Birds Gone Wild Class

I broke out of my cage this weekend and took a bird-making class with Leighanna Light at a new art-teaching spot in my neighborhood called Art on Broadway, I took my best junque over there including my favorite old tins to cut up, rusty things I pick up on my walks, and some bells from my decades-in-the-making stash of bells... I even had a dream about what to make!

Click the picture to see a larger image.

The class is called Birds Gone Wild, and although you do have to be able to wield some tin snips and hole punchers, and bend a little wire, it's an easy, creative class with lots of possibilities and simple cold construction techniques. I opted to make door knockers with bells on the bottoms. Kind of a low-tech security system. ;-)

Leighanna is so relaxed, well prepared, and easy going -- she had extras of all the tools I forgot, plus small kits with a perfect, concise booklet, template, and little parts for everybody. Her demos were short and to the point, and fun!

I learned a cool new resist/patina technique which I didn't actually try in class because all my tins already had patterns on them. Finished one bird, with a few tweaks (or would that be tweets?) it will be flying off to the East Mountains to a friend's home. The other one (not pictured) will probably stay at Rancho Tafoya for awhile, seeing as it's coming on spring here...

~~~~~~~~~~

Lucy's Locket Pincushions

I love seeing what my Etsy customers create with the supplies they purchase from my shop. Lucy from Lucy's Locket makes imaginative, one-of-a-kind heirloom quality pincushions from lovely old vintage fabric. Recently, she's been including a few of my grungy old vintage corsage pins with some of them.

(Click the image for a full-sized view)

I just loved seeing how the amber pins coordinated with this felted baby thrush pincushion. The birdie was made from a felted wool sweater, and in addition to the layered pincushion it's perched on, its back holds a rescued Victorian bobble! Not surprising this item sold, but she has plenty more in her shop. Very creative! Inspiring work. And recycled!

~~~~~~~~~~

Vintage Tony Lama Butterfly Boots

What a great vintage find! These vintage 1970s Tony Lama boots are going up in my Etsy shop. Here are some extra photos (click each image for a bigger picture):

Today you see a lot of embroidered boots, but hardly any cutout/underlay work. These gawjus boots have two layers of underlay -- in chocolate brown and fawn tan. Even the smaller half butterflies at the top are cut out. Nice cutaway heel too!

~~~~~~~~~~

Discount Pricing on Vintage Sequins

Wow, I currently have over 70 colors and styles of vintage sequins listed in my seriousbeader Etsy shop. Most are on strands, fresh from the factory master hanks. I stock cupped and flat sequins, large and small, in a wide range of colors and finishes, as well as a few of the diamond shaped, single hole spangles used in knitting and for fringe.

So anyway, starting this year I'm offering a new discount on sequin strands -- and here's how it works:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mix and match 5 or more full strands for a 10% discount. HERE'S HOW:

1. Contact me via Etsy with your sequin choices (and anything else you want...). You can copy and paste the links or just type the sequin names into your message.
2. I'll set up a reserved listing for you with the adjusted price.
3. You make the purchase (and save a little $$ on shipping too!)

~ The discount applies only to full single strands of sequins, 5 or more strands.
~ Sorry, I cannot apply your discount after the purchase.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As if I didn't have enough up already, I'm adding new colors just about every week. Here's my favorite color of the week!

Rusty Orange 8mm metallic cupped

~~~~~~~~~~