Wedding Zentangle

I haven't done much drawing lately, but I did accomplish one project - a gift for a dear friend's wedding. On one of my FB drawing groups, a recent theme was the nautilus. Because it spoke to me, I researched symbolism associated with the nautilus, which turned out to be wonderfully applicable to many life situations.

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The Nautilus shell, coiling upwards and lined with mother-of-pearl, is subdivided into as many as 30 chambers. This sea creature lives in a chamber for a season until it outgrows that particular space and must build another larger chamber for the next stage of its life. As the shell grows, its body moves forward into the new larger chamber and produces a wall to seal off the older chambers. It has no choice but to keep moving on. The cycles of its growth as a series of chambers are arranged in a precise Golden Mean spiral. This spiral is symbolic of life’s unfolding mysteries.

"Though sealed off from previous chambers, the nautilus remains connected to each compartment by means of a thin tube. It uses its outgrown chambers, its past, only to maintain its balance and facilitate movement in the present. Thus, the nautilus is forever connected to its center, the point of origin, and carries the unique story of its past wherever it goes. However, the past does not weigh it down. Instead, age and maturity actually enhance its balance and make the journey easier by creating additional buoyancy to float along without effort. The nautilus allows us to understand that discovery and growth involves continunal buoyancy to float along without effort."
~ Loretta D. Melancon, Healing Environment Services 

"Year after year beheld the silent toil
That spread his lustrous coil;
Still, as the spiral grew,
He left the past year’s dwelling for the new . . . "
~"The Chambered Nautilus" by Oliver Wendell Holmes

The card I made for the gift was a tangle in the wedding colors of silver and blue.

Bollywood Inspiration

Recently, Garry and I went to see "The Hundred-Foot Journey" and, after seeing all of the gorgeous plates of Indian food, left the theater with a wicked craving for Indian cuisine. I discovered that I also had Bollywood fashion circling around in my brain, which inspired these earrings. I macraméd C- Lon thread around hand-forged 18 gauge wire and added beads and dangles. These were just as addictive to make as Indian food is to eat (which is good because it is a long drive to an Indian restaurant around here). A tutorial for these earrings is at beadshop.com. 

The dangles on these beads are Baltic amber.

We're All Ears :: July Reveal

This month's inspiration photo (above) took me on an interesting personal journey to the Great Lakes, my childhood, and cherished family memories and treasures. My aunt and uncle, who lived in Michigan, owed a beautiful sailboat, and our family was fortunate enough to have sailed with them on the waters of Lake Michigan. I distinctly remember Uncle Phil's sailing instruction and endless jokes related to "coming about." The wonderous freedom of gliding across the blue water, leaving a gentle wake around us. The vastness of the lake. The flapping of sails. Such strong sensory memories. Recently, while snooping around in my dad's trays of slides, I discovered this photo of my mom and I on my aunt and uncle's sailboat.

Seeing that loving look on my mom's face really made me miss her. To feel that comfort and safety in my mother's arms again. To be that loved. That childhood wonder and innocence. These memories and emotions led me to my treasured stash of my mom's old jewelry. Two pieces spoke to me - the black and silver necklace and the silver bar chain. The cupped triangular shapes captured the shapes of the billowing sails, and their black stripes seemed reminiscent of sail graphics. The knotted textures of the bar links resembled sailing ropes. I was off on one of those gloriously-inspired creative whirlwinds. 

After adding some jump rings, a beaded-and-paddled dangle, and some handmade earwires, the earrings for this challenge were done. Certainly, I ignored color palette similarities this time around. Now that I really think about it, I often am most inspired by shapes and textures in these challenges. If the color works out too, then it's an added perk. Anyway, without further ado, here are this month's earrings. 

I seldom can stop with just earrings alone. There were all those other "sail" pendants left on the table and the creative juices were still flowing, so I made a matching necklace. I punched one more hole in the pendant and added a Czech glass dangle. The large-holed ocean jasper beads fit perfectly on the black deerskin leather. Serendipitous that it is "ocean" jasper. More water. I just noticed that!

So here's to my mom, my aunt and uncle, and sailing. Wearing this set will comfort me with sweet memories.

*For this month's reveal, I tried to focus on improving the quality of my photos. I used FotoFuze and Snapseed editing programs on these. Always learning!

Thanks, Erin, for another inspiring photo. To all participating artists, thank you for sharing your creative process and your artwork.  

                                                                                 ~ Cindy 

An InLinkz Link-up

Custom Order

I just finished this set for a loyal customer. These bracelets are such fun to make until the last step. Feeding that fourth strand of leather through that last barrel crimp bead is torture! 

I just can't waste those little scraps of leftover leather. I hate how photos can reveal details I don't like. I know a chaos wrap is supposed to be messy, so why is one just a bit neater than the other? Oh, that perfection thing can be so annoying.

And now from casual to a more formal look . . . 

I'm very happy with the whole set; the blue and copper are striking together. I am sad to see this one leave my studio, but I always feel that way when my babies leave home. :) 

Experiment in Metal

Recently, I stopped by the local recycling center and snagged some scraps of copper. 

After cutting, filing, polishing, and hole-punching a couple of teardrop shapes from this scrap, I riveted a piece of tin onto them and added some beads and handmade earwires. Next time, I will texture the back of the copper before riveting, so that if they flip around, the back side will be interesting, too. Live and learn. 

This time I remembered to texture the back of the pendants, too.

Furniture Lust

Ok, this baby needs to be mine. I have the perfect spot for it in my studio. I visualize grasping one of those cast iron bin pulls and opening those gorgeous oak drawers to find my beads and findings sorted and beautifully displayed. This is serious furniture lust. I never thought I would actually find one of these, but this dream piece showed up in my inbox today. But at the cost to buy and ship, it will have to remain just a fantasy. But what a lovely fantasy it is!

So Much to Buy!

When I'm not creating jewelry, I'm drawing. When I'm not buying jewelry components, I'm buying art supplies. It seems that the economy will always be getting a boost from my need to create. My latest addiction is Copic sketch markers, and with 358 colors to collect, it seems as if I will never run out of materials to buy. Faced with a wall of these markers, my knees go weak and my wallet cringes. 

Then there are Distress Stains. Thankfully, there are only 12 stain colors.

I can't help but think that my dad, the artist, would be thrilled to join me and encourage me in this pursuit of cool new art supplies. Dad, I wish you were here.