Boho Bliss

Once again, Deryn Mentock has provided a fun online class.....instructional and full of great tips that you can use in your other jewelry projects.  You can still register for Boho Bliss until May 11, 2015. Check out Something Sublime to find about this class and others that she offers online and in person.  You can also click on the icon on the right that will take you to your bliss!!!


Until then......what's your bliss?

These Took me Awhile......

but......I finally finished four bezels with resin.

 I enjoyed the creative process of just deciding what elements I wanted to use in the bezels.....part of a rhinestone bracelet.....an old earring....vintage key. 

Now I need to decide how I want to incorporate them in a jewelry design.....so I may just let them stare at me for awhile till an idea comes to me.

In the meantime.....happy creating!

Is THANK YOU enough?

There's no doubt that Veterans Day brings to the forefront that those that are serving and have served, have sacrificed much to give all of us all the freedoms we enjoy today as Americans.  Families and friends of those that are serving and have served, I also salute you and thank you for all that you've done!

Please don't forget our Veterans.  Reach out and let them know how much they've done for us and others around the world!

To all branches of service.....THANK YOU!

Reveal Day---8th Bead Soup Blog Party

First of all.....thanks to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for hosting another Bead Soup Blog Party (BSBP).  She's been under the weather, to put in mildly and trying to keep us all organized and bead-happy.

Second of all....thanks to Kay Mallery, my BSBP partner, for sending me a lot of awesomeness.
  

That's only part of the awesomeness that Kay sent to me.  

Third of all.....this has gotten me back to my jewelry.  I had left it for quite awhile, totally unmotivated to create anything.  

And lastly.....here's what came from me being motivated again...Enjoy!

The Rhinestone Bow with Rhinestone Dangles
was the perfedt centerpiece

I fell in love with the opaque crystals

The Vintaj etched metal piece was the perfect
backdrop for my cross

The Sardonyx and Rutilated Quartz
said ooh la la to me

Two earring components were added.....
one for interest and one as a connector

Rutilated Quartz looks great
with the Sardonyx

Look at those white pearls and black
onyx together....and they arrived
already on headpins ready to be dangles

If you haven't already been there.....hop on over to Kay's blog at kaymreflections!


Until then.......Happy Bead Soup Blog Hopping!!!

Sandy's Treasures

Recently I sat down with a friend of mine who wanted to share with me some of her mother's treasures.  It was a wonderful couple of hours going through pins, watches and bracelets and listening to her stories.  

These are some of the items that I will have the pleasure of re-creating into other pieces of jewelry.

Thank you, Sandy.

Until then.......think creatively!

Mesh Chatelaine Purses

From the last two trips I made to Paris, I have been fortunate enough to find small mesh chatelaine purses at the Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves. 

A very nice vendor indicated three boar's heads on the frame of one of the mesh purses I wanted to purchase.....I knew little about them but loved the look and feel of them.  The boar's heads indicated the fineness of 800 or more on on the purse.  I did a little research and came up with the following.

Taken from www.modernsilver.com  

On French silver jewelry, the most often-seen mark is the boar’s head, the mark of the Paris Assay Office, indicating a fineness of 800 or higher on small articles (such as jewelry). This mark was in use from 1838 to 1961. Outside of Paris, the crab mark was used from 1838 to 1961, and since 1962, has also been used by the Paris Assay Office.

After 1838, a maker’s mark in a lozenge (diamond shape with four equal sides) was also required on French gold, silver and platinum. According to Tardy, the lozenge shape itself was introduced in 1797, but it is not clear if there were any regulations about its use at that time.

I also have a purse with the lozenge and three boar's heads. The frame's on these mesh purses can have beautiful and interesting designs. Some have a "kiss clasp" inside.

I was finally inspired to make a necklace from one of my purses when I saw Christine Wallace's beautiful piece in the Autumn 2011 Jewelry Affaire magazine. 



I would love to know the women who used these small purses....what stories they could probably tell us.

Until then.....stay inspired!

Isn't She Lovely???

A new member recently joined my jewelry team.  She is fast becoming friends with the other members of the team....Margot and Babbette.  She's become a valuable asset in such a short time.  Plus she's just a lot of fun!  Her name is Mireille which means to admire.  And I do.  Mireille loves to display my jewelry and is very photogenic.  She also adds a bit of ooh la la to my bead studio!
 

I want to thank a fellow student of Deryn Mentock's online class...An Alchemy of Found Objects for providing the source of Miereille.  She's wonderful when testing your necklaces and how they will look on someone...is there balance?....does something turn the wrong way?....that kinda stuff.  

Until then.....keep creating!!!