I’m making a modified Log Cabin pattern, semi wonky because I could never color inside the lines and still can’t. I plan each block to be 13 inches square raw and 12 inches square sewn and I have 70 made so far. I want to make 14 more.  I am using mostly cut up clothes, old sheets and tablecloths, scraps and found fabric.

I bought a big box of scraps on Etsy.  If you do a search for “fabric destash” you can get some incredible deals and the shipping is reasonable too.

You use a lot of thread when you sew patches together so I am using a cone rather than a spool of thread and I made a stand for the thread cone that is working out quite well! Here are some instructions.

I also learned about the chain piecing technique that helps you to sew faster. There’s a nice video on it at the bottom of the post.

And now for the gallery

The materials I used are pebbles, twigs, stripped electrical wire (12 and 18 gauge copper) and picture hanging cable.

I drilled holes in the pebbles and twigs with a hand rotary drill.  Find a tute on drilling rocks here.

I cut sections of the 12 gauge copper,  formed them into interesting shapes, bent a loop  on top for hanging  and pounded them with a hammer.  I also filed the ends because they get sharp!

I made a closure with the thinner wire by wrapping it around the  ends of the cable and fashioning a hook and eye.

Here’s a good tute on how to do that .

I don’t think I’d wear this necklace to a formal event, but I have worn it.   I recommend is  coating the twigs with resin after drilling  to strengthen them.   Then you could do all kinds of things with them!  You could color them with pencils and markers and make Christmas ornaments or jewelry components or garlands or  . . .  the list goes on and on.

And be sure to check out Clayathon goes to the Circus.

The furniture in my workshop  (see pictures on the left and right) was made up of street finds, boards, old furniture taken apart and repurposed and yard sale acquisitions. I dismantled most of it and had it carted away. I also got rid of 120 books and replaced hundreds of magazines I like with digital editions.  I will never again  subscribe to a bead or jewelry magazine that isn’t digital. I plan to get rid of the remainder of the magazines when their respective publishers see fit to have a sale on back digital editions.

This is how things look now.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The behemoth behind the work table is part of an entertainment unit that Ikea sold  back in the 1990s.  It was so hard to put together and so cheap, that they only sold it for one year.  I dismantled the middle unit and the two six foot bookcases, dragged them from the living room to the basement (by now cleared) and reassembled them.  I mean, I put the bookcases back together.  I needed help for the middle section in the form of a husband who kept grousing that we would never be able to put it back together.  Boy was he surprised when suddenly, there it was standing in front of us completely reassembled!

I took two Limmon tabletops from Ikea and put them onto four cabinets.  I got the idea from the Ikea Hackers blog.   It worked out so well that I added four more Helmer cabinets.   I bought a computer monitor stand with a slide out shelf for $3.99 at a thrift shop and attached it to the underside of the table for a handy drawer.

I have been switching doors around as I find that certain items are better stored in other cabinets.

I learned how to use a hammer drill so I could relocate the pegboards and shelving on the masonry walls

Lampworking station is closed until I can open the windows and get the fans going.  The kilns and oak watchmaking bench have been relocated to the wall to the right of th lampworking station.

Now I have enough room to sew and I can invite  friends over to work.  It’s easy to walk around the table  which now has eight Helmer cabinets stowed beneath as well as three plastic carts.  I’m going to have the electric service upgraded and make some other changes, but I think I’ve found the layout that works and a place for everything!

Press here for a wonderful site that links to 44 different artists work spaces. Maybe one will inspire you!

Necklace Number One

I used Miranda’s clasp in this necklace and the bit of gunmetal chain she sent. I added brass and copper figaro chains and mixed my metals willy nilly. Miranda included a strand of chicklet-like brown beads with her soup and most of them ended up in this necklace, I had an especially good time assembling the focal and combined the beads in an unconventional way. I like how they look! Besides the chains, I added some seed beads and wire, and the brass, turquoise and red beads which I thought would go well with the brown. This necklace ended up being a lot of work and I had to solve some engineering problems but I had fun and that’s what counts.

Necklace Number Two

Here you see the big yellow focal with one of Miranda’s turquoise beads. The focal frame is an earring I found on the street! Miranda sent a strand of chips which I strung with 0/8 turquoise seed beads. The pearl chain is the second strand and the third strand with the gemstone beads is connected by base metal eye pins that I wrapped with real French bullion gold wire that I’ve had for years. I think it really makes the piece look opulent although I never heard of French bullion being used this way. It’s a bit extravagant but I wanted to try it. I made the toggle clasp from brass (process explained in prior post) and textured it to go with the brass disk Miranda included with the beads. That’s a bullion-wrapped eye pin hanging on the bottom.

Necklace Number Three

The only Miranda beads I used here are a gorgeous Biwa pearl (she sent two; the other one is in the focal of necklace number one) and a brown freshwater pearl. The rest of the necklace is street finds: rusty washers, stripped electrical wire and materials discussed in a prior post.

Earrings

I have a confession to make. When I first saw these wire beads I didn’t like them. They don’t have any holes and Miranda sent three of them. I was stumped until I turned them on their sides, added some of her chips and her purple crystals, and ended up with earrings I will wear!

And I made a pendant with the third wire bead and an enameled bead Miranda sent.

Thank you Lori Anderson for another great Bead Soup Blog Party!!!

To see the rest of the participants, press here.

Here’s a gallery of close ups and detail shots.

The pieces cut out

The brass disk  was part of the bead soup and I textured it and the loop and toggle clasp

Another View

Ready for  soldering.  You’ll have to wait for reveal day to see the finished clasp.

This is a clasp I made for another piece you will see on reveal day.   It’s made of stripped electrical wire and a section o ring from a 5 gallon plastic bucket which resembles thick buna cord and it’s free when you find it in the street!

And here are some more preview pix!

A Building. See the camera?

A Building

A Flowerpot

A Barbershop

A Door

Another Door

A Doggie in a Window

A Building

A Decorative Element

The Shoes of the Photographer

I decide I want to showcase some of Miranda’s beads a little differently than just stringing them.  With this in mind, I start with 12 gauge copper wire and solder a ring

I hammer the ring flat

I add texture with my home made texturing hammer

Looks pretty good so far.  I decide to make a multilayer pendant.  (If a little looks good, a lot will look better, right?)    I make another ring and loops for a chain and solder it all together.

Gaaaa!  It looks like Rilakkuma.  Oh, dear.  This is not good.  Wait!  Let me send it through the rolling mill!

Now it looks like a teen-aged Rilakkuma.  This is not going well.

I take Rilakkuma apart and punch holes in what was the lower ring.

I add a bail and polish.  Now I will string beads and freshwater pearls through the pendant.

Yikes!  Did Plumpton do this when I wasn’t looking???

Second try.  Better.

Second try with a dangle.   Not sure how I like it.  Time to put it away.

To be  continued. . . . . .

A few days later. . .

How do I like it?  Not much, but   I think it’s important to post my failures as well as my successes ( such as they are).  Some say the secret to success is failure.  What do you think?

Don’t forget Beadfest this weekend!

For a look at some earlier Klimt-inspired beads, press here

This year Plumpton has gone out of his way to  provide a Spring offering in the spirit of the season.  No Easter egg hunt for this pussy cat.  Nothing but freshly killed mousie will do.  Another Spring has arrived  just in time.