Well, the last one. The ceramic centerpiece is a gift from a friend, the lace is also a gift from my mom. I guess this particular project ( meaning the whole blog) became all about making things with what you have or find, though I didn't plan it that way in the beginning. I think I'll wait a week before I write about what I've taken away from this experience just to let things settle. Anyway, here's wishing you a happy, healthy and abundant New Year, and a special thanks to all of you out there who stopped by to take a peek at this strange endeavor, especially those of you who have taken the time to comment. It's always nice to get a holler back on your work. See you next week!
Materials: recovered lace, ceramic head, glass beads, linen thread, rayon ribbon.

Down to one more necklace to go. Getting ready to go out with a you know what.
Materials:novelty gun, rayon ribbon.

I's a white Christmas here in Asheville. I managed to get some bird tracks in the picture, I love finding all those random, calligraphic marks in the morning when it snows. Today I made something with a ribbon found on the street. It turns out it's a pretty good cat toy as well.
Materials:Found ribbon, scrap yarn, acrlic cord.

Desk clean up yesterday. Unearthed this remnant from an abandoned macrame project and decided to press it into service. It's funny, I don't seem to macrame so much out of all the string related things I do these days. Just about a week to go now....
Materials: glass beads, linen threads, rayon ribbon.

A big experiment from last night, I usually try to start fresh in the morning for spontaneity, but once I started this I got sucked in. These are leftover threads from all the tatting and crocheting I've been doing. I wanted to use them in some way, and I got the idea of massing them all together and ironing the whole works flat. Then, I dug out my neck form for a support and brushed a whole lot of matte medium on it to fuse it together. Then a little loose embroidery with the ribbon and done. I don't know about it's looks, but I had a lot of fun making it.
Materials:recycled threads, rayon ribbon, linen thread

I found this little fortune on the street yesterday. I hope it's a good omen for the coming year. For you too, of course.
Materials: found fortune, acrylic cord.

The fuzzy part here is some tinsely trim I found in the flower district back in New York long, long times ago. the center piece is a scrap I've salvaged from a silk embroidered shawl that's literally disintegrating like so many snowflakes in the wind. Still pretty in it's decay though.
Materials: tinsel trim, salvaged silk shawl, soutache.

I buy scrap leather from the Earthguild craft store here in Asheville, the cut on the entire right side of this piece is how it came to me. Maybe it was used for shoes? I'm not sure. Anyway, I like these little crochet buttons I'm making, they remind me of the tight, dense kind of embroidery you find on a Spanish shawl.
Materials: scrap leather, silk blend and cotton threads, rayon ribbon.

I had a very courtly porcelain gentleman who lost his arm, the poor thing. I don't know where he is right now but the arm has been floating around my desk for a long time now. I like the tiny offering in his hand.
Materials: leather, porcelain, glass bead, cotton thread, rayon ribbon.

Here's today's necklace. I was just thinking about the fragility of things, watching the birds flock to the feeder in this terrible weather. The wind was strong enough to blow the poor little things around the yard yesterday. Hope it settles down soon.
Materials: found tinsel, freshwater pearl, steel wire.

Nothing says the party's over like strands of used up tinsel on the side of the road. Still pretty enough to make a necklace for the old blog though....
Materials: found tinsel, acrylic cord.

I've saved bits of practice tatting. They look nice all hitched together, especially with a pretty pink pearl.
Materials cotton thread, freshwater pearl, steel wire, rayon ribbon.

Found a nice bit of tinsely trim in the studio last night, and this is the season to trim things up all pretty. I'm all about that. I like the pretty.
Materials: metal lace trim, glass beads, rayon ribbon.

A gift from Phillips de Pury in the Style section on the New York Times yesterday. I don't think there's anything I can do to this to make it any prettier.....
Materials: newspaper.

Another strange thing from the morning hours. I made a pom pom for my new hat I crocheted and was left with all these tiny bits of lovely merino wool. So I broke out some paper and some spray glue and here we are. I like all those colors together...
Materials: wool, paper, spray glue, rayon ribbon.

This may look a little strange, but it did make sense once in the wee fuzzy early morning hours. Well, that's the muse for you, sometimes she works and sometimes she doesn't. You just have to keep pitching that's all.
Materials:yarn, found metal, rayon ribbon.

My mom went on a round the world trip and brought me back some coconut oil with some classy packaging. Had a bit of sarong wrapped around the bottle, pretty enough to reuse here...
Materials: fabric, acrylic cord, glass bead.

Scrap string and a twig, I think the wool gives it a festive touch.
Materials: twig, wool, acrylic cord.

Found this sliver of mirror digging in the garden to put in the bulbs. It's kind of a shiny treasury find there in the November earth. I read somewhere that the seven tears bad luck superstition came from how long it took to acquire another mirror back in the olden days. Very precious material back then.
Materials: found mirror, linen, acrylic cord.

Found what must have been an old elastic waistband on the street yesterday. The color gives it a real regal look. I especially like how saturated it feels with all the pleating.
Materials: found elastic, thread, glass beads, acrylic cord.