Etsy Metal Finds

February is around the corner and that means, for many of us, that it is time to get out into the garden! You can find a multitude of gardening supplies, instruments, and even plants and seeds on Etsy. I have selected just a few of these tools that may come in handy. Enjoy!

Clockwise from Top Left:

Garden Apron Pink Flowers by Crumb Designs

Jumbo Garden Labels 5 Pack by Future Prim Garden

Shabby Folk Vintage Garden Spade by Monkeys Always Look

Garden Tool Horseshoe Hook by Rio Grande Iron Works

ETSYMETAL Jewelry Challenge: Project Runway Season 7.3 "The Met"

For those of you who are just stopping in for a peek, EtsyMetal is holding a fun freestyle Jewelry Challenge that is coinciding with Project Runway episodes. Every weekend we will post the video link of the latest PR challenge, then we will post all the submissions from the previous weeks challenge, and also give the next weeks "theme."

WELCOME to the reveal of last weeks Episode 2 Burlap entries!

Below are our "13" EtsyMetal Team entries AND "one" guest submission!

Last weeks TV challenge was all about burlap, so we asked the designers to make a piece of jewelry using Burlap as the inspiration and/or material, and this is what they came up with!

1- Shannon Conrad

Shannon says, "Sandcast burlap (in bronze!), sterling caps, mixed metal chain."

2- Mike Stromberg

Mike says, "Cilice Ring - The wearer can grasp the top of the ring and twist from side to side abrading the skin with the burlap. A cilice (pronounced /ˈsɪlɨs/) was originally a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) used in some religious traditions to induce some degree of discomfort or pain as a sign of repentance and atonement. In more modern religious circles, the word has come to simply mean any device worn for the same purposes. (from Wikipedia)"

3- Sara Westermark

Sara says, "This piece is a size that is difficult for me to take good pictures with on my camera. It is a brooch and it also has a hidden bail for wearing as a necklace too. I domed it using my new sandbag and some hammers. The texture is burlap. I had some ideas to use the strands, but I changed my idea in the middle. "

4- Beth Cyr

Beth says, "in the end, i'm quite happy with it!

two layers of organic vine, thread and burlap"

5- Norsola Johnson

Norsola says, "for some reason the theme 'burlap' makes me fixate on the bags I get my basmati rice in...

so I made a burlap textured rice box ring... (and a necklace wich inlcudes two tinkling boxes) inside the box, there's a bunch of grains of rice, which make a sweet tinkly sound... if you shake hard enough, you can get a grain to fall out of the hole... one could also add more rice and see how that affects the sound... so it's interactive too! hours of fun...

6- Nina Dinoff

Nina says, "I was pretty lost as to what to do and I really loved Mila's dress,  so I decided to use that as inspiration. Sterling silver, copper, burlap, patina."

Victoria Takahashi

VIctoria says, "This was another toughie for me. I am not all that attracted to this material. I first tried to make dyed Kanzashi flowers and the burlap proved to be too thick for the look of the flower. So with little time to spare and fierce determination to finish, I squeeked out some earrings which I will now affectionately call Raggedy Ann earrings."

8- Rachelle Stromberg

Rachel says, "Gilded Burlap & Copper with a Heat Patina"

9- Kira Ferrer

Kira says, "I tried to juxtapose the raw roughness of burlap with a more ornate border."

10- Nina Gibson

Nina says, "For the Burlap challenge, Victoria Sent me a piece of burlap (Thank you! :)), which was woven rather tightly, so I had to remove some of the warp and weft in order to get a more open weave to fit the strips of sterling silver into place. Once I figured out how to do that it worked great. The burlap/silver piece is riveted to copper which was roller printed with metal screening on the back."

11- Stacey Hansen

Stacey says, "burlap.....i HATE burlap!!!!

i really do not like alternative materials challenges.

i like my metal and stone.

i don't want to use burlap or teeth or pleather.

i wanted to keep the burlap looking like burlap, but make something that still fit my style."

12- Mark Kaplan

Mark says, "I really like the smell of burlap.....

it reminds me of hay and barns and horseback riding....."

13-Thomasin Durgin
Tomi says, "burlap and fabric stiffener, burned."

 

Now meet our “one” GUEST Designer entry this week!

I just want to add that it is a pleasure to see and have guests join in on this challenge, we love to meet new people and see wonderful new work, thank you for playing with us!

Jo Hollingsworth

Jo says, "After spending three days finding burlap (*not* easy in the middle of a city), I roller printed the texture onto silver to create this charm. I'm amazed by how topographical the texture is. The closer you look, the more you can see the details of the fibers. This is the first time I've roller printed a texture onto metal, and I think it has real potential. I find myself looking sideways at all sorts of things, thinking "how would that look if I squashed it into some silver?"

**guidelines for guest participants:**

Please read this every week as there may be small updates and changes. The pieces you submit must be pieces that are made specifically for that weeks challenge. Then post your links in this weeks comment area, I will retrieve them as they come in before the deadline.
*We only are accepting guest submissions from our blog comment area at this time, insert your links there. Then please cross-post this to your Blog, Flickr, Etsy, etc. And tag them with "Project Runway Season 7 Episode 3." Currently we will post your name with a link and a picture of your piece on our blog. Remember, the rigid deadline for submitting your link is always on Fridays, 12 noon, Pacific Standard Time. The new blog posts will go up the weekend after the new episode airs.

Episode 3: The Metropolitan Museum of Art!
This is a very exciting challenge! We are asking that you browse around the infamous “Met” a piece of art that inspires you, and then make your own personal interpretation of a classic piece from anywhere in their archives, it could be a past or present exhibit or something from their permanent collection. Click here to go the Met!

***EXTRA assignment: IF you feel inspired add a production piece if you have time, something simple that is inspired by YOUR Met piece. ***

Have fun and we will see you next week, we are very much looking forward to seeing all your creations!
*click here to watch Episode 3: MyLifetime full video!

Charm Swap Five

The CS5 deadline is in four days! Each participant is making 22 charms, 20 to swap and two for the EtsyMetal shop. Some have already shipped their charms, while others are working right up to the due date.

Kira Ferrer has completed and shipped her lovely sterling charms with floral motif.

in progress

in progress

Sara Westermark says of her new design, "This is but a start to my etsy metal charm swap. They will still get tube set gemstones, barbells and a jumpring. Right now I'm planning to have them hang sideways. "


Nina Gibson has finished her pretty sterling silver loopy charms.


Cynthia DelGiudice's fold-formed copper charms are beautiful and organic.





Maggie Joynt's gorgeous pieces are made from sterling silver, copper and gemstones. (Garnet, Citrine, Peridot, Blue Topaz, Sapphire, Amethyst, Smoky Quartz.)

Ring-a-Day (January 19 thru 25)

A few less EM members had Ring-a-Day submissions, this week---but we are still going strong! The creativity being generated by this challenge is truly mind blowing. Please click on the links to see more....

1. Beth Cyr 2. Sara Westermark 3. Shannon (rubygirl)
4. Norsola 5. Su (Quercus) 6. Rachelle (mikeandmary)
7. Nina Dinoff 8. Kathryn Riechert 9. Danielle Miller

1. Brooke Medlin, 2. Tomi (Metal Riot) 3. Vic (experimetal)
4. Maureen (cosmosmoon) 5. Laurie Brown (aubergine228) 6. Mike (mikeandmary)
7. Maggie Joynt 8. Nina Gibson 9. Paul (noformdesign)
10. Colleen Baran 11. Stacey (wildflowerdesigns) 12. Lisa (lpjewelry)

ETSYMETAL Jewelry Challenge: Project Runway Season 7.2 "Burlap!"

For those of you who are just stopping in for a peek, EtsyMetal is holding a fun freestyle Jewelry Challenge that is coinciding with Project Runway episodes. Every weekend we will post the video link of the latest PR challenge, then we will post all the submissions from the previous weeks challenge, and also give the next weeks "theme."

(as shown below)

WELCOME to the reveal of Episode 1 entries to the EtsyMetal Jewelry Challenge!
Below are our "twelve" EtsyMetal Team entries AND "three" guest submissions!
Last weeks TV challenge was a little vague to me. Tim Gunn asked the designers to run and grab as much Mood fabric they could in 3 minutes. then he said, "Now only pick 5 of them that you love, and make something that represents and speaks about you and your style."

So for this to be interpreted into a jewelry challenge and to spice it up a bit, I grasped on to the 5 statement and we asked you to incorporate the number 5 somehow, your interpretation of that.

1- Sara Westermark

Sara says, "I wanted to do a bracelet that used 5 different themes in my work to express my "style."

2- Shannon Conrad

Shannon says, "Sandcast from a large vintage button. I then sawed out a portion of the center, shaped it and soldered it to the band. This ring features 5 flowers and 5 tube-set faceted stones (peridot, amethyst, citrine, white topaz and garnet). I really love the asymmetry of the piece."

3- Kathryn Riechert

Kathryn says, "This piece is much larger than I usually work, but I am happy with how it turned out."

4- Victoria Takahashi

VIctoria says, " I was kind of stumped by this weeks theme, so I went to the rudimentary basics of this challenge and literally made a 5.  I  fabricated a large hollow form made of Copper. I then oxidized it and left a soft warm finish."  *measurements: h 1.5/8" x w 7/8" x d 3/8".

5- mark kaplan

Mark says, "Hamsa-Khamsa, hand of Fatima-hand of Mariam, it depends on your religion, but it also means FIVE, they all use the same word, so why can't they get along better? "
*materials: sterling silver, brass, turquoise.

6- Nina Gibson

Nina says, "loves me... loves me not... loves me... loves me not... loves me.
A game (French in origin) where a person alternately says, "He loves me." and "He loves me not." while pulling petals off a flower. The last petal/phrase is the truth about the object of ones affection.
This little keepsake box will hold flower petals, or tiny love notes.
For Project Runway, theme "Five"; there are five copper petals on the flower and five garnet beads on the chain. The back of the box has more stamped petals."

7- Mike Stromberg

Materials:  Oxidized Sterling Silver

8- Rachelle Stromberg

Materials: Sterling Silver with Pearls

9- Kira Ferrer

Kira says, "Five shells from the beach here on Maui. "

10- Nina Dinoff

Nina says, "These cage structures are an element I am introducing in my work so I wanted to explore them more here. Each cage has five "arms", for in silver, one in 18k gold. I had originally intended to do the entire necklace of them but I ran out of the 16 gauge wire and I also ran out of gas. Literally. And I just happened to have made five of them! So I ended up creating this asymmetrical look and I am really happy with how it turned out."

11- Alisa Miller

Materials: Oxidized Sterling Silver

12- Stacey Hansen

Stacey says, "I chose to incorporate five elements that i love to use."

*flowers- cut outs and piercings

*cabochons-especially nongemmy with plenty of detail

*handmade chain

*oxidized silver

*monochromatic colors

NOW for our fabulous 3 GUEST Designer entries!!!

I just want to add that it is a pleasure to see and have you join in on this challenge, we love to meet new people and see wonderful new work, thank you for playing with us!

1. "Five", 2. 22.01.10 - five, 3. Five

Inbar Bareket says, "My five is a huge pendant cut from fine silver, build from the Number 5, and it's divided to 5 areas, and each area was etched with different lace pattern, oxidized .... and I wanted to add pearls - but I've decided to stop here! Maybe one day !

The pendant is 44mm width X 74mm high (1.75" x 2.9").

Jo Hollingsworth says, "I fell in love with fontography and typography years ago in school. So even though we had the option to use five stones, or a pattern of five, I immediately went searching through fonts for a very cool number five. I wanted a modern look, and something that was wider at the ends, so I could put a thick ring around it and it couldn't escape. I love how architectural this is, and how it could be a 5, or an S, or a 2, or just a form. To give it a nice feeling of weight, I sawed it out of thick sterling silver sheet and sanded it to a nice satin finish. I'm looking forward to watching it develop a distressed look as it gets banged around every day on my wrist.

Kathryn Cole says, "I decided to make 5 different oval and circle shapes for my necklace. It is a simple interpretation of Five."

**guidelines for guest participants:**

Please read this every week as there may be small updates and changes. The pieces you submit must be pieces that are made specifically for that weeks challenge. Then post your links in this weeks comment area, I will retrieve them as they come in before the deadline.

*We only are accepting guest submissions from our blog comment area at this time, insert your links there. Then please cross-post this to your Blog, Flickr, Etsy, etc. And tag them with "Project Runway Season 7 Episode 2." Currently we will post your name with a link and a picture of your piece on our blog. Remember, the rigid deadline for submitting your link is always on Fridays, 12 noon, Pacific Standard Time. The new blog posts will go up the weekend after the new episode airs.

Episode 2 is all about the Burlap!

SO come one and come all and submit a piece that has incorporated this most basic of materials, the raw sweetness and purity of BURLAP!  This is so exciting, the possibilities are endless and the best part is seeing what YOU will create from this crazy stuff!

Have fun and we will see you next week, we are very much looking forward to seeing all your Burlapee' creations!

*click here to watch Episode 2: MyLifetime full video!

Etsy Metal Finds

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! It's the season for all colors red, pink, and pastel. The season for love and romance, where cards are sent and candy is given to those we cherish. Here a few finds on Etsy for Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

Clockwise from Top Left:

Bunny and Pink Vase by Pretty Random Objects

Vellum Valentine's Day Card with Map by Two Guitars

Magnets 6 Vintage Invisible Zipper Slides by Amalia Versaci

Triple Heart Yarn Heart Wreath by Itz Fitz

Charm Swap Five Update

The January 31 deadline for Charm Swap Five is fast approaching, and several members have finished their charms, while some of us have yet to begin!

Nina Gibson's sterling silver charms are still in progress, and will eventually become a little portion from her loopy link bracelet.





Mark Kaplan has finished his wonderful sterling bells. Mark says, "There is a historical reference to these... I used to make mother in law bells...Among the Native American Tribe called Dine' (Navajo), there is a taboo that an adult male should never look his mother in law in the eyes... So the mother in law would wear a small bell around her neck to alert to man to her presence.... they were often made of small silver coins, domed with an attached clacker...."





Kathryn Riechert created lovely amulets made of antique/vintage silver plate spoons, quartz crystal, and an enameled copper flower.

For the jewelers they say:
May your fingers always be nimble
May your hammer never miss
May your pickle always be fresh
May your drill bits never dull
May your stones never crack
May your files never clog
May your tanks never run empty
May your tools never rust
May your solder always flow
May your saw blades never break

And for the shop charm and bracelet they say:
May your socks always match





Shannon Conrad has sandcast lego charms, and they really work!





Lynette Andreasen has completed her beautiful silver charms with tube set pearls.