Happy Valentines Day!

My husband and I both loved the Swedish vampire film "Let the Right One In," so that seemed like the perfect inspiration for a valentine for him this year.  The movie is visually gorgeous with Swedish winter scenes in grays, blacks and whites, and always a little splash of red added.  I used soft graffiti fabric that I made, old found fabric, and red velvet bits.  It is backed in a luscious black velvet.  I am very fortunate to be married to a man who does not think I need to be locked up when I give him something like this.

Wired

Creating jewelry with wire is something I've enjoyed doing for several years, since first taking a workshop with Sharilyn Miller. My father designed and fabricated scrolly ornamental iron gates and rails; I think some of that rubbed off on me. There is satisfaction in pounding and shaping wire, as there was in manipulating those thin bars of steel for my dad.
I've been very fortunate to have classes with some of the best jewelry artists around, including Nina Bagley.
Here are Nina's swift hands, demonstrating for her students.

This is a necklace made in a class with Stephanie Lee, another very talented and inspirational artist, where I learned to make jewelry components with soldered brass.

The bangle bracelet here is my most recent project. It involved wrapping yards of silver wire, handmade coils, and Swarovski crystals around a core of heavier wire.