Spatial Composition Earrings

Tags

abs02, Art Bead Scene, art beads, earrings, modern, polymer clay

Here is another entry for the Art Bead Scene Studio’s “Art Journey #6“. This time the inspiration was modern constructivist sculpture by Katarzyna Kobro.

Spatial Composition No. 6 | 1931 | Katarzyna Kobro

I was lucky enough to win a package of beads by Erin Prais-Hintz (Tesori Trovati) so I had an easy place to start.

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My first pair of earrings feature Erin’s polymer clay components which I paired with hammered wire directly on sterling silver creole hoops. To me the inspiration sculptures are about primary colours and primary shapes so I picked up the circle and the line motif from polymer component. I decided to hang them on the hoops so that the wire additions could be moved to the front or the back to change the composition of the earrings. This also gives them a three dimensional existence like the sculptures.

The next pair of earrings feature Erin’s box charms. I made my own polymer clay components to go inside, but they didn’t feel right when I came to assemble the earrings. Instead used some of the glass beads that she sent and added the white polymer clay circles as a reference to the white curves in the inspiration sculptures.

The last pair of earrings I made were slightly accidental and are not quite fully developed. Originally I made the red polymer clay curves to go inside the box charms, but then I decided I preferred them on their own. However I had only made two for my original idea so I had to make another pair and wait till my oven was full to do another bake so that took an extra week.

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The curved components are free to move around the pins to create a variety of compositions. Originally these were just red, but last night (after I had finished making them into earrings), I decided they needed white for more visual contrast. Therefore I dismantled them to add a white outline and baked again. Looking at them now I think I should have made the little cubes different colours too, maybe blue or yellow. However that would mean starting from scratch so it’s not going to happen in time for this challenge!

It’s surprisingly difficult working with minimalist blocks of colour and shape. There’s no texture to hide imperfections or whimsical decorative distractions.

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New Necklaces

Tags

art beads, handmade, jewellery, necklace, polymer clay

I have just listed a couple of new necklaces in my online shop. The first is one of my favourites. I made the beads back in 2016 (I made the necklace too, but I realise I didn’t post it online).

Glaucous bead necklace by Cate van Alphen

The other is a restringing of a bead I made ages ago. I think the simpler setting on a cable choker helps focus on the vibrant colours.

Goodbye yellow

Tags

art beads, beads, Cate van Alphen, daffodil, handmade beads, necklace, yellow

Today is the last day of Yellow. I’ve been a bit more organised this time and I have listed most of the components in my bead shop.

Earring pair by Cate van Alphen

Tassel pendant and buckle by Cate van Alphen

Yellow tracery beads by Cate van Alphen

I’ve kept a few components aside because I know how I want to string them to make a necklace. No doubt they will make it to my Etsy shop with finished pieces of jewellery like my Daffodil necklace eventually.

Daffodil necklace by Cate van Alphen

Goodbye (for now) yellow, it’s been fun!

Polymer clay challenge week 6 – beads

Tags

2015PCchallenge, art beads, artisan bead, Cate van Alphen, handmade beads, humbug, orange, orange beads, polymer clay, retro

This week I made orange beads again. I made a set of orange pinstripe tetrahedrons. I think of them as “humbugs”.

Orange pinstripe humbug bead by Cate van Alphen

I drilled them through the centre of the straight edges rather than from the base through the apex. They were fiendishly difficult to photograph.

Orange pinstripe humbug bead by Cate van Alphen

I also made another set of my retro beads in a different colour combination.

Retro beads by Cate van Alphen

Without planning it I found I had used each colour only once for the different parts of the bead. I wonder if I can resist the final colour combination in the sequence?

Retro bead earrings

Tags

art beads, bead earrings, Cate van Alphen, earrings, handmade beads, polymer clay, retro beads

Having made some polymer clay spacer beads to go with my retro beads, I couldn’t resist making a few pairs of earrings 😉

Red cord bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Retro bead and wire earrings by Cate van Alphen

Retro bead ladder earrings by Cate van Alphen

New Beads

Tags

art beads, artist made beads, beads, Cate van Alphen, polymer clay, polymer clay beads

Here are some of my new polymer clay beads that will shortly be listed on Big Bead Little Bead.

Black, White and Silver beads by Cate van Alphen

Emission Spectrum Yellow beads by Cate van Alphen

Blueberry Frit beads by Cate van Alphen

Stained Glass Pearl beads by Cate van Alphen

Purple Mosaic beads by Cate van Alphen

Have a look – they have a selection of artist made beads as well as a range of complementary beads and supplies.

ABS May Challenge – Go Rococo

Tags

Art Bead Scene, art beads, bracelet, gold, handmade beads, necklace, periwinkle blue, polymer clay, rococo

Last month I didn’t manage to make an ABS monthly challenge piece because I was working on my Bead Soup*, so I’m pleased to present one this month. The inspiration painting is from 1741, the Rococo era.

Capriccio Padovano, 1741 by Bernardo Bellatto
Oil on Canvas 19.3″ x 28.7″ (49 x 73 cm)

For my colours I used the periwinkle blue of the sky and, in place of the yellow ochre of the brickwork, gold (because when I think Rococo too much gold is not enough). Then I thought of the Rococo interiors and I made a pattern like fossil rich marble.

I made a polymer clay focal that also functions as a toggle.

It comes together as a necklace.

But since I seem to get lucky when I make bracelets for the ABS challenges it can also be worn as a multi-wrap bracelet (cunning eh?).

I can’t wait to see what they have next month as inspiration.

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* I’m giving away a set of beads as part of my Bead Soup Blog Party reveal, entries available until the end of May.

Bead soup blog party reveal and giveaway

Tags

art beads, bead earrings, Bead Soup Blog Party, beads, BSBP, embroidered pendant, floral necklace, giveaway, green and purple necklace, polymer clay, purple earrings

Welcome to my reveal for the 8th Bead Soup Blog Party. To continue the bead sharing, I’m giving away a set of handmade beads (keep reading to the bottom of this post for details). Here is the lovely bead soup sent to me sent to me by my partner Wendy Chamberlain.

My first thoughts when I saw the delicious mix of purple beads and silver caps was “Earrings!” (I LOVE making earrings.)

But I cried, “The point of the blog party is to use the focal and the clasp…”

“But look, the beads are all in pairs. Earrings!”

It was obvious to me that the pretty clasp and the pendant belonged together in the same necklace, so I decided to make some polymer clay beads inspired by the embroidery on the pendant. That way I could make the necklace and still have the mixed beads to play with for earrings. 🙂

I also used some green dyed lava cube beads that matched the colour of the leaves on the pendant and some silver seed beads.

I love the texture that the crochet beads give.

And then I made some earrings… 16 pairs in fact!

Thank you Wendy for the wonderful beads, and thank you Lori for all your hard work organising the party. Now have a look at what all the other participants have made, I know I will.

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Giveaway Time!

* EDIT – Giveaway is now closed. *

Luckily I was able to stop making earring before I used all the polymer clay beads I had made, so I am giving away a set of 8 ‘Embroidered Pearl’ beads. Just let me know in the comments that you would like to be included in the draw (join in even if you are international). I’ll announce the winner by 1st June 2014.

ABS October challenge

Tags

art beads, beads, earrings, grey, handmade beads, OCT ABS, owl, owl earrings, polymer clay, silver

Let me warn you I’m over-tired and grumpy and my mojo is frustrated and exhausted. I’ve had a difficult month*, so my offering is mainly to prove to myself that I’m not dead.

Owl on Gingko Branch (Scops Owl Under Crescent Moon) 1915
Ohara Koson
Woodblock Print on Paper

Here is this month’s inspiration painting for the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge.

I made the owl beads from polymer clay using a mould I had made previously for earrings and coloured them according to the painting. I used some silver glass beads with a pattern that reminded me of branches. The earrings are quite sweet but hardly GREAT ART.

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*Some gory details of the month: my dad had a heart attack (he’s home now on medication). Our new baby is not growing (we spent a week in hospital, now trying to wean her but she will only eat fruit). She is also suffering from eczema and needs her hands held at night to stop her scratching. Older daughter and I have had a terrible cough with associated aches and pains (or maybe I’m just stiff from holding hands all night).