Nice Little Piece...

I had started this last Spring, and come close to finishing it when Summer break came… now that class has started again I was able to finish…

This has turned out to be my favorite piece to date… the only real challenge (my skills are improving) was the Bezel setting for a rectangular stone.

Update!!  I had made this piece as a gift form my Mom, this is Mom wearing it!!  My Mom is a little bit "country" & loves to wear blue (it was my Dad's favorite color)… I think its nice to get a picture of this piece being worn so you can get an idea of the scale…

Back At It!!

I'm happy to say that my Jewelry Making classes have started again after a long Summer hiatus…

I finally finished this piece… and I'm the first to admit its, um, "different"…  I was playing with some techniques: forming using a press, getting "bubbles" by tamping, sawing, bezel setting a stone, soldering, torch firing some enamel, protecting solder joints using ochre, baking on some enamel… so if it looks a little like a "Jack of All Trades" sort of piece, it is…

When I first did the backing I didn't like it… now I do… who knew?!?

Another Bouquet of Clippings...

This time with a stalk of Cilantro blooms…

I love the way the stalks bend, with just a hint of blooms, and in a favorite vase to boot - a gift from hubby for an anniversary a few years back.

A closer look at the greens & blooms… and it smells wonderful too!!

Purse Project...

A while back I picked up 2 of these napkins, I loved the color and thought I might be able to make them into a little pouch-purse…

I just wasn't happy with any of the design ideas... then I spotted this cute style at a DSW & thought it could be adapted into something I'd like for my napkin-purse…

The shape/size was "just right", I like the way the fabric folds soften the look... not crazy about the basket edge (but wasn't planning on doing that anyway)... liked that it had a long strap, but I'd have made it detachable, with an attachable wrist strap option... ok, you can tell it got my juices flowing...

Then I dug around in my old fabric scraps to find something for a lining... no problem, I found a nice beige flannel that will work just fine!!

Next it was off to my local craft/fabric store to pick up a few items: Zipper, D-Rings, Clasps, Piping, Magnets (at this point I hadn't decided between Zipper & Magnets)...

I'm thinking that the purse body will be made out of the center of the napkins, and the top edge & wrist strap made out of the border of the napkins...  ok, time to start measuring, cutting, pinning, sewing... here goes!!  Clip-Clip!!

Vroom-Vroom!!

Obviously I made some decisions & modifications as I went along… I ended up using Magnets instead of a Zipper.  I made a wrist strap, but there is another D-Ring sewn in the other side so if I decide to get a full strap at some point I can use it with this little pocket-style purse…

Don't look too close, there are big mistakes in a few places, but with what I've learned the next one will go much more smoothly...

Also, as I was going along I thought perhaps I should do an Oragami inspired purse… but that's for another day… stay tuned!!

When Clippings Inspire...

I'm a gardener… well… I'm a novice gardener… and due to the fact that I live in Minnesota I'm only a novice gardener part of the year…

This year I had a dill plant in a little herb garden, I had been keeping it free from blooms & trimming off bits for food, and it had gotten woody.  Apparently I must not have kept it completely free from blooms because a new young plant had sprung up (in the middle of my cilantro, go figure…).  So I decided it was time to remove my woody friend from the herb garden, so I clipped off all the branches close to the ground.

As I held the branches in my hand I liked the unusual way the greens bent & twisted… so…

I put them in this interesting little vase & have been enjoying them for several days…

I was a bit surprised that my husband also enjoyed this, and I realized there is a sense of depth and space and scale, and that this is very artistic in its composition… I just wish I were a better photographer, perhaps that's something I should learn more about…

So then came today, I've not been feeling well and was in a "mood"… I did some homework for a Bible Study I teach (studying the Bible usually snaps me out of a funk), and was starting to feel more cheery, then my printer ran out of ink (Argh!) so I had to actually get out of my PJs (I said I wasn't feeling well) and down to my local office store to buy some ink (we were out at home).

After buying the ink I realized it was mid-afternoon and I hadn't eaten lunch (you know I'm sick if I miss a meal)… ink issues + hungry = "mood" is back with a vengeance!!  I also knew I needed to pick up a couple things from the store to round out dinner, and I was in no mood for the grocery store (Grrr!!)…. so in to the store I go, tummy rumbling as I go…

But in the store I pass by the flower display… I LOVE Flowers (I did mention I'm a gardener - check out my gardening blog)… so I stopped and gazed and sniffed… ahhh… then I spotted them, an adorable bunch of yellow miniature roses, I just couldn't resist!!

Finally I was back home, ink & groceries & roses in hand… I put away the perishables then decided to put the roses in a vase, about this time I wondered if I could combine them with my dill… they are so different from each other… so I gave it a shot & here's the result:

I think they're lovely together… again I just wish the photo did them justice…