Boticelli Art Bead Finished

So I soldered the art bead together and I must admit...I really love it! This piece is really special so far. The floating flowers are a perfect match :)

Now 100% lead free solder has posed a problem for me in the past. It doesnt take on copper patina well! And I LOVE the look of the copper patina. So its time to turn lemons into lemonade!!! Since I am such a lover of antiquity I give the soldered seams a look of aged copper!

I use three acylic paints to achieve the effect. A dark green/teal, a light green/teal, and a copper color. The finished product gives the look of aged metal and I like it better this way! I seal the seams with clear nail polish so there is no clothing color transfer :)

Interested in entering a piece? Do it!!!! Click here to visit the Art Bead Scene :)

Use the Muse Entries and Winners!

Hello Friends! Sorry I have not been blogging as much as usual. A wonderful friend of mine's father passed away this past week. It was a heartbreaking couple of days. I'm sure all of our prayers are with her during this very difficult time.


On a brighter note, the Use the Muse Contest has been revealed and judged. You can click here to see all the FANTASTIC entries and the winners. My piece did not receive a prize this time around, but its no wonder! These women created some beautiful and stunning pieces. I really enjoyed participating in this contest and would do it again for sure!!!

So this is my piece! I named it Flora and Zephyr :)

When I first received my “Use the Muse” contest kit, I couldn't help but think of romance! In Greek mythology, Zephyr was the God of the winds and Flora was a Goddess of flowers and all things that grow. I wanted the piece to look both windswept and vine-like. The vintage watch face hold a small image of the lovers from an Italian painting by Jacopo Amigoni. The stained glass focal point (which holds the lovely muse) is made of two colors of stained glass and 100% lead free solder which I covered with gold leaf to make it match the muse and the rest of the piece. I must admit that wearing it would make anybody feel swept up in a whirlwind romance!

Have a good one! I'm off to troll though all of your blogs now to see what you've been up to this week! :)

The Kiss

Inspired by my new Stained Glass Jewelry beads I decided to take part in my first Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge. This month's challenge is meant to be inspired by Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. I was an Art History major in college so a challenge like this sounds fantastic!

I have two giant, beautiful Klimt painting prints hanging in my home. They are bright beautiful images of garden flowers. So I have a perfect place to sit and get inspired. I will be posting my ideas soon! Wish me luck!

If you would like to enter yourself, go to the Art Bead Scene Blog here.