Oriental/Asian Themed Shrine

We had a month of family visiting and then 2 weeks break and I finally got a few days to myself to complete the last three shrines we will make in New Zealand. The Engineer necklace shrine will be the first and this will be the second one. I went for some recycled elements and used an empty but clean sardine tin as the shrine base. It's an oriental or Asian themed shrine.
The door is etched metal.

 Frame holds an Pipedreamink Opals embossing enamel frame.

 Under the door is an inkjet water transfer to calico.

 Contents in the rear of the shrine.

 Just had to add a scroll LOL.

Will show you the last two shrines soon. My lovely nephew Craig and his lovely girlfriend Lisa have just arrived for a few weeks now....maybe its the Universes way of keeping me from freaking out about going to NZ to teach for the first time *grin*
hugs
Annette In Oz

Steampunk bracelet-Miss 6's Older Sister-etched brass cuff

Well the cleaning of the kitchen cupboards is still a work in progress LOL. I've come down with a nasty flu and I was meant to go to a stamping week-end in town from this evening. I feel yucko and I don't want to make anyone else sick, so I stayed at home and I consoled myself with etching in the day and making another cuff after dinner. My little Miss 6 necklace came shopping with me on Thursday and I have never had so many people interested in my chest *grin*. Anyway I thought she would need a big sister to accompany her on visits to town in the future. As Miss 6 is rather out there, I imagined her sister would be a wee bit out there too. She has wings like her little sister and some cogs here and there. Her smiling face shines thru the ice resin from her large brass nut frame.

These two must have had an artistic Mum LOL...maybe a vintage dancer or a circus lady. I have some more etched brass to play with tomorrow. I really want to make another brass nest set as I gave my last set away to a dear friend who admired them. Then I need to get into a book for someone else. It feels good to create and even though the head is not clear it stops me thinking of how disappointed I am at not stamping all week-end with my friends!!

hugs

Annette In Oz

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

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

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

In The Mean Time

Mary has contacted me...I had a wrong e-mail for her and she is so delighted in winning the etched metal house.I thank you all again too for entering and your kind words.Over the two weeks of the draw I have been creating quietly in the background.I've made four etched metal ATC's,three etched metal flat house shaped necklaces inspired no doubt by Jen Crossley and Stephanie Lee's book "semi-precious salvage" which my daughters snaffled up.I also managed to fix two other past projects and start two painted ladies on canvas.
The etching process works really fast here in the tropical heat but I decided to leave the ATC's in the etchant for 1hr and I love how deeply etched they are.The one below was for a return to Linda Aldred.The wings move and there is alcohol ink on the wing and the "fly" word.It has black patina added after etching.I'm getting much better at drilling in metal now...thanks too Jen for showing us how :o)

This was my first ever attempt at soldering(again after a much appreciated lesson from Jen C) and it took me AGES to add the jump rings LOL.Then I realized the one at the right is slightly smaller then the other one afterward.Oh well its just for me anyway LOL.I finally got some silver glue on bails to add a chandelier dangle and its done at last.

This was a pin I had previously made but I took the pin back off and drilled holes to make it into a necklace as well.

The other three metal Atc's Ill upload shortly and I'm thinking to offer them as trades.Two more evenings to work and then hope to have two days off at last.Last week at work was a nightmare with me doing double shifts and extra shifts on my days off.As soon as the heat and humidity hit(40C Degrees last few days and 90 plus percent humidity)spare RN"S disappeared and have gone South.Several of our permanent staff have also left *sigh*.Disconnecting the phone line for two days may be the go I think.I'm still painting my ladies so want to get them done and dusted too.There are too many bugs at night to paint later in the day but the days are so hot the paint dries really quick...may take a bit to finish them

hugs

Annette In Oz

Etched Metal House Winner is

Hi all
the winner has been drawn.I used EVERYONE who entered including people from Overseas and e-mails.The last e-mail or blog comment received was from Karen S.YES I was sure I wanted to give this away and thank you so much for all your encouraging and lovely comments.I'm sorry I could not respond to all of you.OKies the winner is


Thanks to all who entered and congrats to the winner MARY FENTON.Mary I just need your address so I can send the house on to you.I believe Mary has been really ill with pneumonia so hope the little house brightens your day a bit and you are on the way to good health and creativity soon.
hugs
Annette In Oz

Etched Metal House Rear Door

Yeha the back door is also done now.I've made this door a screen door.Trapped within the patina treated copper mesh is a vintage man image.The handle is another vintage coat button from my Aunt Betty.The brass charm holds a faux tin type and under the beveled plastic is the word "waiting".

Under the door there is brass mesh,another faux tin type and more dictionary words

At the back is a metal etched young lady.The words from the stamp didn't etch well so I stamped them again on tissue and added them later.They say "she mailed a letter the other day".I've tied on an old pen nib for her to write with.My dictionary letters from front to back read "waiting beyond this back screen for her love letters"

OH my goshie now I have to see if I can assemble it all to be an actual 3D house.Not sure whether to solder the joins or do some fixed hinge thing...off to play with it and see what goes :o)

hugs

Annette In Oz

Etched Metal House Second Window

This little house made of metal is fighting me all the way.My drill stopped working so I had been using a hand drill but it was causing me pain as I broke a small bone in my little finger two weeks ago...how embarrassing to say this but I broke it trying to open the fridge door with my pinkie as my hands were full.So I was going along ever so slowly making the house because of it...then the drill bit broke.Of course it had to happen at 6pm at night so I had to wait till the next day to get another.There I was off on another three hour trip into town and back again to get two new drill bits.Grant is letting me use his cordless drill now which is a great help.Adding one to my birthday wish list for November *grin*
Finally window two is done.I have used another old metal vintage button found on the Gold Fields near here,some more embossed pewter and a dictionary word "eyes"

Underneath is an old Optical lens with a gel medium transfer of a gorgeous vintage lady who has such lovely eyes.

this is the rear of the Optical lens

When you move the Optical lens out of the way there is an old scratched watch face and my two etched metal ladies.I gave one a wing.

So this window could be "eyes are the window to the soul" or "Eyes.A recorder of time to the soul".I loved the etched iron work behind the two ladies but the roof has an overhang and I really couldn't avoid covering it up.The back door side is almost done.May upload it late tonight or tomorrow.Oh and I found another vintage metal button in my stash and if you check the post below it is now added to window 1 on the first image.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Etched Metal House1st Window side

After my four hour search for 12mm butt hinges all over Darwin I finally have some.Anywho here is the first window for side 1 done.Keeping the outside simple here and it just has some embossed pewter,a vintage metal button and an old dictionary word added.Gosh I love those little nail brads I got from Scraptivate in Perth.

As you lift the window I have another faux tin type in a metal frame.I've embossed the brass mesh in the Cuttlebug that is behind the image.At top left there is a vintage hand painted ceramic oval and at the bottom right is a handmade tiny bone or shell button that I found in the old Gold Fields up here in the Northern Territory of Oz.

Lastly the view of what is under the window.Again I left it fairly untouched so the texture of the metal etching can still shine thru and only added another few dictionary words.

I think I'll do the other window tomorrow as the rear door is...well the rear door...an area to exit so to speak.It will close the page of my story in creating it and why it was started at all.I still want to give it away(once I can work out how to assemble it LOL)when its done.I look at the old stamped and now etched metal faces from the past on my house in awe.In a way they are being immortalized and I would like my story and theirs to go to someone who would treasure it.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Etched Metal House Front Door

Darn life gets in the way at times but ALWAYS in amongst the mess of my life I think about art and being creative.This is proving to be a hard year for us here.Grant's Dad didn't make it and has passed away.We will miss Gordon heaps and it was a heart wrenching time for us all.Just before Grant left to go to his Mum's I started full time day shift work.I couldn't reset my body clock though after 23years of working in the evening or on night duty.It just made me tired and I had no time to do my arts and crafts that I love so much.Eventually I got sick myself and when I weighed up the pros and cons of it all I was the looser by the change.I've quit that now and go back to my old shifts in a few weeks time.I'm now on ten days leave though and have a big catch up to do.Grant is back home and this am I started to play with my etched metal house again.SSSooo here is the front door

I've used a letter brass plate over the two little Collections girls.The door nob is from my stash of old coat buttons that were given to me when my Aunt Betty passed away.I love these and they are such a great idea.They have a pin like mechanism or screw so they can be taken apart and reused in other coats.This one had a lovely green shiny bit in it.I placed a glass piece over the faux tin type lady and rubbed on the word "her".I was trying to imply "her two(the small brass number 2 nail on the bird wing)girls".Next is the door open

I lined it with a dictionary page and then covered that with brass mesh and tied on another faux tin type of two children using brass wire.The dictionary words read "behind that door".

On the back I kept it simple so as not to diminish the etching of the metal.It has dictionary words for "lives play"......"so behind that door lives play".I'll work on a window side this evening.We did a quick day trip to Litchfield Park and Grove Hill(the old gold field area up here)recently.Litchfield is not far from here and is like a mini Kakadu.There are some lovely spots down there,waterfalls,old homesteads,old graves(they fascinate me)etc so I shall load them up tonight on my blog too. :o)

hugs

Annette In Oz

Etched Metal Roof Completed

My camera battery is recharged so here is the pictures of the completed roof.I'm not sure why the brass brads look different colours at the side of the key hole in the photo but in real life they look the same.Also I took the photo on a slight slant so the dictionary words look not straight too and no I have not been drinking!.Under the key hole there is one of my faux tin type photos.The bottom section has an embossed pewter trim.I think a house is about our lives and how we live them and hence the reference to "Life-time"

On the other side there is the vintage China dolls arm,rusty wire,chandelier glass with the word "home" under it,a brass washer with the words "hope" on it, another faux tin type photo and more embossed pewter trim.I added the "MY" on the dolls arm to imply "MY home and MY hope".I should finish the front door tomorrow and shall upload that when it is done.

This piece is slowly taking its own paths as is usual for me but in the background of my life there are life changing events happening that will influence it too.....in fact they were the catalyst for its beginning.Grants Dad is deteriorating and time,life and hope are waging a war.As an RN I am sure of who is winning at the moment.I spent the morning arranging emergency air fares to Brisbane and then the train to Port MacQuarie for him at the request of his family.I think my house may end up a soul piece...I still will give it away when it is complete....but I wont forget the influences to its creation and I hope whoever wins it knows its story.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Last etched Metal Pieces and Faux Tin Types

My last two pieces of metal are now etched and if you hadn't guessed....my 3D etched metal item will be a house!!.After doing Jen Crossley's etched metal class I knew I would love to do more etching but now I think I am addicted LOL.....thanks Jen and OMG what have you done :o).This house shape below came out the best so far with deeply etched parts.It has a tab part that I have bent back out of sight that will hold a wall on each side(my etched rectangle parts from before).

This is my etched roof below.It was rectangular shaped but I have bent it in the middle.

There are not many vintage things up here that I can buy.I have a few small vintage trinkets though that I have found on the old gold field at Grove Hill that I will use on my house.The China dolls arm on my roof was one such found item.I have attached it to the roof by drilling(YEHA and they were straight drilled holes this time) small holes and wrapping old rusted wire around the top and bottom.I've also attached a piece of Chandelier glass...I'll put a word under it as well.
Now a metal house with stamped people all over it scream to have had people reside in it to me so I have spent this arvo making faux tin type photos to use on my house as well.

After making these I thought I could have also done these by using Opals Zeehan and transferring the image as per my Opals Transfers tech,or acetone transfer to actual nickel/silver or or.......never mind these will do LOL

I'll show you some glimpses as I make my house but when it is finished and if it turns out OK I think I would like to give it away.If you like the look of this stay tuned OK

hugs

Annette In Oz

More Etching...nearly there

I think I know what I want to make now so I have etched a few more items...till I ran out of etchant.....Went into town and bought two more bottles of the magic potion and now I only have one last piece to etch tomorrow before I start putting it together.I'm so loving the look and feel of the etched metal.As you sand it back the stamped image just pops out at you.So now I have another etched rectangle done...the iron work part of the stamp in the rear came up amazingly

a Collections stamp used on this square

woops...scanned this one a bit lop sided sorry

and lastly an etched house shape

Hopefully I'll get the item underway tomorrow after we go for a drive(it's dh's day off...have to play wifey *grin*).Then Wednesday I have the day set aside just for me yeha

hugs

Annette In Oz