Meet: Miss Betsy {1 of 1) Wire Sculpture

This week I have been working on a "create something" for a class I go to on Thursday nights.  A while back I did a swap on one of the Yahoo Groups that was to be an altered art spoon and I did one similar to the one below....but yet different.  I like one of a kind items vs someone who has/does only one thing.  Just my personal preference and I am sure there are those who think differently....  I really enjoy working with wire, twisting and turning...embellishing, trying some new "things", gathering bits and pieces,  and then the actual putting it together, rearrainging, changing ones' mind, a mistake that ends up being a neat thing when worked into the design.  I already know there will be another....

Wicker base:        Frame from thrift store
Mirror:                               ??  Check out a department type store for the beveled endged bases that I think can be found in the candle section.
Wire:                     Different Guages  (Loews)
Crystal flatback sequins:     JoAnnes
Head and body of dragonfly and the bee on the headpin in the water and within the rocks:  Buttons I sell on Etsy
Flat etched sea glass:  (Waterfall/pond) Joannes in the artifical flower area.
Base:                      Vintage Teaspoon  (Etsy Vendor)
Glue:                       E6000  Glass and Jewelry Glue (Works GREAT)
Wings:                    The pale purple wings are done with Gallery Glass (I LOVE this stuff) in purple and White Frost (I wish I would have used just the plain Clear with a little bit of purple) and spread onto an acrylic texture tile that I believe is called Frost (I haven't seen this item in years)....  Once dry I glued pieces onto the tops of the winds as tightly as I could and let dry.  Then I went back with small sharp sissors and cut around the wings...this is the easy way to achieve a clean perfect fit.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK YOUR LOCAL DOLLAR STORES FOR A FRAME, MIRROR,
WIRE, SEA GLASS, ETC.  I have seen these items there but soemtimes it is hit and miss with their items and they are not regular stock...

I pick up items when I see them and it could be months or years before I use them.... I especially pick up things I haven't seen before, or I might pick by color or shape and broken doesn't even bother me because if it intrigues me I will make it work somewhere along the line....  

The wire I am using is 18 guage tin/copper....and I have NO IDEA where I bought it but I am out so if I find a source....I will come back and add it.  This gauge works well because you can bend it with your fingers...and if you warm the wire with your fingers you can gets some nice rounded curves if this is the effect you are looking for.  I have also found it is a pretty substantial base for the size pieces I have been doing to give a good foundation for the "freeform" when you begin to create....just start and the rest ... just seems to fall into place believe it or not.

Tonight I started another sculpture (out of wire) and I used an inexpensive teaspoon for the base and I pretty much covered the spoon with wire and then created forms.....I am not sure where I want to go next so I have put it down to rest and look at......  I just saw that I have some clear wire out to look at for this piece so I kinda/sorta think I know where this one is going...but we will see.   

As for tools I would sugges a big pair of toenail clippers, flat nose jewelry pliers, round jewelry pliers,
jewelry snips for cutting wire, and once you get going on YOUR piece  you will be finding your own little special tools.....

Go to Pinterest and put in Wire Sculptures ....  so MANY ideas will pop forth to inspire your own pieces.....  one of a kind art....Kinda neat after tracing others work.....this is fun to art my own stuff....


I wonder what my next one will look like...or maybe it won't even BE a dragonfly...

So gather your supplies and make yourself one,  or as a gift for a special friend.


MEET MISS BETSY:

Shabby Chic Kitchen Set for Two (BEFORE) / Denim Vest

New Thrift Store Purchase.....

Someone has already distressed this piece and my present thought is that I need to do a couple of repairs to the piece before I do anything and that is a good thing cause it gives me some "thought time.....  Do I go shabby chic colors and roses....or do I do something on the other end of things and 
do something "french chic" and go with black and white.  Decisions....decisions....  I already have a couple of sticky notes on the chairs for an idea I had for them...   I need to "visualize" it in different ways.....sheeeeeesh......  

The other thing I am working on is a denim vest.  I love soft denim....well, anything soft really but jeans/skirts, etc.   It started out as a Jacket....  I cut the sleeves out, and then removed the cuffs which I will use to make bracelets.  In a group session I belong to;  our homework was to create something this week.  I may not finish the vest in time so I think I had best work on a bracelet first to match the jacket....for just a small verison of the vest design wise..

  Sewing is NOT my forte so I am going to be doing handsewing which I prefer anyway.  Since I have been working on the jacket for two evenings  I have a portion finished ..... and it is in a "sit, waiting for the "next" step to spring forth.....lol......  I want it 65ish but a bit updated ..... but I also KNOW that it NEVER works out this way....  I with I had thought about getting a before photo but didn't so there will be only a finished vest and everyone will have to "see" just an ordinary jean jacket (but this one has a gorgeous PLEAT in the back, the vest will be a bit longer than normal vests which helps the "big hip" syndrome....It buttons but I don't like buttoned up vests so I utilized the button area with buttons but in a different manner.. (I have been raiding my Etsy jewelry button bins for buttons to use on the jacket...Tierra Cast items for some neat charms....a decision on "color" and looks like the accent color will be red (based on lady bug buttons and A red flower for in the hair (from a talented Etsy vendor) on the jacket instead.  I don't wear flowers in my hair but it was so pretty I knew I would use the flower somewhere....  I am using silver buttons because the bronze/brass ones blend into the jacket and don't show the detailed work of the the buttons like I want them to.  (What better way to advertise my button business....and FREE).    

Knit Sweater by Maria and Steampunk Buttons

I love to see what people do with the Buttons or the Rubber Stamps that they purchase from my Etsy site.  I was delighted when Maria agreed to send me photos of her finished knit sweater....and believe me it is awesomely beautiful.....this woman can REALLY knit....  I don't think I could ever knit anything this gorgeous.  So enjoy....  the design, color, and buttons she used.  The back of this sweater also has a continuous pattern of decorative stitches which are just gorgeous and looks very similar to the front.....  The mechanism steampunk buttons come in 3 different sizes in bronze brass, silver and copper.  I believe Maria used the copper ones on this sweater.

Snow Storm January 11, 2014

 I love the snow and especially first snows so it is awesome outside.  It has been snowing on and off all day...sometimes so hard we couldn't see our neighbors across the street.  Big, sparkly, wet flakes of snow....  I am hoping to get some photos tomorrow.


My foot told me Thursday and yesterday that we were in for something a bit more than the "usual"....  although nothing but light rain was predicted....so I was not a bit surprised when it started "coming down".

Enjoy....

Minature Sculpture / Polymer Clay

I really enjoy sculpting with polymer clay....this is my second attempt at a face and I used a couple of new tools I purchased as well as my old stand-by acrylic painting "berry makers"....  they are just pefect for the end result of "soft" and "smooth" that some things call for and they "push" the clay perfectly. 

My preference, at least at this stage of development, is the Sculpty III and I have used beige on this piece.  

Just recently I purchased some "eyes" from Lisa Pavelkas line of polymer clay items.  They are glass and handmade but I think from here on in I will
bribe my daughter somehow to make the lampwork eyes for me....  With the size faces I will be working with I need them all to be the smallest in the package of 5 assorted sizes. 

Male or female?  Animal or human?  Not sure actually....  This went together in an evening of listening to tv and I love that I ended up with a partial body/base but is NOT sculptured as...which is how I think I will make others....

Now the next step........absolutely, positively NO IDEA 

UPDATE:  Since my original post I have done 2 more face sculptures.  This last one took a few more hours as it more detailed.   I am amazed at how they just seem to "happen".....not complaining mind you.....just inquisitive as to how I seem to just know which way to move the clay, the right tool to use, finger positions, where to start, etc.   However, this is just one of the many "popups" of different thoughts, different actions, to what almost seems a bit like a different me in some aspects of the same life.  Nothing has changed....but me.

Trash to Treasure

This trash to treasure item (actually $5 yard sale item) is going to be revamped into a display unit....  The bones were good, size is fair but I am hoping it will turn out as a useable piece.  I am "thinking" about doing one section of the front left of my studio into a SMALL selling area....by appointment only.....   I also have another unit I will be using and as a result this means I have to get rid of some "piles" and keep the room a bit more as it should be but it will ALWAYS look worked in cause it basically is....

How am I going to transform this item?  I think I know but it always seems to change so I will just have to reserve judgement till the end.....LOL....

Colorful 3 strand necklace

 Jewelry is not the easiest "item" to photograph and do a piece justice.  This is the first multi strand piece I have made and there is a lot more to takeinto consideration.
I used seed beads, delicas, charms, jumprings, cat eye beads, handmade lampwork, locket, material and the locket which can open.

This piece was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the process.

Mixed Media Journal

I am working on a mixed media Journal book cover using some of the rubber stamps that I carry.  I purchased a PDF tutorial but wasn't real impressed with it per the cost.  Just a step by step pictorial....so winging it here as I journey along.... learning as I go.  There aren't really any rights or wrongs....they appeal to whom they need to appeal to.  There hasn't been a whole lot of "planning" with this one....I have just made a lot of "looking" trips through stash till I find things which might work and try them on.  Kinda like going clothes shopping and trying on a blouse for fit, look, color, etc.    Mixed media work is personal satisfaction and hoping I can find items that relate to the person it is being made for.....or just to my own eye if there is not a "special" person in mind.   Sometimes what I choose and put together may mean nothing to me....but will to the person it is made for, or whom chooses to purchase.  Mixed media really comes from deep within and takes into consideration scale, color, balance, theme,  elements, etc.

I prefer to NOT use crafty elements  or an item totally made from say Tim Holtz products.....  I love to use bits and pieces "because",,,, because I do.  

Today is the application of a patina color.....and I have to decide what color I want to use and I am learning towards the light mint aqua color taking into consideration the browns, beiges, and neutral palette I have so far....or maybe a mixture of a couple colors?

I also have to complete my dragonfly wings ceramic hot/cold drink container which is a belated Christmas gift...it is already to be "winged".

The designed squares are embossed polymer clay which I will patina before I add the elements which you see....and right now are just "laying" on the journal.

Around the squares is a coppery ball chain which was just the right size.

To the right of the 1st and 2nd squares are picture jasper beads and I can see a mini landscape ...the middle one at the top is a seashell and I can see 3 different faces in the shell...

The mushroom, which I love just came together.  The stem is a portion of a deer horn, the top of the mushroom is perfect as a sea shell with holes in it.  the base is a rock, and beside it is a bead and the grasses are fall head pins in brass.  The words are by Kelly Rae Roberts and I love them...the rest of the elements are jewelry components or buttons that I carry.....  To the lower right is a sewing machine part.....

There is a ribbon inside to mark the page but I am going to redo this and add some lampwork beads, etc. for some weight and I may do a page in the book.  FUN.......

Will show another photo when it is completely done.

Creative Instinct

As I "mused" today one of my thoughts was " Many times where I think I am going is not where I end up".   I find this so true in art...  When doing your own designs things change along the way and it is amazing that what you thought you were going to create is no where near what you are holding when finished.  I always chuckle at where I "end up" with some pieces be it a painting, jewelry, mixed media, etc.   I am learning to not fight "Creative Instinct".