Take Time to Smell the Smilodon...er Roses

Hello All,

Is it Spring?  Really?  Freezing cold in warm locales, snow, rain, crazy weather.  Yup!  Must be Spring.  Hope you've all escaped the worst of it.

The Second Most Interesting Man In The World just returned from a business trip to sunny and beautiful California.  He took some I-Phone pictures for me to share with you guys.  awwwwww.  And yes, that is why he is also known by some of you as Mr. Wonderful.  I think you'll be glad he shared....

My eyes could feast on this scene and never grow tired of it.

 

Thank you Mr. Wonderful!!

 

 

 

oh but there's more.....

 

a visit to La Brea Tar pits yielded these fascinating sights...

 

 

 

 

 

He was captivated by these plants growing outside of the place.

 

 

 

 

 

Right there in the heart of L.A.!

 

Big bubbling pits of tar.

Filled with fossils.

Cool stuff, eh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

how the fossilized bones are found.  What a jumbled mess.

 

 

 

 

 

a wall of the numbers of found Dire Wolf skulls.

Can't tell for sure, but I don't think these are actual skulls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

great display.

you know, "they" say that birds are descendants of dinosaurs.

you know... they,

the unofficial experts on EVERYTHING!

 

 

 

 

 

Yowza!

 

 

 

 

He said this skeleton was incredibly massive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giant ground sloth?

 

 

 

 

 

Who knew?!

Saber tooth cats teeth replaced themselves!

As if they weren't scary enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impressive!

 

 

 

 

 

 



this, my friends, is what I really want to find while fossilhunting.

What is it?

Why, a tooth of course!

 

OK, enough of that.....

 

 

 

so we've seen the Smiloden, now let's smell the roses....

 

 

 

 



 

There are a number of these rose bushes in the back yard.

LOVE!

 

 

 

 



 

Saw the first hummingbird of the season on this bush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful.

Yes, still loving the crisp blue western skies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this tree is right by the front door.

you guys hoped you could escape the flower pictures, didn't you?

 

bwahahahahaha

not a chance!

 

 

Now I'll get down to business and show you what you came to see.

Though, I think some of you secretly enjoy my frivoloties, eh?

C'mon, you know you do.

 

 

Do you guys remember the photos of the

custom order of bracelets from a couple of posts ago?

 

The fiery red hot romance themed bracelets.

 

The same lovely lady sent me some more of her gorgeous

components to make another set of bracelets and necklaces.

This time the theme was "Not Too Pretty-Pretty".

Which believe me is a huge challenge when I am working with such

beautiful pieces.

 

She sent the most delicate carved roses and more of her

magnificent micro mosaics.

The color scheme this time was creamy ivory, mossy green, butterscotch.

Soft and inviting.

But with an edge.

 

 



This piece with the face is a locket.

I know!  It's fabulous!

Paired with her rhinestone pin.

This one did turn out very pretty-pretty.

How could it not, with those components.

I tried to give this one a contemporary feel while

keeping true to the origins of the micro mosaic.

 

 



She requested that the necklaces layer together.

 

 

 



Love the combination.

Earrings to match.

 

I used a small micro mosaic accent from the above necklace on this bracelet.

Paired with fossil coral, sparkling white druzy in a tin bezel,

butterscotch rhinestones and ivory beads.

Grunged it up to tone down the prettiness.

Here it is in the "pretty" bangle stack.

 

Double carved roses paired with freshwater pearls, amazonite, carved bone,

a vintage teardrop bead and one of my word stones.

 

I really tried, but there was no way to keep this from being too pretty.

She sent these wonderful bits of tinsel.

I discovered they worked best when showcased in a vial.

Mixed with vintage beadcaps, a butterscotch glass eye-headpin, faceted beads, filigree, rhinestones

and adorned below with one of her sterling padlock hearts.

A bit of a steampunk vibe.

 



A successful layering combo!

Gorgeous carved rose paired with lustrous vintage ivory teardrops,

vintage and new crystals on a mossy green velvet wrap bracelet.

Flame painted copper band bracelet adorned with

lampwork and filigree bead dangles.

 

To keep the bracelet stacks from being too sweet.

This one makes me swoon. 

A carved butterscotch rose, a raku bumpy lampwork headpin by HavanaBeads,

golden butterscotch freshwater pearls,

new and vintage beads on a rhinestone chain bracelet with an oversized

almost industrial hook clasp.

Assemblage in resin paired with green freshwater pearls, tiny bronze freshwater pearls,

a soaring bird charm, double ball headpins wire wrapped onto the bracelet chain with

her stunning blush pink carved rose as the focal.

This is an electroformed skeletonized leaf adorned with a white stick pearl, additional freshwater pearls, her tiny little rhinestone heart and snippets of antique hand tatting

on a hand dyed silk wrapped metal bangle.



Here it is paired with two more bangles

for a delicate, understated look.

 



 

 

The request for this magnificent micro mosaic was "edgy".

This one had me stumped.

Nothing I tried looked right.

I was trying too hard to make this feminie piece "modern edgy".

When I realized that wasn't going to work with this piece

and went in a new direction, finally, it fell into place.

Black spikes provide the edge factor,

 accented with a striking dichroic glass bead,

matte beads in chocolate brown,

carved pyrite roses, raspberry glass, filigree, more pyrite beads and faceted black beads.



Yes, it also layers nicely with the locket.

Close up of the ivory rose, pearl bangle.

Enameled green beadcaps cradling bumpy cream beads

on a double wrapped bangle with hand dyed silk accents.



I do love this combo.

 

I paired her double rhinestone hearts with one of the carved pyrite roses,

faceted stone teardrop briolettes and a soldered accent piece.

The stack with a grunged gypsy bracelet chock full of lampwork beads

and multi colored vintage rhinestone accents

paired with a simple overwrapped brass bangle sporting a

skeleton key and sterling heart padlock.

Adding a bit of color, I've adorned a soldered bracelet band

with peachy pink, white and mossy green stone beads.

The stack with a grunge bracelet featuring an adorable

mother of pearl accented ivory or bone butterfly, baltic amber and Kuchi charms.

I love how switching out the accent bracelets changes the look of the stack completely.

From gypsy boho to rustic to refined.....

to unabashed romance.......

 

 





That's the custom collection I've just finished up.

 

Here's what else I've been working on....

I've been wanting to work with some color lately.

Bright and bold colors.

 

I found these wonderful faces at EarthShards

and knew that I would use them with sari silk wrap bracelets

I had recently affixed snap closures to.

Embellished with a variety of colorful glass and ceramic beads,

 this bracelet wraps around the wrist multiple times.

I've used Numinosity Beads criffles in a delicious sea foam green

paired with some metal pieces that I've shaped and formed

and given a soft verdigris patina.

The ruffled wires above are oxidized to compliment and contrast with the sea foam.

Yes, you know I want to keep them.

Why do I keep torturing myself by making things for the shop in my favorite color?

Oh yeah, cuz it's my FAVORITE COLOR! 

 

a second view because if I'm going to list these, which I am,

I want to fill my eyes with them before I say good bye.

Kim, you have more of this color?

I sure hope so.

Multi wrap hoops paired with flame painted copper charms, 

verdigris patinated Kuchi charms and

lampwork headpins from Fire Forged Studio 

Here's another silk sari wrap bracelet

 

 



This one in blues with another wonderful EarthShard face,

a crystal point, a mottled headpin from Havana Beads 

and an assortment of stone, glass and ceramic beads along with

vintage headpins in an-I-don't-even-know-what-to-call-this-shade-of-green.

Kingman turquoise nuggets paired with flame painted copper,

hammered brass domed discs, antique buttons and twisty jump rings for added visual texture.

Multi wrap hoops with handformed leaves that I've oxidized then

patinated with verdigris,  bits of verdigris vintage metal adornments and tiny silver blossoms.

These are so simple but I just love them!

Vintage Kuchi buttons with red stones paired with

 hammer textured, flame painted and oxidized copper tongues.

They are a perfect size for everyday wear.



I also finished this bracelet.

 

 



It, like the previous earrings, look so much better in person.

Not sure why I had so much trouble getting a true shot of these.

 

And this one which you saw as a "before" shot.

Oxidized and done.

 

 

Hammer textured aluminum cuff adorned with brass and turquoise.

 

Filigree hoops with vintage twist pearls, rhinestone rondels,

 faceted opalite and matte black beads.

The filigree has silver Gilders paste highlighting the design.

These have been listed in my Etsy shop as "Take Me Dancing filigree hoops".

Jazzed them up a bit and relisted them

 

 

and thats' it!

Phew.

I know I've been feeling really busy lately and

I guess I was.

 

Now to get all of this listed.....

 

 

Hoping that you all have a lovely, warm, blossom filled Spring till next time!



 

 

 

 this little fella looks like a flower, doesn't he?

 

 

 

 

 

Adeus/Tchau (goodbye in Portuguese)

 

 

enjoy!