Mornings with windows open before the heat and humidity get too intense, breeze blowing and cicadas' serenade. Creating new silver elements inspired by an ancient stairway in Provence, swirling memories and feeling compelled to pull out tucked away treasures to touch and gaze upon - just because.
The new designs in my head required cord, preferably silk - not an easy commodity to come by. So I decided to make my own. I sort of knew how to make cord from twisting two strands of fibers and lord knows I've got plenty of silk thread in all sorts of colors. Yesterday I went from laboriously hand twisting silk to using a pin vise to, wondrous revelation, using my flex shaft - my wrists and hands are very relieved. I am a cord making machine and the results are ever so lovely.
These will be new additions to my catalog - 25 different pendants, each one minimal and, I think quite elegant in it's simplicity. I've got more silver in the kiln (which is why I'm taking a break for a quick post) that will be for Etsy and AOT. This afternoon I'll be working on knotted silk and gemstone versions of some of these. Oh I am so very pleased with my little lovelies .........
The past two days, my only 'music' has been the cicadas and yesterday's raucous thunderstorm. But today, I've got Jim White and Cat Power for background which seems to fit my mood and varied inspirations. It's probably because I associate their music with Wrong Eyed Jesus and that reminds me of my childhood - sandy dirt roads and sink holes, enormous live oak trees and spanish moss, rickety houses perched on cinder blocks, my Grandfather's religious fervor which scared me back then but inspires me now, my Dad's ill-fated dream of becoming an import/export magnate and his hodge-podge of a stamp collection that is another one of my most cherished possessions.
"Paw-Paw"
One of the now fragile glassine pages of my Dad's stamp collection (probably from the early 40's)
I'm not sure how all this will affect my jewelry, but it's where my thoughts are wandering and I'm just going with it. It is a hearkening back to my roots, honoring and embracing what I once disparaged and tried to ignore, a homecoming.
feeling enormous gratitude and quite blessed - kvk
i wonder if you could "set a stamp" in some silver on a chord (the chord of your bloodline to these men). Journeys. Stamps are supposed to go on journeys.
ReplyDeletelovely chords (song comes to mind now)and etc..
.
Cicadas make me nuts! they screech.
I've been listening to the same mixture of cicadas and Cat Power. Yesterday I was singing along to one of the songs and then Babette started singing along too... of course, in cat-tongue-speech.
ReplyDeleteThe new work looks fantastic. Keep it up!
I've been doing a lot of work with old stamps. I need to post about them one of these days. So far they are all just sitting in a corner, waiting for me to finally finish the projects they are in.
Hi kids! The stamps are an interesting thing. Only once I have brought myself to 'do' anything with them - years ago some small refrigerator magnet collages. They're just so beautiful as they are.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of chords/cords and connotations therein - have to ponder that one a bit.
Funny thing those cicadas - I think it's about 50/50 - those who hate the sound (my friend Marilyn wears earplugs to sleep) and those that love it. You know where I stand.
And yep, I'm still lovin' my Cat Power and Jim White play list.
ttfn