Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Using recycled jewelry parts in necklace design

This necklace was created using recycled jewelry parts.I sold this piece at a craft show.I really like the asymmetric design, textures, and colors against the zebra motif background.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

I call this piece Homage to Juan Miro. Miro used found objects in his sculpures.  I used a found pencil stub, vintage strip of buttons, archival hard paper for base,  23K gold leaf, and blue-green acrylic paint.  I wanted to give the brooch a patina-like finish.  Someone bought this piece at show.  She is a writer and called this artwork "Freedom of Press".

Friday, March 31, 2017

Intriguing found fabric scrap with sequin-like metal strips

I love this ribbon-like fabric strap I found at a sewing and craft festival.  I literally pulled this fabric out of mounds of scraps that were selling for a dollar apiece. I love the metal detail that reminds me of sequins sewn into the filmy fabric.

I think that I will be able to use this ribbon-like scrap in a necklace or a border on an elegant little bag.   I like looking at this material.  

Monday, March 27, 2017

Necklace Design from Black Plastic Covered Wire Coil

Here is a Prototype for a 20" necklace design created from found black plastic covered wire coil. 

 I found the wire coil on the sidewalk.  I am not entirely happy with this design but I like the idea of wrapping the wire coil around a variety of fibers. 

The challenge for me is always the neck closings. 
The fiber is strips of silk fiber wrapped in a ball like yarn.   I think the silk fiber is from Thailand.   I find interesting skeins of fiber in craft and sewing shops.

Flat Paper Beads Created from A Found Playing Card.

I made a flat paper bead with a hole for jump hoop from a playing card.  

  • I cut the playing card in half.  
  • I glued the two halves together with PVA adhesive. 
  • Then I covered one side with 23K gold leaf.  
  • I applied gold sizing unevenly so areas of playing card design would peek through when I applied gold leaf.  
  • I cutout  rectangular pieces of Japanese typeface and applied to surfaces. 
  •  I ended up  with an interested flat paper bead (.5 x 1.5 inches).
 I plan to use these paper beads in a  necklace design created with fiber.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Creating a Bag with Surface Embellishment

I created the surface embellishment for this bag using a technique from a book called Bags with paper and stitch by Isobel Hall.  Looking closely, you will see lots of vertical stitching with pulled newsprint paper in-between the repeat stitching. I used a wire brush to pull the newsprint off the bag.  

After pulling away the paper with wire brush, what is left is the torn newsprint paper catch by the stitching.  The end result is rich textured design surface with zebra printed fabric showing through.  I used a pencil for the handle of bag.  The bag dimensions are 6" x 6". 

For the lining of the bag, I used a beautiful purple satin.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

About Ophelia's Banana

The name for this blog came about one day when I was working as a substitute teacher for a Special Education teacher in an elementary school.  The teacher gave me this banana with a post-it note taped to the banana with the words "Ophelia's Banana" written in  bold capital letters.   Ophelia is one of her students.  She said that Ophelia sometimes did not want to come to her class.  She suggested coaxing her with a banana.  Ophelia ended up not choosing to come to the class and she said that she was not hungry.
I loved this label so much  that I decided to name my blog with these words.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Jewelry with a Story


Making jewelry and bags from discarded and recycled materials always comes with a story. At the right is an image of my latest found objects.

I do not actively look for found objects.  Objects just catch my eye.   I found both these objects walking along trying to get to get somewhere.

I almost did not pick up the black coiled wire.  But, I retraced my footsteps and picked it off the sidewalk.  Same with the playing card.  There were playing cards scattered all over the sidewalk.  I decided just to pick up this one playing card.

The found object is the start of a brooch or necklace creation.