About Me

Lindsay M Starr is a beadwork and mixed media artist currently based in Nashville, TN. She spent her early childhood in Alaska, and her school age and college years in Oregon. Lindsay has a great appreciation for history, science, and nature and is consistently inspired by insects, sea life, color, and the significance of beads and beadwork throughout human history. She spends her days beading, walking at the zoo, and practicing yoga. Lindsay loves to share her knowledge and passion for beads and beadwork to hobbyists of all skill levels.

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Art Jewelry Elements January: Use your stash challenge!

One of my favorite things about ringing in a new year is our Art Jewelry Elements challenge.  It's become tradition for January to be a "use your stash" challenge.  Over the years I've managed to hoard a great treasure trove of art beads and components from all over the world.  I'm really excited to show you what I've come up with this month.  Forgive me for being a bit short on words today, hopefully the pictures will make up for it.  Sleep deprivation is getting the better of me right now.
My first piece is inspired by the "Pines of Rome" whale sequence in Fantasia 2000...For some reason this sequence has always stuck with me.



I wanted the look of my carved bone whale to be something like it was transitioning from sea to sky.  Sue's lampwork cab made the perfect moon, and allowed me to bring some purple-y tones into the rest of the piece.  The vintage rivoli represents a distant galaxy, and the streaks of blue/green/purple/pink in the sky the dancing Aurora Borealis.
 Because I suspended the embroidered section from beading cable to string the sides of the necklace on, I was also able to leave a strand of drop beads below, almost like a stationary fringe.
My wire ended up being a little bit too short to match my preferred wearing length, so I connected some sterling rolo chain to extend the length and used a large sterling S-hook clasp.

While I was snowed in last weekend I also had time to make a necklace for my other half using a large raku bead from Caroline.


He had chosen this bead quite awhile ago, and I had already planned out the design I wanted to make with it...this necklace does not look like those sketches at all.  While I was stitching, this piece took on a mind of its own.  I had originally intended for a more pagoda-like top, but when i started connecting all of the pieces together I felt like the top needed to be circular, mirroring the designs on the bead.
Once I had the bead suspended, I had to go back in and place a strand of stitching across the back of the bead to keep it from rotating front to back.  I like that the smoke gray of the clay is still mostly visible.
Thank you for checking out my creations today!  I hope you will hop along and see what everyone else has dug out of their stash this month - I'm off to do that right now!

AJE team:


Guests: 
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17 comments:

  1. CarolineJanuary 31, 2016 at 6:22 AM

    Wow Lindsay! Your whale piece is absolutely stunning! You've really captured the ethereal beauty of the pictures. And I'd forgotten about that raku bead, I love what you did with it!

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  2. baymoondesignJanuary 31, 2016 at 6:40 AM

    Your Pines of Rome piece is spectacular. I can't even imagine how much time went into it. It is just gorgeous.
    Your raku piece is earthy and the colors are stunning. Well done!

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  3. SuntsaJanuary 31, 2016 at 8:38 AM

    Oh, what a work of art you have created of those stunning pieces. I love also this Art Jewelry Elements challenge. I think "use your stash" challenge shall became my favourite challenge. This time I´m also in, but in some reason my name is not in the list. So, visit my blog http://suntsan.blogspot.fi/

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  4. Mary RedmanJanuary 31, 2016 at 9:22 AM

    WOW. Gorgeous. No other words necessary.

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  5. Tammy AdamsJanuary 31, 2016 at 9:41 AM

    Stunning. Your Fantasia-inspired whale piece is remarkable. So many details flowing together perfectly. And the setting for the raku bead is amazing, the way the colors and shapes of the bead work play off the shapes and colors in the focal.

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  6. Karin GJanuary 31, 2016 at 10:02 AM

    Amazing beadwork, it is so creative and poetic, I love your whale piece, it tells such a beautiful story!

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  7. JennyJanuary 31, 2016 at 11:18 AM

    I couldn't stop looking at the whale piece. There was something that resonated very loudly with me about the top of the piece. the balance of Sues cab with the openwork strands. the circular vs the linear. The dense vs the open. Wow.
    Caroline's bead is intense! the colors The structure! the engineering. Wow I wanna come have a play date with you.

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  8. Niky SayersJanuary 31, 2016 at 12:39 PM

    What you have created is just amazing Lindsay, The whole idea behind the whale necklace is so beautifully thought out and I love that you talk us through the design. It's so nice that you can make lovely jewellery for your other half, mine once ASKED for a chainmaille necklace that took months to hand cut and weave every ring and he now never wears it (no more jewellery for him)!

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  9. Bijoux Gems JoyJanuary 31, 2016 at 1:07 PM

    Stunning pieces. The amount of time and work that must go into these is mind boggling.
    Mona

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  10. Shai WilliamsJanuary 31, 2016 at 2:31 PM

    Wow! That first piece has to be one of the most incredible designs I have ever seen. So vivid and ethereal. And the necklace you made for your other half is perfect. I just love that bead and its setting.

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  11. TerriJanuary 31, 2016 at 5:30 PM

    Wowza...you are one talented lady! Gorgeous pieces!

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  12. Empty nester at lastJanuary 31, 2016 at 5:49 PM

    Wow, love the whale piece. I know that took some work! It just all flows so well together! And I know your other half loves his necklace. That is really a neat piece.

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  13. LindaJanuary 31, 2016 at 6:11 PM

    Speechless, except to say WOW!!!!

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  14. MelissaFebruary 1, 2016 at 3:58 AM

    Oh that whale piece is indeed a work of art! Absolutely gorgeous!

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  15. LesleyFebruary 1, 2016 at 7:31 AM

    Stunning work as always Lindsay...and such originality - well done.

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  16. Sarajo WentlingFebruary 1, 2016 at 1:25 PM

    Wow! That whale necklace is totally amazing! Loving what you did with Caroline's raku piece too.

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  17. Lesley LaneFebruary 3, 2016 at 4:01 PM

    Wonderful work!

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