Happy Horny Fungi Ring

I am really happy about how the colours came out in this one. Constructed from merino wool which I first wet felted and then needle felted. I also used UV resin at the base of the felted structure with natural rough diamonds.

The ring base is Faux Bone with sterling silver tube rivets.

The ring size is a US 7.5 and stands about 12cm above the wearer's finger.

Floating Opalina

This is my third (and final) piece made for the 'Melodious Art Exhibition' (31 July to 13 Aug 2009) at Uxbridge, Howick's Creative Center (www.uxbridge.org.nz).

It features a stunning Opalina gemstone which I bought from the fantastic Heart Of Stone Studio. Opalina is unique to Peru and the colours are very intense turquoise accented with deep teals, rich greens and mustard yellows.

Other materials that I have used are - merino wool, silk thread, plexiglass, copper plate (with heat patina & prismacolor), resin with glitter, tiny sewn beads and Swarovski crystal bicones in pale blue.

'Floating Opalina' may be worn as a brooch or as a pendant.

Length: 11cm

Width: 8cm

Carnivore Crinoid Brooch

I sold a piece! Yay! This was my entry to the Regal Castings Contemporary jewellery competition - which was part of the NZ Jewellery Show, Auckland. I didn't win anything but my piece actually SOLD!

This brooch features a piece of fossilised Crinoids that I bought from Heart Of Stone Studio. Crinoids are lovely & graceful-looking sea creatures that resemble fern-like plants, but are really animals. Commonly called sea lilies, they are Echinoderms - relatives of sea urchins and starfish.

They are one of Nature's success stories, having been around for 530 million years. Ancient Crinoids sported feathery arms sprouting from a stalk anchored on the ocean floor. Thier soft, filter-feeding bodies are supported by a framework of calcium carbonate segments called ossicles and it is the ossicles that you see in this piece of fossil.

I created a man-eating, parasitic, Triffid-like base structure for the Crinoids to happily live and lurk within (even though Crinoids don't actually have teeth).

Other materials used: brass sheet, bronze sheet, patina (green & heat), prismacolor, plexiglass, sterling silver, merino wool roving, microscrews, fine silver heishi (Thai Karen Hills Tribe - Fair Trade), brass heishi, pink natural freshwater pearls, brown pearls, thread, craft wire & plastic aquarium plants.

TANIWHA - First Place Winner!

YAY! Lisa-Jane Harvey of Born To Bead NZ and myself collaborated on a piece for the annual Step by Step Beads magazine competition. We just heard that we won first prize in the 'Other' category for our entry called 'TANIWHA'.

TANIWHA is the Maori word for 'Fabulous Sea Monster' and this piece can be worn as a pendant or brooch.

Lisa-Jane is an amazing lampwork artist and made the gorgeously coloured beads. I did the felt stuff. Her website is at www.lisajane.co.nz

You will be able to read about TANIWHA later in the November issue of the Step by Step Beads magazine and it will be also announced on their website.

Very exciting!

Just to note, the other material used are Faux bone, sterling silver, Thai Hills Tribe fine silver beads (Fair Trade), merino wool (wet felted & needle felted), various metal washers, stainless steel micro-screws, tiny seed beads & vintage (1940s) 'blinking' dolls eye. The silver discs are stamped 'Taniwha'.

More Blinking Eye Rings!

Made some more of these rings as I was asked to!

They are all made using cold connection, sterling silver, UV resin with mica powders & glitter, vintage circa. 1940s blinking dolls eyes and the ring bands are adjustable and stamped "eye spy with my...".

Musical Sea Jelly

This is another piece for the 'Melodious Art' Exhibition at Uxbridge, Howick's Creative Centre during August 2009, again inspired by The Hebrides Overture.

Its a jellyfish and the focal gemstone is a brilliant piece of Shattukite turquoise from Designer Cabochons in the UK (note - they have some AMAZING boulder opals for sale). This is a rare type of turquoise which contains red cuprite and only small amounts come out of the Congo each year.

I've also used merino wool, silk threads, plexiglass (clear), copper (heat patina and prismacolors), brass microscrews, amethyst cubes, sterling silver chain, sodalite beads, brown pearls (very yummy), fine silver tiny beads purchased Fair Trade from the Thai Karen Hills Tribes & a sterling silver disc stamped 'Musical Sea Jelly'.

The bone skulls on the tentacles are cool as they are handcarved in Tibet from yak bone! Making me feel like Halloween already.

Musical Sea Jelly is a total of 26cm long (the body is 8cm long) and is a pendant/brooch. One more blue/musical/sea piece coming up next week I think......

I'm really busy with my knitting at the moment. Or addicted to it - can't put it down. Finished my first scarf last night and have now moved on to a jumper for myself - as only I will ever appreciate all the effort that is going into it. Its the most lushious carribean sea / tropical parrot colours and I will post a photo when it is finished, as I think I'm going to be very chuffed with it! No dropped stitches so far.......

Moods Of The Sea

Finished this pendant today - it features a gorgeously bright piece of gem grade Azurite (from www.designercabochons.co.uk) and an 'eye' of Fordite, aka Dagenham Agate (from www.heartofstonestudios.com).

I also used faux bone, merino wool (wet felted), sterling silver tube & wire, embroidery thread, tiny beads and crystals, sterling silver cutout disk stamped 'Moods Of The Sea', various screws and washers.

Its about 15cm (6 inches) long.

Its for the 'Melodious Art' Exhibition at Uxbridge, Howick's Creative Centre during August 2009. This piece was inspired by The Hebrides Overture - one of my favourites, which I used to play (clarinet) with the Berkshire Youth Chamber Orchestra when I was young, once upon a time in England.........