Steampunk

Candy Jade stones make up this necklace.  I have used the whole mechanical watch as the pendant and framed it with filigree metals

 

 

One of my new designs for the Mingei Museum.  Cherry Quartz stones with recycled mechanical watch face.

How to build your own brick waterfall

Step by step construction of a my brick waterfall.

 

I know this has nothing to do with my crafts or jewelry but I thought it would help anyone who might want to create their own water feature or fountain from bricks.

 

This is the old crowded corner space on my back patio that was badly in need of a makeover.

 

Way too many plants. I decided that a corner waterfall would look great and would bring some solitude and comfort to the back patio area.

I had tons of left over bricks from our front yard porch project years ago.  They were still stacked under my bedroom window. It was an unsightly mess as you can see. After a few days of searching the Internet for ideas on building a waterfall I decided to just go for it and construct my own using the bricks. Wished I would have counted them before I built the darn thing.

 

I washed all of the bricks off first as they have been stacked there for over 10 years!

I began laying out my design.  This project would be very expensive if I had to buy the bricks.

 

 

The back window area looks better already! No more spiders!

 

 

 

Sometimes a little glass of wine inspires me (see it on the table to your right)

I laid out the bricks to measure 4' out from the corner on each side and used a string to measure the curve. Putting the string in the corner and using it like a compass. No worries about the slope of the pond (supposed to be level) because it's outside on the cement and my slope is minimal. No other foundation needed underneath.

 

 

 

I stacked the bricks layering them for the outside wall up to about 1 ft high going up to aprox. 3 ft in the back corner.

My dear husband started putting in the electrical boxes and wires for the pump on the fence wall.

I purchased a pond pump from Home Depot for $69.00. The specs said it would pump up to 4 ft high. I didn't think a the time that I could have gone to a smaller pump as I only needed a height of under 3 ft. Home Depot also had the 3/4" tubing (clear) to connect to the pump.  The pump had an adjustable setting for the water pressure so I adjusted it to the lowest pressure. 

 

 

The pond liner is rubber 10' X 10'. I ordered it from a pond supplier for 89.00.  You can use pond liners from Home Depot but they are a plastic material and won't last as long as the rubber liners. It was 10' X 13' for about the same price. I found a place on line that would give you the measurements of the pond liner according to what you need. Pond Liner Calculator

 

 

Then I layered the brick around inside to hold the liner down and support all of the water and trimed off the rubber.  I put the pump inside the bottom in the corner on a brick so there will be less debrie to clog the pump. You can purchase a filter if you like but I am not having any plants or fish in it so no need. Had a few pieces of slate laying around so I broke some up to use for the water to flow over.

After stacking more bricks around the pump to hide it I layered the slate and secured it with bricks. No glue or silicone was needed for my project.

 

 The bricks are heavy enough to weigh down the rubber lining and all of the the slate.  Although I wouldn't want to step on any of the stacked slate. This way it will be easier to remove and clean later.

 

 

I added Smartpond (3) under water LED lights I bought at Lowes and used the blue and green color covers that came with them to give the fountain a subdued look at night. The LED lights have a sensor so they only come on at dusk and shut off at sunrise.  Price $59.00.

 

 

I spaced two blue on the bottom and one green in the middle of the two pieces of slate and hid all of the wires behind the brick that I used to hide the water pump.

 

 

 

 

I used succulants around the waterfall as the sun shines in this

corner most of the day in the summer. I will be putting black river

rocks that I have in the bottom.

 

 

Total price of water fall about $240.00. 

Bricks - Free

Slate  - Free

Tubing - 2.00

Pump - 69.00

Liner - 89.00

Lights - 59.00

River Rock - Free

 

 

Oh, yes, the electric....hum about 20.00 for box, wire and switch.

 

 

 

 

 

New Creations

My Victorian Steampunk creations can be purchased at the following shops and boutiques.

Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

This design incorporates rough nuggets of Green Amethyst,

Pink Amethyst and Citrine attached to a vintage Angel Pendant with watch

movement set in angel's body.

The charm is made from a wrist watch face overlaid with a silver rhinestone cross.

This lovely Antiqued Silver Puffed Heart

Pendant is wrapped with Antique Brass Filigree with a rhinestone center.

The charm is small Antique Silver Prayer Book Locket. The necklace is antique silver wire wrapped nuggets of Aquamarine and Chalcedony.

 

Where to buy my creations

My Victorian Steampunk creations can be purchased at the following shop.

Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Rejuvinated Neclaces

I used the watch faces of some old mechanical watches in these two necklaces

The pendant below also has a ruby watch stem in the center of the
watch face and I matched some Czech glass beads the same color
into the chain.

New Jewelry Line

For this piece I used a unique crescent shaped antique partial pocket watch movement as a base for the pendant. Still attached is a unique regulator brass bit that has a sliding little star that goes back and forth. This was used for controlling the speed of the pocket watch.
I specifically positioned the vintage clock hand so that it points toward ones heart when this necklace is worn. By adding antique gears to the hand and attaching it to the bronze filigree charm makes this metal crescent come alive. A painted leaf and peach colored flower connector adorned with crystals sits at the very top and an Aquamarine dangles from the bottom.

I used a bottle cap for the pendant. By gluing a photo inside the cap and adding some vintage watch parts (gears and such) I then glued on a clear plastic watch cover. All of the gears inside the bottle cap move and give the piece some interest. I also attached a watch gear on top for threading the chain. I glued an antique brass watch face to the back of the bottle cap also. An Aquamarine gemstone creates a perfect vintage drop dangling from the antique bronze chain.

Happy New Year!!! Late Of Course..Now onto Valentines Day!

Well, I am finally so over Christmas! Glad to get back on track with my usually daily life. Took me a while to get there, huh? My only excuse is that I am getting slower as I get older.

I found a great website for tutorials on making paper product gifts. Chic n' Scratch is a great site to explore if you like working with paper.

I made these cute little treat gifts from a tutorial on her site. I added some Milky Way Candy Bar Bites....about 5 to start with but then I ate one... so there are only 4 in each treat gift. You could use chocolate heart candies but I didn't have any. I need to use up some of my Valentines paper.

I wished I knew how to take better pictures!!