A Gorgeous Mail Surprise Came Today

Two weeks ago I was chatting to the lovely twins from Sissysparrows (they make yummy Vintage jewellery pieces) about transfer techs and I sent them some sheer heaven paper to play with.In return they have sent me a surprise gift.Its a Vintage style keyring though I think I shall make it into a necklace to wear.I was so surprised but delighted that Julie and Donna had sent me this gift at all as I did not expect them too.Here is the front side.

and the back.I love the wire wrapped beads at the bottom too.

Thank you Julie and Donna :o)

hugs

Annette In Oz

Canvas Ladies Hair and Brows Painted

Its nearly time to do the mad Christmas card make and send.I had one day off today and with the new air con running I was able to sit and paint some more aspects of my canvas ladies.I repainted the redheads hair as I didn't like my first try.I used some Pearl-ex to add shimmer that you can't see in the photos as highlights.My light source is from the right in this painting.

and closer

closer again.

My blonde lady also had her hair painted twice.The first time I went for a dark dirty looking blonde but it seemed to blend into the background too easily.Next I made her a yellowish tinged blonde and that worked better I think.The light source is from the left on this one.

Here she is closer

and closer again.

The eye brows are the hardest thing to paint I think.I keep trying to get them similar till I just leave them be.Our faces are not symmetrical anyway.I'll add depth and "make-up to the face and lips next.

hugs

Annette In Oz

EGGciting Ring & Who Is In The Camera This Week

Ok Ok I can't help it.....I'm addicted to making stuff with metal and in particular etching metal and using nests and eggs LOL.I had my new nest ear-rings on all day and my etched metal nest necklace.Because the ear-rings are made with sterling silver wire they have not hurt like the cheap metals do to me and they are really light as well.I've finally started to paint the hair and brows on my ladies.While the layers were drying I made another sterling silver nest ring to go with the ear-rings.I'm loving this one and have had it on since lunchtime LOL.

Now who was in my camera today?.Its Minty...Well I think she had some help getting dressed to be in there but I laughed when I saw these images.Who would have thought Jack Russel's could look so cool. :o)

I've got the red haired ladies hair and brows done and will do the blond ladies hair and brows tomorrow if I have time before work and then I'll upload both.

hugs

Annette In Oz

The Other Nest Ear-Rings

Darn I forgot to get this last set uploaded.Having trouble with the light now as its night time so I just lay them on the scan bed instead.I'll see if I can get a better shot in the day light tomorrow.These are the ear-rings were I used the butane torch to bead the silver wire,hammer the bead and then drill thru for the hook part to latch into.I was concentrating so hard on the nest shapes I bent the silver a bit but as I'll wear them I don't mind.All a learning curve anyway.

I think I shall plump out the nest more on the one on the left too.
hugs
Annette In Oz

Melissa Does It Again-More Nests

Melissa graduated from High School this week.Friday was her formal...it wasn't cool for parents to go but giving gifts to teachers is.Once again she gives me a dead line after she wakes up Friday at 10.30am(the decadent life of a teenager LOL)...."Mum can you make some nest jewellery for two of my fav teachers for tonight?....oh and I'll need them in 2hours" and wanders off to her room to watch a DVD.I swear I have sucker etched in my forehead!
So I pulled out Stephanie Lee's semi-precious salvage book and try to channel Jen Crossley LOL.I haven't used a butane torch before and the nest ear-rings called for you to bead the end of the silver wire with the torch,hammer it flat and then drill thru it to make a hook for the ear-rings....I tried but I damaged the flattened bead when I drilled...that wasted half an hour so I modified the book project and used bought ear-ring hooks and made the nest holders triangular shaped instead to attach the nests too.

Then I had a go at the silver ring.I did take a photo from the side but it was too blurry so sorry you can't see much detail here as it is from the top.The silver band part was two strands of 20gauge silver.I don't have a ring mandrel so I used a large paint brush to get the ring shape.

I would have taken a few better photos but I had literally just tucked in the last bit of copper nest wire as Melissa was reaching down to take them and my camera.I only had about half a minute to take photos while she raced up the hall for something.On a good note Missy tells me the teachers loved their gifts...oh and I got brave today, pulled out the butane and even remembered how to light it after all these months LOL.I successfully followed the ear-ring project step for step and did manage to get a larger bead on the silver with the butane,flatten the bead and drill it to make my own ear-ring hooks.I'm just doing the nest and eggs for the second one this evening and will upload them later.I'll keep these for me as the silver wire has a slight bend on one hook.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Handmade Cards Received For My Birthday

Happy Birthday to me and anyone else who shares the same date.Shame I have to go to work this evening though.I've received some lovely hand made cards for my birthday.This one is from Lousie Maghetti and the heart is padded.Love the sewn elements on it

Next at top is sweet sea themed card from Sue Gregory.I have an old photo of my Mum and Dad that looks pretty similar to the stamp Sue has used here.At the bottom is a

yummy textured card from Barb Porritt.That little boy and clock image is gorgeous.

and the last one at top is by Rikki Showell andwho loves folding elements.This type of fold is a Triore fold

The bottom one is by Mary Fenton and came a few weeks ago but I forgot to scan it.Thanks everyone :o)

hugs

Annette

What Happened when I Tried to Clear My Desk!

Its a work day for me but I thought I may have time to paint the hair on one of my ladies till I realized there was no room left on my messy messy desk.Okies I think to myself...get in and tidy up.In amongst all my stuff I found one of Jen Crossley gorgeous handmade vintage pins.I really love this one and it reminded me of some of the rusty old things I have found in the old gold fields up here.Wish I could get some of those faux tin types!!!You can see why I say I am very influenced by Jen.

Next I found some old rusted wire and an old rusted ring shape on my desk.Oh oh....I then got rather side tracked from the cleaning up and had a go at making an old pin like Jens.Its not as neat as hers but after I paint my ladies I want to further embellish the gorgeous Swallow book Jen taught us.I hope to do a vintage butterfly image polymer clay transfer in the pin to add to my book.

Got that out of my system and then found an old key and old handmade cork screw that I had found down in the gold fields.I've scanned my pin with them...I think they all blend right in LOL.

I've also rediscovered lots of handmade nails and other bits and pieces but my desk is still messy.There is just enough room to paint though :o)

hugs

Annette

Canvas Ladies-Eyes and Lips

My two canvas ladies kept staring at me with thier white Alien eyes so I thought today I should get too and give them eyes to see with.This one will be a red head so I gave her brown eyes.

and a bit closer

This lady will be blonde so she has been given blue eyes.

and closer

The lips are rough block colour painted and will be refined more later.I may tweek the eyes a little more too.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Recent Mail and Meet Some Locals

I've had one of those fast paced "where did the days go" weeks.Finally a day off today and I've been sorting the lovely things that came thru the mail recently for me from others.Linda Aldred (who has a bad back but still makes wonderful creations)made and sent me this lovely blue and white card for my birthday next week.

The very naught Lucy sent me all these amazing vintage items for one of my etched metal ATC's...I was dumb founded when they came as I would have been happy for one pen nib and told her so.I offered to send it back but she wouldn't let me.There was also a yummy piece of metal vine and a small glass bottle in with it all too but I forgot to add them in my photo.I love that some of the pen nibs have letters on them and that rusted ?door handle or knocker base just begs to be included in an assemblage.Its near on impossible to get things like what Lucy sent me here so I am truly thankful to her for all the things she sent.

Carole in New Zealand sent me this gorgeous sewn vintage doily ATC as a trade.On the back is some green hand made silk paper and it is a divine colour /texture.

On my last days off we had to do alot of things around the house and my plans to get arty never eventuated.We also did a drive out to Oenpelli art centre with a friend who is moving to Melbourne and wanted to buy some Aboriginal art.We have gone there maybe 5 times in total.It's an Aboriginal community a few hours drive away.You can only get in and out when the tide is low and the Cahill crossing is then exposed.The tides up here are 6-8metres high and the river is salt water crocodile infested so that is why you can't cross till the tide goes down.

As the tide lowers the fish get caught near the crossing wall and the crocs have learnt this and as we got to the crossing there were three visible large crocs doing a bit of fishing LOL.I'd hate to imagine how many were below the water that you can't see.We were a fair way back from this one but as we crossed the crossing he was still there and was about the length of the four wheel drive we were in.Glad the car didn't stall!!!

On the way back home we went into Bird Billabong.It's an oasis for bird life and other animals.This year the Wet season rains are late(ignore the weather guy you folks down south...we are not getting storms every night)and the billabong was nearly dried up.Not much greenery even for this water buffalo I'm afraid.

The Magpie Geese were in the almost dried up centre water area.Hope it rains soon for them and the billabong fills back up.I think I have photos of the Bird Billabong when it is full of water and the contrast is amazing.

Now to this weeks "who left evidnece in my camera" segment...its Carlia and OMG she is on her own LOL.Well almost as she is cuddling one of our fur babies-our mad as Jack Russel Minty.I had no idea she had taken a photo of herself with my camera.I used to hate that the kids take my camera when I didn't know but now I love seeing who has been using it and what they did *grin*.

Hey I just realized Carlia is wearing one of my etched, copper nest necklaces:o).

hugs

Annette In Oz

I've Got An Etch To Scratch

Okies...my canvas's ladies are still waiting for me to complete them but that darn etching stuff is like a disease...an etch eeeerrr itch that I just have to scratch and keep coming back too LOL.It's Jen's fault(and I love her for it LOL) and while I find my own way in etching I know all my work is greatly influenced by the classes I did with Jen Crossley,her Divine samples and the projects in Stephanie Lee's book (Semi Precious Salvage).
My two daughters snaffle anything I make in the form of a necklace and these were no exception even though they are just simple imperfect attempts.I had an etched house shape from a past project and decided to make three more the same size.I did a nickel/silver one(at left),a bronze one(middle) and a copper one(at right).I adored the look of time etched one best.They were all patina enhanced using Lime Sulphur liquid for plants...its not as smelly as Liver Of Sulphur.


I decided on nest themes for them all using wire to make the nests as per Stephanie Lee's book and Jen makes gorgeous wire nests on her blog site as well.Thicker wire gave better stronger looking nests but were harder to weave...pliers help to shape them too.There is a small dictionary word at the top that reads "fly on this copper one.

The copper wire nest on the brass one was a bit scrappy and the wire too thin I think.It has the dictionary word "chirp" on it.

I grabbed this one for myself LOL.I like the nest on this nickel/silver one

and I was getting the wrapping of the wire nests perfected by now.It has "sing" on it.

Melissa is a steam punk fan(remember her faux metal and part steam punk style mask she got me to make her in 45mins) and wanted watch bits in her nest...like a watch part collecting Bower bird LOL.I truly loved the end result and she adores it too.

Vintage supplies and trinkets are near on impossible for me to get up here in Humpty Doo(YES that is the name of my town) so I hope to buy some stuff when we go to Melbourne next year to the Creativesoul art retreat.I just know I like making things with metal and will keep practicing and hopefully get better at it too.It's cool to run into my girls in town with their Mum made necklaces on though :o).I'm thinking of making some etched metal ear-rings and bracelets to match the necklaces for Chrissy presents.

hugs

Annette In Oz