Friday, May 23, 2008

Bezels


Hi there! Here are two new bezels and one really old one that never went into production because its so darn heavy. In theory, I could mold it, cast some waxes and tool it to perfection. Originally, I had carved a mermaid inside holding a starfish, it was really pretty, but made it even heavier, so I dug it out and left it blank. It has the last lines of a John Donne poem on the back 'Teach me to hear the mermaids singing' - one of my favorites. Anne Choi has a bead depicting scenes from that poem, one side has a falling star, a mandrake root, a cloven hoof and I can't remember the last side. She makes the best beads, I can't wait to add to my collection at the Bead and Button Show. I'm already making a list. Anyway, I'm making new bezels tonight, so we can fire them tomorrow and get them in molds. I'm shooting for three more. The challenge will be to fill them with nice sculptures. I'm thinking animals for this set. They are fun to carve. Any requests? I think more owls for Andrew (I've been promising him one for ages, but the Fusion Beads girls always beat him to them!). I can hear an owl outside right now, which is nice,but means I have to spend some time trying to identify it. Sometimes its such a nuisance being particular. I should put a movie on, I can work for hours that way, but in the summer I like to leave the windows down to listen to the birds. I like it best when its almost dawn, it seems like every bird in the forest is crying out salutations to the coming day.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I really love your stuff. I would love to learn more about how you create such beautiful pieces. Do you make wax castings or are the pieces made from metal clay? Would love to know more about your techniques.

Denise

Andrew Thornton said...

That's my favorite time to work as well. I also think that the best time to take pictures of my jewelry is at dawn. So it feels like a good productive night when I've been working away and in the morning take pictures of my yield. I've got a turtledove that sits outside my window in the morning and sings to me. Heather Wynn named her Pom Pom. She gets really fluffy and cute.

And you know I love the Anne Choi beads! I love them with all my heart. I've started to back up all my photos online. Why did I mention that? Well, because you know how people say if they can only take one thing if their house is on fire... they'd probably take their photo albums... well, I thought I would too. I've got so many neat collections that it'd be hard to really decide. But I think my Anne Choi collection would be in the top running. Maybe I could stick my Anne Choi stash inside of my owl curio case and that would count as one thing. I think it would count as one. I would wrap grandma's quilts around the curio case that has the Anne Choi bead stash in it and then take that. I think that's a fair answer. I mean, there's room in the curio case for my Anne Choi collection and I wouldn't want the glass to break in the curio case.

Anyway, I like the new beads quite a lot. I'm making my own bezels and portraits and pendants to hopefully get a couple of extra dollars at Bead & Button or at least make a few good trades.

Andrew Thornton said...

Oh and I would tell Denise to look out for your new book that you're working on that's full of your different techniques!

Sophie said...

Oh, I love mermaids...and the John Donne poem...sculptures?? hmmm...outside of the griffin request for my son :-D (yes, he's still on that kick)...I think little woodland creatures to go along with the owls...but we live near the marshlands with a view of the Sierra mountains...so I always think of frogs, mushrooms, dragonflies, mice, squirrels, hawks, bees, coyotes, bears and wolves...ohmy!...and mosquitos (for my 5 yo daughter who is obsessed with them...go figure!)...love, love, love your new work as much as the older treasures...can hardly wait for the book!

Cynthia Thornton said...

Thanks everybody! Great suggestions. Denise, its funny you should ask about my techniques...I'm writing a book with loads of techniques! Bezels, resin, ojime...lots of stuff. Look for it next year!

gaela said...

I've been loving your pieces for many years now. When I use them in my work, I always have to replace the bead for myself. And your new things are very beautiful. I love that rounded owl, when will he be available? I love love love the bezels. I think of fairies and things from the beach where all things are lost, yes, I think that they would be great inside. I wish I could go to that show, but I must wait until you come a bit closer.

teejay said...

what kind of owl noises? hoots as in h-o-o-o,hoohoo is a Great Horned. Often roost in pairs who return calls back and forth, early night and wee morning hours.

a scre-e-e-tch, harsh, loud and drawn out, or a whiffling, chortling noise traded between two owls are barn owls. They often will give a short screetch just before returning to a nesting site, and Momma will return with the chortling noises. Often barn owls will circle a nesting site and make repeated clicking sounds click, click, click, click.... to announce their return. Babies in the nest make short whispy, rasping calls, announcing their hunger.

We built barn owl nesting boxes at the far back of our lot, and have had many broods of babies fledged from them. Sadly, they have been empty for several years now.