Scorchedosity and Petra-fying

Testifying on the Petra-fying

Using Petra's ScorchedEarthonEtsy components is some serious fun.

here are some of my newest NuministaChic earrings

I found myself some Afghani charms to dismantle at the gem show to give the pieces some antiquity and swing.

These were some winners that already are winging their way across country 

(to a displaced Alaskan, my ever loyal customers)

Had no idea what I was going to do with the Afghani flower caps until I saw that they nestled nicely underneath the lacy ceramic bead caps. And those were some headpins that I could never sell so I'm using them.

Some of Petra's snakeskin shields with my torch fired enamel disks.

Some guy thought they looked like fishing lures.

Let's call them "allures"

It was about time I started adding some color to my shop, it was all down to winter blues and greys.

I started with the same base on these headpins. look how much they change with the application of the baking soda!

This was something new. I applied filigrana stringers to meander about on these headpins.

I rather like the effect. I'd better make more because these also flew away.

I most likely won't be listing any more until we get back from our trip.

I really didn't think I'd have to fly further south to get warm. 

We got snow again here in southern Arizona but the good news is that in Santiago, Chile it's 84 degrees! We'll be arriving on Tuesday. Can't wait.

More matchsticks.

Good news for you international customers. I can enclose these in an envelope and you won't have to pay as much for shipping.

More crubbly headpins. I hope to get around to listing them today.

And this from Quisnam.

Her Etsy shop is here

I like the way she used one of my limpet bead caps at the bottom of the piece

( top  in this case)

Now if I can get her to photograph my work!

That's all today my lovelies.

You all have a great weekend!

The Maine Post

Wha?

I think not!

I'm going to go backwards in time as I promised last post and give you some flashes of the last month or so including my trip to Maine.

This is not Maine however but project in the works in my Arizona neighborhood that I stumbled upon during one of my walks.

A glass encrusted saguaro cactus sculpture with antique glass.

I found a little green marble down the street and brought it back for the guy to add to the sculpture.

We went back east in time for some super cold weather.

I snapped this on the way to Vienna.

( thats "Vy-enna", Maine talk)

My sweetie and pops banished to the garage for their pipes.

We'll call this shot "Frozen Pipes"

I was coveting this measuring stick that had belonged to my grandfather in my cousin's wood shop but since he actually uses it to make beautiful furniture I had to be satisfied with taking a photo.

My folks are graciously de-aquisitioning collectibles and sundries. 

My grandfather picked up this key during World War I.

It's from a bombed out cathedral in France.

The tag says "This key opened the door in the north Trancept of Rheims Cathedral

France 1914"

I will not be using this in an altered art project.

Since we were only taking carry-on luggage this trip I was keeping my antiquing to a minimum.

I had to bypass the antique Olivetti typewriter that was only $55. My sewing machine collection is already getting out of hand. These were an assortment of little vintage gem bags.

I think I can work them into some pieces somehow.

Went to our favorite coin shop in Bangor. 

Can't go wrong with a tray full of tokens and coins for 10 cents a piece!

Awww! 

You'll be happy to know it says accepted on the other side.

This was from my grandfather's collection that my cousin ended up with.

he gave us a deal on it.

and he gave me this silver dollar that had been in my grandfather's collection.

Nice cousin!

If I had a hammer...

Honey knows what I like...a tin of pins

                     

some chain and vintage earrings from the antique shop.

We discovered a great restaurant  called "Flatlanda Diner"on the Skowhegan Rd on the way to the antiques mall.

They had fish chowdah and the best onion rings.

They know how to make good onion rings in Maine all lacey and thinly sliced.

I don't bother with them anywhere else in the world.

OK, I'm jumping way back to our India trip way last year because I never shared this wonderful antique dapping block that I got on Jew Street in Jew Town- Fort Kochi, Kerala

( that's really the name of the place)

and this vintage chain from Maine I really must explain.

I just found out from fancifuldevices that it's called "book chain"

Oh let's do jump back to a Tucson find... bus tokens!

I am occasionally coming up for air in the midst of my ART-tickle writing to make some things.

I won't go into my struggles with that because I want to present myself as breezing through my artistic life with not a care in the world. I should have left some room for you to read between the lines on that statement. 

Thank gawd it's 99.9% ready to send off now!

Thanks to the support of a few friends that could smell my anxiety sweat from as far away as Massachusetts and Texas. (Thanks, Janet and Corrine)

And thanks to Tracy for providing me with some pewter to play with.

Oh and one 'nother thing I thought I'd mention.

I do aim to reply to all ya'lls thoughtful comments and it does get away from me sometimes.

More and more I'm encountering no-reply bloggers so I am going to endeavor to reply to you here but ya gotta come back to see it or make sure you get notifications if you want it to show up in your email.

This has perplexed the hell out of me for a long while as to what folks preferences may be for  reciprocity in social intercourse of the internet variety.

For those of you that like it fast and furious there's always my numinositybeads facebook page if you're so inclined.

Lately I've also been showing my faceface on Creative Bead Chat group on facebook iffen you dig that kind of interaction too.

I'll be around for the next week or so and then it's South America bound. My shop will be closed from Feb 25th til march 25th so be sure to stop by if you need anything before then.

I hope to get a few more days in the studio before we take off .

Ciao!

Gem Show and Exciting News

I have so much to catch up on here at the blog since I went on my trip and then returned in time for the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.

I guess I'll need to travel backwards and share my most recent excitements with you first.

I can tell you that I was the most restrained in my buying ever my first day.

Let me tell you, only spending $55 for a day at a gem show tent is quite a feat.

On the second day at a different show which is my favorite (or was) The Gem Mall, I was there fro three hours before buying anything. ...and then the floodgates began to open to a trickle and I was working my way up to a good steam of acquiring some goodies.

My favorite silver findings shop seemed to have moved from it's location and well as one of my other suppliers. I would have to do some research to find them.

I felt as if I were shopping for you all. Certain beads would shout out names to me.

I would be thinking "Oh, Janet would like those and Cynthia wouldn't mind having some of those"

Of course I was also thinking of what I might like as well.

I was wearing a pair of the other Kim from FlotsamTide's "Seal Maiden " earrings that had some of this funky kyanite that I had been lusting after. It must have been good bead karma because I found these strands right off at a booth that wasn't offering many bead items.

I got a half a dozen compliments on those earrings I'll have you know.

These Tibetan yak bone mala beads were a hit last year so I've listed some in my supply shop today

Numinosity on Etsy

I may as well tell you that I had gotten my "BUY"on by the fourth day.

I have been told by "One who Knows" that all in all I must have still been fairly restrained when I told her the grand total. ( There is another weekend of gem show coming up though tee hee)

I thought of fanci when I saw these...well of course, now I see that she's been using some in her work already. I got two sizes. I'm realizing that I need to buy smaller beads for myself now because combined with lampwork a lot of combinations can get pretty heavy.

I thought of Vladthebat Steph and Pipnmolly Tracy when I saw these

bunches of cheapo glass beads

will dismantle

Roman glass!

Did you ever wonder if I buy other's lampwork?

Well sometimes I do.

I have admired Karen Ovington's style since I was first introduced to lampwork.

I had never picked up one of her beads for my collection.

Isn't it splendid!

and here's another gal whose beads I love from Tennessa at "A Beaded Gift"

I've also added some crubbly headpins over at my NuminosityBeads shop

and well, not so crubbly too.

I almost forgot to tell you my biggest excitement though.

I've been accepted for a techniques article in Belle Armoire as well as a few featured pieces in the gallery!!!!!

I just need to get cracking and write up the article now. We have just three weeks before our trip to South America.