masquerade

I have mentioned it on facebook and on twitter, and now I can finally show you my knitted mask.
I had a vague idea of how I wanted the finished mask to look, but I let the design evolve as I knitted,
I have spent over a month working on this, not constanstly I hasten to add. I haven't followed a pattern and I didn't make notes as I went along so I will never be able to re-create this exactly, consequently it will remain a totally one off, unique piece. 
I know to show it off at its best I should photograph it on someone, but I have no volunteers handy so for now this will have to do.

It is knitted on an ivory coloured wire with gold and clear glass seed beads. I have decorated it with Swarovski crystal pearls

It is a mask designed to be worn, not held on a stick as it is too floppy for that.

I have attached a thin knitted band with a gold plate hook at the end, to the back which is fed through a loop, back onto itself and can be hooked at a position of your choice to comfortably hold the mask in place.

I am so pleased with it, I hope you like it!

Spotlight on Michael Wheeley - Member of the Staffordshire Artists and Makers Cooperative

I spent today at the Gallery in Eccleshall , but instead of posting about the jewellery I made while I was there it occurred to me that I could do a spotlight on each of the members of the Staffordshire Artists and Makers Cooperative instead, So today I am going to start off by featuring Michael Wheeley.

Mike has enjoyed a life long career in hairdressing, successfuly competing, as a hair artist, in many prestigeous hairdressing competitions throughout Europe. Mike decided to take the flowing and sculpted  movements he found in his work as a stylist through to wider dimensions and decided to turn his attention to fine art.
This resulted in the completion of a B.A. degree then an M.A in Fine art at Birmingham City University School of Art in 2008.
Michael particularly enjoys working on large scale contempory pieces and allows the spirit of the piece to take over. He sees each of his sculptures and paintings as unique adventures and uses a variety of mediums including plaster, clay and acrylics to arrive at a final effect which follows flowing organic curves. His subtle handling of surface texture creates both spontaneeous and exciting elements in all his work.
Michael has an honest, passionate and deep felt relationship to his art. He has exhibitted throughout the Midlands and in Central Birmingham.
Below is a selection of Mikes work currently on display in Gallery at 12.

To see more information about Gallery at 12 please visit my page on the gallery, link can be found at top of page.

If you would like to see two of the items I made while I was at the Gallery today, please visit my facebook page.

3 O'clock in the morning

One of the things I miss with not having all my beads and findings at home anymore is I can't try out new ideas that come to me at 3am and stop me from sleeping.
This was one such idea, the first necklace I made in this design was created one morning about 6 years ago between the hours of 3 and 6, afterwards I returned back to bed and slept for a couple of hours before getting up to proudly show my family what I had made while they were all sleeping. My original was made with garnet coloured Swarovski crystals, I have since made it in ruby red, clear crystals with gold seed beeds and pearls, a variety of greens, smokey grey, jet, and this siam crystal to name but a few, and each one has looked totally different. It is probably the design that has received the most comments over the years, I have now adapted the design so I have a variety of different ways of making similar necklaces, but this one is closest to the original.

It is also the necklace that currently provides the background to the title for my blog page

knitted crown

I started knitting jewellery with wire about 5 years ago.When all my beads were moved from my home to my workshop, I decided to pick up my knitting needles again, but instead of knitting with wool I thought I would try wire and beads. I had heard that people knitted bracelets and chokers with wire so I thought I'd have a go. I experimented by casting on a few stitches and then decreasing the number of stitches on each row as I went along, It occurred to me that this could actually become something quite interesting so I continued knitting and finished up with a crown, a smaller one than the one below and with 5 peaks not 4 but it was still a crown and I was hooked. this one came along later. It is knitted on silver plate wire threaded with tiny seed beads.

 and close up

These photo's aren't wonderful I know. I was planning on photographing a lot of my jewellery over the next few days unfortunately it is so grey outside, conditions aren't that great, but I haven't posted anything for over a week so this was done purely out of desperation.

What are you giving your Mother for Mothers Day

Well these were made at my Jewellery for Mother Workshop this morning.

Bracelet made with dichroic glass, hand cut facetted glass turquoise and Hematite beads.

Necklace made with a Swarovski crystal heart, Swarovski crystals and Venetian glass piattine beads.

Bracelet made with glass pearls, glass cubes and  glass leaves.

A slightly out of focus necklace made with  a selection of glass beads.

What happens if...?

Yesterday was another day manning the gallery, which meant another day of sitting and creating, this time I chose my knitting needles. I returned to the blue wire with peacock blue coloured beads already threaded on from last week, and I decided a bracelet was on it's way.

So then a lady came in and started talking about a brown bracelet I had crocheted with wire and ribbon, which is currently on display in my cabinet. I produced my bag of ribbons during the conversation and there calling to me was another brown ribbon, so after the lady left I returned to my ribbons and wondered what happens if ...?

Well this happened.

Unfortunately the length of ribbon wasn't long enough for a full length bracelet so I have attached a crocheted chain to one of the ends and some beads crocheted into a clasp of sorts on the other end.

I am really pleased with the effect, so it will stay.

Crocheted Gents Spectacle Chain

And not a bead in sight!

I crocheted a black and a dark copper enamelled wire together for added strength, it is still a very light chain to wear. The black and copper wires combine to give an antiqued chain effect.

'Jewellery For Mother'

I still have places on my 'Jewellery for Mother' Jewellery making workshop on Saturday 13th March 10-30am-12-30pm. Just in time for Mothers day. You can choose from any of the beads in my studio, so you can go for cheap and cheerful or you can glam it up a bit and choose from my selection of Swarovski crystals, Venetian Glass and freshwater pearls.
I will give you instruction on how to make your necklaces, bracelets or earrings and there is no limit on the amount of items you  make, just a limit on time.
So if you are wanting to treat your Mother to a special day, why not spend it with her making some unique and toatally original pieces of jewellery, or come along by yourself or with a friend to make your Mother some special jewellery for Sunday, Imagine her face when you present her with her jewellery saying' I made this especially for you!'
There is no reason why you couldn't make items similar to the turquoise items posted yesterday. I promise it isn't as hard as you imagine.

What is the 'in' colour for 2010

TURQUOISE!!!
Well that is what I keep reading. As far as my jewellery is concerned Turquoise has always been very popular, I always have turquoise jewellery made up, I have some in my studio and some in the Gallery in Eccleshall and today I was in a turquoise mood. When I arrived at my studio I looked around and picked up a selection of turquoise beads and this is what I came up with.

necklace made with turquoise howlite and Swarovski crystals.

earrings made with turquoise howlite and Swarovski crystals.

necklace made with turquoise howlite and Swarovski crystals with a Venetian glass and Swarovski crystal focal.

earrings made with turquoise howlite and Swarovski crystals.

Hope you like

Angela x

Lovely to meet you Maggi

Yesterday I was working at the gallery when Maggi dropped by and introduced herself, she and I follow each others blogs, Maggi had decided to come all the way from Derbyshire to look at the chartreuse bracelets and earrings I had posted about earlier, Maggi is a textile artist and she creates the most beautiful pieces, If you visit Maggi's blog you can see examples of  her wonderfful work, you can also see the items of my jewellery she actually ended up with, I do so hope you are happy with them Maggi, and it really was lovely to meet you.
After Maggi s visit I settled down to do more crocheting, not using chartreuse though. no this time I went for peacock blues on a blue coloured wire, here are some of my finished items.

bracelet

earrings

This is going to be a spectacle chain, I also made a shorter length to be a necklace

I hope you like