Charmed Wings

Deryn Mentock is another of those folks I admire, her designs strike some sort of a chord with me. They have an elegant but worn look that I like and seek to get into the beads and components I make.


She recently made this necklace, for a show in Houston, where I once lived before the gypsy caravan of my life brought me to the midwest. Maybe the road will curve one day and I'll find myself back in the south again...

See the little wing, there in the dangle? And I have the milagros that Pattie sent me, hmmmm....

Someday I hope to meet Deryn in person, if our paths cross somewhere in common.

In the meantime, I'm always thrilled when I see one of my pewter pieces in one of her designs.

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Big news, that some of you may know already. Deryn and I collaborated on an article for Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine, it's the Winter issue that's coming out soon.

This will be the fifth article for me in BAJ, and I have another one coming in the spring issue, with pewter and resin. Writing for the magazine is what got me started on this whole adventure.

Deryn has had numerous articles published in BAJ and other places, she's a versatile and creative person who works in many media.

For this project I made pewter components and sent them to her and she created the jewelry designs with them. The article is beautiful, based on the preview version I looked at early last month, and it should be reaching you soon if you want to take a look. (I don't have my preview copy yet, although I have been haunting the post office)

Deryn's designs have always intrigued me, her use of vintage and found objects inspires me. It occurred to me that she might find usefulness in some of my faux-tique components, too.


I greatly appreciate her work, and the collaboration. At one time I interviewed Deryn for the Art Bead Scene blog, and we have now had the chance to work together on this collaboration project, I'm very proud of it.

Thanks, DERYN, for the idea of the article and for the beautiful use of the pewter. Looking ahead, I'd love to work together again... soon!

Pieces of Glory, Bountiful Story

I've been so lucky to be "found" by so many talented people who have fabulously unique ideas about using the components I make.

When I began this expedition two years ago, I didn't think anyone would buy an unfinished component, so I always made up complete jewelry pieces. I was sure that no one would want just a bead, or just a charm, all by itself.

Then Heather Powers at the Art Bead Scene convinced me that, yes indeed, people would buy just beads and components so I opened the ExpeditionD shop to put just the artbeads there.

Thank you Heather! That's one lady who knows what's what!


And I met the lovely Lorelei Eurto, who has seen so much growth and blossoming of her unique talents this year especially.

She made the jewelry that's pictured here. I love all of her designs. She uses wire in such unique ways - I can look at a photo of one of her designs and recognize her style, even if I didn't know it was one of her photos.

She has been so supportive and kind, I can't thank her enough.

Now, I put the resin and polymer clay in the ExpeditionD shop on Etsy, and the finished jewelry pieces, pewter components and fused glass items in the LynnDavis Etsy shop.

In November I approach the two year anniversary of this adventure online, the first Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine publication and the launching of the first Etsy shop. The blog, all of the things started two years ago...

I've learned a lot about photography, and how to write a description. Lots of things I've learned in that time..

I just passed a combined 950 sales in both shops. Hopefully it's not cheating to count them together, since it means I created at least 950 items in the time the shops have been on Etsy.

950!! Wowzers, that sounds like a lot! Almost (dare I think it) 1,000. YIKES!

I think that calls for some kind of celebration - I'll have to think of something super special! To say THANKS for coming along on this expedition with me....

All Buttoned Up and Braided Round

I've been playing with some new ideas in the pewter.

I thought it might be fun to make some pewter buttons, with a very vintage worn look, and a dark copper-bronze patina.

These are headed off to a special friend, hopefully to inspire some jewelry designs. I hope they strike the right note!



I also made this large braided rope circular emblem. I can see it being used as a clasp, or maybe with wire wrap attaching some fun dangles and vintage items.

It's large but still lightweight.

The more I work with the metal, the more I learn about how to get the designs I want out of it.

Now I need to place an order for more metal, to make more pewter. I'm thinking of having a sale in the shops, to help gather the funds for the order. Metal is heavy, and a bit more costly than polymer clay! And expensive to ship...


I think these would make cute earrings, or maybe a clasp for a bracelet. I thought the buttons would be fun, but I know you can just go to the sewing store and buy buttons right off a rack, huge numbers of them.

So I don't know if there's any interest in these hand cast buttons.

Any thoughts? Would you make use of hand cast pewter buttons, if they were in the shop?

Tiny Houses of Welcome

Remember a while back when I made some of these little houses, some of you mentioned about hearts. Those houses had square windows cut into them. These are "home is where the heart is" style, with the windows in the shape of a heart.


Like the others, these have a map design on the back, to guide your heart back home.


I made four in different colors. Sometimes it's a challenge to name the colors so others can picture the shade.

These are very subtle colors, with a tone like things in nature. Slate and Moss. One looks like demin to me. The ruddy color reminds me of brick.

These are very simple, for adding to a keychain, like I mentioned before, for House Keys.

Or give to a child who's leaving home for college or to their first apartment on a keychain, to remind where the heart begins and where it belongs.


They say the hearth is the heart of the home. Did you notice that HEART and HEARTH are just one letter different?

Pink Sky, Paris Dawn

I got these tiny pink hearts a while back, planning to make some earrings with them. I will still use them for that, but after I made this pink toned tag, with the Eiffel Tower on it, I noticed that it was the same color as the hearts.

So I made a spot for a dangle, along with the two jump ring metal-lined holes at the top, and added the sweet dark pink heart to the bottom.


I want to make some tags that look like tickets to the elevator ride on the Eiffel Tower.

So many ideas. I don't usually work in a lot of pink color tones, but I guess I had a foggy Paris sunrise in mind.

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It wasn't foggy here yesterday, but it was pouring rain. Last night the studio dog went outdoors to do doggy business and apparently had a fun time, she came back inside with her muzzle and front paws covered in mud! I don't know where she was digging but evidently it was a good doggy time out there.

She wasn't too happy about the impromptu toe-bath but it was necessary!

Now I have to find the likely mud-hole and do something to keep her out of it. At least the rain has stopped now. I wish I had a picture of her muddy mug, but first things first ... get the mud off!

Much Ado About Something

I love when my components go out and work in the hands of designers. They turn into beautiful pieces.

When someone takes a chance with some of my pieces, to make something creative that they hope will excite someone to buy the earrings, bracelet or necklace, it makes me want to make even more interesting and fun pieces.

It especially makes me happy when I check their shop and find that the pieces made with one of my components have been successful!


I don't always get to know the folks who use my little pewter goodies.

But when I do, it just adds to the fun for me.


These pieces were all made by Kathy at JewelsbyKat, a lovely person from Canada that I've had the good fortune to get to know a bit.

Aren't they great?

Treasure Trove and Freckled Faces

I go back and forth between media. Sometimes I'm working with polymer clay, and I get on a roll with that.

The next time I'm in the studio I might be casting pewter, making up some components to have ready. Or working on the resin to make some colorful additions for the pewter.

Every so often I get the urge to work with glass and make tiny collages. On one of those sessions I made this focal, with the words "tiny fleeting freckled face" inside.

I sent it to Erin Prais-HintzTesori and she made this lovely piece by combining it with some other colorful and interesting components.

Erin is a lovely Artfriend and very talented. I can't wait to see the next thing she make using some of my components.

It's like sending them out into the world and into the talented hands of jewelry designers, to reach their completion and become something BEAUTIFUL.

Beauty in Other Eyes, Creativity in Other Hands

Remember the little skully beads I made last month, all of them found homes with really special people.

One pair of skully beads went home with someone I really admire, Andrew Thornton. I hope he had fun with the little skullies, as much fun as I had making them.

When I send an order out I include little gifts, something fun that I hope someone will like, as a surprise and a "thank you." Sometimes it's something I'm experimenting with to see how folks like them. Sometimes it's something I think someone will like and enjoy.

Anyway, I sent Andrew one of my resin word charms, drilled on the sides, with the word "SANCTUARY" on it. I just thought it might be something Andrew would find a use for, or give on to someone else.

Today I got the news from Andrew that he created something AMAZING (I need to make a word charm with that word in it and send to Andrew!) and he blogged about it. To see more gorgeous photos pop over to his blog and read all about it.

It's just simply beautiful. I wish it was mine. I wouldn't have thought about using the drilled resin charm that way, but it has a folksy-quaint look.

Andrew is such a talented designer. I'm HONORED to the core that he used a simple component of mine to create such beauty.

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Now off I go to finish up an order someone is waiting patiently for, and I'm making some new molds ... I hit the jackpot yesterday with some vintage items and shapes, I can't wait to create some prototypes.

It's going to be a beautiful day of pleasant weather, I think I'll open the sliding patio door and let in the fresh air, while I still can.