Objects and Elements

Jen Cushman tells stories with her art, heart and words

Last but not least for our Design Team interviews is Jen Cushman. A mixed-media artist and independent writer, Jen's also the Design Team Coordinator and New Media Manager for objects and elements.

Q: How long have you been making art? 

A: I was born artistic. Though my mother doesn't have a crafty bone in her body, she recognized it in me and always found a way, on a very limited family budget, to ensure that I had basic art supplies.

Q: What's your first memory of having a creative "right brain" mind. 

A: I learned to read and write early. I vividly remember being in preschool two mornings a week and not knowing how to play with the other kids, so I'd sit at the little art table making books and drawing pictures until it was time to go home. 

Q: Of all the art mediums to specialize in, why jewelry?

A: I didn't start making jewelry until about 5 years ago when I took a class from Susan Lenart Kazmer. In high school, I taught myself how to make simple beaded earrings so I could save money for clothes, but I've been doing mixed-media paper arts for the past 10 years. Susan changed the way I look at jewelry. I'm excited about adornment as an extension of storytelling, and I've had a passion for learning new techniques ever since.

To learn more about Jen, click here.

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A wordsmith by nature, Jen says she's excited about using art jewelry as another visual medium for telling compelling narratives.

"For the past decade, I've been doing all the paper arts, but I get so excited when I sit down at my newly-dedicated jeweler's bench and make mixed-media adornment," she says. "I love being able to wear my little vignettes."

Her first Design Team submission for objects and elements™ is a necklace called A Song in Her Heart. The piece is a homage to her sister, who's 15 years older than Jen and has always been her best friend, mentor and cheerleader.

"Patti and I are so much alike, despite our age difference. But we're completely opposite when it comes to music. I prefer to work in peace and quiet, while my sister always surrounds herself with song." 

Jen used objects and elements™ Recycled Silk Sari Ribbon for the necklace cord, 20-Gauge Bronze Wire for the metalwork of the jump rings and trapeze attachment, Tiny Glass Bottle with Cork, Cogged Heishi, Chubby Round Metal Beads, Mardi Gras Glitter, Bronze Hook Clasp and other beads from her studio.

Inside the bottle is a torn piece of vintage sheet music. Notice the detail of the cork? It's been dipped in red and fuchsia beeswax to seal the message.

 

Reader Challenge submissions

Susan and Linda are gallivanting about Durfort, France this week along with a dozen students. They're staying at Gwen Gibson's lovely home, making art jewelry, honing their techniques and having an adventure of a lifetime. I'm so jealous! However, there's work to be done here so I'm forging ahead.  

We have some lovely submissions to our first Reader Challenge. There's still a week or so left to enter Get Closure: Show Us Your Clasps. Email a detailed photo that shows either your handmade closure or how you used one of our objects and elements™ clasps to ObjectsandElements@yahoo.com and I'll put it on our blog.

Sharon Borsavage, the owner of Livewire Jewelry and an avid student of our very own Design Team Member Deryn Mentock. Take a look at her closure:

This piece is called Prayer Flag. Sharon used our Recycled Silk Sari to create a bracelet and felt it needed a primitive closure. She torched, twisted and hammered sterling wire to make her handmade clasp.

Jewelry designer Erin Prais-Hintz also submitted an entry. Owner of the Tesori Trovati Jewelry Collection, Erin began with a Japanese coin, heated it with a torch, dapped it into a dome shape and used ICE Resin™ and fine glitter in the cup bezel to create a drusy-inspired element. Making a loop at the top, she added dangles using pearls, watch parts, beads, and brass heishi. She finished her clasp with a simple hammered loop of galvanized steel wire.

Artist Nicole Merkens sent in a photo of one of her mixed media, found object necklaces. She used objects and elements™ Small Clasp Bezel Cup that she filled with tiny beads set into a small puddle of ICE Resin as her closure.

We like Nicole's use of the technique, as ICE has great results in jewelry as a permanent "glue" for embedded objects and also as a thin finishing or "sealer" coat.

Karen Burns of Vintage Findings emailed us her handmade bent wire closure made from sterling silver wire. She used her closure as a design element, along with her soldered charm and ruler pieces, pen nibs, and objects and elements™ jacks and light bulb bezel cap.

Remember, dear readers, that you, too, can participate in our monthly challenges. Not only can you possibly win some fun goodies from the store, but you can share your creative inspiration with others. To learn more, read our rules.

 

Deryn Mentock Entwines Faith, Fragility into her Art

When we first saw Deryn's work, we were "wowed" by her artistic inventiveness and storytelling abilities. We knew she'd be a perfect fit for our first-ever objects and elements™ Design Team. You've probably seen her art, or her informative blog, but we hope you enjoy learning more about this talented artist.

Q: How long have you been making art? 
 
A: All my life, really.  I've always loved making things.  My mom is very creative and my dad is a craftsman so creating was always encouraged.
 
Q: What's your first memory of having a creative "right brain" mind. 
 
A: I'm not sure what my earliest memory would be but, when I was little, I was in Blue Birds and Camp Fire girls.  We did a lot of crafty projects and I remember making rings from colored telephone wire.  We were always making some lovely thing like necklaces from tree bark and pasta. 

Q: Of all the art mediums to specialize in, why jewelry?

A: I've always had an affinity for jewelry. My grandmother loved to wear costume jewelry and one of my favorite things was poking through her jewelry box. As a kid, I had a few pieces of my own jewelry. The first day of kindergarten I wore a sweet little heart necklace...blue and clear rhinestones. I still have it to this day! Jewelry making just seems to bring everything together for me; color, composition, texture and technique.

To read more about Deryn, click here. 

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By listening and paying attention to the things around her, Deryn finds constant inspiration for her work. Her first piece for objects and elements™ came from hearing a news story about a flash flood that, sadly, took the lives of five small children. The news announcer began his report by speaking about the "the girl who washed away." Deryn was so moved by the image she went to her studio and created a heartfelt prayer piece. 

"I thought the sari silk looked like prayer flags," says Deryn.

The project came together quickly, and she aptly named her one-of-a-kind piece Prayers for the Girl Who Washed Away.  

In addition to found objects from her own collection, Deryn used Recycled Silk Sari Ribbon, African Heishi 16' Strand, Bronze Etched Jump Rings, Raw Brass Chain, Light Bulb Bezel, and Bronze Bullet Shape.

Notice how beautifully she mixes her metals. Bronze, brass, sterling silver, heishi beads, rhinestones, sea glass and fibers are artistically combined. It reminds us of the flotsam and jetsam running through a riverbed that's been tumbled by Mother Nature herself for decades.

 

 

Kristen Robinson: "Forever" seeking simple beauty

Next up on our Design Team profiles is the talented and terrific Kristen Robinson. We love her creative, romantic style and hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as we have!

Q: How long have you been making art?

A: Really my whole life.
 
Q: What's your first memory of having a creative "right brain" mind.

A: I remember creating a potholder in preschool for my mother; I was so wrapped up in the process that I missed recess.

Q: Of all the art mediums to specialize in, why jewelry?

A: I find creating jewelry to be very relaxing, the process allows me to completely fall into the moment. Of course I am also deeply fond of creating one of a kind pieces that will have a history of their own.

To read more about Kristen and her work, click here.

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"Lovely", is the first word that came to mind when we saw Kristen's Forever bracelet for her design team submission. Pearls, rubies and crystals = a sweet, romantic sentiment. We can see this worn on the delicate wrist of a proper Victorian lady... right out of a Jane Austen novel!

"The inspiration for the bracelet came from my husband. Each piece of jewelry he's given me through the years has an engraved "forever" on it," she says. "I adore the idea of an undying love that burns forever."

She hand-dyed silk ribbon a deep scarlet red because it "emits a passion and a romance like no other color." Kristen also used the 2.5" Rectangle Bronze Bezel, our signature ICE™ Resin, Raw Etched Brass Chain, and beads from her own stash.

Notice how she created a harmonizing color palette of bronze, scarlet and shades of white? The design conveys elegance and grace.

Let's get going! Reader Challenge

Everyone needs a little closure now and then. If you make jewelry, you most likely spend a lot of time thinking about closures, clasps and catches. After working so hard to create the perfect pendant, you want to finish with the same care.

We began reproducing and selling our unique clasps on the website because so many of Susan's students fell in love with her beautiful closures, but didn't have the time or inclination to make the bezels themselves. And, seriously, why reinvent the wheel when you don't have to, right?

Our first Reader Challenge is Get Closure: Show Us Your Clasps.

Here's how to participate. You can make your own closure (as Design Team Member Deryn Mentock did in her gorgeous necklace, featured in the photo above) OR show us how you've creatively used an objects and elements closure (as Design Team Member Kristen Robinson did with her bracelet in the photo to the left).

Please email a web-optimized detail picture of your work to us at ObjectsandElements@yahoo.com. Include a little bit about your closure and be sure to include any links to your website or blog.

Since this is our first ever challenge, let's give it a deadline of July 1st to email your pics. Voting will immediately follow.

Important note: By sending photographs of your work, you agree that we can publish the image on our website/blog and understand there is no monetary compensation to you.

We will ask our blog readers to vote for their favorite. The winner will receive an object and elements closure, along with some goodies from the store.

Barbe Saint John: Saint or Sinner?

The second question and answer profile in our Meet the Design Team series. This week: the very cool and creative art chick, Barbe Saint John.

Q: How long have you been making art?  

A: My mother was an artist, so creativity was encouraged from a young age. I remember making Barbie Dresses at 4 years old and learning to crochet at 5.  I did not call myself an artist though until about 10 years ago, 

Q: What's your first memory of having a creative "right brain" mind. 

A: When I was about 5 and my brother was two years old, we had a grand time creating a "mural' on the bedroom wall with crayons. My parents didn't appreciate our rainbow colored abstract wall painting. (lol)

Q: Of all the art mediums to specialize in, why jewelry?

A: It's a passion I inherited from my Grandmother. She loved accessorizing and always wore a full pareure, plus rings and bangles.  Even at the end of her life she insisted on having a box of jewelry in the hospital, dressing up her drab hospital gown with rhinestone pins. 

To read more about Barbe and her jewelry click here.

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Barbe created a gorgeous necklace for her first monthly design team submission. Intrigued by Objects and Elements Ancient Roman Glass beads, Barbe used the luminescent glass as the basis for a story necklace paying tribute to the people and art of Pompeii.

"I had recently watched a T.V. documentary called "Pompeii: The Last Day" and how the tragic event of the volcano preserved and maintained the most significant art treasures of the ancient world; the fresco's," she explains. "Pompeii Interno" means Pompeii Perished. I was inspired to make my version of an ancient artifact."

Barbe also used the Half Round Frame Bezel and ICE Resin, along with sterling wire and beads from her own collection.

We love her irregularly-shaped handcrafted frame bezel. The well-executed design allows the graceful Roman fresco image to visually take center stage.