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!

 

 

Toucan do ceramics, one cannot

Hi all!  Has Spring sprung where you are or are you still shoveling out and sliding about? 
Hoping it's the former.  It's definately Spring here.  You'll see proof of that later on.

If you've read my blog for any length of time at all, you're familiar with our lovely Petra of Scorched Earth fame.  My oh my, she's been up to it again!  I just have to share these latest treasures of hers because they are so wonderful.

 

You'll soon understand the title of this post........even my little bronze lady finds herself deep in contemplation while gazing upon this cool little Toucan.  My camera  doesn't capture the exquisite detail in this little guy.  He's amazing and I am in Toucan love.

 



we expect nothing less from a ceramicist who makes elephant trunks,

black swans and crocodile tears....

but frog legs?!

hahahahahahaha

LOVE THEM! 

 

Not sure how I'll use them yet, but

I'll have some fun playing with them while I figure it out.

The little pink toes delight me!

You know you wanted another view. 

 

Thinking a branch perch for him to sit on.

Maybe a palm tree necklace.

Take note of these incredible beadcaps because you'll be seeing more of them in a bit.

 

Petra, these connectors are fabulous!

They look great paired with your crocodile tears.

 

Petra, you do all the work for us!

 

All I have to do is connect these and bwammo!

A fantastic pair of earrings!

And this is exactly why there is a feeding frenzy every time you do a listing!

and now........let's see a fail, shall we?

 

No, not of Petra's....



I made these little flamingo eating gators years ago.

Now do you get the title of this post?

Toucan do ceramics...

and one of them is good at it!

Ummm that would be the other ceramic making person, Petra.

 

Now let me start at the beginning.

Many many years ago in a land far far away....

 

ok, awhile back when I lived in Florida,

I had (and still do have) a wonderful friend, gracious, generous,

full of talent and fun.

Yes, Helen, I'm talking about you!

Anyway, this dear sweet lady invited a few of her friends to join

her for a weekly girls night out at her ceramics studio.

My heart is still filled with warm, joyful memories when

I think about the fun we had.

Thank you so much, Helen for the great times.

Yup, in case you're wondering,

Helen is a blog lurker, reads every one,

but comments privately.

She taught us how to pour molds, clean the greenware,

apply the glazes or underglazes.

And if we didn't want to work with glazes, we could just paint the

pieces and have instant gratification.

She has talent oozing from every pore and is very

accomplished with her ceramic work.

Me?  Not so much.

I've mentioned to Petra that one of these days,

I'll dig out some of these early pieces

 and show her the extent of my ceramic skills.

And why it is I appreciate her work so much.

 

That day is now.

 

I found these as I unpacked my studio.

Speaks well of Helen's firing skills, that these pieces have survived

many cross country moves.

 

Some of these are bisque fired.

Some have been painted with acrylics.

The little winged lady is clear glazed.

The flesh colored pieces are porcelain.

 

I think I still have the molds for some of these, but haven't found them yet.

Yes, I've had a face, hands, body-part thing going on for years.



Here are some of Petra's non glazed items.

She handforms each and every piece.

 

 



 

 

The metal hand is one I just popped into this picture.

Though, I have no doubt Petra could sculpt one just like it.

The above pictures are "before" pictures.

BEFORE WHAT?, you ask.....

 

before I got a wild hair thinking, oh let's see how this stuff looks with

Gilders paste smeared all over it.

 

Problem being, it's been so long since I used my Gilders paste that almost all of them are dried up.

Time to go to the hardware store and buy some mineral spirits to reconstitute them, eh?

 

The white one was just as creamy as the day I purchased it. 

The black and verdigris ones too.

The metallics and colors seemed to be the worst.

So use your imagination, please, that these are transformed with rich, deep, opulant colors.

not good, not bad, but not exactly the effect I was going for.

 

 

These look a bit better with the Gilder's paste.
The interesting textures are enhanced by the Gilders
unlike the smooth surfaces of my ceramic pieces.
  

Think about what great effects

Greybirdstudio and Raggedrobyn get when they use combinations of

paint and Gilders.

 Which is what inspired me to give it a go on these
already wonderful, unglazed pieces of Petra's.

 

Ladies, this is why you are the experts and I am clearly not.

 

 

 



Moving along....

 

 



Heart stones found in our local dry riverbeds are

much rougher in shape than those found along the ocean shoreline.

Still quite nice.

 



Oh you want to see jewelry?

okey dokey, I can do that.....

 

 



 

These reversible glass photo lockets were featured

awhile back in Somerset Memories in a technique article.

 

When I saw this heart of Petra's I knew in an instant, it would be perfect

hanging from one of these lockets.

 

I've paired it with lustrous wire-wrapped white double pearls,

and black agate beads with druzy peaking out.

I love the subtle sparkle of these beads paired with the soft shimmer of the pearls.

An enchanting combination.

 

I couldn't seem to capture the sparkling druzy in these photos,

without so much glare from the pearls that it looked like a spotlight.

Time to drag out the photocube perhaps.



A soldered teardrop pendant with a faceted amazonite inside, 

paired with white agate, turquoise and aquamarine.

The colors of water and waves.

 



Of course there's earrings...

there's always earrings.

Eye see you

 

Connectors and eyebowls from Petra

paired with glass eye headpins from Glasseyesonline

and long glass headpins from Fireforgedstudio.

 

Love love love.

These should look vaguely familiar.

You've seen the pewter leaves before.

Way back when I first unpacked my hammers after the move.

And the beadcaps by Petra that you saw earlier in this post.

What do you think of this combination?

 

I love them!  Of course I do...

they were inspired by these beauties made by Pipnmolly...

PERFECTION!

This is what I did with the gilded hand.

I haven't oxidized this piece yet so it qualifies as a before photo.

A hammered medallion on multi chains

 

This shot captures the subtle coloring in the medallion a bit better.

The flame painted patina really does look almost translucent.

It's a delicate effect in a bold design.

Believe, Dream, Explore

 

Those are the bright, hopeful faces of my beloved aunts as young ladies.

 





 

 

A touch of Springtime for your neck.

I've used a bit of a fallen branch to anchor the nest, leaves and flowers.

 

 

When I use found branches in my work, 

I treat them to ensure there are no critters living in them.

First, I let them sit unnattended for weeks to give any animals time to find a new abode.

Then I freeze them for a minimum of three days.

After that, I seal them with a matte spray sealer.

 

Easier to see the branch in this picture.

Am I ready for Spring or what?!

Another nest and bird!

These are paired with a large Vintaj tree stamping.



Swirling brass with leather bracelet

Rustic assemblage.

Elegant coin pearl and filigree combined with rustic beads in a tiered design.

 





 

I really enjoyed making these.

Flame painted copper paired with vintage buttons that have been smashed

and paired with dimpled swirls of  copper.

Full of unexpected texture and colors.

 

Green apples on mottled leaves that have been colored with alcohol inks.

Remember these leaves from my patina recipes post?
Cradling the leaves are foldformed organic copper pieces,
 that I have preserved with their raw natural color
as a balance to the vibrant coloring on the leaves. 


 

 

Full disclosure...I didn't get all of these pieces made from start to finish since my last post.

But you already knew that, no doubt.  Because I just don't work that fast.

Some of the jewels I shared with you today are pieces that I've reworked,

combined or altered from existing pieces in my "To Be Reworked?" box. 

Do you guys have one of those?  

Things you need to walk away from, then come back to another day

 to see what you think of them.

 Some of these, like the two nest and bird necklaces are ones that I waited until Springtime to share.

 

And as I mentioned earlier, it is definately Springtime here.

 

How do I know that?

You mean besides the fact that tornados are already cropping up in parts of Texas.

YIKES!

 

Here's why....

 

 



HAIL!

No shortage of that here, from what I understand, once Spring rolls around. 

 So even though it's been really cold the last few days,

it's time to roll out the flip flops and swimsuits, right?

 

hahahahahaha, nope, not quite yet.

Though, I did see my first hummingbird of the season and a few bluebonnets this last week.

~~~~~~~~~

Again, I've been remiss in responding personally to your delightful comments, even though I've thoroughly enjoyed reading them!

Thank you all for stopping by and taking the time to share your thoughts. 

Welcome to Shari and Maggie Zee!

 



I'll leave you with this...

Everytime I see this picture, I think

it's  SUPER-PETRA!

(Well, maybe it's her alter-ego, if you remember Cyril.) 

After having written almost a whole post about her work,

it's time to close with this picture, don't you think?

Yup, she's amazing as you've seen from all the great things she makes.

 



Zai ken

(goodbye in Taiwanese)