"And Then She Flew," A Necklace for the IAF Auction

[talkstowolves]

The call went out a month ago: your jewelry, it cried! Bring us your jewelry in support of the Interstitial Arts Foundation! At the time, I was just beginning the expensive fabulous addiction hobby of jewelry-making. This siren call then just dragged me into deep waters, with only a ship of silver wire and hidden caves of beads for my comfort.

I like to think I didn't embarrass myself on my maiden voyage.

The IAF auction called for us to interpret any of the stories in Interfictions: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing through the lens of precious metal and stone. Choosing wasn't difficult for me, for all that there were many fine stories and engendered ideas. Still, it was a piece inspired by K. Tempest Bradford's "Black Feather" that immediately asked to be given form.



"And Then She Flew"
a piece inspired by
K. Tempest Bradford's
"Black Feather"
from
Interfictions: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing

K. Tempest Bradford's "Black Feather" is inarguably interstitial: is it a re-imagined fairy tale? A dream story? Magical realism? I can't say for sure. Yet it is most certainly a tale of the Wood, for all that therein the Wood exists only in dreams and one small wooded park in an obscure corner of Manhattan. In this wood is a hill and, at the top of this hill, is a cave. The Wood, the hill, the cave, the sky: compelling elemental presences evoking the Hanged Man, the lost girl, the ravens, and what redemption we can find. These were the threads that asked to be woven in wood and glass, semi-precious stone and gleaming metal. Using fancy jasper, Australian jasper, jet glass, wooden beads, sterling silver, and one wooden feather, I like to believe that I gave Tempest's story another method of flight.

You can see other views of it in the gallery.

Please, if you've a mind, let me know what you think! I crave feedback.

Check out what other lovely work will be featured in the auction as well:
copperwise's three pieces are based on "Timothy" by Colin Greenland, "A Dirge for Prester John" by Catherynne M. Valente, and the Interfictions anthology over all.
elisem's piece is based on "Willow Pattern" by Jon Singer.
d_aulnoy's piece is based on "Rats" by Veronica Schanoes.
upstart_crow's first two pieces are based on "A Dirge for Prester John" by Catherynne M. Valente (and she's finishing one up based on Bradford's "Black Feather" as well).
ebess' piece was inspired by K. Tempest Bradford's "Black Feather" as well, and-- wow!

These awesome pieces of jewelry will start going up for auction at the IAF Auctions site today!

Comments

[penmage.livejournal.com]

That necklace is beautiful. Sometimes something about a piece of jewelry speaks to me as soon as I see it. When I scrolled down and saw the picture of this, it took my breath away. I keep glancing back to see if it was just a first impression--and no, it's still that good.

[talkstowolves.livejournal.com]

Navah, thank you! I am delighted at this praise. :)

[penmage.livejournal.com]

What are the measurements of this piece? How big is the feather? And when is it going to be auctioned?

[talkstowolves.livejournal.com]

I'll have to get back to you on the actual measurements, but here is a photograph (http://pics.livejournal.com/earthwalked/pic/0000bsse) of me modeling it, if that helps.

I'm not sure when it's going to go live, but I check the auctions everyday-- I'll post as soon as it does!

[talkstowolves.livejournal.com]

From end to end, the necklace is approximately 20 inches (10 inches from pendant to clasp on both sides). The feather is approximately 2 inches in length.

And a little birdie gave me the heads up that my necklace would hit the auction block tomorrow.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Stunning!

[talkstowolves.livejournal.com]

Thanks, 'song!

[ebess.livejournal.com]

Hey there! That is GREAT! I also did one for "Black Feather" (which I'm mailing to the Riverside Drive lassies tomorrow):

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethgenco/2472199275/)

Where did you get the lovely feather bead?

[talkstowolves.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Your piece is stunning, as I commented on your journal. :) I'd love to hear more detail on how you constructed it...

It's funny, actually. I bought these lovely bone feathers from FireMountain Gems that I was intending to incorporate because I really wanted some bone imagery... but it just didn't work. I was almost despairing when I stumbled upon that lovely feather bead in a Hobby Lobby, of all places. Lucky!