New Life for Old Coins

I mentioned in my last post that I had just bought some coins from Joel Anderson Interesting World Coins and Paper Money--I got a whole pound of them! They're from pretty much everywhere. I pulled out the ones with the nicest textures to use on my metal, and left the rest in the bag. What to do with them...?

About five of them were very worn down and blackened with oxidation, so I decided to use them for patina experiments. I didn't even know what kind of metal they were! Well, they all took the verdigris to some extent (the coins in this post were treated with traditional verdigris solution from Shannon LeVart (MissFickleMedia), and then sealed with Vintaj/Ranger sealant and Renaissance Wax). I used one of the smaller ones in a pendant (see my last post), and saved out four for use as bracelet clasps (I REALLY need to make some bracelets for the shop). I had an idea for possibly stacking them to make a toggle clasp:

I used my little hole punch from Fire Mountain to make holes in the smaller coins, and my drill to make holes in the larger (they're too big for the punch). Then I turned them into toggle clasps with a rivet and copper sheet and wire.

I decided on a Southwest kind of color palette, because I just can't stay away from that when I have something turquoise! I had just gotten some FABULOUS Czech beads from CraftAnne and BeadsAndBabble on Etsy, and they seemed just perfect.

This was how it came together:

More Hong Kong-Santa Fe Fusion

I also included poppy jasper in an interesting shape, Indonesian glass beads from Happy Mango Beads, and some "cocoon" beads (based on a tutorial by Kharisma Ryantori) I had made from copper and antiqued with Shannon's verdigris solution. I am in LOVE with the multicolor Czech picasso beads (I might have to clean out CraftAnne's shop of these!)--they're the larger ones with the beadcaps on them.

When it was mostly completed I added few tchochkes: a Czech glass wheel bead in turquoise, one of my new round charms (textured on one side with a 1963 Hong Kong fifty-cent piece and on the other side with a Thai coin I can't identify-- I'm guessing it's from the 50s or 60s too), and a couple of textured copper bowls to sort of camouflage where the strands join the toggle loops (this is beaded with SoftFlex beading wire).

Here's a view of the other side of my round charm:

I'm digging these Asian coin textures.

This item is sold, and on its way to the East Coast today!

Two Circles and a Rectangle

Pottered around the house on Saturday wondering what to do, what to do...Wanted to make some things but didn't feel very good and I was in a lousy mood. Took some Advil, took a long nap, and eventually produced the items below.

Lampwork donut in "Indian Blanket" colors by Outwest. (I just love these!) I was going to do a button thing but I didn't like it and ended up with this. Simpler seemed better given the boldness of the colors of the rings. A little leather cording, some more lampwork and some carnelian. (Turquoise lampwork by Meital, dark red by Pinocean, butterscotch by TheSpacerQueen.

Indian Blanket

Etched lampwork donut below by Outwest in lovely lilac and sage, sort of a modern southwestern palette. I was getting all crazy with it--I MUST have beads that match every color in it!!! But then I changed my mind. Something simpler seemed better and this is what I came up with. Deerskin lacing in chestnut with little seed beads in pale yellow.

Hypnotic Lilac

After I listed these I looked at my shop and I thought "HOLY CRAP LOOK AT ALL THE CIRCLES!!" Circles EVERYWHERE. Every blessed thing in my shop is ROUND. I imagine that has some psychological significance. It really bothered me. I should change the name of my shop to AllCirclesAllDayLong.

So I made something with a rectangle.

This fabulous bracelet bar is by CapturedMoments (I have others--I think I did a little mini bead porn post on these actually). Tried virtually all my hand-dyed silk ribbon with it (from FlameKissedArtGlass--who is currently on vacation) and I liked this "Chameleon" the best. Muted mauve and sage. Threw in some copper, garnet, Crazy Horse Stone and green pearls and called it good. It felt so good to have a pointy shape in my shop for a change. And then it sold. So now I'm back to circles. Time to make another one. I know I have some pointy beads somewhere, or at least some squares. I know I have some triangles. And some stick shape beads. I need to break up the circles with some sticks and triangles. Get ready!

Inspiration Is a Lethargic and Dawdling Mistress

It has taken her nearly three months to provide me with a design for Kelley Wenzel's fabulous aqua lampwork nugget beads. They've been sitting on my Japanese-style glass top work bench since early February, within easy reach for fondling and thought experiments regarding how they might be best displayed. For a few weeks I was thinking of doing a variation on the tried and true turquoise-and-coral Southwest tradition, but with glass and carnelian instead. Then I got this fabu pewter pendant from Happy Mango Beads and the muse grabbed me by the throat. And this is what I coughed up:

Also a little red agate, one little dark red seed bead, a scattering of glass tile beads in aqua, and silver accents.

The rest of my hoard from Kelley's Beads sits forlorn on the work bench, awaiting their turn. I do pet them from time to time, so they don't lose hope. I'm kind of counting on Happy Mango to give me another jump start. Some more pewter pendants are sitting in close proximity to them on the bench, so I'm hoping they'll migrate towards each other and spontaneously merge into something divine.

I Have a Sudden Craving for Fajitas

Maybe it's this bracelet.

Red sponge coral donut, turquoise discs, magnesite half-domes and rounds, red agate donut, carnelian and brecciated jasper, and delicious cocoa-colored deerskin lace from Magpie Gemstones, with pewter and sterling silver accents. Pewter beads and toggle clasp from Happy Mango Beads.

For more information, or to purchase, CLICK HERE.

My Reptilian Brain

I think I was a lizard in a former life. I must have been in the middle of a past life regression when I made this bracelet because it's all about the desert. I have desert on the brain.



Kelley Wenzel of Kelley's Beads has been counting down the days until her trip to Phoenix and all I can think about now is sun, sand, cacti, those creepy cow skulls, rocks, heat and lizards. And I like it. I grew up in central California, where you have all the joys of heat and crackling dry air without the charm of the actual desert. I would like to go to the desert. Did I already say that?

Picture jasper, my new favorite stone, is the star in this bracelet. It's like the desert's very aesthetic was captured in little spheres and sold to me for my personal enjoyment. I love love love it. Just looking at it makes me feel tan and warm. Or in my case freckled and warm. More little picture jasper rounds shake their groove thang (sorry, it's late at the end of the week) on a length of antique-silver plated rollo chain (which I have been trying desperately and unsuccessfully all day to long to remember where I got it), with some wood, a couple tiger eye rounds, and a little silver-plated sun/moon charm (which you can't see in either of these pictures--the important thing is that I know it's there). Hand forged nickel bead caps, and hand-forged toggle clasp. I did all the sterling ball head pins myself with my new badass propane torch. HOT DAMN!!!! Those suckers melt in a flash. Next thing you know I'll be a one woman sweat shop flooding the market with sterling ball head pins. Right on.



For more information on this item, or to purchase, CLICK HERE.