falling in love...

I'm not ani-Valentine's Day by any means. I just have this different outlook on life. Last summer- (oh how I miss thee Summer)- I spent a weekend at an art retreat. Lot's of fun and ended up with these 6 x 6 inch canvas panels with interesting backgrounds. I enjoy workshops but there isn't enough time and you can't drag all your stuff with you on a airplane.

So yesterday as I was surfing through my snowday an idea popped into my head. This is the result~

Of course I used collage pieces from Inka's wonderful offerings on Etsy .I also have quite a collection of vintage photographs in my private stash of stuff.

I even managed to trick my printer into accepting a page from an old book to print my words on. Someday I am going to design a printer that does what I want it to do. Are you listening HP?

Enjoy!

snow days and power tools

My dad was many things but handyman was NOT on his resume. Not one little bit. There were no power tools in my house and the only tool box belonged to my mom. Not that she was handy either but she was a bit more than dad was .My Dad had a handy man on retainer. No kidding. So where did I get this penchant for power tools? (I was giddy when James came home one day with a band saw. Oh the stuff I could cut up with that...)

Today was a snow day for us. Snow days mean I don't teach. If the kids can't go to school then they can't come to art class. I took advantage of an entire day of no interruptions to indulge in some jewelry creating. In all my years of junking I have accumulated quite a collection of old silverware. When I was in high school I used to wear a spoon ring that I "borrowed" from my mother ...(unfortunately I lost that ring at Reinharts Pits...slipped off my finger in the water) but I digress. Back to the old silverware. I find old silverware has a lot of charm and character and I found myself keeping some of the more interesting ones so I could maybe do something with them someday.

Someday is here. I've been in a search and re-purpose mode lately. Use it or give it away. That's when I came across the silverware. I Googled "uses for old silverware" scrolled through tons of images until that "A-HAH~" moment occurred.

Using my Dremel tool with the flexible shaft - this is my absolute must have tool for the shop- I went to work on some old silver pieces. And created two pretty unique bracelets. This one features matching salad forks and a round turquoise bead. The flatware has a sweet and delicate floral design on it. I was very pleased with the results.

So what do I do if I only have one piece of silverware in a pattern? And some odd links from a necklace? And some charms in the shape of a heart, teapot and key? Hmmmm......you get this bracelet. I call it Alice's Tea party. This bracelet features an interesting tea spoon with a hammered texture and a delicate Victorian design.

It's really too bad we won't get a third snow day because ideas are just buzzing in my head and I have about 40 more pieces of silver to play with. Like the fruit spoon and these vintage glass beads I picked up awhile ago in the shapes of apples, grapes, pears and bananas.....a fruit salad bracelet perhaps? We'll see........