thebeadedlily's sketchbook

fibulae

2009-11-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

Wikipedia says, "A Fibula (Latin "to fasten"[1]) is an ancient brooch. Technically, the Latin term fibulae refers specifically to Roman brooches, however, the term is widely used to refer to brooches from the entire ancient and early medieval world. Unlike modern brooches, fibulae were not only decorative, they originally served a practical function: to fasten clothes, including cloaks. Fibulae replaced straight pins that were used to fasten clothing in the Neolithic period and Bronze Age. In turn, fibulae were replaced as clothing fasteners in the Middle Ages by buttons. Their descendant, the modern safety-pin, remains in use today.

Fibulae, thebeadedlily style---

time flies whether you're having fun . . . or not

2009-11-01T13:12:00.002-05:00

It's been another long while since I've updated.

That's kind of rude isn't it? You get all involved in someone's life and then one day they're just not there . . . and it's human to worry and wonder what happened to them.

After about a year of almost daily blogging, I decided to only blog if I had something to say. And here's the result. An inactive blog. When I was blogging daily I found something to say, but it took so much energy . . . a commodity I frequently run short of.

So yet another apology, a thank you to all those of you who've been thinking about me, a double thank you to each of you who have actually written and asked about me. Those are precious thoughts and actions. And an update!

We're DIY'ers and we just refloored and repainted hald of our home . . . it looks like we're just going to trip on stacks of flooring for a while, before we get around to the other half.

My bedroom is in the done half, and I'll have to take some pictures at some point. It's very me, which is to say, I think it's wonderful-- though certainly not everyone would.

My studio corner is in the undone half . . . more on that later.

My shrink upped my Prozac dose and suggested a vitamin regimen and a beady buddy over at MannyBeads (who daylights as a shrink) made arrangements for me to get my hands on a sunbox for light therapy.

These things seem to give me more energy than I've had for a couple of years.

An artist friend of mine from California has moved out to Georgia for awhile and we've had a lovely time getting to know each other better-- that includes going to art supply and bead stores, on nature walks where she brings her camera and shoots mushrooms and I keep an eye out for bones, feathers and dead bugs, and planning a trip to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History while I hold still enough for her to sketch. Well-- I have to have something to do with all of that wonderful energy and I'm very much looking forward to getting to know Da Vinci and Van Gogh a bit better!

On my mind has been fibula design. Diana of DyeDianaDye asked me about pins for a new line of Kestrel Vests and I've been fiddling with those. On aforementioned bead store run I laid my eyes and hands on some fabulous African recycled glass beads that will make an appearence in these pins!

On the 12th I'm headed to Hawaii for the first time. There will be pictures!

All in all my quiet time has been a scene of melancholic lethargy punctuated with bright sparks of joy more intense than I've had since this particular episode started. I moved my g-mail status from Level Red to Aftermath and I'm grateful to be on an upswing.

new mucha collection from thebeadedlily

2009-09-22T16:40:00.001-04:00

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) produced a flurry of paintings, posters and illustrations, as well as designs for jewellery, carpets, wallpaper, and theatre sets in what became known as Art Nouveau (French for 'new art').

He has always been a favorite of mine and this collection focuses on him and another current obsession-- the use of color.

I have plans to enlarge the collection with earrings and then I'll just see how it's received before I expand it farther.

Innocence, from the Sweet Figments giveaway left for it's new home today and we're about 50 tweets from a winner on my Twitter giveaway-- as outlined below!

giving still more away

2009-09-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

The Twitter giveaway is still on! Going slower than I expected actually and I've contemplated awarding the necklace to the 500th tweep to tweet it instead of the 1000th. Then I woke up to a flurry of activity this morning, and decided to stick with 1000-- now I'm thinking 500 may indeed be better.

If you're on Twitter please enter to win and help me spread the word!

Just tweet this message: Please retweet! *WIN THIS CHOKER* from thebeadedlily http://bit.ly/9SCTt 1000th RT wins, max 1 RT per hour

Also though I'm offering this pretty purple concoction through Sweet Figments. Please go check out the short article and leave a comment there one the Sweet Figments blog to win!

giving it away

2009-09-09T15:54:00.001-04:00

more pictures

If you're on Twitter and you'd like to enter to win it tweet this message: "*WIN THIS CHOKER* from thebeadedlily http://bit.ly/9SCTt 1000th RT wins, max 1 RT per hour"

I hit 2000 hearts in my Etsy shops today!

customer appreciation shot

2009-09-07T18:22:00.001-04:00

I love it when my friends buy my stuff and it's not because of the money. It's because if a friend buys it I get to see it again every now and then.

The same thing applies to pieces I give as gifts.

One of the best parts about home parties and craft shows is seeing someone put something on and wear it when they walk walk away.

Selling online, I do miss that.

So I was excited to hear from the fabulous (and fabulously dressed) Sam!

Her photo adorns the the front page of The Small Studio where one can purchase insanely incredible custom-made tribal-style belly dance raiment, *sigh*

The nose ring she's wearing is one of my Rajasthani pieces-- and doesn't it look wonderful on her?

Hanan of Smoke Tribal Bellydance

Photo Credit: W. Eugene Slowik

I've worked with several dancers on naths as well-- and begged for pictures-- but this one was the best surprise! Even better when she gave me permission to share!

I love to look at the customer appreciation pictures on Etsy too, when folks find the time to leave them!

rajasthani rings

wonder and rainbows- traveling dreamcoat #1

2009-08-24T15:15:00.000-04:00

She sings of freedom, said one of the artists who worked on her, Kay of On Slender Threads.

After my journey with RubyFruit I had only anticipation for Wonder-- no anxiety. I wasn't worried that I would ruin her but had confidence that we'd work something out.

I pulled her out of her box and admired the fabulous lining and the perfectly dyed and draped ribbons and delicate scrollwork of beading. I slipped her on and admired the unstitched sides and the dyed-paisley patterns. I took a page from Mara's book and found a piece of work that hadn't panned out. Long story short, I had a custom order and the customer changed her mind and exchanged the piece for a different piece leaving us both quite happy and me with a strip of beadwork. I didn't quite know what to do with it-- a two drop peyote strip 13 1/2" x 3" in purples, bronzes and pinks. Like Mara's silk, this matched Wonder perfectly. As if it were made for her.

I began stitching it on with no hesitation then changed my mind about the placement, pulled out the stitching with no hesitation and restitched it elsewhere-- again no hesitation. Freedom indeed!

Saturday I had a jewelry party-- a pretty big event for me as it may be the first time in almost a year that I've ventured into a crowd for social purposes.

Amazingly, my anxiety level was nearly on par with my normal-facing-a-crowd level-- which is quite high, but far below the I'm-going-to-go-mad panic attacks that have been dogging me for awhile now.

On the way home it was pouring! When went back outside after the rain stopped there was the most amazing rainbow I've ever seen adorning the sky. It was a perfect arch, fully formed, from one horizon to the other and the color was prismatic-- amazingly intense and saturated.

According to Genesis the rainbow is a symbol of God's promise to not destroy the world by water again. I've always associated rainbows with freedom from fear.

Sunday I needed something rhythmic to do.

I picked Wonder up. The panel drapes beautifully along the back edge, not showing from the front very much at all. I would have slid her in her box confidently enough, but she's destined to wait with me for her journal. So today I stitched beads along the rest of the edge I embellished with the strip.

I have the freedom to go on, if I choose, and embellish other edges. I have the freedom to stop. I have the freedom to not worry about it tonight!

I think we're done. But I thought we were done Thursday and I'm enjoying the freedom of changing my mind.

unsettled

2009-08-15T09:09:00.005-04:00

I don't like to think of myself as selfish-- who does? I'd rather be giving and kind, spreading light and love and joy.

This morning someone asked if they could copy something I'd done and I find myself at a loss as to what to say. I think I don't want to think about it.

It's a simple thing-- one of my primitive series pieces. It's freeform so the copy wouldn't be exact. I doubt it's even copyrightable-- silver wires wrapped around each other? If I came across it in a magazine I wouldn't assume someone had stolen the idea.

I also can't claim being exactly original. My primitive series deliberately emulates techniques and forms of ancient jewelry artists. This particular piece came about as a way to use up scrap wire pieces, but the techniques I use are older than wire.

If I said I don't approve of copying-- that's hypocritical right? Just because the styles I'm copying are all by dead people and I'm putting my own spin on them-- I still didn't bibbidibobbidiboo the ideas into existence. In fact I like the series because it's connective and evocative.

But the idea someone emulating this one design leaves me unsettled and I'm not sure why. Fear, of what? Fear that it somehow makes me less of an artist? Less unique? Less original?

Here's the thing. There's not one thing about any of us that is totally unique to the human experience. We're never alone. Someone somewhere somewhen has done it, felt it, thought it or said it. All snowflakes have the same makeup. What's unique is the combination of things no one anywhere at anytime has done, felt, thought or said everything we have. All snowflakes are different. We're all innately special and innately unique-- even if our life's aim is to fit in someplace-- it's hard and we never quite get it right.

So if she copies this one bracelet-- absolutely nothing would happen to me. My world would not end. I would not die, get sick or be forced to wait tables. She'll get a cool bracelet inspired by thebeadedlily and maybe creating it will give her a bit of joy.

Mummy At Worlds End

Goodbye RubyFruit-- Traveling DreamCoat #4

2009-08-14T20:00:00.001-04:00

I know I'm not alone. We never are.

Sometimes I think that all of us artists live for a time in a dreamworld where everyone is perfect-- except us, all art is wondrous and beautiful, except ours and it doesn't matter what the world says, how many awards we've won, how many contests we've made the finals in, how many people buy our jewelry, how many fellow artists admire it-- it's not good enough.

I say we live there for a time, because I do believe that the art wins eventually. That it looks us dead in the eye and says, "I'm here because I was meant to be here-- it's not always about you." I believe that there is peace then, and confidence, when we realize that the art is strong, that the artist in us is worthy.

I'm not there yet. I'm still in the dreamworld where everyone else is perfect and the only thing that keeps me going is my need to create.

When the Bohemia Espirit Market told me I could join their artistic ranks I was blown away happy. When they told me that, yes, I could have a dreamcoat for a couple of weeks and do with it what I would I was over the moon happy.

Then it got here 8 days ago, and whoa, it was beautiful just as it was. The responsibility! What was I supposed to do with it? The trust! What if I messed it up? The fear! What if what I did wasn't good enough? What if everyone suddenly discovered that I wasn't the artist they think I am?

These beliefs don't disappear overnight. But every now and then we're allowed to give them a good kick in the teeth that diminishes them a bit. That's what RubyFruit helped me to do.

When I pulled things from my stash I really had no idea what I'd do, or where. It was more of a 'this looks like it might work. Work as what? Well, you know, work. Somehow.'

And everything sat in the box. I'd pull it all out every now and again, discard that, add this.

The day before yesterday I just started. First, I decided not to use the MAKUstudio cab I wanted to use. Mak's tile looked better. I like the shape more, so I wanted to keep it-- but no-- RubyFruit said it was going with her. OK-- so how to attach it?

I did a backless bezel-- my second bezel and my first backless bezel-- not in safe black but in a really cool burgandy-lined amber. I started the bezel and just got lost in the beads. It got dark and stormy. There were lightning strikes on both sides of our home and the power went out-- there was just barely enough light to keep beading, so I did.

Here's the back of the tile with Mak's (Mariannne Kasparian's) signature.

I stitched the tile on by going through the bezel to the fabric. The needle didn't want to go back through the glass beads because they were tightly woven. The knit fabric is also tightly woven and I had to overcome my fear of messing the fabric up by stitching through it. Then I ran some garnet chips around the edge.

I liked it, but wasn't done. Yesterday I attached a clay button by Lisa Peters Russ up above the tile. Both of these pieces were gifts with the purchase of other beads.

Then came a sterling silver Isis pendant that I picked up in Alexandria, Egypt years ago. When you spend enormous amounts of money sometimes you get free stuff. Note, being all wide-eyed and young and mannerly probably doesn't hurt.

I still liked it-- and still wasn't done. I wanted to include a polymer clay bird skull replica by Dee Wilder of Malodora-- another gift with purchase. I told Dee they were all wonderful, but I liked the free one the best. So there it was, the last of 6, and I had to use it.

Arrangement became an issue and I decided on an arrangement of four other pieces around the three that I had already-- something that was part game pieces and part medicine wheel-- though everything I know about them came from Chakotay.

More stash raiding ensued and I unearthed a fossilized shark tooth that I bought off a Florida diver and a piece of kyanite that I acquired through more conventional channels.

Kyanite is a personal favorite of mine, since I first laid eyes on it a few years ago. It's a soothing, healing blue and nicely earthy. I attached it today.

Then I attached the bird skull.

At this point I still didn't have a plan for the fourth piece. Nothing satisfied.

I started looking at every artisan piece that I have-- but none of them were right. Then I remembered a baggie of Paula Radke glass that I acquired in Tuscon in February. Out it came and there, on Paula's business card, was a free dichroic bead in a lovely lavender shade. I wrapped it with copper, hammered the spirals flat and stitched it on.

I'm done.

Out of curiousity I looked up medicine wheels and I found out they they usually have four points, but can have six. North is earth/wisdom-- well represented by clay. South is passion/fire-- well represented by Isis. East is air/flight-- well represented by blue and a bird skull. West is water/emotions-- well represented by the prismatic color of the glass and a shark tooth.

Interesting, no?

Goodbye RubyFruit, and thank you. I'll pack you and your gifts up and send you to our Wild Woman PattyMara tomorrow. I'm begging Wonder off of Kay (On Slender Threads) now-- certain that we'll come up with something together.

For more on the DreamCoat Project checkout the Bohemia Espirit blog on 1000Markets.

Check out the Bead Art Originals Items of the Week!

sleepytime

2009-08-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

I'm headed off the bead, but wanted to post these pretty treasuries first!

Peridot

I'm pretty much done with my article for the Art Bead Scene Blog-- and nervous about it of course. I expect edits, I fear being totally written off. Note-- I don't actually believe that that will happen, but it's my worst case scenario.

Blues and Greens

Also on tomorrow's to do list, RubyFruit, the travelling dreamcoat and I have some quality time scheduled.

Peace will come

grey, gray day

2009-08-07T21:39:00.002-04:00

Minnow

I love the colors blue, gray and black. They can be calming, but the flip side of that is where we get the terms 'feeling blue' and 'black mood'.

dust bunnies in the storm

off with the old, on with the new-- project that is

2009-08-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot of my earrings on my business cards for the party.

Necklaces and bracelets got 1/4 of a card!

And sistermine talked me into offering sale prices on a few older pieces.

Now the new!

The coat reached me today!

I opened the box and just sat with her on my lap for a few minutes feeling daunted and overwhelmed by how beautiful it already is!

Then I started pulling stuff out of my stash and piling it on. I rejected several bits and didn't totally decide on any of them. I don't want to jump the gun, so they're marinating a bit.

One thing that did strike me is that I have a few pieces that were gifts from artists (Dee Wilder or Malodora, Lisa Peters of LisaPetersArt and Marianne (Mak) Kasparian of MAKUstudio) whose beads I purchased. The idea of adding these elements pleases me greatly as it's a way to actually get more artists involved. Because the beads were not purchased but given to me it feels right to pass the bounty on-- almost like I was just holding them for awhile.

rainy day progress

2009-08-05T20:44:00.000-04:00

Whisper Soft

It's been dark and rainey here today. I did finish my inventory up for the party and I resumed making and listing new pieces. Sweet relief!

Vacation Time

Tomorrow I'll get some shots of that and my tagged pieces. It was so dreary that I only took the shots I had to have to list the new pieces.

Air Earth Fire Water

Views seem really slow today so I was ecstatic to find my work in three new treasuries! That helps a bunch.

Since I'm done with the prep work for the party till much closer to the date, I'm beating back the mess I've been working in a bit.

I'm so right brained. I *like* organized, but I find it impossible to maintain.

treasures

2009-08-04T09:10:00.000-04:00

tea, grass and rust

night and day

monday

2009-08-03T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm shocked that it's been so long since I've blogged!
Thinking about it, I shouldn't be. I wasn't feeling will Friday and I had a jam packed Saturday and Sunday-- right up to the point where I fell into bed at 9pm last night because I was that exhausted.

My inventory for the upcoming party is tagged. That was a Project with a capital P. I'm considering just keeping things tagged as I make them from now on. I used my colorful business cards and simply wrote the name of the piece and the price-- GA sales tax included-- on the backs. The prices I wrote on tape, so I can peel them off when a piece goes someplace where no tax is charge-- anyplace besides Georgia!

The Primitive Series inventory is close to complete. I usually make those pieces to order and I wanted several of each for the party and I need some in stock for November. I'm going Hawaii for about 10 days and to avoid closing down I make up and package the pieces and sistermine does the mailing/extra packaging for me. She's handy!

The party is on the 22nd. So I've got, in theory, loads of time! But the bookmarks and magnets for freebies and the rest of the Primitve Series Inventory need to be done, and I'm still stressing about display space.

And would you believe I went and volunteered to write an article for the Art Bead Scene blog?!?! The subject is one that is close to my heart and I thought 'ooh, I can do that and it'll be fun to guest post!' Now I'm thinking 'ooh, what were you thinking?!? Fun? You can do this? HA!'

I am, however, determined that I will not under any circumstances welsh on Heather. No matter how badly I want to!

Good things to report!
I was accepted to the Bohemia Esprit Market on 1000Markets! Which means I get to help with The Coats. Very exciting stuff!

And I was linked to from the Ganoskin Daily Jewel blog of all things! That's exciting too!

BAO Items of the Week

treasuries and insanity

2009-07-30T22:31:00.001-04:00

rain wisteria stone

iced teal

Now for the insanity portion. *screech*

A friend of mine has asked me about having a jewelry party.

And I'm discombobulated!

The big gulp for me is that I've been a virtual hermit for the past year. I went from being *extremely* active to not leaving my house. I went from being the type of person who might be intimidated by strangers, but who would reach out to them even so, to getting panic attacks if I was outside and the neighbors were in their yard.

I've been slowly getting better. I'm on Prozac, I'm seeing a shrink, I'm reading about all about anxiety and depression and sensitivity-- and I'm slowly, slowly getting through it. I can lift my head in public. I can sit in a stadium with 8000 people.

Can I do a jewelry party?

Well-- I can't afford not to, so I said yes.

And now the insanity strikes.

My shops are well stocked currently-- better than ever before actually. So I'm concentrating on making up the little pieces that I usually make to order.

So far I'm up to about a 100 bits and bobs-- AKA earrings!

With about a 100 left to go.

That said-- being nervous about the prep work-- I have about 150 pieces to attach price tags to-- and set up-- I'm totally not into my current display--and calculating sales tax on the fly-- eek-- it's the people that I must engage. *screech and cower*

Frontal lobe says it's no big deal and I'll be just fine. Heart says you're making progress, take another step.

Something else inside says 'danger will robinson'

*panic*

monday's picture post and more fun with copper

2009-07-27T19:14:00.008-04:00

Fifteen of our wonderful BAO artists have chosen to participate in this week's Items of the Week special. Check out the details on each artist's item on the BAO blog, HERE.

And I added some copper hair sticks-forks-pins to my line:

notes on the color blue hair fork

notes on jade hair pin

notes on mania hair stick

fun with copper

2009-07-26T20:11:00.006-04:00

Forever and a half ago I bought some copper wire-- but I never got around to even opening it.

Then Serene over at BlessedLotus asked me to make her a copper nath.

I liked the way it turned out so I used it to make a few more pieces.

gemstone gauntlet

earth girl copper anklet/bracelet

entish green long necklace

raiment as you like necklace

Around the same time I started make a few of my Simplicity Series pieces in solid 14k gold-- but that didn't sweep me away like the copper. Perhaps I enjoy it so much because I'm not afraid to waste it.

In other news-- I think I'm almost over my orange kick. Almost.

Last year I pegged orange as the hardest color for me to work with. That's history. Maybe yellow is hardest now?

treasury love

2009-07-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

Turquoise Temptation

Pretty Dirty

it is what it is

2009-07-23T13:35:00.002-04:00

it is what it is

Ornaments and Amulets

2009-07-22T13:42:00.001-04:00

article by Jan Atherton

For thousands of years Ornaments, Amulets and jewellery have been worn, or used to serve different purposes.

Ornament as currency, or as a display of social status, or personal/family wealth:

Materials including shells and silver have often been used as a form of portable currency. Modern currencies such as the Cedi of Ghana, and Sterling in the UK, reflect this.

Shells and metal pieces were often made into jewellery, or stitched to clothing. A striking example of this can be seen in the traditional clothing of the Wenxiang Miao women from Guizou Province in China.

Silver is fashioned into elaborate headdresses, broad neck rings, handmade chains and small embossed metal panels, that are stitched to their outer layers of clothing. When extra money is available, they buy more silver to make more ornaments, then sell the pieces when money is needed in leaner times.

Photo of Miao women and children.

Credit: photo courtesy of Wiipedia user L-BIT

In many cultures ornaments and jewellery are also often part of a woman's dowry, on the occasion of their marriage.

Spiritual and Religious Purposes

Protection

In many Native American cultures, particularly the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne cultures, a newborn baby is given a beaded amulet made from buckskin, or antelope skin, containing the remains of their umblilical cord. The cord is dried, wrapped with sacred herbs - sweet grass, sage,cedar and tobacco, a small amount of earth from the area where the baby was born, and small snippets of hair from close family members.The amulet is then stitched closed.

The amulet is worn by either the baby's Mother, Grandmother, or attached to the baby's cradleboard, until the child is responsible enough to wear it. The amulet stays with the child throughout life, and is buried with them when they die.The amulet is made to connect the child to both their Mother and to the Earth.

Girls are given an amulet in the shape of a turtle. The turtle with her protective shell represents motherhood, connection to the Earth, fertility and protection during childbirth.

Boys are given an amulet in the shape of a lizard, the lizard represents quick movement, self reliance and renewal/regrowth.

Twins are given amulets in the shape of intertwined snakes, representing the interconnectedness of the twins, both in the womb and throughout life.

Photo of Northern Lodge's Umbilical Cord Amulet

Credit: by Patti from Northern Lodge

Passage Through Life Stages:
- Birth and childhood
-Puberty and passage into adulthood
-Marriage
-Childbirth and Motherhood
-Becoming an Elder - reaching age related milestones
-Death and preparation for death
-Preparation for funeral, afterlife, or reincarnation, depending on religious beliefs.

Healing and Medicinal Purposes

Traditionally worn for healing, or medicinal purposes, Native American medicine bags were made from buckskin, or antelope hide.The bags contained medicinal herbs and plants, healing gemstones such as quartz, soil, sand, or stones from a location special to the wearer, feathers, or animal hair to evoke the spirit of the bird, or animal. The objects are all either gifts from others, or from the Earth.

Photo of a Medicine Bag

Credit: photo courtesy of Flickr user mharrsch

Prayer

Jewellery and Amulets are often made for the purpose of holding prayers and inspirational passages from religious texts, or as an aid to memory when reciting complex prayers.

An example of the former are the Hirz from the Yemen. The Hirz is a pod shaped case, usually made from silver, or coin silver, and often decorated with intricate metalsmithing techniques such as granulation. Small pieces of paper containing prayers and passages from the Koran are placed inside. Some examples are soldered shut, and others open at one end.

Photo of a Hirz

Credit: photo by Russ Nobbs.

Examples of the latter are Catholic and Anglican rosaries, and Hindu and Buddhist Japa Mala prayer beads. Indeed the word bead is derived from the middle English word bede, meaning rosary bead, or prayer.

Photo of Japa Mala

Credit:photo courtesy of Wikipedia user gouranga.uk

Personal Expression of the Wearer and Artist

Traditionally artists were supported by the patronage of royalty, a wealthy aristocracy, the rich merchant classes and ecclesiastical patrons.These patrons commissioned artwork and jewellery as a form of PR and a calling card. To be seen to be a patron of the arts, was to be seen to be an educated, knowledgeable person. Interested in philosophy, art and politics.

An artist or craftsman's skills were highly prized. Patronage meant increased status for the artist and relative financial stability for an artist's family. However an alliance to an unpopular patron, or the withdrawal of patronage due to an indiscretion, or change of political regime, could endanger an artist's livelihood.

The old system of patronage and Craftsmen's guilds meant that most professional artists and Craftsmen were male. Since around 1900 women artists and designers now have enjoyed greater access to formal and informal art education, and a larger number of outlets to sell their work. There is also greater freedom to express personal ideas and themes, rather than being a cypher to another persons whims and aspirations.

A beautiful example of a more intensely personal project is Amethyst Ravenstar's recent collaboration with her son. The project is a series of ornamental beadwoven panels. The designs inspired by both Native American and Celtic forms are beaded by Rose, from designs on paper created by her son.

Amethyst Ravenstar's Mother and Son series, number 11.

Credit: photo by Rose from Amethyst Ravenstar.

This series resonated with me, partly because I live far from my family. I live in Chicago and my parents live in Scotland, and partly because my own artistic journey was sparked and encouraged by my parents. My Mum instilled a love for textiles (especially knitting) and music, and my Dad was a High School Art Teacher and is now working full time as an artist after his retirement a few years ago. The closeness of Rose and her son is palpable when you look at their work together.

Jewellery and Ornaments are also worn to enhance, or exaggerate the proportions of the body, this is often for cultural reasons, or an identification with a social group, or subculture.

Hierarchy of Materials

The rarity of materials has always played a part in Ornament and jewellery making. Precious metals such as Gold and Silver are rarer and more difficult to obtain than copper, or tin. Precious gemstones such as emeralds and rubies are rarer and more difficult to cut, than more common semi-precious stones, such as quartz, or garnets, for example. Jewellery made from these materials was out of the financial reach of the majority of people, and the effects of sumptuary laws further delineated social class and rank.

The development of synthetic materials and substitutes such as resins, plastics and synthetic gemstones, have given artists and jewellery makers a greater variety of materials to work with. It has also meant that many artists choose to subvert the traditional hierarchy of materials - often using everyday and recycled materials to make jewellery of beauty and ingenuity.

Where an artist may once have used gemstones, or precious metals they have been replaced by used computer parts and electronics, or packaging and advertising materials.

Photo of Electrical Influences

Credit: Leslie Perrino; photo by Larry Sanders.

These pieces question both consumerism, and our use of Earth's precious resources.

Functional Ornament and Jewellery

In their simplest form buttons are flat discs, or beads, and pins are bent lengths of wire, or a fibula form. By increasing their size, adding detailed texture, engraving, gemstones, or enamel, a simple fastening becomes both a functional fastening and decorative ornament. The Hunterston brooch from Scotland is an example of this.

Photo of Celtic Hunterston Brooch.
Credit:photo courtesy of flickr user WordRidden

This is only the briefest overview of a fascinating subject, I have barely skimmed the surface here. I hope you will enjoy exploring further.

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I would like to thank Sarah Kelley for inviting me to write this and a huge thank you to artists Patti from Northernlodge, Leslie Perrino, and Rose/ Amethyst Ravenstar and her son, for granting me kind permission to include images of their work and for answering every question I had. Thank you also to Russ Nobbs, Joyce and Abdyl from the Bead Collector.net forum for their help. The other images used in the article are from Wikipedia and Flickr and Beadcollector.net.

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Jan started beading to add some sparkle to her embroidery work and fell hard for those little sparkly objects. She knits, sews, draws and takes photographs, but none of her other artistic pursuits have ever come close to becoming a career. This year she has been able to finally teach others to bead and she hopes soon to have a website for this.

She has a BA (Hons) from Edinburgh College of art in Visual communications (Animation). See Jan's work at her Etsy shop Ten Story Love Song

treasuries and front pages

2009-07-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

binkaminka's Storyteller made the front page today!

Fuzzy Lilac

a country girl like you

2009-07-18T14:31:00.000-04:00

a country girl like you

My response is-- does it show that much? Well, it probably does actually-- try as I might to avoid typing 'ya'll' I'm sure it slips once in awhile.

Actually it might start slipping more often as I just joined the new Georgia Made Market on 1000Markets, and immediately, in the company of fellow Georgians, found myself typing about as casually as I speak!

friday features

2009-07-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Rustic Metals

And thebeadedlily was featured on the DiBA blog!

exhibition invitation

2009-07-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

My friend Olivia Borba is having an exhibition of paintings!

July 24- August 31

4th Street Vine

2142 E. 4th St.

Long Beach CA 90804

Reception: August 1, 4-6 pm

http://www.oliviaborba.com/

For directions and hours:

http://www.4thstreetvine.com/

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Wish I was going!

Georgia to California is a bit of a trip though!

"I Was Elsewhere", oil on canvas, 40x46, 2006