So Embarrassed...

What year is it? 

I can't believe I haven't posted since last year. And, shifting focus...how about that Ring a Week project. In my defense I finished 52 of 52 rings for 2011, and on time! However, not all 52 rings made it to the blog. The project really took more out of me than I could have anticipated & ate huge chunks of limited time available for creating. But I wouldn't trade one second of the experience. I learned a ton & many new jewelry pieces were born out of those ring. It was a mini springboard for new ideas. And the Ring a Week participants were so lovely & supportive. Please feel free to jump over to Flikr to see the last several stragglers. 

Mel's Art Buffet

Here are a few of my favs from the last batch

Ok, well see y'all next year! Just kidding! Hey can you guess what my new year resolution was...to blog more. At least we are still in the 1st quarter of the new year, right?

 

 

Ring a Week

43/52

Bottle Cap, Sand, Top Coat, Polymer Clay

I think I might have a few more weeks of bottle caps in me. Actually, not to many weeks left, I can't believe it! Off to grab a hammer :)

Ring a Week

42/52

Painted Bottle Cap, Polymer Clay, Top Coat

I think this will be called the graffiti series. I have hopes a bracelet will follow :) And, it looks like next week might be a bottle cap week as well...These are so much fun to make :)

Ring a Week

41/52

Bottle Cap, Polymer Clay, Thread

I have hoarded bottle caps since I was a youngster, so I'm always super excited to find a new design to use them. I want to make a long necklace & use these caps like dog tags. I'm in the middle of doing a battery of test, experimenting with materials & finishes. I'm wishing myself much luck :)

RAW52

38/52

Shrink Plastic

On the road to Halloween with a spider web ring. This is the 1st time I have made a "seasonal" piece of jewelry. I don't think it's over the top cheesy so I'm ok with it. In fact, I have several things in store for these little webs!



RAW52

37/52

Polymer Clay

I think this would look good on a male hand? This is definitely the widest I've made. I love me some chunky :)



Ring a Week

36/52



Shrink Plastic, Polymer Clay

I love to doodle & it's great to finally have something to do with a random group of shapes. It is so much fun to see them come to life, to take a 3D form. What would a girl do without shrink plastic?





Ring a Week

35/52

Shrink Plastic, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Top Coat

This is almost a tad bit cartoony for me but I love that the middle looks like molten lava or salmon caviar...



Ring a Week

34/52

Polymer Clay, Wax Paper with Paint

These two polymer bowls have been sitting on my desk forever! And not once in all the days we have spent together did I think to try this positioning, one inside the other. I knew it was meant to be once they cradled each other. So sweet! Something special needed to be featured in the middle of this fated polymer pair. I just love how the wax paper turned out. I need to expand upon this idea to make it practical. Meaning, I need to make this wearable to the elements. I think it is worth the investigation.

Ring a Week

33/52

Polymer Clay, Bell Pepper Seeds

Once I finished this ring, it immediately reminded me of a picture frame I made a brief lifetime ago. I took a dollar store frame & covered the sides with lentils. One hot glue dollop & lentil at a time. It was so beautiful & elaborate with its muted green palette. Almost as lovely as the picture inside of me & my then boyfriend. He won the frame in the breakup.

This ring was just as fun to make. I love & find comfort in meticulously tedious placement. I had a big baggie of seeds because it was my goal to grow bell peppers this summer. But from the looks of things, there will be no peppers. At the least there are several lovely sprouts of green. But I would like it to be noted that it took me all summer not to grow these peppers. That is my dog Cash posing with the ghost bell peppers. FYI, he is not spoiled. And just to keep things fair, I have included a picture of Marley.

Ring a Week

32/52

Shrink Plastic, Polymer Clay

I forgot how hard it is to take pics of shrink plastic. It flirts with the light at every angle. And, I forgot the pics of shrink plastic show every mistake & imperfection. What I'm trying to say is frownie face for this week's ring...

Ring a Week

31/52

Plastic Lacing, Straight Pin, Wine Cork, Polymer Clay

I wish I could say I was about to put on my favorite pair of skin tight pleather pants & pop on this cocktail ring for a night out on the town...but I don't own a pair & I've never worn a cocktail ring. But I do love this naughty & nice ring. Nice from the top with your finger wrapped in a bow & naughty from the side, bold & daring. Super fun to make!

Ring a Week

30/53

Polymer Clay, Thread

I made this ring for Wilma Flinstone. I thought a splash of color might be a fun touch to her forever white dress & pearls. Not that Wilma needs help with her chic style, but this way she can match when standing next to Betty :)

Ring a Week

29/52

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Polymer Clay, Steel Washer, Coated Wire

I have so many unused washers that need a purpose in life. We'll have to see what I can do about that. But it will be a long road ahead using one at a time....

Ring a Week

28/52

Polymer Clay

Now looking, this reminds me of a button my mom used to have. It was brown & had a leather look to it, I loved that button. Wow, that was pulled from the back corner of my mind. I love it when that happens.

Ring a Week

27/52

Polymer Clay, Thread

I'm running out of ideas & we have a looongg way to go.....I need to hit my refresh for sure :)

Ring a Week

26/52

 

Ok, just one more tribute to the staple. Watch out paperclips, I'm coming for you!  Week 26, halfway to 2012 - that is so scary but congrats to RAW designers for making it this far!

Ring a Week

25/52

Polymer Clay, Staples

I'm jonesing to learn how to work with metal.... I resorted to using common office supplies.

Ring a Week

24/52

Polymer Clay

I was hoping this would have more of a stained glass / inlay feel.... the back side looks maybe like an undersea spongy creature & the top looks like an ancient relic. Now thinking, it would have been cool to make the band detachable so you could decide which side to wear (note to self)... :) Maybe burry a tiny magnet in the center of the ring & burry one in the center of the band. How cool, & then you could flip sides.

Ring a Week

23/52

Polymer Clay, Thread

A thread constellatioin