Boo!

"Boo!" Halloween Card

Halloween is almost here and Cardallegiance is commemorating the holiday with two new designs! The first one, pictured above, channels old, cracked stone (the kind you'd find in an old mansion or as part of a tombstone, perhaps?). Here's a shot of the inside, too:

"Boo!" card- inside message

The second design, seen below, was inspired by jack-o-lanterns of recent years. Is it a bit cannibalistic? You be the judge. Someone asked me recently if this hungry pumpkin card would work for a child and my response was, "depends on the kid." Little children and the "G Rated" crowd weren't the intended audience for this card. It's more probable, however, that older kids, teens or adults would go for a design like this.

"Hungry Pumpkin" Halloween Card

Pumpkin Card- inside message

Keep it simple and inspire some fright this year by sending one of these fresh designs to someone.

......and have a Spooktacular Halloween!

Lattices and Filigree

Brass "Lattice Pendant"

The filigree earrings I made (pictured above) have been popular recently. Since these earbobs remind me of a "Lattice pendant" crafted some time ago, I thought this would be the perfect time for an entry about lattices and filigree.

There's something charming about the delicate swirls and elegant wirework typically found in filigree. When I first discovered these diamond shaped filigree elements, I thought they called out for some great decoration. Initially, I made an earlier version of the earrings that  incorporated an aqua teardrop. However, the most recent incarnation of the design (seen above) uses a garnet colored tumbled stone.

Much like filigree, pierced designs-- like the "Lattice pendant" pictured above-- can incorporate great decorative elements. I was inspired to create this "Lattice pendant"  because of my attraction to angles and swirls of all types. Thus, what started out as an experiment in geometry culminated in the creation of this elegant rhombus.

How was the "Lattice pendant" made? The physical process involved drilling, piercing, sawing, soldering, and polishing by hand. Perhaps the next series of this type will involve multiple castings.Such mass production would  cut down on time and cost. Then in future collections, you may see more lattices from Cardallegiance with a few slight modifications to vary the design.

Cheers to beauty and all things swirly, delicate, and filigree! Check out the filigree earrings and new selections in the Cardallegiance Etsy shop.