Pirate Swag!

My bestest bud took a trip with her niece and family to Sea World not too long ago and got one of those smashed penny prizes.  She showed it to me and I told her I could make a necklace for her if she wanted.  Strangely enough, she let me have the penny (eeeeeevil grin!)

So, here it is, from design concept to finish.

design idea to begin
(why keeping sketch book in purse is good!)

checking the size of the smooshed penny to the drawn frame

1st measurements

revised measurements

Final incarnation
(I won't freak you out with the 1st incarnation ~shudder~)

Close up of penny in it's frame with the adjustment
of it's own little black "pearl" instead of the crystal dangle

playing around, a metal frame from the measurements

side view

finished frame ~ wrapped in wire with
aqua crystals (trust me, they're aqua!)
the wire wrap thru the two loops on the
bottom keeps the frame together. The
crystal on the bottom is also a dangle
instead of being wired to it.

Busy Weekend

 I had a busy weekend with the camera.  Here are a few new items (and a couple of old) going into the store on Etsy. 

Skies over Jupiter



Dream!

Rustic Berries

Rustic Teal

Teal Swirls

Red Daisy Dangles

Blue Daisy Dangles

Hot Spring - Lanyard

Weekend Slump - (sort of)

Well, I didn't do very much this weekend.  I was lazy.  I did do a few more earrings.  I read (in a blog or in one of my numerous jewelry magazines I buy ~ I should have stock in their companies by now!) about using items you can find in your local tool store, such as copper piping, and went to Lowe's a few weeks ago.  I've been playing with the copper pipes I bought ever since.  Got a new Dremel for Christmas (yes, copper gets hot when being drilled; no, you should not hold it with your bare fingers!) and stole a pipe cutter from my dad. (I guess I should say "borrowed", but he knows he's never getting it back ~ heeee! ~)  One of the pair of earrings I made are these and I liked 'em SO much that I decided to keep them. Selfish!  Oh, well, I'll make more pairs with the tubes and beads this week (and break the table top studio back out... yes, it's repaired but, as mentioned earlier, I was SO lazy this weekend!)  Oh, ALso!  I made this necklace last week.  I took an idea from Linda over at Objects & Elements and went a slightly different way with it. (see? this is what I love about stalki...er... following all you creative ladies! you can get great ideas from the crafts of others)

AND! I got to make the inner Pyro happy!  I used flame to darken the copper in the necklace.  I'm going to have to break down and buy a small hand-held torch.  Those candle lighter lighters don't do a great job (tho', if you're patient, and heat from underneath or aim the flame inside the tube, it works better... prettier colors... just sayin')

1"  long copper tubes that have been pounded
by the peen on my craft hammer. Winter blue
beads and a lighter blue crystal bead as accents.



Closer look ~ can you see the hammer marks?
What they say is true, even if it's not pounding,
it's still theraputic to beat on something! :)



MY version of the necklace Linda created.
I'm also not as good with the metal as her...
yet!  Some day... Still liking this, tho'!



A closer look at the flowers I made. Yellow
crystals added to blue plastic flower forms
and all hooked to a jump ring and hooked
onto the end of the wire.

WHAT SANTA BROUGHT

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEAL!

Santa brought me not only a brand new Canon Rebel T2i EOS 550D (digital) camera, he brought me an RPS Studio Pro Style Desktop Studio ("take pictures like a Pro!")  Now, nothing against my iPhone3GS, it's taken some pretty darn good pics for me to post, but I am so STOKED about getting to use my new camera and new Studio set up for my photos I can hardly stand it! (~does the Happy Hamster Giggle-Shimmy~)

Speaking of pics, and iPhones and such, I have a new necklace that will be going into my Etsy store as soon as I can set this studio up and get off some shots (hopefully, tomorrow night... depending...)  Anyway, the necklace is made from two clasps I bought from Melinda Orr over at Melinda Orr Designs with the copper one being the closing clasp and the metal & stone one becoming the focal piece.  I paired them with some GORgeous handmade beads I bought from Pam at Ferrariorginalbeads on Etsy.  Here's the iPhone version and I should have it posted on Etsy by (as I said/hoped) Thursday night.

Hope everyone else had a great Christmas and plan on having a Happy New Year.