Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Boo inspired!

Recent jewelry to celebrate the season.
No skull beads here...I like (and bought) colorful Czech sugar skull beads, but have yet to make anything with them. I guess I'm waiting for the right inspiration to come.

In the meantime, I recently got a little baggie of Halloween pendants at Walmart! They have $.99 bags of random bead mixes. Sometimes there are some really nice beads in those bags! I spied these 2 pendants and snatched them up. The pendants are "faux" bottle caps with resin covered printed images.

 
First up is Jack O. Lantern. Vintaj Arte Metal chain and gun metal bead caps with round black glass beads, and smaller vintage faceted glass black beads.



For this little spooky guy, I got another 99 cent baggie that had a random assortment of orange lampwork glass beads (probably made in India or China). More Arte Metal chain, more gun metal bead caps.

 
 
Leftover from last year's Halloween supplies, I had this pair of silver bone connectors. I used the antique brass and gun metal bones last year. I don't really like silver (I'm firmly a Vintaj brass gal!) so I guess I just ran out of ideas! These old bones have been laying on my bead table all year! In the baggie of orange beads were these 2 beads that matched, so I thought, why not make  earrings?! Clearly, they would only be worn for Halloween.
 


 
Actually, that's how I got started making jewelry (years and years ago!).  I wanted a pair of Halloween earrings and couldn't find any. So I went to Michael's and bought some orange and black beads, headpins and ear wires. There were left over beads, so I made more earrings. Then I wanted different colors, so I bought more beads. Fast forward, I have a room full of beads now!! LOL.
 
Seasons Greetings!!
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 

Friday, October 12, 2018

Moravian tile works pendants

My cousin and her husband recently came to town to visit my mother and me.
We had a nice visit, but she came down with a cold, and was most interested in napping in the recliner!
Trying to think of something close by to take her husband to, we ended up at the Mercer Museum in Doylestown Pa (I live a couple miles from Doylestown). I took photos in there, but the perspective is hard to see - you have to go there and see the place for yourself. There are, what seems like, millions of things to look at. Check out the web site.

On our way out, we looked around the gift shop. Of course, I am always looking for things to make jewelry with. I found these pendants! They are made by a potter that works at the near by Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. (The tile works, along with another museum, Fonthill, are all related to each other and founder Henry Mercer)
These pendants are made in the same style as the tiles that are reproduced at the tile works!

I found (in my stash) green Czech glass and wooden beads that matched the terra cotta clay and green glaze perfectly!


A close up of the pendant!

 And, I also found (in my stash) black Czech glass beads to go with the black floral pendant!


I also took them to the "Stoogeum" in Springhouse Pa. If you are a fan of the Three Stooges, it's really a "must see" if you're ever in the southeastern Pa area!

Thanks for stopping by!!



We were on vacation last week. Really, a stay-cation. We got lots done around the house, but also did some day trips.
We went to Bethlehem PA, which has a cute (but small) downtown shopping/eating district. While there, I saw 2 policemen on horseback! Just standing there on the sidewalk! Weird but neat.

We also went to Strasburg PA, to see the Pennsylvania Train Museum. My husband wanted to go, so we went. It was very nice - well done, and tons of old train cars, steam locomotives, cabooses, etc. Lots of interesting stuff, lots of reading, lots of history!
Strasburg was very quaint and pretty. There were a TON of antiques shops all over, but we didn't have time to stop in any of them. (I need to go back there!). We did stumble into a craft show, hoping to find PA Dutch food. All they had were crafts and some vintage things. I did find some neat old buttons.
Across the street from the museum was the Strasburg RR. You can actually ride on a Steam locomotive train! In that parking lot were trailers full of pumpkins, gourds, indian corn, etc! The pumpkins were only $2.00, so we got some!
Unfortunately, we did not notice (or realize) they were starting to "go". I arranged my pumpkins on the back patio, to enjoy for the coming weeks. Well, the 2 larger ones were promptly ripped open and eaten (by raccoons??) They really made a mess. *sigh*
But my smaller white pumpkin and dark green gourds have been left alone, atleast for now...I'm still enjoying them!
I added witches hair (old leaves from lilies), red leaves, pinecones, acorns and red dogwood berries.
Every morning I come out and hope it's still there. Actually, *someone* ate some of the dogwood berries, but that's ok.
Seasons greetings!

Thanks for stopping by!