NEW PIECES FOR UPCOMING ART SHOW

I have been making new items this week for the upcoming art show at the B&O, Youngstown, OH, Sunday Oct 3, 12:30 to 6:00 p.m.  Items will go on Artfire next week, as well as the floral bracelets posted last week.



Copper & Howlite

Copper & Howlite



Copper & Howlite

MORE EGYPTIAN COIL JEWELRY

Egyptian Coil Link
Bracelet

Egyptian Coil Watch in Jeweler's Bronze

Today I worked on another watch with an Egyptian coil band and hook closure.  I also created an Egyptian link bracelet and embellished it with some natural stone beads and Czech glass beads.  I did make this one up on my own, but that's not to say it's never been tried by anyone else!  But unless I hear otherwise, I will call it my own custom Egyptian Link Bracelet in jeweler's bronze.  Thanks for looking and have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!  Anita

MAY PROJECTS

So far this month, I have worked with wire, done some basic beading, and created some PMC Bronze pieces with my friend, Jeanne.  It's been a while since I've done a project just stringing beads, but this month I did a lovely necklace in a shell theme with a fossil coral focal.  I really liked it with one strand for the necklace, but since chunky is in, I decided to double strand it. 

For the wire project, I had started coiling some wire one day into links and thought I could work it into a bracelet.  My friend called it an "original", but there are so many wire workers out there that I can't believe someone hasn't thought of this design before, so I hesitate to call it my original.  But keeping with my shell theme, I added small coin/disc shell beads to it and thought it came out well.   The wire is Vintag by Parawire and the toggle is a gold tone that I thought blended well.

And lastly, Jeanne and I once again attempted our work with Bronze PMC.  I love the bronze and it seems to fit right in with the colors I like, and the patina giving it a rich antique look.  We had very good luck with the kiln this time and the settings for firing have been saved for the next time.  I cleaned up my pieces with a brass wire brush, tumbled them, and then added some patina.  I tumbled them for another half hour and this is the result.  I want to clean them up some more and maybe do some burnishing, then will decide what I want to create with them.  I especially love the large one in the center - my lovely lady with the flowing hair.  She didn't come out the last time, but she fared very well this time.

NEW BOOKS TO CONSIDER:
To help in educating myself in PMC techniques, I have purchased two books, both which I found informative and well written:  The Art of  Metal Clay by Sherri Haab and New Directions in Metal Clay by CeCe Wire. 

Another book I purchased was Contemporary Copper Jewelry by Sharilyn Miller, a great book for you wire workers.  I loved the projects in this book and the directions and photos seem easy to follow.

As always, thank you for looking!  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU MOMS AND GRANDMAS!

Blessings,
Anita

INSPIRATION!!!

I decided to do some "beading" rather than wire, and guess what? I went right back to wire....I guess it's becoming a part of me. This was a really fun project for me. Creating the wire pieces, putting them together, and incorporating the beads - it fulfilled the creative need in me. I love the way it came out and especially how the colors work together. My mind is already working towards a next project - I seem to create as I wake in the morning...that's when the creative juices seem to flow! There is so much beautiful bead and wire work out there in cyberspace and in magazines, that you have a lot of ideas to work with to create your own unique piece of jewelry. I read of one designer who gets ideas as she drives down the road - like the way a truckload of logs is stacked in a truck - so I am trying to learn to keep my eyes open to everything around me - colors, textures, or the way something twists or bends. You never know what might inspire that next piece of jewelry! Until then....Have a great day! Anita

NEW LISTINGS ON ARTFIRE TODAY!!

I have added the new items pictured below onto my Artfire site. To visit, just click on the Artfire logo to the right or go to http://ajhearn.artfire.com. Thanks for looking!! Have a great day. Anita

"LAMP WORK BEADS BY JEANNE"

Some of you who follow this blog know my friend, Jeanne (AKA Gammiebrat). Well, she has been creating beautiful lamp work beads and I created a bracelet from some of her beads. I hope you enjoy seeing this bracelet as much as I enjoyed making it. It's hand-crafted in sterling silver with Bali accents. I am very proud of Jeanne and all she has accomplished in such a short time! She has found yet another niche! Have a wonderful day.

COLORS OF FAITH - FUNDRAISER

I thought I would share with you our latest fundraiser to benefit the Missions Committee of my church - the Colors of Faith Bracelet. With Easter upon us, I thought it would be the perfect project. We hope to have all bracelets ordered by March 31st so we can have them delivered for the Easter holiday.

The colors are represented as follows:

Blue is for Faith - Rejoice in His spirit

Red is for Love - May He keep you close in his loving care.

Black is for Courage - May God's presence guide you.

Aqua is for Trust - Know that God is there, answering your prayers.

Green is for Blessings - Each day is a gift from God.

Pink is for Peace - May he fill your heart and bless it each day.

The components of the bracelet include Czech glass beads in the appropriate colors, sterling silver beads, pewter daisy spacers, and a pewter toggle. The pewter definitely helped to keep the costs down so I could sell it at an affordable price. For each bracelet ordered by the end of April, $10 will be donated to the Missions Committee. I purchased enough components to make 40 bracelets, and with the help of my friend Jeanne, who also had some things to order, we were able to take advantage of the discounts from http://www.firemountaingems.com/. I'll let you know how we do. With the beautiful pastel shades included in the design, it's a perfect bracelet for spring and summer, too! I hope you enjoyed the project. Anita