working on dia de los muertos at zillyboy

28 June, back at Zillyboy. I was at the nature center 10:30-4:30, then came up here to the picnic area above the beach. I worked on the black maille collar with points and skulls, and eventually purple, orange, and pink crystals, for an hour or so.

I think I’m finally getting on the downhill side of it at last. I ought to be! Been working on it off and on for at least a month.

It will have a total of nine points, with colorful crystals signifying grief, sunshine, and celebration suspended from the tips.

Then a quarter mile walk around the sidewalk loop, and I am resting a bit before trudging back to the car.

Fewer people here than last month, but the beach is plenty active. Fewer birds, really only mockingbirds singing. I heard one in three places as I walked the loop. Don’t know if it was three birds, or if he was moving as I slowly progressed.

bronze

I've been sporadically busy, but no posting for months. Especially when I am spending most of my time at the Ridge. Good for working on the green, breezy upstairs porch, but no internet except on the not-quite-stupid phone inhibits online documentation.

I made several things in the February blizzard. Then when the snow all melted and spring came bounding in, I pretty well stopped in favor of outdoor pursuits. Another spurt of activity came juts before the May show I did in Prosper, and then this past week, preparing goodies for my next offering to Oxide Gallery.


Got some true bronze (copper/tin alloy) wire from Nancy Wickman a few weeks ago. I put together a pair of earrings with graduated paisley (sort of) motifs, and then worked up a 4-metal box-chain necklace, bronze, copper, silver-surfaced and gold-surfaced German wire. It's about a quarter inch thick, out of 20-gauge 5/32" rings.

This picture in the sun shows the four sides of the box chain; from the top they are bronze, copper, gold, silver. In the lowest section, with the silver links showing full face, the edgewise rings at the top are bronze, and those below are the gold.





Having turned all the rest of the 20-gauge wire into jump-rings, I was unable to fix the situation when one of the earrings made its escape at the exceedingly windy, and also muddy, Prosper Founders' Fest. Evidently, the table cover flipped in the wind and tossed it into the hay-covered mud underfoot, where I could never find it. I just yesterday received more wire, so I will try to manage a matching one.





Then with the 18-gauge I made a bunch of 1/8" links for the pendant heading this post, with a crystal eye and small crystal dangles. The silver pendant like this, with a blue crystal, sold at DHS in December (with no photo taken, bah!) So I hope the right customer comes to Oxide for this one, always assuming that Warren takes it.