Saturday, March 19, 2011

A New Focus on Focals

If you've been hanging around here for any length of time you know that the Man and I are junque collectors.  He went  on a dig this last week and brought home some trinkety wonderfulness I'll share after my department has processed them, The Scrubbing and Evaluation Division of the Archival Museum.  I was design pondering focals this last week and started layering bits from scrounges of days gone by, and thought to share a little of this madness.  I soldered some bits to excavated antique furniture hardware.  The solder darkened the rhinestones on the right, but after I studied it awhile, I decided I really like the effect.  I suppose I was lucky they didn't explode.

These are the beginnings of necklaces or bracelets, okay so now moving on to the other two focals I finished and actually listed. 
SOLD!, Thank you so much!
I am getting really fast and efficient with the torches, but still seriously lucky I didn't damage the cameo.  What on earth was I thinking?


An absolutely gorgeous pearl set into chased silver-I soldered it into the center of this antique brass filigree buckle.  Not so lucky, I singed the side of the pearl.  Not a huge deal particularly in this genre of jewelry, and the tiny little singe almost makes you wonder where the pearl has been...I really don't know what I was thinking.

Moving along now....a sweet friend sent me some bullet casings from her target practice, (Thank you Mary dear!!) and I was wanting to play with them a bit. Sawed off bullet casings filled with resin and I must have been feeling a little something when I chose the sentiment....what was I thinking???

The truth is, I was working on these when the disaster hit Japan, and was so very overwhelmed with grief and feelings of helplessness.  I wished and prayed for it all to 


And that's what I was thinking.

Until next time...

6 comments:

  1. Oh no - I absolutely HAVE to have the bullet earrings!

    Don't list them without giving me a *shot* at them first!
    I love them!

    And please tell me that you wear safety glasses when you are soldering near glass! I know you do, but just need to hear it...

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  2. you are just a wild risk-taker aren't you?? clearly, those risks sometimes turn out the most wondrously fine creations.

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  3. Lis,
    You will not believe this...Kingsley and I went on a hike in Tahoe last weekend. On the ground I saw a used bullet and thought to myself: "Cool, If I had two of those I could make a pair of earrings." Is it possible that I read your mind or that you read mine?? So cute they are!!
    Au Revoir,
    ♥Danette

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  4. Really enjoyed seeing your work. Beautiful. Blogs never disappear and so glad that is true...I would have missed your creations! Thank you for sharing your art.

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