Have you been to a Sugarloaf Craft Festival? This juried art show may have a strange name, but they are a great place to see a variety of art work in one place. I think I may have attended one maybe 10 years ago and I finally went again this past weekend. They come to cities all over from VA to CT, so there may be one near you.
There was a jewelry designer at the show who had some pretty pieces using lampwork beads. Of course that caught my eye. One particular necklace incorporated a large lampwork cone-shaped bead. That cone bead stuck in my head throughout the day, and I knew I wanted to make something using that shape. That night I set to work and made a cone out of wire, really just a simple shape. Actually, finding something in the size cone shape that I needed was a bit tricky until my husband suggested using a wine bottle stopper! That seemed to work and I was able to then make a little bell dangle. Peeking out from the cone is a Thai silver bead that actually jingles! I made a necklace combining a few unique beads from Thailand, and silver wire. This is a long necklace that is just right over sweaters or to layer with another simple necklace. The only thing is I’m not quite happy with the chain….I need something textured or slightly more bulky. Once I get the right chain I plan to oxidize the piece. This was a fun one to make, really anything goes so I do plan to make more.
Wow, this turned in to a lot of writing about just one piece of jewelry…but if you ever wondered where I get my ideas, here’s an example!
While at the show I met a wonderful pair of photographers/authors. The husband and wife team, Carl Sams and Jean Stoick are wildlife photographers from Michigan. They were promoting their videos and books and of course their amazing photography. You couldn’t help but stop and admire their captivating display of photographs: owls, squirrels, birds, you name it. I was particularly impressed by their books and picked up several copies of “Stranger in the Woods” which they were happy to personalize and sign. If you check out their website you’ll get a glimpse of the incredible pictures there were able to capture. It’s amazing how the animals grew to trust them over time and that they were able to take the pictures of the animals approaching the “stranger” which was a snowman. Highly recommended if you are a parent, teacher or animal lover! 🙂
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