new yesterday ~

carved stone 

 labradortie and metal buttons

 double above: bike links. labradorite. above: bike chain bracelet

assorted thrift store beads, found objects, stash of old. loving using the labradorite these days. so pretty. the bottom ones are a commission. fun to make but not a usual. been toying with steel. thinking of going blackened copper. price dictates.

in Madrid, NM you will find bike part jewelry and other odds and ends at Weasel and Fitz. Fun recycled art all around!

random items i've made ~♥

 inner tube hearts

wittle teenie knives

 glass shard box made from an abilify insert

 ribbon and lace

thimbles and old buttons

 lace and button back piece

tube earrings

each of us carries a light. this light does not belong to us, it is given to us to take care of. {joy harjo}

new work today~

been a good week. very busy at school with attentive students (yippee) and fun and engaging lessons. one of those winner weeks in the classroom. new mobi systems brought me into the new age of technology and i am sooo in love with my document camera. so much so that i use it every day instead of making copies and it gives me more flexibility all around. yippee twice.
but today is a day off. (yippee thrice now) and i'm loading up new jewelry and gearing up to make a stash of earrings. i updated some photos on my all time favorite brooch that i made, so i've included a new link for you body part enthusiasts. k. now to go play with some new beads and old parts. happy days all!

coral and glass earrings with tiny sterling silver donuts.

 teenie tiny hand formed steel pin with coral and labradorite.

steely antler shell button hand formed pin. ~

 steely arm pin. i love making these pins! very relaxing to form.

handmade steel wire pin with faceted crystal bead and labradorite

 vintage shell buttons. steel wire. mother of pearl beads.

 

turtles and bears. vintage purple dangles. pearls. yum.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. ~Chinese Proverb

3 day weekend! i totally get to play a bit this weekend.  i love playing in the studio just like all of my creative friends. right now is the perfect time as it is unheated and the sun is streaming in. yummy warmth on this lovely January day. hear it will get to 50 today. great day for a bike ride too! so, i took photos of my bench as fanifuldevices likes photos of other peoples stuff so i thought i would post some components and finished work. so, after a delicious cup of coffee and 12 hours of sleep, i'm feeling a bit manic and excited for the possibilities old buttons, keys and bike parts mean to me and weaving them together is the best part of the process. silly me, i forgot i need to grade papers this weekend. hmmm, perhaps tomorrow. ;) my mental health is what is important and creating is my mental health!

my messy bench. usually i am so neat, but yesterday i left it.

i have tins and tins of delicious buttons. mostly vintage and antique shell buttons. i used to created mainly with them many years ago, now they are lovely little accents.

my bike parts. i take apart bikes parts, tumble them with arroyo sand and sudsy water to remove grease and grime.  then i touch them up with the buffer seen to the right. they come out all satiny. like silver, they can take on their own patina after time.

 laying it all out.

 connections of steel! ;)

 one and two view here on etsy.

thimble necklace

i just love old thimbles! they are utilitarian and ornamental. some are lovingly decorated and some are very humble. one can find them in a variety of materials as well as colors. too cool for school! ode to the those that sew with love and gusto.

~vintage beads, pretty silver with old leaf dangles, thimble (i sew, i love sewing stuffs), bike chain links, steel. here's to a glorious day y'all!