Blatant plagiarism ...

...and I am the one who has perpetrated it. I was in a marvie shop with my friend the other day and eye-spied a great necklace. It was priced appropriately for its coolness and execution but was far beyond my saving-to-go-overseas budget. So, I have made myself something similar. Well the idea is similar but mine is very rudimentary compared to the one in the shop. If I knew the name of the creator I would apologise but alas I can't even remember the name of the shop ... I would probably feel worse about this if it wasn't for a quick google search that revealed that there are basically no new ideas and that the necklace I was making has been made by just about everyone else in the entire world. Still the one I saw was far more lovely than any I saw on the net and way, way superior to the one I have crafted!

Here 'tis ..

yes,it is a dice box!

Now don't be looking at it too closely - in the excitement of working out the construction I skipped right over the filing the edges part ... I have never made a box before so I was pretty keen to get to the finish line!  It is recycled pewter and a couple of dice I stole out of one of the kids games (they will never know). I learned a thing or two about box construction ... Accurate measuring would be a pretty good idea cos it works heaps better if all four sides are matching ... Ah well, it may be a little wonky but then so am I!

First cab off the rank ...

Sometimes it is the actual starting of something that seems to be the most difficult part of the creative process. After having a lot of fun sorting out my summer beachcombing treasures I was procrastinating about actually making something ... dicking around with bits and pieces, drawing and gazing at an infinite number of marine themed images - well you get the idea! Today I sat myself down at my bench, ignored the household tasks that were vying for my attention, and set to work. I only finished one actual piece but I made a number of components for future use. I find doing this is not only an efficient use of time but also makes me focus and commit to actually making the piece the component is intended for. 

Here is the piece I made ...

I used a beautiful slate coloured beach pebble and mounted it on a shank that I made from recycled sterling silver. I didn't have to alter the stone at all - the shape was just so perfect - the ocean had done all the work for me. I gave it a good brush and sealed it with some fine wax and that was it. It is largish but not heavy.

For a little added mystery I engraved the underside of the stone - musta had a bit of a da Vinci Code moment! It certainly feels good to have made a start on this next lot of exhibition work. Yay for me!

Artefacts

Over the summer I got to do a little bit of beachcombing - a real treat as there isn't decent oceany beach within coo- eee of where I live. I foraged and collected, often enlisting my hapless companions to scour the mounds of seaweed and piles of shells for interesting bits and pieces.

Today I applied a loose taxonomy to my finds. Firstly into their geographical zones ...

Then I went a bit further and divided them up into  groups within the geographical groups based on their material properties. Shells with shells,pottery with pottery etc.

This was the largest group. All this was gleaned from the lower part of the Yorke Penninsula in South Australia - scrummy isn't it? 

Mmmmmm - just loving all these organic shapes. This stuff began life as mass produced things and has been worn away by the tides to create strangely natural looking objects. It does my head in. In a good way! I feel an exhibition coming on ...

Quite probably the best find could be the desiccated fish we found at Walarooo .... 

Let me introduce ZOMBIE FISH!

Scary huh? 

Torture and Temptation

No, this isn't the title of the latest profoundly daft novel to be published in the "female erotic fiction" genre. No, this is what happens when your local thrift store has a book sale - and not just any kind of book sale - oh no, we are talking about a TEN CENT book sale! Crickey! Of course the temptation part is that any book ( even one that fits into the aforementioned genre) is desirous when it only cost TEN FREAKING CENTS!  sigh. The torture comes with having to decide which books NOT to buy ... I think I behaved reasonably modestly ....

It was just a little pile ...

Ok fine! Here is the rest. Twelve books in all ...

 The pictures always suck me in...

and of course as a jewellery maker I find those pics of body adornment irresistible ...

Then of course there are the books I have always meant to read ...

and others that just seem informative or that might be useful in the (not too distant!) future ...

All in all I think I was fairly restrained. Don't you?

Elements ...

Preparations are underway...

Lovely days ...

After a bit of fun poking about the countryside and meeting a couple of locals ..

    

I put in some effort in my studio and hey presto! A tidy (kinda!) bench ...

... and it is lovely when you turn up some forgotten pretties isn't it?

It has been a lovely Saturday.

Change of pace ....

After all the intensity of preparing for an exhibition it is nice to have a bit of time to just potter about. I have cleaned out cupboards and almost caught up on the washing! In the studio I have just been playing around with some new ideas and trying to make some work for places that regularly stock my gear. I am not a production jeweller so this is often a bit of a challenge for me! As a nice change from the hardness of the glass I have been working with, I fished out some vintage lace and started making some pendants ... They are not finished yet but it does mean I will get to play with the Ice Resin which I haven't done in ages!  I am enjoying this little respite because soon I will need to get cracking on work for a couple of shows ... Life is good ...

Opening night ...

Well the exhibition "Bold" is up and running at the Gallery@Pikes and despite torrential rains a lovely bunch of people braved the elements and came along to the opening. Prints by SA artist Gail Kellett and jewels by ME! I am not a gifted public speaker but no one fell asleep during my talk so I am gonna count that as a success. Now for a day off with my besties and back to the bench tomorrow ...

All ready for the guests to arrive ...

My jewellery in fine company with Gail Kellett's lovely prints.