So what did we make?

Thanks for the interest in our creations. I wasn't there on the Saturday when the girls made the beautiful Swallow Book but you can see that if you visit Annette Husband's blog ( link on the side bar).
On the Sunday we made jewelry. Jewelry! Since when have I ever done that? I've never even properly put in a jump ring.
I had a lot to learn but, boy, was it fun!
First we made this etched metal book necklace. Starting with the plain brass piece,we learned to etch the metal using stamps and chemicals. It reminded me of school chemistry lessons but way more fun. I never got to work with tools at school. Far too academic. So putting metal into a vice and bashing it into shape with a mallet and drilling holes in it and filing it was just too good. Call it therapy.

After we bashed the metal into shape, we made the book to be inserted. Jenny provided some tiny antique tintype photos to use on the front. I would like to say this is a relative. I had planned to bring a photo of my father as a boy but I'm not that well organised. Maybe next time.
So this is the final result.

Later that evening we made another necklace. This time we learned a neat way of doing an image transfer using paper over 100 years old. We transferred the image to a genuine antique chandelier crystal kindly donated by Maggie. Jenny has such an eye for making jewelry out of hardware. Who would have thought to put an escutcheon into a necklace?

So now I have a long list of tools that I "need". Drills and files and vices and jewelry pliers and wire cutters. The list goes on.

But it's worth it, I think.

Finally, we thought of you Dneese. It would have been lovely to have you in our group. And I think you need to meet this woman. On the left is Jenny Crossley, who you know. On the right is Pam and what a textile artist she is. She crocheted this scarf which we all loved.

So naturally, we wrapped it around a tree to remind us of you.

I demonstrated a little class as well using polished pigments by Luminarte. Will post a web tutorial on it very soon. But just a reminder to anyone interested. The 40% discount on all Luminarte products including Twinkling H2O's, Radiant Rain and Polished Pigments ends on June 14. The postage to Australia is pretty steep but I'm so glad I stocked up.