Freeform Friday: Antique Ephemera

Read about my previous Texas inspiration from January 2013... 

This past week I was in Austin, Tx visiting family. I adore travel, and I love the heightened awareness that I get when traveling. The DE-TX route is one I do a few times a year; even though my sister's and my parents' houses feel like home - the travel awakens me. I am more alert, tuned in to my surroundings as they are familiar but different. I am almost guaranteed to be inspired, and rejuvenated to return to the studio. This trip it was a day trip to Georgetown, TX and a few fabulous antique stores...

The loot from Gatherings. 

Rosary cases for mixed media necklaces? 

We were having a bit of show and tell over a glass of wine - and my Dad was incredulous that I was SO excited over this little pile of ephemera. But I have big plans:

This leather rosary case joins a leather coin purse in my tray of treasures. I see them with grommets to allow for a secure attachment that won't damage the leather. I imagine personal treasures inside: pictures, notes to one's self, a small object to wear close to your heart...

The Optometrist lenses are a classic component of mixed media pieces, and I admit I find them lovely to use. I like to collage on antique paper, worn thin and translucent. The resin does the rest. I think the layers reveal and conceal words and images in a way that engages the viewer. The resin lens shown was one half of a pair of spectacles. As the the buckles - I DO have a stock pile of these. I like to use them as frames, enshrining a word or image. The piece below was created in tandem with my artist friend Betsy Mortenson, the shapes and words play off the images in a giclee print of hers.

Optometrist lenses and an antique Mother-of-pearl buckle. 

This one may look familiar? Another buckle on the top right... and a look back at the mixed media COM's from January 2014! I'm pretty excited - I'll be teaching this mold making/polymer/mixed media class at Bead Fest in April! 

Buckles destined for Mixed media; like  I am teaching at Beadfest! 

And last but not least, a flock of feathered friends in the form of cigarette cards. Popular from the 1870's until the early 1900's these advertising cards decorated and stiffened soft packs of cigarettes. They are quite collectible, but at $1 each I don't think these corvids and owls are in high demand.

Cigarette cards - a company of corvids. 

The sales woman asked me what I was going to do - I think the phrase mixed media artist piqued her interest. I had been sketching shrine pendants in the airport already - so here are a few excerpts from my pages:

From my sketchbook... 

The cards are a bit large and I may have to trim them. My basic idea is to create a copper and mica sandwich, or alternately a copper and plexiglass sandwich. The piece would be attached with rivets, microvolts, etc. I could even do a peyote stitch ribbon around the piece, ( sketch on bottom left) to circle the poleax and sit flush between the copper pieces. Hmm. SO many ideas!

What will these be? Time will tell... 

And last but not least:
Antique watch crystals, some tiny and some medium. I am going to keep these a secret for now... but I am SO excited about these! They were in a Mason jar! So many, I was sorting through them, tempted to buy more!

I have a studio day planned today! Mixed media, metal, polymer, and perhaps a few hares... it IS March. Until next time... 

Jenny

website and blog

etsy store

Freeform Friday: a visit to Downton

Warning: this post may have you craving scones and high tea. You may have a compulsion to dress for dinner. However, for the rare few who have NOT watched PBS's Downton Abbey, there may be a few small spoilers. Beware. 

This is how the day began: tea with the Aunties. My friend Angela had made me an honorary aunt to her daughters Jordan and Ellie ( my students of 10 years...).  It was a sumptuous spread, only missing the Devon clotted cream*, sadly. 

Winterthur - HF Dupont's home from his birth in 1880 to his death in 1969. 

We headed off to Winterthur, historical house/museum in Wilmington DE. This house was the duPont family estate, founded in 1837 and made public by H.F. duPont in the 1950's. Tours are available of the house, still furnished in the duPont's style, and the museum hosts a large collection of decorative arts, dating from 1640-1860. The garden's  are also a showpiece, and seasonal tours are a must. 

Winterthur is currently hosting an exhibit of the costumes from PBS's Downton Abbey. The exhibit drew parallels between the two countries/lifestyles/families very well. A lovely thoughtful synthesis of history and pop culture. 

But really - its all about the dresses... I was excited to see things up close, and reading some of the details - so impressive. The costume department had 7 weeks to create all the fashions for a season. In many cases a dress was inspired by a piece of period accurate lace/beading/fabric and replicated to match from there. (So while this post isn't "art jewelry" per se - its personal adornment, bead embroidery, and so much inspiration!) Without further ado... 

Cora's dress - hard to imaging wearing it - it was SO ethereal. Amazing beaded front panel. 

Cora again. This long velvet duster was a dark olive and truly the thing I coveted most in the entire exhibit.  The center panel on the skirt is off center because they only had so much antique beaded motif to work with, so they designed it in regardless. 

Wearing this to dinner? I can see the need for a Lady's maid to do touch ups and mend loose beads. 

Just beadwork. Because it was so stunning. The black/white/silver piece on the left made me gasp out loud. No exaggeration. The top right dress was worn by Cousin Rose - flapper style sheet covered in bugle beads. The bottom purple number was worm by Matthew's mother if I remember correctly. 

Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess. Need I say more? 

Mary and Matthew's  attire from the fateful night - of their proposal. So bittersweet.  This dress was oddly unembellished, just multicolored seed beads at the ruffles edges and a pendant piece stitched on as a focal in the front.

Edith. Poor Edith. Details from her wedding gown. 

Sibyl, ever the fashion forward sister stunned the room when she appeared in this for dinner. It was pants! Harem pants of silk... but this embroidered bodice was more stunning to me. 

Lady Sibyl again - an embroidered velvet number styled after Parisian trends  of the 20's. 

If you are near Wilmington DE between now and January - I highly recommend this exhibit. It was a lovely fan moment to see the costumes yet it successfully transported me back in time. There were pieces on display from the employees as well, but as I was focused on embellishments... "Service" was accurately represented, in all their contrast. 

My mother taught my sisters and me to embroider in different decorative stitches when we were quite young. Its a skill we have all retained to varying degrees. That combined with my new love of seed beads... hmm. Ideas are brewing. I'll let them steep a while... ( puns intended)

*Cream tea:  The Devonshire (or Devon) method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. Traditionally it is important that the scones be warm (ideally, freshly baked), and that clotted (rather than whipped) cream and strawberry jam, rather than any other variety, are used. Butter is generally not included, and the tea should be served with milk.

Whatever your plans for the "weekend" - have a good one!
Jenny

*Cream tea: There are regional variations as to how a cream tea should preferably be eaten. The Devonshire (or Devon) method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. Traditionally it is important that the scones be warm (ideally, freshly baked), and that clotted (rather than whipped) cream and strawberry jam, rather than any other variety, are used. Butter is generally not included, and the tea should be served with milk.

January Component of the Month reveal!

January my friend, you have flown by... while so many of us shoveled and snuggled amidst the snow and ice. Personally - I hibernated, and am feeling more awake and inspired lately than I have for weeks. And I am very excited to see what my friends, colleagues, and our blog guests have created this month! 

Polymer - mold taken from antique buckle. Hand painted, added patina and gilding. Vintage text under resin. 

Here they were - all lined up and sun kissed and glistening. You would think I would have taken a better picture before they were dispatched. But no - so I leave you to see the words chosen, and designs created... 

Thanks to one and all for helping me debut these mixed media pieces that are so very "me". I know they are in good hands. 

Guests:
Hope of Craftyhope -
Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry

AJE team
Jennifer Cameron
Diana Ptaszynski
Lesley Watt
Susan Kennedy
Caroline Dewison
Linda Landig
Melissa Meman
Keirsten Giles
Rebekah Payne
Kristen Stevens
me ( Jenny)

*** This just in - winners for February!  Congrats go to: 

KimmyKats, Lori Bowring Michaud, and Kathy Lindemer

Enjoy the blog hop!
Until next time...

Jenny 

www.jdaviesreazor.com

Freeform Friday: Trash to treasure

Trash to treasure. We all know the phrase. But for the last week its been my job.  I was trying to think of a topic for this post as all I have been doing is sorting, tossing, packaging, purging... Oh! That is the post!

My Dad is here, working on cleaning out my parents old house. As my parents are happily settled in new digs in Austin - its not a sad, heartbreaking experience... but the process is still exhausting mentally and physically, and a little depressing.  We have a dumpster... and we clearly know how to use it! (Picture was taken on Day 2 of 7!)

My brother ( on left) and husband ( on right ) surveying the territory. 

Clothes for vintage sales, clothes for Goodwill. Love letters from my maternal grandparents, nothing too racy as they were "courting" from 1917 to 1921! Cards drawn by my sisters and I for birthdays...moth eaten stuffed animals... so many memories to revisit, honor and then let go. 

But amidst the flotsam and jetsam there are treasures to be had!!! You know I am a mixed media artist and sometimes the strangest things spark an idea. Let me show you a few things I happily adopted this week:

1. Vintage clock keys - wire wrapped? Annealed, drilled? Necklace focal or shrine insert? 

2. Dutch (?) painted porcelain button - gabled house and ships beyond. Peyote stitch bezel? polymer?    Focal on a shrine exterior to draw you in? 

3. Vintage celluloid (early plastic) horse. I am thinking it was a Cracker Jack prize back in the day - before my time. Resin? Featured in a shadowbox pendant? 

4. Rhinestone bling - broken costume jewelry... Really - no idea. The magpie in me was drawn to the "shiny!"

1. Wee glass bottles ( above tins in top pix) - wire wrapped? Circular peyote around the neck? Corks? Contents? Those tins? Definitely shrine pendants. Altered, manipulated, and secret relics added inside... 

2. Id bracelet blank, vintage Mexican silver earring - My Mom saved one earring. Who knows the reason. Its stunning. 

3. Broken small pocket watch - no question here. I am just going to polish it and wear it on a long necklace with chunky gemstones!

Books! 

Derelict, dying, decrepit books. Old dictionaries, and foreign language texts are the best. Why? Words under resin! Lining a shrine interior! Text is a favorite of mine to incorporate into much of my work. 

Sorry to be brief - I hope you enjoyed seeing my finds... Its late here Thursday night - I look forward to a bit of down time this weekend (its been dialed up to 11 since before Beadfest) and then the studio next week! Stay tuned for more adventures... 

Brother - waving goodbye from way over there across the vista of detritus. 

Jenny 

www.jdaviesreazor.com