I make Jewelry too! My necklace for an artbeads.com contest

I guess it is a not-so-hidden-secret that I also make jewelry and typically I keep it off of this blog but...

I am really proud of this one. :) 

Artbeads.com (which I have frequented for about 7 or 8 years now) had a contest on their blog to win some beads they had gotten at the big Tucson bead show. Think of this bead show as the ComicCon of bead shows, haha. Anyhow, to win a $50 gift certificate, I have to submit my necklace into a contest and receive the most "Likes" on Facebook or shares on Pinterest. 

I think I will call it 

That Time in Old New Mexico

I lived in New Mexico for a year and found the desert inspiring and also sobering. 

I wanted to pay homage to not just the surface level or obvious imagery of the southwest but the every day and even hidden things that are taken for granted. The history of the southwest is also incredibly vivid and epic so I wanted to incorporate an historic photograph in this design.

My image is of a soldadera; she just kinda spoke to me. Women have the most interesting histories the world around, particularly in male-dominated cultures. Seeing photos of women holding guns and wearing bandoleros, standing straight and looking right at the camera---gives one chills! 

Things I used to make this necklace are as follows:

Soldadera photo under liquid transfer sculpey

Primo clovis point 2-to-1 link, painted with acrylic and varnished

sculpey Spanish mission style pendant and 3-to-1 link, painted and varnished

Jasper cylinders and roundelles

Small gunmetal freshwater pearls (won from artbeads.com)

White and orange agate faceted rounds (won from artbeads.com)

Large goldenrod ceramic disc beads

Mookaite briolette

Marbled plastic globe (won from artbeads.com)

Metallic plastic ovals (won from artbeads.com)

Black and white clay bead (won from artbeads.com)

Seed beads

Copper wire in different gauges

Braided leather

Does it look like a Clovis point?! I hope so! This is where my archaeologist skills come in handy...

The less literal inspiration:

Setting sun and rising sun, new moon, insect larvae, wildflowers, shotgun pellets, copper, silicates, Mimbres pottery, churches, adobe, rosaries, snakes, Clovis points and Blackwater Draw (I'm an archaeologist!)

Closed slip knot toggle

Opened slip knot toggle

I wanted a unique toggle, as well. I was thinking of bolo ties and whips, all sorts of cattle and horse related paraphenlia...then I came up with this toggle: a braided leather slip knot. I didn't want it to be morbid (like if it were made of twine  and wrapped around the end) and I wanted to use more beads from the prize. It goes on really easy and stays there when it is tightened :D

What do you all think? Would you like to see posts on jewelry sometimes?