My Lovely New Hat!!!

My gorgeous new hat finally arrived a couple of days ago. Another Etsy find. :-) Etsy is going to be my downfall... so many gorgeous things, so little time!!! ;-)

Presenting,

The Sweetheart Hat

It is absolutely gorgeous and can be worn lots of different ways - check out Terry Graziano's Etsy shop, she makes the most gorgeous, versatile hats. She also has a website and a blog, if you're interested in finding out more. The hat is made of sturdy denim with silky satin bows (one on the outside and one on the inside that allow adjustments to the hat) and a gorgeous silk lining in a delicious fuchsia pink.


The other hat I really, really liked was this one, called Maven... oh, and all the others!!!


The Sweetheart hat is the 2nd hat I bought on Etsy - I have real trouble finding hats 'off the shelf' as I have a small head and most hats are too big for me. The real clincher is that I love hats! Especially cloches.

The nice thing about buying things on Etsy is that you buy from the people who make the stuff you buy, which is far more fun than buying it from some high street shop and I found all sellers friendly and helpful. And it's so nice to have something that's been made just for you, especially if you have particular requirements...

The first hat I bought was from Boring Sidney - check her Etsy shop for pictures. Below you can see her Waves and Pretty in Pink hats. I bought the Black Velour Bow Cloche.



There is also a UK seller on Etsy who sells lovely little 'hatlings' - Kankalin Hats. If you have a good idea why I would need a hatling, please tell me, I am desperate for an excuse to buy one as they are sooooooo gorgeous. My favourite is the Shy violet project - flesh flower.



Enough about hats. Will post some jewellery soon, promise... Just have to get my head round finishing some of the on-going projects, but this horrible, rotten cold is making things very difficult...

Images copyright Terry Graziano, Boring Sidney and Kankalin Hats - used with permission.

A bit of Fun - What Demon Are You?

I've only been making components for some new jewellery today, so nothing much to show. Got a horrible cold (thanks Ben!) as well, so don't feel like doing much anyway.

However, here's a bit of fun.

This is my Daemon, very apt with MagpieMagic and all that...



This is Ben's. He's very pleased about it as it's a cat and Ben loves cats:



This is Steve's, funnily enough his star sign is Leo!

Lots of new things: Poppy, Heart Brooch, and Bangles and Bracelets Galore

Been busy - didn't realise quite how busy until I took the pictures and started to upload them. Maybe because I'd been working on several projects simultaneously, or maybe I am just cracking up! :-)

Let's do this in chronological order...


Poppy Necklace

I actually tried out a new technique with this. I cut the petals from copper, then shaped, filed and torched them, however I couldn't get them bright red. So I tried something new. I bought some translucent, liquid Sculpey (TM) a while back that can be either used as a transfer for pictures or it can be mixed with colours. I did the latter, and mixed it with two different acrylic reds and some lovely superfine glitter in burgundy. I applied that, baked it, added another layer of just plain Sculpey (TM) and then sprayed it with varnish.


Next, I added the stamen (I used a little wooden bead for the centre and twirled on some gorgeous matte black Japanese seed beads). The whole flower was attached to a vintage filigree, some black enameled chain and finished off with a handmade clasp.



Red Heart Brooch

This was made in the same way as the poppy with a copper heart base and the Sculpey (TM) applied on top, however this time I didn't apply the second (non-coloured) coat evenly but in a spiral.


I am quite pleased with the effect, it's bright red, which is what I wanted and almost has the look of enamel, but is more pleasant to the touch as it isn't cold and hard but softer and warmer.


True Love Bracelet

I really wanted a bracelet to go with my True Love necklace - most of my jewellery is silver except for the Dragon's Tale - so I needed to make myself a bracelet... You know how it is. :-)

Below it is before I oxidised it:


In detail:


More detail:


Even more detail: :-)



Here it is oxidised. I prefer it this way as it brings out the textures of the hearts and works better for me.


Here is a picture of it with the necklace:


And here is a close-up picture of both. I've used the same beads for both and made all the links/jump rings/clasp and the hearts.



Bangles Galore
Set of Five - Spirals within Spirals

I LOVE bangles. I like the sound they make when you wear more than one and when they jingle-jangle against one another. :-)

Here's a set of five. Each is different and I've used 4 different gauges of copper wire. The wooden block is actually a bangle mandrel which helps shape the bangles to a (near) perfect round. I've applied a hammered texture to some of them, but not all of them.

The bangles will go in my Etsy shop and will be sold in sets of three or five and in various wires (bronze, copper, silver, rose gold, possibly brass) and oxidised or bare, all will made to order so the customer can decide what combination.

Here's a picture of what a look of three would look like together after I oxidised them:


Here's a picture of five (oxidised):


The Ivy Bangle

This one is ALL MINE. I love this. I used a real ivy leaf for the shape and cut it out of copper sheet (filed, sanded, brushed), then I manipulated thick copper wire to 'hold' the leaf and create the main centre vein through the leaf. A little swirl at the other end finishes the bangle shape.




Here is the leaf in detail:



Here is the bangle after oxidisation:

And here is the leaf in detail again after oxidisation:


The 'botanical' bangle will be offered in my Etsy shop as a custom order, too. The customer can decide on the the leaf to be used in the bangle. :-)