I've switched to necklaces from now on....

Hello all ! So my art destination has headed into the world of jewelry, not surprising as I do enjoy a good necklace every now and again.
Say adieu to my paintings, my aceos, my mish mash of other artistic renderings, I'm sticking with jewelry from now on and lately my creations have gone Industrial Steampunk woohoo !

Here's my latest which still awaits some 'flowers' of a sort and other bits ands bobs:

This piece took me over 5 hours and most of that time was trying to figure out how to keep the bullet shell from moving about. I guess you could say I work in a 'one off' mode, creating as I go along. Ask me later how I made my pieces and I'd probably say "no idea" ! It's as if I'm being guided by something other than my own self.

This pendant will have some sort of steampunky flower grouping, paint, maybe a vintage rhinestone and then some hardware brass ball chain or a mix of chain.

**As of March 31st. I've decided to price my necklaces from $8 to a maximum of $40.00. Pricing my items is always the most difficult for me as I'm sure it is for many other artists. I don't want to get all technical about it, don't want to sit down and price out how much a screw is, how many pennies a dab of glue would cost, etc...I just want people to know they're getting something unique and well made without having to pay half an arm for it. If I start making pieces that use precious jewels & metals, then maybe I'll rethink the prices.

The next pics. show possible future listings. There's a gothic piece made in 2006 which is a brooch but will also be a pendant. The item with the bird is a diorama created inside a plastic screw top box, somehow it will become a necklace. The last pic. is a vintage American Hotel Association pin I found back in the early 80's inside an old metal footlocker of my dad's. The pin may have belonged to one of my parents friends and it may date back to the 60's. My parents thought nothing of the pin so I was able to do my own mixed jewelry art on it and wore it quite often. In the 90's I tired of the poorly thought out design and tossed it into my 'future jewelry creations' box. Now, most of the jewelry mish mash has been removed and I'll be returning it back to it's plain state. For the moment I've not had any 'finished images' pop into my head so I've no idea if it will become a necklace or listed in the vintage shop.

So there you go my friends :) Now off I go to spend my evening playing room escape and point and click computer games, with a little sweet orange muscat dessert wine on the side. Take care ♥

Oh almost forgot, the Nosferatu necklace I made since my last post had to be taken apart boo-hoo ! I had glued the image on to the glass cabochon, it looked fine but when I glued a piece of card over the back of the image to protect it...for some reason Nosferatu took on a green tinge and I could see the printing on the backside of the page showing through his face :( Perhpas if I had sprayed the magazine image with a protective sealant maybe THEN the glue and card would have worked ? Sigh. It was such a neat-o piece too and one that wasn't printed from a website. Live and learn.

Riveting is fun ! Steampunk first attempt followed by Nosferatu....

Who knew that riveting eyelets could be fun. I've started on a new necklace, my first Steampunk creation, a bit nerve racking as one of the included items is a one of a kind item and I really do not want to make any mistake whatsoever. Apart from that, I really am quite enjoying the rivet part of it --now that I know the correct way to install eyelets. Just like Helga from Artchix studio, I too had squashed unhappy eyelets but nevermore ! Here is Helga's post which I hope will help you become a happy riveter too:
How to set an eyelet

Annnndddd here are some photos of my Steampunk attempt:

After I had cut the brass around the Skywaymen image, I realised I'd cut too close to the wings and left little room for jump rings, so I've glued it to another piece of brass & am first adding the eyelets before cutting around the image again ( and the cut edges will be smoothed ). Hanging below it will be a vintage repurposed brooch which I've attached to an interesting necklace piece, love the gear-like look of the ends.
Back to the eyelets: there are two corner sections on the Skywaymen brass that didn't completely flatten to the back brass so I may add four gold coloured eyelets to each corner and then perhaps glue in some vintage rhinestones ooh la la ! What do you think, maybe some aurora borealis stones, or shimmery yellow rhinestones or how about red to match the lower stone ?
This necklace is intended for my Etsy shop but right now I'm not so sure.

Here is another necklace I do and don't want to list, just waiting for everything to dry first:

Why it's none other than good 'ol Nosferatu ! Actually, it's a Nosferatu mask taken from a monster mask advertisement from a 1993 Fangoria magazine.
I was going to place it inside a silvertone lace bezel but as soon as I placed it inside this beautiful vintage Florenza necklace setting...oh my ! Instant Gothic gorgeousness ;)
Tempting to wear it out just once. Now I wish I'd printed the image instead but we're out of black ink booo !

Is Steampunk and horror where my art path is taking me ? It's a lot more fun than flowery things.

Sneak peek at fresh pendants with a vintage touch

Yay, I'm slowly getting some fresh new pendants created, finally. My vintage shop was taking over there for a bit while my art shop was gathering dust.

This pendant was the first made, using a pink and white flowered plastic surround ( purchased from MimiLoLo ) . The white was painted black with black glitter, I drilled a hole for a jump ring instead of a bail & finished it with 6 dark pink rhinestones. Printed images were collaged onto the glass cabochon, love the Eiffel Tower ! BUT...and this is where I get really picky...if you look closely you can see the Eiffel image is not straight and there's dried glue around the image. It's the image not being straight that bothers me the most, so maybe I'll still list the necklace but as one of those 'OOPS' items that's been discounted ? It bothers me THAT much yet it's too nice to take apart. We'll see.

Now this pendant is one of my favorites. I'm calling it 'Foreign Object in Eye' because the image came directly from a 1959 St.John Ambulance course book & shows a person putting a matchstick over the eye & then rolling the lid up, to get to the foreign object. Kinda different but hey, I'm kinda different too & think oddball items like this are fun. So, am I being picky about THIS pendant ? Ummmmm, it looks great left as it is but I'm wondering if I should attach a lobster clasp to the ballchain. It's a 24" chain, slips on/off the head but opening the ballchain can be a little difficult because of it being the tiny 1.5mm chain. Like I wrote above -- We'll see :)

And finally is this neat-o piece. 'Skywaymen' was taken directly from a 1930's Boy's Own Paper book ( B.O.P's 'The Skywaymen' was some group you could join to become a remote control pilot ) and decoupaged on to a piece of brass which I hand cut & etched with my dremel. That's all I've done so far. The brass edges will need to be smoothed down. It will become a necklace but it needs some bits attached to it, maybe some gears dangling below ? I don't want to go overboard but it's definately calling for more of something. Rivets would look cool  but they'd have to be teeny-tiny ones which I don't have, Hmmmm, I could glue it onto another piece of brass and then rivet the fresh brass ? Can't wait to see how this turns out.

My version of adding a lobster clasp to a ball chain

Hello all :)

So today I received my package of 50 pretty and petite coloured ball chains from the fabulous shop: Annie Howes on Etsy, woohoo !!

Now because I have never used such tiny ball chains, it took me awhile to attach some of the loose ball chain ends to their chain clasps but I did it. Then I was thinking that maybe not everyone will be able to attach the tiny end, so I decided to improvise and see if I could attach a lobster clasp using what I had in my jewelry chain accessories box.
There was a wee bag of those silvertone suede closures, the kind where you dab glue on the ends of the suede cording and then, with pliers, squish the closures around the cording, wait to dry and then add the junp rings. So I took two of the closures, removed the original ball chain clasp and proceeded to squish the closures around the ball chain ends ( I laid the closure on the table & placed the chain end inside, then carefully grabbed the closure with my pliers and squeezed ). Now I did squeeze a bit more than had I been using the regular sized ball chain, so the closures aren't perfect looking BUT with the addition of jump rings and a silver plated lobster clasp, I think it looks okay :)

I just need to tweak the closures a bit so they look a little less squashed-looking. It's a good start.

Here's the bag 'o ball chains, in colours of pink, copper, silver & blue, all 24" long. Looking forward to adding these to my pendants.



February already ! Vintage and artsy writings.

Goodness time has flown yet again. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas-holiday ? It was nice and quiet here.

So I've been busier with my Etsy vintage shop , finally getting a move on and making a serious effort to list at least twice a week. It's very enjoyable going through my parents treasures ( the non-sentimental ones of course ) and then searching online for extra information such as years made, how they were made, value, etc...
Lately I've been listing their Booths Real Old Willow pieces. This is a pattern that, although it is lovely, it has never been a 'wow' pattern to me. I lean more towards Clarice Cliff- art decoish patterns and/or rich chintz with bright flowers and gold, or Japanese lustreware or designs like Blossom Time from Royal Albert. So I have no problem listing the Old Willow pieces and they're usually priced lower than what other sites ask --- just because, I'm like that :)

Here are some upcoming items:

First photo is a large figurine marked 'Unter Weiss Bach' Made in the German Democratic Republic.
My father gave this to mom one Christmas, she fell in love with it ( and I remember making a face when it came out of the box, thankfully my parents didn't see me lol ! ). This is not an item I would ever display, it's too gaudy and dust-collectory for my taste but I know there are many others who would LOVE to have it. So I've been researching and found a few similar pieces. My piece does have lace breakage though, in the front. See those two large flowers on her dress ? They were once earrings. My mom decided to remove the backings and glue them onto the broken lace. They kinda work don't you think ? Alas, a bit more lace broke off, to the left of the earrings. It's still a lovely piece and once I've found the right box, figured the correct shipping, took the right photos & picked a good price, it too will be in the vintage shop.
The second photo is of two vintage candle holders. I've not yet searched online, there are no maker's marks either. Right now I'm not sure about them. It depends on their value & demand and shipping cost too. If it's going to cost $10 to ship but they're only worth about $5, then I rethink the item and sometimes put it in the thrift shop pile. Maybe that's not the 'professional' way to think ? Oh well.
My mom discovered the thrill of thrift shopping when she retired and became a volunteer at one of our popular thrift stores back in the mid-80's, often bringing home 'stuff'...dust collecting trinkets, etc...I developed the thrill when I realised how many things could be transformed into art creations. I also enjoyed watching people when they found something for next to nothing, the joy in their eyes. That is another reason why I've donated some possible Etsy items to the thrift shop instead. I realise too the people who work there might take them home and resell them, if they can then good on them. It's all meant to be fun. Making money is a very nice bonus too and, yes, I do realise that if I was competitive then there'd be more in the bank but that's just the way I am. When I do make a sale, there's always a quiet word of thanks to my parents --I'm sure their spirits pop in every now and again to lend me a helping hand, especially with decision making.

Okay, now to my art shop . Ahhh my art, a permanent desire, a need to always create, a quiet insanity to find my niche ! Urgh !
So after looking around Etsy, again, I realise that what I need to do is find cohesion with my shop. My art is everywhere and I'm not feeling the love. What I am feeling is the strong desire to settle on the things I most enjoy making and to stick with.
I am doing a much better job of listening to the 'ol gut feeling and this gut tells me to stick with making art pendants. They are small enough to not cost a lot in shipping and I can still pretty much do whatever I want with them without having to upheave my entire art room just to find the right pieces for them, unlike the large altered art creations.
Did I just jinx myself ? Oh I bloody well hope not. It seems every time I find something to stick with....a few weeks later I'm dreaming about creating something totally different and, again, get into an art kerfuffle.
My aim is to create art pendants in a small variety of styles so I don't get bored. So far I've been using wood game tiles and Rummy tiles. Recently I purchased a few flat back glass cabochons and some lace edge bezel settings on which I plan to install paper collages. I want to keep the pendants simple without having to resort to buying bails or making fancy necklaces to go with them --as much as I do like those altered art necklaces and could make my own, they would, for me, create anxiety because I would be spending my time on every small detail, making sure it was perfect, etc...and I just don't need that anymore. That didn't sound right. What I mean is, I'm already creating a pendant which I'll be picky with. The thought of adding some fancy necklace to it will mean even more time being picky and that is mentally tiring. When you get mentally tired you usually end up wanting to move away from the thing that is tiring you. I've done that too many times and I'm tired of it ! No artsy fartsy necklaces but maybe some shiny ballchains, 24" long so they can be thrown over the head.
So, although I have great 'urges' to paint, to make aceo cards, to turn makeup compacts into miniature worlds ( and just as I wrote this I felt the urge again ), etc... I will have to push them aside, at least for awhile and concentrate on my pendants. When I fill my shop with necklaces, keep the backgrounds simple, make it look tidy, then maybe people will actually want to buy them instead of just liking them. Now that would be fantastic :) --but it won't happen while I'm here, so off I go.
Here's a pic. of the glass cabs I just got today from Delish Beads. Free shipping worldwide too, woohoo !!

Have a great day/week/month everyone. I'll do my best to keep you posted -- though, as some of you know, it may be awhile.

Oh, how could I forget: here's another reason why I haven't blogged much....Pinterest ! Oh my is that an addictive site indeed. Really, go check it out and pop on over to my boards too -- Tracy B.
♥♥♥

A fab new site for us artsy fartsy types !

Popping in quick to drop off the link to a great site for artists:

http://handmadeartistsforum.com/  ( I stuck their badge here on my blog, to the right and near the bottom )

I've yet to really look at it but so far I've seen areas to post photos of creations, various forums, selling help and so much more ! Can't wait to grab some quiet time, a hot cup of something and just peruse to my hearts content :)

What I'm Working on Right Now....

Hi everyone ! Always amazes me how time flies by. We've been busy with finishing up the gardening, the Halloween thing, family life, etc... and now here we are in that pre-Christmas, pre-holiday mode, with hot chocolate weather over here, and I'm looking forward to decorating woohoo ! --though I won't start until the beginning of December. I've a decorating project waiting to start, a tabletop thrift shop Christmas tree will be spray painted white, then I'll add some white mini lights and festoon it with lots of bright ball decorations. I got the idea from a recent magazine which showed off some unique trees, their large white tree with the bright ball decorations took my breath away ! Of course it was sitting in a much fancier hallway to add to the breathtaking effect ;) I just liked the look of the tree and will display it in our entryway, I'll take a before and after pic. for you.

So I have a few art projects on the go. For awhile I decided to stop making large altered art items, due to the higher shipping costs. After some time I decided to heck with what the shipping costs and just make what I love, what comes naturally to me. I'm a funny bunny, getting all concerned over shipping instead of thinking that someone might say "oooooh I really like what she's done and really want it ". If other's can list their large art pieces then so can I, so there !

Okay, here are a few shots of upcoming items. The first photos are of a pink plastic heart shaped music box I found in a thrift shop a few years back ( the lid was plain pink, I've since decoupaged the gold & floral paper ) with a cheap light pink felt lining which I've recovered with a real piece of velvet in fuschia.
Since Monday the box has been surrounded in red glitter, pink sequins, pink gel glue, glittered nest with a bird which I handpainted pink ( was orange ), pink blossoms on plastic green stems which I've flocked brown, vintage faux pearls, stars, glitter and more. I'll post the finished box in the next couple of days. It's gloriously gaudy !

The next project is much simpler, using a pretty pink mother of pearl-style cameo pendant around which I've attached pink rhinestones. I'm not yet sure what else I want to add, maybe a lush layer of lace ? We'll see :)

So now I'm off to make a nice cuppa tea. It's a blustery rainy day here, perfect for a big pot of hot vanilla chocolate, popcorn, a cuddly blanket and fun Christmas movies...maybe on the weekend. Until then I need to get these art projects done and find some vintage treasures to list in my vintage shop.

Take care all. I'll be back with shots of the finished projects ~♥~