Peacock Feather Cuff Bracelet

I'm certainly not the first leather-worker/jewelry-maker who decided to use a peacock tail feather motif in her work* so it's not an original, ground-breaking concept, but as I have several of these feathers poised at my workbench, staring me down with their iridescent eyes as I hammer, carve, and bead it's been hard not to be inspired by them. Still, I hope my version is a bit distinctive and has a different character from the peacock feathers rendered in leather by other artisans. I was really focused on the sinuous lines and shapes formed by the feather whereas the other versions I've seen tended to focus on achieving a more robust texture. You can actually catch a glimpse of this bracelet in its unfinished form posing on my granite tooling slab in this entry.

It is a fairly simple bracelet based upon the general pattern of what I refer to as my tab bracelets but with a little twist. Unlike my other tab-style cuffs, the leather tab upon which the feather is carved is in a subtle S-curve shape which looks really lovely curling across the wrist. I stamped the word "beauty" beside the feather on a gentle baseline curve to echo the feather's lines and to suggest that it too could drift lightly on the air. This also happens to be the first tab bracelet I've used sterling silver chain & wire for the clasp. In the photo below you can see some of the beads I've chosen to compliment the rich colors of the feather. They include a faceted lime green turquoise roundel, freshwater pearls, what I think is carnelian, an amber glass bead, and another small turquoise nugget.

This one is slated to be taken to the show in September. I'm hoping to make a corresponding necklace if I have time.

*Sunny Rising Leather, who has been an inspiration to me in the creation leather necklaces & bracelets, has also tried her hand at peacock feathers as well as just the "eye" of the feather. I also found another Etsyian who makes peacock earrings but I believe he or she layers multi-colored leather rather than carves and paints/stains it.

Violet Charm: rediscovering bead embroidery

I returned from the Innovative Beads Expo yesterday with some delightful spoils. I purchased some of my usual favorites including freshwater pearls and turquoise but also some other lovelies including a number of very rustic, tribal-inspired clay and glass beads. This combined with my recent order from Fancy Linda of some vintage buttons and cabochons, etc. has inspired an almost frenzied desire to craft in me. Mind you, I've already been in a near constant state of blissful i-want-to-make-things-iness but this is just fuel to the fire. If only I didn't require money and sleep then I could actually heed all of my callings to make new things!

I also stocked up on Nymo bead thread and beading needles since I've recently rediscovered bead embroidery and find the hand-sewing strangely satisfying and meditative. I blame my renewed interest in bead embroidery on a bellydance belt I've been working on which involves a ton of hand-sewn beads, crystals, sequins, pearls and genuine tribal goodies like Turkman buttons and medallions. I've had to put that project aside in lieu of working on pieces for the upcoming craft show but I've still had the bizarre desire to painstakingly sew individual beads and baubles into interesting patterns. Bead embroidery does make for great late night crafting projects in comparison to some of my other hobbies since it doesn't require much noise (unless you happen to spill a whole vial of seed beads in the carpet...) versus the constant hammering in leather carving and working with sterling silver. I've started on a series of small, embroidered brooches/fascinators to satiate my sewing compulsion (although I did end up making a pair of earrings too).

In Tribal Bellydance it is common to cultivate a headdress out of a hodgepodge of various elements old and new into an intricate topiary. These headdresses can grow and change over time as dancers rearrange elements, plant new ones, and weed out others. Much care often goes into the arrangement of these temporary pieces and in fact, I have heard them referred to as hair gardens on more than once occasion and I don't believe this is just because fake flowers feature strongly in their compositions. The best Tribal hair gardens are like beautifully designed landscapes with well-placed architectural features and lovely views at every angle. I wanted to create pieces which would be perfectly suitable as compliments of complex hair gardens or as striking focals in more minimal arrangements, but also be elegant enough to wear for other occasions or potentially even on an everyday basis. I'm also adding both pins and alligator clips to the reverse sides so that they can be secured to clothing or hair.

The first in this series that I've completed is primarily in shades of purple, plum, and eggplant and is appropriately titled Violet Charm. Purple was once one of my favorite colors and I accumulated a nice little stash of beads in these hues a few years ago which I didn't want to let go to waste. The embroidery was done on black suede and it is backed in black eco-felt made from recycled plastic bottles. The centerpiece of this brooch/hair-clip is a faceted, glass jewel which is set in a peyote stitch bezel surrounded by glass beads, freshwater pearls, and swarovski crystals. I also added a ruffle I made from some metallic trim and draped two swags of beads across its surface. I think it looks like it could be a badge of glamour. While Cabaret style bellydancers don't tend to have such complex hair adornments as their Tribal cousins (they tend to have their hair down when performing and may only wear a headband or crown) this brooch/fascinator really seems to call for a Cabaret treatment with all its glisten and sparkle. The photos really cannot do it justice. I hope someone who currently adores this color scheme will give it a good home.

The next brooch/fascinator (broochinator? fascinooch?) I'm making is definitely geared towards the Tribal end of the spectrum with a nod towards the more vintage/Victorian/steampunk aesthetic that I love. It will feature warm, brassy metal, more ruffly goodness, velvety ribbon, and pearls. Yay!

Anatomical Heart Cuff

This is another teaser image of a piece I'll be selling at the show. It features multiple layers with the uppermost having a focal of an anatomical heart. The layers are secured to each other with domed rivets which I've scuffed and dented for a more well-worn look. The next version I make though will have a different spacing for the rivets, I feel the distance and arrangement of them on this one are not quite cohesive. The leather of the main cuff has also been distressed. This is the first time I've really experimented with distressing leather and I'm very fond of the results. I've also made a few simpler cuffs featuring both round and pyramid spots that I've distressed somewhat.

I was inspired to attempt the process by a gorgeous cuff featuring a large flaming heart milagro I purchased from Urban Boutique. She was successfully able to age her metal spots to harmonize with the genuinely worn milagro. They seem like they were submerged in a shipwreck or buried in the earth for several decades with their accumulation of grime and patina. I have not quite gotten to that stage but I will have to look into some other antiquing methods.

Blue Lotus Blade Hoops

I need to get into the habit of posting more photos here to make this a more visually appealing blog. Even I have to admit that when I follow or subscribe to a blog that is related to someone's artsy or crafty work, what I mainly like is seeing pretty pictures of what they're making, so I should try harder to deliver the pretties on this blog too.

Here is the first of the teaser photos I'm hoping to post of some new pieces I've been creating. They are teasers because, for the moment at least, they won't be going up on Etsy: they are part of my inventory for the upcoming craft show in September. If they don't sell at the show, they will eventually find their way to Etsy though if it's any consolation.

This is a pair of leather & sterling silver blade hoops with freshwater pearl dangles. I have another set I made which are a more deeper, saturated blue. I'm not sure which look I prefer. This set looks more earthy but the darker ones are more striking. The leather portion is about 2" wide and overall each earring is about 2.5" long so they are not for the timid.

Comings & Goings

Unfortunately it looks like the gallery section of the Riegelsville Gallery & Tattoo shop didn't take off so I went to pick up my items a few days ago. One of the bracelets did sell which is great, but it turns out that I will need the unsold items in inventory for an art/craft show I will be attending in September.

This is my first show in more than a decade and I'm both nervous and excited. It's only a one-day, five hour event as they actually have to shut Main Street down to motor vehicles to host it. It's not an exceptionally large show, but it will be a good chance to get my feet wet again. I'm been working overtime making jewelry and getting prints ready, I bought myself a tent to provide some shade and a more enclosed area for my wares, and I've also been coming up with some interesting jewelry and print display items involving some vintage sewing machine drawers and an old letterpress tray. Hopefully, I'll be prepared for everything.

I haven't the slightest idea as to how much I should make/bring as I'm hesitant as to if my work will end up appealing to a wide number of people attending the event. My work (both jewelry and art) will be a little out-of-place among the handmade American Girl doll clothing, scrunchies, and silk flower arrangements. There are plenty of other jewelry-makers present at these events, but my work is very different from theirs which may or may not be a good thing. Even if it doesn't end up selling I would still like to present a wide variety of work, and what doesn't sell there will go on Etsy where it may have a better chance. I really need to photograph some of pieces I've already finished but I've been in such a "must make things" mode that I don't have much motivation to take and edit photos. Once I force myself to take photos of the new pieces, I will definitely share :)

I've recently discovered some truly amazing jewelry-makers that are inspiring me immensely. I already make extensive use of asymmetry, eclectic materials, multicultural influences, and whimsy in my own work but these artists have really pushed those elements. All of them show a really unique combination of materials and techniques, for example metal & fibers, bead weaving and fabrication, etc. and they don't shy away from incorporating precious and semi-previous jewelry materials with found objects. As a collector and appreciator of strange, worn things this approach appeals to me greatly and it is creeping more into my own designs, which is something I'm pleased with and hope to cultivate further. Below are a series of links to some of my new favorite jewelry artisans:


• Fanciful Devices | Marina: I wish I knew how she was able to find so many awesome things to include in her jewelry

• Mandala Jewels | June Roman: she has recently published a book which is how I initially found her work, A String of Expression

• Sparrow Salvage: specializes in beautiful textile assemblage cuff bracelets and other jewelry with a beautiful, time-worn quality. She describes her work as "found object finery for feral faery folk" which is right up my alley.

• Savage Salvage: another interesting artist who uses vintage finds (I'm a sucker for old skeleton keys and skullies, in case you haven't noticed)
• Sweet Bird Studio | Nancy Anderson: a lot of her work has a strong Southwest current and I love her use of turquoise, silver, and coral
• Susan Lenart Kazmer: makes amazing, talismanic jewelry out of ordinary objects like old pencil stubs, nuts, bolts, and other industrial debris. She authored the book Making Connections
• Green Girl Studios | Cynthia Norton: She doesn't really use found objects in her work, but her book Enchanted Adornments does feature a lot of combined techniques

A Craft Show in My Future

I've signed up to participate in the 42nd Annual Gallery of the Arts, an art & craft show which takes place along Main Street in Sellersville, PA. This year it will be held on Sunday, September 19th from noon until 5pm.

I used to display my work at this show as a "Junior Artist" so it seems fitting that my first art show in more than a decade should be this event. I've been considering getting involved in local shows for a while now and this one seems like a great opportunity to get my feet wet again. I believe Quakertown and Perkasie also hold similar events so if this one goes well maybe those shows are also in my future.

It's months away, but I've already started building some inventory to take to the show. The photo above shows some current pieces on my workbench: components for a bracelet, two necklaces, and two sets of earrings. I've also rediscovered some older beaded necklaces I'm planning to bring, and I'm definitely going to be bringing prints of my artwork as well. There's so much work to do, I hope I can get enough done. My Etsy shop may be a little bare while I'm preparing for the show, but I also hope to still be adding items there if I can.

The Lovely Coffin

The centerpiece of this rustic, earthy necklace is a unique coffin-shaped pendant. Straddling an odd line between creepy and cute, its motif of skull, heart, flower, and scrollwork is inspired by various forms of folk art including designs on the gravestones of German immigrants in the artist's native state of Pennsylvania and Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) imagery.

The pendant is suspended from three strands of deep brown leather cord and closes with a lobster clasp. All of the metal elements of this necklace are sterling silver which have been oxidized to achieve a dark, nearly matte appearance to harmonize with the rest of the piece.

The Lovely Coffin pendant is handcrafted of vegetable-tanned leather which has been carved and tooled into a low-relief sculpture. It was then stained to highlight the details and has been signed by the artist on the reverse. It has been sealed with a protective coating to help ensure that it retains its loveliness for a long time, but please keep this necklace dry to help ensure its longevity.

measurements • necklace is about 16.75" in overall length (an extender chain could be added for additional length: please convo for more information about this option); pendant is approximately 1.5" wide by 2.25" long
materials • hand-carved & stained leather coffin pendant; oxidized sterling silver wire; suede lace; glass beads
price • $45.00 plus S&H; Available at my Etsy shop!