Just what have I been doing?

Yes, I am still making things.  Here are a few I have made recently:

I took a course in metalsmithing.  I learned to saw, anneal, solder, and file, file, file metal. The pendant is silver soldered onto copper that I heat treated to colourize.  There are two band rings, one silver and the other copper.  Also a Russian wedding ring in copper with three interlocking rings.  And a silver spinner ring.  I have to say that I don't like sawing at all and broke many blades to complete these, but I did enjoy everything else.

Then I decided to do a little bead embroidery.  This cuff fastens with 2 magnetic clasps.

After that I did some bead crochet.  This necklace uses 2 different sizes of beads randomly strung.  The clasp is 2 dragon heads.

International Freeform Fiberarts Guild Annual Challenge

Each year an international group of fiber artists choose a theme for their challenge. This year's theme is "Pattern in Nature."  They then work secretly on their submissions without any contact with each other.  The resulting entries are then presented in an online gallery:

  2017 Challenge
 

 This one is mine:

As the seasons change so do the leaves as they go from the lightly coloured green of new leaves to the brilliant colours of autumn which gradually disintegrate into leaf skeletons.

I am somewhat obsessed with the gradual decline that nature brings. Abandoned buildings, fallen trees, objects lost or discarded, and leaf skeletons all provide captivating opportunities for inspiration.

The influence of nature is undeniable and one of its most compelling patterns is the ever repeating cycle of the seasons.

For this piece, each leaf is a separate little scrumble and no two are alike. Since leaves change and slowly disintegrate over time, I had to consider how best to achieve this. After a little experimentation I developed a technique that I call 'deconstructed crochet'. The techniques I used in this challenge are crochet, Irish crochet, deconstructed crochet, deconstructed Irish crochet, and deconstructed Tunisian crochet.

THE BYRDS LYRICS

"Turn! Turn! Turn!"

To everything - turn, turn, turn

There is a season - turn, turn, turn

And a time to every purpose under heaven

Here be dragons

Now I am in a dragon phase.  There will be more to follow but for now, here is my tatted dragon: 

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

I have neglected my blog for a long time, but have continued to make things.  Here are some things I have made since the last time I blogged:

 A little micro macrame.  from Angel Wings pattern in MacrameSchool's Youtube channel

A little bead embroidery.  from techniques learned in Myra Wood's Craftsy class

A little tatting.  from patterns in Marilee Rockley's Craftsy class

A little beading.  inspired by Kate McKinnon's 'Geometric Beadwork'

And some more beading.  from a pattern in Diane Fitzgerald's 'Shaped Beadwork and Beyond'