before the wine

three grape leaves and two viburnums

they are imprinted from some of the earliest leaves of spring,

 so, 'before the wine'

$175

these copper leaves are delicately hinged together, and weighted at the bottom, so they hang in a graceful necklace, and fall back into the right place as you move.  the hand-made chain started with plain 14 gage copper wire, pounded into a textured metal plate of my own manufacture.  the copper links are connected with bronze links made from flat textured strips.

i've almost finished with another 5 leaf necklace finished with glass enamel and tiny glass beads.

i love the natural metal, but i am so enjoying experimenting with new ways to add color to my work.

too much fun!

"pocket full of secrets"

pocket full of secrets

3"x 1 1/2"

$295

as the moth and butterfly gather leaves and silk to protect the transformation taking place inside, this little cocoon houses a powerful secret.  the top of the piece slides smoothly upward to reveal a black tourmaline nestled inside.  the stone has been used since ancient times to shield the wearer from the negative influences of others.  

creating this box, i have used the lozenge shape that the ethiopians have crafted for hundreds of years to hold the prayerful blessings of priests and loved ones.  this one is made in that same ancient tradition, fashioned from pure love and pure silver with hints of color from glass enamel.  it is hung on a three-ply black leather cord, caught up at intervals with handmade bronze bands.  from the bottom of the little box is suspended bronze leaf.

berber girl blue

by the time i got to morrocco i realized that i had been in love with tuareg symbols and jewelry for a very long time.  these are sterling silver and glass made in the ancient fashion, with the glass set into the tiny silver boxes with beeswax.  there are many ways to hide a cross into imaginative symbols that might not look at first like what the are.  many cultures incorporated the christan cross in their designs.  these are an exaggerated adaptation of one of my favorite tuareg cross earrings.

the missing links

'before the wine....'  is a new necklace with a new hand made  chain!  i've been searching and searching for patterned wire to make a chain for my mixed leaf links.  all of a sudden i said to myself, "leigh, you can make your own patterned wire."  duh!  so...
i just pounded copper wire into a bronze plate with a simple twig design. now i'm figuring out how to make different designs that i can pound into my wire to make different chains.  the connecting links are bronze strips that i made with a lined texture plate.  now i'm off to the races!

painted lady pendant

painted lady

glass enamel on copper, bronze medallion, and copper neckring

$95

i've had so much fun playing with my glass enamels---it's called painting with fire!  and it is!

daughter of the earth, wind and sky

this is a collar necklace created with a heart theme.  this one is in fine silver enameled with blue and green glass.  the mother earth is depicted as a pregnant figure reclining under the roots of the trees, with her arm curling up and around the sky.  the red heart at the base of the image is the incubating baby.  this is a show-stopping piece!

wing and a prayer in silver

 i love using pure silver for gifts of love.  it so expresses the purity of the sentiment!   

continuing with my heart theme for february, this was last bebruary's heart that i never posted.  i seem to get a little crazy this time of year while i'm gearing up to have plenty of new work for the annual Stutz Artists Open House, in april.  it makes me get off track, sometimes, forgetting the little things like posting.  this is the second version of a piece i designed for my sister.  it has the serenity prayer on the back...a prayer that has special significance for both of us.  she wears in on a 5mm wide silver neck ring on which it is stunning, if i do say so myself!

the original 'a wing and a prayer' pieces were bronze, and a little smaller.  the heat patina here shows up, here, very well.

seeking out new territories

i seem to be in an accumulating stage....making components and waiting for the inspirations that will put them all together.  my facination with leaves and natural forms continues, and i'm trying a new material, copper clay, which will expand my options in color and texture in my work.  too much fun!  these are the new leaves i made in copper, the only metal clay that i had not tried.  i cut out the leaves three cards thick, and dried them over short lengths of drinking straws.  i used the imbeddable eyelets made for bronze clay, and hoped for the best.   following the firing instructions on the clay package, as i could not find much other information, i held my breath and fired up the kiln.    the leaves came out beautifully, the bronze inserts worked just fine.  whooo hoooo!  i am so excited by all the possibliities before me  ...........................i'll keep you posted!