Steam Punk My Heart!

I love to play with clay and these steampunk hearts are sure a good way to play and add junk!
CF Originals has great downloads on their site with great steampunk designs. I think the fish is just awesome!

Steampunk is a style, a look, sometimes even a philosophy. It’s all gears and clockwork and levers and straps – a bit of machinery, a bit of fantasy. And of course, the contrasts of textures and different metal colors are just such fun to play with!

Fun Grunge Necklace

Had to SHARE a necklace that I made for myself...and that never happens!
I wanted a fun grunge piece that I could wear with something casual like bluejeans and a sweatshirt. Those are my two Grandsons and the turqoise silver pin with feathers is a reclaimed hatpin that their Dad used to wear in his cowboy hat when he was young. I used aged copper and a bit of grunge board scrap, glass circle and screen...a fun piece to create!

The Shoppe at Somerset

Day of the Day...Halloween Charms by Connie Hippen

I was so happy when I was asked by the editor of Stampington & Company early this year to make some sets of my Day of the Dead Charms for The Shoppe! CLICK HERE TO SEE!

How it happened was I participated in the OneWorldOneHeart giveaway event last Feb and Kellene Giloff, President/Publisher, was out visiting blogs and noticed my charms. She shot me off a nice e-mail with her idea for The Shoppe at Somerset. From there I was in contact with Vanessa Spencer who is in charge of The Shoppe and who design the neat Dress Form project featured in the site. Both are wonderfully nice business women and I am happy with the opportunity!

Advice to share....
* Put your e-maill addy on your blog or make your contact info easy to find, because not all viewers are bloggers.
* Participate or visit&comment in Blogging Events such as giveaways, celebrations or themed events. The people out there are wonderful!
* Blog your best and keep it interesting!!!

Pity Party...Domino Pendant

At AAWA we are having a "pity party" for some of us that 'cannot' attend the Artful Gathering down in Texas. Whaaaa! When the cat is away the mice must play righT? So we have decided to do a Pity Party Pendant Project..say that a few time in a row! We are having a domino swap in a Western Theme. Here's mine....

Soldering Fun

Had some time over the long weekend to get all the soldering stuff out and finish up some fun necklace bobbles. Some for everyday wear and a few for this summer in the Americana theme.

The things I have discovered in soldering is the importance of sal ammoniac in tinning or silvering the tips. The other is a gel flux that keeps the flux where you put it....sure keeps the flow going smooth. Speaking of smooth, I have also decided that if a person thinks their soldering is not perfect, so be it! A few bumps and varying thickness here and there gives it a handmade artie look. If you want perfect, go to a jeweler or spain or wherever.

These Americana ones are 1x1 and double sided. I will be putting these on Etsy (cheap) so head over and see.

MatchBox Necklaces

Now these are addicting!!
I think they might just fit pretty good in a few stockings!
It was fun embossing in the clay and doing the old finish on them.

Halloween Doodads

Had some fun time this Labor Day week-end! Everyone had their own plans and went different directions, so I stayed close to home and made some necklace pieces that later will be on Etsy or eBay...not sure yet. I had some sample boards of cool cork linoleum and I popped off the different color chips that are just a little bigger than inches. I thought they would be quick..not...and just the right size for some fun necklaces to be hung by chain, leather or cord. Here's what some of them look like...oh, and I will add a pic of the charms I made for the Halloween charm bracelet swap that I need to get busy on...lol!

Chunky Charm Bracelet

Just finished a fun Chunky Charm Bracelet. Seems like it took forever, but had a ton of fun watching it come together. The Theme is "Altered Artist."
-There are wonderful glass beads that have metalitics and amber swirling dyes much like background papers.
-There are mini ATC's made of shrink art that are stamped and distressed.
-There are spiral wire wrapped charms in amber, gold and silver.
-There are recycled antigued gold rose beads, amber leaf beads and more oddities like fishing swivels.
-There are 4 silver charms...a cup full of paint brushes, a paint brush & palett, scissors and I love 2 scrap and what all artist enjoy...a tea/coffe pot and cup.
-AND the grand finale...a 1x1" mini collage of a 'vintage artist' and text that is soldered. It is made just like the glass microscope slide pendants and are a real challenge to solder. It's listed on ETSY and I will have more soon as I think I am Hooked!