Trinket #352 - Antiqued Birds' Nest Ring

What makes this ring antiqued? The fact that I made the steel and silver nest nearly a year ago and sat it in my kitchen windowsill. The months passed and I eventually forgot about it until I was rearranging some plants. When it was discovered, the steel had some rusty spots and the silver beads had formed a slight layer of tarnish. I think I prefer it this way.

Trinket #342 - Nature Necklace

It was a long day followed by a long evening, so a quick trinket was definitely in order. Following the recent trend, I worked with the first things I found when I reached into the supply stash. In this case, it was a bundle of hemp and a little card of charms that included this lovely bird!

Trinket #260 - Harmony and Balance Bracelet

Harmony and balance - two things that I've been unsuccessfully trying to reclaim these last six weeks. Things are finally starting to get back to "normal" around here so I can get back on that path. This little disk has the words harmony and balance stamped on it as a reminder of what I'm seeking. It's held on a simple hemp cord with sliding knots for easy adjustment.

Trinket #230 - Bird in a Nest

This tiny pendant is made from a little bird charm that was left over from a mixed bag of bird stuff that I picked up back in January. I paired it with a small rose quartz that was almost egg-shaped. I love the pale pink with the silver bird so much that I think I'll wear it tomorrow.

Trinket #133 - Bad Hair Day Clip

Growing out a short haircut sucks, especially the period when bangs are too long to wear towards your face and too short to tuck behind an ear. My solution? A bird for the crazy, tangled mess. I'm sure it can make some sort of nest or something and do a better job with this hair than I can!

Trinket #94 - Flying Swallow and Nest Neclkace

Why? Because I love birds. I especially love birds on necklaces. I love them so much that I could wear three dozen at a time like Mr. T.

*crickets chirping*

Trinket #90 - Asymmetrical Necklace

I thought I would switch things up a bit and make a necklace today. This one has a hefty silver swallow pendant adorned with a tiny, faceted aquamarine bead. The asymmetry comes from a large, faceted flat aquamarine bead and two clear glass seed beads made as a "link" at the side. I'm leaving town again tomorrow and plan on wearing this piece when I go. Fortunately, this time I'll be driving and won't have to worry about TSA snagging my supplies!

Trinket #87 - Lucky Garnet Bracelet

Two bracelets in a row! I love these garnet beads and will be quite sad when I've used them all. I know where to get more, but the price tag for this quality stone is a bit higher than my conscious is comfortable with me paying. I guess my choices are (1) get over it or (2) find a less expensive supplier. The search begins tomorrow!

Now for the elephant, er... pigeon in the room. My awesome "grandpa" neighbor used to raise pigeons just like this one. In fact, this is a life-size ceramic model that he painted many moons ago. Believe me, he had some mad painting skills - during his prime, he was one of only two people in the state of Virginia who made prosthetic eyes (painted to match your very own!) for those who had lost one for whatever reason. Apparently I know an above-average number of folks with prosthetic eyes because several of his former clients - and he remembers every one of them - are friends of mine. Seriously small world.

Trinket #84 - Nevermore Necklace

I couldn't bring myself to force another pair of earrings on you tonight, so I managed to put together this necklace. I've been feeling somewhat less-than-optimal the past few days, a feeling which seems to have culminated into full fledged lousiness today, so the trinket had to be a quick one.

I'll leave you with a line from Poe's The Raven that I've always been particularly drawn to, maybe because it seems to describe a major part of my life -

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before." 

PS - For the curious: yes, the skull smoker is one of my ceramics from last spring.

Trinket #73 - A Feathered Nest

No, I didn't go with the Motif Monday theme today. I spent several hours working outdoors again and found all of the birds busy at building comfy nests in my trees and shrubs. Their diligence was the inspiration for these earrings.

This pair of ear fobs is made with light purple (almost gray) crackled glass beads, silver wire, and a bird and nest charm. Hopefully I will have some time again soon to make something other than earrings!

Trinket #60 - Huginn and Muninn

As you probably noticed, my plain white backgrounds didn't last very long at all. Full color is back today with these quick earrings. The focal point of the trinket is the brushed bronze raven on each. Think of them as Huginn and Muninn, Odin's little pals. Added to the bottom of the earrings for a bit of interest and movement are some Serpentine nuggets. The gem's metaphysical properties are thought to help find lost wisdom and to provide enlightening energy - another nod to Odin.

I have a fondness for crows and ravens that began many years ago after watching a film about a study done to measure the birds' cognitive capacity. Needless to say - it was off the charts. Adolescent ravens will hang out in "gangs" and hassle the older mated pairs for their own amusement. The male of the mated pair will chase off the hecklers repeatedly, sometimes without eating for long periods, just to protect his wife. Sounds more like human society than I feel comfortable with.

For years after seeing this film, I kept a crow call in my purse in the event I saw a lone bird and wanted to try and offer it something. Apparently, if you befriend one, even though it has spent all of its life in the wild, the bird will still bond with you. I keep my hopes up that someday I'll have a tasty piece of bread, or a Cheeto (like the study found ravens and crows are quite fond of), and can make a feathered friend of one of these intelligent beauties.

Trinket #51 - Onward and Upward Earrings

After a long period of introspection, I've rewritten my goals for 2011. I don't feel the rush to do this at the New Year because, well, they're not resolutions, just things I plan to make happen before the year ends. This is a pretty big deal for me, so today's trinket is symbolic of those goals. I'm sure I'll share a few of them here before the year is out, but I don't want to jinx myself by airing them before I get on track.

These quick earrings were made with a pair of swallow charms, a bit of chain, and ear wires. Five minutes!

Trinket #9 - Birds of a Feather

The past few weeks here in central Virginia have been unseasonably cold and snowy. We have always fed the birds in the area, but we've found that this weather has made them much more dependent on our offerings. In fact, I took a peek at one of the feeders this morning and counted more than a dozen mourning doves and a cardinal on the ground below it, about six sparrows at the feeding perch, a pair of chickadees waiting patiently on the post that holds the feeder, and a lone tufted titmouse squeezing into the buffet line. Paul just filled a 32-oz seed container last night and it already needs filling again!

I guess I have these feathered friends to thank for inspiring today's trinket. The necklace is made from silver chain and features another bird's nest made from annealed steel and silver beads. A swallow charm on silver wire flies alongside.

Trinket #6 - Seashore Bracelet Challenge

Today's trinket was a tough one. I adore wire-wrapped jewelry, but it is such a struggle for me to make. How do you get better at anything? Practice and determination - two things this "Make Something Every Day" adventure is helping me to refine. I decided it was time to step outside of my comfort zone and go for a bigger challenge - and I am so pleased that I did!

The influence for this bracelet? My whole life has been spent near a body of water. In Richmond, I live atop a hill about a mile from the bank of the James River. I see the water every day and hear its rough current crashing through the city's famous rapids just about anytime I have to drive somewhere. As a child, my paternal grandparents had a beautiful little house on the bank of the York River in Gloucester, Virginia. I could walk down the cliffside stairs (all sixty-seven of them) and either stroll along the rough sandy beach, or go out to the end of the pier to watch the tugs heading to the mill town of West Point. I guess because water has always been in the background of my life, I feel most at ease when I'm near it.

I put together lots of riverside memories to craft this bracelet. Along with silver wire and the little swallow charm, I've included a pair of seashells, some freshwater pearls, coral, a bit of agate the color of the York River beaches, and glass and stone beads in soft shades of blue and green. I finished with bleeding fingers (thanks to repeatedly stabbing myself while wrapping the wire) but I am happy to have the practice!