More than just owls......

Yep, I promised ya that I was dreaming up more than owls in the metal studio. Of course, creating owls is a lot of fun so I definitely see more of them in my future. But here are some other fun pieces I've made.

Here we have.... a peacock of course!!! This started out with a flattened fork I found in a parking lot probably back in the Spring. I knew I wanted to upcycle the fork into jewelry somehow, and this occurred. Bending the fork was quite a task - man that sucker was tough! I worked on it during one of the open studio nights at the Art Center with my teacher's advice. We annealed it twice and it still did not want to move! So, I had to be happy with what I got. There were no markings on the fork, so I don't know what it was made out of.

I cut his body and head shape out of copper, and etched the border and eye on it. I sawed the fork head off of it's handle. I knew I wanted to use several rivets, curved like a wing, to attached the fork to the body and my initial idea was to have the fork on top. Then my husband came down to the basement and suggested putting it on that back. Yeah, that looks better. He also picked up one of my little silver spacer beads and said that would look good for an eye, rather than the etched one. Thanks honey, that does look good! I tried a technique on the rivets - almost like doubling them. I first did a hollow brass tubing rivet, then I did a solid copper rivet in the middle of the holes. A pin was attached to the back and I wore this to work today! It's funny the reactions you get in the corporate world.... when you tell some people it was a fork they respond by saying "wow! cool!" and then you tell others and you can just tell they "don't get it". Like, whoa, that's just too artsy fartsy for me. Or, OMG, I would never wear an eating utensil as an accessory. LOL!
Here, I used one of my heart shaped tea strainers to make butterfly wings! I created an etched copper body to attached them to. Then I formed antennae out of silver wire and hammered it flat. Coordinating copper chain and a silver toggle clasp pull this statement necklace together. And here's an example of when I didn't take my husband's advice: he said the chain was too plain. I told him that is because I wanted the focus to be on the butterfly and since it was such a large piece already, it didn't need anything else. I am thinking of bringing this one to the Art Center to sell.

I also made some pieces that were Christmas presents, but I won't be able to show them until after they are received!