Cookies Christmas Challenge - WITH PRIZE!!

[AlexandraBuckle]

Great Christmas tree Jane!

[mochiandmocha]

Nice work Jayne! The forest is growing: there will be another tree later today...

[Sunnybank]

Thanks for all the comments, sometimes I'm a bit over awed by the company!

I'm doing an evening class and this term's module was to produce an item to a brief, so I used the competition rules as my brief, quite convenient.

[mochiandmocha]

Our "Christmas Forest" pendant:

The idea comes from a shortstory for children that Mocha and I wrote some time ago so we've decided to post the story along with the piece to give it a background and translate the idea that we had in mind. Don't feel forced to read the story, though, as it is not that good (the original was 11 pages long and we didn't want to hijack the thread! ^_^...but the story lost quite a lot in the process...)


This is the etched background forest (nitric acid on argentium silver)


I pierced the Christmas tree (in fine silver) and soldered it onto the argentium. That was the first piece I had to cut (other than a square or a circle!) so I'm quite happy with the result...
Finally I enamelled the tree and finished the piece (the last few steps you never really mention but that take half of the production time!!)
The holes that were pierced in the tree are supposed to look like silver baubles (with the argentium showing through).

The metal just around the tree has not been polished to the same extent as the rest of the background which gives the tree a kind of snowy look which I like (although unintentional result!)



A couple more photos and detail on our blog
Christmas Forest Pendant - Nezumiz Diaries

And now for the bravest, the story (please don't be too harsh, the original is better, honest!^_^)

Christmas was over. Dad carried the tree outside and left it against the fence. Inside, Peter and Maria were busy playing with their presents when they spotted a shabby figure through the window, coming out of the forest. They recognised him at once: Mr. Sapin, the only person in the village who never seemed to be touched by the joyful season. Every year he remained alone as the rest of the village gathered in bright fire lit houses, spending Christmas Eve with his grumpy self and his old black cat. The elderly man’s gloom was known in the entire village. Today, however, the children were surprised to see he was smiling.
Curious, Peter and Maria went out of the house and watched Mr Sapin as he went around the neighbours’ gardens and reappeared, dragging heavy black plastic bags, before heading slowly back towards his own house at the edge of the forest. As the old man was trying to heave a particularly heavy-looking bag, it suddenly ripped open, and out of it fell a tree. Peter and Maria offered to help.
Mr Sapin paused for a moment, then finally smiled hesitantly at the children. “Are you wondering what I’ve been doing in the forest?”
Peter and Maria nodded. The two children followed Mr Sapin in silence as the old man led the way into the woods. Suddenly, he stopped and whispered proudly: “Here’s my secret place.”
The children gasped in amazement. In front of them was a large clearing planted with hundreds of Christmas trees. They were all beautiful, with baubles and tinsel glittering in the winter sun.
“Merry Christmas,” Mr. Sapin said, smiling.
“They’re the most wonderful Christmas trees I’ve ever seen!” Maria exclaimed.
“Well, you see,” replied Mr. Sapin, I think it’s a shame people leave their tree lying sadly in the street once Christmas is over if there’s still some life in it.” The old man sighed. “Some people think I don’t care for trees because I never buy one for Christmas, but every year I collect the trees in the neighbourhood and I plant them back here, so my secret forest grows bigger every year,” he added happily. “That’s my way of celebrating Christmas.”
And so that year on the 26th of December the villagers discovered Mr. Sapin’s secret. Now it has become a tradition: every year after Christmas, parents bring their trees to Mr. Sapin and the children help the old man with the decorations. Even the local shops only sell trees with roots, so they can be planted back in what is now known as “the Christmas Forest.”

Hope you liked the story!

Mochi (for the pendant) and Mocha (for taking the time to edit the story!)

PS: Do I need to submit the entry elsewhere or is it enough to post the picture here?

[Ominicci]

That's a LOVELY story!! And so are yours and Jayne's trees

[mizgeorge]

(on both counts!)

[MuranoSilver]

Yes that is a lovely story and a great pendant too
Nic x

[lorraineflee]

What they all said!!!

Lorraine

[AlexandraBuckle]

Sweet story and lovely pendant!

[lesley]

Why have I not kept up to date with this?

You've come up with some lovely creations - inspiring!
I'm not usually one to enter challenges but I might have to move my lazy bum and have a go.