Winter montage, Gold, silver & blue

 

After the last few fervorous months of launching Exquisite Threads, taking out ribbons, choosing which to part with (and which to keep) and photographing the final choices, I realised I hadn't made anything in way too long. So I took out my beads and my boxes of forgotten notions which had been secreted away for a necklace or bracelet project since September. It has felt so good to be creating again, bringing treasures together to make something new and altogether different.  I discovered some antique lace appliques (still sewn onto the original netting) which I've been transforming into earrings combined with antique mother of pearl buttons - I'll share the photographs with you later this week.

In making, I get to rediscover all of my hoarded treasures anew and in the process of taking everything out I felt a montage coming together which I wanted to share with you.

I didn't have a colour scheme in mind but just some of my favourite antique finds, some I've had forever and some new additions.

Without realising it, the blues and metallics came together, echoing the winter landscape of the Luberon. Misty mornings, sun breaking through rain clouds and golden leaves on cherry trees in the valley between Bonnieux and Lacoste.

Real gold and silver woven ribbon fabric, morsels of beautiful scalloped gold metal trim, and my grandfathers handwritten script notes on the weight of the gold, the reference number and dates.

The wonderful antique gold star was lovingly wrapped and sent off to a kindred spirit, ribbon fiend in Derry in Northern Ireland.

This metal plate is an embroidery plate which I found in a textile flea market in Puyvert, I love the script and the name 'Fannelly' had an Irish lilt to it so of course it came home with me.

I know many of my Instagram friends love these metal bullion stars, I have a few which I'm going to be using in my jewellery work for the 2015 collection