I am pretty excited to share that I have just had my first jewellery ‘how-to’ article published on Craft Found.com.
Yesterday, I made a matching necklace and earrings. I took time to photograph each step (as much as I could with one hand) and this morning I put together a how to on the article platform.
I am pretty excited to show you my latest beaded necklaces and to share with you that I now have the butane gas ready to go to begin my precious metal clay journey of creativity. I can hardly contain my excitement of where this journey is going to take me.
Here are some images of my newest beaded necklaces – I hope to be displaying my first silver clay pieces as I learn to incorporate my art into jewellery. I aim to make unique one-off pieces, so I think it is going be quite exciting!
Malacite necklace from behind showing you the sterling silver, antique curl clasp that I had sent over from the USA to incorporate into this design.
And here is my onyx and quartz crystal beaded necklace with figure 8 clasp. I love this necklace as I have had the red ceramic beads for quite some time, waiting for just the right semi-precious beads to come along. And now they have a place in the world!
Onyx and Quartz Crystals with Red Ceramic beads Created: 30/3/2014 Artist: Selina Shapland
And here is the back of the necklace.
At the back you can see the figure 8 clasp, seed beading work and some swarovski crystals to set it off.
I will be posting a blog shortly about a fabulous local Artist, Karryn Lesley whom I had the pleasure of interviewing last Wednesday evening. I have recorded our conversation and will be creating podcast to share with you all. She is a magnificent artist and has just started up her own studio where she sells her artwork to people for affordable prices and they are being purchased before she has finished creating them on the easel.
So make sure you catch my next blog. I will be cutting the audio this weekend and hope to have it live with images of Karryn’s work up here next week. It is extremely exciting for me to share this with you.
I am so happy to say that my these pieces are now for sale through Little Bear Brown Store, located at the Redcliffe Arcade in Queensland.
Mixed Cherry Quartz, Quartz, Rose Quartz, Fresh Water Pearls and Press Metal necklace Created: 8/3/2014 Artist: Selina Shapland
It feels amazing to have items that I have made in a shop for sale. I am very grateful.
I loved making the necklace and these earrings, especially as I am beginning to use more sterling silver in my jewellery. I am so keen to learn precious metal clay and begin to create my own unique one-off pieces. That’s my goal this year… to begin a new creative phase into precious metal clay and get my jewellery art out into the world where it is wearable.
I am in the process of moving house, so all my jewellery and art tools have been packed away and I cannot begin to express how hard it is not to run into the shed and rip them all back out of boxes just so I can spend time playing and creating. I am now practicing the fine art of delayed art gratification!
When I get into my new home and have everything unpacked, I will be sending away to the USA to get my first lot of precious metal clay and a butane gas burner to commence my new creative phase.
I know that when I start something new in art and creativity, I usually make mistakes and muff things up, but then, one-day, as if by magic, things just fall into place.
When I was in my early 20’s I used to yearn to be an artist but I didn’t know how to start or what to do. I worked full-time and getting to art classes during the day was impossible but also terrifying… because I knew I couldn’t draw.
So, one day, I was with a good friend of mine and his brother was a practicing artist — I finally got up the courage to ask, ‘how do I become an artist?’
He looked at me for a moment considering my question and said, ‘just draw. Just put pencil to paper and draw and draw and draw.’
At the time I didn’t think that was such great insight or advice, but now, years later, I can certainly say that he was 100% correct. To learn something, you really do need to just do it and do it and do it, no matter how many mistakes or errors, they are all opportunities to learn, grow and improve.
This is the philosophy I will take into my next creative phase of making precious metal clay jewellery. I will start out allowing myself to create crappy pieces and one-day they will just create themselves into beautiful expressions of my inner world. That’s another thing that I love about art and jewellery… it is very reflective of who I am at the time of creating the pieces. I can see where I was emotionally when I look at my artwork and jewellery.
The other night, I was reflecting on the amount of actual training I have had in beading… and I was surprised to learn that I have only ever attended one three hour class where I made a necklace and one pair of earrings. Since that time, I have been complete self-taught and I am proud of that. I have fiddled and played around with beads and made mistakes, got frustrated and been victorious with my jewellery projects.
I’ve been making beaded jewellery for about three years now and people seem to like most of the items. I guess my creative heart is yearning again… yearning for more of ‘me’ to come out in my jewellery and that is why I will pursue my love of precious metal clay and create a reality out of my dreams.
Home Decor – Gifts – Jewellery Boutique Little Bear Brown
Recently, as I was sitting at my favourite coffee shop, Nerosso Cafe, down at the Redcliffe Jetty on the Peninsula where I live, I happened to see a sign that truly took my attention. It was an image of a brown bear walking through the fields and the logo said ‘Little Bear Brown’. I was intrigued. There was something… special about that sign and I knew I had to go check out what it was about.
So, after coffee was done, my best friend and I went down to have a look and we found an exciting new boutique shop that retails home decor, gifts and jewellery. While browsing, I got talking to the owner, Georgie, who is the loveliest person, about my art and selling items that are one-off. It was a great chat and I also purchased a laser cut owl necklace/pendant before leaving that day. I get lots of compliments about this jewellery too.
Anyway, Georgie was making little pompoms for her shop display as we were chatting and I love that, as I love any form of creative expression and all the better when it is for something that represents your own unique-ness in the world.
Little Bear Brown Owner, Georgie
As a result of this chat, I am proud to say that I have some beaded jewellery items selling through Little Bear Brown! Thank you Georgie for supporting a local artist. I am very grateful.
Apart from the small amount of items I have added to her shop collection, Little Bear Brown has candles, wallets, bags, hand-made items by Georgie, stunning laser cut jewellery from Polli (which I just had to buy and love wearing) and so much more. There are very cool lamps available too – lambs, ducks, bunnies and there is even a very cool skull!
Little Bear Brown has only been open for four weeks and it is great to see many people going into this specialist boutique gift store and appreciating the items for sale. It’s even more exciting to hear their positive comments as they have a closer look at the unique items available. The energy of the shop is very warm and inviting and if you need something special for a gift (even if that gift is for yourself – all gift giving is valid in my world!), make sure you get down to Little Bear Brown. All the products are fabulous and excellent quality.
Here are some images of what you can discover when you step into Little Bear Brown…
Little Bear Brown Shop – Shapland Art Jewellery DisplayedLittle Bear Brown Wood beads and jewellery displayLittle Bear Brown Wallets and Bag displayLittle Bear Brown – Awesome Owl Art by Ella Mobbs
When I asked Georgie, how she got the name Little Bear Brown, she told me that they named it after their pet bull-dog, little Bear. How cool is that!
I wanted to know where Georgie got the idea to set up such a great store? So, of course, I asked her.
Georgie said, “I wasn’t able to find the kinds of unique gifts that I wanted here on the Peninsula. I would have to travel to go to shops that have these types of products. Off the Peninsula or Interstate. So, seeing a gap in the market, I decided to open my own boutique gift store that filled this need.”
I admire Georgie for stepping out and creating something that she wanted. It is inspirational to meet more people in the world who are not only chasing after their dreams but making them into a tangible reality.
Thank you Georgie for allowing me to write about Little Bear Brown. I thoroughly recommend your shop and I wish you great and profitable abundance.
Little Bear Brown Store is exactly the type of business that I love to support because they are following their heart and obviously they love their own little Bear.
So if you want to know more about Little Bear Brown Store make sure you go to their Facebook page and ‘LIKE’ them and if you can visit in person, go check out the store at Jetty Arcade, 139 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe QLD.
Recently, I have discovered a new creative passion and I am very much looking forward to investing some time into exploring Precious Metal Clay Jewellery making.
As I was flicking through a jewellery magazine, as I am want to do from time to time, I came across an ad for an online Jewellery Making self-paced subscribe course. It’s called ‘At the Bench’ and they take you step by step through the experience of making jewellery from precious metal clays, resin and glass.
Of course, I joined up pronto as I have had a hidden passion and desire to create my own precious metal clay pieces of jewellery art and fully intend to jump into this wonderful new creative expression. So, I will be saving up some spare cash to invest in the basics and get going with my own projects, which, of course, I will share with you here.
Here is a video from At The Bench.
This is an awesome resource for learning new creative skills and you might enjoy some creative play too!
Watch this space for some exciting new Selina’s World Creativity that will be coming your way.
I have mentioned my addiction to creating beaded jewellery yet? Well… I am addicted. I love it and I hate it all at the same time because it’s fiddly and sometimes things just fling out of my hands as I am trying desperately to twist wire around the tiniest little bit wire space. Argh!
However, I do love it more than I hate it. I don’t actually hate it, it’s more that I think my eyesight might be a little worse for wear and I have a lot more difficulty seeing the tiny beads than I used to. Oh my gosh, I am so showing my age now! 😉
Anyway, I have just discovered a love of pearls. Fresh Water Pearls. Swarovski Pearls. Glass Pearls. Shell Pearls. Did I mention I love PEARLS?
Obsession much!
Here are some photos of my first little adventure into the world of simple pearl earrings.
Fresh Water Pearls – White with Gold toned hooks Created: 17/12/2013 Artist: Selina Shapland
And here are my first pair of big ass pearl earrings. They are 1cm in diameter and I think they’re fabulous darhlink!
Large White Pearl earrings with Silver hooks Created: 17/12/2013 Artist: Selina Shapland
And below is a photo of the earrings with my ruler so you know I’m on the level with the diameter! 😉
So, why my obsession with pearls all of a sudden?
I think it is because they are so representational of how I am inside myself. I sometimes feel like I have a bit of grit inside myself, as thought I am the oyster and the grit is some emotional upheaval that I have experienced and am trying to assimilate into my human life experience. That grit just keeps on irritating me until I form a calcium barrier around it. Eventually the grit stops irritating me and I begin to see whatever has been bothering me as an opportunity to learn, grow and experience something I may not have wanted to face but have needed to. Pearls are beautiful representations of an internal transition from many raw and painful experiences that are magically transformed into a beautiful pearl to protect the soft flesh of the oyster (that’s me).
I don’t know if that makes sense to you, but it certainly makes sense to me.
I spent the weekend creating jewellery. A triple row glass beaded necklace with gold toned findings and a gold toned chain. I fell in love with these crackle two toned beads. They look like the ocean on a beautiful sunny day.
The necklace can be expanded if required as I put a lobster clasp on the back. It is a truly stunning piece of jewellery. At least, I think so!
The above photo shows what the necklace looks like from above, looking down.
This is an image of the clasp and chain at the back of the necklace.
Here are some matching earrings that I made with gold toned earring hooks and plastic backings.
Last week I put up a couple of my handmade beaded earrings for sale on the local classifieds at work and I am happy to say that I got commissioned for two necklaces and two sets of earrings. Woot!
That’s such a good feeling. To know that people appreciate my creative expression.
Below are a mixture of the commissioned pieces and others I am selling for you to check out.
Red Sassy – Glass beaded necklace with gold toned metal toggle clasp Created: 21/7/2013Orange Beaded Necklace – glass, resin, ceramic and carnelian beads with Silver toned metal toggle clasp Created: 21/7/2013Orange Beaded Necklace – glass, resin, ceramic and carnelian beads with Silver toned metal toggle clasp Created: 21/7/2013
All earrings created by me on 21/7/2013 using various beads including glass, resin, crystal, swarvoski, malachite and pressed items. The findings are nickel free silver and gold tone metal with plastic ear backings.
Red Glass beads – Sold 2014
Red Glass & Clear Quartz – Sold 2014
Red Glass beads – Sold 2014
Red Glass & Clear Quartz – Sold 2014
Acrylic Purple leaves with Green Flowers – Sold 2014
