Back in the Saddle (Its about time...)

So...I'm ashamed to say that it has been more than 6 months since my thesis show and I am just now finally finishing some new pieces (I haven't made a single thing since my show besides teaching samples!!!). It really seems like my show was just yesterday, but when I count back the months its embarrassing! After my show it seemed all I could do to just make it to graduation...summer followed and I started teaching, and then I took my trip...and now its 6 months later! Eek. Well anyway, here are some new pieces I just finished up this week. It feels good to be back in the saddle!
You may or may not remember, but a few months back I scored this awesome lot of antique hardware on ebay. Well, these five necklaces I just finished are all made with these old antique wood drawer pulls. I sand off the old paint, inlay them with silver wire, make some pretty chains to hang them on and many many hours of labor later, here they are!"Worn" Series

sterling silver, found antique drawer pulls, fine silver inlay, pearls

Hardware Experiment #1

sterling silver, fine silver, found antique hardware

pique on found object and hand fabricated sterling silver chainsee hardware in its original state below

Recent Acquisition

Sometimes I get a little carried away on ebay. Sometimes its totally worth it though! Check out this lot of antique Victorian hardware I just scored. I'm almost finished making a necklace out of one of the wooden handles, pics coming soon! I did some silver pique inlay in the wood and made a chain...its really simple but it was fun to do. I love taking old things with such a sense of history and making them into wearable little treasures.

Utilitarian

Sometimes I find great joy in making things that are purely useful. This is some hardware for a comission I am working on at the moment. It really just makes me happy to make things that have a practical purpose! u·til·i·tar·i·an
–adjective
1.pertaining to or consisting in utility.
2.having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.
3.of, pertaining to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism. –noun
4.an adherent of utilitarianism.

[Origin: 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian]

—Synonyms 2. practical, useful, functional, sensible.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)