First fall inspiration

I just wanted to thank all of you for your sweet and inspiring comments on my wing necklaces. I am humbled by your generous praise. Thank you so very much!!

Those bright red rose hips out in the garden has gotten me inspired. Not that I have totally let go of those last summer days (in fact, I have something in the works right now), but the rose hips called out to me.
And this bracelet just happened.

Sponge coral, picasso jasper, serpentine, citrine, calcite, glass and copper. With a length of extra chain, this would also look good as a necklace.

Got to get back to some wings...

Do you want to see? The Last Days of Summer

I have been posting teasers of work in progress. I have a couple of things kinda-sorta finished. Although I am not sure that I might still have to tweak them a bit. But since alot of you have been so kind as to say you want to see the pieces - well - here is the reveal. I started these before Fall officially arrived and I was thinking about those last precious days of summer - and dragonflies - and this is what my crazy hands came up with:

Translucent resin/tissue paper wings and labradorite beads and fresh water pearls form a lariat style necklace. These wings are extremely light weight and delicate. Almost like the real thing...

These are more transparent, as there is vintage lace enclosed in resin in these wings. Sari silk ribbon, vintage lace and vintage buttons (dyed some of them myself) combined with fresh water pearls, carved MOP rose bead and some ethereal light blue beads that I received from Sharon! (Thank you again, Sharon. Do you by any chance remember which stone this is? Maybe amazonite?) This is a longer necklace.

Another view.

This last one is more colourful - like a summer's day at the beach. And yes, I have seen dragonflies at the beach! These are opaque with my typical ink and stamping on both sides, sealed with resin. Combined with a delicious mix of glass beads in corresponding colours. This one is shorter.

Not sure they are completely finished. Maybe just a little something here or there, for some added interest.
Hope they were worth waiting for.

Sunday flea market

I'm a bit late with this post - my internet connection slowed down to a speed that makes a snail seem like a supersonic jet.
Don't have too many pictures to show - I forgot my camera. Oops.
Well, anyway, here are my finds for this week.

Some bone and horn beads.

A couple of very small iron forms - perhaps for pralinés? And a (slighty confused) compass.

A couple of rhinestone brooches - minus alot of rhinestones.

Some real filigree and a demolished locket.
Interesting things to inspire me.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday and thank you for stopping by!

more sneaky peak teasers

Working on several pieces at once. A couple more teasers...

Ghost update

Lab tests - all good news.
End of last week the vet discovered a large and unusual growth in Ghost's mouth and throat. His first guess was a malignant tumor, so he removed some of it and sent the material in for tests, including blood test.
While the testing does not tell us exactly what the growth is - calling it a chronic inflammatory process (what the heck is that supposed to mean?) - it is not malignant. Also, the blood tests for various, very nasty viral infections are also negative. The vet believes we will be able to make the growth regress - I sure hope so.

Ghost is doing better at eating - she is not gagging any more, but can swallow small pieces. She is also much steadier on her feet and getting very schmoozy. She is obviously feeling much better - as you can see:

The fur on her throat is starting to grow back in. So, today I am hopeful.

Work in progress teaser

Fall equinox. So fall is officially here. I am still thinking about the last days of summer and they are turning into a piece of jewelry. Here are a couple of teasers of the work in progress.

Hopefully, I will have a finished piece to show soon.

Sunday flea market

I know, I know. It has been a week - again - since I was last here. Life keeps getting in the way. More vet visits with Ghost - we are now waiting for laboratory results. But things don't look so good.

The weather is wonderful today - sunny and a high of 16°C (thats about 60°F). Max didn't have to work today, so we started out on a flea market trip - just a couple of very small flea markets that are located a bit further away. And didn't I find some goodies!

Seen in the first village we visited. The windows in this roof remind me of eyes.

 Some vintage lace.

Max found this tiny little suede leather change purse for me. It is only about 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches big. I love it!

And this is what was inside of it! Strike!

Some very vintage crocheted lace doilies. Perhaps for use in future cuffs?

A lovely old brush. I couldn't resist.

An old rhinestone focal - probably for use with a scarf - to be repurposed. And a hand carved bone edelweiss blossom. Very Bavarian.

I am quite happy with my finds. Hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday.

Where did the last week go???

It is Sunday again - I seem to have lost a week. Has anyone seen it?

Well, I do know what happened - it is all because of a small and very sick little black cat. She doesn't belong to me. But she has decided that I am to be responsible for helping her get well again. She refused to leave my doorstep. So this week has been tied up with trying to get her to eat, taking several trips to the vet's, washing her up so she doesn't smell so terribly and so on and so forth. She is very malnourished and has a wound on her throat. I hope I will be able to pull her through. Meet Ghost:

I did manage to get in a trip to the flea market this morning, before taking my husband to the train station. I didn't find much, just two pieces. A chain (looks like silver, but doesn't have a mark) and a carved resin rose.

While I was away, I received some goodies in the mail.
First, some gorgeous polymer clay "slides" with images of Venice from Angie at Hopemore Studio. I am so looking forward to working with these.

I also received a package full of love from Sharon, of Livewire Jewelry. Thank you so much my sweet friend! The heart is hanging in my studio, where it will inspire me. I love the ATC and the necklace too!

I did spend some time during my vacation with a bit of button sorting. I sometimes buy a box of buttons at the flea market and I culled through them to find all the shell and mother of pearl buttons.

Oh, and I did make a couple of things. A bracelet and a textile cuff for my sister.

A pendant for my sister-in-law, using one of LeAnn's (Summers Studio) precious little birds.

Another necklace starring one of LeAnn's gorgeous porcelaine focals.

I still need to edit the pictures I took in Italy - although I didn't really take very many this year.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday.

Back again!

Hello friends! It has been quite a while. I am back from my vacation and I really do have a lot of things to share, but today will have to be short and sweet. Thank you for all your well wishes for the vacation! Italy was wonderful, as always. How could it be otherwise?

I also have some flea market finds to share and some goodies that came while I was away. Will be posting during the week, so stay tuned!