Swap Pieces

When I received some unexpected goodies with my swap with Linda at Itsy Bits and Pieces, 

I decided to put stuff to use right away rather than rat-holing an ever burgeoning stash of treasures.

 The best way for me to approach  this endeavor was to go into a bit of a production mode.

Yesterday I set about collage-ing the various  vintage bingo cards cards that she gave me along with some little scrapbooking images that another friend had surprised me with. Along with some images that I had been collecting I put together some simple collages.

She gave me several large buttons to play with.

I came up with some simple shabby style silk sari ribbon necklaces

with vintage keys and a bauble or two.

I may even revamp my Etsy shop and hope to get a shopping cart up here and on my website as well as facebook.

I'll be ready for the summer season coming up at least!

I'm not so sure about this one as far as durability goes since it has a plastic hasp 

( vintage plastic) and the headpin is a little wobbly.

I wanted to post it though since I like the picture.

So yes you could say I've been busy!

Meanwhile any of these are for sale. 

please inquire.

Fall Necklaces

These antique lucite maple leaves bring me back to my childhood in New England.

How I miss those maple leaves!

I used simple knotted wire lace that can be puckered  and shaped to highlight my beads on these necklaces. It's so light and delicate.

It's a bit harder to see in this pic but the crystal shape lampworked beads have gold leaf shimmering in the transparent beads. The wonderful think about the wire lace is that you can string beads directly onto the tube  before puckering it.

I made these mussel shell-like whorls to be reminiscent of the shells on the beach from our camp in Maine.

Somehow I've with all of my excitement over the image transfer class and playing with collage elements I seem to have neglected the glass studio. Now that the weather is suitably rainy and dismal out I find myself back in the mode to sit at a torch again. With my winter shows coming up I wanted to make some simple necklaces.  I sometimes forget that fall is an entire season in some places while we have a three or four week taste of it here in the Alaskan north.