ATTACK of the FAIRY FLIES!!!!

Yes I know it has been awhile since I "blogged" (one of these days I am going to set my ongoing spell checker to accept the word Blog, without beeping at me!) and, well I get busy, and actually typing is not the easiest thing in the world for me to do...so I tend to look at a LARGE blank screen with misgivings, but I endure, I endure. The other day though I was going thru my pretty darn large cache of completed jewelry pieces and I spied some tumbled gemstone material and got totally inspired to create, though I *had* sat down at my workbench on the pretense of Cleaning it up!! I have often told people that even on a good day my bench area looks like a bomb went off and then a troop of rabid drunken squirrels had an impromptu orgy amidst the rubble. So, the need to create was probably more of a procrastinatory gambit on my part, and it certainly worked because said area still looks uhhhm, well lived in! I will get back to straightening and rearranging .. hopefully :) What I saw that interested me was a tumble stone of Rhodonite that I had picked up probably in a little bagged collection parcel. Looking at it I saw a tiny little gnat or bug perched on it.. it was one of the very small house plant gnats that a lot of people call "Fairy Flies" as I brushed my hand quickly near it, trying to drive it away, it just sat there on the stone.. calmly cleaning his antenna. I blew on him ( just a guess here on it's gender) and he decided the winds of change had come and he was gone.

Picking up my wire and stone, falling into the zone of creating for a few minutes I became aware that the little Fairy Fly was back, running back and forth across my overhead adjustable light shade. In little zig zaggy patterns he seemed to be watching what I was doing. So I stopped and watched him.. all of a sudden he flies and then lands back on the Rhodonite stone that was partially set in the wires.. Little Bugger! Be Off with ya! For the next hour he showed up and flitted off several times, even landing on my finger and dancing his way down to the stone and back up and then away. I have no idea why this little thing was attracted to this particular stone, it looked clean, there was nothing I could smell or see on it.. Eventually I just ignored him and finished the initial wire sculpted wrap and wove the bail. Cleaning and tumbling it to work harden and polish, then antiquing it and the last step wiring in the one small pearl in the top swirl. At last, the photography. I set up my light box and lights, tripod and got ready.. set my stage and,, there he was again!! Sitting in the middle of the stone as it lay on the White Board. I NOW wanted to get this little critters Picture!! He had been dogging me for at least 4 hours.. zoooming in the viewfinder ... and poof he was gone. I waited and waited and after 1/2 hour just took the picures.. and I have not seen him since. Very strange. And here is what he was so obsessed with. Rhodonite free form flatish tumble stone, antiqued and darkened copper wire and a pearl. Listed at my Etsy store www.atabbycatarts.etsy.com

Blades Repurposed Material Earrings

In the spirit of Re cycle, and Re purpose I came up with these earrings that use small discarded industrial cutting disks as an "out there" and on the Edge design element. Steel disks, copper wire and freshwater pearls.. the feel is Post Apocalypse and a Beyond Thunderdome style... the disks are a matching pair that fit together and work in a scissor fashion rather then being a sharp edged blade... My Dad, who passed quite a while ago worked for a comapny that designed and machined Industrial blades like these and all kinds from Humongous ones used in the rubber and paper making and baking industries to tiny blades for precision work in surgery.

The silver colored steel wheels were antiqued and then wrapped and embellished with wire stones and pearls. I then brushed and buffed the high points to bring out depth and contrast. A beautiful pewter like luster with a nice oxidized mottling on the steel give a lot of visual texture and interest to these Indie Punk, Post Apocalypse Goth style earrings.

The edges aren't sharp and they can't cut you if you run a finger along the edge.. they have a nice almost coin edge on them. The pointy "tips" are,, pointy! But not very sharp so they Look Dangerously Daring without being hazardous to you... I have 3 pair all different in my Etsy shop

at www.AtabbycatArts@etsy.com and I have lots of different ideas on varying the themes and style and look. I wore the pair I made for myself to meet 2 new members of my family last night and I got a "Whoa Those are Cool!" from the 20 to 30 year olds in the mash of family.

I think Aunty Entity would more then likely approve!

Dyed magnesite square beads and wrapped freshwater pearls. Pink "puka" shells and wrapped freshwater pearls.

My New Etsy Shop AtabbycatArts

I have recently made the step and opened up an Etsy Store, I have so much stuff that I make and I have to create things... I seriously am compelled to not remain idle.. lol. My Etsy shop is

http://www.atabbycatarts.etsy.com/

I will be putting scads of things in there over the coming weeks,, but the main focus I have been undertaking is getting lots of new pictures of all my jewelry that I will be offering and of my painted rock critters... so far I have about 18 items of jewelry in the shop and want to add some painted rocks soon.. I know times are hard and the economy has not made it easy on handcrafters .. but Please in the up coming Holiday season,, Won't you think about buying local handcrafted items for gifts this year... The big outlet stores are great for bargains but most of the items in these mega stores and you *know* who I am talking about.. are imported and that takes away jobs and income from Americans. Make a pledge to support the citizens in our country and buy local and or Handmade items... Good for our economy and our Country.

Above is a picture of a Viking Knit chain and pendant that I am offering for sale on http://www.atabbycatarts.etsy.com/

The chain is handmade from copper wire in 24 ga the Pendant in copper 20ga wire is a piece of beach glass I found and a little blue bead in the top swirl, I did a wire woven bail and the whole piece is meticulously handcrafted from start to finish... I even took the brass end cones and turned the edges over to make them smooth rounded and pokey free!

Please feel free to take a peek at my shop and convo me if you have any questions about anything I offer.

Regards :)

OppppSy!

And here is why you should not work on a piece of jewelry when you are tired or distracted! LOL... I was quite pleased with this bracelet, as the tube coils noodles are made of recycled brass wire that I very patiently salvaged from several other items that were practice or didn't come out right... I straightened out the wire and twisted it and then coiled it. I am really gung ho! on recycling items to keep useful things out of our landfill and I belong to the local Portland Freecycle group, so I was feeling all warm fuzzy and pleased when I noticed I neglected to put 1 spacer bead on between the rose quartz rondell and the end lampwork focal bead! Slaps self in head... Thwack! So now I get to do it over again... ROFLMAO! Well live and definitely learn to Double Check before I make the end eye hook, .

Green Steel

Ah yes another "noodle coil" bracelet, I love making them.. there is something so satisfying about taking wire and making a bracelet.. I love all jewelry but bracelets other than earrings are probably what I wear the most... which is kind of odd as I hardly ever go out.. I wear my jewelry for my enjoyment only I guess... Today I found an old bracelet that I had bought years and years ago,, it was hand made in Inda of brass but was sterling silver plated, I wore it so much that almost all of the silver was worn off, so I used steel wool and took all the remaining silver off and really loved the brass finish... I found it discolored and forgotten upstairs in my daughters room in a box of odds and ends that I was going thru to find stuff for our local freecycle. I almost cried when I saw it, it was like seeing the face of an old friend... I cleaned and polished it and now am wondering what to do with it... even though I love it, it is kind of clunky and large for everyday wear. But I was thinking of somehow making it into a focal point of a necklace with some additions and decorative wire work... I don't know I will get a picture and post it, it should be a good challenge to recycle it into something new... but I have gotten off the topic. the bracelet here is a large sagey green potato pearl , gosh it is a lovely color.. with 4 golden rondell pearls and copper spacer beads the coils are mild steel twisted tubes and the copper S clasp has a steel swirly doo hicky decoration... this is a larger bracelet easily fitting an 8" wrist, I love how this one turned out and I am going to make one for me, I have another Sage green pearl all picked out to redrill just for me! I like the look of steel and copper together .. if you are interested in this one email me ccase491@msn.com 25.00

Painted White Kitten aka Little Miss Blue Eyes

It has been such a long time since I have done really anything with this blog, one I really dislike to type,, Geee I think I have said that before.. similar to the phrase my Husband hears from me alot.. "Have I ever told you I really dislike cooking?" LOL... anyhoo.. in getting the spring cleaning bug I have been going through many of my things that were done awhile ago and assesing them and I will be including some of them in the blog along with new pieces I have been working on,.. this pendant is a hand painted stone, which I had used my sweet kitty as inspiration for, she has been gone for several years now. Wiresculpted goldfill wire with white freshwater pearls and hematite rice beads... NFS. I love painting animals and I am going to get back into it I think.

A pair of faceted Tiger Eye bead earrings with copper coiled seed bead wheels. An Eni Oken inspired design. Tiger Eye is one of my favorite gem materials, this pair has a lovely greenish layer of color at the bottom of each bead that is not noticeable in this picture, Irving my lovely modeling assistant was in a snit and threatened to bite me if I tried to press him into any more modeling. Gargoyles can be so moody and disagreeable! Irving can be found hiding in the older posts Irvings SRP, 15.00

Irvings Earrings

Irving modeling a pair of Eni Oken style earrings. And again he is not amused... Three gorgeous golden color button shape freshwater pearls with copper spacer beads. The round dangles are made of copper and gold colored non tarnish wire with little root beer glass seed beads as embelishment.

Unknown Stone Pendant

I really don't know what the stone is in this pendant. It's a creamy white color with fine brownish coppery lines and smudges.. the polish is not great so it has a soft sheen rather then a high gloss. I have observed a pair of beautiful drop earrings with a very similar stone, the maker said that her stones were a rare white turquoise that is highly valued by Native Americans. All I know is that I have never seen anything close to this before, if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear from you...?

The copper wire setting has a huge woven wire bail suitable for just about anything. I am currently mulling over necklace designs to hang this pendant from. And thinking of adding a pearl or two in the top two swirls.. (I am Goofy for pearls!) Not sure yet but this is a work in progress... :)

Silver & Gold MOP pendant

This item is available for purchase at www.atabbycatarts.etsy.com


This is a MOP (mother of pearl) Cabochon set in a 14 k goldfill and sterling silver wire sculpture. A tiny pearl sits in the top swirl ...this looks wonderful on a strand of pearls. Round and square wire were used.

Three Bracelets

A trio, one which has already been posted by itself. The one with the white, blue and green beads was the first bangle of this kind I had made. The Chainmaille and pearl bracelet is one I enjoy making though all the pearls have to be re drilled to accommodate the 20 to 18 gauge wire I use to "dangle" them.. time consuming and a bit dangerous as I use a dremel and hold the wet little pearls in my fingers as I expand the holes! So far NO mishaps! Wooo Hoo!

In this picture the color of the pearls looks rather "mustardy" They aren't they really are a lovely goldenish color. These are fun to wear and make a distinctive clicking noise that at least to me is rather soothing.

French Revival

A small black river pebble painted with an Autum leaf, 14k goldfill 21 ga square wire on a necklace that I made with glass and handcrafted paper beads.

China Blue

Three older vintage porcelain beads with hand formed copper coil tube beads and copper donut beads. The S clasp has a large dyed (but still gorgeous!) freshwater pearl and simulated "moonstone" glass beads. I textured the s arms on the clasp to a light hammered effect though this doesn't show up well in the picture.. the "moonstone" beads are just so pretty in good light. Copper is very malleable and this bracelet can be gently formed fitted to the wrist.

Button in Brass

This is an interesting pendant I made last summer after I was scrounging around in a stash of buttons. It is plastic and probably made in the 1950s it is light pink and has sparkly strands of what looks similar to "Easter grass" embedded within it. I used jewelry grade brass wire and made a Preston Ruethor style pendant setting for it.. what has been strange is the brass has not seemed to tarnish at all... this type of setting is hard to really see in a picture as it is very three dimensional and a flat picture can't convey the depth and structural quality of the piece.
I wrapped another button that turned out so strange if viewed I swear would scare the bloomers off yer Granny!