Reach for the Stars

Every year I make myself something for my birthday. Most times it is jewelry, sometimes a knitted something. One year I was so into knitting that I made myself knitted bangles.

When Steampunk challenge announced their summer tic-tac-toe I knew I wanted to do the row with the leather prompt. I have been wanting a leather bangle for some time now. There are nice ones around, on Etsy (to buy), or on Pinterest (to drool over).

After a few false starts and "not-feeling-it's" my bangle is now finished. (Just in time for tomorrow.)

I started by cutting off a piece from the roll, then sanding the edges and bending it to shape.

Then I took my leather remnants and this dark celestial navy was talking to me. I paired it with a round shape from an electronic something-or-other (picked from the street no doubt). Since there would be heavy cardboard between the leather and my wrist I decided I could go with regular brads and eyelets.

Then came the part I was not looking forward to. I am no friend of words on jewelry. But as this had started to look like night sky with a moon, and I was using start brads and eyelets, and as I will be wearing it in fall when I start my studies in earnest - all this made me pick ad astra (Reach for the Stars).
I used metallic inks, Adirondack Dabber paint in Copper and Archival Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue.

The letters didn't make a good impression on suede. This suits me fine, the letters are more abstract now, though still readable.

 For closure I threaded through black leather ribbon. There are hematite beads, copper beads,  a copper charm I made in a copper craft class,

there is also a silver peace sign and word. I rubbed the word in with copper paint.

Participating in Steampunk Challenge Great Summer Special with this. I picked the row: Leather - Metal - Words.

no mojo here either

It has been too hot to sit in my little studio under the eaves of this yellow house.

Instead, I placed my chair into the deepest shadows of the garden, and made some jewelry. I like this simple pendant necklace.
new jade (green quartz), peridot, carnelian, apatite and sterling silver
This is the third day a thunderstorm has been predicted but has not arrived. It is unbearably hot and humid, just like on the East Coast. We have never owned an AC, so you can imagine what we put up with every summer. And we thought the High North would be different... Oh pu-h-lease!

Maybe I should do a rain dance? (And shock the neighbors to no end! )

jewelry, etc.

Thanks for all the good wishes for my birthday! The best present is yet to come: on the weekend I am going to sit down and order some books from amazon.com. Can anyone recommend a book on collage/altered art that is simply a must-have? I have been contemplating Visual Chronicles by Linda Woods, or else Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth, or it's sequel Beyond the Unexpected - or both, or all of them? (being greedy now...) Or is there some other book I don't know about?
(I am big on doing my own backgrounds - whenever I can - , but also I have the feeling there is so much going on right now in paper crafts that I know little or nothing about - all these tags, brads, eyelets that keep popping up all over the place... I never have used them, and probably would not know how to! I think I might need help.)

I am taking part in Friendship Swap this month. (Toverikuu for all Finnish-speaking readers.) Every week you send a little something to your friend. Me and Nesse are being friends this month. This is what I received from her: a little something that made me happy today. Heart buttons, glue-on beach-y shapes, chipboard strawberry tags and some Victorian style flower basket pics. Thanks, Nesse!

Have I been productive today? click click!
Sure I have. I made a gold and garnet bracelet with 14K gold heishi I had "swimming around" (hey, it happens...). I used pearl silk for knotting. My birthday gift to myself. (I must have been good!)