VERSO Handmade Sculptural Paper Jewelry

 Congratulations to brit.otto, giveaway winner!

About a year ago I featured Melanie Brauner of VERSO Jewelry in Washington state who is a professional papermaker, bookbinder, letterpress printer, fiber artist and metalsmith. As you might imagine, a variety of handmade items results from her long list of interests, but today I'll be focusing on the very special abaca paper and metal jewelry she creates.

VERSO Studio Riverbend Necklace - Giveaway

Delicate in appearance yet surprisingly strong, it is made by suspending abaca fibers in water and casting them, layer by layer, onto wire forms over a period of several days. Sometimes Melanie colors the paper with teal or indigo dye and rust.

VERSO Jewelry Moss Earrings
Moss Earrings - Dip-cast abaca paper and brass flowers, dyed with teal dye and rust. Sterling silver drops with freshwater pearls. Sterling silver earwires.

The fibers cling to the wire and shrink as they dry. Repeated dippings cause the formation of a tight paper skin.

VERSO Jewelry Dewdrop Necklace
Dewdrop Necklace - Dip-cast abaca paper and brass and copper beads, amazonite, sterling silver 34" chain.

Melanie then combines these sculptural forms with silver findings and freshwater pearls or amazonite that result in wearable art jewelry.

VERSO Jewelry Gate Necklace
Gate Necklace - Dip-cast abaca paper and brass pendant, sterling silver 30" chain.

There is no question each eye-catching piece is unique and will draw questions from curious onlookers.

VERSO Jewelry Meteor Shower Earrings
Meteor Shower Earrings - Dip-cast abaca paper and brass drops, on a sterling silver chain and earwire. The paper is hand-dyed in with indigo dye and rust, then sealed.

Melanie likes that people have the opportunity to learn about papermaking when they are introduced to her jewelry. 

VERSO Jewelry Creek Bed Necklace
Creek Bed Necklace - Handmade copper and dip-cast abaca paper bead, freshwater pearls, sterling silver, 16" chain.

The two jewelry pieces seen below are her best-selling items. The graceful Pistil Earrings feature dip-cast abaca paper, brass bells, freshwater pearls, and sterling silver. The Riverbend Necklace is an undulating pendant of copper wire that has been dip-cast with abaca paper. It hangs from a 30" sterling silver chain.

VERSO Jewelry Giveaway - Pistil Earrings or Riverbend Necklace

Melanie will be sending either a pair of Pistil Earrings or a Riverbend Necklace to one lucky winner. This in an international giveaway! [ENDED]

To enter, post a comment below in which you name your choice of either the Riverbend Necklace or Pistil Earrings. Be sure to include a way to be contacted within the text of your comment as Blogspot unfortunately doesn't show its bloggers the entire comment form. For those who would rather not post a visible email address, comment here and send me a quick message at ann.b.martin@gmail.com so I will be able to contact you if your name is drawn as the winner.

If you are on Instagram, you have the option to earn an extra entry by visiting the giveaway photo [ENDED] and following directions. The winner will be announced at the top of this post and on the IG giveaway photo as soon as she or he has been notified.

Giveaway ends Saturday, April 2, 2016.

VERSO Jewelry is also on Instagram and Pinterest.

Ann Martin
Ann Martin

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Comments

  1. These are so so beautiful!! And wow at the talent. I don't know how to even pick one over the other but I am going to say the Riverbend Necklace.

    Thank you for doing this!

    -Komal

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  2. Beautiful! I'd love to wear "Riverbend". stoneycreekarts@gmail.com

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  3. That's a hard choice - they are both beautiful. I think I would love either, but will pick the necklace on a coin toss!

    Beth
    eashoemaker.at.gmail.com

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  4. The pistil earrings are tres chic!

    matacio@andrews.edu

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  5. This jewellery is both unique and beautiful. I would love a a riverbed as I don't have pieced ears. Wow.

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  6. These are both beautiful, but I would pick the earrings. gjeneve@gmail.com

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  7. I love both of them, but the curves of the pendant appeal to me. d2crispin@aol.com

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  8. Love the movement and pearl in the pistil earrings.
    ksukeena@yahoo.com

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  9. What beautiful work! It is very difficult to choose, but I would love to wear the necklace. Thank you for the opportunity.
    bonnie.julien@gmail.com

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  10. The work is very unique. The idea of creating with paper! I love the pistil earrings and choose them as my favorite.
    Nadinegail@aol.com

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  11. Oh my goodness! Every single piece is gorgeous!
    Bethjbeal@aol.com

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  12. They are both beautiful!!! I would pick the necklace!!

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  13. The earrings are beautiful. A plus is that I only have on ear pierced and so does my sister so if I would get the earrings two people would get happy since she would get the other one.
    snoeret(a)gmail.com

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  14. Love both pieces but it is the earrings I desire. I admire the ingenuity, creativity, and skill you show in all your work.
    islandraven@shaw.ca

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  15. All the pieces are great, very special work full of creativity! I will love the Riverbend Necklace if i win, am sure i will make someone very happy with such a beauty.

    albertolombana.silvera@gmail.com

    betitolombana@hotmail.com

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  16. Love the Riverbend necklace. Thank you for the chance to win.
    dragonswing15137@yahoo.com

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  17. i would choose the necklace
    xchriszollx (at) aol (dot) com

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  18. i like the Dewdrop Necklace - Dip-cast abaca paper and brass and copper beads, amazonite, sterling silver 34" chain.

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  19. Stunning work. This is the first I have seen of your work but it is luscious!!! I would love to wear the Riverbend Necklace. I will email you in case I am the lucky one.

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  20. The Riverbed necklace. Both are beautiful! bmoregordo@gmail.com

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  21. I love the Riverbend necklace. I am always fascinated by paper jewelry artists. Thanks for a chance to win this. schwabmom@gmail.com

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  22. I'd go with the Riverbend Necklace! Thanks so much for the chance!
    mcfallsk8er[at]aim[dot]com

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  23. Love both pieces of art. If I gotta to choose one it would be the earrings... I am in complete awwww of them!!! TO own them would be special!!!

    Email- pratvam@ymail.com

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  24. I like the Riverbend Necklace, it's one-of-a-kind.

    Email: yumihamano@gmail.com

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  25. Wow! I am in awe of the creativity. I would love to wear the 'Riverbend' necklace..great name.
    cdkelvin at Hotmail dot com

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  26. Your work is stunning. I love all your pieces, they're so unusual and beautiful. The Gate necklace is just...amazing. I'm going to run out of adjectives.

    I'd choose the Pistil Earrings for the giveaway. My contact email is countesschocula at mail dot com.

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  27. Great work. I choose the earrings.

    mdoallas [at] aol [dot] com

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  28. Lovely work. I would totally wear the Pistil Earrings. Fingers crossed!
    paperprezzies@yahoo.com

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  29. Of course, I like them both, but would select the Riverbend Necklace, as my ears are ot pierced. Thank You. fairlanejen@gmail.com

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  30. Beautiful!!! I would love to have this Riverbend Necklace for me... lovely!!!
    elakaro13@gmail.com

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  31. Such beautiful work and so hard to pick a favorite, but the pistil earrings would be my choice. afernunfurling[at]yahoo[dot]ca

    Thanks Ann for introducing us to very talented paper artists!

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  32. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm totally drawn to the pistil earrings, and would love to win.
    Claudiad@chorus.net

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  33. I love the Riverbend Necklace, but truthfully all the work is amazing!

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  34. Wow ... hard to believe these are made of paper. If lucky enough to win, I'd enjoy the Riverbed necklace. Thanks! // Diane .....



    deicher@pdidesign.com

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  35. I would love the pistil earrings. leislgering@gmail.com

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  36. Such a wonderful talent this took to create such beautiful items. Both of these offered are equally exquisite, so this is a difficult choice. I would have to say the Riverbend Necklace would be my first pick.
    Thank you for giving us the chance to experience your artwork.

    Please contact me at clcontr@gmail.com

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  37. The Riverbend Necklace is so gorgeous! The flow of the piece is not only soothing to look at, but it's a true work of art. I would love to wear this stunning creation.

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  38. I love the Riverbend Necklace, it's so pretty and unique!

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  39. Beautiful! I'd love the Riverbend Necklace.

    iconnie.schulz@gmail.com

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  40. The Riverbend necklace would look fab on me! whiplashlady@msn.com

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  41. They are both so unique. I am really drawn to the Pistil Earrings!

    Jenny.Scheldberg@gmail.com

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  42. Beautiful! Both the earrings and the necklace are wonderful and I have a hard time choosing. I guess that the River Bend necklace would just edge out the earrings. maggi_arend@hotmail.com

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  43. Wonderfull! I really love pistil earrings !
    giovanna.marchetti@gmail.com

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  44. I would love to win the earrings but both are gorgeous! pattoncontest@gmail.com

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  45. Beautiful and elegant. If I were the fortunate one chosen, I would choose the Riverbend Necklace. Karen
    Vkaren34@aol.co,

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  46. I would be so honored and proud to wear the Riverbend necklace. What strikingly beautiful atristry!

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  47. Thank you all for your enthusiasm and entries for this giveaway! The winner was chosen after listing all entries, both on the blog and Instagram, into a numbered list and entering the total number into the auto-calculator at random.org. Stay tuned for another equally lovely giveaway coming up in a few weeks.

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