Sunday, September 26, 2010

Weekly Challenge: Week 18 relic


raw cut opal

I've had this since I was 19-ish. While I was studying jewelry at RISD, my hauntie Donna was left with a bunch of lapidary equipment and a few jars of raw cut opals. She gave them to me as a gift right around the time I graduated.
I love looking at them but have never used any of them.
*blink*
I KNOW.
Sooooo, in honor of her birthday on October 3rd (and opal being the October birthstone) I will finally dig into the stash.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Weekly Challenge: Week 17 relic


32 cent Georgia O'Keeffe poppy stamp (first day of issue: May 23,1996)

In 1996, I did not use or own a computer. *gasp* That didn't happen for me until 1999 (that was SO last century).
also, *gasp*

We wrote letters by hand and paid all our bills with checks (say what now?)

I still love a good stamp and have a small collection of ones I was particularly fond of.
I mean really, who doesn't love tiny art? and a nice handwritten letter every now and again is oh so lovely.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Weekly Challenge: Week 16 relic






New York City subway token

This "bullseye" token was minted between 1986-1990 as stated here.
I didn't actually move to NYC until June of 1991. There was only one more version of the subway token before the metro card took over for good. 
Personally, I always preferred the tokens. There's something so satisfying about coins. Baby, I'll take metal over plastic any day!


Saturday, September 11, 2010

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Weekly Challenge: Week 15 relic









this is how I found my relic


this is what they looked like when I got them to the studio. the color is so delicious!

my relic is for these lost lives (and I think they meant "cannon")

the despair was palatable

flowers collected and preserved from Belle Isle, Richmond, VA

I recently went for a run on Belle Isle, a small island that's now part of the Richmond parks system. As beautiful as it is, there are still reminders all around of what it was once used for. During the Civil War it was, among other things, a prison for Union soldiers. Many men suffered terribly and then died here under horrific conditions. I'm sure the place is haunted by a thousand soldiers. I instinctively wanted to comfort them.
So as I was running, I noticed that these flowers were all over the island. Pops of fiery orange and yellow amidst the lush greenery. I noticed the same three fallen blooms during each lap around. So I photographed them and carried them home. I pressed them and those are what I'll use for this week's challenge.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Weekly Challenge: Week 14 reliquary


sterling silver, resin cabochon, slate fragment

Maybe it's just me, but when I picked this one up all I kept seeing was a rabbit face. And rabbits brought me to gardens (where I found this piece of slate). And rabbits then brought me to Alice in Wonderland. And that rabbit brought me to clocks. So, you see where this one came from. And then as I was working on it, on the first day of September, a friend said "rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit". And there you have it.

also, Jessica P, this one's dedicated to you! Happy Birthday!