Gypsy Charms

I didn't have time to post yesterday. I had to go get more glass for a commissioned bracelet to match the Iron Heart. I worked on that most of the day, and then we had a cook out next door at my mom's. My hubby says I'm neglecting him! So I didn't work last night. We watched a movie, and he managed to stay awake! That's rare! I'm almost through with the bracelet, and I'll post pics when I finish. I think it's going to be pretty. I hope she likes it. She said she wore the necklace out on Sat. night, and her girlfriends want one! YAY! I guess I'll have to make more now!

These are a charm bracelet and matching necklace I made out of copper, then LOS'd cold to get a bronze color. I called them Gypsy Charms.

I hope you all had a great day yesterday and today. And everyday! God bless!

Big Iron Heart

Hello friends! I hope your Saturday was great. Mine was pretty good. I got another order for jewelry, and that's always nice.

This is a heart necklace that a girl bought on my Etsy. It is made of iron rebar wire and a glass glob, and is pretty big. She liked it so much, she now wants a bracelet and earrings to match. The bracelet I can do, not sure on the earrings. They would be really small, but I'll sure give it a shot!

I did finish a necklace I was working on, so I'll show it to you next time. It's a pretty simple copper disc necklace that matches a bracelet I made.

I hope you all have a blessed and wonderful Sunday!

A Little Etched Pendant

This is an acid etched pendant I made a little while ago. The solder isn't great and needs some clean-up, but it turned out pretty good. I still need a lot of work on soldering. I'm not crazy about it, but it is a necessary evil! I'm slowly getting the right tools to work with and they make a world of difference.

Here's a little quote for today by Arnold Glascow:"An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied." If you can think it up, you can probably do it! Have a glorious day!

My Three Sons

These are the three that still live at home. Tyler, the big one, Oscar, the black one, and Odie, the spotted nut case! They all had a long night and passed out on the couch! Odie has seizures from epilepsy and they have messed up his little mind! We never know what he's gonna do! In this picture he's talking to his fleas!

Great news! The necklace that gave me fits yesterday went together perfectly today! I could have ripped my hair out yesterday! It's funny how things work like that sometimes. That's why you shouldn't worry over things, God will straighten it all out. One way or another.

I hope everyone had a great day, and an even better one tomorrow! Goodnight friends!

Anything worth doing...

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. I've had to tell myself this over and over today. I was asked to make a smaller version of the copper heart. Sure, no problem. WRONG!! I worked on it all day. I started over twice, messed it up every time. Finally, I gave up and said "Tomorrow is anotha' day!" Man, if I had known I never would have agreed to do it. Live and learn. I will start all over in the morning. My poor old eyes can't do anymore today!

This is a Southwest style necklace I made a little while back. It's German silver and turquoise pottery beads. I really like it, cause I like Southwestern stuff! God bless! Have a great day!

Boring Tuesday

There's nothing much going on today. Tonight we're having dinner with my in-laws because yesterday was my hubby's 31st. birthday.(Yes, I'm 11 years older than he is!) I guess that makes me a cougar. LOL

I'm just working on a new necklace today. Lots of jumprings and cutting discs with the snips. Those are two things I'm not crazy about, but it's all part of it! I'll show you when I'm done.

Here's a little heart pendant I made a while back. I was practicing wire riveting and it turned out kinda nice. It's copper and German silver on a sterling chain. Have a glorious day!

Creative Monday

Happy Monday to everyone! I know Mondays aren't the best days. It's hard to get back into the swing of things after the weekend, but it's Spring Break week here, so no getting up early for school. I like it when school's out. My youngest son will graduate next year, and he plans on going to art college in California. We're still discussing this! I don't like it, it's to far from home! But we'll see...

This is how I spent my Monday. I made this Springtime bracelet! It's a copper base with a German silver and brass flower. There's a bronze "pearl" in the center. I really like the patina on the base, it has a lot of color, and I hope you can see it in the side view. Thanks for looking, and have a wonderful, blessed day!

Happy Easter

This is Hearts and Hugs. It's one of my first soldering projects. I sweat soldered the heart to the copper square and soldered all the rings and hearts. It's also my first attempt at stamping, with homemade stamps!

I hope everyone had a glorious Easter today and got to spend time with family and friends! Please remember to pray for our troops, they are giving their lives for us, too. Keep them in your hearts and minds, and let's all hope they're home safe for the next holiday. May God bless you all.

My Heart

This is my heart and soul, my grand-daughter! She is my inspiration and my reason for being. It's funny how much you can love someone. She lights up my life and gives me a reason to keep plugging along. I want her to be whatever she wants to be in life, no matter what it is.

Here is the chorus from my favorite song by Anna Nalick, it is a great description of life:

"You can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable and

Life's like an hourglass, glued to the table.

No one can find the rewind button now,

So cradle your head in your hands and breathe,

Just breathe.

There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout,

cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out,

and these mistakes you made, you'll just make them again,

if you only try turning around."

Remember that you can't go back and change one single second, so be very careful in your choices and your words. Be kind to each other and live every day like it's the last, because it very well could be.

My First Necklace

This is the first piece of jewelry (other than macaroni necklaces!) that I made. It is all polymer clay, except the hairpipe beads and the little hematite stone on the claw. It is one of my favorites, I guess because of it's Native American feel. I still make a lot of turquoise beads out of clay, it is a great medium to use. It is also a great way to get started in jewelry making, because it doesn't require a lot of tools or skills, and it is fairly inexpensive.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. Enjoy your family and remember why we have Easter. Have a blessed day!

Painting

I started painting on just about anything I got my hands on. Glass, feathers, wood, it didn't matter what it was! It was very soothing to me and I would lose myself in my work. After I remarried I kinda quit doing much of any artwork for a while. I was working full time with both my boys at home. My husband was home everyday, cause he was working nights back then, and life was to hectic. I finally got back to what I love doing, creating. I have always loved Native American things (my great-grandmother was Native American), and I love wolves, so much so, I have a tattoo of a wolf on my right shoulder. It is my totem! These are two ceramic skulls I painted several years ago.

The Beginning

I guess I should start this off with where I started off. My Daddy made the most beautiful carvings and I was so in awe of that. I used to think "Man, I wish I could do that!" Wood carving is one thing I've never tried. I think I knew I could never be as good as he was, so I wouldn't even try. I did start out painting. We would paint ceramics as a family, and I really liked it. Later on, I started painting on canvas.

I do some wood working. I build birdhouses and squirrel feeders. I built the railings on my porch and my Mom's. I'll try almost anything once!

I am also a fairly decent mechanic, but only on older models. I don't work on the newer ones these days. They have way to much crap that can go wrong.

I started making jewelry a few years ago and have progressed from simple wire work to more complex sheet metal. I have found what I love! I hope you enjoy reading about my journey.

These pictures are of a duck head that my Dad made and gave me for Christmas 9 years ago. I dearly love it. The second pic is a close up of the details, each line was done with a woodburner and looks like it would feel like a duck.

New To Blogging

When I was a little girl, I would watch my Daddy carve. He could turn a block of wood into a duck decoy that looked so real you had to touch it just to make sure it wouldn't quack. Luckily, for me, I got a little bit of that artistic talent and I've tried it out in many mediums. When I got to metalwork, I found my true passion. I love the feeling of turning cold, hard metal into something warm, and beautiful. The process of hammering and joining pieces of metal is a release of emotions for me. I pour myself into each piece and try to convey my thoughts and feelings. I am at peace with myself and the world when I'm working.
I am inspired by the world around me, and the things in everyday life. Ideas and designs are formed in my mind and are slowly but surely coaxed into reality. I believe that an artist leaves a little bit of their soul in each work of art, and passes that on to the person that falls in love with it. It is my mark on the world, proof that I was here. Art outlives the artist.
I've never had any formal training in the arts. I use the things I've picked up along the way, from TV, books, and the internet. I don't always follow the rules, but adapt them to work for me. Therefore, a lot of my techniques are unique to me.
This blog will allow me to share my thoughts and creative process with anyone who wants to listen.