Etsy Shop for purpleshiny

Aqua moons - copper and labradorite earrings

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:40:20 -0500

$35.00
Domed copper discs with a weathered texture and three flashy labradorite teardrops--all hanging from sterling silver. These earrings would go equally well with blue jeans, a little black dress, or an extravagant steampunk costume.

The copper discs are one inch in diameter--the last picture in the listing shows them with a ruler for a better idea of scale.

When I was making these, I imagined an undersea kingdom of beings who worshipped the moon as their goddess and revered the relics they salvaged from shipwrecks. I textured the discs with a variety of tools and highlighted the texture with oxidation and polishing. I've sealed the copper's surface with microcrystalline wax to protect the patina. The labradorite dangles below, full of movement yet quite securely attached.

Labradorite is a smoky gray stone with thrilling flashes of iridescent color under the right angle of lighting--mainly blue, green, and gold. In my photos, I've tried to capture both the gray and the "flash" of this great material. If you're like me, you'll want to spend ages turning it over in your hands under a bright light!

I've got more pieces in my shop that incorporate copper, silver, organic textures, watch gears, labradorite and more! http://purpleshiny.etsy.com

Excavated steampunk pendant

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:31:39 -0500

$60.00
I bezel-set this watch movement on a hammered, textured, oxidized copper oval. On the top of the oval is a curved copper tube through which a delicate sterling chain has been threaded. The copper was given an oxidized patina and polished to highlight the texture, then sealed with a microcrystalline wax to protect the surface.

I've been fascinated with the steampunk aesthetic for a long time, and I wanted to explore the use of gears and mechanical bits in a non-Victorian setting.

Sterling silver textured bicycle tire earrings, medium hoops

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:20:14 -0500

$30.00
These hoops are inspired by the tires on my bicycle! Hanging from jumprings on hand-formed sterling earwires, they are free to sway and spin. I textured square sterling wire and formed it into two perfectly round rings, then highlighted the "tire tread" texture by oxidizing and then polishing the silver.

These would make a great gift for anyone who loves bicycling :)

Check out the other mechanically-inspired items in my shop! http://purpleshiny.etsy.com

Sterling silver textured bicycle tire earrings, large hoops

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:59:44 -0500

$35.00
These hoops are inspired by the tires on my bicycle! Hanging from jumprings on hand-formed sterling earwires, they are free to sway and spin. I textured square sterling wire and formed it into two perfectly round rings, then highlighted the "tire tread" texture by oxidizing and then polishing the silver.

These would make a great gift for anyone who loves bicycling :)

Check out the other mechanically-inspired items in my shop! http://purpleshiny.etsy.com

Copper moons with gears and labradorite drops

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:14:40 -0500

$30.00
Domed copper discs, a single brass watch gear, a weathered texture, and a single flashy labradorite teardrop--all hanging from sterling silver. These earrings would go equally well with blue jeans, a little black dress, or an extravagant steampunk costume.

The copper discs are 3/4" in diameter--the last picture in the listing shows them with a ruler for a better idea of scale.

I textured the discs with a variety of tools and highlighted the texture with oxidation and polishing. The watch gears are firmly soldered to the copper, and I've sealed the copper's surface with microcrystalline wax to protect the patina. The labradorite dangles below, full of movement yet quite securely attached.

Labradorite is a smoky gray stone with thrilling flashes of iridescent color under the right angle of lighting--mainly blue, green, and gold. In my photos, I've tried to capture both the gray and the "flash" of this great material. If you're like me, you'll want to spend ages turning it over in your hands under a bright light!

I've got more pieces in my shop that incorporate copper, silver, organic textures, watch gears, labradorite and more... http://purpleshiny.etsy.com

Hammered copper triangle earrings with steel gears

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:47:39 -0500

$35.00
These earrings are about 2 inches long. I soldered little gears from broken watches onto triangles of carefully hammered and textured copper, then added sterling silver earwires and oxidized the metal to a dark gray. Next, I polished the earwires and highlighted the texture on the metal, leaving a weathered, beaten surface. I protected the patina with two thin coats of microcrystalline wax.