Artisan Whimsy 5x5 Team Test: June guest post:: Robin Showstack

Welcome to a new installment of the Artisan Whimsy saga :)

This month the 5x5 Team Test group had to work with a group of secret items from the amazing work of Elaine Ray of Ornamentea. As with last month, the June group agreed on a blog-hop on the Monday after the magazine has been published - which brings as to today, June 3rd.

As one of the ladies didn't have a blog, she will post her article on my blog and I am now presenting you Robin Showstack of HEARTS' DESIRES JEWELRY.

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This month I had the privilege of being one of the 5x5 testers of Elaine Ray's components and I have to say that I had the best time dreaming up ideas for them as I gathered up beads, findings and wire to use with each piece.

This past month-May-I went on bead buying/binging trips and happened upon the colors that would match perfectly with Elaine's components and those beads and findings that I had in my bag of tricks!

So without further ado...here goes nothing!

I am what one would call a procrastinator. I stared and stared at the components for hours that turned into days and weeks. I placed each one on its own bead board piling up beads etc., that I thought would be the perfect combinations! Taking pictures of each grouping and zuzhing them up a few times.

On Sunday night-the finished works had to be posted on that Friday-I started with the necklace that I named UFO. I thought of the blue component as a conical space ship and wrapped and draped it with chain and wire. The loops on the blue component made it a little tricky but I had a vision and I knew it would work. I also knew that I had blue beads that matched it perfectly as well as some bronze beads and spacers. The beading came together very quickly and I think that it really showcases the blue conical component!

On Tuesday night I started and finished the next necklace which I named FLY AWAY. It turned out to be a little more challenging. I wasn't sure whether I was going to make a three strand necklace or something more unusual. Again I started by putting all the beads etc. together and decided that the 3 holes down the center looked like the openings for bird houses and voila! Once I had the idea it came together quickly. Some funky beads, birds, chain, a birdcage and a clasp that made it look like the birds were in a forest leaving the nest for the first time I knew and I was done! I have to say that this is my favorite component and piece!

Day 4 brought out more winged creatures when I made the necklace I named Butterfly's Garden. Instead of using the headpins in earrings which would be the obvious thing to do, I saw them as beautiful, delicate flower petals in a garden. For this necklace I "strung" the jasper on 20 gauge wire and wired on the headpins, butterfly, bird and flower etc. I think that the headpins look like they were made to match the jasper perfectly but if truth be told I bought the strand of jasper chips because I knew that they would be ideal! I am so glad that I tried something different in this necklace!

Day 4 continued with me putting all the beads out on my table and placing them in different combinations until I liked the way they looked. I named this necklace ODE TO ANCIENT EGYPT. Again I thought "why do the obvious" with the headpins and designed a necklace in colors that reminded me of Cleopatra and Nefertiti. The headpins wired onto a golden ring with crystals. The colors of the headpin components were also a perfect match to beads that I had purchased just for this necklace! I think that seeing the color of these headpins and the components come together I was taken back to the times I visited the Egyptian rooms in the MFA in Boston, MA. Another of my favorite components!

Ok, time for day 5 and the necklace named SOUTHWEST MEETS HOWARD JOHNSON'S. I guess that you could say that the colors of the beads and the component dictated its name! I had left this component for last because I just couldn't figure out what to do with it. Initially, I thought I would use it as either the top of a pendant or in a bracelet and then it hit me! Why not attach it to the side of the necklace with leather, beads and spikes! I really like this component. Its simplicity of style and bold color worked in the concept I had for it!
[ceramic beads in this piece by Keith O'Connor]


Thank you Elaine Ray for the fantastic components and Artisan Whimsy for giving me the chance to open my eyes to try something new and allowing me to design with abandon!

Well, that's it for now...I'm off to Howard Johnson's for an ice cream cone!

Robin Showstack-HEARTS' DESIRES JEWELRY

Please make sure you visit the rest of the June amazing team:



Components by: Elaine Ray

Team members:

Cheryl Provost Foiles
Cory Tompkins
Marcia Dunne
Robin Showstack <- hosted by www.allprettythings.ca; you are here
Sharon Palac