Etched Brass Cuff...Still stuck on nests LOL

OMG this brass etched metal cuff was so hard to take a photo of which is why I am putting it up today and not last night.I've used a large glass pebble over a nest image and a dictionary word "nestle".Every time I tried to take a photo last night I got my boofy head or the camera reflected in the glass.So I had to wait till this AM and try again.It's still hard to see the full image properly but in real life you see it straight away


from above down...the white reflection across the bottom part of the pebble is the white cardboard underneath the cuff

and from one side

and the other

I think etching and making stuff from the etched metal is so addictive and I'm loving it at the moment.Dick Smith had better continue stocking the etchant up here or I will be so sad.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Fused Glass Ned Kelly/Leichhardt's Grasshopper

We have done two day trips to local spots.On one we went down to the Adelaide River hills for a wander.I love going down there.There are many old World War Two camps scattered thru the hills and at one we found an old bottle that had been broken.Bushfires then have fused the pieces back together and left it as a distorted chunk that I reckon looks like Ned Kelly(1855-1880) our famous or infamous bush ranger.Ned made himself some armour and had a helmet,metal upper arm pads,chest/groin metal plates and metal boots.He apparently wore a duffel coat over the top.I'll put some photos of the armour below.
Here is the Ned Kelly glass photographed with no flash-glass armour and duffel coat on

taken with a flash

an old wood print of Ned from the State Library of Victoria
his armour on display

As soon as we picked the glass up I said it looks like Ned Kelly... What do you think?

On another day we ducked out to Kakadu.We again went to Nourlangie and tracks around there.Off one track we found some Leichhardt's grasshoppers.You can only see these for a few weeks in the Wet season and it was great to find some.They stand out like Christmas decorations due to their bright orange and blue colour.Grant took the next three photos.

This is a Wet season shot of Nourlangie from Nawarlandja(littel Nourlangie)

I'm hoping we get to do another day trip before I have to return to work on Thursday.I've finished another etched metal cuff too that I shall load up to my blog tonight.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Necklaces Done

OMG time is flying by and I will be back at work before I know it *sigh*.I've started my 24 pages for the international bag book swap but in the evening the light is too bad to create in so I turned on my daylight lamp and finished 2 necklaces.They are hard to take photo's of at this time of night but I think you can get what they look like.This first one has a real tin type on it...a dangle at the bottom that I have no idea what it really is (both from Jen Crossley),a piece of worn wood at the top that I found walking around the block and an old bone button that I found down in the old Gold Fields near us.

Then I finally re-made a nest necklace for myself as my girls took my other ones.As I said the light is mucking my photos up and the etching isn't as bright on both necklaces as it is in real life.

Back to book pages in the am and then I'll try to get the other cuff embellished tomorrow evening and have it up.Oh and a photo of a broken glass bottle that has then been in a bush fire and fused together...I reckon it looks like Ned Kelly LOL(a famous Aussie Bushranger)that we found in the Adelaide River Hills.There are many World War2 camps in the hills and thats where we found it.Intact bottles have 1942-43 imprinted on the bottoms that we have left there insitu in the same area.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Brass,Copper and Glass Bead Jewellery

Shucks folks...thanks for all the lovely comments regarding the etching and my cuffs.I'm very touched and yet very humble as I truly have so much to learn in jewellery making yet.Besides its Jen Crossley's fault LOL...and I love her for opening that door for me.I had a few hours to get something done with some of the etched pieces this afternoon...well after I spent several hours cleaning up after Melissa's 8 friends who descended on our small abode overnight to play games on the PlayStation,Wii and computer.....I did the brave thing and Grant and I spent the night in town in a Hotel LOL.I tried my beads against the etched brass and loved how the iridescent glass beads looked with it so I made a hammered copper and glass bead set of jewellery.Here is the necklace.

the ear-rings

and the cuff now embellished from the front
.

From the side

and from the other side

As I am a novice to all of this I learn as I go...like hammering the copper makes it weak and easier to break and its easy to break glass beads if you hammer too close LOL.Melissa has already asked me for the the set but I think I'll hide it from her *grin*.I hope to make my nest necklace tonight so I have a complete set again for me.From Monday I will be a bit missing in action as I have to make my 24 pages for an international collaborative book swap.

hugs

Annette in Oz

Etched Cuffs

I spent a few hours this afternoon etching again.I did some smaller pieces in different shapes to make necklaces with.My girls took all my nest necklaces so I want to make one of them again for myself as I have the nest ear-rings and ring still but no necklace now.

I also made some brass cuffs.I really like them and will embellish them further if I have time to morrow

Maybe hammer some wire and add some beads or something...will show you when I get them finished :o)

I have another 8 etched copper rectangle parts and managed to form three bezels to play with....I think the copper pieces will be made into some sort of linked bracelet...the bezels I will try to silver solder around and fill them with vintage bits and bobs and seal them with Opals or something.Roll on till I do Susan Lenart Kazmer's Class in March yeha.

hugs

Annette In Oz

The Fairy Collage Card

Sorry I meant to put her up last night but got side tracked in Photoshop.Since I got Photoshop elements for my birthday in November I hadn't really had a go at it and don't really know how to use it.Gaby you have any hints LOL?.I did a search on line for Photoshop how too's and the first one I got to was about the brushes...oh my goshie...how addictive they are and there are so many to download and play with...but time sure did fly by and I was in bed last pm before I knew it.Anyway here is the fairy collage I made and then added part of my childhood poem too.

You know I was thinking about that poem from the post below and I also remember Mum had a large Friendship and Poems book and maybe she got it from there...I'll ask her next time I call.I'd really like to know who the author is.Tomorrow I get to do some etching again...I'm looking forward to it...think I'll try to make a bezel and maybe some brass cuffs etc.
hugs
Annette in Oz

"The Fairy House" poem By Rose Fyleman

I've been using up more of my pre made yellow themed bg papers and was completing the collage when I realized some of the ink had come thru and made the vintage lady look like her arm was dirty. I got thinking about what I could print and glue there to cover the boo boo area...she was wearing a yellow dress with blue floral highlights here and there and I had painted some shimmery blue wings on her back....a gorgeous summer fairy glistening in the sunshine.
Straight away it reminded me of my sweet Mum. As I've mentioned previously we didn't have much in the way of materialistic things when I grew up as we were fairly poor and I filled my past times as a child often creating things like peg dolls, carved coconuts, loads of drawing and colouring and make believe games. These I always attribute to my Mum as she was often the instigator and enabler supplying me with paper, material and poems. One such poem has stayed with me and I can still see myself snuggled in bed listening to her voice telling the poem every night to me and my other sisters (we all shared the room and my four brothers were in two smaller rooms) before we went to bed.
The poem was about a fairy and it always made me drift off to sleep thinking of fairy themed dreams. Part of our childhood can come to us as adults and are priceless reminders of a carefree PAST. As I looked at my collage the poem came to my head. I have no idea who wrote it first but I love it even to this day and I have now typed it up in part for my collage....I'll use the part about the bonnet and wings...here is the poem

AS I WAS WALKING HOMEWARD
ONE EARLY SUMMER’S DAY
I MET A LITTLE FAIRY
TRIPPING ON HER WAY

HER BONNET WAS A BLUEBELL
A DAISY WAS HER GOWN
HER WINGS WERE BITS OF SUNSHINE
TRIMMED WITH THISTLE-DOWN

I THINK SHE HAD BEEN TO MARKET
FOR AS SHE HURRIED BY
I PEEPED INTO HER BASKET
TO SEE WHAT I COULD SPY

A PAIR OF TINY SLIPPERS
A REEL OF GOLDEN THREAD
A TINY JAR OF HONEY
AND A WEENY LOAF OF BREAD

I HID AMONGST THE TALL GRASS
AS STILL AS STILL COULD BE
THE FAIRY GAVE A RATT TATT TATT
UPON A HOLLOW TREE
AND THEN FOR JUST AN INSTANT

I PEEPED INTO HER HOUSE
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT?
THE FRONT DOOR WAS OPENED
BY A MOUSE!

Antonia Leathem 
UPDATE....thanks so much to Antonia Leathem who contacted me finally in November 2017!!! The poem is actually called The Fairy House and was written By Rose Fyleaman. Antonia is also from Australia and says " an elderly friend told me this poem and I researched it, I came across it in a serious of what was called, Suggested Poems for Irish Board of Speech and Drama. Grade Examinations Grade Four (Age 9-11) Girls". The link to the publication is here https://www.irishboard.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IBSD-Grade-Poem-Suggestions-2017.pdf It's on page 42. My wording is slightly different to the original but it's how I remember my Mum reciting it so I will leave it as is

THANKS so much Antonia xx
hugs
Annette In Oz

Mavis-sinner or sinned??

Now when I made this simple card I just couldn't work out if this vintage lady was a sweet gal next door or a vixen by the look on her face.She has dreamy eyes but saucy red lips.

I have a draw full of made backgrounds and while I can't sit too long I thought I'd make several easy cards for friends birthdays this year as I missed so many last year.The next week when I start my 2 weeks off I'll get stuck into some jewellery making and do my 24 pages for an international paper bag book swap I have been invited to participate in.Looking forward to having time off work I can tell you.
hugs
Annette In Oz

Mellow Yellow

I've finally been able to get creative again.My back and neck still ache but I'm finding I can alternate sitting and standing and get some work done in patches.I've got several pieces of stamped metal ready to etch when I have days off and I've made a collage card just for the heck of it LOL.The background has sprays pf Polished pigments in yellow,oranges and deep copper so its quite shimmery in real life.It was over stamped,vintage image transfer added and lastly a white flourish rub on added.
Grant gave me a Spotlight gift voucher for Christmas so I stocked up on Vilene,Vliesofix(Pellon or Wonder Under...fusible webbing) and got some more of the gorgeous floral trim I love which I have stained and added to the card at the bottom over some gauze.

The second Low weather system of the wet season is over Darwin and has brought some relief from the heat and humidity.All the plants are so green now and there has been a growth in fungus's growing in the bush on our block.I counted 12 different types just walking around the gardens edge in one trip.They are fascinating to me for some reason.Some lived a day and one has been steadily growing bigger for a week and is about 15cm in diameter.I'd take some photos but the mozzies are thick in the bush and seem to love me...maybe I'll get hairy legs Grant to go and take some LOL.We have seen more Frilled Neck Lizards this year then last too which is great.Grant got two good shots of one a few days ago and I'll upload them when I can get time to crop them a bit.

hugs

Annette in Oz