Snowflake Necklace

AJE Component of the Month Reveal

Once a month Art Jewelry Elements (AJE) hosts a component giveaway and jewelry reveal.  December’s component was made by Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio.  Members of the Art Jewelry Elements team, plus a few  lucky guest artists were given one of these awesome ceramic snowflake pendants to design with.  Today we get to see what everyone created!

Ceramic Snowflake Pendants by Suburban Girl Studio

I received one of the turquoise snowflakes to work with.  I decided to highlight the triangular shaped points of the snowflakes, by using some bicone shaped beads and by creating a triangular shaped clasp.

The triangular link is based on a link from Cindy Wimmer‘s book The Missing Link.  I used a bit lighter gauge wire and made it a bit smaller, so it wouldn’t overwhelm Diana’s pendant.  Then I used the same basic idea, but created a hook on one end, so I could use it as a clasp.

The beads are strung on walnut colored Irish waxed linen.  The beautiful batiked ribbon wrapped a bead order I got from Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio.  It has some turquoise in it, along with shades of blue, black and green.  So pretty and it was a perfect finishing touch for my necklace.

Thank you Diana for sharing your pendants with us! Visit Suburban Girl Studio to see more of Diana’s work!

Want to see more gorgeous  jewelry with Diana’s snowflake pendants?  Click on the links below to see what the other participants created.   Have fun!

Guest Artists

Dana Hickey

 

AJE Blog Team

Lindsay M Starr

Linda Landig

Lesley Watt

Caroline Dewison

Susan Kennedy

Jen Cameron

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Melissa Meman

Kristen Stevens

I am always delighted to read your comments!   Hope to hear from you.

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

We’re All Ears July Reveal

Here is this month’s inspiration picture:

This was an easy inspiration for me.  We live minutes away from the very end of Puget Sound.  Its common to see the sail boats go gliding by.  And I had the perfect pair of ceramic charms from Diana P. of Suburban Girl Studio.

All I had to do was add a few dangles above the sailboats.  The blue beads are sodalite and the red beads are glass.  I attached them all to Vintaj brass ear wires and now I’m ready to go sailing!  Its perfect weather for that today.  All I lack is, um, a boat….  Oh well, the earrings are perfect for summer wear, even without a boat!

Sail Away Earrings

I am always delighted to read your comments!   Hope to hear from you.

-Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry

Waxed Linen Jewelry Blog Hop

Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio is hosting a waxed linen blog hop today.  If you are not a jewelry designer, you may wonder what waxed linen is.  It is a linen thread that is coated with wax for stiffness and durability.  As far as I know, it was originally used for artisan bookbinding and for twining handmade baskets.  It comes in many colors and  is a fun and versatile material for stringing beads.

Spools of colorful waxed linen.

A couple of years ago I took a class from Erin Siegel where we learned to make earrings using Irish waxed linen.  I’ve been happily knotting linen cording ever since!

Diana and I learning to use waxed linen, with Erin’s guidance.

When I first heard that Diana was hosting a waxed linen blog hop, I imagined that I would have quite a few pieces of new jewelry to show today.  But I’ve been so wrapped up in making ceramic pendants lately, that it wasn’t until last night that I started to work on a necklace.

However, I do love working with with waxed linen, so making this necklace was a pleasure.

Blue Raven Necklace

The ceramic raven pendant was made by Oh! Sullivan Studio. Most of the ceramic beads were made by Mary Hubbard of White Clover Kiln.

Blue Raven Necklace

The dark blue ceramic beads are from Kazuri Beads.  There’s some recycled glass and Czech glass beads, too.  I like the way that the linen knots separate the beads, so they stand out more and the way it adds an extra bit of color.

Blue Raven Necklace

I am looking forward to visiting all the other participants in this blog hop.  Their creations will be so inspiring.  I’d encourage you to visit their blogs too.  The links are below.

I am always delighted to read your comments!   Hope to hear from you.

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry – ArtFire 

Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy

 

Diana Ptaszynski  Our much appreciated hostess

Kelsy Vincent

Susan Kennedy

Linda Landig

Kashmira Patel

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Vanessa Gilkes

Sandy Huntress

Kay Thomerson

Sarajo Wentling

Kari Asbury

Rebecca Anderson

Melissa Trudinger

Ann Schroeder

Shai Williams

Blanca Medina

Cheryl Brown

Johana Nunez Rivera

Lori Bowring Michaud

Kelly Morgan

Barbara Bechtel

Kristen Stevens

Heather Boardman

Janet Bocciardi

Kathy Lindemer

Lesley Watt

Susan Kolovson  

Jayne Capps

Michelle McCarthy

Cynthia Deis

Karla Morgan

Erin Siegel

Becky Pancake

Kelly Hosford Patterson

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson

Inge von Roos

Carolyn Lawson
Linda Younkman

Sandi Volpe

Toltec Jewels

Michelle Mach

Jen Cameron

Dorothy Winchell

Darlene Mansue

Cory Tompkins

Happy Day Bracelet

AJE Component of the Month Reveal

April’s Art Jewelry Elements (AJE) giveaway was hosted by the multi-talented Lesley Watt of  Thea Elements.   Members of the AJE team, plus a few lucky guest artists, were given one of these delightful, ceramic button clasps that Lesley made for us.

Button Clasps from THEA Elements

Here’s the bracelet I made with the clasp that I received.

Happy Day Bracelet

I combined Lesley’s clasp with an enameled bead in a matching color,  a yellow-peach colored ceramic cube from Suburban Girl and a faceted polymer clay bead from Second Surf.  The back of the bracelet has 3 strands of glass cube beads, interspersed with purple Czech glass seed beads.  I strung them all on denim blue Irish waxed linen and added a Czech glass flower dangle near the clasp.

Happy Day Bracelet

I called this the “Happy Day Bracelet” because I had the most delightful day when I made this bracelet.  I began the day with my first session of a volunteer job tutoring a young man in basic reading skills.  Our first session went much better than expected.  I felt that old thrill that I always experienced as a teacher, when I could see that real learning was taking place.  There’s nothing like it!  After the tutoring session, I came home and made this bracelet.  Then after dinner, I went to Marion Pollman’s studio for a ceramics lesson. We glazed my first batch of ceramic pendants and charms.  I can’t even begin to express how happy I am that Marion is helping me to make my ceramic dreams come true!  After all that goodness in one day, I was just certain that this had to be called the “Happy Day Bracelet“!

Happy Day Bracelet

Want to see more gorgeous  jewelry with Lesley’s awesome button clasps?  Here are all the links.  Have fun!

Guest Designers:

Johana Nunez

Leah Curtis
Perri Jackson

AJE Team
Lesley Watt
Keirsten Giles
Caroline Dewison
Rebekah Payne
Jjenny Davies-Reazor
Jen Cameron
Diana Ptaszynski
Kristen Stevens
Francesca Watson
Melissa Meman
Linda Landig
Sue Kennedy

I am always delighted to read your comments!   Hope to hear from you.

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry – ArtFire 

Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy

Day Of The Dead Necklace

Halloween – Day of the Dead Jewelry Blog Hop

Diana Ptaszynski, of Suburban Girl Studio, is hosting a Halloween – Day of the Dead blog hop! Since my husband and I were in Oaxaca, Mexico during the Day of the Dead last year, this jewelry challenge was right up my alley!  (I wrote about our experience with this amazing celebration, on the Art Jewelry Elements blog, if you would like to read more).

Dia de los Muertos was originally an Aztec celebration of the lives of those who had died. The Spanish conquerors tried to put an end to the holiday, without  success.  Over time el Dia de los Muertos merged with the Catholic All-Saints day and All-Souls day on November 1st and 2nd. The contemporary celebration melds aspects of Aztec ritual with Christian traditions and contemporary life.

Sugar Skulls and Marigolds

Sugar Skulls in Oaxaca

We started seeing sugar skulls in the markets about a week or 2 before the Day of the Dead celebration.  Apparently the Catholic friars taught the Mexicans how to make decorations from an ingredient that was abundant and affordable:  sugar.  Sugar Skulls and other items are often used to decorate the ofrendas on Dia de los Muertos.  As in the picture below, marigolds also decorate small home altars like this, as well as large public displays.  The bright orange marigolds are said to guide the spirits of the deceased, back to their earthly homes, as they visit their loved ones.

Oferendas with sugar skulls

Day of the Dead Necklace

I wanted my Day of the Dead necklace to reflect these traditions with respect and authenticity.  So I started with an awesome, bronze clay sugar skull that I got from Staci Smith at Bead Fest in August.

Then I needed some beads to represent the marigolds.  These were perfect!

Day Of the Dead Necklace with Marigold beads.

So I wired a “marigold” to the chin of the sugar skull and dangled 7 of them from a strand of black, gray and silver “peanut beads”.

Day of the Dead Necklace

I topped the sugar skull with a dark lilac handmade ceramic bead by Mary Hubbard, of White Clover Kiln and then added a strand of purple, recycled sari silk.

Day of the Dead Necklace

I had a lot of fun expressing my experiences in Mexico through the design of my Day of the Dead necklace.  Thank you Diana Ptaszynski, for hosting this blog hop!  Check out the links below to visit the other blogs participating in Diana’s blog hop!

Diana Ptaszynski  http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com

 

Staci Smith  http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/

 

Kathleen Breeding  http://99bobotw.blogspot.com

 

Sue Kennedy  http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

 

Dianne Miller  http://www.artbydianne.blogspot.com

 

Lisa Liddy  http://www.lisaliddy.wordpress.com

Toltec Jewels  http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Linda Landig  http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com  You are here.

Laura Medeiros  http://Www.zoeowyn.blogspot.com

Veralynne Malone  http://www.veradesigns.blogspot.com

Lynn Jobber  http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk

Michelle McCarthy  http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

 

Karen Totten  http://www.starryroadstudio.blogspot.com

 

Jayne Capps  https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor  http://jdaviesreazor.com/blog

 

Joan Miller  http://metalmudandsand.blogspot.com/

Melissa Meman  http://melissameman.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger  http://www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com

 

Kari Asbury  http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Inge von Roos  http://www.ingetraud.wordpress.com

 

Andrea Glick  http://zenithjade.blogspot.com 

 

Stephanie LaRosa  http://Www.stringaholic.blogspot.com

Lola Surwillo  http://www.beadlolabead.com

Jennifer Cameron  http://glassaddictions.com/blog

Diane Hawkey  http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com

 

Kristi Harrison  http://kristibasket-itsanewday.blogspot.com

 

Nicole Valentine Rimmer  http://www.nvalentine.blogspot.com

Tanya Goodwin  http://www.Pixiloo.blogspot.com

 

Shai Williams  http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Sandra McGriff  http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com

Sarajo Wentling  http://www.sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Marie Covert  http://thistledown-and-swaddlings.blogspot.com

Lisa Stukel  http://www.carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.com

Laurie Vyselaar  http://www.Lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com

 

Sherri Stokey  http://www.knotjustmacrame.com

Pam Traub  http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

Lori Dorrington  http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com

Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Eleanor Burian-Mohr  http://cornerstoregoddessjewelry.blogspot.com

Sally Russick  http://thestudiosublime.com

Dawn M. Gallop  http://www.flipflopsandpoptarts.com

Christine Damm   http://storiestheytell.blogspot.com

I am always delighted to read your comments!   Hope to hear from you.

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry – ArtFire 

Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy

Component Of The Month Reveal

Desert Canyon Necklace

I was one of the lucky ones to be randomly chosen for the September Component Of  The Month Giveaway on the Art Jewelry Elements blog.  The winners received one of these handmade porcelain charms from Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Beads.

Suburban Girl porcelain charms

I was happy to get one of the charms that has the copper patina glaze.  I love that glaze color!  Diana made these charms using a mold from an old leather button.  I can remember my dad having a heavy winter sweater with those cool leather buttons!

I know that these are listed as charms, but I decided to use mine as a necklace pendant.  I went with kind of a southwestern palette of muted tones of turquoise and orange.

Desert Canyon Necklace

The pendant hangs from an antiqued brass chain, below a dyed rust-orange agate.  Rust orange is my favorite color, so whenever I can include it in my designs; I’m a happy girl!  I placed some really pretty brass bead caps on either side of the agate to frame and highlight it.

Desert Canyon Necklace

The tiny glass seed beads were a recent purchase.  I adore their colors and was just looking for an excuse to use them  So why use just a few?  I went all out and created five strands of them, which thread in and out of turquoise-green Indonesian glass beads.

Desert Canyon Necklace

Head on over to my ArtFire shop to see more photos and read more about the Desert Canyon Necklace. 

I’m grateful to Diana and Art Jewelry Elements for hosting this giveaway.  I encourage you to take a look at the  Art Jewelry Elements blog to see what the other participants made.   And, just to pique your interest….I have a big announcement about Art Jewelry Elements that I’ll be posting on Tuesday.  Stay tuned