Make Something Beautiful - Day 48

It's done--12,000 jump rings, 6,000 scales, 10 leather straps and countless hours of work. Yes, I put the finishing touches on my scale mail jacket today. I feel a mix of relief at having finished something that consumed a good portion of my life and the sense of loss of no longer having that project take over my life. There's always the Tiamat dress...



Chainmaille armor
Chainmaille jewelry

Make Something Beautiful - Day 29

It was a freakishly warm day today. I love the weather, but I really miss Spring and Fall as seasons. One week of 60-degree weather does not a season make.

In any case, since I'm gearing up for a show on Sunday, I thought I make some more Dragon Tail Earrings.

Also, I added a couple hundred stars to the Tiamat dress, truly my most epic project.

I may also be working on a new project. Maybe the eye will tell you something.

Facere pulchrum!

Vanessa Walilko
Chainmaille jewelry, chainmaille clothing, bead embroidery, and beaded art

Make Something Beautiful - Day 18; and a blog about SNAG

I'm finally back in business. I started to come down with a stress-related cold some time last Monday and, in a desperate attempt to will myself healthy for the SNAG conference in Houston, I spent two days in bed, drinking fluids and overloading on vitamins. I managed to make it to Houston with a little cough, but otherwise asymptomatic. (No chills and no fever = joy and rapture.)

There are no real words for how incredible the SNAG conference was. Even if I didn't have pieces in the shows, it would have been worth the trip. To be in a room with that many serious artists/artisans was divine. Being around other artists is one of the most incredible experiences, and gave me the sense of, "Hey, this is what's been missing from my life." And everyone was so nice. Really, where else can you find out that Andy Cooperman is not only insanely talented, but also a really awesome person? Where, I ask you?!

Of course, the biggest thrill was seeing my pieces go down the runway in the eXtreme Exhibition in Motion show. (Click for the short video of all the pieces.) In fact, I was initially only supposed to have two pieces in the show, the Dragon Lady beaded armor, and my chainmaille shrug, however, because one of the designers wasn't able to make the show, the Egyptian collar I was wearing was given to another model to wear. It was a Cinderella moment.

My beaded talons were also featured as a part of the eXtremities: Exploring the Margins of the Human Body exhibit. I really loved this show. Many of the pieces captured this longing to overcome the limits of the human body. While I always wanted claws, someone else wanted to be a unicorn, and a lobster. I guess we're all looking for something a little more magical.

I'll wrap up this post about SNAG by giving a big thanks to Andy Cooperman, David Gooding, Barbara Kile, Angela Gleason, and
Suzanne Ramljak, all of whom I was able to meet, and all of whom made my conference experience that much better.

Oh, before I forget, I made something today, too: a choker from my new "Bubble Series."

Vanessa Walilko
Kali Butterfly - Chainmaille armor, beaded armor, and art jewelry

Make Something Beautiful - Day 2

I'm happy to say that I finished this vest today. To be honest, considering how busy I was, I just added the button on today, most of the sewing was done during the week. You can't see it in the photo, but the vest has tails. Who doesn't want to wear clothing with tails all the time? That's what I want to know.

Random piece of information for the day: if you want something and pursue it with single-minded devotion, it'll be yours. Honestly, it never fails. I keep forgetting this, but thankfully I always accidentally remind myself.

Facere pulchrum.

Vanessa Walilko
Eclectic chainmaille scales jewelry, fashion, and art