The Art of Design, Beads in the Shop and A Giveaway!!!

I am finally listing beads in the shop!  I will be listing all day today, and most likely a little bit on Monday as well.  There are no reserves, and no custom orders.  I am sorry.  If you want to purchase more then one item, just use coupon code freeshipbb on any purchase AFTER YOUR INITIAL PURCHASE (you must pay shipping on your first purchase) so that you don't rack up shipping charges that need to be refunded.  I will ship Monday after I am done listing.

 

 

www.slartisanaccents.etsy.com

 

I know in my production of all these beads, I showed a lot of process shots, but I never really got a chance to talk about the art of designing them.  I am inspired by many things, and ideas come from everywhere, often evolving along the way.

 

My newest additions this year were my bird skulls, trilobites and skeleton hearts. 

 

My entire theme of beads this year is "fossils, bones, ancient".  I wanted things to look like specimens from a museum.

 

 

The skeleton hearts were quite an evolution.

 

I first fell in love with these hearts from Odd Designs on etsy.  I thought I could use them as toggles, since they had a larger hole.  so I bought two of them.  I will most likely try to find a stick pearl to use for a toggle with them. 

 



 

Anyhow, I wanted to make some clasp focals this year, and thought hearts may work, so I tried to make some in polymer and bronze- in the shape of a heart, but organic, and rustic.  Well, that fell right by the wayside, because as soon as I started to form them, they began to look like bone, skeletons.  The holes became large and exaggerated, to make them look hollow, symbolic.  I added organic textures with sea urchin and other earthy stamps.  So they quickly evovled to skeleton hearts.

 

Skeleton- like bone, hollow, and stripped of all flesh.  I didn't try to be morbid, but - I think hearts are resiliant.  I think  the symbol has been "pretty" for too long.  I really believe more of us can relate to the bare bones, tough, surviving interior of the heart.  (yeah, don't go all bio on my, I am quite aware there is no bone in an actual heart...lol)

 

So they were born, and they evovled and they evolve still.  Each and every one is completely handformed.  I use NO heart stamps, for it loses its organic nature if you do.  So no two will ever be alike.

 

 



 and then they even evolved into my Broken Hearts.  You get a little peek into the madness that is my designing brain today.  I take these shapes and designs I love, and keep growing them, changing them, until my brain says they are done.

 

 

Another new item this year, was my trilobite.  Last year I made ammonites, and I wanted to add more fossils to the collection.  So when Diana of Suburban Girl Studio did Trilobites in ceramic, I asked if she would mind if I did them in metal clay.  I wanted to make sure I wasn't stepping on her toes.  (since we all work in the same social circles, I think its important to show each other respect.)

 

Here are Diana's (adorable, right?)

 

She said go for it.  So I bought some fossils, and made some molds and went to town.  I have made both simple trilobite designs, and more complex designs, most of which, went right into jewlery.

 

Copper Clay Pendant

sold

 

Polymer Steampunk Trilobite with Metal Balls

 sold

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/125773866/rustic-steampunk-trilobite-raku-pendant?ref=v1_other_1

 

Trilobite Fossil Heart with Metal Ball Pin Wings

 



 sold

 

My favorite, trilobites with rivets and layers!!!

 



necklace is not for sale, sorry

 

will be listed later today

 

My brain is nuts sometimes, I always take a design that would be simple, and much much easier to produce and over complicate it!  These are very time consuming, with the metal work of the backing, and all the process of the metal clay, and then rivets, or ball pins as connection as well.  However, I can't do it any other way.  I need some of both, simple and complex.  My brain just keeps working a design until I am done with it, and then I move on.

 

I know you saw my bird skulls earlier in the year. I made some matching bones and such to create sets.  These just make me happy.  I love how much they remind me of finding little animal skulls when playing in the woods growing up (we had owls, so we'd find this kind of stuff often).  Each skull and bone bead is totally handsculpted, again, for that natural organic effect.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125773017/bird-skull-and-bones-ancient-bead-set?

 

 

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of the thought, love and design that goes into my pieces.  I don't think of them as just beads, I make little pieces of art.  I spent most of my life drawing and painting.  Making my own molds has allowed me to "draw" some really original designs this year, like these eyes

 

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/125800906/all-seeing-eye-large-bronze-bracelet

 

 

and my sugar skulls

 

will be listed later today

 

and painting each polymer bead by hand, allows me to play with and create in a medium I have always loved- paint!  I love finding endless combonations and layered effects to create new undertones, and effects on my beads.  Each one is painted in layers and layers to create depth, the same as I would do in a painting.

 

I do hope you will stop by the shop and check out my new stuff, there is so much more then what I shared today, but those are the ones that really spoke to me this year.  Thanks for letting me share some of my design process with you.  Design is what I love about creating.....its what drives me, its what makes me love what I do.....and it can be what endlessly torments me, but I wouldn't change it for the world!

 

Now- for the part you have been waiting for, a GIVEAWAY!

 

It has been way too long.  You guys deserve one, but I am gonna make you work for it. 

 

To enter, you need to:

 

1.   follow my blog and like me on facebook (if you facebook)

 

2.  share this blog link somehow, either on facebook or twitter, your blog or pinterest. 

 

3.  Leave a separate comment for each way you share- you must share at least once

 

 So follow and share and then leave a comment below for each.  That is easy.  Winner will be picked next Friday March 15th. 

 

This is open worldwide, however, international folks, if you want to enter, you will be paying for shipping.  (depending on your country it can range from $7-12)  I really wanted to give you the option of entering. I will subtract out what the US shipping would have been from your total shipping though.

 

What do you win?  Oh my gosh, I am giving away one of my Faux Stone Large Skeleton Hearts and a strand of my polymer, sea glass, and gemstone beads!!!!!  This is a $41 value.

 

 

Good Luck guys!  Thanks so much for following me on my creative journey.  It would be pointless if I had no one to share it with!