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"Arsenic and Old Lace"
Maybe not wicked...just a little spooky! My friend, Jean, was kind enough to share her secret source for these lenticular images and the mood struck me, as it often does in autumn, to do something a little creepy and fun....but elegant.
Isn't he a nice looking gentleman?
You'd never guess he has a dark side. I sandwiched him between two pieces of mica. When the focal moves, the image changes from kindly, distinguished gentleman to scary skelly man.
Most of the crystals (including the gorgeous crystal drop below the focal) and pearls are from Objects and Elements, as is the staple bezel holding the image. At the Bead and Button show, O&E met up with a man who had been to the Czech Republic and unearthed a stock of vintage Czech crystal. Believe me, if you like a little sparkle in your work, these crystals are the way to go...such stunning clarity and knock-your-eyes-out shine.
I added a bit of sari silk...something I can't seem to create a piece of jewelry without. I don't even want to try. The texture and colors make me swoonish. (Is that a word? If it's not...it should be.)
Lastly, a tiny, vintage, rhinestone clasp. There's enough sparkle to go around, on this piece. All of those faceted beads you see are from the O&E crystal collection and are some of the nicest I've worked with. In other words, you won't be disappointed if you order them. I have them in each color. I'm listing this gentleman on Etsy in the next few moments and you'll be able to see him on the O&E blog in a few days. I hope his creepy countenance gives you a thrill...
Does anyone recall that term..."make do?" It's such a stranger to many of us.
Back in the day, broken and unwanted items were not merely cast off but repaired, re-purposed and reused.
I imagine a "make do" as a beautiful and valued possession that, even though no longer useful for it's original purpose, was just too treasured to part with, and so, was refurbished into new life and new service.
When I'm on the hunt for antiques and what-not, I actually keep an eye out for items that have been lovingly repaired into "make do" status. I have an affinity for them. I relate them to my very real spiritual condition. Once I was broken and in need of repair. Now, my spiritual status has changed and I've been turned into a new and beautiful creation...useful, wanted, treasured, saved.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17
While my mom was here, we had a thought to create make do pincushions and found this amazing little vase. I also stumbled across a few fragments of ancient crazy quilt; frayed silk paired with worn velvet, held together with decorative hand stitches.
Now my little project has truly acquired that make do character.
And, isn't it sweet to have a new lease on life?
My Winged Things class, set for November 6th, 2010...at my home in Houston...is a go! As I mentioned before, I have VERY limited space so, if you're interested in learning some great jewelry making techniques, in an intimate setting with lots of teacher attention, contact me asap. I only have a couple of spots left. Class will be held from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I'll provide drinks, a box lunch and, guess what, I'll even make my special Dream Cookies (white chocolate...yum!) I will also provide most of the materials needed to complete your Winged Things necklace. If you're worried about tools, contact me...I have a few extras. Here's the class description:
Imagine creating a whimsical, little, winged creature with a sparkling beaded body and beautiful vintage paper wings, to wear around your neck. I’ll show students how to create their own, wire wrapped, winged thing, suitable for use as a pendant. We’ll be working with several different types of wire and I’ll show my tricks for working with steel. Students will wrap, flatten, texture and use a torch to create a heat patina and to ball wire ends. I’ll also demonstrate how to make a strong clasp and wrapped wire ends for a length of silk or rubber cord, from which your creature will flutter.
There really is a lot of technique packed into this class; even more than the brief description I gave, including many things you can use on other jewelry pieces and in other projects. One thing I like to convey in my classes is that my techniques can be transferred to a myriad of other projects...not just jewelry. This class is going to be so much fun! I'm looking forward to having a few of you in my home and so is Miss Maggie...
I have so many pics from my ArtBliss trip and I've only had time to edit a few of them but I'll share what I have. While the retreat was actually in Sterling, Virginia, we were close to Washington DC so, of course, Wife Whisperer and I trekked into the city for a bit of sightseeing. We walked the National Mall (it surely must have been at least 25 miles down and back!) on a rainy, humid day. It was my first time there and, hopefully, not my last as we merely scratched the surface of what there was to see. My very favorite site was the Lincoln Memorial...
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln
"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth." George Washington
My second most inspiring site was the Washington Memorial. These two great and godly men, Washington and Lincoln, helped shape our great country in ways that have been overlooked and just plain forgotten. If you're looking for some fascinating reading on our founding fathers, check out this site...this short book...and this one. I promise, you'll be amazed and surprised!
One of the things I found most intriguing and hilarious was the contrast between the Thomas Jefferson Building, above, and the John Adams Building, below. (Check out this little brochure for an enlightening read on Jefferson's most famous view on "separation of church and state")
At first glance I felt that Adams had been, well...a bit cheated. But, as I pondered this, I felt that these buildings seem to be a direct reflection on the personalities of the men themselves...Adams being more sober, serious and intense to the point of being prickly...Jefferson being more flamboyant and cultured. Jefferson's building is in the front of Adams', whose building is at the very end of the mall. Jefferson's is ornate and gorgeous with an extravagant fountain at the front and gold dome on the top. Adams' is...plain, simple, sensible...much like I imagine the man must have been. I have no idea who designed these buildings or whether this was purposeful but I love the juxtaposition.
Neptune Fountain exterior of the Jefferson Building
Capitol Building
There were many opportunities for artsy photography, including lovely carousel on the Mall in front of the Smithsonian. There was so much to see and, with only one day, it was almost torture having to choose. Next time, WW and I plan on the nighttime Segway tour...won't that be fun.
Life happens and unfortunately, my Winged Things class, set for this weekend in College Station, Tx had to be cancelled. But, I had a brain flash that I'd like to float out to you: I'm thinking of offering this class at my home, here in Houston. I'm looking at a date of November 6th, which is a Saturday. Home classes are something I've always wanted to do but I don't have a lot of room. In fact, I have VERY limited spaces open so it will have to be first come, first served. In fact, a few spots are already spoken for so, if you're interested at all, please let me know right away. If this class does become a go, we'll have a great day. Since it's at my home, I'll be able to provide most of the materials and a lovely box lunch...heck, I might even bake some cookies! Tell me what you think...
Remember these bags I brought back from ArtBliss? Well, it's time to give them away. Reader love! I've got some fun goodies to tuck into the bags. I've been trying to purge my studio, a bit, so I gathered up a few things I bought but never used and a few things I had extras of. Do you ever do that? Just have to have something then never use it? Buy more than one, just in case?
I had a few extra copies of the Feb/March issue Step by Step Wire Jewelry (inside this issue is my Musical Notes earrings article) that I'm sticking into the bags. I also included a few of my Round Top finds. At Clutter, I found these gorgeous mother-of-pearl disks so I slipped a few into the mix. I'd love to see what you do with them...
No treat bag would be complete without a few sparklies...vintage rhinestone buttons, crystal beads, a tiny vintage clasp...
And, just to sweeten the deal and make you really glad you commented on my previous post, I'm throwing in an amazing pewter casting of one of my antique buttons, done by the wonderful and talented Lynn Davis. See it there, in the lower left corner?
So here's to my readers and especially to those of you who take a few extra moments to comment...love, love you! Without further delay, the winners are:
Number 15: Hilary Frye http://fryestyle.blogspot.com/
Number 35: Emanda J. http://www.artemisiastudio.blogspot.com/
Congratulations, girls! Please email me with your addresses and I'll get your winnings to you!
"Mojave" earrings...right there on the cover! Thank you lovely folks at Interweave for featuring my jewelry on the cover of Handcrafted Jewelry. I'm honored and, quite frankly...in love with the color scheme. Also, congrats to my online friend, Barbara Lewis, whose gorgeous, torch fired, enamel beaded necklace graces the cover, as well. Yum!
"Mojave" earrings made with Ice Resin
Ahhhh, my favorite Round Top stop...Clutter. And what a glorious clutter Round Top is!
My mom is visiting from out of town so we buzzed up for a quick look around the market. We only had a day to hunt and, believe me, one day is NOT enough!
We barely scratched one micro corner of a very large surface. Among the many oddities to be found...
...I seem to have fixated on lights.
These were genius...made from industrial mixing whisks and paddles.
Does this one...look familiar?? It's my friend and yours, a washing machine tub.
There was plenty to see and buy and we had a lovely mother/daughter time, going back to our roots. We have a long, long history of antiquing together. Mom taught me everything she knows about the treasure hunt. Here's a view of a bit of what we found...
These beads are amazing! They look like mother-of-pearl but...not...quite. They're green snail. Are they not gorgeous?
Someone's missing their First Communion medal. It's too lovely a thing to be in a box.
Bone needle cases...a terrific find.
A little sneak peek of a top secret project I'm working on right now. Oh, and my favorite girl, poor thing:
Belly up. I found this poor little gal on my deck, yesterday (note her tiny tongue, protruding from her tiny beak.) I think she probably mistook my big window for open sky and bombed into it, miles an hour, then tumbled down dead. She's a ruby throated hummingbird, not much bigger than a large dragonfly. I gently lifted her, her eyes clenched tight...downy feathers softer than soft...hoping she might just be stunned but that was not the case.
When I turned her over, the feathers on her back glowed like iridescent emeralds. And those teeny tiny wings.... I've always coveted those little hummer feathers. I feel certain I could create something amazing with a wing or an itsy bitsy pelt. But now that one seems available...well...how would one go about skinning a hummingbird?
