Nailed It Ring

Finally got this ring finished and photographed!

The focal part are some nails.....

I also used amethyst cubes, raw tiny diamonds, shards of pink vintage glass, citrine, sterling silver, NZ merino wool (hand dyed), acrylic paint, resin & a coconut ring.

By Ginga Squid - unique, one-of-a-kind and a small size US3/US 3.5

Pink Optic Fiber Turquoise Brooch Pin with Felt & Crochet.....

Apologies. My 9-5 Mon-Fri office job seems to be getting in the way of things and all I want to do in my spare evening time is knit!  Knitting is my latest addiction. But it is fabulous to have some cash coming in on a regular basis and some warm woollies......

I finally got around to finishing this piece which incorporates optic fibers with a pink LED. The LED is hidden inside the felt on the back and is powered by a small, flat  3V coin battery.

The beautiful, multicolored piece of turquoise (purchased from Heart Of Stone Studios) (size 42.5mm x 33.5mm) comes from right over the Tibetan border in China. It is the same source of turquoise that the Tibetans have used and worn for centuries.

I have also used oxidised copper, UV resin, vintage shards of pink glass, brass eyelets, merino wool (needle felted), beads, crochet thread, conductive thread, bamboo, bone & craft wire.

About 10cm long by 8cm wide.

Ginga Alpaca Yarn Dreads...

Been having quite alot of fun with my kiddies and a bag of locally grown ginga alapaca.

First I spun the alpaca on my Majacraft Pioneer with some green & orange locks, pieces of sari scarf and turquoise sari silk (as modelled below).  The sari silks I bought from YarnTraders here in New Zealand - a great online resource for exotic and unusual yarns, fibers, felt and fabrics.

It was made a little trickier as the ginga alapaca (kindly and lovingly carded by Sharon at Jumbuck Carding) had been sitting squished in the bottom of my cupboard for a few months and was all matted together.

I think I am going to keep hold of this ginga yarn in case I want to wear it to a party (not that I ever go out these days unless its before 7pm) or I may knit it into a Ginga Hat.

By the way, the lack of Lanolin in alpaca fiber (such as is often found in yarn made from sheep’s wool) also makes natural alpaca yarn hypoallergenic in nature or very unlikely to cause any allergic reactions.

Coral Creature returns...

I just got back my 'Coral Creature' who was holidaying with a friend in Kaukapakapa [cow-capa-capa]. I love NZ place names!

I live in Whanagaparaoa [fang-a-pa-ro-a] and it took me over a year of living in NZ to learn how to spell it out when someone asked me on the phone. More 'a's than one would think was actually necessary in a word?

In NZ 'Wh' is generally pronounced 'F'. So I still chuckle when the TV weather guy/gal mentions 'Whakatane' etc, etc.  Maybe that will go away if I ever get citizenship here?

 

Knobbly Felted Organic Soap

'HEART FELT SOAP' is a collaboration between Ginga Squid and FeelAtHome....in New Zealand.

My friend Leanne (of www.FeelAtHome.co.nz) makes the most gorgeous smelling organic soap using the cold processed method of soapmaking, which allows the soap to retain all of its natural glycerin. In fact I often want to eat it it smells so good (her geranium & black pepper is one of my favourites) and people have been known to eat a chunk of her body bars by mistake at the markets she attends - thinking it is white chocolate!

All of her soaps are made with Pure New Zealand spring water (or New Zealand goats' milk). She is passionate about creating unique blends of essential oils that you won't find anywhere else, along with some unbeatable classics.

Anyway, she dropped me off some of her Lemongrass & Green Tea soaps for me to felt last week - they smelt so good!

I wet felted the soap using New Zealand polwarth sheep wool which I dyed in tones of pink. Then I added some strings of laceweight green wool and then needle felted on some merino yellow knobbles!

Floating Opalina

This is my third (and final) piece made for the 'Melodious Art Exhibition' (31 July to 13 Aug 2009) at Uxbridge, Howick's Creative Center (www.uxbridge.org.nz).

It features a stunning Opalina gemstone which I bought from the fantastic Heart Of Stone Studio. Opalina is unique to Peru and the colours are very intense turquoise accented with deep teals, rich greens and mustard yellows.

Other materials that I have used are - merino wool, silk thread, plexiglass, copper plate (with heat patina & prismacolor), resin with glitter, tiny sewn beads and Swarovski crystal bicones in pale blue.

'Floating Opalina' may be worn as a brooch or as a pendant.

Length: 11cm

Width: 8cm

Bruneau Jasper Squid - detail pics

I finally got some more photos edited of my Bruneau Jasper Squid (as in my previous post) so here they are! They just show him in a bit more detail.

I've been working on a few things - a collaboration with Lisa-Jane Harvey (fab lampworking/glass artist) of Born To Bead (www.borntobead.co.nz). Its a fab piece called TANIWHA (Maori word meaning 'Fabulous Water Monster') - but we are entering it in a competition so I don't think I can post a photo just yet.....?

I have also been crocheting pots/vessels. They have beads stitched in (I'm practising!) and spikes, tentacles and things - not really sure what to do with them........I will post some photos of these soon!

Got some vintage typewriter keys (on Etsy I think it was...or Ebay) - going to make some usual jewellery pieces probably set in coloured resins with sterling silver rivets - like this one I made earlier...... The irregular white resin bead I purchased Fair Trade - they are from a village in Indonesia.

The spikey pink/blue rubber beads make me want to go off clubbing......

Visit my website for more info @ http://www.GingaSquid.com

love
vicky x