Some Actual Jewelry.

Feels like forever!

So actually, I made a buncha stuff with a buncha stuff I already had before the trip. I realize I did this after last trip, too. Like, I feel bad starting on the new stash without finishing the old. The above reverse teardrops I cut out of a small crusty plate. I put up two photos because I just can't seem to get the color of the beads right.

But yeah, I seem to be seeing any little pendant charm's possibility as a post. Just flip them upside down and E600 a post finding on those suckers. 'Member these leaves from my Germany haul?

I made these posts with old fishing spoons! Below, some gorgeous charms I gold foiled a while back. The dude is Cervantes. After rolling around on my floor with all my rusty dirty things, the foil got even crustier and I decided to like it.

And these teeny charms below actually were from this trip. All very Victorian tribal. Or trying to be.

The round ornate piece below was from last trip, just never quite felt ballsy enough to use it. Now that I feel like I have to use the stuff from last trip I'm like, toss that baby on there! And the weird hardware piece I just showed y'all. Remember I thought bending the arms there would make it look like an anchor? Ummm. It looks like an arrow.

Aw, crap. Just realized that the whole focal taken together looks like a flower. Crap, crap. Here I thought it was all serious and dramatic...

This, too from last trip. It's a fountain. How is this a fountain? I dunno, it's what I was told by my aunt who gave it to me.

It was intended for a wall and has like a pocket... Oh wait, yeah- like one of those wall fountains you might see in Italy from the Renaissance or sumpin.

I'm making a concerted effort to balance the very Euro style theengs one finds in Uruguay with the rustic/tribal vibe I've been developing for the last year or so.

One way to do this is to mix the Euro theeng focal with tribal beads/cords as the necklace section.
This one has that particular formula in full display, maybe because of the brown coloring that especially brings it out.

Thick, simple- I'm all about chokers too. Best, simplest way to display a special theeng. All the focals are so interesting on their own, they don't need too much more. So my artistic work in this case is getting my ass to Uruguay and buying up the place.

This one in particular happened to be a lighter. I took out the insert to show where you soak the fiber inner part with butane. That gets tucked back into the lid, actually- the half circle part, which in turn gets tucked back into the medallion. The little screw on the bottom adjusts the tightness of the round sparky wheel that you flick your thumb on, whatever that's called.

This is a mini frame a lady might put on her nightstand. I took out the insert, flipped the picture upside down and drilled holes in the feet of the frame. That actually took forever. Y'all who have flex-shafts- what are they attached to? Surely something stronger than a dremel, right?

Those weird springy links are actually bicycle parts. Or so the guy told me.

Here the old coral Grandma gave me. I hammered the crap out of a bell to form a bezel for it. Didn't quite go as flat as I wanted so I drilled the sides to allow room for the coral 'shoulders'. I tried heating up the bronze bell with my torch and then hammering and with the first strike it cracked into 3 pieces which all went flying.

So next I actually looked up how to work with bronze. Helps to have a forge. Here's an interesting story on how folk in Africa use what they have (including donkey poop and an old door handle) to make bronze figurines. 

Does this lampworked nail look familiar? It was part of a piece that got bought then return because it didn't fit well. Instead of re-listing it, I seem to have cannibalized the necklace. 

Long hangy piece was from last trip; ceramic ring from scorched earth, previously jewel identity; cording from this trip to U, and I used little bullet casings as cord end caps. I'm cultivating a minor obsession with long or tubular bezels. The bullet casings are one manifestation, and below is another.

I showed you those silver salt-shakers, yes? Well, I shaped one to just fit the crystal point and- instant bezel!

On second glance, now I notice the crystal looks like glass, which makes the whole thing look even more like a little salt shaker... hmm...

It feels like the good ol' days before tutes - huge batches of jewelry coming atcha! And I actually have two more pieces juuuust about done. Plus I ordered a whole slew of fresh new tools as all mine are haggard and broken. And if I'm going to invest in theengs, should also have decent tools to work on them with.

I can't go without thanking you guys for all the sweet, sweet comments that made me smile so much. Now that you all think I'm so cute, I can share this baby:

I guess I was describing something extremely painful. And now we must never speak of this again.