Another treasure beads craftacular. I turned the wood for the toggled and the rest of the work is crochet, tatting and macrame. Both the Buddha and mysterious hand bead I found in the old 26th street flea markets in New York olden days.
I went into my "best" beads for this one. I've been carrying around this little guy for many many years now. Must have picked him up at some trade show back in my olden costume jewelry days. I think someone told me once that he's the man that carries the seven Chinese gods on his back if I remember correctly. I like his expression, he looks easy to get along with.
The wooden piece with the needle hitching is something that has been hanging around my work table for months now. I think this is my first successful disc in my wood turning adventures. Anyway, I was never sure of what to do with it until this morning until I took it on with with my first thing in the morning brain, and this makes me happy I'm still doing this project as this feels like a good solution that I wouldn't have come to unless I put in the time to make my craft more like some kind of a meditation.
A resolution to a mixed media rope I made a few years ago. Closure can be one of the hardest and easiest things in making jewelry. I guess it all depends on what you want and how easily you're pleased. I turned the toggle out of mesquite that was meant for the grill.
I'm fascinated with this chess piece kind of shape. I used to play with my dad's chess set endlessly which he frequently mistook for an interest in the actual game. I just liked the pieces just for themselves. The wood is some pine dowel I found on the street. Not the best material, but good for some practice anyway.
In order to keep up with this project, I've gotten into the habit of putting the necklace together first thing when I wake up, around 6:00am. Sometimes I can see I've made some pretty sleepy, unmindful things when I finally join the land of the fully awake. That's okay. Today I found a practice knot I did a while back, it's called the Monkey's Fist if you're into the old sailor culture. The wood is me learning on the lathe with some sycamore I believe.....
Another lathe adventure. I'm starting to use up all the scrap wood I've salvaged from the roadside in my neighborhood. Even the scrappiest pine. It's good practice, but it makes you appreciate the hardwoods all the more, they can give you such a silky skin like texture when you're finished with them.
I've been making these little bedposty things on the lathe, to get practice in and get myself on my way to making finials. I love me some finials. It took about an hour and a half to do this first one. If you turn wood you can pause and have a good laugh at my expense if you like. Now I can do four in that amount of time, and hoping to improve.
Okay, the blue period is over. On to purple. I was a little worried about this week on account of not having a lot of materials on hand in this color, but it might be a good exercise in letting go and seeing what comes around naturally. For example, when I mentioned this concern to my sister, she very kindly donated this amethyst chunk for the cause. Thanks lady! The wooden drop is a piece I turned from a sycamore branch, I messed up the finish at the last minute though. Well, live and learn.
Another bead I've made on the lathe. Again, learning what not to do, which is plenty. I love the Cinderella moment with wood, after a rotted looking stick is cleaned up, sanded and polished, oiled and buffed, you can get a smooth and glowing quality to it, like human skin. It really comes to life with a little attention.
I've just invested in a lathe for turning wood, these are a few beads I've made. I'm mostly learning what not to do, which is very important. The wood is cherry and walnut. I like the two together, it reminds me of a wooden chess set my dad had. He was an excellent player, and he tried to teach me to play as a kid, but I was never competitive enough to learn. I was content to simply arrange the pieces in pleasing patterns on the board, that's all.
