The recent hurricane, Irene, wreaked havoc with many of us along the Eastern corridor, and now that things are slowly returning to normal I can finish up on some polymer commission pieces I am woefully behind on.  The only good Irene did was to aid me with my leaf collection, lol.

While out walking the other day I was gathering leaf specimens and began to think of the strange journey that these beautiful organics have taken me on. Who would have thought that a leaf would foster friendships with people worldwide in places such as Belgium, England, Italy, China, Australia, and across the USA…a leaf could do all this?

Leaves are so complex, yet simplistic in their beauty. The colors, textures, sizes, are all unique and none are identical, much like the people I create my wearable art pieces for.  I am so grateful for the opportunities that have come along…mostly for the wonderful people I have met along the way…on my journey with leaves…

Sugar  maple leaf  measures 3 1/4" L x 2 3/4" W with face of the nature spirit that resides within. Painted in layers to give the subtle manifestation of the emerging spirit, and sculpted using a beautiful mix of Kato clay, I have added a layer of antiquing to bring out detail in the veins. The pendant’s bail is spiraled sterling silver accented with superb AAA faceted tundra sapphires.

Available in my Etsy shop!!

Have a wonderful day!

With so many mediums available today to explore I have recently added a new one to my ever growing experimentation…beads.  While attempting to not stretch myself too thin, it’s hard to not push the envelope a bit and see where the blending of mixed media will take me.  Sometimes you have to just let go of of a perceived outcome for your true vision to take shape.

The newest pieces I have been creating are a blend of all my favorite things: polymer clay, gemstones, bead embroidery.  These are a few pictures of recent wearable art pieces, a blend of art and adornment.  Each piece has a special meaning and story behind it and as such each piece began with an idea that ‘changed’ as I worked. Funny how that happens.

How do you balance your hats?  Your vision?

I love wolves and couldn’t resist creating a bas relief of a wolf’s head on an Oak leaf. The ornament hangs from  annealed steel formed in the shape of a branch, wire wrapped with sterling silver and accented with superb Moonstone briolettes. The stones really flash in the light and add to the mystical power of the wolf.  Contact me for availability.

Here are two faerie pieces that were custom made for a gal in California.

Thanks for stopping by!

In between taking care of my grandsons, and dodging snowflakes I’ve been mixing new batches of clay and pressing leaves for new pieces.   Sometimes it’s fun to experiment with the clay to see how far you can take it with color or strength.  I use Kato clay for it’s durability and strength, plus it has a nice “give” to it also that is good in wearable art pieces.

I tried Lumina for the first time and have mixed feelings about it.   It is very flexible and can take quite a bit of stress, but it’s not easy to draw on and has a rubbery feel to it.  I may explore using it on a bracelet cuff idea I’ve been tossing about in my brain.  The white leaves in the pics are Lumina.   Next batch I will color and see how it takes.

The fun part comes next when I’ll pull a few leaf pieces that appeal to me and see what kind of spirit face they’ll have.   My next post will be work in progress pics.

Stay warm, stay safe, and don’t forget February 28th we’ll be drawing someone to receive my Pixie Led Necklace!