Black Friday

I will be having a Black Friday 25% off Sale. Enter the code BLACKFRIDAY. Go to http://etsy.me/hV0ZDm for me details.

Grandmothers

All 3 of the Grandmother Embroider Art Series are finished. These are all portraits of my grandmothers. I may make more (because I have 2 more grandmothers). They are available for purchase in my etsy shop. Or you commission me to make custom made portraits of your own grandmothers or other people and animals of importance.

 Mary Kay [thread, fabric, wood and metal. 7" 2011]

Paternal grandmother, also called Gramma Grimes.

 Mary [thread, fabric, wood and metal. 5" 2011]

Maternal grandmother, also called Grammary.

Clara [thread, fabric, wood and metal. 5" 2011]

Grandmother-in-law, also called Nonna.

Knoxville, TN Wholesale Order

Does it ever happen to you that everything gets finished all at once? It's a really good feeling but then that means you have to go what now? Well I finally finished the wholesale order of 12 Knoxville, TN embroidered necklaces that I was making for Rococo Gallery in Knoxville today, and I finished the last drawing in a series of 5 Greek Goddess drawings on Thursday, and I finished the last of the 3 (for now) grandmother embroidered wall hangings on Friday! Phew!! Hooray!!

Athena

Athena (2011) Mixed media, watercolor and graphite on paper, 150cm x 124cm.
She is the 5th goddess in my Greek Goddess Series. I'm going to get some professional photos of them all and re post them (also because I made some changes to some of them).

Africa

 South Africa Brooch.

Kenya Necklace.
These are in my shop now.

Circle Square Cube Pyramid Cylinder Oval

Necklaces of Brass and Geometry, some of which are in my shop and others that will be there soon!

This is the Medusa Necklace named after the Italian word for Jelly fish because it looks like a metallic geometric Jellyfish, maybe a robotic one. It's in my shop now.

This is the Solid Brass Cube Necklace which is currently in my shop. 

These three necklaces will be coming to my shop soon. I need names for them, especially for the second one, I haven't even got any ideas for that. Do you all?

Belts and Bracelets

 

Well there's only one bracelet but I have plans to make lots more using the snaps that I have used on this one and leather and some kind of embroidery or yarn.

1. Old belt that I found but that had no buckle so I attached some snaps to it so I could change the buckle. The buckle here is a vintage racoon buckle that I got in a trade with Emma Beans and More.
2. I made this belt to use up some conchos I had left over from some jewelry. It's also made of deer skin and of a silver plated buckle.
3. I made this belt to go with this dress and another black and white dress I have. I used what looks like a mother of pearl buckle that I found in my stash of stuff from my Great Aunt Mildred. I used the same deer skin as I use for the belt above.
4. Once again I needed a super cool belt for this dress so I took a piece of ribbon from my Great Aunt Mildred and bought the leather buckle and glued it to the ribbon (yes the fabric glue was the best thing).
5. This bracelet is made with the same deer skin as I used to make the belts plus some nail heads that I had left over from a previous project (shoe decoration) and snaps from my mom.

Good Things Come in Threes

Three is a very powerful and spiritual number and here are some new necklaces featuring "Three" > the 1st is Trinity Necklace -Three Brass Cubes and the 2nd is Honey Comb Necklace -Three Brass Octagons.

 This Coral Bullet and Blue Stone Necklace is very special because of the properties of coral-one of which is to reduce debt!

This is the Embroidered Map of USA Wall Hanging I love the colors and the way it turned out!
All of these treasures can be found in my Etsy shop.

Vintage Suitcase Cat Bed

 As my husband said, "it's fitting for a traveling cat to sleep in a suitcase" when we first brought the vintage suitcase home from the thrift store and Ranita, our cat, immediately started sleeping in it (even before it was finished. Our cat certainly is a traveling cat, the poor thing has been dragged from Rome to Philly to New York to Richmond in just this past year, and all last year, in New York, she was sleeping on top of one of our suitcases.
 I first saw this vintage suitcase turned animal bed on Etsy and then again on Pinterest and then decided as soon as I could find an affordable suitcase I would make one for Ranita. How I did it-first I cut the fabric inside that covered the hinges then I took off the hinges, using a power drill and a flat head screw driver. I drilled a hole from the inside where the pins were and then I pried them off with the screw driver. After that I folded the fabric over and glued it in place. Then I made the pillow, I measured the inside of the suitcase and then cut and sewed some old fabric together, there are two different sides (which you can see above), then stuffed it with shredded foam. I left the side pouches in, and they make a great place to store toys (see above). The whole thing cost about 7.50 but would cost more if I had bought fabric for it and could end up costing more if I add wooden feet to it which I'm thinking of doing.

Spiral Hoop Earrings

These are my newest creation. Spiral Earrings in Pumpkin and Lime. They are made of yarn which is knotted around metal hoop earrings using the forward knot which is the knot used in many "friendship bracelets." You can find them in my shop.

New Beginnings

I've recently moved from New York to Richmond. Here are some photos of my new place, work space, walls and the stuff that I finally had time to finish...

These jewels and accessories are in my shop now.

Salt and pepper shakers bought from Books, Bikes and Beyond Thrift Shop on Saturday. 

 

My work space.

 

A detail of the pictures above my workspace--my collection of vintage postcards of mountains.

A sitting area with vintage photographs, among them, my husbands great grandfather.

New Embroidered Neckaces

Australia and San Francisco can be seen and bought at my etsy shop (IL GATTO SELVATICO).

Christmas in July Sale

IL GATTO SELVATICO is having a Xmas in July Sale from now until July 29. Receive Free Shipping by entering the code XMASINJULY at checkout. I hope you all have some winter's fun on a summer's day.

Happy 4th of July 50% OFF Sale

I hope that you are all enjoying your long Forth of July weekends and having many bar-b-ques and lots of fun. Tomorrow, before going to your Independence Day party, getting drunk and watching the fireworks...Buy an embroidered America necklace, patch or wall hanging for 1/2 price. Or maybe you will want to order a custom city or state necklace, patch or wall hanging (that's 50% off too). From midnight tonight to midnight tomorrow all American Maps are 1/2 price. So pass by my shop tomorrow IL GATTO SELVATICO.

New Chevron Neckaces and NYC Trains

 

This black chevron necklace and these other two chevron necklaces have been inspired by the gate of the New York subway trains that is placed at the front and back of each train in front of the the doors (see the photo above of the 7 train) and in between the cars. Next time you are in New York take a look and see if you see it.

As you can see, the black chevron necklace looks most similar to the train gate and the other two are more loosely inspired by it.

 I need a name for these two chevron necklaces, any ideas? I will be adding them to the il gatto selvatico etsy shop this week.