Books....Copper and Beach Pebbles

Made from up-cycled materials, my sketches done in metal to hold your sketches on paper.

Each is one of a kind.

Available directly from me or Chartreuse Art Co-operative in St Joseph Michigan.

Lake Michigan Beach Treasures

Beach stones and beach glass found on the shores of Lake Michigan, tumbled by the lake until perfect for setting.

Ready. Set. Go.
More images below.

Prototype Pendant

I needed a play day (a break from building stock) so I took one, pulled out an old sketchbook and made this up from an old design... I like it.

I'll play with this idea lots more.

I had to wrestle it off of my daughter to get pictures of it this evening.

Beach Pebble Necklace

Trying a different photo set up.
Planning to peek at this on a few different computers.

One for the road

We are getting to go on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation to St John Island in the USVI. I actually won the grand prize drawing that St Joe Today had last winter, it was a gift certificate through Signal Travel and we could choose any place we wanted...back in July last year we thought "Boy it might be nice to go some place warm in the winter" And have we gotten a winter this year....piles and piles of winter. So fast forward to this Saturday we will be winging our way from K-zoo to Chicago to San Juan to St Thomas, then we will take a ferry to St John where we will stay at Maho Bay Camps. Prepare yourself for images of tourquoise water, white sand, snorkeling and rum punch!

On my last day in the studio before we head out I wanted to finish up one more Beach Stone Necklace. This one is long, 30 inches, it slips easily over my head and hangs just right, giving little peaks of the cut-away back as I walk.

I found this beach stone a couple years ago, it's one with a tiny hole only part-way through it, it's not a semetrical hole so it wasn't made from a swirling little drilling stone stuck in it like so many I find. It's black like a chunk of charcoal with a nice stippled-like texture, the curves are very smooth...it's been tumbled a long, long time.

Check back around Valentines Day I logged a special V-Day Happy Hour post.

Have a great 2 weeks!

Beach Stone Necklaces, etc

I finished up a second necklace with beach stones. I made it to move and turn and twist, I wanted it to look interesting from every which way. So I took it for a test drive last night and it was wonderful, it flipped, spun and moved without getting hung up or looking odd.

I had no less than 5 people stop me and need to try it on. That is a good sign.

I'm doing these sets without clasps, easy-on-easy-off.

Here it is with it's companion necklace and 2 pairs of beach stone earrings.

I'll be doing more of these for sure!

Beach Pebble Necklace

This is made with 9 lake tumbled stones that are smooooooooth and colorful in a muted way.

Each is the perfect little stone to drop in your pocket while walking in the sand. I keep trays of these sitting on my workbench, little piles of them on the kitchen window sill, one in my wallet, a stack on my dresser...

I cut the backs away for a peek of the other side of the stones.

Each stone has a setting made just for it, a perfect fit. Nestled in sterling, held tight forever.

Forever.

Back at it!

Now that the studio is mostly set up, I've been warming up my muscles with a little light hammering

Those up there are copper and sterling with fine silver rivets, some naturally drilled (ha!) Lake Michigan beach stones and one has a little fiddley bead I made awhile back.
This one up there, is copper with fine silver rivets and a lovely amazonite bead.

That one is mine.

...uhhh I mean it's for display purposes...