Etched Metals

I've been wanting to work on some new things and finally got around to it this week. I have been taking a little time off but of course I have to tinker around with new ideas. 

I thought I would try my hand at etching some metal, I had the supplies here for months - but never made the time to create. I am loving seeing some of my new ideas come to life! 

My photography friends are gonna flip over this one ... Etched part looks like old film.

This LOVE bracelet will make a great gift for Valentine's Day! 

Two things I say all the time ... Bless your heart and Lord have mercy 

Word Necklaces

And the Fly Bracelet

Definitely going to work on more of these for 2013! 

Kitchen Makeover

I am taking a month off from jewelry to get some things accomplished around the house. I have been wanting to makeover my kitchen for a long long long time. It had this UGLY wallpaper and drab maple colored cabinets. Being that I am all up on this vintage/old/weathered/re purposed kick - I wanted to paint my walls AND my cabinets. I knew it would be a big job but I did not realize how big of a job until I was about half way finished. It will seriously be a cold day in Hell before I decide to refinish another cabinet ... well maybe not quite THAT long ... but you catch my drift! With that being said - let me inform you there are 4 cabinet sections/ top and bottom ... which include 25 doors and 11 drawers. KILL ME NOW! Here are a few of the before pics ... OH LORD - Please overlook the MESS! I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I had moved things from section A to section B and so on ... 

 

Ok ... so I worked in sections. I removed the doors / drawers and ALL the hinges and hardware of the section I worked on ... 

I then sanded these facings and doors with a Dewalt Orbital Sander ... once finished sanding - I applied a coat of the darkest, quickest drying wood stain I could find ... Rustolem Brand in the color "Kona" 

 ... once that was almost dry .. still a little tacky in spots - I rubbed all the corners of the areas with paraffin wax ... then I coated them roughly with Valspar Flat Interior Paint ... in the color "Creme Brulee" - once that was dry (also dries pretty quick) I sanded off the edges where I applied the wax ... I also sanded off random spots on the facings etc ... 

on the side that had open glass cabinets - I replaced with Chicken Wire ... 

I found an antique colander at an antique store in Asheville, NC and we turned it into a light... I LOVE LOVE LOVE this ... 

PS - I HATE popcorn ceilings ... 

In between all of this cabinet refinishing - I painted my walls - with 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of Valspar eggshell finish in the color "Winter Flannel" - and I painted my trim and door facings in the Creme Brulee color. I purchased some tiles at Lowes to make a backsplash in a dark gunmetal color. 

This was a huge project ... I worked for about 10 days off and on - took a few complete days off - I have a few things I still would like to do - like a Mason Jar light over my table ... refinish the table to match my cabinets ... I am making curtains out of vintage sugar sacks and the hardware for some of my doors will be bent flatware. I am really stoked that I had minimal help in completing this project. My brother painted one wall for me as well as my front door ... and my fiancee wired the light and installed the backsplash! I am really proud of myself! 

Now on to the next project!!!! 

Leather & Steel

I wanted to share a few new bracelets I made today with leather and stainless steel - they are adjustable and the double wrap has made it's way into one of the top spots of my most favorite jewelry!

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It's almost Apple Festival time in Unicoi County!

      I have been working on so many new items that will officially make their debut for sale at my hometown festival on Oct. 5th & 6th. The 35th annual Unicoi County Apple Festival will take over the streets of Downtown Erwin. The festival is near and dear to my heart, we share they same "birth year" ... I turned 35 years old on Sept. 24th and the festival is always held the 1st Friday and Saturday in October. I love fall - from the crisp cool mornings, to the perfect day time temps, to the colors, to the smells, to football - I love love love it! Fall in East Tennessee/Western NC is amazing. Ok, Well enough about that! Here are a few of the new items that will be making their debut next weekend. 

First up is something I have had in the back of my mind for a little while, I have made several spoon bracelets in the past that I continue to make that are very popular - but I decided to break things up a bit, literally and give the spoon bracelet a new twist ...  

One of my other most favorite things in the world - are skeleton keys. I collect them and even have matching tattoos of keys on my wrist and my fiancee's wrist! These are my skeleton key wrap bracelets.

Then there is the Love Heals necklace, I think I have worn this one out - but I am in the process of making more for the festivals. 

And lastly I came across some old piano keys ... some whole, some broken - but I think I love these and I am calling them "Forgotten Fragments"

I hope to see you at the Apple Festival ... I will be on Main Street, in front of the Sheriff's Dept! Friday and Saturday 8am-8pm!

Banging up Vintage Flatware ...

I make alot of jewelry with vintage Flatware, I normally try to use as much of it as possible. I use handles for bracelets, the bowls of spoons for bracelets and pendants for necklaces. When I do have scrap left over I keep it - as I know that one day I will have a purpose for it. I named this little creation "Love's Embrace" as it reminds me of two hands clasped together, and it is in the shape of a heart. I love it - I think it will be a good seller at my upcoming fall shows. Here are a few more pics of it - as I got snap happy on it this evening. 

 

Lastly - I had some tines, I shape forks at times into heart patterns for bracelets - and thought earrings would be super cute - so I call these "Love takes Tine" ...