Chimed, I'm sure

This is a slick mix of antique, vintage and vintage-style embellishments cold-fusion assembled to make this beautiful chime. Its many goodies include an antique bisque doll head excavated from sites in Germany where doll factories were bombed during World War II. The doll head is estimated to date back to c. 1870-1920. The chime also includes an antique bisque doll arm, a vintage outdoor faucet handle, a vintage spoon, an antique glass drawer knob and lots of other artful embellishments.

Well, folks, I have found a new passion. As if I needed to add yet another facet to my artistic pursuits! I so enjoyed making this chime in an awesome class by the prolific Erin Keck that I immediately began imaging how I could make more and can't wait to do it again!

Now that I'm back from Art & Soul, I am busy gathering all my doodads and trinkets and scouring online sites for more elements so I can get busy creating more of these chimes. Maybe I'll even put some up for sale eventually!

It was supposed to be a girl: My effort with clay

I've been wanting to work with clay for some time now, so I jumped on the chance to take a class called Story Tellers with the talented Tory Borkenshire at Art & Soul using original Sculpey modeling clay (baked). The figure was sculpted, painted and attached to a vintage Prince Albert tin by me (with a little help on the fingers by Tory, love her!).

I did not intend for my piece to end up looking like a old Middle Eastern market vendor. My original intention was to make a cute little girlie face to attached to an adorable pink croquet ball. However, the more I worked this baby, the more he ended up looking like an old man.

But, as Tory so generously put it, Michelangelo only hewed away the rough walls to reveal what was inside the marble, LOL. I couldn't help it! I do love his white hair fringe that encircles his mostly bald head.

I enjoyed this class and can't wait to work more with some clay. Maybe that elusive girl will make her face known yet!

Steampunk necklaces

Four cold-fusion steampunk necklaces I made at Art & Soul.  The first two are made using vintage fuse tins and genuine antique miniature tin types. Also, some beads from my own collection.

The key is an a sort of gas lever key on which I attached watch parts and gears. The fourth is a small leather bag which I sewed (!) and embellished with a tin type, a vintage brass thimble and some beads, including some from my own collection.

So enjoyed these classes. Can't wait to make more! Had great teachers in Jen Crossley and Erin Keck!