Iowa State Fair

Many of my friends enter a piece of jewelry into the Iowa state Fair and some how they talked me into it. being a jewelry artist I have to put my self out there to be judge quite often, but this was different. I am already going through some many change in my head and my art that the thought of making something seemed unfathomable.
My art has gone from gemstone and beads where texture and color were the focus to working with resin and found objects and trying to tell my story... my thought on a piece.
So as I was growing as a person and as an artist I decided to make a piece that physical let me work out some thoughts in my head. To bring into my life the things I had been reaching for.
I was trying to sleep.. as I so often do. I am a night person and can't shut my brain off at night. I would rather set in my yard and list to the other nocturnal animal rather it be the bugs or the partying neighbors. but nature always makes me at least try to sleep. So I lay there in the quite and think and that is when it cam to me.
Keys To My Soul
I believe everyone has many things that make up who they are some are ever changing some are things you wish for some as fixed. I wanted to pick through them and see what was really important to me.
I have three keys.. I can always add keys. my three keys are my art, my soul and my family .
On my art key I drilled 6 holes and used 16 gauge silver to create moving rivets . I used brass heishi beads on both side of the rivet. I drilled a hole and hung a Chrysoprase briollette . For my art key I used an old USPS key because it said " Do not duplicate"
On my soul key I used a key with pretty scrolls on it. I left the key basically unaltered as I believe the soul is something beautiful in itself. I did stamp on the keys the words Compassion , Patience and Be. They are words that have meaning I want to bring into my life. I used oil pastels and patina the words and heat set them. I then drilled a hole and added another chrysoprase briolette. My soul key in the center of the necklace.
My Family key is an old Ford car key. It says "Ford Family of Cars". I have a 1995 ford contour that is my best friend it was there with me when I found happiness and when I had to find my freedom. It was my first car and I have had it since I was 18. I get teary eyed just thinking about her and how I am loosing her to time and rust. she is a member of my family. But back to the point I stamped my kids names on the key and once again used oil pastels and patina the words and heat set them. I then drilled a hole and added another chrysoprase briolette.
I then cut and and filed copper into plaques. I used a center punched and textured them. I used my torch and add color. I then decoupaged quotes that help me through the moments that the universe has plan for me but I want to forget about. I then covered them in in a jewelry lacquer.
Man it is hard to write what I did then to do it.....
I also cut and filed copper and made plaques with my kids birthdays. I Tubed riveted the tops, and the bottoms of two of them. I used liver of sulfur as a patina. I placed my boys on the Yang side and my girls on the Yin side. Even the placing of the charms was important everything is place 4 or 8 loops apart on the chain. 4 kids 8 is my favorite number..
Bezels of Words.
I cut and soldered 2 bezels of sterling then soldered jump rings on the top and bottom. I used a little green paper that closely matched the chrysoprase and then printed the words Compassion and Patience on transparency. I added them to the bezel and then covered them with resin. they have a Whiskey quartz briolette hang from them .
Swirly do dads
I used 18 gauged sterling and twisted it around a mandrel then I solder on a bezel and bezel set a 6mm chrysoprase . I made 4 of these. I also did the same thing 4 more times but instead of soldering on a bezel I drew a bead with my torch.
Clasp
Is a sterling silver bezel with a fish hook clasp. I add a neutral paper and a transparency that said keys to my soul.

woo. I am sure I forgot a lot but I will get a photo and add it so it makes more sense :)