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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Rustic Leather

hello everyone! i almost always love sitting down to write this post. sometimes having very little to say. 😊 other times having way too much i want to say. today is somewhere in between.

i have a hurt arm right now, wrist and the underside of the forearm. it's not an injury, just overuse, i believe, and that has me a bit concerned but i refuse to think about it too much. i have not been working. i'm on day 12 (starting to really twitch now), trying to rest it as much as possible but everything we do uses the arms so it's challenging, and it's only gotten a bit better, so i'll have to think about what to do next. please excuse the lack of capitalization. it's easier for me to type without using the shift key right now. i apologize. 

the point though is that i have not created anything. i decided i would make something for my post, and i would do so without using wire, as it's the pliers that hurt the most. i love wire. love it. i am not afraid of the discomfort, i can deal with that; it's what the discomfort is telling me that concerns me, so pliers are out for a bit. well, maybe next week i'll give them a try. ;) i only have so much will power to stay away!

I have made designs without wire before, but i wanted to do something more than that. 

i have been very inspired by our own kristi bowman-gruel and lynn ferro in their use of paints and other coloring agents and have wanted to try my hand at it for awhile. i've had these leather pieces for almost two years! so yes, it's been a while. the pieces were made by melinda orr of ORRTEC. melinda is a very creative woman, and my hat is off to her after i worked painting leather, something she does all the time. i originally had purchased a pair of these leather wedges already painted. so beyond being inspired by melinda, kristi and lynn, they are likely similar to the pair melinda painted. she gave me instructions on how best to go about this, and the steps she takes. i did modify the leather pieces a bit. i won't go into the long story. There's nothing to learn from it, otherwise i would. ;)
so i did the painting over a few days. i painted the solid black background, front and back, and let that dry, really dry, and then did the painting in steps, basically by color as i decided what i wanted where. it wasn't the best thing for the arm, but i was not using pliers and that was my goal. i had what i thought were the thinnest brushes but i cut one of them to an even thinner point at the tip. the areas to paint in are very small. some of the areas required repainting with black when i "painted outside the lines." :) 
after all the painting was completed, again i let them thoroughly dry. using melinda's method, i took a piece of sandpaper to them to roughen them up and age them, and bring out some of the tan-colored leather underneath. 

I strung tiny copper-plated link chain between the 3 holes. then using waxed irish linen i hung just about the last of my stash of antique venetian glass beads, more than 100 years old. i have set aside two beads for myself but other than that, this is it of the good ones.  

The tops contain copper spacers and blue green picasso finish czech glass beads on linen also, then attached to a copper-plated flat spacer ring which accommodated both the linen and the black niobium ear wires. 

i did end up having to use pliers for the six copper links which the chain is attached to; it was not pleasant, and that was a sad moment for me. 

all in all it was a challenge, really. the painting was a painstaking process but very fun to see them become. i would will definitely paint again, hopefully sooner rather than later! 

as always, i am so grateful you stopped in to check us out. i thank you for letting me share my passion with you. i do hope this finds you all healthy and well.

thank you!

norbel
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18 comments:

  1. Norbel, what fun. I get inspired to try out a new technique too. Anyway, in your earrings I particularly like the lower part, with the waxed linen, the chain and the wire rings. Interesting combo that works really well.
    Your jewelry always inspires me!

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    1. malin, your feedback means a lot to me. we inspire each other, it seems. i love your work. thanks re the bottom. i've used that combination once before and hadn't planned on using it again. but the other things i tried just weren't right. :) thank you very much, malin!

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  2. Gorgeous, Norbel. Email me your address and I will send you a copy of my book, Rx for Quilters: Stitcher Friendly Advice for EVERY BODY. It is a comprehensive health care guide for women who who do needlework. It will show you how to avoid that injury you have right now and how to heal it. I will send you a paper copy. E-copies are availble via a link on my author website susandelaneyauthor..com. My website also contains a video of my appearance on Simply Quilts where I discuss prevention and remedies for ALL CRAFTERS. My book won an Gold Medal for Health Communication from the American Association of Medical Writers. It was also a Main Selection of the Doubleday Cooking and Crafts Club. And beautiful earrings, BTW. Susan

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    1. i will, susan. thank you so much! this has me very concerned at the moment. i appreciate all the GOOD advice i can get. :) thank you!

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  3. So sorry your wrist is hurting, Norbel---you are smart to avoid the pliers for now. The earrings turned out beautifully and I love your color choices. Very clever with the chain! Feel better! Lynn Carling :)

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    1. lynn, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. i appreciate that so much. thank you for the support, and for your kind words about the earrings. :) big grin. i hope this finds you and yours healthy and well!!

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  4. I hate it when I have an injury that interferes with creativity. I'm sorry you are going through that. Having had it happen to me a few times, you are doing the right thing. I have so far always been able to recover by easing off of the things that are causing it. You sure managed to create some beautiful earrings with very little plier usage. I'm glad you enjoy the painting, I think it's so much fun and you did a beautiful job!

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    1. this is my first experience with an injury. i am really hoping it is going to clear up. thanks for the kudos on the painting. i won't say it was easy. teeny tiny spaces and leather absorbs a bit so i did multiple layers. but i got the hang of it. and in the end, when it's done, it's a great feeling, eh? thank you always, kristi, for your support. <3

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  5. Gosh Norbel, I'm so cautious about getting an injury....I so hope it clears up with some respite. Your solution was genius however, and the earrings are beautiful!

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    1. well, lindsay, you are a very wise woman. i have learned the biggest lesson of all in this. i can honestly say that i should have known this was coming. right before it emerged i was pushing too hard, fighting with wire, making wire shapes for soldering, etc. bad. glad you like the earrings! thanks for your well wishes.

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  6. Norbel, I am so sorry you are still in pain and I can imagine how you must feel, having had a similar injury some years ago. For me, rest did the trick as well as stretchy tape which my physiotherapist taped on top of my hand and wrist. It did look silly and I never believed it worked, but it did.
    The earrings are beautiful. No wire but so "Norbel". Wonderful color and material use.

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    1. janine, you are so sweet. ya know, the pain is really discomfort as long as i don't do anything stupid, but it is what the pain is telling me that has me concerned. i know what you mean about the stretchy tape. it's probably what we call an ace bandage, and it helps keep it from moving too much. hmmmm. i didn't think of that. i was trying to use a wrist brace i had from many years ago, but it made it worse. thanks so much for mentioning that. i will see the doctor if it doesn't improve but i know what they will do and it's not worth it right now. thanks! so glad you like the earrings!! thank you for your praise. :) hugs.

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  7. Love all the little details. I hadn't registered the chain until you mentioned it - but it's an essential element! I do hope you're finding the pliers much more comfortable very soon!

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    1. thanks, claire! i know what you mean about not really seeing the chain. the background i used was not the best choice for that. :) i do hope so too. thank you, claire.

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  8. Oh, Norbel, I'm worried about your hand/arm. I flirt with overuse in both my arms and it is definitely no fun, especially when your muse is cranking and telling you to get in the studio. This pair is beautiful! I do hope you arm gets better with some rest and gentle treatment. Perhaps even a gentle massage?

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    1. i have to say nikki that i am also. it is not improving to any real extent. i probably should also eliminate typing for a while. but geez, what would i do. i may be "forced" to do nothing but read!!! what a horrible fate that would be (yes, sarcasm). i better go now; the books are waiting. ;) thanks, nikki, for your concern. i'm going to believe that it will all be just peachy in a short time. :) hugs.

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  9. Norbel, the earrings are simply gorgeous! I'm so glad you could find an outlet for your bursting creativity that didn't irritate the problem you're having. Gaaah, why can't we just always FEEL WONDERFUL, and not have these things going on??! I hope you begin to notice improvement and feel better soon...I miss your vibrant spirit, and I know you are chafing at the bit to get back to your normal active self. Sending you hugs and much love, my friend. xoxoxo

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    1. I'm so glad you like them. I know you've painted pieces before, and i've always wanted to; i just never took the time. oh, i do know what you mean. in most other ways i'm feeling really well right now. the agitation about not being able to work has subsided and although i still have to fight with myself from time to time to not become anxious, i have adapted quite well. i have gotten good as i'm aging at not allowing things i can't do anything about to bother me. current POTUS excluded. i have, finally, seen some improvement, at least i think so. i am keeping it wrapped during the day and for the first time the last two mornings when i woke up, i didn't "feel" it. as soon as i start doing things it perks up but that's a start. it gave me some good hope. :) thanks, meridy. xoxo

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