If only I could get my act together.....

I was planning to enter the Jewel School Design Contest, I spent hours conceptualizing and creating a design around the theme "Crystal Cornucopia" and came up with a piece I really liked. A lot of jewelry I make is more of an artistic challenge, rather than something I would actually wear, but this one I'm already planning my Thanksgiving outfit around.

So I finished Sunday afternoon, patted myself on the back for getting done early and called it a day.  Heading home from the studio, I figured I would come in Monday morning, do the photo shoot with a fresh eye and submit in plenty of time for the Monday midnight deadline. Except the deadline was Sunday midnight....

RATS!!!!

I emailed Monday when I realized my oversight but was told very politely, nope, sorry, you can't submit beyond the deadline, that's why they're called deadlines. I was hoping they might have a moron exception clause, but alas, no....

So here's my creation, all dressed up and nowhere to go....

Jenny's Neck Piece

When Jenny Rohrs of Craft Test Dummies asked me to lend a hand designing a neck piece to wear to a wedding, I was both flattered and slightly intimidated. I mean this gal knows EVERYONE in the art jewelry world! But in my favor, she's a good friend and knows how easily I can be persuaded to drop everything for the opportunity to play with wire. That and a cupcake bribe will work every time! :-)

So, we came up with a basic plan & color scheme and agreed on an asymmetrical look. I started by  making a "dahlia" focal and wiring it to a silver neck collar. Adding some randomly spaced beads and wrapping a strand of twisted wire through the piece completed the look. One final adjustment of the coils to create the illusion of a vine and voila! What do you think?

And she wears it so well!