We're All Ears :: November Reveal

The description of the taste of this vintage 1800s candy recipe called Nectar sounds so intriguing... "It's very hard to describe. Sometimes it tastes a bit like pound cake. Sometimes it tastes like almonds. Sometimes other flavors. And it seems to change when you suck on it. It's a delicious flavor and one that translates well in the 21st century."

The beautiful amber color of the candies was a perfect choice for November. Topaz is the birthstone for the month and there are plenty of beads and stones that give that same effect.
I used citrine, agate and even millefiori glass beads for my drops.

I love the look of that old hand crank machine that they used to make these candies. I find it so inspiring that something so old can be brought back to such a sweet new life! It has a very steampunk Victorian quality to it and it is fascinating to watch. To bring in the element of the antique candy press I used steel washers, twisted links and even beaded links (I wish I could say who the artist is who made them!).

For my contribution, I made four different pairs of earrings inspired by the candy making video and the fact that the candy changes flavors as you suck on it.

 

So what sweet treats have you cooked up for us this month? I can't wait to see what you did!

[Note: The InLinkz tool is something I love using but they increased their price substantially. So I am trying out a new link-up service. Please be patient as I work through this!] 

We're All Ears :: November Inspiration

I love to see how things are made. Maybe it is because I live with a manufacturing engineer, but I think it goes back a lot further than knowing my husband! When I was a kid, I would be fascinated by the inner workings of things. I might take things apart...but I was not all that good about putting them back together. But that was okay, because I liked the pieces that came out of those things just as much.

I am also fascinated by those inventions that people created to make a process run smoother. It always makes me wonder how someone came up with the idea and all the things that went into making that machine to do the job quicker and easier.

So it was with great delight that I discovered a set of videos of hand-crank candy machines from the 1800s that are being put to good use today by a candy-making company out of Tallahassee, Florida called Public Displays of Confection. They have rescued these rusty relics, refurbished them and even resurrected some of the vintage confection recipes.

Can you say "yum?"

This is one of several videos on their YouTube channel that shows how they use the old equipment to make these candies. This video shows the making of a Victorian Nector Drop and answers the question, why are Lemon Drops called Drops? It is not what you think!

I love the color of this candy, the golden honey yellow is so soothing. I love the process of taking the molten liquid sugar and molding it into long ropes to feed into the machine. I love the fact that this is essentially a vintage rolling mill, with all the gears and cranks and brass shapes and the lovely patina of time. This crank machine has a very steampunk vibe. I even love the clever backsplash they have above their candy cooling table!

What inspires you about this video?

The good news is that if you aren't in the Tallahassee area, you can still order their candy through their website www.pd.net.

Make some earrings inspired by this video and come back on November 18th to reveal what you made inspired by these sweet confections!

Weeping Willow Earrings in Steampunk!

This month is a very special month for me. I am the Bead Partner for Vintaj Natural Brass. I have been using Vintaj since almost the very beginning of my Jewelry making career and I LOVE their products! It was an honour to be invited to participate in this program. I think the pieces that the Vintaj team have created are astounding and Gorgeous! I have created a few pieces myself, to help inspire you on how to use my wood tiles. But that is for my Skye Jewels blog, so follow me there to see more.

 I created these Asymmetrical earrings using these fun tiles from my Weeping Willow collection. I will make more and add them to my Supply shop for those of you who create your own jewelry. For those of you who don't or just really LOVE to buy earrings, you will find these in my Jewelry Shop!

I hope you are curious about what the Weeping Willow challenge is all about and will take a minute to visit the Vintaj Blog to learn more about it.

Thanks for visiting 

Marie

Steampunk Style!

I just finished a new batch of steampunk earrings. I am excited to show you a couple pairs today. I don't know what it is lately but the thought of gears and clock parts inspires me! It seems right to mix metals in these as well. I made a few asymmetrical and others matching. They all have a fun mix of gun metal grey, copper and brass.

 You will find these are a few others in my Etsy Shop. I hope you take the time to visit and shop around!

Marie

STeamPunk STyle

I have been experimenting more with a fun style called steampunk lately. I am actually surprised by how many people locally have no idea what steampunk is! I have been trying to educate them a little and help them discover this wonderful and eclectic style!

 I made some pieces for a client to go with their Halloween costumes. I am excited to say they were quite pleased and excited that I was able to make the pieces for them. Of course that is where the rest of the pieces in My Etsy Shop came from. Inspired by what I had created for my customers, I just went with it!

 Of course this is a blog about earrings, so pictured here are only the Steampunk earrings I made. To see the rest you will have to hop over to my shop...

So have fun shopping for your Steampunk style pieces!! You never know what you might fall in love with!

Marie
Please only use pictures as inspiration, these are copyright protected and should be respected as such. 

Architectural Details

Architectural Details

I keep making these architectural or hardware looking things. These earrings make me think of a corbel, a decorative bracket used to support a mantelpiece or a shelf:

Corbel from RWM

I had an idea--one of those stray thoughts that float into your mind in the shower, or while you're driving, or as you're waking up in the morning--about folding a tab of metal over the ball of a headpin to create a hanging loop. I tried it a few days later and it worked!

I love metal.

I picture these with a Victorian Steampunk-flavored ensemble:

Via Polyvore

You can see more at my Etsy shop HERE.