Purple Heart Day

      Today, my daughter and the grandson went to the Farmer's Market downtown, to find some organic vegetables. I bought a gorgeous cantaloupe, which I had to cut in half and have a bite of at lunch today. And some local honey, from this area of Louisiana. I'm hoping it will help with my newly acquired allergies. The Farmer's Market was in the parking lot of the Museum of Modern Art, but the museum wasn't open yet. Oh, well, maybe next trip. After we got home and unloaded all the goodies we bought, I went to the studio and got busy finishing some pieces that have been in the works for a while.

     The purple heart in this photo is spoken for. A sweet little girl saw one of my hearts, a coral colored one that I wear, and asked me to make her a necklace for her birthday. She told me that her favorite color isn't pink any more - it's purple. So I will be making up a necklace for her to wear, and I hope she likes it!

Opera Fan Keepsake

     This is another experimental piece. I made the oriental fan and hand painted it. But I couldn't decide what to do with it. I put some sheet music behind it, added a tiny, hand painted vintage looking button in the corner, and put it between thin pieces of glass. The cornucopia bowl of fruit at the bottom is hand cast in pewter. 

     It looks like a metal shadow box, with several loops at the bottom where shiny crystals could be hung. 
     Or, if I can figure out the setting for the orange-red fused glass faux gem, it would look great with the japanese fan's color!
     The other shadowboxes I made earlier didn't have glass on the top, they were open. This one is glassed in on both front and back. 
     I like combining the resin, pewter, glass and solder to make something that looks really ancient.

     I'm back from my travels, I had a great time visiting. It was a long time in the car for the kids. But they were real troopers! I took a few days off this week from the day job to get caught up at the studio. It's such a luxury to spend all day at the studio, getting covered in dust, paint and glue!

     I found a small medallion in the shape of a crown, and took a mold from it so I could make some earring charms. The original didn't have any holes in it, but I put a hole top and bottom. So I can hang a pretty pearl, and put in earwires.

      I also made this replica cameo, with an image that originally graced the front of an antique metal button. I put it into the reproduced optical lens bezel, to give it a very vintage look. I think it looks like a french court lady-in-waiting or something romantic like that.
     I'm headed back over to the studio to finish some more bezels. No, I didn't forget the giveaway - I promise to pay attention to that soon!

Easter Egg Pendants

      If I ever wonder what inspires me, I just have to look at the recent batch of pendants I just finished today, on Easter Day. We didn't color any eggs at my house this year. But just look at these nests with green or blue eggs in them. 

      The bezel is new, too. This one is smaller than the one that holds the 1 1/2" rounds. It has a nice texture to it, and has narrow sides. I needed a slightly smaller bezel to hold some of the resin I've been creating with a smaller diameter circle. 

     The other thing that's new is my new etching point for my dremel, that allows me to sign and date the backs of the bezel pendants. I like the personalization of it. 
     Here's hoping your holiday weekend was enjoyable, with family, festivities and feasts galore!

Butterfly Bonanza

     I always thought it must have been a wonderful time, back before the turn of the century, when the gentlemen had their naturalist collections of butterflies and plants. I wanted these pendants to have the look of butterflies under glass, like those old collections in glass display cases.

      No butterflies were harmed in the creation of these pendants! I made up another new bezel shape, very industrial and simple, with a brushed metal front and a copper-bronze patina, to give them the feeling of age and a rustic look.

     The trick is getting the butterflies the right size to fit well in the pendant, some of the ones I like the best are too large with their wingspan, to capture all of their beauty in the oval shape. I may have to make some that are round, and see if they will fit and show up that way.
     I left the coppery-bronze patina with some darkened spots, hopefully to give a look of great age and wear. I'm enjoying these new bezels!
     SEE THE POLL in the left sidebar? Please vote for your favorite Etsy styles, so I know what you like best, and I can make more of those! The Poll closes the middle of April - but don't wait, go ahead and vote now ... and thanks!

Bark and Leaf Buttons

Another button. This one's color reminds me of mahogany.

Or Autumn leaves.

This one has a wood grain to it.

I made it a two-loop connector.

All the buttons are in the Etsy shop.

In case you'd like to play with them.

Baby Blue Button

I picked up a jar of old buttons at a flea market.

I couldn't decide how to use them.

To start off, I made some of them into little charms, with a loop at the top.

And a dark metal finish.

This one is very quaint, with its baby blue color.

Reminds me of spring.

It's Not Brass, But The Brass Color Is There

I learned a while back how to get a bronze-looking finish on the pewter.

And how to enhance the coppery tones, and make it look like cast copper.

But I hadn't made a look that was like brass tones.

I've been using brass wire lately, to give a golden look to the rosary wire wrap necklace chains, using my hand dyed costume pearls.

I wanted to give this festive, ornate centerpiece a brass-toned look.

I think I'm there.

I do love color. And color WITH metal, even better.

Color With Metal

I love working with the cast pewter.

Sometimes, to add some color, I combine it with the cast resin cabochons.

Or make a centerpiece of polymer clay, to give the metal some bright color. Like the red heart in the previous post, that was handpainted and added to a pewter bezel.

But I've long wanted to re-create the look of enameled metal, the shiny, luminous colors.

I have been playing around with ways to get that look.

I think I'm there.

This replica of a french medal has a ruby, luminous border around it.

The texture of the leaves shows through, and it reflects the light back for an inner glowing look.

Just like the real enamels do. 

Neon Brights Soft

I bought some yarn, it was on sale. It's still silly, like a shoemaker buying shoes, I have a lot of yarn already. But I wanted some bright colors, not in wool, and I wanted to be unafraid to mix it up and cut it when I needed to.

To make these fun granny square flowers.

I don't know yet what they'll turn into when they're done. I made these four last nght, as a test.

I think I'll do the traditional thing, and frame and join them together with a black border. Not sure what order, and how the colors will repeat and come together in new ways. Color is so grand!

I don't know if they're headed to be a front for a little girl sweater.

Or maybe a design on a backpack knitted for little shoulders.

I liked the old-fashioned granny square design, very nostalgic. Combined with the bright neon colors, to give them a little up-to-date punch.

When the weather starts to get cooler, I find myself turning more toward knitting and crochet.

I don't think I could ever do it fast enough to make sense to sell it, but it's a nice thing to keep my fingers busy on a cool, dark fall evening. The soft yarn, the bright colors, and the rythmic movement of my hands with the crochet hook. Very soothing, after a long, long day at the day job.

Maybe I'll make some knitting stitch markers or crochet row markers for the Etsy shop. I already make them and use them myself. 

Maybe someone else would enjoy having and using them in their handwork, already also working the soft fibers into fabric, with the holidays coming up.

Treasures in Teal

My new pewter key found its way into this pretty Treasury on Etsy called "Pewter and Teal" - I really like the choices and the different textures.

I'm a fiber person at heart, I wish I had time for more knitting and stitching. Aren't the colors lovely?

It isn't often that I want EVERYTHING out of a Treasury's photos, but this is one of those times.

Denim Blues

I've used this setting before with rhinestones in the round part, to give it some bling.

While I was painting the faux handpainted porcelain stones, I thought I'd try one with a blue tint with this setting.

I like how it turned out, I think it would be nice with jeans and a denim jacket, sort of casual dressy.

This one has the same sort of dark blue color, set in an oval bezel. My daughter says this one is her favorite. Her birthday is coming up soon, hmmmm....

I'm having a good time, combining the metal tones with painting the colors.

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My hubby, the in-house tech support, got my personal (and very old) laptop connected to the internet here at the house now.

So that I'll be able to read your emails, browse blogs and keep in touch more easily.

He keeps all the electronics purring around here!  (Oops! He installed a new driver and it broke the internet access to the laptop ... hope it gets fixed eventually, oh well)

The studio doesn't have telephone, cable or any TV reception, and no internet.
Is it a wonder I get so much done when I'm over there? You'd be surprised how much time the computer can eat up!

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Oh, and today is my turn to do Studio Saturday on the Art Bead Scene Blog - there's a giveaway if you respond to the post comments! Pop over and check it out ...

Two Moons Time

When I'm over at the studio, working on something, I enter some kind of a zone. I lose track of time, and whether I've eaten that day. I listen to music on the stereo - I load up six CDs in the changer and that gives me six hours of music. Sometimes I don't realize six hours has gone by until the music stops.

Then I blink, and look around. It's almost like I've been in a time bubble.

And I re-enter the regular timeflow.

These little moon face pendants have been requested lately. I enjoy making them, they look so peaceful.

They make me feel that way when I work on them.

I hope they make the wearers feel that way, too.

Very ZEN.

Three Hearts

Next spring, I want to plan flowers around the house. Maybe a rose bush, too.

The old house was vacant for a long time before the renovators fixed it up. It has lovely trees in the yard, and azaleas. But no flowering annuals. And it's too late this year to get that started.

I want to plant marigolds and zinnias. Maybe some four o'clocks and morning glories.

That could be what's inspiring this new set of faux porcelain handpainted hearts.

I've got the old time flowers in my head, dreaming about next spring. And they're coming out into these floral designs.

My grandmother's yard always had climbing roses and honeysuckle. She had to trim them a lot to keep them under control. I grew up in North Texas, near the Oklahoma border, it's not that far north of where I am  now.

She also had canna lily plants. I will have to see if I can find some, to start out in the yard. Maybe they can go in this fall so they're ready next summer.

This pattern reminds me of colorful shasta daisy flowers.

But maybe it's a marigold bloom, golden orange color. If I can't grow them this year, I'll make my own with paint!

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Just a mention here of something I hope you never need to know.
When you set up your Etsy shop you provide an email address.
If you ever have to change it, because for example you are MOVING and your old existing one won't be there any more - Watch Out!

There is more than one place where your email address gets entered on Etsy.

Do not, repeat, do NOT, let your Etsy billing email and your PayPal email address get out of synch.

I accidently did. And I'm very, very sorry.

I think it's fixed now. I thought that just changing my mailing address and my email address in one place would change it across the site, but it doesn't.

For your payment options, there's another place with an email address.

Since it's been a several-day learning experience, with emails to Etsy support and hand generated invoices from PayPal, I thought I'd share this with you.

(And YES - once I found the place where I needed to change the email for the billing address I did see the big red warning not to let them get out of synch!

But if I had seen the warning I would have been in the right place to change it in the first place, LOL.)

This has been an Etsy - PayPal Public Service Announcement.
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Oh, and PLEASE don't let this hold you back you if you are wanting to order something. I promise I'll get this worked out as quickly as possible.

The beads and clasps really want to go home with you, for sure!

Three Drops

In packing and unpacking, you run across things you keep but have forgotten.

I have a small porcelain shell stickpin, it was handpainted by a friend years ago, when I lived in Fort Worth.

She also did watercolors. I don't know if she still lives there, I lost touch with her. But I still have the memories and the pin she painted.

I love the look of the dainty porcelain painting, so I decided to see if I could reproduce the look in polymer clay.

I made these three small round pendants.

I want to make a matched pair of the smallest ones, for earrings.

Wouldn't they look dainty and very vintage?

I got almost exactly the worn and feminine look I was trying to reproduce.

I think with more practice I will be able to do other flowers.

Bluebonnets or cornflowers, maybe.

It's too late in the year to plant zinnias here, but maybe I can paint some instead.

Combined with the round pewter drop setting, I think they look sweet.

I want to make some more that are hairpins, and maybe barrettes too!

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Speaking of finding things, yesterday I opened the dremel case looking for a tool, and guess what I found?

The third leg to the soldering tripod!

I just KNEW that I put it somewhere safe ...

Thank goodness I found it, it was starting to bug me that it was missing.

The constant reminder of the lopsided tripod, racking my brain for clues.

Sailing Ships and Sealing Wax

I found some more glass supplies in a box, one of the things inside is a jar of something called "Tacky Wax." It's used for attaching copper foiled stained glass projects that are 3-D to their support so you can solder them in shape.

Things like round lampshades and circular candleholders.

I must have sailing and navigation on my mind, I created these two nautical themed focals.

With the compass rose design in the center.

I wanted them to look very authentic like they came off a shipwreck somewhere.

One square, one round.


Little compass roses.

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This is the first weekend (since long, long before the packing and relocation project started!) that I've had a weekend without working on something.

Since in Saint Louis I was working a regular 9-to-5 day job, I only had evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday to be in the studio, to be creative.

Last week, I worked in the studio at least 9-to-5 every day.

It's been very nice to relax a bit today, take a day just for myself.
The church bells on the Methodist Church next door are ringing.

There are lots of sounds that I'm learning in my new home.
The sounds of the train whistles, as they pass through town.
The sound of the cicadas in the trees, buzzing their hot weather song.
The sound of tree frogs, croaking in rythmn.

It's a big change for me, from the big city to a small town.
I'm adjusting, and loving the changes.

Now I'm going to sit on the front porch with a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal and enjoy the cool morning air.

Tomorrow, I'll go back to the studio and keep creating.

Pink Wheat

I made it through the week! I'm excited at the way things are coming together for me. This three-way connector reminds me of carved wood, with the wheat and floral design. Very sweet color and feeling, sort of feminine.

On Tuesday evening we had the grandbaby and her sweet mother over for dinner, something quick and simple but the first time we'd shared a meal in the house.

I have been creating every day, trying to get back into the swing of things.

I want to make some fused glass faux gems, and if it stays hot like this, I'll take the box of shredded paper we saved from the move for padding and use it to create sheets of handmade recycled paper.

It would feel good to be all wet and sloppy, making paper.

There's no neat and clean way to do it. I may even take a folding table out in the yard and just let everything splash everywhere.

There's nothing like a hot summer day to make being wet and sloppy feel wonderful.

Later I'll take some more photos of the semi-complete studio.

Still a few boxes to finish unpacking - don't tell!

Hummingbird Peaches

We bought some ripe peaches this week, I had one with breakfast. With toast made with home baked french bread.

It was ripe and sweet. The color of the inside reminded me of the background of this bird focal bead.

A little bird, in mid-flight. With flowers and leaves in the pewter, with a coppery-bronze patina on them.

I think it's the right time of year for cobbler, blackberry or peach. Don't you?

I'll have to dig out the recipe for the crust and make some this weekend.

With homemade vanilla ice cream on top?

YUM! Summertime goodies.

Florals for Midsummer

I guess I'm influenced by all the color and the old houses nearby. I hand colored these two focals to look like something from a french piece of furniture, like the knobs and ornaments on feminine beds and cabinets.

One has a yellow background and the other is a pink-purple color, and both look very worn and old.

I found the polymer clay and most of the tools. The things I'm still missing are odd. Like toothpicks, I use them for stirring things.

I'm sure I've seen them, I just haven't been able to come up with the box yet. Maybe it's time for a new box. They're not expensive. I just have to remember to get them.

What else is missing? Some of my glass tools. I'm sure I put them in a safe place. And they'll show up eventually.

And some of my metalworking tools. Nothing big and important, just small ones that I use sometimes.

And the third leg for the soldering tripod. I took it off so it would fit in the box better. Now I have a two-legged tripod.

Send some "finding" vibes my way ...

This is one of the most annoying parts of moving.

And there are a lot of annoying things about moving!

Do you like the new little colors and shapes?

Little Houses - Special Sale

To celebrate the house and studio relocation - I put the little houses in the ExpeditionD Etsy shop on SALE!

They are summery colors and patterns.

I heart you all!