We're All Ears :: July Inspiration :: Visual Music :: My Take

I have been participating in many a fun challenge this summer. It's a great distraction from the Dossier process and gives me that mental health break that I need. 
This month, over at Earrings Everyday the July inspiration is visual music. 
See the original post here. What fun!

I was so inspired, and found the following video to be my springboard::

I started with some recycled copper that I counter enameled::

Then I moved onto making stencils from screen shots of the video::

I then laid on the enamels and torched them up!

Back in my clean space, I gussied them up with some marker strokes that were present in the visuals then gave them some super long hand-formed copper earwires to match the scheme::

In the end, I added some gold leaf and viola! My inspirations::

 But then, in true Darlene fashion,I removed the black lines and like them so much better!

Have a wonderful day all! xoxo

~June Art Bead Scene Challenge

I did it again. Because it's fun. And because I can.
Because I'm working from home this summer. Because I have more time.

I love the interactions and inspiration. The camaraderie that is felt during these challenges from Art Bead Scene Blog and the June challenge was so thoughtful! You can find it here.

I went ahead and created a few enameled pieces by torch firing recycled copper bits in hues that I felt complimented the art. I used skunk berry leaves (a type of sumac) to make the impressions. Then added a few poly beads by shipwreckdandy to the wrapped stems.

Fun. Fun. Fun. Here's the art work. Just lovely. Read all about it in the link above. xoxo

~confetti

at darlicioushouse.com

~torch enameled recycled copper components

lovage

alligator

terra

easter eggs

lovage II

dew drops

here

~yum

raggedrobyn & scorchedearthonetsy are in the house!

~posts

a new design. post earrings! with ceramic drops by DonnaPerlinplim. yum! speckled purple. love.

~resolutions

happy new year! 

i am not one to make resolutions unless it's to not make resolutions, but then some things happened that i guess could be a new me but it all started in late 2014. 

right around the recycled art show in december.

inviciti dangles, stacks of numinosity beads, raggedrobyn beads and old love

an old friend, who i had run into over the summer, texted and wanted to get together. i was a bit busy so i committed to getting together after the show. we had a lovely lunch together, reconnected and now look forward to doing some art-days together. she was my books arts teacher when i went to prescott college and is a wonderful visual artist. she's also the head of the NEA, so we have a lot to talk about. i look forward to those days of creativity with her as well as the politicking.

numisticks, raggedrobyn beads and my pit fired clay beads with antique glass

it was then that it dawned on me that i do not make enough time to be friends with others. i'm a bit of a recluse. you know, like that little spider that only shows up when it was convenient for it or its been disturbed? so i made a mental note and called a few old friends. made play dates and had a blast. now that my winter break is sliding into home plate, i made a vow not to stop. it's been so much fun!

enameled tin by numinosity, raggedrobyn beads. sundries of love

but it didn't stop there. my husband and i got new phones for christmas. we now have complimentary phones and he found an app on it for your health. we are hooked! you plug in some stats and it sets goals for you. steps to be taken daily, calories to tuck into and calories burned. 

we started using it with ease. it's so convenient!

numinosity criffles, raggedrobyn beads, sundries, antique shell button blanks

i've struggled with being overweight for 7 years now. new meds packed on twenty pounds, a decrease in exercise and increase in age didn't help so on went another 20 and so on. at the moment i am, in my opinion, 50 pounds over weight. at 200 lbs i actually feel pretty good, i don't really see it in the mirror but look at the size of my cloths and freak. i already feel better now that i'm tracking, and competing with the hubs is kinda fun! being pre-diabetic and overweight, i see this as a good thing.

inviciti dangles, numinosity criffles, vaseline beads. love

i have always tried to keep a food journal but failed miserably. this morning i realized this app is my journal! duh! a food diary in my pocket. it stores all of my data and even shows graphs for visuals. i'm absolutely hooked! i've already lost some weight. pretty fucking exciting if I do say so myself.

domed beer bottle caps rounds, chippy red enamel, glass beads

then the art happened. the recycled art show was amazing. it was very emotional as my buddy and booth partner had passed away in august, so i was in this huge booth by myself. i hung a gossamer type curtain to cut the booth in half as it was too depressing. i nearly sold out that weekend and rekindled even more old friendships. it was the best show i've had in years! but i came away from it thinking that it might be my last unless i can find a booth partner. i just cannot fill a 10x10 space and i seem to be drifting away from recycled as you can see from most of my recent jewelry. i have tons of supplies and let myself ignore them unless i could combine them with something recycled, 

but assemblages are fun and i'm not going to be held back by limitations any more. no siree!

from a thousand years ago. recently resurfaced. 

i feel like all these things coming together ended up being resolutions per se that fell in my lap. i am now part of an assemblage group that puts out art challenges. very fun and keeping me busy with pushing my craft. and i start my masters as a reading specialist next week. 

it's all good with new beginnings.

so, here's to a happy new year everyone. 

full of life, and whether good or bad, i'm ready to roll with it all.

~recycled santa fe art festival

getting ready for the show just a month away. 

gotta work extra hard as my biggest collector is coming today to raid the goods. 

she keeps me busy! i love it!

with numinosity glass beads

with grey bird studio porcelain

with numinosity glass beads

with my pit fired clay and happy fish things clay beads

paper board from cereal boxes adorned with fabric scraps. holiday gift tags

bullet casings and numinosity glass head pins

scorched earth on etsy clay nails and random stuff. love.

scorched earth on etsy robins blue ceramic drops

birds nest pin with numinosity glass bead

happy fish things focal with vintage sterling necklace. subway token.

some new designs~

i love my antique & vintage shell buttons! years ago (like 10, wow!) i would cut old rusty cans found in the arroyo dumps & flatten the metal, file the edges & weave shell buttons onto the slices creating earrings that sold like hotcakes. then i started teaching & left that world behind. the other day though, i took my old idea & put it forth with enameled bottle caps.

i added some chain & there you have it. then...

i took the whole caps that i make as components & wove some shell buttons onto them.

the backs have little nipples made from hematite beads wrapped with the copper wire. i love the backs!   

purple babes

hanging backs.

xoxo