Fall Sunshine

Since I last wrote on this blog, my dear tiny yorkie fur baby girl passed away. It's been really difficult for me, as both her and her brother were my partners in crime in my studio and my babies for almost a 1/3 of my entire life. I've lost them both now, 7 months apart :(

My little fur-baby girl. I'll see you at the Rainbow Bridge xxx

Trix was 14 years old, and had lived a good and full life full of adventures with her brother Diesel (he passed away in January at the age of 13)... One of the things they loved most was jumping in the van and go out for a ride and a walk in the forest.

Fall was the best time as it wasn't too hot, or too cold. It was just perfect. Gorgeous colors in the trees, and the sunshine adding to the joy of being out in the fresh cool Fall air... so in their homage, I've designed these Fall Sunshine earrings:

Warm Fall colors in Polymer Clay, Glass and Copper

Using fold-formed textured copper components that I made a long time ago (I keep all sorts of parts, I'm a hoarder!), and some copper wire and tiny seed beads in rich Fall colors, I wire wrapped my handmade polymer clay drops together with the copper elements - If you've never tried Fold-Forming metal before, I highly recommend it - it's fun, although it takes a long time to go through the process of heating/forming/cooling and repeating until you're done, the resulting raised edges and textures are worth it in my opinion:

Fall Sunshine Earrings by Nathalie Lesage

When I designed my polymer clay drops, I embedded some small super sparkling orange artisan glass cabochons. It's like a ray of sunshine when you look at these. I only had this one pair of orange glass cabs (I don't even remember where I grabbed these, it was a long time ago), and I wanted to use them for something special.

These earrings, along with a few other pairs are listed in my Etsy shop HERE.

I've also uploaded a series of one of a kind new clay components to my shop, check it out when you have time, it may trigger some design ideas for your creations!

It's been a rough 10 days since Trixie passed. I was expecting it given her age, of course. Her ashes should be ready for pick up by Friday. I have a special urn in my studio where her brother is waiting to be with her again... I know they're both waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge, but I just wish they could have stayed with me here on Earth.

I'm too ill to look after another pet or a new pet, but now we have a grandson who's growing fast, and we're going to focus on him. He's very snuggly and fun, and he's helping to heal my saddened heart.

I want to give a big HUG to everyone who has a pet waiting for them at the Rainbow Bridge too....

For those who still have their pets...Please hug and kiss your fur-baby for me today xoxo

Nathalie
Visit my shops: My Garden Of Love on Etsy & The Craft Tribe on Etsy

Half Cracked

I've never been one for smooth, shiny, flawless surfaces in my metalwork. There are plenty of artists out there who do it and do it beautifully. I prefer a little more texture, distress, and time-wear. Maybe it's because I'm an old soul with lifetimes behind me, who knows?

So I surprised myself last week when I was tinkering in the studio with some fold formed copper charms. Rarely one to plan out an exact design beforehand, I started out this pair by simply annealing matched squares of copper, folding them, hammering flat, annealing again, and unfolding---revealing beautiful rustic creases in the metal. Now normally I would next turn to my favorite texturing rock (plucked from our garden) and start banging away as if my life depended on it. For some reason, I stopped short halfway through this time. 

How about we just leave half shiny, smooth, and serene---as a stark contrast to the chaos of the textured side?

And this is how designs are born. 

I'm quite fond of making coin-like discs out of copper, so that's the final shape I decided to go with here. Reminiscent of an ancient coin plucked from the soil, perhaps. I filed a bit along the folds of each, sanded, sanded, sanded, oxidized, buffed, and sealed with wax. Simple, perfect for everyday wear, yet noteworthy enough to make you feel like a pagan goddess. 

Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

My Soul is a Private Place

We all have moments where we just want to curl up and shield ourselves from something: the world, reality, a specific event, a person, or...whatever. 

Last week was one of those moments for me. It sounds cliche to have been so affected by the death of a celebrity, but David Bowie's passing hit me pretty hard. My husband and I are both avid music lovers, and many of Bowie's albums are among our favorites. The beautiful and private ending that he chose for himself deeply resonates with me. You see, I'm a private person, too. And as a fellow creative, I have nothing but respect, awe, and thanks for the art that he so generously shared with us, the world.

So in the vein of needing a little bit of temporary protection, here's a pair of copper fold-formed and repousse-ed earrings I made several weeks ago. They curl and buckle in all the right places, reminding me of an insect carapace or one of those rolly-poly bugs we used to find under rocks as a kid. I finished them with a weathered yet warm patina. Moderately bizarre, but kinda cool. I'd like to be able to swear to you that these will help repel the negative. Guess my skills haven't quite progressed to that level yet ;) 



Hope you're all staying warm and grounded this time of year! 

Happy Wednesday,
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

The Anti-Trend

There are some designs and motifs in jewelry making (and art, in general) that keep coming around time and time again. We may be tempted to roll our eyes and groan if we see YET ANOTHER person doing YET ANOTHER version of XYZ. 

Now, sure, there are definitely trends out there -- always have been and always will be. But I think some designs transcend the trendy. Some designs are so elemental and so universal that they we'll always identify with them. Some designs can be dressed and polished and sparkled up just as easily as they can be beaten and dirtied and rusted down. I'm going to venture that the humble leaf is one of those eternal designs. 
 
Everyone has their own version of the leaf -- they're like fingerprints. Some artists celebrate the unbridled budding potential of the new spring leaf. Others rejoice in the resplendently lush summer leaf. There are those of us who prefer the mysterious crash-and-burn of the autumn leaf. And some are drawn to the dormancy and negative space of the winter leaf. 

So at the risk of being that chick who's posting YET ANOTHER pair of leaf earrings, here I go...

I was in Tucson at the huge gem and mineral show a couple weeks ago with my dear friend Kimberly of NuminosityBeads (mwahh!). We came, we saw, we bought, we gorged, we emerged exhausted yet triumphant -- beads and stones in-hand. When I got back home to Ohio, I couldn't wait to get back into the studio and do some creating. And wouldn't you know it, one of the first designs I created didn't use any of my new haul. 

 
Instead, I created a simple pair of fold formed copper leaves. Distressed, punched, fire-scaled, beaten, oxidized, licked with verdigris, and sealed. Simple. Timeless. And so ME.

What motifs do you keep coming back to in your designs and in your life? And what does that say about you? Food for thought :) 

Happy Wednesday!

Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy

Frilly Hoops

My normal mode of creating is based on  "one-of-a-kind" pieces, with a few limited edition pieces here and there.  I like this mode of work,  because I tend to be a bit like my ADHD son and get bored/lose focus easily!  Currently, though, I am gearing up for a couple of Holiday shows in the next couple of weeks and need to be in production mode and have been going back through past work to find a few items  I think bear repeating.

A few months ago I created these fold formed hoops. I had been wanting to make more of these, but not really these, though..you know? After sifting through my scrap metal, I decided to change the overall shape and bling them up a bit.
 

I got the copper ones done, and totally fell in love, so I hauled out my tiny hoard of sterling sheet.  It is so expensive, I have been holding on for just the right project! I think I'll go ahead and use it up on more of these...what  do you think?

Here is a fab outfit I put together on Polyvore that I would wear either pair with!

Frilly Hoops by melismatic featuring white wool pants

Find these and more at either of my shops...Melismatic Art Jewelry or Etsy!

Copper Leaves

Sorry, folks, I can't help it!  I have autumn on the brain and all I want to make are leaves!  I have been playing with my fold-forming skills and did some of these cute little leaves and decided to create these earrings. Artisan glass by Reghina of Birchtree Jewelry is flecked with sparkly golds, green & russet.

I'd like to wear them with this jacket...I mean, why not?  It's only $3,700!

copper leaves by melismatic featuring maya

Find these earrings and more at Melismatic Art Jewelry, or in my Etsy shop!!