This time our Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge had the topic "Celestial" in honor of the solar eclipse on the 21st of August.
While Europe hardly got to see anything of it, there were some stunning pictures from North America.
I remember the total eclipse of 1999 here in Germany and I still feel a little cheated. It was in August, too. I took off from work and my sisters and I stood outside, but all we got were clouds. I have to say, however, that when it suddenly got pitch black, it was a somewhat creepy feeling (one that my sister's cat shared judging from the way she ran).
Unfortunately I doubt that I'll make it until the next total eclipse here that is supposed to be in 2081 ....
You don't have to wait that long for this week's entries, though!
1 and 6 Cat's Wire
2 and 5 VMCdesigns
3 and 8 Jewelry Art by Dawn
4 and 7 MC Stoneworks
"Found object" comes from the French "Objet trouvé" which describes something that is usually not used in art. Found objects can be all kinds of things. The idea made it into jewelry making as well. Washers for example or keys are often seen in jewelry, one can hardly imagine a steampunk piece without some watch gears, and it's not unusual that something that has actually been found in the street or in a drawer inspires an artisan.
Welcome to this week's Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge!
1 and 6 VMCdesigns
2 and 4 Cat's Wire
3 and 5 Jewelry Art by Dawn
A few days ago someone mentioned Koko, the signing gorilla, which brought back some memories. I forgot which year exactly it was, but it must have been in the late 80s because my ex and I were still living in our first flat then.
Although I liked our street with its beautiful trees and our flat, I always kept feeling a little homesick for my hometown and my family during those years, especially at the beginning. My little brother visited us for the weekend every, now and then, we took him to the zoo, we played mini golf, or we went into town window shopping.
It was one of those occasions that I saw Koko in the toy department of one of the big shops, well, not herself of course, but a plush version. I don't even remember if I knew Koko's story back then before reading the description on the tag, I just fell in love with that stuffed gorilla. It was expensive, though, and thinking of our finances I did the responsible thing and put her back (it must have been before the Steiffs made us collectors). After all this was just a toy, even if she fit on my hip so perfectly.
I sighed a lot that weekend because I really wanted this gorilla badly. Finally my ex told me that we didn't always have to be grown up (boy, was that a preview on later years) and that I should go there after work on Monday and just get her already.
So that's what I did. I went there ... and she was gone. I even asked about her and was told there had been only one.
That was a sign, right? It wasn't meant to be. And still I wasn't happy about it. You have to remember that we didn't have internet yet. I didn't even know what brand it was (Dakin 1986, it must have taken a while to come to Germany because it was definitely some years later than that).
Fast forward to at least some months later. It is early Saturday afternoon in my hometown, and the stores are starting to close down for the weekend when my friend and I are walking by the toy store. Just this moment the owner is stepping into the window to put a gorilla there. Koko! I tell my friend I have to go in there. Now! The owner comes to greet me, and before he can even ask, I tell him I want that gorilla. "Oh", he says. "How funny. I just put it in the window." "I know", I say. "I saw you. There's one problem, though. I don't have enough money on me at the moment. (Paying with your card was not that common yet.) I'll run to the bank and be right back." He's obviously amused by my determination and he's even more amused ten minutes later when I come back just in time before the store is closing, put my money on the counter, refuse a bag and walk out with Koko sitting on my hip.
Can you believe that several people thought I was carrying a real little ape? o.O
Koko is still sitting on top of a book cabinet and makes me smile when I look at her although it has been almost 30 years.
For the picture, however, she came down from her cabinet ;-)
"The archaeological surveys and discoveries that accompanied Napoleon's
campaign in Egypt, and the battles between France and Britain that took
place there, aroused great public interest. Ancient Egyptian art and
architecture provided designers with a whole new range of motifs, such
as winged sun-discs, hawks and crocodiles." (From the Style Guide: Regency Classicism of the wonderful Victoria and Albert Museum in London)
Egyptian art does still fascinate us today. I admit there was a time I thought my head was going to explode if there was one more documentary about ancient Egypt on TV although I love watching documentaries. There can be too much of a good thing ;-)
This week's Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge is also about the fascination of ancient Egypt. I hope you will enjoy my little selection.
1 MC Stoneworks
2 Violetmoon's Corner
3 Cat's Wire
4 Jewelry Art by Dawn
5 RioRita
Two weeks ago I made - something. I couldn't even decide what it was, and when I asked around, I got several opinions on it from dragon lady to bat mermaid.
Although the lady didn't have a fin and I had never thought of making a mermaid - the decision against two separate legs had not been deliberate at the time as this was my first wrapped figure - and although I realized eventually that she had been subconsciously been inspired by the succubus in a computer game, the thought kept following me whenever I looked at her.
So I finally did it. I added a fin. She does look more complete now, doesn't she (see the picture at the end of the post)?
You are free to decide yourself if you see a dragon mermaid, bat mermaid, succubus mermaid or fairy mermaid now ;-)
Our house doesn't have a real garden. I guess I always think there has to be grass to make a garden a real one. We do have plants, though. Lots of them. They are in pots or in an elevated strip behind the house. It's actually rather nice (as long as I'm not expected to do garden work, you remember I kill flowers by saying hello to them ;-)).
A garden is more than bushes, trees, and flowers, though.
For this Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge there were quite a few entries beside flowers and again I am asking you to have a look at JAC because my selection is very small indeed compared to what you can see if you click through.
What else do you think a garden needs?
1 Jewelry Art by Dawn
2 MC Stoneworks
3 RioRita
4 Cat's Wire
5 Violetmoon's Corner
Boho - if we found out something in this week's Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge it's that we struggle with the word.
I remember the first time I stumbled upon the expression Boho Chic, it was when I first started browsing Etsy. Even then I wasn't sure what exactly it was supposed to mean. I always thought of some kind of Hippie style, colorful, fringe, flowing, but didn't quite get why it wasn't just called Hippie then.
Boho is an abbreviation of Bohemian which had originally to do with Bohemian travellers from Central Europe and developed into the description of a certain lifestyle rebelling against the rules of society way before there were hippies. Sherlock Holmes for example had a "Bohemian soul", but I doubt he wore bright colors and fringe (yes, I know he's not real, such a pity), Winston Churchill was "pre-First World War Bohemian" (now I bet that's a surprise for you, I know it was for me).
Today's Boho look does use a lot of hippie elements, so we were not completely off.
You are most welcome to tell me your own description because now I'm still pretty much at a loss what exactly to think ;-)
Oh, and of course I brought you some examples from the challenge, too!
1 The Crafty Chimp
2 Jewelry Art by Dawn
3 MC Stoneworks
4 RioRita
5 Cat's Wire
