I had such a great evening tonight!!

 I got to play tag along kid sister ( I'm 49) to my sister Gretchie ( ageless) and her friends!  I got to invite one of my buddies as well, and we ate out and then watch Mamma Mia II which was so much fun.

I'm gonna be listening to ABBA tomorrow at work for sure!!

It's just a fun fun happy kind of movie, just like the first one. 

Some things just make you feel lighter inside, like ABBA music, good food and friends and SISTERS!

And to tie this into jewelry making, some pieces just make me feel happy.  This recent necklace is one.  It has an Egyptian theme, and just a touch of the steampunk. 

Just the balance of the piece makes me feel joy. 

If it doesn't sell in the next few shows, I might just have to take it home and keep it.  Some pieces are just like that.

I kind of hope all my jewelry brings people joy and happiness.

Cuffs for Farmer's Market !

 Just in time for Saturday's Market, I whipped up a whole big batch of new cuff bracelets!!   Here
's a few of my favorites.

 This cuff the tag is from a off brand Victrola record player... from 1915!!

 A Singer Sewing Machine medallion from a 1920's machine, with wings!

 I love this lion face! it's a brass drawer plate for the pull.  Gorgeous!

This just makes me laugh! I got the tag loose off a big buy of stuff  from a local shop, and this was in it.  Check out it's a Des Moines Business!!  And a fish on it! how kewl is that??

Come see these new cuffs and more in person at the Market, 7-12 Saturday 8/25/18!

Colorful flowers that DON'T make me sneeze.....

 I know I recently shared I've been a tad down and burnt out.  So my solution?  Make happy, colorful and cheerful flower earrings!!  Top picture shows me laying out a bunch of resin pairs to play with. 

 Sometimes I want more color so I add it using patina paints or like this picture, alcohol inks.

This picture shows 1 earring of each pair I got done.  Some of these will "premiere" this Saturday at Farmer's Market  , but I ran some of them over to Five Monkeys Inc Gallery here in town!

This Pair is at the gallery --- and one of my favorites.  I got this great greenish/teal color using alcohol inks and the patina on the middle layer of the budding... the picture really doesn't do it justice!  here are more that are at the gallery... you can look at my whole collection of jewelry at the gallery here!

What Cheer Report

 A couple of weeks ago Jerry and I did the huge and glorious What Cheer Flea Market together to gather new jewelry supplies --also known as stuff Jerry gets to rip up so I have parts to play with.


We had an excellent hunt! 

Left to right, optometrist set, loose small stuff, old clocks, old victor adding machine, 3 giant bags of costume jewelry, more clocks, more small stuff, all piled on the domestic sewing machine table.

Here's a picture of the whole stash ... the "table" it's one is a domestic sewing machine in table ... and we just barely fit all the stuff on! 



One of the big finds, is a complete optometrist's set of testing lenses.  These are extra sweet...  they are all brass and all of them are in great condition.   there are no maker markings that I've found yet, but I think they are older than the set we bought a couple of years ago.  We even got the eyeglass frames that you put the lenses in!

Got several clocks - some have actual jewel movements which makes them more like large pocket watches. 

 This is my favorite clock... it looks like a small AM radio.  I'm not sure I can bring myself to ripping this one up for parts. 

 This picture shows some of the misc. small stuff I got.  Some watches, some keys, little boxes  (the blue in the lower left corner is from the 1920's or 30's -- it's got a flapper like lady golfing on front.  very kewl)

I also bought a few odds and end of vintage jewelry, including a big almost 20 lb buy that including this fantastic chain in it... see the lovely detail on the rings? 

One of the dealers we bought clocks from saw a couple of owl necklaces in the bag and offered cash/trade for them.

So we traded stuff we bought there for other stuff!

Made me feel like a real picker.

As always, we didn't make it all around the market, but I felt like we got great stuff!

Farmer's Market On Sat!!!!!

Sneek peak -- new pieces just in time for Farmer's Market !  The earrings dead in center have typewriter parts that are just over 100 years old! They are from a 1915 typewriter.

I really like the watch face earrings on the right.  Made from 1928 brand unused old stock faces, blue crystals and vintage french brass that's 50-60 years old.  These are one of a kind.. I only had  pieces of this brass shape.

Come see these and more in person at the market 7-12pm Saturday.  I'm on 4th street south, across from Hy-Vee. 

See ya there!

I MUST write a blog...........

Recent bracelets - all new materials on this set.  Most of these are gone, still have the flower I think.

I will be honest, I really have nothing to say, but I'm making an effort to get back to writing on my blog 2-3 times a week.

Things are going great business wise, despite only doing about half the number of shows we used to do.  Farmer's Market continues to be a blast, The gallery (Five Monkeys Inc By Roosevelt High School) is doing well, and I've even sold the occasional piece of jewelry on my etsy site!! 

Tonight I'm meeting with a client for a personal showing.  

So The business is in good shape.  Its that time of the show cycle though, I'm half way through, I get tired and I feel like my creativity is dead, and it's hard to get excited about spending time in the studio.  ( doesn't help when I forget to set the timer on the air conditioning but that's a whole other story!) 

But I have hope....  tomorrow we do our big flea market adventure, and that always gets things flowing again... I have every expectation we will find something wonky and kewl to play with on our journey.  If nothing else, I get to spend the whole day with my man, which is most excellent.  With his new work schedule, I don't get to spend much time with Jerry and I MISS HIM.

Sure we see each other at shows, but that's not exactly quality time together, just us, is it? 

So here is my blog entry.  I made it.  Time to meet up with the customer, and then maybe the studio won't be so sticky hot anymore by the time I get back.  (turned the air on when I got home) 

Have a great weekend all!