another quickie... Art Splash this weekend!

back plate from vintage alarm clock, key from even older clock, painted dragonfly and crystals

This coming weekend is Art Splash so I'm spending every minute I can in the studio, trying to finish up a few more projects for this show... I'm soooo excited and looking forward to this weekend!

quickie post...

Vintage lock from antique store, etched by me key

This is normally where I blog about something, anything, but today I'm visiting the folks... so have a great Saturday people!

Farmer's Market This Sat 7-noon - Downtown Des Moines

just some of the new treats for Farmer's Market this weekend!

I sooo enjoy doing farmer's Market... the customers are wonderful, and the other vendors are too... and the food! I adore the food!!!

Cookies (always my sweet down fall) , cupcakes, crap ragoons, all kinds of cheeses, veggies, pasta, popcorn....

Jerry and I try not to eat our way through the market, but it's hard not too!  Last time I tried this new item, don't know the name, but it's mostly egg and ricotta cheese that was to die for !!! (started with a f.. )

  Sometimes there is a legion booth that sells freshly squeezed in front of your eyes orange juice.. it's the best stuff since the freshly squeezed  orange juice in Israel back when I was 21 years.  That's a long time to go to break a best of.. but farmer's market does it.  Anyway, any time we are both at the market at the same time it's a must buy for me.

I'll be on the north side of 3rd street this week, official spot is 3n5, which should translate 3 booths down from Court av & 3rd street.  However it doesn't always translate as well as it ought too.. so just look for me on 3rd north! 

You can get all kinds of info on the market here - enjoy!

My flying Tiger is finally flying!!

Front view

 I started this project back in April or may, and got stuck.  Part of the problem was building in the space so the cog can spin freely -- I keep thinking I would add something to keep that space free and also make a bail on the top of the tiger's head for the chain.  However, just from the front it didn't look quite right, either.  So it's been floating on top ( or on bottom ) of my projects in progress pile since then.  I've picked it up and played around but just couldn't get passed the twin problems of I want Movement and I need to make a bail.

Last Saturday I got my Muse box from B' Sue and it had bat wings in it! A little bell when off in my head and some rivets later, I had me my flying tiger!!

The problem all along is tigers would have bigger wings than just the little bit of feathery fluff around it's head.  Somehow bat wings seem really appropriate.  I really like this, and in my head I'm now calling him Charlie.  No clue, why, but it's there.

Behind corner view.. see large cavity so the gear can spin freely

back-view.  I didn't want it 2 "messy" so part of the infrastructure is pretty!

Lots of room for that baby! I used rubber washers to help space the cog just right

more pictures -- earrings

My lady steampunk earrings..

This always makes me think of Ben Franklin.. look it up

Tie-dye lizards...

Just pictures today!

hinge bracelet.. this is using jewelry components actually but I think it's pretty kewl looking even so!

Steampunk kitty earrings

boy, my house is a pit

gear like thingies from a 1960's cash register..

 I need a nap!! I got up around 340am this morning ( Sadly, this is only 1 hour early, on a farmer's market day) got ready for Farmer's Market, which went great and we had the best weather we have had all year so far.. it was in the mid-80's, just enough wind to keep one cool.  Brilliant!!

My sister is coming in to town tomorrow and will be spending a night or 2 with us.  When means I need to get the house clean -- now I have low standards, but this place is below that.  I need to at least make an attempt to get it in better shape!!

To top it off, one of the cats started to pee inappropriately, and once one does that, they all follow.  aRRGH!  It's in instinctual to use the same place over and over (one reason litter boxes work) so once they start up in the "wrong" place it's a bitch to get them to stop.  Most cats don't go in the wrong place without a reason.... the problem is we are not sure why this time.  ( last time one of the fur-babies was sick.. but they all seem well.  The litter boxes are more or less in decent shape, and as far as we can tell, the other cat's aren't gaining up on her... ) We are working on it.  We have got them to stop except 1, and we are trying to get her retrain.  On the bright spot, that one area of the living room is very clean.. until the next time the cat's need a pit stop.  (can I say ARRGH! again??? )

I have 2 really big shows left on the schedule, as well as farmer's market, smaller shows and East Village Sunday Bazaar's.  So today I'm planning to clean, tomorrow is family time with the Sis, and then I really need to buckle down and get some inventory done.  Next weekend I have no shows.. wow! Only the 2nd break during this summer, so next weekend is earmarked as major production session... I think I will wear pj's and putter in the studio the whole weekend!!! I need to make more items with recycled parts, more chainmaile, more EVERYTHING! And I'm almost ready to do some etching, I've been working on pieces so hopefully next weekend I'll do a etch session.  So have a great weekend, and pass the Windex!

These are all new components, but isn't this a kewl pair of earrings?

Jerry's Favorite Earrings

Can you tell what these are made from?

These are already sold, but before they sold, they were Jerry's favorite pair of earrings.  Anytime he had someone interested in how and what we use to make our Mechanical Romance line, he would point out these earrings as an example of recycling at it's finest.

He would ask them what are they made of?  Only one person figured it out ... the rest would have no idea.  He would give them clues.. saying they were something that 15 years ago you probably used and saw everyday.

I made these earrings out of brass bead caps and the cute little dragonfly.. the vintage salvage bits are the clear cylinders. 


so... do you have any idea what these earrings are made out of???
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They are from a 1960's phone -- part of the cradle you would lay the receiver on after you finished your phone call.

Mission Commission

 I feel bad... A gal bought this crayon wire cuff from me at the last farmer's market, and wanted a matching pendant and earrings to go with it.  Normally I try to get to commissions- and get them done!! - in a 2 week period.  I've missed that deadline!! so Last night I started and tonight I will hopefully finish, take pics and Weds I can polish/tumble/finish... that's the goal anyway.

So hopefully tomorrow's blog will be mission completed!

A little bit of this, and little bit of that....

The balloon man at Farmer's Market in Des moines. 

OK, so this will be a QUICK  version of random thoughts.

First... Paypal ruled in my favor.  Yeah!!! I'm still sadden over the whole incident but at least paypal doesn't think I'm a gear thief.  

I haven't left her feedback on Etsy yet.  The "bad" part of me feels like being a vindictive bitch and giving her a neg.. but most of mean realizes while she was wrong about my character, it's easy to see how she felt that way.  I'm sure the first underweight package was a mistake, and then to have the 2nd package damaged during shipment might lead one thoughts there ( my thoughts were there about her after all until I realized how damaged the box was)   I'm pretty sure she is a good person at heart.  Then of course, there is one's duty to fellow on line buyers.. you should tell of your bad experiences in hopes that they avoid a bad situation.  I will probably just not leave feedback at this point.

So in a few days I will have a refund of my money, so I can finally close the book on this whole shindig.

I bet you all will be as glad to hear the end of it as I will!!!

Today's show at Washington Iowa was slowish, but the weather was soooo lovely!!! Mid-80's, light, refreshing wind, sunny.  sigh.

It didn't have the crowds it deserved, why anyone would hide inside today is a mystery!   So Jerry and I took turns hitting the antique shop across the street from the show, and I even hit up goodwill.. and I actually found a nice shirt in my size there!! like, that never happens!! It wasn't something I would have ever bought at full price, but heck, just finding something in my size at goodwill.. I would have bought anything short of a wife-beater t-shirt just to have proof something in my size was there!!!!

Next Saturday is Downtown Des Moines Farmer Market.  Yeah!!