CocoaDreams Aprons Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

CocoaDreams Aprons Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Bead Shelf

I continue to work my way through Mary Hettmansperger's book Wrap Stitch Rivet. This is my next piece for the challenge, the bead shelf. I find i really practiced a lot of new techniques for this one. Not only was this my first time working with self-annealed metal, it was also the first time i had succesfully drawn beads on a wire. The top of each dangle there has a bead on the wire.

Now i need to get my butt in gear, and get pictures taken before Deryn Mentock's challenge to work through the book is over, for i've also finished the mixed metal pendant that comes next, and also the pea pod project.

Burried treasure collaboration

*** This post is my submission for the 'Buried Treasure' collaborative project posted by Seth at The Altered Page. I am sorry that it is a day late :s. The object of this is to look back and re:post one of your favourite old entries. I really liked this one because not only did I show pictures of projects i was working on, i discussed two books i had been reading as well. Hope everyone has a fantastic day!***

Books! (the title of the post)

For Christmas, my boyfriend and I each picked out out own presents off amazon. He himself is quite the bibliophile, and I really wanted a couple of books. I got myself Mary Hettmansperger's book 'Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet' and Susan Lenart Kazmer's 'Making Connections: A Handbook of Cold Joins for Jewlers and Mixed-Media Artists'.

I would highly recomend either one of these books, as I am immensely enjoying the both of them. I am loving the ideas and style of Susan's book. It is very found-object focused with STUNNING pictures of projects she has created. Turning bottle caps into bezels, how to create funky trapezes to dangle objects from, pictures of mini-lightbulbs with little paper messages inside... what's not to love? I just wish I had been able to take my 'found object' art supplies with me here to Seoul. I have a whole bunch of stuff sitting in Canada that would be great for this kind of thing but i had to leave my stash behind (but safely tucked away in storage!).

I also am loving the project based aproach in Mary's book. There are many techniques discussed at the beginning of the book and then it turns to project creation. I unfortunately lack many of the tools needed for both books. I sadly still don't have an anvil, a dapping block, or a torch :(. Give me time... and a good hardware store... Mary seems to have a strong following for her book, as I have seen many of these projects being discussed on blogs and such. I am looking forward to getting started, but am still in the material and idea gathering phase for her first project of a 'spinner necklace'.

However, I have created a couple necklaces that use ideas discussed in the technique sections. Mary's book discusses how to create these swirls and pound them flat. Lacking an anvil, i am ashamed to admit i have been using a hard ruler and a towel.... sigh. However, the wire was fairly soft and it worked fairly well for this! This necklace was created while practicing how to make these fun swirls discussed in her book.

ATCs for trading!

I've been working, and created a couple atcs for trading. I have a trade for a couple of them pending, but if anyone else wants to trade these are some that are available right now. Just leave me a quick comment saying which you'd be interested in, or that you're looking to trade :)

Gathering ideas...

I say to my honey... "I say ethereal, you say..." He answers "Elves". Hunh. I guess it should be expected when i ask someone who plays D & D?

I'm thinking about a weekly fun challenge i am entereing with the theme word of 'ethereal'. Deciding on some ideas of what to do for this. I don't think I will go the 'elves' direction, as it is not quite what i'm looking for. More of a 'moonlight', selene style i think. Thin looping chain and white stone? We will see.

What do you think of when you think of ethereal?

Giveaway!!! Earings for 4000 posts!

Hey there everybody.

So, I took a peek at my blog ticker, and I see that i'm almost at 4000 hits! When'd that happen??? Wow. Very exciting :).

I had posted these earings previously, as part of my entry to Derryn Mentock's challenge to do Mary Hattmansperger's book, but i myself do not have pierced ears. It's strage, i'm a jewelry artist who can't wear some of the jewelry she makes hahha. It's just something i never got around to doing i guess?

I decided to celebrate the 4000 hits with a giveaway. Leave me a quick comment here, and i'll pick a number for the winner... standard blog giveaway style. Don't forget to make sure there is a way I can contact you!


By the way, speaking of giveaways, i just discovered a new blog that has some rather pretty stuff... Sweet Bead Studios had a web redesign, and is giving away some jewelry with some pretty sweet embossed metal, and a embossing hammer. My fingers are so crossed for the hammer!! Check it out here http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com/.

Hand chain

Inspired by the lovely steampunk jewelry of Melanie Brooks, i have created a 'slave chain'. A slave chain is both a bracelet and a ring combined into one, with chains across the back of the hand. I really am pleased with how this came out.






The challenge at Green Pepper Press right now is to "Make it Your Own'. I really liked this idea for a challenge, as i feel it is so accessible to everyone and open for interpretation. This is my submission for the challenge. I was inspired by the basic shape of Melanie's Clockwork Scarab Slave Chain (seen here) and created a slave chain of my own. While both of these are in the general steampunk style (hers especially), hers goes deeper into the genre while mine is more of a feminine style.

It was relatively simple to create the basic shape. Chain around the wrist with a closure, brass filigree on the wrist, piece on the middle of the hand, thin long filigree wrapped around the middle finger... the concept is very open. It is then open for you to create the theme, colours, and style that you want using the basic ideas.

Anyone else made some of these before? I'd love to see other ideas.