CC7A, June edition - hosted by Sally Russick

Welcome to a new installment of our CC7A Odyssey. Speaking of Odyssey, William had a new colleague this year, fresh from Greece. A lovely young man, who's favourite author is... Homer! Can you imagine being 12 yo and having read Homer? I think I'll have William read some serious classics this summer.

But I digress :) This month is hosted by Sally and she chose soft summer hues as her palette:

At first, I thought it will be a huge challenge for me, as I am never soft. Colours or otherwise, I am a very energetic person, moving from A to B with the speed of light (or not moving at all, extremes is my middle name :) ) and that shows in my designs too. They are always full of colour, full of energy and rarely soft. Make than never.

You know how recently I tried (for the 2nd time) enamels. My first attempt this time has not be overly successful: I was using transparent flux over copper, and transparent enamels. Nice effect, but not the bold colours I have bee expected. I figured out it was transparents, when I was thinking I am using opaques. So I tried again, white base and opaques on top. Bolder, but still not what I wanted. Then it dawned on me and I made one more try: white base, followed by layers of transparent. Victory!! I'll show you the 3 levels at the end of this article, 'cause now it's all about soft summer hues, and not bold summer hues :)

I am not as soft as Sally's image will imply, however I am not sure I can go any softer!

The stones are soft, aren't they? All 3 on the right are Crazy Lace Agate, the one on the left it is a Rhyolite.

Every year, around Christmas and June I seem to create a small collection... what for? It's quite simple: for William's teachers. I think I should revisit the past 6 years of these mini-collection and really have done them as such.

Anyhow, I keep digressing (sorry, my brain is quite fried these days). This is my Soft Summer Hues interpretation and I am definitely sticking with it:

As you see, the necklaces are quite unique in their own way: the enameled charm, the stone, the wrap, the colours of the neckpiece; while they are linked by the similar elements. I am so grateful for my box of embroidery threads. It is a blast to open that box and search for colours that will work for a certain piece. Whipping up the neckpiece is a fast affair for me, as crochet is in my blood and in time I've also learned to make the wire wrapped ends perfectly the same for all.

Every finding is hand made (except for the jump rings) and you don't want to know how I flame-painted the hooks at the end! It's quite a funny story :) The wrapped links have a double job: link in the fabric elements to the wire elements (by using the lovely size 6 seed beads) and to serve as a possible shortening / lengthening elements for the necklace. It took me a while to think the neckpieces, but I am (at this moment) almost as proud of their design as I am of the enameled pieces.

That was my journey for this month's CC7A; thank you, Sally, for getting me way out of my comfort zone and having to travel where I haven't traveled before!

Please make sue you visit everyone else in our small, but mighty group:

Sally (June host)

Monique (August)

Cynthia (September)

Christine (November)
Alicia (April host) ~ you are here
Therese (May host)

I haven't forgotten about the enamel progression, here it is:

This is transparent flux, with transparent enamel on top. Soft :)

This is white base, and opaque enamel on top. Better, but not very fond of the result.

Bingo!: white base (1010, 2 coats) with transparent enamel on top (2300, Opalescent Green, 3 coats),