Counting Treasures

This morning I was surprised to discover a pair of my earrings included in a great treasury compiled by one of the members of the local group. Just this week I joined the local Etsy team (Etsy Denton). I met most of these folks a couple of weeks back when they had a Barn Sale. I have been looking for a community like this!

Other happenings in my life: I am now employeed on a regular basis by a little manufacturing company that makes Pewter Miniatures. I am doing quality control (QC) for them, which uses my keen attention to detail. I use to run a slide library -- when slides were still used for lectures -- in an Art Department and then at a Museum. Back then I could read the captions on the 35mm slides that were photographed from books and magazines without a loupe or magnifier. My vision is not what it use to be but I can still catch a metal boo-boo.

Also, I have one listing (and hope to add more soon) for pewter wings to be used as components. You have seen some of them in previous listings, but I am still perfecting them. The new catagory in my shop is "DreamCastings". Look out for Angel Wings to be added soon.

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Something Sublime's Deryn Mentock has drawn my name TWICE in two recent giveaways. Looks like my luck is turning around. Maybe I should buy a Lottery Ticket.

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Erin of Treasures Found is having a color challenge and I chose Fall Colors. The reveal will be December 3, 2010. I have been seeing the rich red hues that is the strongest color on the paint chip she sent me in the fall foliage. The other colors on my sample are much more timid creams and tans. I am definitely feeling the challenge, both in design and in time constraints. Where has the Fall gone?

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That's the news from me.

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What is squeezing your challenge muscle?

An Experiment

I have been experimenting with the lovely pewter pieces I have accumulated recently. Nan Emmett and I talked for a long time about what I could and should do with them.

Remember this set of necklace and earrings I made while on vacation?

The silver finish is beautiful, but I have access to a process that will allow me to add color to the finish. Also, I am thinking about offering these as components in my Etsy Shop, so you can add them to your creations.

This is a a spooky, scary Halloween bat pendant I started while on vacation too.

Would you like to finish it? How would you use it?

Should I 1) make it available as a component

or

should I 2) finish it and post it on Etsy?

I finished the bat-wing earrings with blood-red coral tear-drop beads.

And here's another design of bat-wings as earrings.

I just love these small wings. Either as blackbird wings . . .

Or humming bird wings. These two pairs of wings are from the same mold, but they have a completely different feel because of the colors used.

While I was working on the wings below, I was reminded me of Hummingbird Wings and the blog Deryn Mentock wrote ( Something Sublime ) last Wednesday about a poor little hummer that died flying into her closed window. These wings are about the right size for a Hummingbird too. The same colors on a larger wing remind me of a parrot's wing. This design has hole on the tips of the separate feathers for dangling tiny jewels or to create an asymmetrical design.

So here are some questions for you:

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How would you use these pieces?

Would you want to buy them as components?

or as finished pieces (necklaces, earrings, etc)?

Would you want to be able to specify coloration?

Would you want to have them available with stones/beads/crystals?

Or without?

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I feel as though I am on the very edge of a new direction and I value your opinions.

Please leave a comment.