Monday, March 28, 2011

Sneak Peeks....


I've been hard at it, and loving every minute.  Here are a few pictures of what I've been up to...I should stop and list more regularly, but when the muse is on my back, it's stuck like a monkey and I can't shake it off.  Not that I want to.  When it fades, I simply clean up my messes and it comes screaming back....I've been all over the place working with relics, gemstones, vintage and antiques....so there is no theme here.  Well, birds and flowers I suppose, always a draw for me.  So, here are some pictures and then I am burning oil to get these things listed on ArtFire.  The weather has turned fabulous and little green things are beckoning to me...




So there you are for now, anyway.  I have a few more pairs of earrings I haven't photographed, and am anxious to get back to some bracelets I have on the board.  Blessings to you, thanks for stopping by, until next time!
Lis~

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Trinkety Treasures and Other Excavations

Ooooh, a little gathering of schlockiness....it's been scrubbed and some won't make it to the archives, I wanted to get this quick post out to show you the glory and madness of digging in the dirt.  Yes, all this stuff and more was archaeologically extracted via major digging supplemented by hamburgers and Budweiser, in various ghost towns of Nevada.

Check out that ugly little black animal in the lower right hand corner....
 Solid copper and silver brooch, probably 30's...silly little thing, but it was fun bringing it around again.  It had been in a fire.   So had these...
I have several clock cases to work these things in to, but there is more where it came from, so at some point I can put some lots on ArtFire, in my vintage studio.

If you can be bothered to scroll back up to the first photo, several of these crusty burned up industrial looking things are apparent.   I soaked them for a couple of days, then I torched them to burn off some more crust. Sanding blocks and steel wool, I love the pitting. They're copper plated brass beads, large and heavy.  I think they will be wonderful with some chunky hammer faceted quartz crystals for a bracelet that will also double as a lethal weapon.
Until next time..
Lis~


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...

Thursday, March 10, 2011

There is No Justice

SOLD, Thank you!
for poor photographs.  I lost my daylight and set up the little box...it's just not the same.  I will post a few of the baubles and bits, trinkets and bling that I've been working on....and then a big do over on the morrow.  I'm not being a tease...
Maybe I am getting too picky.

Nope. 
I've been productive, so check back soon...I will get some good daylight and show you what I've been up to!
Blessings,
Lisa