LILLIBULLE IN AMERICA!

Yaaaayyy!! My package arrived from France from sweet Lillibulle, and the fantastic trade she made with me! Apologies for the bad photos, but it was dark by the time I got home from work, so I did my best indoors, just so I could post tonight! The detail on these pieces are mind boggling, considering every day she posts something new and just as involved. I secretly think it is a French secret how she is able to accomplish so much beauty......And now it is MINE, MINE I SAY!!!! hehehe...I am going wild!! Seriously, look at this necklace.....I'm, speechless, stitching, soldering, wirework, color, and composition.....AMAZING! This beautiful bracelet, the beautiful mixed media piece, the beautiful japanese soldered pendant she made, the beads, the etched copper pcs(with a bird!!) I promised I would take a photo of the necklace on my neck, but this is not the official one. I will do an official one when I can go outside...promise!! I'm feeling very French, and giddy....kiissss, kissss to all, especially Lillibulle!!

LENNA & LEANN

"To Have And To Hold" by Lenna Andrews

"Tranquil"

Lenna and LeAnn are two ladies I would consider to be good friends of mine. I have known LeAnn Weih, of Summers Studio, since Feb. when I started my blog, and she was kind and friendly from day one, and still is. Her work is beyond excellent, she is a master craftsman of her trade, pottery and ceramics, and she is one of the kindest, down to earth people, and most sincere people that I know. I love to buy her products, which are the round flower ceramic disks on the earrings.
Her "down to earthiness" quality really shows in everything she does. and I really feel a sort of peacefulness when I touch LeAnn's pieces, and these disks said something very "quiet" to me. Yes, I feel my way through most everything I make, and can usually feel it from others too.
Which brings me to a new friend, Lenna Andrews, that I met through Helga Stauss's weekly challenges at "My ARTistic Life". I so fell in love with Lenna's "To Have And To Hold" piece that she created, that I asked her if she would trade with me, and she graciously accepted . I know Lenna pours her feelings into her creations. I don't know her very well yet, but I certainly can Feel that she is a warm and generous soul. To me, beauty always shows in someone's creations if it is done with feeling . I strive to always do that. I sent Lenna my "Love" necklace, a beautiful exchange. Lenna's work ios so extensive, I haven't seen a fraction of everything she has done. I do see she does a lot with fabric, and I do see her pieces are beautiful. Visit Lenna and her flickr site to see a bit of her beauty!

tranquil available on etsy

BRAVE HEART

As always, it doesn't take long to reach for the metal again, and this time I definitely had something in mind. Lately, their has been a lot of medical issues surrounding my family, (not me), and even people I know from the blog seem to be facing somekind of issue like this. It touches everyone, young and old, somewhere, somehow, and sometime, and it is a BOLD reminder of the fragility of what we have. I created this necklace working through those thoughts, transferring them to metal, and hoping that it will come to represent for someone the hard struggle of life, the bangs and the bruises, both physical and mental, and that shimmer of hope that IS always there, if we are brave enough to continue the fight.

available on etsy

CHALLENGES

EFFUSIVE

PLAY NOW

copyright sharon borsavage 9-14-2009

"Effusive" was created for Helga's weekly challenge at My ARTisitic Life...it was the checkerboard challenge. I tried some new things this week and was fairly happy with the results....I am still unsure about a lot of things though, and am still testing a lot of waters. I have found some nice surprises though!
"Play Now" was created for Nancy B.'s weekly Crowabout challenge. One thing I have found out for sure is that almost everything I do involves flowers, greens, trees, vines, or growth of some sort. I really do love flowers, and I guess I feel that when I am working on a woman or an element, The thought always comes to my mind as to how I can extend this image, or elaborate, and growing things always come to mind. They also are very symbolic to me as far as spirtuality, strength, and reaching upward. I do remember that way back in college my main painting themes were mostly women in landscapes, abstract as they were, they were very similar to me. Another little tidbit into this mind of mine!

ESTHER'S SWEET SONG

click on the photos to see the detail

This one is for moi!! Esther will be so proud of my French! hehe!! Esther of Mes Illusions Baroques.....my dear friend and kindred spirit, sent me this gorgeous pendant in an exchange a while ago, and I knew I wanted to do something special with it, for moi!! She also sent me the musical link connectors...they are so original and gorgeous!! I have to say to all my jewelry friends that Esther blows me away . She is super talented, and her exuberance pours out into everthing she makes. She not only makes jewelry, but most of the time makes all of the components. She makes art, mixed media, pendants, resin, felt, charms, wirework, solder, waxing, and I think EVERYTHING! The little black and white tag at the top of the necklace she also made.....it is a little charm to put on my pieces for when I sell them, and my name is on the other side , which you will see in other posts this week. So all I did was add the bird's nest I made out of steel , and some turquoise rice beads, amber chips, and some home made chain. I reeeeeallly love this necklace, because it represents to me the flight of love from one friend in one country to another, the lyrical components are the sweet song of the bird, (and us gabbing through email all the time!) and the nest and the links are the building of a relationsip of two people so far away from each other, yet so close. Kisssssss Kiiiiiiiiissss Esther!! This one's for you!!

FALL

The weather was cool the past few days, and a few tiny leaves have started to fall from our birch tree in the yard. Finally, I was moved to use these lovely ceramic leaves from Erin of Every Heart Crafts. She makes the prettiest little leaves, I loved dressing them up!

available on etsy.

JAZZED

These were influenced by a little bit of music..... ok, a lot of music, and a longing for working with metal.....it was pretty much that simple. Sometimes I have to move away from metal to become refreshed and realize just HOW MUCH I love it! The card that the earrings hang from was an old display design, but it will be changed for my next show in October, hopefully to Ester's bird that she designed for me! Just wanted to show how they look hanging. Can't wait to spend my weekend with paper and metal, and my husband....not neccessarily in that order!