Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Challenge of Music


Welcome to the Challenge of Music blog hop
hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz!

We were challenged to find a piece of instrumental music that spoke to our soul. The goal was to find a piece without any choral accompaniment, so that we had the freedom to interpret the colors, textures, shapes, movements or images that it evokes.

I knew immediately that I wanted to use


This song has always been one of my favorites. Even back in the 80's when I was sporting a paper white mohawk and dancing to imported industrial vinyl, it spoke to me.

It makes me think of New York and Chicago in the 1920's when steel was king and we were a hopeful, industrious nation. 

My goal with this piece was to give it a retro industrial art deco kind of feel. I love to work with steel wire so I fashioned steel beams that are connected by copper rivets. These rivets allow the rigid steel beams to have movement. I chose to frame a beautiful vintage Russian stamp that has an amazing industrial deco image from 1970. The pendant is allowed to move across its' beam via a bail crafted from a link of steel bicycle chain.

close~ up of pendant

When I was two years old my Mom, Dad, Grandmother (aka Great-mother!) and I drove to New York for the 1964 World's Fair. I have a few remembrances of this trip to New York. I remember the elevated train tracks in Brooklyn (apparently, we got lost), the Ford Magic Skyway and the Unisphere. So, it seemed appropriate to add a vintage teal carnival token to the back of the pendant.

close-up of the back ~ a vintage carnival ticket

The necklace is finished with linked chain and a clasp that are
hand-crafted from steel and copper wire.

I can't wait to see & hear what inspires everyone else!


































***Pam Farren***






 
 
 
Images & Text © re-maker
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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Ingredients for My Soup!

I have been served a delicious soup by

The goal of a Lori Anderson Bead Soup Blog Party is to partner participants and challenge them to work with materials they normally would not. I have been good and truly challenged.

My soup contains:

An Art Deco Focal Bead made by Amber
An Amazing Polymer & Swarovski also made by Amber
Vintage Crystal Channels
Rhinestone Barbells & Rondelles
Whirlwind Cut Silver Beads
Austian Crystal Settings
Beautiful Crystal & Glass Beads
Sunny Yellow Cane Beads
Something Blue Beads
A Silver Rhinestone Toggle
and
A Magnetic Rhinestone Clasp

Wowza!
You'll have to wait and see what I make
from these very cool soup ingredients on March 30, 2013.




Images & Text © re-maker
All rights reserved.


Friday, February 22, 2013

Lucky Charms



Ornamentea is once again hosting their Lucky Charm Swap.

I finally got my act together and've sent my charms merrily on their way. This year I decided to make faux vintage stencil charms...


I love vintage stencils, but they're ususally too big for the jewelry that I like to make. So, I made a template and cut my own!

Step one... pierce the brass

Once all of the number details are pierced from the brass sheet they get cut apart, and then the real work begins. Filing, shaping, sanding, tube rivets, patina, tumbling and making jump rings...



Hand~cut Stencil Charm No. 4

...but look at how great they look once they're done!

Charm No. 3 and Charm No. 4 are available in the shop today
with more on the way. If there are letters or numbers you'd like to make your very own just send me a note.



Images & Text © re-maker 
All rights reserved.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Be My Lucky Valentine...


Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is the day to let randomizer select a winner for my

And the winner* is...



Congratulations!
Please contact me by Monday February 18th**
so I can send your Winter Berries on their merry way.



Images & Text © re-maker or Randomizer
All rights reserved.

* How the winner was selected... There were a couple of entries that made a single comment, but performed actions to gain them multiple entries (ie left a comment and followed the blog).
These posts were given multiple entries.

** If I do not hear from the winner by midnight Monday February 18th
a new winner will be selected via Randomizer.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Spooning...

Outlandish Toggle ~ Pattern No. 97

I received the greatest compliment the other day.
A new someone visited my blog and found the post for an
Alice in Wonderland Challenge. She sent me a message to say she thought my necklace, Off with Her Head!, was extraordinary (extraodinary, really!) and wondered if it was for sale?

Off wih Her Head!

I'm very happy to say that I sold the piece at a show last summer to a woman that was over the moon to make it her own. But, I was also happy to tell this new someone that since I had handmade the major components I could make a similar piece if she might be interested... and she is!

Outlandish Toggle  ~ 1937 Garland Raptures Pattern®

The fun thing about making a piece for someone is that they can participate in the process. Here are the two toggles from which she has to choose. She'll also get to choose the tin that'll be used to create the bezel for the pendant and any of the other elements that make up this piece including glass beads and length.

Outlandish Toggle™ ~ Pattern No. 97


This project has also got me thinking about spoon toggles again. I've had a fair few people ask me about purchasing the toggles to use in their own work and I really enjoy making them so I've decided to start selling Outlandish Toggles in my resupply shop.
 
 
 
 
Images & Text © re-maker
All rights reserved.


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Inspired by Winter Challenge &
a Give~away!


“...the winter is kind and leaves red berries
on the boughs for hungry sparrows...”
~ John Geddes, A Familiar Rain

Winter Berries, necklace

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime threw down a challenge in January because "winter was slowly seeping into her veins and sucking the creativity right out".
Her challenge:
To create a beautiful piece of jewelry inspired by winter.

Since winter in Massachusetts is cold and grey I knew my piece would be made from steel wire with a pop of color.  I've hand formed the wire, then wrapped, hammered, brush finished and waxed it to create winter twigs. Recycled red glass berries are "snow-capped" with silver plated bead caps.



Here in the Northeast we're behind on snow fall, but we've been told that we've got a doozy of a snow storm headed our way. I'm actually a little bit excited! Time to make homemade soup, bake something yummy and tuck in for this fabulous blog hop!

I hope you'll join me in visiting the participants of






And now for the give~away...


If you'd like a chance to win a pair of Winter Berry Earrings leave a comment to let me know.
One winner will be chosen via randomizer.org and will be announced next Thursday, February 14th!

The winner will receive one pair of Winter Berry Earrings with either handmade steel or silver earwires.

If you follow my blog, post, tweet, pin, etc. about the contest leave another comment for more chances to win! International readers are welcome too!



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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Art Jewelry Elements~
Earring Challenge

 
 Hot Pink Hoops

The fine folks of Art Jewelry Elements are sponsoring

Participants have signed on to make and pin one pair of earrings each week. Although I've been diligently making my earrings, I am behind in making pics and pins!


My first pair pinned are Pink Polka Dot Dangles which are made with handmade beads cut, shaped and finished from broken skateboard decks and silver plated findings.


My second pair pinned are typewriter key earrings made from a vintage 1940's Royal typewriter. Making these is messy work as the typewriters are in pretty tough shape when I find them. The keys are removed and cleaned, then each key has a tiny sterling jump ring soldered to its top.


My third pair pinned are these sweet Tin Can Earrings punched from a Butterflies & Flowers butter cookies tin.

My fourth pair, not yet pinned, are these Hot Pink Hoops...
I'll need a better pic to pin them tomorrow.
 


Be sure to take a peek at all of the amazing earrings
being created for this challenge!


Images & Text © re-maker
All rights reserved.