Trying To Get Started Again!

I am really trying to post to this blog more often but job and entertainment keep getting in the way .  But I did manage to start some Christmas gift making.
I have a girlfriend who loves unusual and flashy jewelry.  So I thought of a design that might fit her.
I recently saw a necklace design on Pinterest that I thought I could use for inspiration.
It spurred me on to make this for her.  Since I have recently decided to do more metal smithing and learn all I can it was a good chance to try it out on a small scale.

It is by no means real "smithing". But it's a start.

I drew out the pattern and cut it out with shears (don't have a saw yet):

I wanted to put beads where all the little marks are but decided that was too safe for this girl.  I tried all kinds of beads that just didn't feel right like these below:

 Kind of liked these but not enough of them.

  These just don't look right.

  These were too feminine with the metal.

So, I used a vintage necklace that I got at an antique store and took it apart for the brass beads and voila!!! there it was.  See what you think:

It's really weird how the metal plate looks so different in different light.  I hammered the hell out of it, then annealed it for more fire scale and finally sanded it.   I still have more sanding and polishing (not too much polishing) to do.  But I love how it turned out and I think she will too.


I bought an old watch with the insides still there and couldn't decide what to do with it.  I finally had an idea (although not a really unique one).  I used resin to fill the face and then added some rhinestone chain around the face.  The beads I used are some very old grungy looking carved stone beads.  They are a light greenish color with discoloration on a lot of them.  For me that's cool as I like old looking stuff.  What do you think:

Excuse the lighting.  It's been rainy and cloudy here all weekend. But oh well it's the best I could do.  I think i'm going to put this one in my etsy shop just have to figure out pricing. What's on your work bench now?

Thanks for reading!

Gone So Long!

I know i've been gone a long time. Moving, getting settled, getting a new job, a new house etc. etc. etc.  Well, i'm so sorry about that and now i'm trying to get back in the habit.  It's not like I have a million followers or anything but I have felt bad about being shady and not blogging.

I have not stopped making jewelry just blogging about it.  So this is my attempt to get back to the blogging world.  So much has happened in my life that it's even hard to remember.  I guess we all go through things and there is no getting around that.

So if any of you who followed me are still here please forgive the interruption and stay with me as I try to re-vamp my blog and start showing some of my creations.

Have any of you bloggers out there ever just had to give up blogging for awhile? if so please leave me a comment to let me know how you got back into it.  I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you!!! and please stand by for some pics of my jewelry and some of my latest vintage jewelry finds.  I recently found the most fabulous little store that sells nothing but vintage and antique jewelry.  The owner is so knowledgeable about his wares and of vintage and antique jewelry.  I can't seem to stay away from the place. It has become an addiction!