how excited am I?

VERY! why do you ask? Because an experiment I began the other night with a metal base choker from Susan Lenart Kazmer's new line of components,  Industrial Chic, is now this.

It had been a very long time since I just sat down and played around with my jewelry without a real purpose in mind and I couldn't be happier with this talisman piece. Every little component in it was either something I'd been holding onto forever waiting for the right project (the antique key that came from a tin of buttons from my great grandmother's house specifically,) was thrifted, came from something broken (a clothespin spring!) was a component from a prototype that didn't quite work, and of course there are some of my poppies in there. Also included is a small bit of my handspun yarn and a gorgeous golden silk cocoon coming out of one of my hand formed copper cones.

This piece just gave me so much freedom to play! I've been going through cycles lately ranging from stuck and don't wanna work on my small production lines to working like mad on them, neither of which has been a very healthy working state (as in fingers nearly bleeding because I try to do too much.) While I love my work, I needed that spontaneity back and once again Susan came to my rescue. I absolutely adore her work and the way she presents it.  When I first saw her book, Making Connections, it was a major reason I was able to get back into metalworking without having all the equipment I'd left back at school. She is just such an inspiration.  My students must get so tired of me talking about how fabulous this book is... of course I think nearly all of them end up buying it if they don't own it already because they fall in love too.

I actually didn't know that Susan was coming out with this line of components (you can get em' exclusively at Michael's) until I read it on the Objects and Elements blog the other day. It is such a unique line and offers so much, even to someone who would rather do the metalsmithing for themselves like me. The little lockets and frames are especially cool with their clever mechanics and tiny catches, and I think we've already established I'm a fan of the chokers. More of these pieces are coming for sure.... I think they will be just the thing to showcase some funky yarn and fiber components.

Stay tuned for some sneaky peeks of my coffee shop exhibit that goes up next week. :D