Good Luck necklace

Ladybirds are a sign of good luck and I was recently asked to make a ladybird necklace for a customer. This one is made using silver and color anodized aluminum.

The aluminum leaf is impressed with the veins of the leaf.

Hope you like it - and hope it brings the wearer good luck.

Leafy Hush

While I was doing my own bangle yesterday, I also made a couple to sell. One was in the same colors as mine - Orchid Hush (soft lavender) and pink, and the other was Orchid Hush and green so I've called that one "Leafy Hush".

The colors do seem so appropriate for "hush". I find them very gentle, quietening, and calming.  Wearing these colors really does make me feel tranquil and at peace.

What do you think? What colors do you wear that are calming?

Leaf textures

This week I tried out a couple more textures with the aluminum using a rolling mill.  My goal was to create a leaf impression.  I'm pleased with the results.

I dyed the aluminum first and sealed it. Then I ran it through the rolling mill.  All the little veins show up well on the aluminum.  It's such an intricate pattern and all that you see is texture, not different colored dyes.  I then did a little fold forming to bend the leaf,  filed the edges to show the silver color of the aluminum and voila!

The photo above reminds me of soft furry sage leaves - the green really does give them a soft look.

And you can see from the photo below that the veins even show up on the back of the leaf.

I haven't decided how I'm going to use them yet...whether a little creature will sit on them...or some flowers or.....what do you think?

Patience bangle

Readers of my regular "bird signs" Friday blog post will recall that I've been discussing the symbolism of birds for the past few weeks. Today I focus on an insect - the caterpillar. 

The butterfly and caterpillar are considered symbols of metamorphosis and transformation.  However the caterpillar is the infant stage - prior to transformation and thus teaches patience.  The caterpillar inches along slowly, resting..... pausing now and then - symbolising not to rush into anything.  This time is for preparation - a very important stage. 

Yes, a transformation will be exciting, but right now patience is needed. 

This bangle is therefore a cheerful reminder for someone that their time is coming...and they just need to get ready and be patient.

Hope you like my "patience" bangle. The bangle is color anodised aluminum and the caterpillar is made from fine silver.

Are you singing "inch worm, inch worm...measuring the marigolds" yet???

13/52 Bird a week challenge - Quentin Quail strolls in the garden

Yes, Quentin has finally joined the "bird a week challenge"!!  For those who don't know, Quentin is an old friend who lives with us here in Birdland. He is a California Quail who shares his life with his wife Queenie and their numerous babies. During the winter he hangs out in his covey of other quail friends.   If you look under "caption competition" at the top of this post, you'll see Quentin and some of his friends from last year!!!

Well today he is hanging out on one of my leafy aluminium bracelets, entitled "Quentin strolls in the garden":

He likes wandering among the leaves and looking for food...... I think maybe later in the season when he has his family, it would be good to see all the quails together on a bangle. What do you think????

Doesn't he look handsome!

A group of us are all challenging ourselves to make a bird a week for 2011, and here we are, already on week 13 - a quarter of the way through!  I hope you'll take the time to see some of the other birdies created this week by clicking on the links below....more and more links appear as the week goes by as people finish their birds. Hope you enjoy them:

Dogwood bangle

Continuing with my aluminium bangles this week, I made a leaf and blossom one in a nice soft green.  The blossoms and leaves reminded me of a dogwood tree. 

We visited Yosemite with my parents one May and were greeted with the most gorgeous flowering dogwoods there.  I think that was the first time I had ever seen so many all in one place.

There is also a wonderful Asian botanical garden here in Glen Ellen, called Quarryhill Botanical Garden. They have a stunning collection of Asian dogwoods there, including gorgeous yellow ones.

It's such a pretty tree isn't it.  Masses of blossoms!