Numi-baubles and Tintinnabulations

Sometimes I just have to revisit some of my former components.

I have such a big list of things I would like to have in stock at all times in my shop but have come to realize that that is just a fantasy and there is a limit as to what I can do so I pick and choose what I'll be featuring at any given time. I have re-christened these numi-baubles so you will know they come from me...yeah, branding.

Most of them are made with transparent to keep a gemmy quality about them, they are made on 20 gauge copper wire so you can twist and wrap them into your designs

I have done a few opaque ones as well.

These are my Tintinnabulations made out of vintage tin plates.

They retain an oh so distressed quality with the enamel and patches of the old paint resisting some of the application. They are lightweight and are totally fun to make as my less than perfectionist nature lets me play and just see what happens. I do these after the piles of frits and enamels get sullied  and blended after much use making my numi-stick copper enamel matchsticks which I am a bit more persnickety about even application and purity of color ( well, sometimes anyway)

 I'm using some pearlescent powders to for an extra crusty slightly sparkly look. I had these powders from my first ordering from my supply place back in the late 90's. I finally ordered some more since I found something cool to do with them. I just didn't really like what they did on glass but now I'm kind of excited about the pixie dust again.

got back into the headpin zone briefly

I really needed a break from enameling after finishing a big order for a vendor at the Tuscon Gem and Mineral Show.

I am proud to announce the MakuStudio with be carrying some of my numi-stick matchsticks along with her amazing raku ceramic pieces. That is a winner for me as I don't have to man a booth or anything and get to rub my little enamel shoulders with her awesomeness.

 To Bead True Blue show, Feb 1-9, Doubletree Hotel, Tucson, AZ, Booth G-168.

If you aren't familiar with her work it's just some of the most stunning and imaginative raku components I've ever seen. I feel honored to be shown with hers.

here's a a link to her facebook page too -

MakuStudio

This was taken from my patio...

Those there mountains are right across the border in Mexico

Wired and Weird

A quick post to show you my latest~

I decided to pull out my collection of roadsmithed wire and apply a bit of lampwork since the nails seem to be popular.

Listed this one

I can't tell you all how much fun I'm having torching glass to everything lately!

another gap feeler gauge piece

And "Oh No...Mr. Bill!"

this face was totally unintentional... really!

The other side is just arty and crusty.

 listed today

Paisley- just 'nother nail

Top of the World Highway Trip... and Taylor Too

Yet another sticker sign. This one is on the Taylor Highway in Chicken, Alaska.

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to put a posting up. There was a holiday in there and yeah, now I remember, the sun came out again after being absent for awhile.

We headed out for Dawson City, Yukon and Eagle Alaska for the long weekend over the Fourth.

We seem to like to join in with the Canadians and celebrate Canada Day on the first of July.

I think I may be honorary Canadian with my Maine roots and Alaskan residency...at least I like to think so.

For some ridiculous reason they are closing the border at 6:00 PM (US's Fault)

so we spent a night camping at the border in the teardrop trailer and were the very first ones though in the morning. We're waiting for the ferry to cross the Yukon into Dawson City.

Dawson City is one of my favorite summertime destinations with funky buildings and boardwalks and its gold mining history. There's always fun to be had at the legendary "Pit" bar .

You can get some fresh morels in the local store...for a price

And imagine the glamour inside this beauty salon!

We had lunch at Klondike Kate's and I got to meet a fellow blogger,  Jeffrey from the blog 

Nose to Tail

He's a cook at Kate's and writes about cooking gourmet creations with wild game...can you say tasty?

Then I found this gorgeous boro canvas shed that was completely made up of pieced together old canvas. I woulda like to roll up a few yards to take home!

Always interested in old graveyards everywhere we go.

After our night in Dawson we had a wedding to go to in the remote town of Eagle, Alaska.

The wedding was right on the Yukon at the old school site.

The brides father even constructed outhouses for us. There's no SaniCan service this far out.

We left a day earlier than we had planned when the rain started to dump.

The Taylor Highway had washed out last year taking a US Customs agent that was driving the road with it. It had washed out again already this year and we didn't want to take any chances on the eroding mountain road.

I did get to visit my friends Ron and Mary from Yukon Ron's

The community was hit hard by the flood a couple of years ago and road closures so that now no tour buses will travel the road which has severely impactedthe sales from their jewelry business.

They had a big tent downtown that they called the Eagle Mall which would be in operation when the buses came through. Mary is realizing that she's going to have to beef up her online sales

Have a look here to check out some of their artistry.

We talked about product photography which we are both working on.

I was impressed by her setup that mary had gotten from a friend.

After a little research into the brand "Square Perfect" I was dismayed to learn that they WON'T SHIP TO ALASKA! 

I'm going to have to wait until November  or get someone in the states to ship it to me.

(any takers?)

Somehow I love the way the lowly black spruces look after a wildfire.

There was plenty of evidence of a previous massive wildfire along the road from years before.

Stunning views from the Taylor Highway

How about a little fireweed?

Can't you just imagine some mammoths walking about here?

What happened is that the sun finally came out last week and I wouldn't go near the computer quite so much. My frustration with the spotty access has nearly weaned me from it for the time being.

I've been working on some new designs.

I must say I have been inspired by some other folks  (Fanciful Devices, specifically) styles lately and had the idea to take the head pin process a step further and torch baubles right onto pre-made doohickeys.

You can see what she did with a pair of my lampwork whorls on this post link too. very cool, wish I had thought of it, she's so amazing with her designs.

I had some interesting links from some chain I picked up at the gem show ( the eyes)

This was the first set of wires I made with 18 gauge annealed steel.

After that set I decided to add another loop and hammer them as well ... yay new jeweler's bench!

I'd been meaning to cover this torso for awhile since it was bright orange plastic. 

My son just gave me a crate full of old encyclopedias to cut up.

I think she may come in handy for some of my jewelry photography, don't you think?

I think I Promised This~ Preview

I'm pretty sure that I may have mentioned a few posts ago that I would show you the lampwork gizmos I've been making.  Lots of headpins and a few baubles. They work for more than earrings though. I'm sure you all can find ways to work them into other mixed media and fiber. Here is a preview of what is available NOW

to any of you that are interested.

Each headpin is $2 and I'm selling them in the sets you see here.

I'm open to making other colors but that may have to wait until I get back to Alaska.

They are formed on either annealed steel wire or 18 gauge copper wire.

I'll be putting these up on Etsy slowly but I'm happy to make deals here thru Paypal and would love to get these out to my bloggy friends so I may have a chance to see what you DO with them!

These are double ended "baubles" that are $2.50 a piece
( the top ones I will sell separately)

and some paddle/mod tulip shaped ones for the same.

Pointy twists and frits, I have some on Etsy too now

rounds, twists and slightly flattened headpins

In which Kim futzes with the wayward silk ribbons so you can view them better.

I was trying to be all shabby and random before.

 Now for ease of identifying...twists with soft serve ice cream ends

I have these at a high res so click for more detail.

More roundy-like ends on these.

So we're at the tail end of our snowbird season in Arizona and in ten days we'll be driving north to catch a ferry from Bellingham, WA.

I'll get to meet one of my wonderful bloggy buddies on the way for a dinner stop in Las Vegas, meeting Ms. Leslie LimesNow from Ramblings From Yet Another Stranger on the Bus.

She was keen on having a visit from Candace the Traveling Doll who mysteriously and tragically has disappeared and hasn't been heard from in months.

We are so saddened by this development and not quite sure how we could have lost her but it involved being sent to the wrong person (someone that had already had a visit) and from there we haven't a clue.

So her consolation will have to be a visit from me and the huz.

I'm looking forward to rather big blocks of time to create when we return to Studio del Norte in the Garaj Mahal. What I don't look forward to is the painful return to miserable dial-up and with gas at over $4 a gallon there I may be making less trips to the library for wifi. 

.......this is where you may hear faint moans and weeping through  the interwebs........

XOXO Kim