Summer

Gosh it's been quite awhile since I posted, one thing after another and life in general... I have been working a few pieces of jewelry and a quilt, the jewelry I'm pretty pleased with! The quilting less so..


A pair of copper wire hammer textured spiral heart earrings with pearls. The inspiration for them was Sherry Dancing Feather who is probably my all time favorite jewelry Heros. I wish wish wish I could someday take a class from her but until I get rich (hystercal laughter) so I can travel to TX. I will have to merely be wistful and emulate her genius.

Another piece I completed was this copper wire sculpture pendent with a pretty dyed howlite or magnesite free form cab like nugget... my dear husband brought this back to me from a trip to the Oregon coast when he went with his mom and siblings on a family outing several years ago, I loved the color and just had it laying around until early one morning I picked it up and started wrapping it, it flowed into shape almost unconciously and I think it might be one of my better creations. I wove the bale with 24gauge copper and then tumble hardened, and applied a patina.
I hope that I can someday find other nuggets of this, I would love to make some earrings that could go with it. You can buy this piece at www. AtabbycatArts.Etsy.com

Moms Birthday Present

On Sunday, we went to be with my Mom, who turned... well... I don't think she would like her age known.. so I am over 50 and she was close to 30 when I was adopted, hehehe do some math. (octogenarian) I had thought and thought about what to get, procure and or make her as she has in my view way to much stuff anyway, and as I make jewelry... it kind of follows that that is what she got, .. I wasn't sure she was going to like what I finally came up with as she is a Platinum, Gold and Diamonds type lady, very traditional in her jewelry wardrobe while I am a little Hippieish, Goth, maybe Bohemian in my style. But she genuinely loved both the bracelet and the pendant I made for her,,, and my mother does not say she likes something just because I am her daughter, nnnooooooo.. LOL.. so I was pleased and so was she.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I called this piece, The Living Heart. Copper wire formed into a heart with a baroque pearl and a turquoise rondell in a spiral vining pattern.

Chinese Turquoise in wire woven bezel

This is quite a large Turquoise "Donut" that is mostly the matrix and lovely splotches of the green, blue and yellow. Wrapped in a fine copper wire (24 gauge) woven bezel with lovely freshwater pearl accents at the top and over the hole in the middle. A large bail that can accomadate a large multi strand of beads or pearls.

This fantastic style of wire woven bezel setting was the brainchild of a Wonderful Wire worker, wrapper, Dancing Feather (who I am in utter awe of ) Her instructions for this technique was published in Step by Step wire Jewelry the summer preview edition... And a sweet sweet Lady to boot!

I love this technique and have had great success in using it for many pieces that would have been difficult to set in traditional pronged wire wrap or wire sculpted settings.

Unknown Stone Pendant

I really don't know what the stone is in this pendant. It's a creamy white color with fine brownish coppery lines and smudges.. the polish is not great so it has a soft sheen rather then a high gloss. I have observed a pair of beautiful drop earrings with a very similar stone, the maker said that her stones were a rare white turquoise that is highly valued by Native Americans. All I know is that I have never seen anything close to this before, if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear from you...?

The copper wire setting has a huge woven wire bail suitable for just about anything. I am currently mulling over necklace designs to hang this pendant from. And thinking of adding a pearl or two in the top two swirls.. (I am Goofy for pearls!) Not sure yet but this is a work in progress... :)