Patty Van Dorin

a few new items added to the Etsy shops

a stack of bangles and beads
I love these bangle stacks. So much so, that when I was making a set for myself, I made some for the Etsy Shop.

Some singles that are perfect to add to a collection or wear with other bracelets.
This one is made from vintage kimono fabric. There is nothing like vintage fabric for good texture and muted color.

These earrings are probably the most delicate ones that I have ever made. The tiny porcelain rose and pearl flower dangles are from a vintage repurposed brooch.
click here for more pictures and details - Tuscan Rose etsy shop

A big box of vintage parts and stuff in the River Bend Ranch Studio etsy shop. I will probably be sorry I am selling these but right now I have a stuff overload. The white switch thing is wicked cool!  I should be keeping that but it's included with all this other great stuff.
these parts are perfect for assemblage and art dolls, so check them out here - River Bend Ranch Studio etsy shop

pumpkin and camellias

good stuff from this weekend

a fantastic camellia show


I was so impressed with the variety and sheer number of camellia blooms that were on display
above are just a few of the tables at this event
some favorites

incredible, isn't it

I had never seen the smoky colors before

read no further if you don't have a World Market close by

when I came home from the camellia show I made my annual "Pumpkin Bark Pretzels"

one tin of World Market Pumpkin bark
break into pieces
place in glass measuring cup
microwave for a couple minutes
stir in pretzels
spread on wax paper
let cool
eat

gallon club

A few snippets from my studio.
It's an amazingly organized and lovely place to work now.
This is where I spend all my time when I am not out in the garden.

With the new storage units, I can now literally get my hands on everything and find it easily

My favorite found treasure this summer, is this key fob from the Palm Beach Blood bank.
I am saving it to make a vampire necklace, it is perfect,
Can you see the drops of blood from the stacked hearts, so cool.

and another etsy item

and did I mention I also have good lighting!!

preparing for flight

Envergure Terrazzo Cuff Bracelet

 on Etsy

Envergure (wingspan) with a soldered stone bead.
I like how the patina solder changed the look of this focus bead.

I admit that I am terrible at replying to comments. There is the best of intentions that errodes away with the day. That is not saying I don't value and appreciate every single comment and love to hear from everyone. So I thought I would try something new and reply to some comments within the body of blog posts.  Not that I will probably get every comment covered and I certainly don't want to hurt any feelings if I don't. I also thought it would be a good place to answer questions.
so here goes:

Sarah - no I don't have a brother but if I did, it would be so incredible to have one as talented as the Chainsaw Kitten guy.

Olivia - thanks for "getting" me, it is nice to know that someone does

Cheryl and Leslie - thank you for all the years of loyal blog reading and comments, it means a lot to me

To leave you with a bit of funny.
I ask, "is this the ugliest lamp ever or maybe just oddly inspired"?
I wonder who it was that thought, "I must have a gold lamp with a nearly life sized young boy chugging away on a jug of wine and then my living room decor will be complete".

Never mind that he seems to have lost a shoe in this wine theme lamp debackle. So maybe it's a big jug of water but that said doesn't make this lamp more pleasant.

The store tag said "with original shade". I guess it may be hard to find a shade for this lamp and the original shade would be essential.

here, kitty kitty

paws down, the best unknown group of all time
don't you wonder why some make it and some don't
still brilliant as they were in 1994
Chainsaw Kittens



tea with honey

I had so many parts and pieces on my work table that I decided it is time to put them together into something wearable.

I love the way this necklace turned out
tea with honey
available on etsy

The little bee on the china was the inspiration for this necklace,
I have long forgotten the broken tea cup but kept this little fragment that I soldered and made into the focal charm.

Don't you just love the graphics on these old pieces of tin?
do ya get it or am I too obscure
honey bee + tea tin scraps = tea with honey necklace

Below is some random stuff about me that probably has no interest to anyone reading this blog but I like when others share tidbits about themselves.

so here is two bits about me:

-I love the Cairo Orchestra and can listen to it for hours
-my favorite musical instrument is the hurdy gurdy

neither of these things have anything to do with each other, other than within a few minutes the music I listen to can drive family and friends insane.

tick tock an altered clock

When I saw this clock in the discount bin, I knew it would be the foundation for the perfect clock in my studio.

A few vintage and new numbers made this a quick fun project. What I love about this clock other than a great way to display some fun graphics, is that the numbers can be switched out if something incredible comes my way.

My favorites are the 6 and the 10 cent.

quilt guild

love how this bracelet turned out
wish my pictures had turned out better, guess it's time to open the camera manual 

available at etsy, click here

 

salmagundi

Salmagundi
a disparate assembly of things forming a rustic gypsy bracelet

just added to my etsy shop
click here for more pictures and details