Week 12: "Transformation"
A commitment is very sacred to me, or this pendant would not exist.When I committed to the 2004 YOJ, I made a promise to myself: one piece every week, on time. Despite the complete chaos and stress of this time, I pondered a project for the past whole week. This rescued earring from the Goodwill store kept sparkling at me and sharing its rainbows of hope until at last I yielded to its allure and created a 14K GF slide setting for it to transform it into a pendant. It was a challenge to freeform the design on the fly and I am not sure that the top design completely compliments the faceted stones, so I may yet redesign it when I have the time to breathe and focus better. And I am doubting that it would survive a trip through the tumbler, so this may remain a personal piece.

HopeTransformed

Week 11: "WAJ project"
The theme for the week is to make a project from Wire Artist Jewelery. Ironically, WAJ has just announced a cease of publications. Still more ironic is the fact that my last order for all the back issues to complete my 7 year collection arrived just 10 days before.

Thus, to salute the magazine that has filled such an important part of my wire training, I decided to make the very first ever project from what was at first called "Wired" ~ a Bead Pin. Due to the fact that I tend to wander from written instruction, and I wanted to bring the pin into the 21st century, this pin doesn't bear a great resemblance to the picture in the magazine. Still, the technique and learning experience were as intended.

Susan, Helen, Allan and Mavis, I wish you good luck in the future, and extend to you my deepest gratitude.

Crystal Pin

Week 10: "Halloween"
The Owl has haunted me *heh* since last week's Bird theme. For the past 35 years, I have used a little owl sketch under my signature on letters, greeting cards and notes to my family. This week's theme was perfect to let Owl rejoin me in a different way, and I had a lot of fun practicing new skills which will be refined on other pieces in the future.This pin/brooch combines joining hammered frames and coiling, and I *know* this little guy can fly since he hit the wall and floor several times, innocent victim to my frustration. I will definitely think long and hard about how much coiling I want to do!

Owloween Pin