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!

I'm still working the pile!

You can see how dimensional this piece is 

 I just got this done today, and I love it! it uses a lovely 40-50's steel piece from a German adding machine, and really old no idea how old part of a knob, a vintage skeleton key and a great crystal. 

The knob can be turned - I added washers inside of it to allow movement.

Anyway, I've gotten lots done on the pile, and I'm still working several projects as time permits. 

So what do you think?

Back

Front

I had a FANTASTIC weekend!!!!

Showing off our new artwork... while my jewelry at the gallery is in the background.

 I had a fantastic weekend, all because my fab sister decided to stay an extra day!!

Gretchen originally planned to stay only a couple of days, and go back to IL on Saturday, but she changed her mind... so we planned a whole day together, something we haven't done in ages... I would guess like 20 years!! not that we don't want to spend time together, but 6-7 hours distance between us and we both have families, really getting to spend quality time just us as SISTERS again has been a challenge.

First we went and did a wonderful art class at Five Monkeys, playing with alcohol inks.  I've used Alcohol inks before on my metal jewelry, so it was fascinating to learn techniques for paper... I'm sure some of this will transfer to my jewelry!  I've got a whole list of things to try next time I sit down to color my metal!

Then we ate out at Olive Garden, one of my favorite restaurants.  Went to Nan's Nummies for a bakery hit ( I adore the oatmeal scotchies there, and the special k bar's and the salted nut rolls and the ...... )  and then went to Mom's house to hang out for a couple of hours.  Finally we headed to Gretchen's Friend's house for supper and Outlander final episode party.

Seriously had a good time! 


Got more family time in on Sunday. so actually I didn't make any jewelry really this weekend, but that's OK, I'm raring to go tonight!!

Elegant necklace with vintage crystals, gold-filled vintage watch case and gold-filled chain.  You can buy this at the gallery!

Predicting the Future..... with the magic elephant!

 I loved 8 balls as a kid... had one for awhile.  Can't honestly say it was the most accurate predictor of the future, but it's the possibility of the the thing right?   The questions we would ask it, trying to see if it really worked or not, the wacky fun of asking strange questions and giggling over the results.

A couple months ago, one of my facebook groups had a challenge to complete an elephant necklace in some fashion.

It's a 1928 piece that got reissued specifically for this group to play with.  The base is hollow and you also got a glass cab to seal it with, the idea you could put anything in it and decorate the elephant how you wanted.

I immediately flashed to the 8 ball, not sure why... maybe because elephants never forget, so following that logic, they ought to know everything as well.

So I found a mini 8 ball, and took it apart ( let me tell you, that wasn't easy.  took vice-grips, a hammer and a saw)

I carefully saved the fluid so the ball would work as well.  I glued it all together with fish tank glue from the hardware store, and added crystals for just a touch of bling.

 As you can see it actually works.... I didn't win the contest even thought the above picture was me asking if I would!   OK it worked for alittle while... cause it started to leak.

I did rip it apart.  I have another idea I want to try, but I 've kept the decision die and maybe I'll do something with it again in the future.

It feeds the soul to try new things, even when they don't work out. 

Narrowing down the pile

So here I am spreading out most of the stuff from my giant pile I started the year with.  This is one of the way I create -- I spread stuff out, and start adding and subtracting stuff to each "group" until I like how it feels/looks/says. 

Some of what you see here, isn't going to go anywhere.. and some of it is most certainly on it's way to being someone's favorite piece of jewelry for years to come.  (At least I hope so)


So what do you see when you look at this ?

For what I see... I'll keep posting pile pics as I get stuff done...

here is another right now, using vintage necklace pieces.  2 of the segments of this necklace were broken and missing stones.  So I took it apart and make it into 2 bracelets.  I love the vintage glam necklaces from the 40-60's  (I am guessing this is late 50's early 60's)   So much sparkle and movement!!

More from the Pile

And the Pile grows smaller, not that you can tell yet.....

 earrings earrings and more earrings!! I really like the lower right pair... it's the top of old keys, then embellished with rivets and I dangled little key charms for them.  More is coming!!

first batch 2018

 Remember that big pile of stuff to start my year out with?

yeah, that one.

Here's the first batch from it, a whole bunch of rings, including watch movements, watch faces, vintage buttons, compasses and even a typewriter key or 2...

and here's a bracelet and a necklace. 

I think it's a solid start... more to come!

Let's check in at the Gallery!

 The Gallery went fantastic in December!!

So Dina at Five Monkeys, Inc  moved stuff around and took out the empties and condensed my display to just 1 side of the table... but don't worry that still leaves wonderful options if you are looking for my jewelry!!

Under the Sea (more details in this blog post) and King of the world!
 here are the empty displays -

 and here is my chainmaile, still going strong...

But you know the gallery just isn't my stuff, it's 50 + Iowa only artists... so it's worth stopping by... across the street from Roosevelt High School located at 4211 Chamberlain Dr Des Moines, IA 50312.  Not only is there beyond cool art, but Dina keeps the place lively by having classes and special events all the time.. you can check out the schedule here  .  Five Monkeys is not just a gallery but a local resource. 

Starting pile for 2018 -- HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is my starting pile for making jewelry in 2018.  Oh I probably won't use all of it ( though wouldn't that be nifty!) and I'll probably add to it as I get interested in new projects.. but I spent Friday night in the studio going through all my little trays of stuff to play with, and most of the unsorted piles that accumulate from new buys or stuff I just didn't have the heart to put away... and anything that caught my eye, that made me go "hmmm" or just got my fingers to tingle, they went into this pile.

Note, Jerry got the Sax taken apart and a bunch of sax pieces are in this pile, as well as sewing machines, adding machines vintage jewelry  bits, and all kinds of brass stampings.

Don't forget watch and clock parts... it's all in there, and I really can't wait to get started on it!  Actually I didn't.. Saturday I picked out stuff for rings, and added more ring stuff, and I'm working on probably 25 rings.  By Monday I plan to have them all done, and I'll dive in my 2018 starter pile again -- I have Both Monday (Happy New Year everyone!) and Tuesday off, so I plan to make decent inroads on my pile.

Enjoy the weekend everyone, and may 2018 be better for all of us - and kinder! than 2017.

next up, 2018!

So Christmas is done, and it was a good one.  I got some fantastic things and I hope I gave some stuff people really wanted. 

Hubby and I passed out some acts of kindness gifts ( just little things to hard working folks during this season, like wait-staff, the pizza delivery gal, etc)

I'm starting to think about my goals for next year... not exactly resolutions cause resolutions just seem to be statements of wish-fulfillment without any actual meat behind it, at least for me.  So I go for goals and break it down into step by steps with actual deadlines.. a much more proactive process than wishing.  Not that wishes aren't important too, but wishing and doing are two very different things.

The other part that's important is to make the goals attainable, and limited in number.  When you try to do too much at once you are setting yourself up for failure.

I've already got 3 ideas for goals for 2018 : start fusing glass again, get back to etching, and play with my new torch.

These are business or artistic goals.  I know I should probably think about personal goals, but I'm so much better meeting business goals than personal goals.   And last few years have been tough... I've taken a beating on emotional and health spectrums,  and lately I just feel tired.  Almost numb sometimes.

So I think I'll just stick to trying to make myself happy.  That means getting enough sleep is more important than washing dishes.  That means putting myself first at least some of the times, instead of everyone else.  That means if I want to read a couple of books each week for down time, that I have that right and it's not a pleasure marred by a self guilt trip.  That means being happy even if some of the people around me are not.  (like most women, I internalize responsibility for everyone's happiness -- a hopeless battle if ever there is one) 

On the home front, it looks like (finger's crossed) this summer might be the summer to redo the kitchen.  I might have my very own real live full size oven again for the first time in maybe 10 years?  I'm almost afraid to hope -- but with 2 incomes again, it's a strong possibility. 

So that's it for me.   Happy new years! 

My studio has new stairs!!!

I just had to share this amazing transformation!!! My studio is in my attic at home, and the attic stairs are almost 100 years old -- and they have seen better days.  It was getting to the point I didn't feel safe going up anymore... and coming down?? I had to be soooo careful. 

Now that we are a 2 paycheck family again, it was time to finally get them fixed... so I have a all new stairway! wheee!!!!! It feels so stable and rock-like... here I was starting to think all stairs are suppose to dip and shift and move!!

It's like the best Christmas prezzie to myself!!

Getting Ready for Christmas yet?

You know, this weekend I was reallllly hoping to get a good long crack at making jewelry.  Instead I've played taxi for everyone in the house, wash dishes, Christmas shopped, wrapped and planned most of my Christmas giving, baking, etc.  I did make a few pieces of jewelry, but as Christmas gifts.

I have maybe 3 presents left to wrap, and 2 of them haven't been delivered yet.  So I'm feeling pretty good about Christmas.

I've even decorated the house --- sorry but that means I've hung up stockings.  We stopped doing a tree and regular decorations a few years ago because of the cats, and our general laziness.  They just can't keep the tree alone! and with the Kid - basically, really an adult - no one really wants to decorate much.  So I hang up my stockings, put a few Christmas themed nick knacks out and and envy other folks' efforts.

That is until they have to take it down after Christmas, then I feel ever so slightly smug cause it takes me 5 minutes to undo the decorations, instead of 5 hours.

Because Christmas is really about what's going on inside the heart, not what's on your hearth.  Right?

Then again, if I ever win the lottery, I'll go full out Christmas decorations -- and hire people to help take it down.

So maybe next weekend I'll finally get some jewelry made up, before I need to gear up for cookies and candy making.

I want to get back to glass..... and!

Here is a recent necklace I made using a fused glass piece I made a couple of years ago.  I added sort of a fairy garden motif... bees, butterfly, flowers and a fairy of course... and I I believe this is already gone as well ( yeah, I know, when will Kat get new pics up???? )

When I made this piece I thought about how small my pile of fused glass is, and how I say every winter I'm gonna get back to that!!   I had so much fun making all the cabs that I'm almost out of now!!

So I am making this a resolution.. who says you have to wait til new years right?

Course we are almost up to Christmas and I hurt my hand so right now I can't really make stuff ( seriously don't ask.. I just want to know how I managed to hurt myself and all the strange ways that I do)  So it will probably be in January before I can get to making glass again. 

But it's on my list!!   I have a small list of stuff I want to explore on this winter break, and once I get past the holiday season I'm gonna do it. 

So expect glass in the future........ again!  I also want to get back to etching, which I 've not done in a year at least.  And I  got a new torch this Summer.  It's smaller, lighter weight and not as smelly, so I want to play with it.  I'm hoping less smoke/stink and it won't effect my asthma as much.  Not sure I'll get back to silversmithing or anything, I just want the torch as an option again when it's warranted  - and you can do such cool patina effects with a proper torch! 

I have a couple of other things I want to play with, but 3 goals is probably a good start. 

it's time for a fish story.....

 First let me say this piece is already sold.. I'm still trying to catch up on my pictures from the summer and I'm almost there.

But I wanted to share this piece cause I loved making it, and I'm sure the person who "caught" this fish loves it too!

I called it "swimming with the fishes" .  The back plate ( see below) is from a old pocket watch. Some pocket watches come with an extra inner cover, to protect the watch movement.  This inner cover came in a big mix lot of stuff, and only the this piece from this watch.... I love it anytime you get such detail and words on a piece! I basically used this as a bezel to build off of.  I was playing around with the round brass stamping, and put the fish over it.. and it made me think of a porthole on a ship.

 I dug around and found a cookie tin with nautical scenes on it.  One of the ships from the tin fit perfectly in the porthole.  I even put glass in it, to create the underwater porthole effect that much more.  I love that it looks like the fish is looking in on the ship, and I imagine the passengers are looking out at the fish .  fun fun fun! 

I'm sad today

Vintage jewelry pieces reused into a new bracelet and matching earrings 

It's a Saturday Morning sliding into noon, so I'm working on breakfast and while I wait for a few minutes before it needs attention again, I figure I'll start on the weekly bills.   I'm already feeling pissed listening to CNN and that they passed the tax bill, also known as the betrayal of the poor, though why we should be surprised?   Considering who our Prez is, why should anyone who has less than a million think we will get a fair shake right now?

In the bills is the the annual License for the cats.  In Des Moines you have to pay to have pets.. and of course on the form is Jupiter. 

All my anger is now just a knot of sad.  I really miss Jup.  I miss him politely waiting his share of my dinner.  I miss his good morning pets while I try to clean up and brush my teeth.  I miss his bone shaking purr.  I miss his good cheer and calm.  He was such a calm kitty. 

I wrote on the form that he's passed away.

I burned my biscuits writing this blog.

I hope everyone else is in a better mood today.