Mockingbird Lane

Tucker Twist Collar

2013-05-16T01:09:00Z

TuckerTwistCollar (3)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

Mixed metals slave collar based on Mary Tucker's Twisted Wire Bangle tutorial.

Sterling silver, 14kt gold filled wire, special CZ laden fancy sterling end caps, and a repurposed captive segment body piercing ring as a clasp.

Gently curved to sit comfortably across the collar bones.

Antiqued with liver of sulphur before being polished, so that the details and textures stand out.

Twisted Slave Cuff based on Mary Tucker Tutorial

2013-05-08T22:01:23Z

Twisted Slave Cuff based on Mary Tucker Tutorial
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

I have this amazing online friend named Mary Tucker who makes wire do absolutely marvolous and stunning things. She is one of 3 or four wire whose ouvre of genius is the high bar against which I measure all of my own pieces. I haven't yet achieved the skill and vision these artists exhibit, and it may well be that I never do. It is ok with me though, because it means I will continue to be able to look to them for inspiration and learning.

Mary created a fab video tutorial for a woven and twisted wire bangle. You can purchase it at her ETSY Shop, Wired Elements. I'll post a direct link to you in a comment a bit later, so you'll be able to learn how to do stunning bracelets like hers too.

This slave cuff I made is not an exact match because I didn't have all the recommended supplies on hand when I tried this and because Mary wants her students to feel free to modify the design and make it our own.

This is far from flawless but I'm pretty pleased with it as my first go at the new techniques she taught me in the video. And t is good enough, in my opinion, to list for sale. Which Mary also encourages in her tutorial. She is an amazingly generous soul in addition to being a phenomenal artist.

Any compliments on this piece rightly belong to Mary. The tutorial is here: [www.etsy.com/listing/150281954/twisted-wire-bangle-video-...]

1969 Fiji Coin Toe Ring

2013-05-01T22:25:40Z

1969 Fiji Coin Toe Ring
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

It was play with vintage flea market finds week for me during the 4th week of April.

I've been fascinated with the idea of turning old coins into rings ever since I first saw a video tutorial on Youtube. Then Janos Varga of BlindSpot Jewelry did some work using coins to make rings and I was inspired anew. But it wasn't until the 4th week of April 2013 that I found an old coin that seemed a suitable candidate for me to try the whole process on for size.

What I like most about how this turned out is how rustic and aged it looks. Like an ancient ring that's been worn constantly, it's design is faint after hundreds of years of use, being handed down through the family, maybe even lost for a few decades in an old house then found by a later generation.

Lockable Leather & Velvet Slave Collar

2013-04-25T01:12:21Z

LockableLeather&Velvet (5)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

I've had the locking mechanism hardware in my odds n ends drawer for a few years now. I originally ordered the hardware thinking it was significantly smaller. I had intended to use it with a metal collar I wanted to design. But the size of the locking clasp was just too big.

A few nights ago, I was sorting through my drawers and pulled the clasp out, I sat it down on a square of leather I use on my workbench to help absorb noise when I'm hammering. The brass looked so good against the leather that I decided to see what would happen if I used the hardware to make a locking leather collar. Even though I've not done any serious leather work in years, I do still have some leather in my stash. Once I started putting it together, the leather alone looked too barren, so I added a length of woodland green velvet ribbon and am pretty pleased with the end result.

CopperTrichinopolyGoldHeart (2)

2013-04-18T08:06:01Z

CopperTrichinopolyGoldHeart (2)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

Whenever I do up a custom made Trichinopoly weave for a custom order, I start the weave on the mandrel with copper wire of the same gauge as the chain I'll be doing in sterling. In this way, I am able to ensure that all the stitches are regularly spaced before I add on the sterling, AND I end up with some copper chain I can use to add to the stock in my shop. In the past I only did an inch or so in copper before adding the sterling, but then I tossed the copper. I decided that was too wasteful, so now I do it this way.

Because I spent time doing Trichinopoly weaving during the second week of April 2013, I have a lot fewer finished items to show for that week.

SteampunkReligionNumber9 (4)

2013-04-04T03:59:28Z

SteampunkReligionNumber9 (4)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

I am gradually working my way through a collection of antique skeleton keys I acquired through a friend. Each key is different from the others, and I really enjoy making steampunk themed rosaries with the key serving as the cross.

With this one, I paired white glass pearls with bright crimson silk, then hand knotted each pearl in line. After that I added copper accents, and the gothic key with a heart cutout.

Star of my World Slave Collar Choker

2013-03-25T02:17:30Z

Star of my World Slave Collar Choker
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

This one features a 00 gauge flesh tunnel, that I thought I'd never be able to use, as the original reason I bought it didn't pan out. I accidentally destroyed the first of the pair in attemting to force the other one to fit into my original scheme.

And this plug sat for months accusing me of wastefullness until in the wee hours of Sunday morning before bed inspiration struck.

I'm absolutely gaga over how well this second idea worked out. Cubic Zirconia & Stainless Steel Flesh Plug with 5mm wide sterling silver Trichinopoly chain and stering silver end caps.

BrassCopperSterlingMoodRing (5)

2013-03-18T12:24:15Z

BrassCopperSterlingMoodRing (5)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

I had been wanting to do more with cold connections for a while now. Last week I did a bit of exploration with mixed metals and creating my own rivets out of heavy gauge copper wire.

This ring is the result of one of my attempts.

TryingOutNewIdeaCuff (4)

2013-03-10T08:10:08Z

TryingOutNewIdeaCuff (4)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

While attempting to sleep the night before last, an image/idea popped into my head for a free form woven mixed metals cuff. I was so fired up by the idea that I gave up on sleep and went down to my studio and started working. six hours later, I had this piece in hand.

Stainless Steel wire, Copper Wire, Stainless Steel body piercing Barbell with glow in the dark blue ends.

I've been re-purposing body modification jewelry items as clasps, lately. And I've been letting ideas percolate for how to use some nifty glow in the dark novelty barbels I purchased a few months ago. I put one of them into this piece as the lynch pin to pull together the coiled hinge style closure I designed for this one.

PennyForThem (1)

2013-02-27T06:08:47Z

PennyForThem (1)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

There is a tale that says if you find a lost penny and the penny is facing head's up when you find it then good luck will be yours. I found this 1991 penny, when I was coming out of the post office, and I decided to use it in an idea I had for a pendant.

16g frame, 1991 Copper Penny, 26g copper wire for wrap.

Strung on Trichinopoly Chain hand woven with 26g copper wire.

BleuCopperCuff (4)

2013-02-20T16:58:37Z

BleuCopperCuff (4)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

When I can grab some time between custom orders from the online shop, I like to explore newer ideas in copper.

A few weeks ago, I put together a simple sterling wire bracelet using a single length of heavier gauge wire for the frame construction.

This newest bracelet is another take on using single wire frame construction with a bit of embellisment using each end of that single wire.

I've also always thought that blue and copper set each other off nicely so I added in some geometric sections of small freshwater seed pearls in deep cobalt blue.

Ending & Starting

2013-02-08T04:23:15Z

Today I turned in all my Government Issued electronic equipment, packed up my personal items, and made the long commute home from the office for the last time.

Today I took a big step and this afternoon and evening, I started right in on researching and experimenting with new techniques to add into my wire crafting repertoire.

Today feels like beginning anew, even though I've been actively working this business of mine since the fall of 2008. The new part is that I'll not have to split my attention, energy and time between two divergent and demanding careers.

Reef Knot Love Slave Bangle

2013-02-04T02:13:02Z

Reef Knot Love Slave Bangle
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

I've been experimenting with creating pieces that make use of thicker gauge body piercing jewelry in lieu of a clasp or a more obvious padlock.

In this case I used a surgical stainless steel 8 gauge barbell with internally threaded end ball as a clasp.

Stainless Steel Ribbon Wire.

My Final Friday in the Office....

2013-02-01T16:19:17Z

Only four more wake-ups followed by a long commute to go. It feels weird, a little scary, and a lot exciting to know that one week from today I'll be free to set my own hours.

In what feels like a vindication of my choice a slew of new orders popped into my queue last night and this morning. So, I'm going to be busy with commissions this weekend and probably the next weekend too.

Suddenly I've become about 4 times as popular here at the office now that folks are realizing that I wasn't kidding when I said I'd be leaving here for good. Random folks keep popping their heads into my office to enquire what I'm thinking and planning for the future.

Most are telling me they envy me. Others say I'll be missed. But only one, thus far, has asked me to reconsider. All to the good, say I, because that one who asked very likely did so out of self interest. His responsibilities will grow larger until such time as the BN can find and hire a replacement for me.

Nothing Ventured and All That...

2013-01-28T00:16:49Z

It has been months and months since I last posted here. In part due to having to divide my time nearly equally between the full-time paycheck job, the nearly full-time process of establishing and growing my home-based business making jewelry, and the remainder allocated for sleeping, eating and personal hygiene.

But also because whenever posting to my journal, whether online or on paper begins to feel like a chore, I opt to stop doing it.

In much the same vein, it occurred to me that I used to call my job as a full-time professional educator, "My career." Over the past couple of years I've increasingly referred to it as the "Day job," "My other job," and lately "The Paycheck Job." These are some of the many outward and inward signs that I've lost whatever passion I once had for doing that work. And even if my employer hasn't noticed a drop in my efficacy there, I have.

Which means that it is likely past time I do what I've dreamed of doing for as long as I can remember. Work for myself. Even as a teen, I never viewed the whole 9-5 job thing as a slice of heaven. I had daydreams of doing art all the time, having a flexible schedule, and making my own decisions.

I always sort of knew those flights of fancy were impractical and that if I wanted to eat (And I always wanted to eat) that I would have to do something a bit less romantic. So I worked. I worked in fast food, in retail; I babysat, and I did some life-guarding; I served in the US Navy as a Chinese Linguist and after that I earned my undergrad and graduate degrees; Then I worked in the field of Education for just about 13 years.

Now I'm embarking on a new path. One that more closely resembles my youthful flights of fancy. As of 7 February 2013 I'm striking out on my own as the sole proprietor of Mockingbird Lane Wire. Whew, it is a little scary, a lot exciting, and while I'll be a lot less financially sound, I
'll be rich in purpose and function.

AmandaKNecklaceMakeover Pendant Front

2012-10-10T01:51:49Z

AmandaKNecklaceMakeover Pendant Front
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

A friend from my college days, who has also been a loyal customer almost since the first day I opened my ETSY shop, had a necklace she purchased that she loved but which was too heavy for her to wear comfortably. She asked me to take it apart and convert it into several new pieces. She wanted the focal stone made up into it's own reversible pendant. The rest of the necklace broken up into earrings, bracelet and a new lighter necklace.

I've managed to put together two new necklaces, one long, and one short by the judicious addition of hematite keishi rondels, and a few feet of sterling silver wire. The pendant she asked for, as well as the bracelet and a pair of simple earrings.

These photos do not do the play of light in the stones of this piece any justice at all. The larger rounds have striations that flash color much like labradorite does. The ivory toned stones are actually opals that also flash green and pink albeit subtly.

I wish I knew what the round stones actually are. The focal piece too.

BlueDiamondCollar (8)

2012-09-23T02:15:21Z

BlueDiamondCollar (8)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

This piece is a new take on an old theme for me. This time I am blending titanium, heat patina & rough cut blue diamonds.

Still a simple look, still understated, but I think it has a bit of wow factor with these fab tiny blue diamonds with subtle sparkle. Definitely more sparkle than can be seen in these pictures.

ArtNouveauEntry (1)

2012-09-23T02:14:02Z

ArtNouveauEntry (1)
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

ETSY Wire Goddess Team Challenge piece.

Art Nouveau was the theme. I didn't think I'd be able to do anything for this challenge, but things oddly came together.

First, my mom dropped a few vintage pieces she'd come across on my workbench a few weeks back. One of the pieces was a stamped and dapped metal peacock brooch with tiny colored stones. My Art Nouveau research showed that peacocks are a recurring theme in that period and style, so I held the pin aside thinking maybe it could be worked into something.

Then last night when a stainless steel collar I was working on refused to cooperate, I just kept on doodling with the already bent wire, until about halfway through the process I spied the pin lying there and decided to see if I could work it into the larger stainless steel curled pectoral I was building.

Add to that the fact that I'd pulled out the Russian Serpentine beads I'd set aside for another different idea which did not pan out, and the judicious application of some square titanium colored parawire and here you have it.

The pendant is the largest piece I've ever done at 4 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall.

It aslo mixes materials in a way I've never before attempted.

Managed to get a few more new things done and photographed

2012-09-11T00:21:38Z

Some more aluminum work.

Long Weekends without external interruptions are productive for me.

2012-09-03T19:28:34Z

I just heaved a huge sigh of satisfaction. I have caught up, for the moment, on custom client orders and was able to fit in a bit of new work so I can begin restocking my shop for the upcoming gift giving season. Here are just a few of the pieces I finished up this weekend. Now all I have to do is work up the materials/time cost, figure out price based on cost, and write up product descriptions...(read sarcasm into the word all in the previous sentence my friends.)

Creative Endeavors

2012-08-28T15:55:01Z

This past Summer, I was loaded with nearly 8 consecutive weeks of both my full-time professional career and working every weekend on face-to-face craft fairs/shows. During that time frame, my online ETSY shop suddenly became busier than it has in previous years during the Summer Months.

All of the above contributed to me having to drop a lot of my usual daily and weekly routine of making new jewelry, photographing the Jewelry, publishing/sharing new pieces, engaging in social networking, checking in on my usual websites, doing research to find new inspirations, and occasionally take some downtime for myself.

I did, however, manage to use some of the slow periods while I was engaged in weekend shows to put together a few new pieces. It hasn't been until now that I could grab enought time to post a little bit of what I have been up to.

Tie Me UP Wide Band Ring

2012-07-04T01:45:25Z

Tie Me UP Wide Band Ring
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

14kt gold filled wire is woven and laced up tightly around faceted quartz rondels in another of my bondage series of BDSM jewelry.

The tangle of 14kt gold filled 'rope' is meant to represent how entangled you become in your relationship with a lover who adores rope bondage.

Antiqued with liver of sulphur and then selectively polished to bring out the gorgeous pattern in the ring shank.

Slave Collar with Stamped Pendant

2012-07-04T01:22:47Z

Slave Collar with Stamped Pendant
Originally uploaded by LadyMockingbird

Customers keep asking for me to engrave things. Since I don't do engraving, I thought I would add stamping to my repertoire, in order to at least be able to offer a bit more in the arena of personalization. I did some practice stamping using copper blanks, before hitting on the one single oval pendant blank I had in sterling.

A new narrower profile mixed metals slave collar in my line of lockable slave jewelry.

This one has been antiqued with liver and then selectively polished to bring out the details in the pattern wire.

It is clasped with a gold tone, working padlock.

14kt gold filled wire, sterling silver pattern wire, sterling silver oval pendant stamped with the word Pet.

Special Collar Pendant Comission

2012-06-24T02:52:22Z

A piece done up for a long term client.

Lady M

Been another long dry spell for Journaling.

2012-06-10T04:16:00Z

This is primarily due to the fact that I've been handling an upswing in business from the ETSY shop, am still working my full time job, my mom moved in six months ago, and I am volunteering time on a committee organizing an annual craft festival in my little village. Committee of 3 so there's plenty of work on that. Plus, I seem to have migrated my new jewelry postings to Facebook and Pinterest. I think I can only split my attention between so many websites.

Each day I check in on Flickr once, On the ETSY shop a few dozen times, on Pinterest once every few days, and Facebook most days. So Livejournal just gets short shrift.

However, since I seem to have the urge to post here tonight, I'll share a couple of my most recent projects in the Jewellery arena.