Tiny snow pals

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these little guys yet. Maybe make one very busy tacky necklace? Maybe use each one in something dainty? Depends on my mood at the time I guess. I've been  in a tacky mood lately with all the Christmas stuff  at every turn. I even bought a little blue tree for my kitchen. It has Mary Englebert teapot lights and cinnamon cookie ornaments on it now. I plan on making white felt cookies with blue bead sprinkles to hang on it after Christmas and leaving it up year round. Why reserve tacky just for Christmas. Maybe I'll start a new etsy store called "Tastefully Tacky". Wow I like that! Don't steal that idea. Back to my snow friends, their features are watch parts,swarovski crystals,beads, wire and bead caps.

Snowmen fun

This is what I've been making instead of cleaning. Well it is a gift actually. This idea came from the zine Cloth Paper Scissors. I love that magazine! Our snowman has a hat made from a vintage thimble and vintage tin. It is topped with a felt ball. His lovely attire is made from bells,beads and stars which hang from chain which is connected to a soldered collar. He bottle body is filled with glitter and snowflakes and the outside has paper snowflakes and S N O W. My daughter things he has to much bling. I'll bling you I say. I will make her one with a more rustic touch.

Christmas and free time. WHAT!!!!!!!!

You would think that after all the shows, wholesale and consignment orders I've done this fall I would be ready to put done the soldering iron for a while. Normaly I would be a little burnt out but not this year for some reason. When I know I don't have to do something , I'm pumped and cranking stuff out. When I have to, I don't want to. I wonder what a psychologist would say about that. The tree is finally up and most of the presents bought. Now I get to play and play I have been doing. My kitchen looks like a mad scientist lab. Instead of cookie cutters and sprinkles, there is liver of sulfer,pickle,a disc cutter and a rock tumbler. I got my felting machine out and dusted to off and now need to get a pipe cutter. Don't ask, I got a new book. Some of this mass creative hysteria is for my friends and families Christmas gifts. I promise I won't poison my family. When I start making cookies I will clean my kitchen counter extremely well. 

I can't believe I won the "City of Oaks" contest I entered. I'm so proud! My competition was great and I believe I only won by a point or two. Who cares, I won, I won!

Revival Antiques Show

If you have never been to Revial Antiques on Capital Blvd you are missing out. It is huge and they are the greatest people and the prices are great. They also have a store at the flea market at the fair grounds. I was invited to come and set up my jewels at their Christmas open house. It was so much fun. There was food, spirits,coffee and hot cider. A great jazz band and very nice customers. I was told I could use anything I wanted to display my jewelry. I felt like a kid in a toy store. This wasn't even like work. My sweet hubby sat on a beautiful goose neck rocker with his laptop and his coffee and assorted goodies. When I wasn't chatting it up I sat on the matching sofa and stitched with beads. They also carry decorative items that are not antiques but have the look and are dirt cheap. I'm still kicking myself for not getting a wood carved acorn that was $2.00. I had a small stash going all day. By the end of the day I ended up with several Christmas ornaments, a wire basket, glass bowl and a cabnet. I'm still trying to figure out where we could put that rocker and sofa we were sitting on. They were so comfy and both pieces were only $295.00

Metals Club Competition

My metals club had a contest at Ornamentea. The theme was "City of Oaks". We had to make every component of the piece down to the jump rings. I am very proud of my necklace. I'm new to cutting sheet metal and using a saw. I love the way my acorn tops turned out. The teensie water color painting was not nearly as challenging as the acorns. I don't care if I win, I'm just thrilled that I had the guts to compete with silversmiths and college art grads. It is a very neat group of people in this club and they are always so willing to help us inferior metal workers. 

Charm Swap

I'm particapating in a Charm swap at Ornamentea, the greatest bead store in the world. You make 10 charms and you get back 10 made from other people. How fun is that! These are my charms. I needle felted wool roving into tiny pies. The pans are bottle caps.