Friday, June 15, 2012

Present and Past

Coinage

Some more of my torch fired enamel
These sold before I could get a decent picture.


 I was making double headed baubles for awhile last year.
I suppose I ought to take it up again. I made them on copper so they were more bendy.

Some of the Ukrainian relic bits from CoolVintage.
Simple design. I decided to keep them for myself

These deserved more than a scanner photo.
Some of the vintage tin from Sushipot

All about the crustage

Some more simple designs for the farmers market.
I got those amber cubes at the gem show many years ago

So much fun using my own Kim-ponents
Way to broaden ones stash... make it yourself.

I made these back in AZ
Time to highlight them on Etsy now that I got some better photos of them.
That hindered me for the longest time with Etsy.
I didn't feel that my photos were enough up to snuff.

A little bit of Maine mussel inspiration.
Those are my roots you know.
I was born on an island called Mt. Desert Island
Now I live in both the mountains and the desert far from any ocean.

Etsy bound as well

My newest necklace. That focal bead lingered in my shop for way too long. I took it out and etched it.
ha ha... so there!
That turquoise one was from a necklace that belonged to my mother. I didn't realize it wasn't center drilled until I went to use it.
Anyone care to help me name this one?

So I wait for a sunny, not windy window of time in which to photograph my stuff.
I set up on the deck of the Garaj Mahal.

As I'm photographing these squished crystal shaped raku frit beads I have to take them off of the wire for this shot

Then one bounces out of my hand and slips through the deck to the gravel down below.
Why did it have to be the most gravel colored bead of the whole photo shoot?

Ah, I spotted it!
Always the blogger I have to document this for you all.
On my way back up the stairs I trip banging my knee so badly that I see stars.
My camera goes flying out of my hand and bangs against the stairs as well.
Limping and yowling I hobble back to the kitchen to get an ice pack.
A bewildered husband that is weed-whacking doesn't understand what's going on.
I'm still nearly fainting and feeling like I may puke.
I explain..."hit knee... camera got banged up .... feel faint"

He decided to see if the camera still is operational.
I'm not near as pathetic as I look here, it's just that the grass felt good and I wanted to lie down for a spell. See the icepack on my knee.
I might have a small bruise that's all.
OK, I'm a bit of a pain wimp.

Back to the photo shoot.






I guess it's OK for me to do shiny sometimes, right?

Oohh, looky looky, how about those colors, hmmmm?
See how they match the rock?
So what do you think of this idea? kind of bead caps or bead cloaks or domes.
You can see how I used one in the mussel necklace

I have a few of these that I'm ready to list.
The drops were torched onto the crude  steel filigree after I shaped it.
These are admittedly kind of weird colors.
I was looking at this plant in my flower basket that had reddish brown leaves and yellow flowers.
I like to try some unusual combinations sometimes. Yellow is so hard for me.
But I used to not like orange either... remember?



I think I may have showed you this before...
but not against this stone
I haven't made many headpins in awhile.
This is some new glass and it's just one color!
It's call Lichen.

this is also just one color called Calico.
Did you know headpins with out a 'd' is heapins?
I need to make heapins more



Shiny shiny lentil sets.
 These will turn into my more classic simple "just the lampwork bead ma'am"
earrings most likely.
Not everyone is crazy about doodads and assemblage earrings.
Some folks just can't wear long earrings either.
( where's the fun in that, I ask you?)

And to balance out my aforementioned wimpeydom
I'll give you  some shots from "back in the day"

This is the Jones Homestead before it got all "blowed up"
Mind you this photo was taken 30 years after I lived there.

I did have a dog once... along time ago
but I relinquished her in a breakup.
She went with the truck.
Puna was a golden retriever/sled dog mix with blue eyes
I had upgraded to a rental by the time this pic was taken in '78
It had propane lights and a propane cookstove.
Moving up!

And these were the boys I was hanging out with. 
We never seen the like back in New England where I was from.
Yeah, badass uh huh!

More badassedness here if you like these kind of stories from my past.

36 comments:

  1. ack ! I must stop looking at your blog because I just found two more earring I love....
    The ones you kept for yourself are fabulous !
    It is only 106 today just a warm day in Tucson
    wahahahahahahahah the heat is getting to me.
    We are on monsoon watch. They are saying a dry summer but maybe a wet winter. I hope we get both the summer and winter rains !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. We got all your cool and wet here. Just dodged a hailstorm although the sun just popped out again. 106? I don't think I've ever experienced that.

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  2. Oh my God! Is it light out all the time way up north? Is that how you're getting so many fabulous pieces done? Love them all.

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    1. Yes, it is light out until August. extremely energizing it is.
      ...that and my husband has been gone a lot. It's all I do now.

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  3. I agree with that angry veg up there... especially love the earrings you're keeping. I love making earrings like that, but I rarely (read never) wear them. But I *used* to wear them in a former life.

    Poor Knee! Love the photo. hehe And finding that "where's waldo" bead in the gravel...too funny. ;)

    And the double headed baubles are so very cool! All kinds of possibilities with those cuties.

    Loved taking your link & reading about all your jobs. And that last shot of your cronies looks like a 70s album cover. :)

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    1. I really must name that set Waldo now!
      I do plan on making some sardine tin earrings with that lighthouse logo to honor my first job ever.
      Thanks for the sympathy and the compliments.

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  4. Ohhh I just love all the wonderful crustiness and colors and textures!

    And you coined a clever term--'Kim-ponents' Made me smile.

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    1. I was afraid maybe it was too-too clever and almost left it out.
      Glad it made you smile. Thanks!

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  5. WOW. Kim, you are such an inspiration. Yeah, a bit cliche but damn there are some gorgeous things here! Hope you are feeling better from the tumble (and your camera, too). I'm on my way to your Etsy site!
    xoxo Juliette

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    1. It may be a little bit before I get it all posted, but thanks!

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  7. Lovely stuff Kim - and alot of it! Loving the pic of you and the boys from yesteryear - looks like a movie still. Totally get the photo/etsy thing. It does my head in.

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    1. Thanks Sue, I always love seeing what you're up to too.
      I'm getting better at the photography thing little by little, The less shiny beads are so much more cooperative.

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  8. Hangin out with Lenard skinner... Cute guys wonder what they look like now!
    Great amusing fun post kiminosity.

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    1. Two are fb friends now, two have passed away. One I never see and one I never knew. Only one still lives the bush life in Alaska at least I think that's what I heard.
      I went with the banjo player in the black hat.
      It's fun putting this together.... my legacy... or is it outback?

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  9. Oh yeah and love e everything no kidding you inspiralized energized kickin ass . Had to look at the dudes again dang sure miss the 60s 70s.

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  10. Your work here is positively tribal. Love crustage earings!!!! Those boys sure are badass. Now I know why you love Cory, he's just a slightly more mature version......Great 78 pics, a long time ago. xox

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    1. Accent on the slightly? Maybe the mature age, haha!

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  11. Stunning colours, lapping up all those teals and rusts. Beads are gorg too. Be safe out there, it's funny how the little things like stairs get us when we least expect it, especially when you consider you spend most of your time with molten glass. I'm convinced my cat is trying to get me, she always does that rubbing the leg thing when I'm on the stairs.

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    1. My sis just posted her mangled knees on FB. She's a marathon runner and WAY outdid me on injuries. Mine was really nothing... just painful. I blame it on my crocs and caffeine.... moving just too darn fast.

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  12. Love the earrings Kim! Especially the turquoise / copper ones! Great old pics too. :-)

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    1. thanks Becca, I think I'm gonna go with that trend for a bit now

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  13. ok, i hate to laugh at your pain, but i so get you with lying in the grass and wimpering after hitting your knee. nice of the husband to test the camera. around here, i fear that would be me doing that. :-o

    i love the hats in the last shot. i've got to get husband a hat.

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    1. Yes, I'm sure you would have taken up the slack on documentation although I'm not so cute and furry.
      I think those boys need hats even more these days without all that beautiful long hair.

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  14. Oh, a girl will suffer for her art! Hope that knee is better! Your pieces are all just beautiful, Kim! You are so creative...

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    1. Thanks Linda, the hard part is being any sort of methodical about things.... working on it

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  15. u r funny.

    the photo journal of your past is wonderful.

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    1. The photos sure do spur the memories. It was so much more rare to have the documentation of everything. Makes the photos even more precious to me.

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  16. Kim, loved the post, I went on and read the badassness one too, another gem!! The dudes look like a great bunch...very 60s/70s. Those were some great times.

    I love your artwork, all so gorgeous, too hard to pick a favorite.

    I hope the knee is gettin' better!!

    ...Jackie xo

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    1. Thanks Jackie, I do enjoy what I do.
      The knee is totally fine, there's barely a mark.

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  17. I created the Eye Candy on the Art Jewelry Elements blog and found your blog through the criffles on the earrings I used. You got some amazing stuff here, love your finished jewelry and some of your lampies make me crazy. I want some of those squished ones!!

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  18. Kim, everything you create is breathtaking! That first pair of earrings sucked me in, and I just couldn't tear my eyes away. SO PRETTY

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  19. I love this post, first, your outpour of creativity, and then the glimpse of the past...so nice to see that!

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  20. Great post Kim! Beautiful beads, and jewelry, great pics of the past, and a story that made me chuckle, except the part about your knee... so glad the hubby was so helpful with the camera. Lovely work! I hope your summertime continues (and mine too)
    Kim

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  21. What a fabulous post with so much inspiration, love all of the jewellery.

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