So, someone finally got me what I ASKED FOR this Christmas.

[Richard Steele]

Apart from "NOTHING", which is what
i've been telling everyone for years....
but that's another story.

We had a very low-key, laid back Christmas this year;
my crazy grandma gave me a bic lighter and managed to
spend 8 hours without offending anyone with her opinions
on 'race relations', if yaknowhutImean....
so that was a pretty good Christmas right there.
Better than many I've had.


But to the point: my sister's 2 daughters took a long walk
along the railroad tracks on December 23rd and gathered
a box full of rusted metal and broken glass for me.

It isn't the BEST bunch of rusty metal and broken glass
that I've ever seen, but it's the THOUGHT that counts,
and this is the first time that anyone in my family THOUGHT,
so it's all pretty awesome as far as I'm concerned.

[pacalo]

1. What do you plan to do with rusty nails & broken glass?

Or is this another version of a lump of coal?

Make your nieces windchimes out it. ;)

[Richard Steele]

2. Short answer: I make Jewellery from such things. Long answer:

I make MAGIK from such things.
Archimedes said "give me a lever and a place to stand,
and I could move the world".

He was right. Broken glass and rusty things are the FULCRUM
that I have used to occasinally shift this planet.

The last time I attended a "formal function" in which I was
actually REQUIRED to appear in a tuxedo (I own several),
I was seated in the first row and the President of the AMA
was seated directly behind me.
The wife of the gentleman being "Honored" was wearing a brooch
that I had made from a piece of broken glass, and she had
insisted that I pin it on her personally.

So i did- $5000 gown+ big rip to attach original artwork.

[pacalo]

4. Richard, please post some pictures of some of your jewelry!

Now I'm impressed that your nieces lovingly gathered more materials for you. I didn't know about your skill so I was confused. :silly:

Wow, your nieces are sweet!

[Richard Steele]

6. You'll know them when you see them. nm

[Richard Steele]

7. I've been trying to post some pics to this thread, and it's just not happenning.

I'm currently living far from civilization,
and getting by with an AOL dialup connection.
(Yes, AOL is still a real thing- I was surprised too!)

The internets only work properly for me
when the wind blows in a certain direction;
it's really just that bad.

And yes, my sister's children are AWESOME people.
If I had known that children could be so great, I might not
have chosen to remain childless.

They found a GREAT piece of material that didn't fit in the box:
a 12-foot strip of the heavy steel banding that's used to strap
cargo containers to flatcars. That's a great find for someone like me-
it's a good alloy that works well, it rusts BEAUTIFULLY,
and it doesn't flake apart at 1500 degrees like that zinc-plated crap
I get from the dumpsters behind WalMart.

They dragged that home, and all their neighbors gave them 'funny looks'
as they did it. But their neighbors opinions meant less to them
than the fact that they were doing something NICE
for their weird old crazy uncle, so they ignored the stares and kept dragging.

Yes, my neices are sweet. It's a FACT.

[pacalo]

8. I understand about the connection -- I remember those days well!

This is a very cold, windy winter this year! Even in the warmer parts of the country, power is going out (once on Christmas day, again last night for us). Thanks for trying to post the pictures; post them when you can.

I love your nieces!

:hi:

[Richard Steele]

9. OK, internet is kinda working tonight, so here's a pic or 2 of some other stuff I've built:

A sterling silver & DARK blue sapphire bracelet currently owned
by the nice lady who bought the "broken glass fish-brooch"
I was talking about:


Here's me playing with fire, making an ordinary little red Garnet ring
for a friend's birthday:

And the finished gift:


OK, bullshit aside, that red garnet ring was neither ordinary nor little.
She's an amazingly special person, and I was lucky to have those 2 years
in which I called her 'my friend'.
I don't know where she is or what she's doing now,
but I hope she still has that ring and looks at it sometimes
and remembers all of us, because we all look at random things
1200 times a day that remind us of her.

[pacalo]

10. I do like your style! Beautiful work!

Do you sell your jewelry?

[WinkyDink]

12. You are so creative and talented! Awesome jewelry!

[EFerrari]

13. Omg. I love that.

:)

I used to decorate jewelry boxes with a tumble of found things on the top, to simulate the mess that would end up inside. Self satirizing doodad boxes. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear Richard Steele!

That sounds like a great Christmas!

How about posting some pics of the stuff you've made? I'd really like to see that...

And your story about the pin is amazing!

Congrats!

[Richard Steele]

5. Most of the stuff I've made is very resistant to photography, as it turns out.

So sorry, Peggy.

[AtomicKitten]

11. If it's the thought that counts, you scored!

I'm still pissed off that in 1964 I didn't get what I asked for, "Meet the Beatles" LP, instead getting "Patty Duke Sings." WTF was that all about anyway?!! :mad:

[Richard Steele]

14. You got "Patty Duke Sings"? The horror...the horror.

I suppose it's all about finding the strength to go on living
after that, LOL!

I think I speak for everyone when I say
that we're glad you found that strength.