Friday, August 21, 2015

We're All Ears :: August Reveal

This month's Earrings Everyday inspiration is otherworldly Antelope Canyon.  Located in northern Arizona on the Navajo Reservation, it can only be accessed by licensed tours with a guide and a permit. Our blog hostess, Erin's lyrical description in this post inspired this found poem. The poetic language is Erin's, rearranged into a poetic format by me.

The Inpiration




Slot canyons
chasms eroded over eons
by wind and rain
and raging floods

liquid gold
magical shafts of light
secret chambers of canyons

undulating sandstone walls
moving curves
like pulled and stretched taffy 
playing with depth perception
fantastic living sculptures
shifting and changing with time

Twisting and turning
corridors of light
beckoning discovery 
what mystery lies beyond
the next terra cotta bend

revered as sacred ground
by native peoples
an aura of hallowed ground
in these caverns
of vaulted rooms
in a grand cathedral

sandy rock rolls and swells
like waves on a molten lava sea
an otherworldly feeling
echoes keep us
hushed in wonder
by awe-inspiring vistas

a restful, meditative place
full of energy
spellbinding at every turn

~ Words by Erin Prais-Hintz
Rearranged by Cindy Martin-Shaw

(I always loved the teaching middle-schoolers how to write found poems in my middle-school English class.) 






The Earrings

It's all about stone, a wondrous gift of the earth. I find stones mesmerizing, and these photos of slot canyons are the ultimate in stone beauty.  I knew right away the material I wanted to use in this challenge, but executing my vision proved to be a harder aspect of this project. 

Hidden away safely in my workroom hutch cabinet is a treasure box of matched stone pairs that have been waiting for just the right moment to shine in the spotlight. My cousin Kathie went to the Bead & Button Show in Philadelphia last June and discovered a lapidary vendor specializing in matched pair gemstones. Serindipitously, I had been eyeing and drooling over such stones on-line. After exchanging dozens of texts of stone photos and making difficult, yet exciting, choices, my stones arrived in the mail. Like a child at Christmas, I unwrapped each set of stones gleefully and swiftly realized that these beauties would become items to hoard. I loved every single one of them; how could I ever part with them? So there they sat, tucked away, for months.  . . 


. . . nestled in their little boxes

On 

. . . all shapes, sizes, and colors


. . . waiting for inspiration to hit


. . . and then this challenge was posted. Thank you, Erin, for inspiring me to take the plunge with my stash.

Designing with these stones presented interesting challenges. I decided to just let the stones speak to me. One pair of jasper stones stood out from the rest, and they chose these rustic, old, brick red trade beads (from Happy Mango Beads), turquoise, and copper to join them.


In experimenting with how to wrap these stones, I wasted a lot of copper wire but finally got things right. After they were wrapped and the copper was oxidized, they looked just okay . . . too plain. I decided to add a little splash of color and soft texture by wrapping and knotting some sage-colored waxed linen. 


Now they felt complete. I love the swirls of color in the stone, like the sandstones of the canyon. 


I usually make several pairs of earrings for these challenges, but this pair took all of my energy, and I am very pleased with them. To see other unique interpretations of Antelope Canyon, please visit the Earrings Everyday post HERE

32 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Terri. I am so pleased that I finally started using my hoarded treasures. These were such fun to make!

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  2. Wow, these are fantastic! Love the colours and textures you have acheived and I think adding the waxed linen acheived just the right balance. I would find it hard to break into that lovely stash too! xx

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    1. Thank you, Fiona. I just finished looking at your textured copper clay earrings. Lovely! Yes, now that I broke into my stash, I feel motivated to try some more. It is affirming to hear your comment about the linen, as I rather struggled with that aspect.

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  3. Oops, an edit . . . B & B was in Milwaukee, not Philly. I would have edited my post, but I was afraid it might break my link. Sorry about that!

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  4. Wow! A found poem! That is super awesome, Miss Cindy! I used to love to teach poetry. I am honored that you saw my words as poetic. I think that was indeed the same vendor. I could not get past the red creek jasper, but now that I see all the variety that you have, I wish that I had! Still, this large set that I have will certainly inspire a series of earrings and necklace pendants perfect for fall for the Gallery Q that I show my work at! I best get busy making more! I adore the way you used the fiber. I was trying to figure out a way to make some sort of fiber work, but by the time I sat there for an hour just admiring the 24 sets to choose 3-4 to work with, I couldn't quite find the mojo to make that happen. I think we are indeed kindred spirits, Miss Cindy! And thank you again for the poem....that is my 'something good' for today! Thank you for participating in the Earrings Everyday We're All Ears challenge. Check back on the blog on September 4th for the next inspiration! Enjoy the day! Erin

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    1. Oh, and I forgot to say that I think that butterfly wing shaped one with the gold and brown is nearly identical to one that I have in my stash as well! ;-)

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    2. What's actually a continuing funny aspect of all of this is that just yesterday, I discovered a lapidary guy here in my town that has a shed full of slabs of gorgeous stones. I took some of my sets to him, and he sent me home with some slabs and instructions to draw templates of shapes I want him to cut. Kathie is putting in an order, too. It could be very dangerous to my budget to have this guy just down the road. If you want more stones . . .

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  6. Wow your earrings are just lovely.I love the stones.

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    1. Thank you, Alice. So many stones waiting to be earrings. :)

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  7. Cindy, those earrings are amazing! You paired the materials just right to show of the stone's beauty, but not detract. I love the addition of the linen cord - it really pulls everything together. And oh, those stones! I was drooling too! The pics look like they're froma curiosity cabinet. Can't wait to see what you'll create with the others!

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    1. Thank you, Sarah, for the feedback. It was a balancing act between too little and too much. I wasn't sure I had found the sweet spot, so it's good to hear your thoughts. So many stones in the curiosity cabinet yet to venture out into the world!

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  8. You certainly have a gorgeous selection of matched materials to work with. The earrings you created a gorgeous. I love the colors and style. Well done!

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    1. Thank, Kathy. It is time for me to get busy with some of the remaining stones in my stash. Just love them!

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  9. Your earrings are fabulous, your last touch of linen is absolute perfection. And those stones you have, they are beautiful.

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    1. Thank you, Karin. I went round and round about using that linen, so it is affirming to hear that you think it worked out okay. Fun project but challenging.

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  10. Beautiful stones and you added the perfect accompaniments to make a lovely pair of earrings!

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    1. Thank you. I have the chance to get more stones, and it is very hard to resist. Do I need more? Nope. Do I want more. YES!

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  11. Fabulous! I love the colors, they definitely mimic the canyon colors. And the linen cord really makes them swoonable. Great job!

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    1. It makes me smile to hear the word "swoonable" paired with something I made. Thank you so much, Veralynne. :) That made my day!

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  12. I love how you turned Erin's post into a poem. Beautiful. And your earrings are spectacular. Just the right accents to the natural beauty of the stones. And, ooh la la, your stash of matched pairs is drool-worthy.

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    1. Thank you, Tammy. Luckily, I wrote the poem when Erin first posted the challenge because I waited until the last minute to make the actual earrings. I can make jewelry under pressure, but I can't write well under pressure. Writing is just as fun and satisfying for me as making jewelry, so your comment means a lot to me. Thanks for noticing it. Much appreciated!

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  13. Love your beautiful poem! The earrings turn out amazing!

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    1. Thank you, Oksana. Writing is something I enjoy just as much as creating jewelry, so I appreciate your comment very much.

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  14. You brought out colours that I really didn't notice. Love your take on the inspiration

    Mona

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    1. Thank you, Mona. I guess the stones spoke on these. They are indeed the stars of the show!

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  15. Oh, Cindy! Your earrings and your stunning poem complement the beauty of Antelope Canyon from my beautiful Navajo Reservation! Amazing!

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    1. I thought of you and your neck of the woods when I saw the photos, Bonnie. What a gorgeous place to live, endless wonders of natural beauty!

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    2. Oh, and thank you for your endless compliments and encouragement, Bonnie.

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  16. Beautiful! I love the effect of the waxed linen gives your design. You guys are killing me with all the gorgeous stones... I want to find that vendor. :)

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  17. Thank you, Sarajo. Sorry about teasing you with the stones. When I first saw photos of them, I knew I had to HAVE them, so I can relate to how you are feeling. I looked around through tons of stuff and finally found the vendors business card. Intrinsic Trading from Round Rock, Texas. The email address is sales@intrinsictrading.com.

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