Water Lily themed Bronze Railing

I posted this protected back in December and have now decided that I can post it publicly. The pictures show parts of the bronze railing that I completed in January.

More for my Etsy Store

This is the last production work I'll be doing for awhile. After this it's back to bronze and flowers and birds for some elaborate pieces.

If you click on the linked titles, it will lead you to its page in my Etsy store. Wholesale inquiries are always welcome.

Another oak leaf bracelet

A pair of Candleholders

The new and lovely Grape Leaves, ranging from 3 to 6 inches long.

Aviary from last year

I made the steel part of this aviary a year ago for a commission. (I think I had photos posted back on the old leafylady blog.)  I never saw it with the custom glass in it.  Over the weekend I went to a baby shower at their house and got to see it, with glass, and a bird!  The wire mesh is on top.  All of the glass panels are edged, stained glass style, and slide out for cleaning.

Bronze pulls, metalshop, crochet, & squab

These pulls have been finished for a few weeks.  I finally brought them to the house.  They are made out of bronze.  Other studio work?  I fixed a cast bronze crane sculpture for a client (not my own artwork.)  I made another oak leaf bracelet, buffed a bunch of oak leaves for a wholesale order, and made some grape leaves, a new leaf style for me this year.  I'll post pictures of the bracelet and grape leaves in a day or two.

I so want to clean and re-vamp the workshop these days.  I want to make it into a light airy artist space, that looks like a combination gallery studio.  When do I have time to clean?

Another crazy hat in progress.  It's so much more fun to crochet & knit when you let joy and spontaneity take precedence over restraint and good taste.

One of the 2 week old dove squabs.  The other one is doing well too.

Oak Leaf Bracelet and Candylicious Cake Hat

 Here is one of the oak leaf bracelets I was talking about.

Here is the hat completed, Candylicious Cake Hat #6.  It fits ages 5ish to adult!  I think it probably looks best on ages 5 through 10 years.

on a child

on me

Creative Play

A lot of catch-up this month...  Yesterday I picked up and vacuumed the entire house in one day.  Yes, I threatened the children with the loss of any small toy in the vacuum's path.  I also cleaned toilets.  I didn't dust, wash counters, tidy the studio, change sheets, or fix the dishwasher latch.  I did quite a bit of de-cluttering, tossing toys and a lot of upholstery swatches that I'll never use.

This is what I'm crocheting, very slowly.

The kids have been Shrinky Dink'in for their school Valentines.

I've got 20 oak leaf drawer pulls ready to go.  Need some?

I'm working on a few steel oak leaf bracelets- play again, while I work up to some major wallpieces. 

I'm taking a tig welding class at the local tech college. I've had the tig welder for about six months, for the bronze railing.  I did a good art welding job, but I know I can do a whole lot better technically with some skilled guidance.   Somehow I let the instructor talk me into taking it for credit.  I'm the only woman in the class.  The students range from right out of high school looking for an employable trade to middle aged workers looking to update their skills and have some better job options.  A few people are there just for fun.  I suppose I'm there to be a better Artist Blacksmith.  It's cheap, about $138 for a 2 credit course with 30 class hours.  I know how much it costs to run a tig, so I know that's definitely cheap when I factor in the instruction and supplies.  I also notice how much more frugal I try to be with the supplies (compared to the other students), since I'm self employed and I know how much it all costs.
It seems that the only dilemma in having a woman in a male-dominated welding class is whether the men can swear or not , which is much more their dilemma than mine.  (I do appreciate their thoughtfulness.) Other than that, there are no problems.

I almost forgot a picture of the one week old dove babies.

I am a bit perplexed by their coloring this time around.  The one in back is darker than previous chicks, so maybe it will be a wild color variety.  The one in front may be another violet neck although I am hoping for a white dove.

Yaaay & more leaves

 Hurrah!  The shipment wasn't lost after all.  There was an address mix-up, but the pulls did get to the customer.  I am so incredibly relieved and happy.   Now I do have 20 more oak leaf drawer pulls already welded up and ready to sell....

Here are the piles of leaves waiting for a reason to be..... something.  Will they go in a railing?  bracelet?  hook? sculpture? wallpiece?  It's kind of nice not knowing.