Watch Parts

Now I have a lot of beautiful tiny watch parts (see photo below in an earlier post) and am still considering how best to use them. I have glued faceted gemstone rondelle beads onto some of the shafts of the gears with Hypo cement but am afraid they will fall off. I guess I'll have to knock them around a bit to see how sturdy they are before I can use them.

Also, I don't look forward to trying to saw off all the sharp little shafts that I don't put beads on. Am trying to avoid that. Any ideas?

This spring is acting like winter and it is still too cold to work in my "workshop" most of the time, especially at night when I can work uninterrupted. SUN SUN SUN where are you?

MORE TORCHED COPPER

See my new Picasa Album with more torched copper jewelry

Deerwoman Designs at PrimeXpo

Link to my PICASA Album with pictures of Deerwoman Designs and 2 of Abdul of Afghan Tribal Arts at the Primexpo Jewelry and Gift show this past weekend Apr 8-10 2011

Gems and Freshwater Pearl

I just posted a new album on Picasa of a series of jewelry I made a while ago that I really like.

I will be posting more in my shops but here's one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/17068553/necklace-w-amethyst-smoky-quartz-vintage

Busy Busy

What I really want to do is sit down and create jewelry. Amazing how many things need to be done before I can do that. Today I showed some jewelry. My business card is years old and I had no time before showing to make a new one. I don't have any fancy programs to create business cards, brochures and the like. So I created it in Excel. It turned out well and all the cards are a uniform size and shape.

However, it's not gonna work for a new brochure. Where can I get good but free software to do this (for Windows).

Here's the image. I can print it on a variety of different papers. Looks good on glossy.

YAY A pair of my earrings just made it into this Etsy Treasury

I've also just added some new items in my Etsy shop made from purchases at Tucson gem shows, from which this was selected. This group features a lot of African brass fetish, metal openwork disks and trade beads. Also some amazing Nepalese beaded balls. They'll also be in my Artisans Market Gallery and on Bonanza soon.

Next I'll be making new items from the copper chain and elements I bought at Tucson

Tucson Loot

Some of the exciting items I bought at Tucson this year. Watch parts! I can't wait to start making something from these, an adjunct style to my hardware chic. African trade beads. These are not old ones but they are lovely anyway. Nepalese beaded balls from the Bead Goes On. I'll probably use some of these high quality lapis heishi and coral I got from Afghan Tribal Arts. And last but not least, wonderful gold washed solid copper that has been torch shimmered for a beautiful array of hues, and some bright copper square beads before treatment. You can order these from Silk Road Treasures. I also bought some more old Afghan Jewelry elements like those I got last year from Pashtoon Artifacts.

Today when I was taking the photos in my workshop it was almost warm enough at midday to work there, so maybe you'll be seeing some new creations here soon.

Hardware Chic

I decided tonight to look up Hardware Chic in Google search. About a year ago I coined the term after designing some jewelry using washers, nuts, bolts, bushings and the like from the hardware store. I had been eyeing watch parts to make jewelry but had not purchased any yet. then I went to the hardware store to buy plastic boxes for organizing beads and things. While there the display of washers caught my eye. Too cool, and close to what I was thinking about for watch parts. So I bought some. Made some jewelry, went back for more, then to buy acrylic paints to paint them. And more pieces were born.

6 months ago I did not find any jewelry using the term "Hardware Chic" per se, though I found some jewelry using various kinds of hardware. Mine was quite different from that. Now, however I have found quite a few actually using this term and even some people giving classes using hardware to make jewelry. So it has caught on. I guess my idea was a good one. I hope they will respond to my comments so I can see what other people are turning out. Creativity and influences are endlessly fascinating to me. I hope you like my creations.

Since It's still too cold to work in my workshop it's about time I added a post to my blog.

And I sold one of my favorite hardware chic necklaces, the double strand shown here on me. This was one of my favorites. Guess I'll have to make more.

I found one!

http://www.thediydish.com/2010/05/episode-10-hardware-store-meets-chic-jewelry-design/

Another good idea for using hardware in jewelry. let's see what else is out there.

You saw it here first

Hardware Chic

I've been noticing watch parts and new chains turning up on the market and in jewelry. I like the look a lot, the shapes, the textures.

Polly Nobbs La Rue posted a piece on Facebook using watch parts and cold connections (rivets), which appealed to me very much and got me thinking. I ordered some watch parts, and considered them. Most are very delicate, and I haven't decided how to use them yet, as most of my jewelry features wire wrapping connections.

Also on my mind are all the varieties of chains out there in copper, brass, gunmetal and more. I brought home a selection from Tucson and made some items. Then I ordered some and bought more at Bead and Button. What a variety of chain types and colors!

I used some very heavy torch shimmered cable chain from Pashtoon Artifacts with a simple lapis lazuli donut for a bold yet simple style.

Then one day I went to the hardware store to get something and while there I saw all sorts of intriguing shapes and textures in the hardware department. I couldn't resist. I raided my husband's tool box for more shapes and colors. I used the different color chains, gunmetal, brass and copper, for the basis for different color schemes.

Now you can find a growing number of findings and stringing supplies in these same materials from beading suppliers. I used these and copper, silver and gold filled wire to connect everything together. I started making a necklace, some bracelets and earrings, shown here. Thus I created the beginning pieces of my new "Hardware Chic" style. They will be up on my Etsy and 1000 Markets sites soon. Lots of ideas are running through my mind and I'm trying to grab some time to make more.

I wonder who else out there might be using hardware in jewelry. I'd love to see. If you know of anyone using hardware in jewelry, I'd love to see any comments or links. Don't be shy.

Old "Roman" Glass Recycled for Jewelry. PLEASE share your thoughts and opinions.

In the past view years Roman glass from Afghanistan has been on the market. It is described as old shards coming from ancient sites in Afghanistan, reshaped and sold as beads or jewelry elements. Some of the glass certainly seems to be very old, not necessarily "Roman" but could possibly date from that period. Finds of glass that old have been excavated in Afghanistan. The encrustation on some of the pieces illustrated below do look authentic to me. The colors are also appropriate and the surface of these pieces looks consistent with old glass that has been prepared for reuse.

I am NOT an expert but have seen a lot of ancient glass over the years. However, I am also aware that there is a lot of new glass reputed to be "Roman" or ancient that has been created to look that way. I'll post a photo when I get my hands on a sample. The practice of recreating Roman or ancient glass has been going on for many years. The way new encrustation looks and adheres to the surface is very different from the ancient glass surface. The encrustation is interlocked with the surface of the glass underneath. The surface often displays notable iridescence.

Below are pieces that I believe is old glass, whether of the "Roman" glass type or later. You'll be able to see bubbles, striations and encrustation on the surface of the glass. Some samples show a rough irregular surface that would result when encrustation is cleaned off. The encrustation on these pieces compares favorably with authentic Roman glass. Others exhibit a faint iridescence.

A couple pieces, though similar in color and showing striations and bubbles, have a very shiny surface. These could be new pieces. Front and back and edges are shown of some samples. Edges can be seen in some of the group shots.














The technique used to make new glass look old was described to me briefly as follows:
New glass is coated with fingernail polish, heated to a high temperature and then treated with acid. The encrustation resulting will be on one one side of the glass.

How accurate this is I have no idea. It does not have details on temperature and applying treatments.

This "necklace" is composed of recycled glass shards and portions of an ancient tile.
















Glass courtesy of Afghan Tribal Arts.







Much as been written about ancient glass. Production and distribution of glass in the Roman period extended from Europe to Southeast Asia. It has also been recycled for reuse throughout that period as well as in modern times.

A good resume is given in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_glass

More about glass:
http://www.glassonline.com/infoserv/history.html

SEE THIS FOR GOOD COMPARISONS
For glass with a provenence, see below. Because glass of this period was traded widely these glass pieces are good comparisons. While we may not always know the exact site, such pieces are authentic. There is a good supply of ancient glass as it was a common product in Roman times.


http://www.jerusalem-antiquities.com
<-c-26.html?osCsid=f03219745bd8be683848895a74af19ae

Good Roman glass generral reference:
http://books.google.com/books?id=bBBkBJN_lJMC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=israeli+roman+glass&source=bl&ots=CnUOobrXPm&sig=REwBRJ3c_sWElMzoEpBKGqBIsmY&hl=en&ei=tjrgS7vGNYXENPH44c8J&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAjgy#v=onepage&q&f=false