Featured Artist: Carol Morris

Meet Carol Morris of silverbeadsandclay.etsy.com
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Creating: Jewelry and Pottery
Materials: sterling silver, metal clay (PMC), polymer clay, wire and beads, earth clay

Carol says, "I am now creating original sterling silver pieces by hand. It's so exciting to create a piece of beauty from a plain flat sheet of sterling silver or copper."


Butterflies in the garden necklace

What is your inspiration?
That's an easy one. Nature...and its colors. I love watching the dragonflies and butterflies in my yard. Their wings are so intricate yet delicate. And there are so many beautiful colors in their wings. I don't know what is the best, spring flowers or fall follage. Then there is the ocean. So many of God's creatures at work everywhere you look. I love the colors of the ocean. Turquoise blue is my favorite color, as you can tell from many of my pieces.



Vintage Pinched Pod Bracelet


How did you get started making jewelry?
That's a good question. Seems like it was ages ago but it was actually only about a year and a half ago. I've always had an interest in crafts. I've taken so many classes in the past 25 years...stained glass, photography, darkroom, mat cutting, and many many pottery classes at Sertoma and Pullen Art Centers, not to mention the things I have created on my own. Pottery was my favorite until I discovered metal clay and then learned to metalsmith.

I first learned about metal clay after watching HGTV's "That's Clever" show on TV. I would watch for crafters making interesting pottery. Then I saw all the clever things people were doing with metal clay. It's an incredible material. But don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up pottery. Now I just have to split my time between the two.



Sterling Silver Gingko Leaf Necklace

What new things are you learning? What classes have you taken lately?

Recently, I decided to try my hand at metalsmithing. I took a beginning metals class at Pullen Art Center and completed that class and said that I wasn't going to take the next level class for a while. I received a phone call from the arts center that they had an opening in the continuing metals class and did I want to take it. I ended up taking it two weeks later! So glad that I did. I'm really enjoying working with sterling silver.

I also frequently take classes at local bead stores and at the bead shows. I recently learned to make a vintage button cuff and a wire wrapped ring. Oh, I can't forget to mention the HGTV shows - That's Clever, Crafters Coast to Coast and DIY's Jewelry Making. They frequently have episodes that inspire me!



Sterling Silver Sea Turtle Pendant
This was Carol's gift to her Mom for Mother's Day.







Happy Birthday to me!

This necklace was my birthday gift from Carol. I love this! It's my favorite combination of silver and turquoise, and so beautifully made. Carol explains that this was "rolled through a press mill with a brass stencil plate." Are you jealous? (psst-if you ask real nice, she might make you a custom piece.)

Click here to visit her Etsy shop and see a wide array of beautiful necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets and rings.