Tuesday, May 10, 2011

What’s Old is New Again!

No Bead Dreams for me this year. But I am in a good company of some really cool rejects. :)

Still busy. Make it too busy. But beading eventually.
This is one of my latest - a piece for the Artbeads Blogging: Eternity Spirals

The challenge this time was "What’s Old is New Again!". Here is a part of the information that the bloggers got: 'For this theme we would like you to seek inspiration from the past by incorporating old, vintage or antique items into your designs and combine them with modern elements such as Swarovski crystals, Glass, Resin, etc. The only requirement for your creations is for each piece to have at least one ‘old’ element. It can be a family heirloom, vintage cameo, an interesting bead, pendant or item you found in an antique shop, an old key, photo or any unique element of the past. You can even re-use an old jewelry piece and ‘borrow’ items from it if you like'.

I though of what people do usually use in such a context... Filigree, vintage stampings, steam-punk findings, pieces of old china, fossils... Just for the sake of originality, I picked an old celtic wooden ornament from this shop section. This pendant has started the theme of the Eternity Spirals that flows through the necklace.

Then, I picked my medium. I learned how to make macramé when I was five or six - my mother could not find a babysitter and I got to follow her on a course (Thanks mom!!!). Last year I made couple of bracelets, earrings and pendants using micromacramé with beads, but nothing fancy. All over the sudden, I just had to knot some thread! So, I went for the Super-lon cord, which can be found here. I really liked this big pack of well-picked colors!

Wood + green cord. What else? Swarovski! Here I picked my favorite Vitrail Mediums.

Those were the basics that I got from the Artbeads. However, something was missing. I badly wanted to get my hands on some raku ceramics. And I found a wonderful Etsy shop of Wondrous Strange Design that got EXACTLY what I needed!
IMHO, all that looks quite well together ;)


This celtic cross ROCKS!

So does the button that I used as a clasp.

This is one of the round raku beads:

And, last but not least, the focal raku pendant, Pale Moon Rising as artist has called it (do not forget that all pictures are clickable for enlargement).

But what about including something REALLY old? Here is one of the wooden beads, all coming from my old broken earrings made of cherry wood:



This is what is left from the project: two wooden connectors and a raku button. I will make another neck piece of those, but later.

Disclamer: Artbeads.com were kind enough to supply me with the Crystals, cord and the wooden components free of charge. However, they did not pay me to write this review. I do genuinely like their products and ENJOY working with that shop.
All other materials have been purchased by the author of the post.
If I see any of my pictures running around in the Would Wide Web without any permission, I will get upset. And you will get bad karma. Why don't you just ask? I do not bite!

22 comments:

CREATIVE KHADIJA said...

This is amazing & lovely..how cute & creative..waoooo

Unknown said...

Wow!! What an honor to have three of my little raku treasures included in this work of art!! Your work is amazing and so intricate and textural...just wonderful!!

Anonymous said...

C'est magnifique, c'est la première fois que je vois un bijou de micromacramé avec des fils de différentes couleurs
Superbe

Arkadia said...

Beautiful!!!

Szikati said...

Your works are fantastic, I love all of them!!!!

Las Creaciones de Boricua said...

Great design!!!!!!!!!

stregata said...

This piece is absolutely breathtaking, stunning! Love the subtle color combination and the elements. And the micromacramé is gorgeous - makes me want to learn how...

Foxan said...

Thank you, dear all!!!

GlasellDesign said...

Helt suveränt!
Har inte sett så mycket makramé av dig tidigare!
Du är en otrolig konstnär! I vad det än är...

Marsha Wiest-Hines said...

Breathtaking! The color is so subtle and elegant. You always blow me away! I want to see what you made for Bead Dreams!!! Is there a post about it? I'm off to look for it.

Regina said...

Foxan...I am one of your new followers. This piece is breathtaking. Of course being one that use to macrame myself it seems seeing this has caused the BUG to jump up and bite me...thank you!!!

Hugs,
Regi

Foxan said...

Thank you so much!

Marsha, I've noticed you found it already :)

Until We Bead Again, Beth Murr said...

Gorgeous! I have always wanted to learn how to do this.

Foxan said...

Thanks Beth! I've noticed that Joanne Babcock got tutorials for sale (http://www.joanbabcock.com/). She is the Guru of micromakramé!

GlasellDesign said...

Hej Foxan!

Jag bara undrar vad du använder för tråd... Den ser syntetisk ut, tycker jag. har jobbet lite med vaxad lintråd i de sista smyckena, men det är så bökigt om man gjort fel eller om man vill ändra.
Jag blir superinspirerad, och vill gärna försöka mig på lite med olika färgnyanser.

Mvh
Glittertind på GlasellDesign

Foksa said...

Hej Glittertind!

Jag har använt C-lon cord, kolla länken i texten.

Ha en bra dag!

GlasellDesign said...

Tack Foxan!
1/4 av priset i svenska webbshops...
Förlåt att jag är så dålig på engelska att jag inte läser din beskrivning så noga.
Men dina bilder talar tydligare än något annat!
Det svenska språket är för fattigt för att uttrycka det du gör. "Fantastiskt" är ett ord, som inte räcker till, eller säger så mycket.

Mvh
Glittertind/(Nefertiti)

Angel Whisperer said...

OMG detta var verkligen urhäftigt!!
har nog missat din blog förut ?? men hittade dig nu hos Dorcas / wondrousstrangedesign...
om du inte har en syster som gjorde maffiga smycken förut - vet inte om hon håller på så mycket nu Asandadesign..?? i så fall har jag haft kontakt med dig förr..??
i vilket fall är det så kul och se konstnärliga smycken i Svedala och inte "snökopior" du vet vad jag menar :) kram Birgitta

Foxan said...

Ahhhaaaaaaaa, Nefertiti = Glittertind!
Nu fattar jag ;) Trevligt att se dig i min blogg!

Thx Tina!

Birgitta, tack så mycket! Du syftar väl på systrarna Anna (Asanda) och Maria (Makramé By Maja) Nyberg ;)
Smickrande, men, tyvärr, vi är inte besläktade.
Och tusen tack för dina snälla ord, visst blir man lite trött på Snö-aktiga smycken och kedjor...

Kram & Hugs!
Olga

ARTCORE SILVER said...

i love celtic motifs and I like your work, It looks great and a little bit ethnic

BohemianHeart said...

This piece is absolutely gorgeous! Love the color combinations and the addition of crystals to the piece. Just stunning!

sheila said...

LOVE the colors and what terrific way to display your work.