Easy Stringing

A few weeks ago I visited Allegory Gallery. It's a lovely little gallery, a sweet bead shop, and they have an Etsy shop too.

www.etsy.com/shop/AllegoryGallery

While I was there I purchased this sweet clay owl.
The plan was to use some copper and beads from my stash to make a necklace.

I guess I'm out of practice, because I couldn't get my fingers to do what my brain was thinking. I just could not get the copper wire to bend the right way.

So instead of doing the wire wrapping technique with beads on hand, I ordered some clay beads with larger holes from www.etsy.com/shop/AtHomeInTaos
Love their beads!

I strung everything on a leather cord. No wire required…

Keeping it simple.

Have an easy day!

Karen

Textile Coins

I've had a love of textiles for as long as I can remember.  I started hand stitching when I was 6 years old, making primitive clothes for my dolls with left over scraps from my mother's sewing projects and before that playing with baskets full of rag balls that my grandmother used to weave her rugs. By the age of 12, I was making my own clothes, and still do from time to time. Currently my interest in textiles is for vintage and antique cloth. Old clothing that I dismantle for the fabric, vintage household linens and antique flour and grain sacks. Giving them a new purpose makes me happy.

Textile Coin Necklace

To make this necklace I traced a thread spool onto an antique grain sack and cut out circles.

I stitched the circles into lots of little yo-yos.

Each coin was made by placing two yo-yos together with the stitched sides facing, using a blanket stitch to assemble them.

The coins were then strung together onto some heavy cotton thread with a knot between each one.

Not very sparkly, but it's my kinda bling.

Karen

Hanging On By A Thread

Six years ago I went through some major health issues and spent the better part of a year traveling back and forth to Cleveland Clinic. I had a tumor and a section of my left lung removed. While all this was going on, I was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease. They did a biopsy of my thyroid and was told that there was no cancer, so I didn't think much about it as the lung issue was priority at that time. Other than taking a pill each day to replace the hormones that my thyroid wasn't producing any more, it didn't seem like a big deal. Boy was I wrong! As time went on I developed more and more symptoms related to the Hashi's. Most days I can barely get out of bed. I live with constant pain and exhaustion, brain fog and head aches,weight gain and skin that looks like I'm 90 years old. I feel as though I am "hanging on by a thread".

Since I don't go out much these days and I have no energy, I spend a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest. I search for inspiration and hope each day that I have enough energy to be creative in some small way. The following are some photos of my latest attempt at creativity.

Hanging On By A Thread

Necklace made of gray linen thread crocheted over a string of colorful wool beads.

The thread (Wolverine 20/2) is from Belgium.

The beads I hand felted a few years ago during a visit by my friend Odile Gova or  Woolly Fabulous, as she goes by in the art world.

I'm very pleased with the end result and so excited that my spark for creating is returning little by little.

I hope to share more of my creative journey with you as I adapt to living with Hashi's.

Thanks for listening and best wishes as you battle your own struggles in life.

Keep hanging on!

Love

Karen

Beach Pebbles And Silk

Silk Fiber

 White Beach Pebbles

 Organic Shape

 Natural

 Unconventional Crochet

One Of A Kind

karen 

Stinging Nettle Fiber

Who knew that this amazing organic fiber could be made from the Stinging Nettle plant.

 It's a bit difficult to crochet with as it's not as smooth as most other fibers and has no stretch to it, but it has a great rustic look and becomes softer the more it is handled. I am pairing it up with these lovely chunks of quartz to make a wearable earthy art piece.

 On my work table.

It's my current work in progress.

karen

Simple and Bright

Some time ago I piddled around, covering little empty wooden spools with some reclaimed scraps of wool felt and random stitches. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, so I put them in a jar and they ended up on a shelf in my studio.

 I came across them recently while doing a little organizing.

 I paired them up with some large resin beads, some small bone beads and a couple of square ceramic ones. They are simply strung on a piece of turquoise leather.

I also came across some old memory wire, left over from my very first jewelry making attempt.

(I've been trying to use up some of the supplies that I've hoarded over the years.)

I wrapped sections of the memory wire with strips of old hippy textiles, also from my hoard of supplies.

I may add some beads and charms to these, but I kinda like them just the way they are, so maybe not.

Anyway, I hope I inspire someone out there in blog land to use up some of their hoarded supplies.

Have a great weekend!

karen

Fiber and Crystals

Playing with a mix of hemp, sari silk and crystals.

 A necklace of crocheted hemp pods filled with crystals and wraps of sari silk around crocheted hemp chain.

 Random freeform crochet around crystals.

karen

Happy Heart

Sometimes when I create something people ask me, "what inspired you to make that".

Sometimes it's hard to explain.

Especially if it's a mood or a feeling that was my inspiration.

Or maybe it was an experience and it was a personal thing.

Anyway...I felt like I needed some bright happy colors.

There it is.
I needed something bright and happy.

 I used an enameled copper charm that I've had for years.

 The glass lamp work beads were made by my stepdaughter, Janice.

 Janice also made most of the beads in this bracelet.

 Bright

 Happy

 Bone and Glass

What inspires you?

karen

Developing My Own Style

 Making Jewelry...

Inspiration can come to us in many forms.

Other artists, nature, moods, experiences, books, magazines, pinterest, flickr, etc., etc.

Inspiration is all around us.

 Sometimes buying a new outfit will trigger the urge to create a piece of jewelry.

Sometimes sorting through the supplies I've accumulated over the years will do it.
(Check out the cool fiber covered wire...and these ceramic beads are just awesome!)

 Treasure hunting in junk and antique shops is another place that I find inspiration.

 A little inspiration from a lot of different places and there it is...

My own style.

 A combination of tattered lace and handspun fibers.

 Glass, stone and mixed metals.

Broken vintage jewelry mixed with some new parts and pieces.

It's all coming together nicely.

Random Salvage

karen

Organic Accessories

Crocheted hemp pouches.

 Embellished with 

 antler, clay and stone.

 Sprigs of Rosemary

Organic

karen

Random Salvage Jewelry Spring 2013

It's been a while since I was here last.

I have a ton of catching up to do.

So many good blogs to visit.

There just aren't enough hours in a day.

In between the life happening thing, I've been trying to make a few new pieces of my Random Salvage Jewelry.

 Something new to wear for Spring.

I love these big green glass earrings.

Although, I wish I had nicer ear wires for them. 

They were vintage clip ons that I picked up for $2.

These bright colored ones are really simple and fun.

Random Salvage

Spring 2013

karen