Thursday, October 18, 2012

Invisible Me

Hello all,

Hope the last two weeks have been kind to you.

I want to thank all of you for your input with the blogger issues.  Don't know if I'll still be invisible with this post, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I might be.  A special thank you to the very kind Tracy of pipnmolly for mentioning my illusive blog post on her blog.  Really appreciate it!

I've had a lull in the craziness and found a bit of time for making some more box lid jewelry.  woohoo!  How exciting is that?!  I know, actual box lid jewelry.  Doesn't get much better than that, eh? 
 
First how about a little local wildlife?
Cuz you know I love showing you the critters.




They let the newly promoted most interesting man in the world get pretty close.  But as that picture is dark, here's a better one from a little farther away.





We saw these guys, well gals and babies to be precise,
 at a local park a few minutes from where our new house will be.
 
 
And this weird little show is at our temporary abode
 
 
 
 
Your eyes are not deceiving you.
The bird is just hanging out on the rock wall.
There were four of them but I wasn't quick enough
with the camera to catch all of them.
 
So there are birds in Texas to make good use of my
trusty old birdbath, which by the way,
developed a very cool patina.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Snapped those before it got packed up.
 
 
Speaking of birds, check this out.....
 
 
 
 
 
For a broader perspective.....
 
 
 
Yikes!!!
No idea what the draw was.
Yes, we did feel like we were in "The Birds"
 
 
Since we're still on the subject of living things,
lookit what the orange tree is up to....
 
 
 
 
We're not the only ones enjoying the sunshine here.
What about the little baby oranges, you wonder?
 
 
 
 
Pretty soon all of those blossoms will be little bitty oranges too.  yay! 
Those blossoms smelled so incredibly good.
 
 
Ok, now you want to see some box lid jewelry, eh?
 
These Turkoman Goes Modern earrings had a good start back in Illinois
 before everything got packed up.
The tin had been cut and texturized and oxidized.
I just had to do some assembling....
 
 
 
 
Turkoman Goes Modern-Eye of the White Tiger
 
The connectors are a bit different on this pair.
I used Blue 'eye' headpins
and thick twisty wires for added texture.
 
 
 
 
 
Turkoman Goes Modern- Aspens Ablaze
 
These have curled headpins instead of the usual balled headpins.
Why?
Because I forgot to pack any of my balled headpins,
even tho I made a ton of them before the move
 just so that I would have them in temp housing. 
And because I don't have access to a torch.
Wasn't sure how I would like these, but turns out, I like them ALOT!
 
 
 
 
 
 
These are currently titled "Long Cones"
hahahaha, yes, I know.
Decoupaged, aged and waxed long metal cones with bumpy hollow
black and clear blown glass beads with clear and black eye headpins.
Yup, had the cones all  ready to go before the move too.
 
 
 
 
 
Nailed hoops featuring venetian blue headpins by numinosity beads
and ceramic nails by Scorched Earth On Etsy 
Already spoken for.
 
 
 
 
 
Kuchi buttons with beadcaps by Scorched Earth.
I loooove these!
 
 
 
 
 
Simple blue-eyed nailed hoops.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lace and nails with itty bitty ivory seed beads
and headpins by havana beads 
Just finished these up.  Liking very much.
 
 
I also made a couple of bracelets......
 
 
 
 
Bezel set white druzy, kuchi bells, a venetian blue bead, vintage buttons,
lampworked beads by Numinosity,
 a cloisone (yes, I'm sure I spelled it wrong) cone from Numinosity's vintage shop,
a lovely white stick pearl and a freshwater pearl.
 
 
 
 
 
"My Love"
 
This one has upcycled tin as the scalloped focal piece.  Adorned with a copper charm that I've stamped with the Italian words for 'my love', a black horn charm,
 fossil mammoth bone beads,  two strands of black gemstone chip chain
and a faux bone scrimshaw piece I made.  I carved it (if I can call it carving after seeing what Pipnmolly carves.  Ok I can't)  er, I cut it out, incised the design on it, aged it, then broke it.
I repaired it, so that it looks like a found and reclaimed treasure from long ago. Yes that was done before the move too.  But the coolest thing is the clasp....
 
 
 
 
An antique cufflink.  To take it off and on, you
simply rotate the small part of the cufflink and either insert it or remove
it from the twisted link. 
 
 
and I finally finished this one....
 
 
 
 
 
"XO"
 
decoupaged, aged, with type letters from Pipnmolly,
another of those I can't spell cones from Numinosity
and a bumpy headpin from Havana Beads. 
A bit of silk sari fabric and wooden beads and there you have it!
 
 
 
It doesn't seem like so much on here, but it took all
I could muster to get these things completed.  I really don't
love my boxlid workbench. 
The countdown continues until I have an actual studio again.
 
I'm waiting with baited breath....
 
and I'm also holding my breath hoping someone can actually see this once I hit publish....
and if you can, thank you for visiting!
 
Please don't forget.....
 
 
 
 
 
 there's a giveaway to win a personal wellness package through the end of the year over at
 
 
 
Wishing you all a wonderful week.
 
 
 
 
 
Enjoy.
 
 
Ciao
 
 
 
 
 
 


29 comments:

  1. I CAN SEE YOU !!!
    Fabulous post. ALL of it.
    Love the cones and the way you used Petra's beadcaps. Very nice. Hope you can retire your box soon.
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I KNOW!!!! IT"S WONDERFUL!! :D
      Thank you for all of your kind words and for the help with my blogger cloak of invisability. You've been so wonderfully helpful.

      Delete
  2. I can see you, too! My lil' sis used to live in the middle of Texas and she had deer everywhere in her area... they'd come right up and steal the cat and dog food right out of the dishes lol

    Love that last bracelet!

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    Replies
    1. Ack! Thieving Texas deer, eh? I'll keep my eye out for them! :0 appreciate the warning.

      Delete
  3. I see Anvil People, wheee! and you only missed one n in cloisonne, pretty good i'd say. I like the way you distressed those buggers. The petrakuchis are way cool and all this stuff you brought along and hauled out... so inventive. The nails n lace too. Maybe I ought to try bracelets for a breakthrough. I've never made many...sizing issues and all.
    Great birds and birdbath and urban wildlife. You know where we live they seed the fields for migratory birds to keep them away from the airport in Fairbanks. Bad for propellers and engines and things.
    Nice to have you visible again.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. hahahaha are they scary? You know, I tried it with the second n and it just didn't look right. :/
      Yes, you should give bracelets another go. I make all my bracelets adjustable and if I can't do that, I make sure they'll fit me in case no one else wants them!
      I never thought of the airport avoidance bird attracting angle. Things that make you go hmmmmm.
      Thank you, sure is nice to be seen.

      Delete
  4. Me too, me too! I even got here by clicking on Tracy's link from her blog.
    And thanks for responding to my question on the Fanciforum...things are a little better but still very unreliable and weird.

    Exceptionally cool bracelet clasp idea, BTW. As usual, your creations are wonderful, each and every one.
    Must be the good name.

    xo Janet too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonderful Tracy to the rescue again! You betcha. Yeah, apparently the blogger problems were much bigger than we knew.
      Hahaha thank you for the kind words. Yup, that must be it! :)

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  5. Love the colors in that XO bracelet.

    Watch out for those deer. Our deer think Impatiens are deer candy!

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    1. just when I thought I was safe from the flower loving voracious bunnies!
      me too! But you already know that if you've seen the "color" board on my pinterest page. :)

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  6. yeah I can see you. Love everyone of those bracelets, super, super, cool. Texas looks very green, I thought it would be very dusty with lots of tumble weed! I'd make sure you block your chimney- I've seen that Hitchcock film!

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    1. Thank you very much! Yes, much greener than I anticipated. Tho we are getting into the cooler (80's and 90"s) weather, which helps. ack! I forgot about the chimney scene! hahahaha

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  7. I see you too!!! Yeah!
    I love all of your boxlid jewelry and especially those lace nail earrings and this XO cuff!!!!
    And your bird bath will be crowded!

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    1. you can see me all the way in France?! yay! :D
      thank you, Lucie. Yes, very crowded. I hope they don't get all king of the hill with each other.

      Delete
  8. Holy Cow woman, you get more done on a box lid than I do with an entire dining room table! I love all the pieces you made, and I'm intrigued by the decoupage and wax technique. It adds a wonderful aged texture. I'm so glad you are back in blogland. How did you get it working again? I've still got about four blogs that I'm following that never show up in my blog reader----grrrrrr.

    Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you're giving me much more credit than I deserve! I had loads of the components all ready to go, just waiting for the time to construct. But thanks for the wildly great and undeserved compliment! I know, it's a cool effect. I just kept layering it up.
      I didn't do a thing. Or I should say, nothing I did worked. It started working as suddenly as it stopped. A mystery to me.
      You too!

      Delete
  9. I see you too! Nice deers. Um, if that is the correct term, is it plural.....deers or is it just deer? Oh well, nice deer(s) anyway.

    Love the long cones, very cool, as is everything else. The cones just spoke to me. They said, "Coffeefreek, look at us, we are cool."

    It's been a long week, what can I say. Wine and quiet time will fix that.

    Glad you are among the "seen" blogs now. Computers, blogs, keyboards, all of em have gremlins and just can't help it if they mess with us. hehe

    ReplyDelete
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    1. a buncha buncha deer? lotsa di? hum, I dunno. I think I'll go with deer and then add, oh about 10 of them, if the occasion arises. you know, if someone is actually interested in how many deer we saw. hahahaha
      so you're hearing voices these days are you? Yes quiet time, a bit of wine cures just about anything.
      I am so missing our favorite store!! Please tell Gail and Ning that I am having idea withdrawal. Can I live vicariously through you? Please tell me what cool things have you been finding? Oh wait, maybe don't tell me! ack!

      Delete
  10. I see you too! Everything here is awesome- crow party! The big dish pic, the first one, looks like a satellite map of a canyon or something... Also that cuff link idea, I'm stealing it. Oh yeah, just like that.

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    1. yay! France and where is you are now? Ireland? Germany? ack! I can't remember, but I do know it's gorgeous! I know, it's the coolest patina. Love it! Almost gonna hate putting water in it again. Hahahaha, just make sure you get the cufflinks with the twisty doodad and go for it!

      Delete
    2. Australia! You're in Australia, but you already knew that! :/

      Delete
  11. That's a very Hitchcockian field - must be knee deep in guano!!Ohhh, how lovely to be able to go and watch those sweet deer(s) - guaranteed to bring about an air of serenity while you're dealing with the forthcoming horrors of moving house - again. Mmmm, your orange tree must be giving off some heady aromas with all that neroli sniff - lovely.
    All those wonderful new pieces!! Just on a box lid too - extraordinary! Once again, you've turned my nails into some beautiful treasures - and your use of those bead caps is inspired.Brava!!
    All the bracelets are divine, and I'm completely in love with your faux bone - tooooo clever! Cufflink clasp!!!! Just brilliant! What an amazing post. They always are though.
    xoxoxoxoxox Oh yes - I see you too!!!!
    :O)

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    1. aww yes serenity to offset horror. All things in balance, eh?
      Thanks Petra, but your nails are so amazing, that anything they're paired with is suddenly improved. Thank you for the very nice compliments. Means alot! It's great to be seen. :) Thanks for looking in.

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  12. I luuuv the critters, yay. and my fave of your (considerable) makings has to be the sputnik mine orbs you created with the scorchedearth caps that you brilliantly inverted. SOOOO CLEVER!!! im jealous that i didnt get to make those.

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    1. thank you much! well then we're just about even with me wishing that I'd thought of the gazillion things you've made! Oh wait, no we aren't. Not even close. :)

      Delete
  13. I love every single thing you create!! I'm drooling here you know!! Long Cones are making me sway....weee....so inspiring...xoxo Cat

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  14. Thank you so much, Cat! Really appreciate your very kind compliments! :)

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  15. AA - seems like a big move but many positive things happening for you. One hjas to love patina in the bird bath - amazing the simple pleasures nature can offer. Love the fact that you are right into creating and not letting small things like not having the correct bits stop you from making great stuff. Go well, be well and create well. B

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    1. Hello Barry,
      Yes, often nature's little gifts are the best. Thanks so much for your kind words. Much appreciated!

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