Sunday, May 30, 2010

Week Forty One of My Weekly Creative Challenge

Stepping into the "Rich Colors" of Week Forty One of My Weekly Creative
Challenge

This has been a busy couple of weeks for me and I'm working to keep on top of all of this fun. I will be setting up for a trunk show with other local artists at a local store that features wonder "Arts and Craft" furniture and home accessories in the Tower Grove area here in St. Louis. Then the next weekend I will be at a women's conference at a major church here in Earth City. Also, of course, there is always some major event coming up at the bead store I work at. My boss always is planning new events to excite her customers. These are the times that "creating new pieces" can be challenging.

This piece was fun because it was based on an design I created for a great up and coming jewelry designer. Melanie G. has been working nonstop on creating a wonderful body of work and I helped her by making a copper metal component for one of her beautiful necklaces. After creating the design, I can up this this pendant based off of the original piece and fell in love with the rich color of the copper and the texture I created in the metal. Then I found these great fresh water brown pearls with such rich colors that I felt would be a great fit for this pendant. This was truly a fun project and I thank Melanie G. for her inspiration. I hope you Enjoy "Melanie's Garden" Have a great week and a wonderful Memorial Day!

Take Care and Keep Creating!
Allison B.





Sunday, May 16, 2010

Week Forty of My Weekly Creative Challenge

Week Forty!!!!!!!
WOW
The Challenge is ON!!!!!

I can't believe I have been creating new works and blogging about then for 40 Weeks. As I was setting up the graphics for the blog I look at the last entry and couldn't believe my eyes. 40!!!! Really!!!! Wow!!!! It has been fun and trying at times! I find it harder to stay on course when I'm getting ready for an art show. During that period, it is hard to work on pieces, get displays together for the event, get together the supplies for the show, and blog all at the same time. This is what they call "Running a Business". I have been working on this business steadily this past year and even though it can be crazy at times, it is worth it when I get such great feedback from all of you. That's what make blogging so rewarding and I thank you all!

Well let's take a look at the new addition. I want to work on more Nature themes for the "Art within Art" line and little flying creatures are the focus this week. I will be adding to the series very soon. This piece was fun because of all of the fun parts to this piece such as the use of brass and copper, the wire wrapped elements and colored pencils and decorative papers to create the wings. I loved this one because it let me be creative in so many areas. Well enjoy "Regal Moth" and have a wonderful week!

Take Care and Keep Creating !
Allison B.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Week Thirty Nine of My Weekly Creative Challenge

Week Thirty Nine of My Weekly Creative Challenge and Mother's Day Too!
How Cool!!!

Well let me start with an Happy Mother's Day wish to all of you moms out there and I would love to say Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Katie B.
Without her(and my Dad), I would not exist!
Thanks Mom!!!!!!
I Love You!!!

This week is the week to show off Nature and the use of Mixed Metals as well. As I have stated in earlier blog entries, I don’t work with brass as much as I work with copper or silver and for 2010 this will be changing. This week I wanted to show samples of both patinas and the use of mixing metals to give my pieces that extra something. I really liked the way the brightness of the brushed finished brass worked with the liver of sulfur textured copper. I enjoyed working in both of these techniques and I hope you will enjoy the "Fruits of My Labor" as well.

Take Care and Have a Wonderful Day !
Allison B.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Week Thirty Eight of My Weekly Creative Challenge

"Color My World" in Week Thirty Eight of my "Weekly Creative Challenge"

I love adding color to my designs. That is why I create colorful drawings to insert into my pendants, or add wonderful crystals, gemstones, pearls, and Czech glass to my designs. I'm now on the hunt to find and experiment with a new way to add color to the metal I use "itself". I use Liver of Sulfur to darken my metal work. I really like how it enhances the texture that I add to my metal work. Now I want to add "real colors". So I'm now working with patinas to add color to my work. This is one of my designs that I truly enjoyed working on. I love that I can add color to different components to my designs. It has been fun so far and I think this technique is a" keeper". Check in with my blog to see upcoming attempts to add just "a little something extra" to my work in the future. So enjoy the new addition "Growing , Growing and Growing". Thank you for checking in.

Take Care and Keep Creating!!!
Allison B.