Stained glass window bangles

I finished off some more stained glass window bangles today, in blue colors!

As I'm now looking to link back to a previous post regarding the predominantly red window bangles I've made, I realize that I didn't blog about those - only showed you the window photos! 

Anyhow, today's bangles contrast with the ones you haven't yet seen (!!!) in that they are predominantly blue!  They are based on the windows in Grace cathedral, San Francisco. Beautiful colors and more traditional in design that the others.  I'll show you the red ones another day...soon!

I had good news this week that the Gift Store at Grace Cathedral is going to stock some of my stained glass window necklaces, earrings and bangles...just as soon as I get them there.  It'll be nice to have my work sold where I sing.

Life on the ocean wave

A customer in Germany asked me to make her a bangle like my "ride the wave" bangle, but in a larger size. 

Hmmm. An interesting request, as now I had to remember how I did the first one!!! Yes, I'm not one of those people that has a little book and fully documents her experiments!  I guess I did enough of that when I was a research scientist.  Luckily I still had the "ride the wave" bangle so managed to figure it out and blended some colors.

Here's the result - a lovely blues bangle - either singing the blues or life on the ocean wave!

Off it went yesterday, across the waves to Hamburg.

Father and Daughter collaboration - Stained glass windows

Today's bracelets are a collaboration between my father and myself.  Any of you who remember him as my guest blogger for a few years, writing "Sunday's spotlight" may well recall that he loves photographing churches/cathedrals and flowers.  Yes, a few other buildings get thrown in occasionally, but it's very rare to find people in his photos.

I was checking his Flickr site the other day as he had added some new photos and saw a lovely photograph of a stained glass window from Peterborough cathedral.  It was a beautiful bright window, with such rich colors. 

Photo by Pete2010

Immediately, I thought it would make a wonderful color anodized aluminum bangle.

And indeed it, I think it does! The richness of the reds, blues and greens contrast so nicely with the silver of the aluminum and the black.  It is just rich!  You can see the saint with a bird here in this bangle (- maybe my dad knows the background to the window and who this is?):

I'm loving wearing one. And yes, it's shiny!  Quite a contrast for me who normally wears matt!

I think I'll be taking some down to Grace cathedral when we start singing there again next week and see what reaction I get.  What do you think?

Thanks Dad. It was great to take something you created and use it in one of my creations.  There may well be more of these in the future!

Secret flower

My latest aluminum bangle shows pink Camellias.  I originally was thinking that they looked like chrysanthemums, but now I've decided that they are Camellias - and I love Camellias. 

We have lots of camellias in our garden - all different types - some with just four petals, some with 6 petals and some with loads of petals. 

This pink camellia is obviously a multi-petaled one, like the one shown below:

This type of Camellia is known as a formal double with many rows of petal imbricated (overlapping) in symmetrical form, never showing stamens.

Isn't it amazing how nature arranges everything so perfectly...each overlapping petal in the correct place. Such geometry and design. 

You'll see from the following photo that I also added an extra flower on the inside, for just the wearer to see.

A little secret flower.

Inner beauty

I finally got around to creating a bangle for myself!  You may recognise the design as I did a couple like this before, but ended up  selling them! This one is definitely mine.

For a start, my favorite color is lime green so add a bit of teal to that - probably my second favorite color, and a few other greens and this is definitely a happy color bracelet for Ruth!

If you look closely, the design is made up from images for different cells in the body - particularly the gut and intestines. These include glandular epithelial cells, goblet cells, villi and microvilli.  And of course a little artistic license!  Thus the name "Inner Beauty", which actually was my sister's idea.

The bangle is inspiration for my guts - to become beautiful and work a bit better!  Fingers crossed!

It makes me think of zentangle....I like the doodl-ish style and maybe will try some more with other subjects besides cells and guts.  What style would you like to see me make?

Happy Flowers

I finished a few more aluminum bangles this week. Here are a couple of "happy flower" ones.

I'm thinking at least one of these will end up with a little creature on them....as I now have a little stash of fine silver bugs. 

 

The colors make me think of summer...blue skies and yellow flowers. What do you think?

Aluminum cuff - Apple Martini!

Here's another new color anodized aluminum cuff.

 

I'm been trying to think of a name for it - but for some reason, it just makes me think of a cocktail! In fact a martini - but I'm not sure why!!! 

Funny isn't it! I look at it and think " Martini!" - and I'm not a martini drinker - only rarely!!!  Hmmm. I think it must be an Apple Martini.  What do you think?

I love the thickness of the aluminum - it makes from a strong bangle that doesn't lose it's shape but is comfortable to wear.

Anyhow - "cheers"! It's cocktail hour here! Now what should I have???

Inner Beauty

I'm home again and have got right back into some anodized aluminum work.

 This new cuff is called "Inner Beauty"  - named by my sister.  You may remember I did a bangle like it  called "It takes guts"  where all the drawings are biologically based. At first glance, you don't see what the drawings are but on closer examination, maybe you can see different cells, villi and microvilli, nuclei, endoplasmic reticulum...... It's all about our insides and thus the name!

Instead of a bangle that is riveted together, this is a simple cuff made with thicker aluminum so that it holds it's shape.

It has a matt finish to it which I really like.  I have a few more in progress to show you over the next couple of days....

Mauvellicious!

I've been having fun with dyeing and coloring my aluminum.  It seems the pinks, mauves and purples are shouting out to me more than the usual lime green...not sure how long that will last, but they are fun colors!

I made a bangle with rivets to hold it closed with my little drawings on it:

Very feminine, don't you think? And then there needed to be a simple pair of earrings to match.

I will be going back to England shortly, so I must make sure I make some for myself to keep up with the purple scene over there!

Hope your weekend is mauvellicious!