Cockatoo designs

You may recall that my "bird a week" post last week was a steel bird brooch, with magnetic "pin".  I wore it that evening that I finished it to see how secure it was, etc and went to a cocktail party.  A woman at the party whom I hadn't met before, commented on the pin and said she'd love to get one for her sister-in-law's birthday coming up and could I make one for her.  Of course, I gave her my card and that was it.

She phoned a couple of days ago and said she'd like to go ahead.  How nice is that! She particularly asked if I could make the bird a cockatoo - and that, like mine, she wanted it "lighthearted" and whimsical.

So here are a couple of quick sketches I've done of cockatoos, which I'll email her and see what she thinks.The bird on the right is very similar to the pin that I was wearing - just with a different beak and fluffed up feathers on his head.  The one of the left is a totally different style. Here is the one she saw:

I think I like the one on the left best. What do you think?

And while you are answering that question - here's another for you. We went for a lovely hike in Sugarloaf State Park today. We did the same last Saturday too.  We've just found this great 6 mile hike. The way up is reasonably "up" but then there is a picnic table perched right at the top, perfect for lunch.  But as we sat there today, we did begin to, wonder about the great people who took all the wood up there! Gosh, that must have been tiring. The path is narrow so no vehicle could do it...Anyhow,
I'm digressing...the question I have for you is that on the way back, we walk through this open meadow area and it smells of rhubarb!  Lots of cooked rhubarb.  It's such a strong smell.  And delicious - especially for a rhubarb lover.  There are tiny white flowers in the meadow but they didn't seem to smell. Do you have any idea what could have caused the rhubarb smell? 

Do let me know if you have any ideas.
Enjoy the weekend xx

Green Glint Pin

As part of my green glint series, I also made a simple pin.  It can be worn either way - vertical or horizontal. 

Here's the back with the pin fastener:

And here are the earrings I made a while ago.

And the pendant:

Messenger bird

I've been trying a few different pin finding styles lately.  I so like pins - and always get comments when I wear them - but unfortunately, they aren't big sellers.

Anyhow - in my trying different styles, I tried a stem pin - not sure if that is really the correct name....  I made a simple silver bird, riveted his wing on and then attached the pin.  Idea for jackets and coats. The bird looks like he is on a mission - thus I've called him the "messenger bird".

Landscape

Here's a brooch that I worked on at the mixed media class last week using nuts and bolts.  Not my usual style but good for techniques. 

Gosh, I really don't enjoy soldering on those fiddly little brooch/pin findings.  Definitely not my number one task!

I love the colors in this - and the blackened copper sets it off nicely.

From "Perched" to "Perch"

Okay, Okay. Don't groan too loud! I thought it was quite a clever segue from yesterday's blog post entitled "Perched" about a bird ring to today's blog post about a fish pin "Perch".....No???? Thinking up new blog post titles every day isn't easy you know!!!

Anyhow - here's a little fishy I made as a pin in silver and resin.

I really like pins and wonder why they aren't very popular. Okay - raise your hand if you like and wear pins.................................

Hmmm - maybe the situation isn't so bad - there were quite a few raised hands there, so my faith is restored a little and I'll make some more pins (or brooches as we like to call them!).

Better go now and think how I'll be able to segue into tomorrow's blog post......hee, hee!

Merry go round - Inspirational photo challenge

It's time for another ride on the merry-go-round! Jump on and join a group of 10 artists/crafts-women as they link around the world and tell you a little about their lives in art and craft.

This month's topic is: An inspirational photo challenge. The idea is that we take a photo of something and then use that as an inspiration to create a new piece.

For my photo, I used one that I took while we were in San Miguel last week.   On the main plaza, in front of the church, there were always people selling things - including a few people will lots of lots of balloons.  I so wanted to see them lift off and fly into the sky......

But they stayed on the ground ;-(

However, it seemed such a great image and as I'm always looking for ways to include color in my pieces, I thought I'd try the balloon man idea:

and thus "Anyone can get carried away" was created!

It's a brooch and good reminder that sometimes it's good to keep hold of those strings, even if it seems a little scary, and just get carried away and enjoy the ride! 

Hope you like him.  Now head over to the other "merriers" and see what they came up with.  As we are all on different time zones, please be patient if someone has yet posted their inspiration!

Alison at Tweed Delights - http://idreamoftweed.blogspot.com
Mitsy at ArtMind - http://artmind-etcetera.blogspot.com
Kim at Vilt a la Kim - http://viltalakim.blogspot.com
Sara at Crafts of Texture - http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com
Fabienne at Easterya Jewellery Creations - http://easterya.blogspot.com
Mariana at Florcita - http://www.florcita.eu/
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent - http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com
Lily at Lily Pang Art and Design - http://lilypangart.blogspot.com
Wendren at Wren Design - http://thewrendesign.com

Happy Valentine's Day

Sending you my love on Valentine's day....

Enjoy the day!

Coming down the chimney...

No, it's not the chimney sweep......Look who's coming down the chimney!!!

The chimney is silver with patina on the bricks and the snowy top polished.... and then Santa is half way down!


The chimney is three dimensional as you can see from these photos but to be honest, the whole piece didn't turn out quite I had hoped. I wanted this to be a pop-up scene so all you saw at the beginning was the chimney, then you pull on a cord at the bottom and up came the Santa.....But I could quite get the tracking right to keep the legs in line....so it turned into a "stuck" in the chimney scene instead!

Yes, one of those experiments that wasn't completely successful but maybe moved me in the direction and next time I'll crack it! Keep looking for pop-ups...maybe there'll be one in the future. Have any of you made one before?

Experimenting

I've been experimenting all day today with lots of new stuff - not metal clay ...... and got nowhere! Guess it's time to quit for the day. It's frustrating as I actually had a full day to create but now have nothing to show for it...

When I think how much metal clay I could have achieved today, it makes it worse....but I guess I do want to try new things.....it's just that I want them to work perfectly the first time I try them :-DDDD

To cheer myself up, I'm wearing my little pin I made this week of my parrot Harold with a new pin back that I formed. It's holding up OK... This is my second Harold pin - and I prefer the colors in this one. I'll have to show them both to Harold and see which he prefers.

Good old cheery Harold.

On the street where you live

I've recently been asked to expand my little house range from earrings, to a pendant, to a pin....and I'm also adding cufflinks too - but haven't finished those yet.


The first set of earrings I domed slightly as you can see above, but I've left the new pieces un-domed until I hear back from the customers on what they want.

It's funny. I've had these earrings for sale quite a while, and then on the same day, two people ask about them and want something to go with them. Maybe that was what was needed all along. Two houses should have been three....or four...or more?


More on cufflinks later.....

There's a place....

Here's a new brooch that I finished this week entitled "There's a place".

The title may make you think of "there's a place for us"...the song from West Side Story, but that song actually inspired another song with these starting lyrics:

There's a place
Where I can go
When I feel low
When I feel blue.....

This brooch shows a little person tucked safely inside a silver purse. Just his head peaks out and his hands hold on. For me, it makes me think of how you sometimes want to just hide away in a cozy safe place....maybe that is underneath your favourite blanket in the corner of your favourite chair, or in someone's arms, or..... Anyhow - I think this little guy has found his place. He looks quite content, safe, and protected.

I love wearing brooches - and do frequently, but I think they are an underused item of jewelry. So many people I know don't have any and have never worn them. I just love them on a jacket or coat - and this one has a lot of silver in it - so it needs a coat or jacket (- not for a delicate blouse.) Maybe we should make 2009 the year of the brooch and lariat!!! I wonder how we could rally together and get these lovely items of jewelry back in adorning people. They have so much to offer..... So all you jewelry makers out there - ideas on how to promote lariats and brooches please!

Quid pro crow

So, you know how I like a little play on words....and birds...... Well this is my latest. A little Latin phrase with a twist.....and a crow!

Maybe it'll be especially popular with the lawyers out there who spend their time thinking about "quid pro quo".

I made the text by choosing a Latin-styled font on the computer and then making a photopolymer plate of it. The pin part is fashioned in the style of a fibula pin, where the pin part is part of the design. As fibulas were Roman brooches, I thought it fitted in well with the Latin! There is quite a spring on the clasp too - so it's very secure.

Hope you like it!