Wednesday, August 26, 2009

My First Copper Bracelet


Copper-periodic table Cu / Atomic No. 29

Turquoise- hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum
chemical element CuAl6
Copper healing properties based on metal energy linked
to mental, physical and spirtual health chakras.

Turquoise- the stone of wisdom and spiritual journeys,
self-expression, creativity, peace of mind, spiritual
grounding, absorbs negativity.

Playing around with cold connections, different metals,
assorted beads, jewelry saws, yadda yadda. Filled with
frustration because all of this metal-smithing work is
really new to me and I'm like an immediate gratification,
kinda gal and you need patience...grasshopper...lots of
patience. None of which I have.

It was the end of the day and I had a strip of copper, I
said to myself come on now, how hard can this be.
I rounded the edges of the copper with a file, took
a sharp flat head screw driver, hammered out the
open windows. Pummeled the heck out of it with a
ball peen hammer, bent it around some PVC pipe,
picked up a scrap piece of 18g sterling silver, drew
a bead on each end with a torch, made a few loops
hammered the heck out of it, tested to see if the length
was long enough to go from window opening to window
opening.. hmmm...looked like it might work,looked
over at my stash of beads, spotted the round turquoise
threw it in the middle and cinched up the stone with
copper wire. Done. Half hour max.

I couldn't replicate this if I tried. It was a
copper/turquoise cold-connection spiritual
journey.

I think I want to patina it.

May all your days be filled with new and exciting
journeys.

Thanks for stopping by.

My other blog locale: "The Way I See It"

~ Andrea

Monday, August 17, 2009

DisCo Redux


My Big Reveal for DisCo
My little BIG book of all things recycled.

The Disintegration Collaboration Project- dreamt up
and hosted by none other than Seth Apter fellow
artist extraordinaire a.k.a. "The Altered Page"

You can read about how DisCo got started here.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is the name of my
little BIG book, now a journal and keeper of
dreams.

The early days
Phase 1
outside in the elements.


First reveal May 1
Tired, patina'd and still holding on.




the final reveal- a new chapter, new design
DisCo Redux


small bundles of recycled painted papers, stiffened
and made into a small signature.


canvas cut in half, small circles now remind me of
the earth, and what we need to do to contribute
to it's health and well being. Reduce, reuse and recycle.


top view


and back. Small coin which used to hang from
canvas tag is a reminder of the small changes we
need to make to make a difference. It is now used
as a closure to this book.


Thank-you for your visits and kind words.

and a special thank-you to Seth for always
inspiring and prodding the artist within each of us.

~ Andrea