Etsy

I'm on vacation! I'm movin' house, moving towns and moving into a new life, so things are on hold for 2 weeks. If you'd like to see what my usual work is like, you can check out my sold items:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sparrowsalvage/sold

Though I should say, when I come back there'll be some even more exciting things! With crystals and leather and all kinds of crazy vintage bits.

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I'm a 37 year old assemblage artist living in the countryside near Melbourne, Australia, creating (amongst other things!) handmade jewelry from antique and vintage salvage.

The elements I use to create my pieces are largely vintage, antique and re-claimed, and I've been collecting things for over 15 years, compulsively building up a treasure trove of salvaged materials that would otherwise have been thrown away. With these trinkets of the past I build up layers of time and history with rustic textures, faded colour, simple techniques and natural materials.

The spirit of Make Do and Mend imbibes all I do; since childhood I have been fascinated by the worn out and run down. A patchwork scrap here, a torn lace shard there...some rhinestones might be missing from a pendant, there may be age spots on the book papers...my work celebrates the human imperfections that make handmade truly special.

While care is taken to ensure every stitch and bead are secure and construction is solid, my methods and techniques are designed to emulate the rough, handmade quality of humble things. Wonky stitching, battered hammerwork, different colour threads and imperfect materials are all part of a look that attempts to conjure a world of country life where things are honest, humble and simply made.

Most of the fabric used here is vintage, antique or reclaimed and hand-dyed using a series of experimental low-water use techniques in mixing, blending, drying, dying, over-staining and rinsing. I use findings either made by myself or by fellow Etsy sellers to ensure a higher quality finish and further evoke the handmade feel.

For inspiration, behind-the-scenes fun and other mumblings on the creative experience, see my art blog; http://sparrowsalvage.blogspot.com/

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As per Etsy's terms of use, here are all the other places on Etsy I've resided:

http://thedarkwoods.etsy.com
http://littlebrownsparrow.etsy.com
http://littlebrownmagpie.etsy.com
http://faginsdaughter.etsy.com

My Etsy userID is #6947083