Beatrix Bracelet

'Beatrix' a new tin spangle charm bracelet.

I love this one!
The tin spangles were cut from an old Beatrix Potter cookie tin.
That Swanstrom disc cutter is my best friend.

I meant to photograph it before I cut it up but I got over-excited and just banged it to bits.
This is a picture of the same tin.
It's just someone else's snapshot that I found floating around the interwebs.
Sorry for ganking.

The links and clasp are sterling silver.

The lampwork glass beads are mine.

There are a couple of charms tucked into the mix.

I even made a little sterling nametag for it.
As you can see I am still the worst stamper in the world.

I'll just bet there's a Beatrix Potter lover out there who will get this as a holiday present.

Ok, just one more.

Purple Rocks

"Purple Rocks" - lampwork glass beads, amethyst crystals and sterling silver

For all you bead makers out there who would like the glass recipe.
The beads are made with Effetre light violet, dark violet and Double Helix psyche frit (reduced).

Tweedle dee Deedle de Tweet Tweet

A little glass bird on a vintage brass chain.

I made the hammered brass clasp with some special little beads.
No matter how time ineffective it is, from here on out, I am all done with commercial clasps.

Opening Day of Earring Season

Lampwork glass, strawberries cut from a vintage tin, bronze & sterling silver.

Lampwork glass, vintage tribal amber beads, bronze & sterling silver.

Lampwork glass headpins & copper

Lampwork glass (golden iridescent seeds) & sterling silver

'Fridas' Lampwork glass headpins, rhinestone rondelles, stone skulls and Czech blue glass flower beads.

Zoo Parade

Seneca Park Zoo necklace.

Vintage Seneca Park Zoo souvenir penny, cut mercury dime, freshwater baroque pearl, citrine point, faceted garnet, glass beads, vintage copper chain and sterling silver findings.

It's a squished penny from our local zoo. It's not much of a zoo but the grounds are amazing, I think of it as a beautiful park with some animals. The mercury dime is a Rochester thing - one of the city's most recognizable landmarks is an Art Deco building downtown with a statue of Mercury on top.

I could be the worst stamper in the world, still I like my little sterling silver name tag.

Fridas

Lunch at the studio with some new earrings.

The Necklace Production Line

I did a bead show last weekend and it was great - but now the fun can start.
All the leftover beads can now be made into jewelry for my upcoming holiday shows.
Who doesn't love a delicious mess of leftovers?

Some bits of vintage chain, my glass pendants, a little bit of heavy gauge wire for clasps and some more glass beads.
Snip, snap, wiggle, hammer, hammer, tumble.

Close-up of the clasps I fabricated. One brass, one bronze.

The view through my 'new' magnifier. Wow! Is it helpful. It's a nice old shop piece from an estate sale. A giant magnifying glass with a swivel ball joint attached to a goose neck mounted on a big fancy cast iron base. I love it so much I think I will marry it.

Slag You're It !

A nice 6lb. chunk of slag glass.
It's getting harder and harder to find, which makes it all the more fun when you do score a nice hunk.

In The Best Possible Light

The light was so beautiful today that I had to take a few studio snapshots.

First, my new red chair. She must have six layers of paint (at least).
The tart wooed me at the end of an estate sale with her sad $4 price tag.
I mean seriously, why had no one adopted this sturdy little bentwood chair?

This paint-by-number garbage can is a crucial part of my painting process.
Seriously, you would roll your eyes if you saw how many kleenex get used while I paint.
Wiping brushes, wiping off paint off paintings, wiping off my fingers...

A Pyrex pie plate is my palette of choice.
I buy cheap used ones, they last a month or so before the surface is so gooped up that I toss it.
The black cabinet holds all my oil paints, lovingly sorted by color into individual drawers.

The rubber crickets have followed me from studio to studio for almost 20 years.
Crickets are lucky, right?
I love stupid faux nature.

Rubber rats, they're not just for Halloween.

Momma Said Knock You Out

The absolute best drawing I have seen in ages.

Purple Mercury

A new necklace in progress.
Glass heart, cut Mercury dime, sterling silver and a nice chunk of amethyst.

I procured a whole strand of these beautiful stones at the gem show.  They're just wonderful.

The dime has been cut away in places, a little bit of treasure that I found in a button box at an estate sale. I've had it for years just waiting for the perfect piece to add it to.

Bird Brained

I adore making birds.
I should be making earring pairs, I should be making hearts, I should be making buttons...

Again With the Bangles

A big mess of leather bangles.

These are so much fun to make and wear.

Above, is a super simple one. Just a glass bead and a piece of leather.
Below, a more complicated one with beads and little bits of stuff that moves freely to fidget with.

They look great mixed with other bangles.
I've been wearing mine with some vintage bakelite bracelets.