Custom Boy Scout Rank Necklace

A client approached me in October to take the Boy Scout Rank Mother pins and the Eagle Scout badge her husband had earned and to create a necklace using all of these pieces.  She came out to my house, and we brainstormed about the style and the length of the necklace.  She was very interested in the steel links I had used in other necklaces and having an asymmetrical look.  When it came apparent she also had a few extra tenderfoot mother's pins from her husband's brothers we decided earrings would complete the ensemble. These are the 6 pins in order.

Slowly, I developed a plan that would fit with her desires and came up with the following necklace.  She wished to have two parts to the necklace and working with the 6 pins, I mounted them on vintage tin and then doubled them up on one side of the necklace.

On the other side, she wished to have the eagle badge and turn that into the clasp.

The links in between were made of a variety of steel wire shapes, which were hand forged.  The finished necklace looked like this.

Working with a client is a fluid kind of thing.  While she was pleased with most of the design, she didn't like the double strand effect and we went back to the original idea a single strand.  

It was fun to create a one of a kind piece of jewelry for this client and to make something that she would be proud wearing.  The fact that she wished to honor her husband was very touching and I hope she wears this necklace for years.

Pepper Market 2013

Thanks for everyone who visited the Pepper Market.  This was my 6 foot booth, small compared to other shows, but minimal can be nice, too.

Ornament Making at Home

For some special people in my life:  tin ornaments!

Ornament making at the Schweinfurth

Last night a few hardy souls came out for ornament making at the Schweinfurth Art Center.

Pepper Market

Pepper Market  This Saturday  10- 4 in the 'Cuse
30 vendors $30 and under

Found Object Necklace

This necklace is comprised of tin from a vintage recipe card holder, paint brush sections made into beads, and handmade steel chain.  A fun asymmetrical design!

Tie Bars

Tie Bars for the gentlemen this holiday season. Copper, tin and brass rivets.

Its a Wonderful.....Shop 2013

Coming, a week from today!

37 East Street

Skaneateles NY

9-4

Collage Brooches

More collage brooches...so much fun to make!

Make Shift Wrap It Up

These are some of the cards made by the participants of the Make Shift cards and wrapping paper workshop this week at the Schweinfurth Art Center.

Make Shift at the Schweinfurth

Tiny preview of the class I will be teaching at the Schweinfurth this week. We will be printing and collaging cards and wrapping paper.

Studio

This morning my husband I had to fit the outdoor furniture into the basement where my studio is located.  To do this meant a rearrange which I am liking a lot.  So with out further ado, the new set up:

Raw Material

Netted these little babies on a walk around the village this morning.  Someone had fun last night.  I remember Marlene True taught us  how to dissect a pressurized can.  I am especially interested in the domed bottoms.  I wonder what they will become ?

MayDay Underground

Come to Rochester on Saturday or Sunday.....

Earrings For May Day Underground

 East Street Tins will be in Rochester NY Nov 2 &3 10-6 at the May Day Underground  in the Main Street Armory...come on down

New earrings hot off the bench:

Tin Pendants

New series: Tin Found Object Pendants.

Tie Bar and Clip

A customer wanted a tenth anniversary present for her husband....a tie clip.  I came up with two choices for her:

Here are the back sides of each.  I wonder which she will choose?

MayDay Underground

Next show in Rochester for
 East Street Tins
...better get working.

Listening to the Tin

Some tins just suggest a different treatment.  The lid of this one suggested a curved form to me.

So I cut it and made side facing earrings out of it rolling a part to make a tube in which the ear wire would sit making the earrings very secure.

Steel Chain

This week, I've been working with steel chains which I started at Haystack last summer.  I am intrigued by the 3d effect of the chain,  I also like the humble nature of the steel.  By adding brass or copper or both, I can also add more visual interest.  I will probably go on to adding a charm or two to the bracelet length chains.  Or maybe I will keep them simple for men.

the hooks

with brass jump rings

with brass and copper jump rings

Getting ready for shows in November and December: new earrings.

New charm bracelets made with some great new pewter toggles.  Whew, those tiny split rings take a lot of time to open and close!

This was a week of bracelets.  Lots of fun working on patterns and colors and getting those little tube rivets right!

I have been layering, cutting, arranging, sanding, sawing, drilling and tapping many pieces of tin together in these small framed collaged brooches.

New tin earrings from vintage containers: body powder tin, toffee tin, and cookie tin.

It was great to see old friends and make new ones in Rochester this weekend!

New tin brooches made from tin images that are hand sawn and riveted onto printed tin backgrounds.  The frames are held together with tiny tube rivets.  The circle attachments are all domed to give some extra visual interest at different heights.  They will be for sale this weekend at the Clothesline Show in Rochester.

east street tins' photostream

east street tins' photostream on Flickr.

now on flikr, so up to date!