Also and OMG whoo hoo!...my submission to the artbeadscene July 2014 Monthly Challenge was selected as one of the winning pieces! I had to re-read the ABS blog post 5 times before that information sunk in! I'm still dancing with excitement! Thank you to ABS for providing a wonderful opportunity. Please check-out ALL of the gorgeous ABS submissions! Every one is an honest-to-goodness winner.
Now that I've caught my breath...
I've already started work on my next challenge-The Klik Collaborative. No time to be idle with fast-approaching deadlines.
Here's what I received in the mail last week from Carmi Cimicata of Resin Crafts:
And, here are close-ups of a Klik, as yet unfilled.
I wanted to give you an idea of size & depth:
This is a very cool new bezel piece from Metal Complex, as yet unavailable for sale. Carmi sent 50 lucky winners two Kliks to experiment with (YAY!..me included!!). As you can see, one side is an open, blank bezel meant for filling with whatever your creative imagination can dream of. The Klik's backside is 'snap-like' and meant to be attached to a Klik connector. This makes a Klik into an 'interchangeable' jewelry component! (Please see Carmi's blog - she does a fantastic job explaining the Kliks and has tons of examples. It looks like she is having a blast, too.)
Our goal: fill these lovelies using either ETI Resin Clay or Envirotex Jewelry Resin as part of the design process. I chose the Resin Clay option as I wanted a 3D design for my final presentation.
Here's why.
About 2 years ago, I met Saffron Johns from otherworlds. I was looking for a designer who might be able to create a locket with a Yorkshire Terrier in mind (again, with my doggies!). That's when Saffron became a great friend of mine. She designs the most extraordinary wire crochet sculpture..you must go see her work to believe it. It's painstakingly detailed, colorful, whimsical, complex, life-like, made-with-care and love..and gemstones, too! My simple words cannot do justice for her pieces. Saffron made my Yorkie pieces and several others to commemorate other important cherished memories in my life. I've been utterly thrilled with each piece and several more that were simply 'must-have' purchases!
Here is my otherworlds "Mindy Yorkie" locket (fuzzy photo=my fault). This locket is only about 25mm in diameter, so please do be amazed at all of this detail. If you've seen the picture posted of Mindy earlier in my blog, you can see that this is an exact representation of her. And the really amazing parts?...Saffron created this all of this detail and personality, from seeing only a photo, and lives about '1/2 a world away' from me, in Bulgaria. She's never seen Mindy in real-life:
So, getting back to the Klik Collaborative (hope you're still reading along)...
Saffron always sends her pieces in a beautifully-wrapped package. She's one of those wonderful Artists who truly makes a Customer feel very special. Her jewelry packages are sometimes adorned with an extra special little wire creation! I've saved every single one she's ever sent. I've asked Saffron if I could use one or two of those little mini-marvels as part of my Klik design..she said 'yes'! So, this is where I got the 3D effect and depth as inspiration.
As of today, my Kliks are completed and drying. That's about all I can say right now, other than they look totally fabulous. Later in the week, one of my Kliks will make a return-trip to Carmi in Canada. Sometime after Aug 29, the due date for all Klik designs, Carmi will post more information about their outcomes. I hope you can hop over to Resin Crafts in the near future to see what everyone created? It's on my calendar as a 'must do' event!
Thanks for reading along,
Carol :)
