Bird Land...

Perhaps I'm being influenced by the fact that we have bird's nests in several areas on the outside of our house.  Mrs. Robin has built a nest above our screen door to the deck and her babies have fledged.  Mrs. Phoebe has two chicks in her nest on top of a support beam for our screened porch.  The bluebird box in our prairie is filled with the second brood of the season.  Is it any wonder, my present work is for the birds!  My post on June 14 featured a pendant which I considered a springboard for more pendants with the same idea - namely using a small egg as the focal point.  This is the second rendition on the theme.  The tiny egg and bird are made of polymer clay.  I've wrapped the egg with strips of hammered sterling sheet anchored with brass micro fasteners.  Bronze wire was used to suspend the bird and egg from a fine silver cast twig which I embellished with a pearl and sterling silver leaf at one end and a bezeled garnet cabochon at the opposite end.  The finishing touch is the sterling bail which runs through a bone bead captured in a sterling silver nest which attaches to the twig.  I'm so pleased with the simplicity, weight, and movement of this mixed media piece.   I've titled it "Handle with Care".