Tim Holtz Clock Assemblage

I finally made the "time" to participate in one of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenges!  When I saw a short video of all the contributors samples on Facebook via Miss Linda Ledbetter, I just knew I had to join in the fun.

This baby was tricky to photograph for sure, so I took it outside for a decent shot.

I used some resin coated tissue paper and embossed scraps from Tim that I had on hand from another project.  Never throw away those scraps, you just never know when you may "need" them!

Here you can see how crusty and grungy I made the outside of the clock.  I used layers and layers of colors and product.  

Since it is so hard to see inside with the reflection, I took a picture of the base outside of the clock.  Lots of funTim Holtz goodies inside!

Don't forget to check out this week's sponsor The Funkie Junkie Boutique for lots of good product as well!

Cheers, 

Rhea

Gypsy Charm

I was absolutely thrilled to tap into my jewelry making roots when I came up with this project for Alpha Stamps.  In my opinion jewelry is really like assemblage, so I think that is why I like both of those genres of art so much.  The gypsy theme opened up so many possibilities as far as charm elements.  Hearts, birds, celestial, religious, nature, coins, really anything can fit into the traveler theme.  I made lots of bead dangles as well to fill out this piece and add color. 

I used lots of guilders paste to unite the different finishes of the charms.  I wish I had guilders paste in every color offered.  Right now I am making do with copper, black and patina. Liver of Sulfur was also used to age some of the raw brass.  It is a smelly process, but the outcome is grand. 

I used lots and lots of charms from Alpha Stamps.  They are actually on sale for a few days in honor of my little creation, how cool is that.  There are also free gifts to be had with your order until supplies run out, so check it out here.



There is more gypsy art coming soon so be sure to follow along for lots of enchanting projects.

Cheers,

Rhea

Mermaid Metal Deck

I have to say that my Steampunk Metal Deck is probably one of my favorite creations to date.  When I took this class from Leighanna Light I was so inspired, I purchased another blank deck with the intention to make a mermaid themed project.  I am so very excited to finally have the chance to show it off.



This book is quite heavy and has lots of flotsam and jetsam.  By using all kinds of charms, found objects and trinkets I was able to add the element of movement to this book.  It was difficult to find wire similar to what we had in class for the binding.  I finally scavenged some from a construction site I walk by near work.  The gauge was really too heavy for the project, but I just had a make it work moment.



I used lots of gesso, stamps and stencils when making the backgrounds of each page.  Texture was the intended goal.  The carved mermaid trinket below was given to me by my cousin Gail.  I am so glad to have finally found a use for it.  I added a bit of paint and rub as well as rub and buff to bring out some of the intricately carved details. 

This was one of my favorite pages.  I love the look of the real sand as well as the rusted mermaid with her filigree backdrop.  The texture of the wavy page is delightful too.  The sand used here was from Mud Puddles.  I ran out of it quickly though and had to improvise on a few other pages. I was surprised at what I was able to achieve with a bit of experimenting. 

This is another top notch set of pages.  The one with Graphic 45's Botanicabella has to be my favorite.  I affixed my altered crab a bit off the page and then managed to use the holes by his legs to attach more junque.  There is also lots of texture made with my very own sand mixture. 

The stencil I used here reminded me of bubbles, fitting in with the underwater idea.  I love the big carved fish too.

Lots more stuff that I rusted is on display here.  I just love putting age on items and transforming them into little relics.  Here I also tapped into some old German scrap that I have been hording.  I had an entire sheet of really interesting fish and shells. 



This art stamp is on that I really enjoy so I was happy to find another application for it.  I also used many random fibers I had on hand to add to the flotsam and jetsam.  Some of them were bits of silk that I hand dyed as taught to me by Joanne Huffman.  I thought the color palate of the fibers fit well with the project, while adding antother textural element. 



The patina on this seahorse took a few times to get it right, working with this medium is very unpredictable at times. 



The image on this card is by Sheila Wolk. She has some really pretty mermaid imagery in her work. I had been hanging on to this greeting card for quite some time.  This special project called me to use it and I have no regrets. 



The waves from this stencil made for another appropriate background.  I used a heavy duty glue to attach many of my precious trinkets to my deck.

Obviously this was an amazing class if I am still using and applying my knowledge almost a year later.  Leighanna is teaching again nearby soon, perhaps I will need to indulge in another class from her! 

Cheers,

Rhea

Time for the Bead Soup Blog Party!

Hey there loyal followers and hopefully some new ones! 

Welcome to my little corner of the Bead Soup Blog Party (BSBP).  I am super happy to post my big reveal for Lori Anderson's BSBP.  Please head over to Lori's blog for a full list of participants in order to be able to fully enjoy the experience of the hop. 

Here is a picture of what my partner Cory sent along to inspire me.  I have to admit, this was a major challenge for me!  She sent me lots of items that were of a larger scale than I typically work in.  Also, in the past, I have not necessarily embraced the gemstone donut as a viable centerpiece.  I love how this exchange offered me the opportunity to stretch myself creatively.



My favorite part of my soup was the clasp she sent.  I am not used to working with metals in a finish other than silver, I love how this experience pushes us to try new things.  I did decide that I was going to make something that could utilize this clasp as a focal, so here is what I made.



I really love the color combo on this piece.  Again, this is not something I would usually do in terms of color palate.  Typically I have been wearing this piece with the clasp in front but off center, but I could easily wear the clasp in the back for a different look.   I was amazed at how difficult it was to find beads with a copper finish in the mainstream shopping experience.  I had to seek out a local specialty bead shop in order to find adequate supplies.   



And then there was the donut...I am not going to lie, for me this was difficult to use.

I was able to use the focal by utilizing lots of other fun materials from Vintaj.   Again, I was stumped on size.  After lots and lots of consult with my artsy friends, I embraced my giant modified focal and added a simple chain.  The necklace is quite long as I used 36 inches of chain. 



And here, a nice close up of my focal.  I really love the look of the patina on the bird.  This little detail also actually ties the two pieces together quite well. 

 

Here you can see how nice they look together.  Surprisingly, they coordinate very well.

 



I still have some left over soup to continue to challenge me.  I really love those cream colored carved beads, but everything I tried to make with did not work due to the size issue.  I do not give up easily.  I am confident my extra beads will end up in a project soon.  There is a special place I am going to use Cory's handmade bail, so stay tuned to see the completion of a really cool mermaid project soon.  

Thanks as always for stopping by!  I hope you will use the links provided above to visit other blogs on the hop!

Cheers,

Rhea