts with. When you wear my copper jewelry, this patina will wear off exposed surface areas and remain in the nooks and crannies giving the jewelry a special character. If you wear your copper jewelry on a regular basis, you will probably not have to do anything at all to keep it looking beautiful.

Should you decide not to wear your jewelry on a regular basis however, you should place your copper jewelry in a zip lock baggie with a piece of regular chalkboard chalk or silica gel packet. The chalk or silica will absorb any moisture in the bag and, of course, the bag will prevent any further moisture from reaching the copper.

If you love the shiny rose gold color of freshly cleaned copper you should clean it when you notice it is becoming dingy. To clean your copper jewelry, prepare a mixture of lemon juice and a dash of salt. Then, you can either (i) dip a rag or soft cloth in the lemon juice mixture and gently wipe or rub your jewelry clean by hand or (ii) place your jewelry directly in the lemon juice solution and swirl until clean. Since lemon juice has an acid base, you should be careful with soft stones or pearls. When your jewelry is clean, you should then rinse and pat dry with a soft dry towel.

If the artist intentionally oxidized or gave your copper jewelry an aged look, I would suggest that you simply wear your piece regularly or wash it with soap and water.  If you were to use the lemon juice method, it will most probably remove the intended oxidation and completely change the appearance of your art piece.  You can also clean your copper jewelry with a jeweler’s polishing cloth.  

NOTE:  I would not recommend that you clean your copper jewelry with a toothbrush or silver polish because they may scratch and damage your jewelry.  Take care not to damage soft stones and pearls.

I hope this article was helpful to you. Check out my website www.bodyice.net or my available pieces at www.bodyice.net/jewelry. Thanks for stopping by!

Cruella DeVille Series

I was primarily working on the design I showed you before and created a frame for the pendant.  I felt that the frame was going to be too much and broke them down into two individual pieces.  The first one is the  pendant design that I will create a necklace for and the other will be a chained choker.  I am still working on both of them and will post the finished pieces later. 

I usually start off with a design drawing or an idea in my head and then I create as I go.  These jewelry pieces are created with a polymer clay art sheet (Cruella DeVille Series) that is cut into jewelry components and coated with a high gloss resin.  I then incorporate them into jewelry designs.  These pieces are done in solid copper wire with light blue glass pearls. 

Preliminary Necklace Design

Ok, so here is the drawing of the necklace design I came up with.  Now I will work it into a 3D necklace with wire and, I don't know, pearls or stones or something.  We will see..  I generally create as I go.  I will keep you posted as to its progress. 

Another Snow Removal Day!

Well, of course, I did not get out of my driveway for the last snow and ice episode and I had to borrow my son's Subaru.  I'm gonna get me one of those!!  The little beast plowed right through a snow bank from a dead stop at the top of my driveway.  Today, we had to remove another 5 inches to get out for work.  But I eventually made it in.  Ah, well, winter is just one of the enjoyable features of living in New York. 

I think I'm gonna draw out a design plan for one of my Cruella deVille clay pieces and get started on a new necklace for that line.  In case you don't remember what my Cruella deVille clay pieces are, here are the pics again.

I love the colors of these pieces, they are bright and cheery!  Just what I need in the middle of this awful winter.  I will keep you posted on its progress. 

Jewelry Progress and More Snow and Ice for New York

Well, Monday was Martin Luther King Day and I spent it making a copper chain necklace with focal beads that I made with extruded polymer clay.  I make all of my own chain and links.  I have also wire wrapped some small pressed glass leaves and hematite stones.  It still needs some finishing touches but it is almost finished and will be ready for my shop soon. 

 

I have also created a pendant wrapped and coiled with copper and another clay bead creation of mine.  I decided I wanted to make some small matching beads to hang from the two side loops and then make a simple black cord for this piece.   

This is the clay bangle that I last wrote about.  As I said, I think it came out cute.  They can only get better from here.  lol

I find it difficult to stop my creative process to take pictures of my work for you all to see.  It takes time to take a "good" photo, download it into the computer, adjust the size, etc. and then post it.  So, I truly apologize for this shortcoming. 

Yesterday we got more snow and freezing rain and  I had to scrape my driveway before work.   Today, my driveway is a sheet of ice.  We will see if I get out for work.  This is going to be a long winter! 

If you like my jewelry designs, check out www.bodyice.net/jewelry for my available pieces.  Thanks.

Back on Track

I know, I've not been blogging like I should have been.  The holidays demanded all of my time; cleaning, decorating, baking, shopping and entertaining (Oh, also working).  But, now I am back on track and a great big Happy New Year to everyone!  I have just started working with my clay and will be posting some new creations within the next few days.  Promise! 

There are just so many things I want to accomplish and so many ideas in my mind.  Where do I start?  I guess I just have to pick one and go from there. 

I have just completed a polymer clay bangle but I still need to buff it before it gets posted for view.  I always show my newest creations to my jewelry guru friend (she knows who she is) to get her reactions to my pieces.  She wasn't too excited with it so I guess you have to be a country girl to appreciate this one!  You will see soon.  So check back.  I think it came out rather cute and will look great with jeans. 

Lots of thoughts still running through my head.  The possibilities are endless.  Love to create Art to Wear!