Newest Petite Litho Gem Necklace.

I've been working on some petite litho steel necklaces as a series.  Three variations are nearly finished.  I really ought to finish one of them at a time but it just never seems to work that way.  I prefer to do the patinas and setting at the same time.  This is the next one.  On the whole they really are on the petite side - see the photo of the folded tin pieces in my hand.  I will need to bend the silver tubing to make this work.  I've a tutorial on how to do that so I'm looking forward to trying it.

 

And before I got this posted I was working and found the instructions for bending tubing.  Check out: Art Jewelry - September 2015 Issue - Tube Hoop Earrings.   I found a suitable sized tubing in my old stash that I figured would work pretty good.   I bent the steel rod - not an easy task - into a curve I thought would give me what I wanted in the final piece and gave the whole thing a steady yank through the drawplate.  Hallelujah, I got that nice gentle curve I was after and cut my 5/8" piece off for my pendant.



 



 

Not quite done yet and I'm debating the merits of the ball on top of the tube but I think I'll go ahead and solder one on there since I think it mimic's the ball I want to add below the bead I've yet to create for the bottom.  The repetition of the round form won't hurt a thing - even on a little piece.

 

 

The Antique Tobacco Barn

While our son Bob was here visiting after the trip from Michigan we decided to do a little antique shopping.  We only made one stop - The Antique Tobacco Barn in Asheville.  It was huge.  Here are a few shots.  I will go back - - - - again, and again, and again.   And, of course, we will go to others in the area - but after a thorough look through this one we were pooped.

What fun stuff - It seems liked miles of it.  I love the glove molds/ white gates/ and so much more.



Look at the wonderful textile bobbins.  A great nod to NC's fiber history.