Get Your Kicks

I hit the jackpot recently when I found these pins and charms.

I love using relics like these in pieces of my jewelry because there is some kind of uniquely personal story attached to each pin or charm. I don't yet know how I will carry on the storylines of these recent finds, but I just finished a necklace that was partly inspired by a small pin found at a thrift store.

I was cutting up segments of an old measuring stick, and the 66 inch mark made me think of Route 66. The hopeful promise of a new and better life that the old highway offered to desperate people in the 1930's is something that resonates with me. I searched through my collection of commemorative pins and found the AAA Service Patrol- perfect! This service pin is a miniature version of the badge that I wore when I was a 6th grade crossing guard at my grammar school. That now strikes me as a very bad idea- putting a kid in charge of other kid's safety as they crossed the street on their way to school.

Anyway........I sanded the cut edge of the measuring stick and gave it a gentle cleaning with a damp cloth. A piece of copper with 6 tabs was cut and riveted to a brass base. The tabs were bent over the '66' segment to fasten it in place after I stamped 'GET YOUR KICKS' on the brass base. The pin back was removed from the AAA pin and a hole was drilled for fastening as a dangle.

The brass base that I used has a beautiful etched pattern on the back. The chain is recycled from old necklaces and incorporates wire wrapped amazonite, sterling spacers and hand forged copper rings.

Holiday Shows

The holiday shows are underway. My inventory is distributed, and now I can focus on the special request orders that have been placed. This is my first year in the Woodmere Art Museum Holiday Gift Gallery.

Woodmere is a wonderful art museum located in Chestnut Hill. One of the gallery spaces has been transformed into a gift shop featuring handcrafted items with a focus on local artisans. Visiting Woodmere any time of the year is always a great way to spend part of your day. A bonus is the fact that Morris Arboretum is practically next door- a great way to spend the rest of your day.

The Main Line Art Center show opened last night with the Member's Preview. When I arrived to set up my items on Monday, I realized that the allotted space was smaller than I had anticipated. Gasp- it's an unexpected thrill to have to completely rethink your display in approximately 5 minutes.

Not what I had originally envisioned, but I fit everything into the display.
It was so inspiring to see everyone's work, and I feel fortunate to be included in this group of fellow artisnas.

Other locations where I have items:

Sweet Mable in Narberth, PA and Place Vendome in Summit, NJ

Rolling On

I've been using the rolling mill lately. I rolled some leaves with sheets of annealed copper and then hand cut the shapes with metal shears.

The leaf at the top in the above image is how the leaves looked immediately after being cut- dark from the annealing and rough around the edges. I first used a metal file on all edges and finished with a sanding block to ensure that all surfaces were smooth to the touch.

I then riveted the leaves onto a brass base that was saw cut due to a thicker gauge that I used. The two layers were riveted together and attached to a long sterling chain with a sterling jump ring. The leaves were a hit a recent show. I used pieces of the same lace to mill with a variety of metals.
From left to right: copper, bronze, brass, silver nickel

This is the lace that I used for the milling. I found this at a thrift store and it was only 12" long. I like that fact that once I use up those 12", there will be no more metal with this particular texture which keeps my pieces of jewelry unique.

Etching

I spent part of last evening etching.

I used a metal guillotine to cut pieces of silver nickel and copper and etched text onto the pieces using ferric chloride. When the etching was complete, the ferric chloride was neutralized with baking soda and the metal was scrubbed with a brass brush. I used an acetylene torch to heat the metal hoping that I would get an interesting, oxidized finish and was so pleased when I saw beautiful flashes of color form on the silver nickel. This metal will be cut and used for pendants, pins and earrings.

Recent Necklaces

I've been keeping busy making cuff links, money clips, earrings, bracelets, pins and earrings and necklaces. Inventory is being distributed later this week to some of the shops that carry my work. A large piece of jasper with sterling wire wrapped pearl and crystal dangles was used in the pendant of this necklace. The sterling chain is interrupted with wire wrapped crystal and pearls. Small wire wrapped pearls dangle form the chain. I had intended for this necklace to go to one of the shops, but it sold before it could leave my house.
This necklace incorporates a lovely sterling charm that was found at a thrift store. The charm hangs on sterling wire that is wrapped with faceted amazonite rondelles and sterling spacers. The sterling chain is highlighted with wire wrapped amazonite briolettes and freshwater pearls.

This necklace will fly out of the house tomorrow.

Veteran's Day

Local parades warm my heart.

Chandelier Necklace

This is the dining room that I saw the day our house went on to the market back in 2003. We had been searching for a house for 2 1/2 years, a long process because of the specific requirements that had to be met to suit our family. In spite of some shortcomings, I recognized that this house could work and an offer was made within hours of my visit. One of the things that I never liked about this room was the ceiling-mounted light fixture which is barely visible in this photo. It lacked character and cast an unappealing pattern of light. Of course, this fixture stayed in our dining room for almost 5 years- one just learns to live with certain things.

When I search for jewelry-making materials in thrift shops, I sometimes find other interesting items. Such was the case a few years ago when I saw something tucked under a table at the local church 'White Elephant' shop. I was thrilled to find a wonderful wrought iron and brass chandelier with all the necessary components and very reasonably priced at $30.00. The sweet ladies who run the shop could not believe that I would consider installing this old 'monstrosity' in my home.

I think it looks wonderful!

The pattern of light that shines through the intricately scrolled brass globes is lovely.

In order to transition from the old fixture to my new-old chandelier, I called the local, friendly electrician who has done other work in our house. To establish a proper height for the chandelier, some of the links had to be removed from the chain. When the work was completed, the electrician had kindly put all of the garbage in a box and set it outside with the rest of my trash. I saw the links set out as garbage and realized they needed to be salvaged, thinking that they could be cleaned up and eventually be used in a project.

It took a few years, but I finally cleaned one of the links with fine sandpaper, revealing a beautiful pattern. The link became the pendant for a new necklace. Because of the rustic look of the link, I used annealed steel for my wire wrapping.

A Sacred Heart medal, also a thrift store find, hangs from the bottom of the link.

Segments of chain are wire wrapped with pearls, citrine, amethyst, serpentine and crystal.

The clasp is made with a disc that I cut from an etched platter and a connector also made with the annealed steel.

Want to know how to make a clasp like this?

I'll show how in my upcoming wire wrapping class at the Community Arts Center!