close up on Gear earrings

Not feeling chatty today so enjoy some pictures!

Recently tripped over these really cute bails, so I tried them on gears a couple of different ways..

wrench

A couple of weeks ago on our grand Hwy 141 garage sale, Jerry found this wrench.  Its old and grungy, which is perfect.. and it was only half there.

Only Jerry and I would buy a broken wrench.

But doesn't it look great on a handmade riveted bail?

Jewelry Re-do

Farmer's Market this morning couldn't have gone better -- the crowds, the weather and well, everything conspired to make it an inspiring morning!

I can't believe how fast the year is going again .. we only have 2 farmer's market's left, one in September and 1 in October.  I only have 6 shows left for the year (well that I know of )

I'll try to be a busy busy busy beaver because we have 3 shows in September and our inventory is getting pretty slim.... so many great pieces sold today, including Time Medusa and Never Grow up.   I need to get my creative thinking cap on, and come up with more great pieces.  Sometimes when I'm stuck creatively, I take apart other jewelry, either my own pieces or something vintage or .. someone Else's .   

I got these earrings that used a bottle cap as the base.  Now they were fun and funky, but really large and not really me.

Love what the bottle cap says though! It's so interesting to see what drinks are available in other parts of the country.

So I made one of them into a pendant.  To add my own flair.. I added "oui" on the back and the drop crystal. So a person could wear it either way,  Oui at work and then flip it over when you go out with the girls after work!  This is fun necklace to go bar hopping in!

I got the earrings from B'Sue in one of her Muse packages.  Love those things!   I might have to beg for another one, I deserve a treat and they are a creative shot in the arm... lots' of lovely stuff to play with and things I might not buy on my own, but spark my brain when I have them in my hot little hands.

Earrings Earrings everywhere!

 During the last three weeks I've been making earrings like a mad woman, to the point I have earrings coming out of my , well, ears!!!               

Here are a couple of group shots.

I'll be at Downtown Farmer's Market This Saturday 7-12pm .   I'm on 3rd street north, should be just 1 or 2 booths off from the corner (3rd & court by the parking ramp) .

Flowers All around Me

Just pics today....

Lightbulbs are finished

Group shot, all 6 of them

 These turned out soooo much better than I was expecting!!


As I showed in my blog here, I added scrapbook "fake" pictures behind the lightbulbs.

"create" , I added a heart key, scissors, and a painter's palette and other charms

Then I glued brass filigree piece on the back, so I could make it into a pendant.  That didn't look sturdy enough for me, so I also wire-wrapped on top and reinforced that with glue as well.  Actually I like the wire on top... the lightbulbs had the metal piece, but the wire really makes that pop!

I picked out charms that matched the word (at least in my mind!) and added vintage wrapped pearls and crystals.

"adventure" .  passport, Italy, Paris, and more !

These will premiere next weekend at Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market!

"inspire" , a dream key, heart and charms & crystals

Finding my way ..

putting it together, 1 rivet at a time.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but the silver rim around the compass face is vintage a pocket watch part.

 Lots of changes going on right now in my household and in my extended family, and I've felt lost more than I've felt found lately.  I'm suddenly obsessed with compasses, the idea that some little gadget can help you direction!

So it's showing up in my art.  this necklace doesn't  have a working compass in it, and I'm working on buying some real compasses.   I have little tiny ones for my rings, but I'm all out right now :(  -  and I'm also looking for bigger, more reliable ones.  I love the idea of taking a real compass and making it attractive and kewl without hindering it's function.


Some time ago I did make a necklace using the steel parts from a sewing machine and put a real functional compass in the middle of it... and discovered huge chunks of steel kind of messed up the tiny magnets in the compass. 


If I can get the compass's I'm looking at for a reasonable rate, I will stay away from chunky steel parts I promise!! 

 None of us need help getting lost on the paths of life eh?

I actually finished this at the Clear Lake show a couple of weeks ago.. I had all the parts riveted ( and reinforced with glue in some places) I just had to assemble all the pieces together.  I added a really large clock gear behind the compass, and then used it to connect the necklace chain.  I really love how it turned out!!

a lightbulb moment -- what's on my table right now

there are the 6 that came in the package.  At first I was really disappointed about the words printed on them, but after I've had a chance to mull it I realized I can build stories about each word...

old picture cut to fit the bulb...  actually I have a hard time cutting up real photos, this is a scrapbook fake old picture.

I love how blurry it shows now, and how you can create your own story because it's not in focus!

Garage Sale-ing with the hubby on Hwy 141!

This is *most* of the haul today!

newer adding machine, a timer thingie for something electrical, and a singer sewing machine

Had a BLAST!  Today with the hubby, hitting the Highway 141 100 miles of garage sales.  It’s an annual event, always held the first fri & Sat of August, rain or shine. 




Today The weather was just about perfect -- allowing it’s a hot & humid August day in Iowa.




Still, we had a grand time and found some great stuff, some of what I’m sharing below in pictures.  Then we went to HuHot for lunch, and oh my, that’s tasty. 

Another sewing machine, off brand but a great tag on front!  old clock, old measuring tape, some sort of gringer thingie with a great tag on it!

I think they have really good crab ragoons, and the last couple of times we have gone they have had this mild sliced sausage .. so delicious with pineapple, alittle onion , teriyaki, hoisin, and garlic sauces / oils. 

mostly old car parts... the guy claimed one of the gauges was from a model T, but sold it to me for $2.00 so not sure if I believe it.. but they are older for sure.. the crystal is glass!

All in all, it was a near perfect day spent with the Hubby. 

there is soooo much in this flat!! Check out the cigar box of little tiny light-bulbs!

If you are in central Iowa and love to do garage sales, it's still going on tomorrow.. get your butt on the road !

change change change

box chain, also known as queen's link .  I really like how the colors contrast with the silver of the plain aluminum.. it really makes the colors pop!

Most of you know jewelry making is my passion, my love -- but also my second job.

My main job just went away, but I'm still thankfully!! employed, I'm just going to be retrained to other duties.  What duties.. no idea.  when will this happen? not sure... just sometime in the next 3 months. 

So my life is in a state of flux.  Course it usually is, and I'm still thankfully!! employed, at least for now, which I'm very very very grateful for.  Not everyone is keeping their job, and I know I'm lucky.

So I guess you could sum up my mood as .. bemused.

So I'm trying to put the absolute best possible face on the whole situation.

I am a Kat after all, it would be beneath my dignity to do anything but land on my feet.

Still all of these changes make me want to play with chainmaile... everything is connected, and it's colorful which equates cheerful in my book, and I think I'll need every little bit of fortitude during the next 3 months that I can get.