Heart locket ring

OK here is a fun one for you... it's a new/old stock heart locket riveted to a ring base.  I added some color, cause I felt like ( actually I'm imagining this color in my hair -- just a couple of streaks maybe? what do you think?)

Now it looks very sweet, but my brain, that very strange organ that doesn't seem to work like anyone else's?

I keep thinking Poison ring -  BAWH HAHAHAHAHA !


Don't worry, I'm not catching...... erm, I think ?

One Week and counting....... Farmer's Market!!!!

Next Saturday I will get to enjoy waking up at 430am to get ready for Farmer's Market!   OK, OK, I won't really enjoy getting up that early, but I am excited for the first market of the year, and my first show of the year!

I've been working off and on all winter making new pieces of jewelry, and the last few weeks I've been working on booth arrangement.  I'm not making huge changes this year, cause I really like the setup for last year but there will be a few changes.

One thing is I'll have a small selection of beaded jewelry again.  Just a taste!  I've been more in a stringing mood, so I'm indulging that desire.  I'm bringing back a selection of anklets after a 2 year absence as well.  I've been playing more and more with vintage jewelry redo's so you will probably see more of that as the season unfolds as well.

I'll still have my line of chainmaile and of course the focus of the booth will still be my Mechanical Romance line.   But I should have something for everyone this year!

No gears, but vintage jewelry recycled and restrung.

Chainmaile

Mechanical Romance baby! 

My booth from last year 

Tick Tock Clock Necklace

I really adore this one, it looks like a really old wall clock!

I recently scored a bunch of old French and German brass stampings and filigree.  These pieces are heavy and ornate and unbelievably detailed.  I had 2-3 frames and all I could think of is old wall clocks.  So I added a vintage watch face, and I recycled these funky drops from a 1970-80's bracelet that made perfect looking weights.  Add chain, and it looks like you are wearing a Victorian clock !


I've only got this one done so far, but I've at least 2 more to make, with completely different brass frames.  The lots I've been buying are all rare and mostly 1 piece of each type... so really special and unique pieces. 

I'm keeping my eye's open - I"m hoping I can find a few more old brass stampings that scream old wall clocks at me!

Pocket Watch and I'm running out of time

I actually made this awhile ago-- the pocket watch case is actually a vintage locket that looks like a pocket watch, so I went with the them and made my own version of a fancy watch.  I added patina, the lady's brass face on the front and I found this vintage Cab that looks like a hand painted watch face from the 1770's or something.

Love it!

But I'm running out of time cause Farmer's Market is just around the corner.... so what did I do last night while trying to get a few pieces done before my deadline?  I smashed my pointer finger with my hammer.  It's not as bad as I thought it was last night, but it still hurt like a son of a gun... and it's pretty sore today.  After a full day of typing at the day job, it's throbbing and I guess I'm just not gonna get much done tonight.  It's funny all last week I I couldn't bring myself to getting much done, and this week i"m feeling every so much better and motivated and I smash my finger.


Seriously????

As always, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Sorting Brass

OK I admit I seem to be in a creative slump right now.  Normally when I'm down making jewelry helps.  This time I can't seem to get the energy to make jewelry either. 

So I'm finally sorting the last bits of my giant brass buy, and sorting out all the bits of beady and jewelry making goodness that I haven't bothered to put away in the last few months.

And I it makes me feel calmer, better, more centered.  I am not going to put expectations on myself  this weekend, because that will just racket up the pressures I"m trying to get back under control.

But I do hope that once I get the rest of this put away, and clean up my space all the way - I'll feel like messing it up again making stuff.

I will note, these are pictures from this summer.... but my desk looks more or less like this right now, just different stuff getting sorted.

If I'm still not ready to make jewelry -- well maybe I match up watch part pairs.  I'm pretty low on them and I have a bunch of bags of stuff unsorted there as well.  Actually maybe I'll just play with watch parts.  I've been trying to focus on needed inventory holes, and I'm at the stuff that are necessary but maybe not as "sexy" as watch part jewelry.  hum...........

souvenir spoon Jewelry

Growing up as a truck driver's daughter means one thing: Dad would bring home little Souvenirs from his travels.  Mom loved spoons and snow globs, so she got tons of them.  Anytime we traveled as a family, she would add to her collection.

I've always been fascinated by them and now that I make jewelry with recycled bits, when I saw a bunch of them at a flea market this summer, I had to buy them.  ( I admit I'd eyed up mom's collection before this, but hey, they are Mom's toys.....)

A couple of months ago, I finally got around to making a few pieces of jewelry incorporating parts form the spoon.  Mainly on the older spoons they had little enameled shields on the end.  I have plans for making more jewelry using the whole spoon but I'm pretty happy with this first batch of jewelry.

So I had a Dream....

I love the winged goddess greeting the sun on this brass stamping, so I didn't embellish much -- didn't want to loose the impact of the brass it's self.

Or maybe a nightmare.  Actually I call these type of dreams anxiety dreams. 

I've been having huge problems getting out of bed on time lately.  Side effect of one of my meds combined with not sleeping well lately.

So when I get up, it takes me forever to really get moving and feel awake.  It's not like I've ever been an early morning person anyway!!!   So Jerry wakes me up 15 minutes earlier than normal, and then I'm like give me 10-15 more minutes!!! and he does and and I more or less get out of bed on time.  More or less.  If I'm allowed, I will sleep until 11am.  That seems to be when my body wants to really wake up anymore. 

So in this dream Jerry tried to wake me up at 430am for Farmer's Market.   I'm a immovable object.   I'm like give me 15 more minutes!! and He's like OK.  And he wakes me up at 930am.

Farmer's Market starts at 7am.  I'm now 2-1/2 hours late for Farmer's Market.  I freak so bad in my dream I wake up in real life.

It was sooooo real it took me a few minutes to realize it really was just a dream.  It was around 8am in real life and let me tell you, I was fully awake for once.

A couple of days later, with time to reflect I realize it's just my normal pre-show season jitters. 

I am always tense and anxious before the season starts or even from a larger important show.  I want to do well yeah? I know I've been doing shows in general for almost 20 years now, and Farmer's Market for 15+, but I always worry.  It's in my DNA.  My jewelry is such a part of myself, so if I don't do well it feels like a personal rejection. 

And getting up at 430am on a Saturday is scary all by itself.

Actually made this pair a while ago and already long gone -- the stacked watch parts are always popular and boy I hope to get more made before Farmer's Market !

Tea Time... charms all about tea.

it's been awhile .....

only thing on this that is vintage is the pearl... but I love how it looks!

yeah.  I've been fighting the moodies of late - so I haven't felt like putting words down.  I'm getting better and besides, I now have the "LOOMING" deadline of show season, so it's time to get my butt in gear regardless I'm up for it or not.  Honestly -- the best cure is getting off your butt and doing things anyway.  Fake it til you make it right?

So Look for another blog - a real entry! - no later than Sunday, and then I'll hopefully be back on my normal 3 blogs a week.  Take care all, hug everyone you love within reach and call those who aren't.