Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month February

Where on earth has February gone?!?  It seems like yesterday that I was posting about the Beading Back in Time blog hop...and now it's the end of the month, without a post in between!  I'm still building stamina after going back to work full-time - the ideas are still in my brain, but at the end of the day all I want to do is crash.  Hopefully as the days lengthen, that will change - spring is usually my creative time of year...

Anyway, on to this month's Component of the Month reveal!  We have several great metal clay component makers over on the Art Jewelry Elements blog, and I got really excited when I realized I would get to play with some of Melissa Meman's beautiful pieces this month.  Metal is something I don't combine with my beadwork very often, and I'm not really sure why.  I love the heft and feel of finished metal clay pieces, so this was the perfect opportunity to experiment!

I chose a pair of the rectangle components, originally thinking I would do earrings, and embellish the little holes with seed beads in various colors...  And then this happened!

For some reason, these components just needed to be a necklace.  I wanted something fun and funky, but a bit lighter weight than my normal creations.  Funnily, this simple design has a huge laundry list of ingredients!  Besides Melissa's white copper components, I used:

• chain - sterling rolo, gunmetal plated cable, and super fine antique brass cable with beads
• waxed linen
• sari silk
• powder glass from Ghana
• 5/0 Picasso Czech charlottes
• hand carved vintage tagua nut button
• artisan enameled copper head pins
• sterling ball head pins
• teeny gold plated jump rings

Mixed metal ... mixed fiber ...  multi-colored ... multi-strand ...  Isn't it happy?  Well, it makes me happy!

I started with the components - making 90 degree bends right next to the head of my enameled copper and sterling headpins so the wires would dangle down below.  I placed one of the 5/0 charlottes on the end of each wire and made a wrapped loop to hang the necklace strands from.

The strands of chain alternate color, but when I got done attaching all of them it looked empty.  Something was needed to bring the color of the seed beads and enamel down into the strands.  While rooting through my stash for possibilities, the box of African and trade beads fell over and spilled...  Happy accident, the bright colors of powder glass from Ghana were just the ticket!

I had planned to use sari silk for the strap all along...but when I was looking for the perfect strand, I found that most of it looked out of proportion with the rest of the piece.  A bit too wide, a bit too fuzzy, or maybe a bit too bright...  Well, I finally found the right piece, and braided it with waxed linen and a few more bright charlottes.  

For a closure, I chose this little carved tagua nut button.  I love how the floral motif mirrors the design on Melissa's components.  A simple loop goes over the button, and I left the tails long for a little bit of "party in the back".  Ha!  My necklace has a mullet!

AND (you knew it was coming) here's the beauty shot!  Don't forget to check out everyone else's work!  The Component of the Month reveal is something I look forward to every month...I just love seeing how so many different artists interpret similar components.

AJE team: 

Jennifer Cameron 

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Susan Kennedy 

Melissa Meman

Rebekah Payne

Lindsay Starr (you are here!)

Kristen Stevens

Francesca Watson

Lesley Watt    

Guest Participants:

Michelle Mach

Patty Miller

Divya N