Saturday, April 21, 2012

Wrapped, Stacked and Layered.

The REVEAL..
SATURDAY APRIL 21




That is the title of the challenge that the lovely Tracy over at “Make Bracelets” has put together.
 I thought well why the heck not...cause I’ve been banging out the bangles
since my girl FancifulDevices had put out her " Gypsy Bangle Stacks tutorial”.


It all started modestly enough



A few Czech seed beads...some glass beads and a swallow
charm I had from a past life.

Then I had some blue and grey ties from pajamas
and old sweat pants cause I have a hard time throwing anything away
well cause I might be able to use that someday...

and a miracle happened.



I did use em...



I threaded those old cords onto the wire, wrapped them,
fluffed em..splashed some ink on  them here and there...
added buttons and bows and bells and whistles.


Then it was...





add some fabric and wrap that and wrap that again
and then what about those filagree beads you never used and
then all those seed beads you have so many of...
And then Anvil Artifacts sent me some cool brown agate beads
those will go nice with these... and two plain bangles from my
real hippy days.




Then I thought about “White Wedding”



Nice day for a white wedding


You know that old timey song from Billy Idol...
hey I think he was wearing bangle stacks in that video of the song...
anyhow what about making something for the alternative bride...
The bride that he was singing about.
so I did these with Miriam Haskell like pearls and crystals and such.




So while I was in my “White Period"



back in...oh yeah March...
I added these to the mix..





Time to start waxing them...which is what we learned
in our tutorial by the incomparable Fancifuldevices...
so I gooed on the wax...wow!  Instant aging...
Looks as if Keith Richards wore these everyday since
the 70s while he was rollin around in the gutters and
sweatin on stage and such.










Yeah I’m kinda obsessed with these...I have tried everything
I could think of so far....I’m not done yet...So many beads out there
unbangled...needing to be ...wanting to be.
orphans left alone without a purpose in life
flailing about aimlessly...wanting to belong...
littering the hiways and byways and the bottoms of you drawerways.


The Final Forty


A cumulation of my efforts and all of my techniques

so far.....



Hey...wanna make your own bangle stacks?
Here’s Fancifuldevices TUTE
Haven’t seen enough?
Want to see the rest of the gang that entered the challenge?
As soon as I can figure out how to do the link to the other
80 people that joined this I will post it down here..

Sorry couldn’t get it to work so....

This is Tracy’s site where you will find the rest of the challengers

enjoy the day and have fun looking at all these creative ladies..

Sunday, April 15, 2012

A little trip to the desert


We went on a day trip to the desert to visit a friend
of Mr. Beatnheart...

The desert at this time of year is just beautiful...
perfect weather , spring wildflowers...

I haven’t been out of the city in many months...
it was wonderful to just hear the wind blow and
hear nothing but the birds.




To some people this looks like a pile of junk...
I was in rusty heaven...I mean look!  old beer cans!
The kind you use to use an opener on...how long
ago was that?  jeez, I can’t even remember.  You
know before pop tops.  Ah some of you youngsters
won’t even remember that... poor things...


I bought quite a few of these home...assemblages,
props....I see all kinds of stuff happening here.







Joshua Trees 


an old dump...paradise!
Jeez even in the middle of nowhere I’m “shopping”.
Wish I had me a shovel.






clear blue skies...fabulous rock formations






Linchens?  gorgeous colors what ever they (it) is.






Raven's nest...We watched her as we dined al fresco
on the terrace.







an old ghost town...
once a very prosperous gold mine...we heard
that now that gold is so high they are back in there mining...




We were near Lancaster/ Palmdale area...
some of you may know it from the famous David Hockney painting


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

My Signature Style


Upon learning a craft skill art whatever you
want to call it, you plug away and take apart
and put back together and try and try again
until finally you get something you actually
like...  that happened with these earrings.



They felt right, looked beautiful sexy on
and  even my evil twin liked em.
they sold immediately.
so I wasn’t the only one.

So what does one do then...?


do it again.


Repeat the formula...
and call it “my signature piece”

these too sold right away.
sweet lady who bought the first gave me rave reviews
on my feedback.. so keeps me going....and makes
me feel like I am on the right path in finding myself

and my style.

I don’t like to repeat myself but I’m still enjoying making
these...it’s a learning process and I like to think I’m improving
on each go round.  And there are so many beads...so many different
ways of looking at the same thing.
and to think two months ago I never wire wrapped a thing in my life.



And so I made this....geez what a struggle!
I got the focal down because it’s “my signature style”
but then what?   A necklace?!  They are hard for
me ....what do I do now?   So much space to fill...

Remembered I had some leather cording...maybe that
will work...


Hey where’s Ralph Lauren?  Wouldn’t this go with all
his American Indian layered denim prairie skirt thing?

Anyhow happy with it (for now)..listed it in the shop...
and on to the next project. 


 What’ya know...My Signature Style...
Next time with fabulous beads by Kim... Numinositybeads
Her handmade lampworked beads are killer cool,
sexy as hell and so inspirational...




Ah just couldn’t wait...went into the studio and
just made these...hot off the press..

Never had beads like this before...
wow the depth, intensity,
layers of colors and things going on in there.
And thinking of my girl Kim doing whatever it
is that she does to make these happen down
 North -of-the border
in Bisbee, Arizona.




"I left you in Bisbee” assemblage earrings



Here’s where you find da beads of yer dreams

.







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