Saturday, August 27, 2011

Altered Doctors Bag

It started out like this...........




An old alligator bag with great hardware,
but in really bad shape.


In fact this bag was given to me by an antique dealer that was
going to throw it away but decided I should use
 the hardware.


OK, still not TOO bad......

OUCH!!!!!

What I love about projects like this is you can't lose.  They
are already deemed garbage by "normal folk"
so what do you have to lose?
It's actually somewhat freeing,
and some of my favorite projects have come about this way.

So, with that in mind......


Maybe ready to be used by a different kind of Dr. now??:)


I didn't cover any more than I had to.
After cleaning and conditioning,  the leather
was really quite beautiful. 


But I still needed to make it  sturdy.
So the first thing I did was take a curved needle and some
upholstery thread and sew up all the tears.
It didn't need to be perfect because I knew I was
going to cover it, but it needed to be structurally sound.
Next I started with one of the ends and spread the whole area I wanted to cover with glue.
And I spread it fairly thick.
I actually mixed two glues together, because I didn't want to run to store, and I only had
a few dibs and dabs of different ones.
So just think thick, white, dries clear, will hold a Buick together.
Then I just pressed the fabric on. In my case a wonderful old
saltillo that I have used in so many projects that everything is starting to look alike. 
(But I will miss dreadfully when it is gone) 
I did do a dry fit before I spread the glue, knew that I was going to have a fold on one end etc.
If you get your glue where you want it, you can trim the edges after it dries.
If you are the sort that has patience. :)
So no sewing of the fabric, just glue.
If you do a project like this, remember that you will be opening and closing it,
so cut the fabric big enough and fit it to accommodate the movement.


When both of the ends were done............
I cut a piece to go along the top of the front and back.
Again, just glued it on.
Cutting the botton uneven.
Originally that piece was  for contiguity of color......
as well as to sew the embellishments onto.
You don't want to be pushing needles and wire through
that gater any more than you have to, plus it IS old and
can tear easily.


I soon realized that the blanket by itself wasn't going to hold the amount of stuff I wanted to put on the bag.
So I punched holes through the top corners and wired a chain across to use as the support
for all the beads and whatnots I planned on adding.


The back is still plain, I am not sure if I will add anything to it or not.
The beauty of a project like this is the fact that
it is never done..................
You can add or subtract forever.


I forgot to show you the inside.................
Stained, but no holes.
It actually cleaned up pretty well.


I wish I could tell you where that dirt is from.......
But I can't .
But it's very cool!!!

Shootouts: The round polished bone is from Steph
And a lot and I mean a LOT of the other things are from Terri

And the dirt.......that's my secret!!! :)))
SORRY!!!


                                                                  

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Collector.....or Hoarder??

 

Every time I have to dust
I question my packrat (slighty hoardish?)
tendencies


This is a family bible, held together with a ribbon
with family history on it
written by my Grandmother.
My daughters first pair of moccasins


My first jug.....
the beginning of a love affair!!
(with jugs :)


No rhyme or reason,
No careful editing,
Just "stuff" that over the years has caught my eye
And makes me happy.

Until I have to DUST!!

So what do you do?
Seriously.......
What do you do??
Learn to live with the dust?
Grit your teeth and dust when you really want to be elsewhere?
Pack it up?
Get rid of it?
What do YOU do???????


This is just one dust collecting cupboard...
I have more problem areas......

I suppose in the time it took me to write this,
I COULD have dusted .....??

Naaaahhhhh.....


EDITED TO ADD: I never dust the jugs. To
me that'sjust part of their patina.

                                                                              

Saturday, August 20, 2011

A Little Giveaway!!!

coin purse necklace......
                                                                                          
                                                                            
I decided to have a giveaway on my blog. Not because I have reached any milestones....clearly I haven't .  Not because I want more followers.......well, I would like more, but I have to say, the ones I have are amazing and leave me such great comments, and send me such FUNNY and uplifting emails....a lot  of them I consider friends and most definately kindred spirits. Sooooooo......this giveaway is just 'cuz.

And......here's the good part....you don't have to enter ....or do anything!! If you have EVER left a comment on this blog.....I took the liberty of entering you myself. (except family, sorry my dear family....I do love you the most...but...)  I did it this way because..........I HATE it when magazines give NEW subscribers
a great deal.....or banks give the NEW accounts a free giftie.........I always think.....HEY.....what about me?
I am the one that's been here thru thick and thin??? What about me???  Well, you guys are the ones that
leave comments whether I post something weird, boring, ugly, strange, whatever........you still comment, make me happy,encourage me, make my day a bit brighter.....thru thick and thin. That's why this ones for you!!

Having said that.......I never enter give aways that I wouldn't really like to win...so if I entered you and you won and you think...."I SO do not want that"..... let me know and I will pass your "prize" on to some other "lucky"
commenter.  OK? OK.....So here we go.................................I threw you all in a hat....and the "sorting hat" spit out these winners:


First.................the winner of the coin purse necklace..........

DEB.......of Talking Trash fame!!!
(whose blog I LOVE by the way!!)
and.....who just had her own giveaway!!!



I had a lot of fun making this necklace, inspired  by several lovely
ones I have seen here and there on
different blogs and at shows......I used vintage jet beads, rosaries, and chain,
along with some pieces from the 
Industrial Chic line.

Hope you like it Deb!!


Second.....................................
the winner of a pair of earrings ........................
                                                        

                                                                     Kelly  ........                                                                            
(Another great blog.....In fact she has TWO!!)
AND makes crazy cool mosaics!!


These tintype earrings are part of a group of earrings I
made from an old gem type albumn I bought years ago.
I especially like this pair because it has a girl on one,
and two boys on the other...... 
some sort of a love triangle??
Two old shoe buttons are used for the dangles.

I hope you like these Kelly!!
                                                                               
If you gals email me at
with your information I will get these right out to you!!

A GREAT BIG THANKYOU to all of you my friends for taking the time out of
your busy day to 
stop by my blog and leave your generous comments.
I really do appreciate it!!

This was so much  fun!!............ Can we do it again some time?? 
Hugs to you all!!

                                                                                         



                                                                          





Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Memory jug #9

This jug is a bit different......................

I used an epoxy clay to form the snake on top..................
influenced by the folk art jugs made in the South.
  
This is a small jug, only seven inches tall





Still looking for a finish I am in love with.....
something less shiny.

This jug will get one more "going over"
to pick up any spots I missed or smooth out rough spots....
But I like to let it sit for a couple of weeks before
that happens.
Then I usually "dress" them as well, by hanging things from the handles.




On an entirely different subject...............
Want to see something cute??

We have Barred owls that share our property with us.... 
"He" could have cared less about me..... had his eye on something rustling in the bushes.
Ahhh, maybe cute isn't really appropriate...???? 
                                                                          

Friday, August 12, 2011

Just Hanging....

Where it lives....................................

Just hanging...........
                                                               
On a tiny old door.......like art

Easy to grab....wear.... put away.....

New necklace made by Steph.........

Where do you keep your favorite pieces...........
the ones you wear most often...............
do you keep them out...........
so you can enjoy them..........
even when not wearing them............
I hope so..............
                                                                             

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

On my bench.....

                             
bone, jasper, and  brass beads...................

different rosary parts...........

Vintaj necklace parts..............

I made these earrings to go with this necklace................
It took me a couple of hours this morning to get them light enough that they were
wearable.
I always tend to start with too big...too many....too much....and have to edit down.
Finally... I am happy with these..........
Repeating a lot of the same elements, but still very comfortable to wear.






                                                         
                                                         

Friday, August 5, 2011

Mine to care for ....For a while....

Native American ............

Native American smoke tanned leather bag..........
with beadwork....... and deer toes.

Smudge mark on the back......
where it was blessed by George Kicking Woman



Small beaded amulet bag...........

Also blessed.......

Upside down Raven.............................
Artist.......Steve Wofford  

I have a feeling I will be wearing these two pieces together 
A LOT......................

Artist..... Steve Wofford


Beautiful things, I am so honored to have these
to protect and care for..........for a time.
(we are not pharaohs.....we do not take it with us)

I purchased these from Terri at Frost Creek.....it is my understanding that she will
be dispursing more of her collection in the coming weeks.
If this is your "kind of thing"
you might want to watch for her to list  them. 
(Not sure, but I think she only ships USA) 

Thanks Terri!!!
  




                                                          

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Garden Gate.....Finally Done!!

At Long Last!!
    
Similar to the other arch........................
Yet different!!
We needed this done so we could string the hot line.
Good bye deer!! Kitchen closed!!