The "same" three Bracelets

 Here are 3 bracelets, all based on using a leaf as the background, and then embellishing with vintage clock or watch parts and brass stampings. 

 Just by using different materials, the same basic idea turns out so very differently!

One of the endless reasons I love to make jewelry... so many options and possibilities and turns to channel my creativity with!

even with I use the same stampings ( for example, I've used the owl above before) it always turns out differently.


I hate to be bored, and I'm very rarely bored when I make my Mechanical Romance pieces.

From the Pile " Picture your Dreams "

I think this is the "wow" piece from my pile experiment 

I'm calling it "Picture your Dreams"



The front piece is from a 8mm camera from the 1940's – early 50's.  Jerry is fascinated by cameras from this era -- the really old ones, besides being for the most part to valuable to rip up are mostly empty boxes and mirrors, but give him something from the late 30's through 50's and they have some real mechanical stuff going on.

Most of the cameras parts are neatly bagged and labeled and put away for when inspiration strikes me.  This aluminum detailing though called to me, something about the simple silver and white and strip design, there is a hint of Art Deco in the clean lines and color theme. 

The cutout parts of it are original, and played "peekaboo" with my imagination.   I knew looking at this I could make a great piece!

You take pictures and videos to capture memories, and I was thinking about that. The feelings you get when you look at old photos and remember those times. That got me to start wondering about what if you could take pictures of future moments? Of your dreams?

Because of the color scheme I wanted to stick with clear crystals.   The top "window" have larger rhinestone type vintage crystals layered in, the bottom window has a patch of new crystals.

It took several steps to put it all together, here is a pic of the piece in progress.

Since your dreams need to be bigger than life, I found this great butterfly that would be flying out of the camera.  You can't hold your dreams in, you got to let them fly!!

I decided the butterfly needed a touch of something, and added the clock hands... which then made me want to carry out a clock motif on the back -- which is cut out of a old cookie tin from my tin stash. 

I added hanging chains between the 2 pieces of metal and they have butterfly shaped crystals on them.  it sort of looks like the weights of a old fashion wind up clock. 

So there you have it, and if you want it, you can go to Five Monkeys Gallery !
 

More From the Pile

 I should have taken a pic of the back on this one, cause it's hard to see what this is...


What it is is I "imprisoned" or Captured vintage crystals in clock parts.  The back side has a spring cup, and I used a slightly larger gear to trap them in. (think round box and the gear is the lid)  I added a vintage gal on top, cause well, that's what I do.  I I know I say this every time, but I love how it turned out!  I'm so looking forward to show season and all the new stuff I will have ready for my customers. 

Course if you are interested now, just contact me, cause this one will not be in the collection long before someone snaps it up.

Sneak peek at new chainmaile earrings !

 I've been in a chainmaile mood all week, so striking while the iron is hot, I've been coming up with new chainmaile earrings designs, or at least something I haven't made for awhile.

I love this look!  This is new, and I like it so much I'm gonna make me a pair -- only with purple instead of the green I think.   Just the shape ( or for those following Project Runway every week, just like I do .."Silhouette!") pleases me and lots of kewl color choices possible.  I'm gonna make a few more pairs using different color combos, then I'll look at some other design. 

I'm gonna be well stocked on earring choices this year!

New Earrings at the Gallery!!

I took a bunch of new stuff over to the gallery - Five Monkeys - last week, mostly new stuff that came from the Pile.  here is a closer look at 4 of them!! with links so you can go to the online store at the gallery if you want them


First up I have vintage clock gears paired with fairies   .

I love these! I'm sure you are all aware of a jewelry brand called 1928?  I scored a small stash of unused 80-90's 1928 watch faces.  I paired them with brass stampings, crystals and a dragonfly.  I love how these look - very elegant ! Buy them here, I'm sure they won't stay around long.

These earrings are named "fly away" .  Vintage brass stampings which I hand patina'd and awesome black propellers.  you can buy them here

Last pair for this blog - I've had these wooden cat on the moon charms for some time, I don't remember where I  got them.  I added copper and patina, and I think they look great... like vintage metal charms that got lost for 50 years.  Since they are actually wood, they are incredibly light in the ears.  I didn't originally name them but looking at the picture again, I keep thinking of what the cat is dreaming of... you can purchase them here.

The Sax Collection..... (so far)

 So far I've made 3 pieces from the Sax Jerry bought last year, and I think they have turned out great!

I'm calling the first one Jazz Lady.  The sax was made in the 1920's and the little white "dot" you see at the bottom is real mother of pearl. 

Here is a picture showing all 3 pieces... 2 of the 3 are going to Five Monkeys later this week.

I have more sax keys and bits to play with, so more in the future!

the Big picture......

For those playing along, you know I've been working on a huge pile of stuff since the start of the year.  Here is most of what I've made from that pile since 1-14-18.  (most of the stuff from the pile before that I've already shown you)

The next couple of weeks I"ll do blog entries on the more interesting pieces, and some of these are going straight to Five Monkeys Gallery, but I just wanted to show you I've been working on the pile, honest!

Actually with this picture, I'm taking a break and switching to chainmaile for at least a couple of days.. I've been feeling the inch to play with rings and I got some new washers and scales in aluminum so I want to try them out.  Then I might work on the pieces I've prepped with alcohol inks  -- they have to dry for a couple of days then seal them, and let them dry some more before I can play with them anyway.  So it seems a good time to think chainmaile!

The "pile" is now in it's own tray on the back table, to join the the really BIG pile of stuff to work on.  I'm sure I'll either get back to it eventually, or pull out the pieces that still talk to me.  I admit some of the stuff I look at and wonder what sparked when I picked it out.

No worries, I will never run out of things to work on.  And if I do, there are always dishes to wash ( NOOOOOOO!!!!! heh)

I need to stop Screwing around!

and get more pictures taken!! I've got a huge pile of stuff I've made over the last few weeks, but I've got to stop and get it pictured and priced and run some of the new stuff out to the gallery. 

This is a found screw... the color is the actual patina it had when i picked it off the ground.  I did put sealer on it, and just put it on a chain cause I think the color says it all.


Besides, I got to use a pun in my blog post title, so happy days to me!