Adventurer earrings that feature heavily distressed vintage Afghani findings and truly vibrant neon acid yellow tassels encased in filigree. Bohemian chic that would look great with gauzy summer whites and warm winter wools, or just your basic T and jeans. These are made of unknown metals with non-precious stones. Medium weight with ear-wires are thicker than Western gauge (but wearable by anyone). Imperfections abound and are part of the charm.
Go tribal.
Our Lady of Beads welcomes you on a super-rare expedition into my jewelry studio.
Visit My So Charmed Life to keep up with WIPs, personal stories, an occasional interview, and links to fabulous finds in the world of craft.
I never (ever) let people into the jewelry studio. If you’ve been inside (and you know who you are) consider yourself mightily privileged. It’s not that there are secrets, but it is just a crazy mess of supplies, with ideas crowding out the space and threatening to use up all the available oxygen. I’m afraid if you see it, you’ll know just how insane I really am. And with that, Our Lady of Beads welcomes you to this rare peek.
With detours into many techniques and stylistic persuasions, in the end it’s all about the beads. A sick sort of addiction to beads.
Areas of the studio are covered with random weird shit that may or may not make it into a project and that I find simultaneously stimulating and at times completely suffocating. Like… WHERE’s THE WHITE SPACE??? There simply isn’t any.
Anything here is likely making it into the most recent work… sort of in development and getting closer to actually becoming wearable.
Area devoted to patina. It’s filthy, gross and wonderful. And stinky.
Gold leaf station and minor-league soldering. Crossstitch in the background by Julie Jackson of Subversive Crossstitch.
It’s not all chaos; the vast majority of beads are filed into fishing tackle boxes. Now numbering about 80 (boxes) each with 30 +/- compartments, and pretty much full to capacity. Two baker’s shelves hold the boxes and although I don’t have anything resembling a photographic memory, I can put my hands on any of the specific beads, charms and findings herein. Really.
Work surface where the tiniest of beads won’t go rockin’ and rollin’ onto the floor. I admit to being crazy-jealous of the beautiful studios pictured on Etsy, but you know, in the final analysis I’ve accepted that in order for me to create anything–jewelry, sewing, a life–things just gonna get MESSY! And that’s… Ok. Isn’t it?
Tools. I do like tools.
And finally, when an actual piece of jewelry emerges from this chaotic mess, it will be photographed here in my super fancy high-end photography studio, where I just pray for decent lighting and take my best shot. Harhar, get it??
So yeah. Pretty stuff does come out of all this. Pictured above, Everlasting earrings. I love the verdigris I achieved on these, combined with all those precious beads and rough rubies. Find these and the rest of the fruits of my labor over at So Charmed.
Would you share your studio spaces with the world? Go on, I dare you! Comments welcome…
Evocative archeology. Gorgeously distressed amazing brass bead caps hold sparkly Czech glass faceted rondelles… in a color I just can’t describe.. very delicate, like minty lemonade, translucent with a mysterious cloudiness. Indonesian glass beads, buffalo bone, vintage etched Czech flowers, and vintagesque rhinestone dangles create a tribal Victorian bohemian vibe. Copper lever backs. For your gypsy soul.
Thoughts give birth to a creative force that is neither elemental nor sidereal. Thoughts create a new heaven, a new firmament, a new source of energy, from which new arts flow. When a man undertakes to create something, he establishes a new heaven, as it were and from it the work that he desires to create flows into him. For such is the immensity of man that he is greater than heaven and earth.
Philipus Aureolus Paracelsus (1493 – 1541)
Seriously, all of that aside, I’d LIVE in these earrings. Victorian tribal bohemian elementals that feature unusual carved bone beads (and this is the only pair I seem to have) with black bone rings and smokey fiery faceted Czech glass… shifting and changes a glittery essence depending upon lighting conditions. Like you, right?
Dangerously cool industrial tribal earrings feature hand-crafted fired black clay (with bronzy metallic glaze) and caged metal blood red spike dangles. With a beautifully curated selection of bohemian glass and tribal beads (Czech/Indonesian). Treasures for the traveller of mind and body, she who walks amongst the living.
Brass leverbacks, which are really my personal favorite wire, but can be swapped out, just email.
///What it is! Rock steady baby…///
These earrings are part tribal, part rockabilly, and all cooler than cool. Distressed brass, fabulous rhinestoned elongated ear wires, curated vintage and new bohemian glass beads. With loveliest rare vintage caged dice and tattoo swallow charms. Oh, and teensy little jacks dangles that are seriously playful.
Aren’t these just… everything!
I don’t think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.
W. Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965), The Moon and Sixpence
Prettiest earrings feature a special curation of vintage and new bohemian glass beads and bone, distressed wire, verdigris brass findings and genuine raw ruby dangles. Victorian with a touch of tribal, a sprinkling of gypsy. These will be everlasting, I promise.
Adventurer earrings that feature heavily distressed vintage Afghani findings and truly vibrant neon red tassels encased in filigree. Bohemian chic that would look great with gauzy summer whites and warm winter wools, or just your basic T and jeans. These are made of unknown metals with non-precious stones. Medium weight with ear-wires are thicker than Western gauge (but wearable by anyone). Imperfections abound and are part of the charm.
Go tribal.
A key quality for making things is a certain fearlessness around one’s tools and supplies. I don’t know where this comes from, for me it has something to do with time (decades of making) and age (being ancient and just not caring). Many women I know confess to owning machines but being scared to use them… I was also that woman, so I understand!
Now that I am over my fear of the machine, I’m left with other anxieties… putting in a zipper! Sleeves! And until yesterday… knits! Not t-shirt knits… sweater knits.
And that’s when I ran into O! Jolly!. Olgayln is a master knitter, with a really fascinating history of working in theater and music. And, she has been making, selling, and CUTTING UP gorgeous machine-knit textiles for quite some time. Her blog, Crafting Fashion, about working with knits was the key to unlocking my fears, and I’m so grateful.
I created the little grunge dress above by cutting up a very open-knit sweater (terrifying) and, thanks to Olgalyn using bias binding tape to seal off the cut end. Below is a shot to show you how this looks.
I thought that the whole sweater (thrifted: $4) would unravel before I had time to walk ten feet from my bed cutting table to my machine. This did not happen.
The body of the dress is Indian cotton, very light and airy, about $6 a yard. Suffice to say, whole worlds of stitchy fun have opened up. As soon as the thrift stores start stocking sweaters again, I’ll be off and running.
If you are a Blythe-ette (and I know some of you are) you will want to dress like your dolly and she of course is wearing Cangaway. When you hit the link, be sure to visit her SOLD section. These fabulous dresses (about $30 ea) sell immediately upon listing, and I’m talking MINUTES. You can get on her “first to know” list and receive an email a few moments prior to her listing and then you’d better strike fast. Pictured is my Sophronia, decked out in Cangaway, plus Mad Hatter top hat by yours truly.
Last but not least, if you are or will be in New York on 7/22, I’d highly recommend a workshop Olgalyn is giving on making a shrug from knit fabric. I hope to make it to one she might schedule in the fall if any local ladies would like to consider caravanning to Brooklyn.
I was delighted to find this gorgeous scarf at my local thrift, buried behind about 100 of her ugly stepsisters. Although I don’t wear scarves, I couldn’t pass up this fabric which put me in mind of a 70’s super-glam brand called Sweet Baby Jane for the Plain Jane clothing company. I used to scour the High Street boutiques on the OSU campus in Columbus, OH looking for these rock-star boho retro fabulous garments. If you remember this brand, check the link above to learn what well-known company it transformed into during the 80s.
And with its angelic cherubs, the fabric also puts me in mind of iconic 80’s Italian clothing brand, Fiorucci. I remember squeezing into a pair of the skinniest Fiorucci jeans ever by lying on the dressing room floor in order to zip the zipper. I think they were gold. Metallic.
If you look closely at this delicate, crinkly, sheer rayon, you can see that some of the little stars in the print are covered with actual gold glitter. Yeah, for $1.99 this was going home with me and I’d figure something out.
Making this really could not be simpler.The bulk of this “project” is in locating a great scarf to use. It should be an elongated retangle, not a square, and in flowy fabric. Measure to fit, sew two seems and voila!
Feel free to share this idea and the instructions above by linking back to this blog. Larger photos can be seen on my flickr. Thanks! xoxo
Friends on Facebook know that I’ve been obsessively sewing again; this post gathers together images and ideas, a greatest hits of the allure of this activity for me.
1. Textiles. Probably the number one reason I sew is a deep, enduring love for textiles. My passion for fabric seems to know no bounds and each time I get back to sewing there is a literal world of discovery awaiting.
The love of textiles takes me adventuring to Africa, India, Japan, Europe (without leaving home)… crossing decades and centuries (without a time machine), exploring history, industry, technique (sans a classroom). Textiles invite anthropological inquiry and ultimately make me feel connected to societies I can never really know, particularly societies of women. And, thanks to the Worldwide Web, sewing takes to me to Mood, NYC. True, Tim Gunn isn’t around to soothe my nerves, and Swatch the dog is but an on-screen image. Still! Mood!
Above are textiles from Mood that I managed to match from online images only, remarkable, really. I’m having a huge 90’s grunge moment and the plaid is by Mr. Grunge himself, Marc Jacobs, a delightful, sheer voile fabric. The floral is fine silk and a complete bitch to sew. The lace is antique from a yardsale, as is the ribbon.
Front of this dress is shorter than the back.
Ties make it fit nicely for sizes 2–8.
The dress pictured center is made from the sheerest bone white cotton voile from India, block printed with a lovely pattern just begging to be a sari babydoll dress. These textiles can be had for about $6-$12 a yard (and up), via a handful of dealers on both ebay and etsy. I have never been disappointed with this yardage, colors are bright, patterns run from traditional to sweetly off-kilter interpretations of Western themes. And how fun to receive packages from around the world!
2. Analog. To be fair, my sewing machine is a sophisticated computer…
CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO PLAY VIDEO.
…but that isn’t at all what I love about it… and for the most part I ignore this aspect in favor of the older school functions that have been performed by machines since sometime in the 1700’s. The 10 second video above shows my machine in action, overcasting (which means I don’t need a serger) a length of delicious cherry silk polka dot fabric, also by Marc Jacobs. I love the visuals, I love the sound! And you can’t have enough ruffles, right?
3. Mad Skills. Sewing requires many skills that I do not currently have. I learn at least one or more new things with each project I undertake. As with other challenging activities, the knowledge is cumulative and improvement takes practice, over time. A few tips if you are, like me, an impatient novice:
• Make something simple that you will honestly love and that falls within the current limits of your ability. Then make it again in another fabric. And again, with a slight variation. Each time, push yourself just a little. You will end up with three cute garments that aren’t perfect but are perfectly wearable.
• The right tool for the job… i.e., know your needles, cutting implements (and keep them sharp), measuring tools, markers, etc. Build your tool library slowly on an as-needed basis… learning as you go. Have your machine serviced bi-annually once you really start using it.
• Watch YouTube videos! There is NOTHING you can’t learn on YouTube from sewing bias tape to working with bitchy silks. The sewing videos are often funny. You can pause, rewind, watch them dozens of times late into the night….
• Make mistakes, then fix them as best you can and MOVE ON. Nothing handmade is perfect. If it is, it’s boring.
4. Relationship to day job. Sewing is very different from graphic design; my day job. But there is a lot of overlap and I take advantage of this. There are applicable skills; color sense (and nonsense!), measuring, constructing, and the joy of ideas or concepts combined with the tedium of production.
It feels great to access 30 years of art and design experience in service of wearable creations, all while pushing myself to learn more. The piece above, a swingy tunic (or very short dress) was created from a pattern I made myself, copying a tee shirt from free people. The learning opportunities are endless with sewing.
5. Upcycling, and the romance of need. Sewing your own clothes is not a choice to make simply to save $$$. In today’s world of H&M &tc, fast fashion can be had for dirt cheap. If you purchase NEW yardage, there are bargains to be found… but there are many delicious fabrics you will lust after that are trés expensive. You’ll also need a lot of auxiliary supplies and will be running to fabric stores constantly for matching thread, picking up MORE yardage that you really don’t need… just ’cause it’s there.
And then, there are curtains. The two most influential films of my childhood, “The Sound of Music” and “Gone with the Wind” feature heroines rising to the occasion of style-over-means. Remember the VonTrapp children frolicking through those oh-so-alive hills in their shameful, adorable garments made from the Captain’s living room curtains?! And Scarlet, OH SCARLET! Who can forget her fabulously rich green velvet curtain ensemble???
When not busy searching out bargains on Mood.com, I’m combing my local thriftstore for textiles. Curtains, tablecloths, bedspreads and sheets… the most amazing vintage fabrics, at pennies-per-yard can be found on almost any trip. The bloomers above and below were made from curtain yardage, two panels at a total cost of $4.
The three fabrics came SEWN TOGETHER. All I had to do was cut. Oh, and I patterned these for a perfect fit by copying a pair of pajamas, also scored at the thrift.
The ruffle trim on this flirty dress was also once a curtain. Dotted swiss in a spicy mustard shade, probably circa 1970-something.
6. Collage of disparate elements. In all of my creative pursuits, from jewelry to sewing, I lean toward bringing together things that may not belong in the same project. Below, I trimmed a super soft ombre flannel dress with a length of handcrafted yo-yo trim made of 1930’s feedsack fabric. Feedsack is a collectibles world unto itself, but the yardage has become quite expensive… and is mostly available in smaller pieces (duh, feedsacks). This was a fun way to incorporate the wonderful patterns and textiles without spending a small fortune.
I’m currently obsessing over Japanese textiles and techniques. Below is a babydoll tunic that features very vintage Kimono silk as a ruffle, with the main fabric a “homespun” from JoAnn’s. If you go to JoAnn’s, ALWAYS print out the week’s 40% off coupon… it’s good on yardage! If you forget, email it to your phone from the Web when you get there.
Vintage Komono fabric, much like feedsack, is dear ($$$) and generally available only in smaller pieces b/c it is loomed in the right amount for making Kimono–no waste, making it perfect for trim. The colors and textures are gorgeous. I very boldly tea-stained the dress body after completing it as the stark white wasn’t working with the vintage fabric. Scary, but worked great.
I’m itching for a larger, more involved project after all of these simple dresses, and am about to embark on a piece that will use new and vintage indigo textiles and will incorporate Japanese Sashiko and the boro aesthetic.
Watch the flying fingers in this video as she creates rows of Sashiko hand-stitching. You’ll also see this technique in India, on Kantha quilts. The effect is lovely.
I may incorporate some of these quilt y0-yo’s made in the 1940’s from men’s necktie silk into this upcoming project.
And here are my first practice stitches, done on my old jeans in a doctor’s waiting room. The point is to make all the stitches uniform in size and spacing. But I have seen loads of ancient cloths where the stitches–made perhaps in haste to get a farmer back into the field–don’t look so far from my own wobbly and inaccurate attempts.
Stay tuned! xoxo
PS: Big thanks to Molly for showing me a) how to send a JoAnn’s coupon to my iphone and b) how to get a video off my iPad, into iMovie, and embedded in WordPress… with a thumbnail!
In my work as a designer, both my professional communications design and jewelry design, one of my very favorite aspects has always been the toggle between big picture thinking and small detail management. I’ll assert that having a love and capacity for both aspects of design is a rarity for the creative soul. For me, it took decades to reconcile the fact that I feel most deeply satisfied when both left-brain (creative) and right-brain (reasoned) thinking come into play. I like to make a mess, but I like to clean it up too. I love big ideas but I love tiny little decisions as well. I believe this series of new necklaces exemplifies what I’m talking about. Click on the images to see them much larger or visit with them on my flickr.
My strategic communications work is always in service of a story; whether about meetings for healthcare professionals or the annual findings of a trade association… a narrative unfolds in words and pictures, often with an actionable objective: Enroll, donate, attend. With jewelry, I’m up to the same kind of storytelling, although it tends more toward abstraction. Nothing compares to the excitement of ideas and meaning. I believe this is what we think of when we talk about design. What is the story we are telling, and, importantly why, and to whom?
Making connections is part of this concept process, in communications I connect text with images in creative ways and with jewelry, I make, source, and bring together disparate elements… often from countries thousands of miles apart, and decades that now fall across two or even three different centuries. An early plastic button from the 1940’s or a glass Victorian one, beads from Africa, tassels from Asia, mid-century American toys, the tin lid of an oil can from India… how can these things possibly tell one story? With jewelry, the stories are sometimes gathered over years and finally come together unexpectedly. This is the part that seems magical (but isn’t, imho).
Once the elements are selected, located, obtained or made, the right-brain engages as I work out actual construction issues. Whether I’m creating style sheets in InDesign, or linking fine threads to metal… problems must be solved at a more micro level. I find this to be the most challenging place in the process; the place where I may want to turn away from the project and find something new to conceptualize, because that’s just so much more fun and flows more fluidly for me. That said, this construction place is also the land of greatest reward (soldering, for example!). When I stick to it and make something impossible work, I am so damn proud of myself! the storytelling comes easily and readily, like breathing. Am I lucky or cursed?
The final stage, or production, is the most micro of all. This is the time where most of the big picture problems are solved (though sometimes these can change even at this point) and where I buckle down to wrap tiny strands of thread around and around for hours, detangling as I go, or sit quietly and sew on minuscule beads one at a time, perhaps I’m styling text for hours on end, bold, italic, larger, smaller. I generally and truly delight in the zen of this work, though too much of it becomes boring and my mind will start to itch. This is why it’s great to have several projects going at once, a brochure being designed, another being produced… necklace concepts coming together, materials arriving from distant lands, pieces being made and photographed and shared.
Which stage(s) of design and making do you love most? Where do you have to push through difficulty or boredom? How does it affect your work? I’d love to hear from you!
As the weather turns cold, I seem to turn to textiles as my preferred art form. Pictured above and below, a recent construction. The beautifully embroidered top was found as-is, been trying to find a way to work with it for YEARS. Ancient tattered and be-sequined black tulle/lace affixed. Worn as an apron (ties in back) over a very vintage cream slip. I love the way my bones necklace looks with it and will probably wear this all together.
Made this a little while ago, a fairly simple deconstruction of a thrifted vintage black wool jacket, with some very pretty very old lace. Beneath it is an Antik Batik dress purchased at a consignment shop in the Marais Distric, Paris. Most divine thing ever.
Another decon jacket with children’s scissors affixed. Has weird red velvet reverse patches and several men’s ties, one of which hangs down like a long strap from the bottom. For some reason, I’m always narrowing the sleeves down to being very skinny and fitted.
The back has more of the strange and surreal shapes. I think this one is sort of Schiaparelli inspired.
Another (and very moody!) shot of two pieces from last year… very tribal 80’s fusion, with neon and animal print and vintage Afghani jewelry for sytling.
I shall leave you with this, a dress you may have seen many times, The Broken Teacup. I still delight in this piece and am always amazed to see it linked and pinned all over the Internet. You can visit all of these photos in larger sizes over on my flickr.
And now… back to sewing, dears!
Blythe. Where to start describing the love affair with this plastic doll whose head is 10x too large for her body, whose eyes bulge and boggle, and whose history is one of mass rejection turned crazed global obession? To get the basics of the story hit this wiki link.
Pictured above is my first Blythe doll, a Veronica Lace, issued by Takara in 2009. I fell in love with her romantic look but once she arrived, I have to admit… I was somewhat terrified of her. I named her Sophronia, took just a few photos (one of them below) and put her away in a vintage trunk. For four years.
During a recent time of particular sadness (and maybe it is always during such times that grown women turn to dolls), I fell in love with Sophie again. And this time, it was different. Although she was still the intimidatingly expensive, freakily proportioned, strange little toy from Japan, I lost all fear of engaging with her. Suddenly I had to dress and photograph her in environments I carefully handcrafted and curated toward some particular vision or another.
She had to be a Factory Girl, hanging out with Miss Sedgwick…
She became a gypsy perched upon a tiny handmade ottoman of the finest silk sari trim from India…
She absolutely needed a set of papier mache rabbit ears, Day of the Dead style…
And she needed a friend (recent Takara doll release called Simply Lilac). She might well require more company before all is said and done, as well as rooms and things and shoes… and, oh my. Blythe!
You may be looking at these dolls and thinking… what the heck?!Or maybe, like me, you’ll be drawn into their crazy allure, feel repelled, be drawn in again. Be warned, once you are hooked… it’s bad. Real bad!
As a Blythe addict you may spend the grocery money irresponsibly but also you are lucky. There are people way more obsessed than you ALL OVER THE WORLD! You will hang out on flickr and “meet” them. You’ll troll etsy for the best handmade clothing, accessories and furnishings, learning quickly that there are trends, and sub-sub-cultures, all about a doll named Blythe.
You might even begin to dream about a customized Blythe… with crazy curly hair (!), a lovely matte face with special gothy make up, and an outfit you could only dream of wearing. And while you are having all of this fun, you might just begin to think about this doll from a social or intellectual perspective: What is it about her that has gangs of smart, creative girls and women enthusiastically collecting, making, photographing, and connecting with one another through blogs and Web sites? That’s another post for another time.
The completed necklace above is fashioned from an Afghani artifact, a heavily beaded tassel, probably used to decorate a camel. This is unlisted due to my complete inability to part with it.
Here then, is another gorgeous tassel I’ve been trying to work with, this one is African and made of leather. The colors are amazing, both dirty and brilliant in perfect combination. The beaded ring is my addition but I can’t seem to properly finish this WIP.
Above is the most recent tassel experiment, made from an upcycled plastic Winchester rifle bullet casing that is insanely rusted and distressed, then gilded (of course). I have a batch of these in the most wonderful desert-faded colors. This is all very unfinished, just playing right now with materials and thought you’d enjoy seeing the influences leading to the design.
I know I will be using these Indonesian blue glass beads; amazing color against the red.
And the Indian sari silk fiber is working for me. I love how all of these tassely objects are related to one another, coming from arid deserts and plains, the recycling and repurposing, how in some cultures even the animals are adorned to the hilt… but the humans too. I don’t know what I’m saying, I’m just…. all jazzed up about… tassels.
These pics are over on flickr in case you want to ogle them larger.
Lastly, I am planning to donate a portion of proceeds from any/all jewelry that utilizes bullet casings to a US gun control organization, so if you want to recommend one, please comment or email me.
I think that the job of poetry, its political job, is to refresh the idea of justice, which is going dead in us all the time. —Robert Hass
A poem itself, this citrus-fresh rustic ring is formed of rough green and orange calcite gemstone chunks. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger. Note, calcite is a softer stone and will break easily if dropped or banged. Although highly wearable, crystal rings should be treated as if they were glass in terms of fragility.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
sale: Was $48, now $38.
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. —Lao Tzu
A reminder to rejoice, this lovely rustic ring is formed of rough blue and orange calcite gemstone chunks with a clear quartz crystal point. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger. Note, calcite is a softer stone and will break easily if dropped or banged. Although highly wearable, crystal rings should be treated as if they were glass in terms of fragility.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
Sale: Was $58, now $48
Claude Moth is ready to alight, a small friend to keep you company. Best of all, he does NOT eat wool, although would appreciate a small bread crumb from time to time. Claude is an especially thoughtful little guy who who loves to paint in soft colors. In fact, he resembles a painting by his very favorite artist and namesake, Claude Monet! He has been fashioned entirely by hand from vintage reclaimed tin; cut from a pattern, riveted together, and then given a special patina for a rustic aged appearance.
Claude Moth is one of a kind and ready to fly home to you on a delicate brass chain, at the length of your choosing (see last photo for example). Please specify length when you purchase (I recommend shorter length so he sits against your upper chest), a lobster clasp is included.
Please note: Although the moth necklaces are truly adorable, and are carefully filed and sanded, I do not consider them appropriate for children.
Dateline: 2011.
Sw 1644+57: Black hole eats star and then
blasts 3.8 billion light-year beam at Earth.
Research has confirmed that the flash from one of the biggest and brightest bangs yet recorded by astronomers comes from a massive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy. The black hole appears to have ripped apart a star that wandered too close, creating a powerful beam of energy that crossed the 3.8 billion light years to Earth.
An amazing necklace to celebrate this astrological event, features intricate handcrafted, double-sided porcelain focal charm and a pretty outstanding collection of other stuff, including a quartz crystal point, vintage, new, and handcrafted beads, ancient metal and glass buttons, + Indian sari fiber. Colors are really beautiful and unique, including neon yellows and orangey reds that can’t be picked up on digital images.
Blast your own light beam wearing this one of a kind work of art. Ready to ship.
I wouldn’t make jam from this beautiful wicked berry, unless you are planning to murder your guests at tea. They are poison! Death is swift, but pleasant as the fruit has a sweet tart flavor unlike any berry of its species. I discovered these dangerous jewels in Persia, where they have been grown since the 17th century. Alas, the velvety pillows make far better necklaces than food, and about this I beg you… please simply trust me.
This is the last of a pair of these necklaces, the other is sold. Features glittering faceted glass bead, deepest red velvety heart that appears quilted, and antiqued copper findings. Designed to be worn long on a delicate continuous antiqued copper chain, please specify length when you purchase. Perfect for vampires as well as regular folk.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
I advise you to say your dream is possible and then overcome all inconveniences, ignore all the hassles, and take a running leap through the hoop, even if it is in flames. —Les Brown*
All dreams are possible when wearing this bold and pretty necklace, three strands of mixed media vintage and tribal beads, old rhinestones, Indian sari fiber, ancient glass chandelier crystals, and a hand-forged clasp. The focal is a very vintage metal emerald-cut gemstone finding. Perfect for a night of ballroom dancing to big band sounds, or anything really.
One of a kind and ready to ship.
*Lester Raymond “Les” Brown, Sr. was a clarinetist, saxophonist, big band leader and composer, best known for his nearly seven decades of work with the big band Les Brown and His Band of Renown.
Sale: Was $145, now $119
Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light.
Above all things reverence thyself.
—Pythagoras
Lovely little stormy cloud brooch, entirely crafted by hand from oxidized recycled metal printer’s plates. Includes a very sweet, very vintage red number tack (#23), a black glass Victorian button, Indonesian polka-dot bead that actually spins on its axis for contemplative meditation, oxidzed chain, and beadwork with glimmering fiery natural labradorite.
One of a kind wearable work of art; ready to ship.
I am endlessly inspired by observations of the decay and decline of Western civilization. Thusly, a necklace made from apocalyptical debris plus bonus Circle Jerks lyric from the soundtrack of the movie by the same name. Substantial vintage chandelier crystal, gilded by hand, wire-wrapped and strung on a brass chain to any length you specify; let me know at purchase please. Wear this elegantly alone, or layered with lots of other adornments. One of a kind, ready to ship.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, century city
everything’s so nice and pretty
all the people look the same
don’t they know they’re so damn lame
there she goes
three piece suit
spandex pants
cowboy boots
I don’t know what i’m gonna do
I don’t know what i’m gonna do
maybe i’ll have to move from
Beverly Hills, century city
everything’s so nice and pretty
All the people look the same
don’t they know they’re so damn lame
there she goes
three piece suit
spandex pants
fiorucci too
beverly hills, century city!
—Circle Jerks, Beverly Hills
La Belle Epoque, occurring during the era of the Third French Republic (Beginning 1870), was a period characterized by optimism, peace at home and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries. The peace and prosperity in Paris allowed the arts to flourish, and many masterpieces of literature, music, theater, and visual art gained recognition. The Belle Époque was named, in retrospect, when it began to be considered a golden age in contrast to the horrors of World War I.
Most beautiful earrings created from large vintage hand-gilded brass tulip caps, vintage pale lavender faceted glass crystal findings, and a pair of raw garnet gemstones. The garnets cast lovely reds when light passes through. Patina and metal leaf have been sealed. Hand-forged rustic ear wires.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
“Excuse me while I kiss the sky.” —Jimi Hendrix
A lovely rustic ring, formed of rough palest sky blue calcite gemstone. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger. Note, calcite is a slightly softer stone, so if you like punching walls while wearing your jewelry, this is not for you.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
Sale: Was $48, now $38
“Being well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquility which psychoanalysis is powerless to bestow.” —Sebastian Horsley
I concur.
Designed originally as a men’s ring, this lovely item would look incredibly perfect on Sebastian Horsley, except that he expired in 2010, having finally pushed his life and body one step too far. Sebastian Horsley, a self-described dandy, was a London artist best known for having undergone a voluntary crucifixion. His writing often revolved around his dysfunctional family, his drug addictions, sex, and his reliance on prostitutes.
This is a very special piece that would look just as lovely on a dandygirl. Distressed ring base with lots of sanding and patina, and a very vintage ruby red glass cabochon with embedded faux diamond.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
Sale: Was $58, now $38
“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.” —Alexandre Dumas
Adventurous, rustic wanderer’s ring, formed with a trio of rough citrine, amethyst and quartz point gemstone crystals. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
“A rose is a rose is a rose.” —Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was a noted American art collector of seminal modernist paintings and an experimental writer of novels, poetry and plays, which eschewed the narrative, linear, and temporal conventions of 19th century literature. She was born in West Allegheny (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, raised in Oakland, California, and moved to Paris in 1903, making France her home for the remainder of her life. For some forty years, the Stein home on the Left Bank of Paris would become a renowned Saturday evening gathering place for expatriate American artists and writers, and others noteworthy in the world of vanguard arts and letters
Rustic rose ring made from a very vintage button, mounted on a lovely scroll adjustable ring base. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger. This ring looks really lovely with the gemstone rock rings also listed on the site.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Refreshing, calming rustic wanderer’s ring, formed of rough blue and orange calcite gemstone. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger. Note, calcite is a slightly softer stone, so if you like punching walls while wearing your jewelry, this is not for you.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
Sale: Was $49, now $39
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.” —Pedro Calderon de la Barca
A lovely rustic, calming ring, formed of rough green calcite gemstone. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger. Note, calcite is a slightly softer stone, so if you like punching walls while wearing your jewelry, this is not for you.
One of a kind, ready to ship.
Sale: Was $49, now $39
Suddenly. In. Love. With. ROCKS!!!!!! Pictured above, from the top: fluorite, blue calcite, citrine (but suspiciously looks like calcite and am contacting dealer about this), raw garnets (!), amazonite and quartz points. Gemstones are MUCH cheaper by the strand, and ebay is a good bet for locating best pricing.
Big batch of Rocking Rings made yesterday, now being varnished to protect the gold leafing and patina work. As soon as they’re dry I’ll start listing. They are really and truly beautiful, if I do say so, and although chunky, very wearable. Earrings are coming next, can’t wait to play with these stones in that context. As always, larger photos up on flickr for your viewing pleasure.
“I was looking for something a lot heavier, yet melodic at the same time. Something different from heavy metal, a different attitude.” –Kurt Cobain
If you’re looking for something a lot heavier (yet melodic, and light as a feather to wear), you’ve found it. Heavy metal ring formed with seriously vintage faceted gem finding, copper rivets, and baroque base. All of it sanded, oxidized, sanded and oxidized some more. Sealed and ready to go.
This adjustable ring will fit most fingers from smaller to larger.
Sale: Was $49, now $39
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“Color is a plastic means of creating intervals… color harmonics produced by special relationships, or tensions. We differentiate now between formal tensions and color tensions, just as we differentiate in music between counterpoint and harmony.” —Hans Hoffman
A rustic, musical ring, formed of rough amethyst and citrine crystals. Metal-leafed in gold and warm coppery tones over an adjustable brass ring base, then oxydized and sealed. Should fit most sizes. Smaller hands will likely wear on index or middle finger.
Have discovered gold metal leaf.
Am in the process of gilding pretty much everything in site, including this amazing piece of Russian military surplus, a small metal tube that will become a necklace focal. I’ve got a batch of these babies to play with.
And this simple pair of vintage brass findings… I love how the metal leaf clings to and shows the fine detail of the… metal leaf(s).
A big-ass ancient glass chandelier crystal gets the gilding treatment, creating a weird world-within-a-world effect as you can see the inside of the other side through the front side. Yeah.
Here’s a finished piece, a ring holding 2 raw crystals, citrine and amethyst. Then goldified, oxidized, and totally effed up. In a good way. I hope. Ring section coming soon over at So Charmed. Lots of these beauties will be for sale at rock bottom prices. harhar.
Bigger pics for better examination of the (charmingly) rustic and pathetically unskilled job of gold leafing of which I am capable: flickr.
A great gold leafing video, watch and learn and then go make your own mess!
clackclickclackclickclack Playful pair of asymmetrical earrings created from an ancient pair of tin litho clicker toys and small lovely collections of wired vintage tribal and ethnic glass beads. clackclickclackclickclack <<<Want to keep these so bad!>>> clickclackclickclickclackclickclack But you’ll rock them and that will make me happy clickyclacky.
I like to fool myself into thinking that anyone could possibly be interested in my creative process, the inner workings of my designing mind at the earliest stages of making things. Hence, WIP (work in progress). Everything here represents an idea in formulation, not remotely finished.
This is how it begins with earrings. Vast supplies in my studio. Many little things scattered on every available surface. One day the things… they start making their way toward one another as if by some poetic pull. At the top of the post, an Afghani coin finding with brilliant emerald glass, a gear with verdigris patina, an ancient crystal bead and a piece of industrial trash. Above, a newer finding paired with a Mexican milagro.
More Kuchi coins above (these are used in traditional costume including belly dance) with lovely glass rubies, being riveted to a pair of seriously rusted bottle caps scavenged from some American desert. Fiber may be added at some point.
How do these tiny objects — a old discarded button, an African Vaseline trade bead, a bumpy middle Eastern bead, a tiny verdigris sparrow — come together? Some ways might be: color, form, content, texture, juxtoposition of cultures and histories. Things that resonate as similar or opposite, or both. The rule of chance encounters. The joy for me is that I don’t think much about any of this.
Part of it is the trained eye, the practiced hand, designing for years, decades, a lifetime. Part of it might be something inaccessible; dreams, associations. Above, an ancient glass button, possibly 1920’s, likely European, paired with a Mexican heart milagro charm. A tiny visual poem begun, beauty, an adornment.
Delightfully asymmetrical gyspy tribal curation of precious global beads including bone, coral, vertebrae, faux pearl and vintage trade. Vibrant colors of Morocco, Africa, Mexico, the American Southwest: richest reds, gold, turquoise. Embellished with scraps of recycled sari silk, wonderfully frayed and wire-wrapped. French ear wires. Perfect for a summer festival, or to channel the spirit of Frida Kahlo.
One of a kind, ready to ship. Beautiful African dolly not included.
Truly optimistic earrings ready to take you to gypsy soirees, parties, and rustic romps. Beaded and wired, to include faceted palest green prehnite stones, fuchsia dyed jade, brilliant yellow seed beads and faceted turquoise bugles. Vintage glass large crystal stone in center, hand-forged rustic ear wires. Treated with blackening patina and crystalline wax. These make me think of a modern Frida, off to flirt with countless secret lovers.
One a kind, perfectly imperfect, ready to ship.
Pretty vintage styled turquoise faceted and super sparkly earrings. These are shimmery, bohemian and divine. Bejeweled elongated brass ear wires and vintage style antiqued brass findings create a stunning effect. Main beads are bubbly and retro looking with rhinestone accent beads. Kind of breathtaking, really.
Also, most definitely a steal at this price!
