Suncatcher #1 and Suncatcher #2 are now available through my Etsy shop, Playing With Colors. In the past day or so I've made several more and am having more fun doing so than is probably legal. Among them are a Patriotic suncatcher in red, white and blue, and an elegant model in shades of topaz and gold that's reminiscent of the Gilded Age.
They'll appear in my shop just as soon as this nasty weather (violent thunderstorms, hail, etc.) decides to head elsewhere. It's making the outdoor photography they deserve a challenge! So I'm waiting for the rain to stop, designing even more suncatchers, and wondering if we should start building an ark.
©2014 Lynn Edwards
Showing posts with label Playing With Colors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Playing With Colors. Show all posts
Friday, June 6, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Turning Leftover Beads Into Suncatchers
What do you do with a pile of orphan beads? ("Orphan" being defined as beads left over from other projects, and beads I don't plan to use for jewelry for one reason or another.) In my studio, they're now used to make suncatchers!
I love suncatchers. For Mother's Day I gave my mom a rather elaborate suncatcher I found on Etsy. It had all kinds of quirky items on it besides beads, including old keys, charms and other small trinkets. Sure, I could have made a suncatcher for her myself, but the idea to send Mom a suncatcher in addition to her other gifts occurred to me right before Mother's Day. There wasn't enough time to make one for her myself.
So I went shopping on my favorite source for "all things handmade" (shameless plug: my own Etsy shop is Playing With Colors) and found a lovely suncatcher at https://www.etsy.com/shop/beautyoflight. The wonderful seller moved heaven and earth to ship it so Mom would get it in time (just try getting that level of service at a big box store!) It got delivered practically overnight. Mom was thrilled with her gift and I was positively wowed by Beauty of Light's awesome customer service.
Anyway, back to the orphans. I had enough of them on hand to make a simple, one-strand suncatcher if I supplemented them with some of my jewelry beads. Instead of using nylon fishing line, which stretches and weakens over time, I opted to use 49 strand beading wire to string them. This is the same super-strong product I use for stringing necklaces.
I also had several teardrop shaped glass prisms that once hung on an old chandelier. They had been gathering dust in a box for years. Cleaned up, they'd be perfect as suncatcher drops. I selected one, gathered up the beads, and got busy. Soon, Suncatcher #1 was born:
I enjoyed making this colorful suncatcher so much I immediately started in on a second. This time I aimed for a more delicate look. I used some large faceted acrylic beads in a yummy raspberry-pink color, combined with turquoise, pale green and clear glass beads. Oooh, this suncatcher thing is too much fun! Here's Suncatcher #2:
But why stop with just two? I couldn't seem to focus on anything but suncatchers. Soon three more were dancing in the breeze outside my studio door as I photographed them for my Etsy shop. But I won't stop there. I'll be creating dozens more in the days ahead. Is there a 12 Step program for suncatcher-makers? I believe I'm addicted.
What is it about them that captivates so many of us? I think it's their sparkle, their movement and the beauty of sunlight shining through them that makes them so irresistible. They're wonderful as garden art or hung on a porch or deck; indoors, they bring cheer on the drabbest winter day when hung in a window. They make terrific gifts, providing pleasure year round for even the hardest-to-please recipients. Can you think of a better gift for someone who is ill, or in a nursing home? Given as a hospitality or housewarming gift? Or a gift for a co-worker, friend, or neighbor? This simple touch of beauty lifts spirits and brings joy to all, day after day, year after year. I can hardly wait to make lots more of them!
Text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards
I love suncatchers. For Mother's Day I gave my mom a rather elaborate suncatcher I found on Etsy. It had all kinds of quirky items on it besides beads, including old keys, charms and other small trinkets. Sure, I could have made a suncatcher for her myself, but the idea to send Mom a suncatcher in addition to her other gifts occurred to me right before Mother's Day. There wasn't enough time to make one for her myself.
So I went shopping on my favorite source for "all things handmade" (shameless plug: my own Etsy shop is Playing With Colors) and found a lovely suncatcher at https://www.etsy.com/shop/beautyoflight. The wonderful seller moved heaven and earth to ship it so Mom would get it in time (just try getting that level of service at a big box store!) It got delivered practically overnight. Mom was thrilled with her gift and I was positively wowed by Beauty of Light's awesome customer service.
Anyway, back to the orphans. I had enough of them on hand to make a simple, one-strand suncatcher if I supplemented them with some of my jewelry beads. Instead of using nylon fishing line, which stretches and weakens over time, I opted to use 49 strand beading wire to string them. This is the same super-strong product I use for stringing necklaces.
I also had several teardrop shaped glass prisms that once hung on an old chandelier. They had been gathering dust in a box for years. Cleaned up, they'd be perfect as suncatcher drops. I selected one, gathered up the beads, and got busy. Soon, Suncatcher #1 was born:
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| Orphan beads and an upcycled prism from an old chandelier make a colorful suncatcher. |
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| Two large faceted acrylic beads and pastel colored glass beads adorn Suncatcher #2. |
What is it about them that captivates so many of us? I think it's their sparkle, their movement and the beauty of sunlight shining through them that makes them so irresistible. They're wonderful as garden art or hung on a porch or deck; indoors, they bring cheer on the drabbest winter day when hung in a window. They make terrific gifts, providing pleasure year round for even the hardest-to-please recipients. Can you think of a better gift for someone who is ill, or in a nursing home? Given as a hospitality or housewarming gift? Or a gift for a co-worker, friend, or neighbor? This simple touch of beauty lifts spirits and brings joy to all, day after day, year after year. I can hardly wait to make lots more of them!
Text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Making Art Pendants: The Slow Way and the Fast Way
The Slow Way:
For the past several weeks I've been creating art pendants. Each one is a miniature, original mixed media collage made with my own hand painted papers and an occasional altered "found" paper or two. I use Stampbord (clay coated hardboard by Ampersand) for the substrate and the finest quality silver plated bails. I cut my papers into teeny little pieces, arrange them in a pleasing composition, then tweezer them into place and glue them down. Multiple coats of clear acrylic sealer and acrylic varnish follow.
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| An Original Art Collection pendant ©2014 Lynn Edwards |
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| Another Original Art pendant on a black silk necklace cord. ©2014 Lynn Edwards |
They're insanely labor intensive to make but I love making them anyway. So far I've created about two dozen of them in three sizes: 1x1 inch, 1x2 inches and 1 1/4x2 1/4 inches. You can now find some of these for sale in my new Etsy shop: http://www.playingwithcolors.etsy.com.
If you don't have the patience for a project like this, don't worry. There is a much faster, easier way to make an art pendant. Like this one:
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| The easy way pendant. It features a reproduction of one of my paintings. ©2014 Lynn Edwards |
Its creation was pure serendipity. I was discarding some obsolete business cards featuring a photo of one of my older paintings. Just as I was about to drop them into the recycling bin, a light bulb went off in my head. Why not put the colorful images on them to use? I grabbed a scissors and started cutting. Coincidentally, the image on the cards was perfectly proportioned for a 1x2" Stampbord. No size adjustments needed.
After painting the Stampbord, I used soft gel medium to adhere the image and let it dry. Then I sealed and varnished it, letting each coat dry between applications. After waiting 24 hours I glued on a bail. Shazam! A sweet little pendant that assembled in the blink of an eye, so to speak. Not counting drying time it came together faster than it usually takes me to pry open a jar of gel medium. Love that!
Look for some of these pendants appearing in my Etsy shop in June.
If you don't happen to have a preprinted image you can use, there are other options. You could use copies of your favorite photos, or copyright free images in the public domain. (A search for "public domain images" will turn up thousands of possibilities. Just be sure to abide by any use restrictions that are posted.)
No Stampbord on hand? No problem. You can use Scrabble tiles or pre-cut wooden blanks sold in arts and crafts stores. Anything compatible with whatever glue you'll be using to adhere your artwork and bail is a potential candidate. So go for it. It's easy! And fun!
Text, pendant designs and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Introducing Original Art Domino Pendants!
Although I promised to post a photo of the studio's now-completed entry deck, rain interfered, making outdoor photography difficult. So I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at one of my recent projects: pendants I'm making from dominoes:
Each pendant features my own hand painted art papers, cut into tiny pieces and arranged on the domino to create a totally unique, original work of art. A silver plated tube bail adds contemporary style.
The dominoes I've used for these pendants are vintage game pieces. They're made of wood, not plastic, with an intricate carved design on the back. These pendants can be worn suspended from a silk cord necklace, a ribbon, or a chain. They're a one-of-a-kind accessory that's both fun to wear and guaranteed to add artistic flair to any outfit! They'll be available starting next week in my Etsy shop, PlayingWithColors.
Pendant designs, text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards
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| Neon brights just right for this summer's fashion colors |
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| Earthy browns, rust and metallic gold look great with wardrobe neutrals |
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| A medley of colors and patterns that goes with just about everything |
Each pendant features my own hand painted art papers, cut into tiny pieces and arranged on the domino to create a totally unique, original work of art. A silver plated tube bail adds contemporary style.
The dominoes I've used for these pendants are vintage game pieces. They're made of wood, not plastic, with an intricate carved design on the back. These pendants can be worn suspended from a silk cord necklace, a ribbon, or a chain. They're a one-of-a-kind accessory that's both fun to wear and guaranteed to add artistic flair to any outfit! They'll be available starting next week in my Etsy shop, PlayingWithColors.
Pendant designs, text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards
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