Finland Flower Challenge: Korukopla

Today I'm participating in a jewelry challenge with  lovely Finland jewelry artists! :)  It is an honor to be a part of the jewelry challenge: flowers. Thanks to my BSBP6 partner Margareta Saari for allowing me to join in. I enjoyed the theme of flowers very much. Here in the U.S. it is Sunday lunch time, yet I realize now that Finland is about 7 hours ahead. So, I will post my jewelry pictures quickly and then enjoy the sunny afternoon looking at all the other artists' flower jewelry art! You will find a list of the participants here.

I often create flowers with chain maille weaves, but using all beads was new to me. I wasn't sure what I might create -- daisy chain? French flowers? Japanese 12-2 with beads? In a cool syncronicity, I happened to come across a beautiful blog, "Wild roses and blackberries" and discovered two special flower tutorials -- the "Dagger Flower Tutorial" and the "Dagger Flower Drops Tutorial." The flowers are made with Czech daggers, which feel strong as representations of flowers, bittersweet and defined. I have Czech daggers bought on a whim last year, and now the Dagger Flowers and Flower challenge seem to be destiny. My thanks and praise to the artist and author of the tutorials and blog "wild roses and blackberries."

 Instead of Czech drops, I used faceted moonstone in the Dagger Flowers. For the Dagger Drops, I used opalite sticks. Last night, I decided I had to include the pastel drusy quartz from my dear friend Julez Jewels, and I wire wrapped a beautiful drusy stone using German wire. I choose matte white, periwinkle, and rose gold coated copper wire for the pearls, Swarovski crystal rondelles, blue lace agate, and opalite diamonds and opalite leaves.

The drusy focal can be worn as a component or as a pendant. The spiral at the bottom makes a perfect loop for a dragonfly charm when worn a a pendant. As a component, the drusy brought an element of the ethereal and magical to the flower garden, iridescent and pearlized.

Thank you again for allowing me to create in the Korukopla challenge!

Big Hugs, TJ

Toltec Jewels is an author by day and jewelry artist by night. Her literary work is housed by the San Fransisco MOMA in a permanent collection of mixed media art and is published internationally in popular magazines, literary quarterlies, and university publications. She has won a number of awards for both her literary and jewelry art. A gemstone collector and jewelry lover, she is happiest when making handcrafted jewelry with her entire family.  

She is also the creator of Jewel School Friends, a community of expert and new jewelry artisans taking inspiration from each other, Jewel School, and jewelry art culture. Jewel School Friends features jewelry designers and bead artists, supports entrepreneurship for independent artisans, and hosts community events, challenges, and fundraisers. Join her at Jewel School Friends on Facebook for challenges, fundraisers, contests, free jewelry tutorials, coupons, Jewel School and handcrafted store features, youtube tutorials, networking, give-a-ways and beautiful jewelry!