Thursday, March 8, 2012

Yes, Pigs Do Fly

Hi everybody!

Hoping you've all had a wonderful week. 

Pigs learned how to fly, folks!

You know those people who say they've never won anything?  Well I've always been one of them. Until now. Cuz now, I"M A WINNER!!!  Woo-hoo.

I don't even bother entering to win prizes.  You know, why torture myself? 

But when Nunn Design sent an email announcing new products and a giveaway, I thought why not.  I was happy to leave a comment on Becky's blog, (which is how one entered the giveaway) because I use her products and like using her products and because I've always enjoyed doing business with her and her company.  I always make a point to look her up when I'm at the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee to see what's new.  I knew, however, as I typed in my comment about how much I like using their bezel products with my resin work, that I didn't stand a chance at actually winning.  Why? Well, because that was a well established impossibility. Imagine my surprise when I received an email saying that I had, in fact won!  Just so you know, this is life changing people.  I am now, officially,  a winner.  And here's what they sent to prove it



Thank you  Becky and everyone at Nunn Design!  Can't wait to try it out.

Thank all  of you, blog commenters, for your very helpful suggestions regarding both my ear display dilemma and my photos. Much appreciated.

Great suggestion for the display fix, Skye! Thank you!  I didn't have any contact cement so I used packing tape.  The industrial strength variety.   Here's your idea in action.



Really good idea, love it!


Still a great idea, I just need to get me some contact cement.

I've had a really busy week with not alot of time for making new jewelry.  These earrings have been finished for awhile, but they didn't seem done to me.  So there they sat.  I tend to leave alot of my sterling jewelry nice and bright, because if I want it all dark and grungy, I can use copper or brass and get the same effect for alot less $.  These just needed something extra, though, because they are basically understated.  So out came the oxidizer and viola'!    What do you think? Not that you saw them before for comparison........


These are soldered wire wrapped copper tri-hoops.  I used Silvergleem solder which is bright and beautiful but in this case it needed to be brought down a notch.


Same with these.  Ametrine crystals on a Silvergleem soldered wire wrapped hoop.  Loving how they look now.


Roller printed sterling half moons with black and white freshwater pearls.


with teeny tiny little rivets on only one of the hanging holes.  you know, for artistic flair.
 Or something.



Yes an eye!  You know you didn't expect an eye on this here blog.  Did ya? Naw, of course not.  Not on this blog.


No, you're not imagining things.  I definately have a black and white thing going on.  Sometimes I throw in some of that Venetian-Tiffany-blue-light-aqua color.  I explained that in the last blog. 
There's also this but it didn't need oxidized.  It's just right as is. Because it has verdigris patina.  Right?  Just right. Right?


A waterlily floating on clear blue water. Ok it's a fabric neckband with metal mesh ribbon and seed bead embellishments.  It is supposed to give the illusion of water.  Artistic license.  No, my artistic license has not been suspended, though maybe you guys think it ought to be.



Yes, it's a matchy-matchy set, cuz what other earrings would you wear with that necklace?

I also was thinking that since I don't have alot of fabulous new jewelry to share with you guys, That I would show you some of my own personal collection.  Doesn't that sound like fun?  C'mon, you know it does. Now you'll see for yourselves, that while I make tasteful (sometimes) things for my shop, I make big and unusual things for myself.  Cuz I like my jewels big and bold, mostly.


Ok you're not imagining things.  This one isn't big or bold.  But that's cuz if it was, you'd never be able to see that tiny little seahorse in there amongst the coral.  They were both collected before they became endangered.  When it was ok to harvest them.  Yes, matchy earrings. Quit snickering you guys.  Sometimes matchy is a good thing.


This is a vintage luggage tag.  Made before it became illegal to make things like this out of alligators.  Back when they too were endangered.  Now there's 3,984 gators to every person living in Florida.    I know, I can hear you all now.  "Poor Gator"  Not like I haven't heard that before.  So here's another view for your enjoyment, horror or indifference.


So that you'll have time to calm your fluttering heart after seeing that, feast your eyes on this bracelet I made using an incredible Anne Choi bead.


It says "disappointments should be cremated, not embalmed"  Love that.

Next is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.  Yes there's a story accompanying it.  Isn't there always?  And yes, you're correct, it involves my husband, the most interesting man in the world,
(who in actuality does not smoke cigars.  Just in case you imagined an aura of cigar smoke punctuating the air, you would be wrong.)

One day he comes into the house with that look on his face.  The one that says "I found something for you that you're gonna love".  That's pretty much what his voice said too.  Then he opened his hand and there it was......  (cliffhanger for Petra's benefit, cuz she loves them)


A PERFECT ROBINS EGG!


I had to turn it into something to wear around my neck, now didn't I?  There's a little transparent face swimming in that resin, though you can't see it in this picture.  There's tourmalinated quartz and keishi pearls and aquamarine and mixed metals.  So many of my favorite things.  See my continuing theme?  Black, white and that light aqua blue you see all over the place here.  I don't just make you guys look at it here in my virtual world.  I make people in my real world look at it too. All the time.

one more....





Eyes are beautiful, that's why.

So there you have it!  A peak into my jewelry box.  Where apparently only 2 out of 5 items are either big or weird or both.  Pretty good odds, I'd say, considering what you were expecting, eh?

And how did I do with the photos guys?  Not quite so blurry, huh?  Thank you, fanci and Petra for your very nice suggestions on how to crisp them up!  It worked!  You guys must have been wondering if I still need your expert blogging tips since I haven't been pestering you with a bunch of ridiculous questions lately.  As you can see, you've taught me well and I thank you.  But, yes, I do.  I've got a long way to go.  Don't breathe easy yet......


And here for your amusement and nothing else

awwwww  something cute since the featherless chickens creeped out so many of you. 



Cao (Croatian)

Have a great week!

20 comments:

  1. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that robin's egg necklace is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad that it's not only in my imagination that it's wonderful (like the gator head necklace. hahahaha)

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  2. Love the necklace with the robin's egg. And am wondering why the eyes always look so surprised in your pieces... like 'where the heck am I?'...

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    1. Thanks Stregata! I think it's because they never know what they might encounter around the next corner.

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  3. k... the dried baby gator head luggage tag ... kinda creepy.. but I think it's just cause the eyes look kinda sad... >.< lol

    Hope you can find some contact cement or super glue.. or whatever other kind of super sticky substance that will work .. and can take more earring photos using your fake ear :D

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    1. but did the cute monkey picture make up for the creepy/sad gator head?

      I really love your suggestion. That white ear is made out of some kind of stuff that I've never worked with before. The ear is not going to win. I'll find something that will keep it in it's place. :)

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  4. I love all the pieces from your personal collection. I'll bet you get a kick out of seeing other people's reactions to what you are wearing....right? That robin's egg necklace is just beautiful.

    I hope you find a solution to your ear display issue.

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    1. Thanks so much! Why yes, I do. Especially the gator head. It's like looking at a train wreck, they don't want to look at it but they can't help themselves. Sideways glances usually. hahaha. And the big giant eye is a hoot, cuz it's not really all that discernable that it's an eye....at first.

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  5. Just how bad do you think my potty mouth is right now??? My computer is doing that most maddening of things, where it won't let me see any pictures. Beautiful it may be, but a Friday night down the bottom of a valley, and this is what you get!!!! Look at these comments oooohing and aaaahing over what are obviously the most scrum-diddly-dumptious pieces of wonderful, and i can't shitting see even one of them!!!!! So, this is part one of two comments, based only on appreciation of your funny self in words. Oh, Janet - once again I'm laughing away to myself at your ludicrous self-doubt before starting your wonderful blog, and your wildly misguided notion that you'd have nothing interesting to say to people!!! It's such a completely blissful experience coming over here - (except for not being able to see what i know will be stunningly beautiful), and I always come away laughing and feeling blessed to have 'met' you. You're a dreeeeeeeam!!
    xoxox

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    1. now Petra, there was absolutely nothing in my post to elicit a potty response. Oh wait, it's living in that amazingly too-beautiful-to-be-real place that you live in that makes you say such things? hmmmmmm.
      Thank you once again for being the best cheerleader EVER! You always have the nicest things to say to ease those nagging blogging doubts that follow me from post to post.
      I am still pretty sure, though, that I hear lots of yawns coming from my computer after I've blogged. But now that
      1. you've assured me that's not the case,
      and 2. now that I'm officially a winner, I can't hear them quite as distinctly. Being a winner makes all the difference, apparently. brahahahahaha

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. and I have the feeling that I should be rather happy about that, eh? :)

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  7. You always were a winner, even before you entered the contest (Isn't that just the sappiest thing to say - but it's true.) Love the robin's egg... KEEP THAT DREAMY MAN OF YOURS. I'm picturing tiny resin alligators...Beautiful new work, as always!

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    1. awwwww, thanks Melinda. Yup, that's my plan. So are you seeing those tiny resin alligators crawing out of that wire encased eye or what?

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  8. I'm with you on the aqua front, love that colour spectrum of teal, jade, duck egg blue and a libral dose of black. Loving the water lilies, there yummy. The alligator head; it reminds me of my mate's fox wrap, you know the ones where they take the whole body with the head and tail and make it into a scarf. They always look like they had a head on with a steam roller.
    Just wanted to ask is that dragons vein agate in the first earrings, looks such a cool gemstone

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    1. My eye is naturally drawn to that color. Even when I try not to pick that color again..... well, resistance is futile. Happen to you too?
      Hahaha great description of the fox wrap.
      No, the black and white stone was unmarked when I purchased it but I think it's called black fire agate or veined agate. I do have some dragon's vein agate that is incredible. Still sitting there in slab form begging to be made into a cabachon. It's so beautiful that I hate to cut into it.

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  9. the gator head is pretty awesome. I might have gone waaaay manly with it so only dudes that look like they live in swamps and eat biker gangs for dessert would wear it. cuz no one would say anything to a dude like that. or your husband.
    so is it a real egg? cuz that wouldn't make sense. but much much better than the egg by far is WHAT YOU DID WITH IT! you have a talent for little encasements and vessels, that's for damn sure. Now im dying to see the closure on the anne choi bracelet. imna go look in yr shop.
    btw, that monkey, while cute, was also a bit creepy. a lot creepy. come on.

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    1. Hahaha yeah that would be an interesting gator head in your hands.
      Yup it's a real egg. When I cut into it, I was afraid there would be a partial little baby bird and that would have been awful. But it was just the egg with a little miniature yolk in it. Yay. Must have gotten kicked out the nest really early. Anyway, thank you!
      No closure on the Anne Choi bracelet. It's a bangle. hmmmmm betcha can't guess how I did it. But I do want to hear your guesses.
      Yeah the monkey is creepy but not nearly as creepy as the animal picture I wanted to post. I'm saving that one for next time.

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  10. Still doing it - even on a quiet monday morning. I have at least got to see one picture of that most extraordinarily beautiful robin's egg necklace. Incredible!!! It makes me want to weep, it's so lovely. -And that you managed to keep it in one piece!!! I feel fairly certain I would have managed to sit on it, or had some other clod-like mishap with it!!
    Oh, that deleted comment was the same as the first, that was behaving as though it had vanished, and then re-appeared!! I sincerely hope that I am actually going to be able to see these pictures at some point. How utterly maddening.
    xox

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  11. you're so sweet Petra, really you're not missing much at all. Not to worry. But I do wish you had a better connection just because that's so aggravating. I'm replying incognito, btw. :)

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