Wooden ones...

Silke ("für große Mädchen") send me next to the casuarina "stuff" (or cones or whatever they are called ^^) little wooden discs. She knows how much I love to play with new stuff!

I wasn't too much into working with wood in the past... and the past means my "before-I-had-a-dremel-time"! So now with a dremel it is a lot of fun! Drilling, sanding, even carving... (but I am still experimenting with the last one)

At first I made earrings. Mh... not really surprising? Nearly everthing what get in my hands turn out to be used as earrings. But to me earrings are the most essential part of jewelery. Without earrings I feel kind of naked. There seems something missing and you would see me shaking my head from time to time because the weight is missing ^^ 

This goes since my ears were pierced (I was about six... seven...?)

I love rings but I don't wear any. I used to but this stoped as soon as I had my first day in the lab. You can't wear gloves and (my kind of ^^) rings. And you also wouldn't risc it working with human pathogenic virus (I assume most people wouldn't risc it ;) ). 

I also love all other kinds of jewerliy... bracelets, crochelets, necklaces... But with everything around your wrists it is the same as with rings.

And necklaces... I just forget... or they don't fit in. 

Of course I try to create a lot of occasions where it is great to wear really a little bit over the top jewelery! I especially loce "le petit jolie" which is all kind of "bling". 

But for everyday life: Earrings! 

The wood is really beautiful! I love the structures and the look!

This is the rough sanded wooden surface...

...and this after a little bit more sanding, using finer sandpaper.

To be more precise: To form the edges I start with a rough sandpaper (80 grit), then going over to 120 - 180 grit and in the end 240 grit. 

When I am using the 240 grit sandpaper I dampening the wood using a wet towel. During this step the open fibre ends of the wood take of the water and swell so with the next sanding step you'll remove them and get an even smoother surface!

Such a little step which makes such a great difference! I was really surprised :)

Yes, still not perfect but so smooth that it is difficult not to touch it all the time ^^ 

In german I woudl call it a "Handschmeichler" which would mean in a direct translation something like "hand charmer". I think the real english word would be more something like a worry or palm stone but somehow "hand charmer" definitly fits more the german meaning of "Handschmeichler". 

At the last step I covered the surface with linseed oil (I used some for eating, whcih was cold-pressed, organic quality without any particles. Okay, this will take longer for curing but there won't be any chemicals in it :) ). I put on several layers until the wood wouldn't "drink" up more of the oil. I removed the rest of the oil, let it dry (the outside will dry very quickly but the curing of the oil inside the wood will take weeks!) and then buffed it. 

The change of colour is also due to the oil but this will change back with the time (and a lot of sun!). For the curing time you should take care that the wood gets a lot of sun and air. Maybe by wearing earrings like this one ^^ As soon as the surface is dry this is possible :) And hey, it is a good reason to get some sun! "I have to sit in the sun! Really! Just to cure my earrings!"

And last but not least a warning about using linseed oil 

(regardless whether it for food or for woodwork):

Never ever through the cloth you were using with the oil in your trash! The oil in the cloth is so fine distributed that there will a lot of oxidation processes take place. Heat will be created during this reaction and can start a fire! Always dry the cloth outside or store them in a closed tin or something similar which cannot burn! 

Trotzige Herzen - Canis lupus

It all started with the idea of an image transfer. I had a lot of emails and talking andexperiments with Silke (from "für große Mädchen") about image transfer. Some of you may remember my image transfers with aceton. But there are a lot of other techniques around the net and the idea of image transfer which is not digital (although I also love and use digital image editing possibilities) has something tempting. An image you made with your hands during every step has another feeling, at last for oneself (or for me). Every step was made and touched with the own fingers. I love to fell the different structures, all the used papers, the paints and the acrylic media. This picture is for me. Or in other words: A lot if not all of the picture is me. Captures the moment. 

What happened during the night at late hours was simple. I was writing at my thesis. I love and hate it at the same time. There are so many ideas and solutions for scientific problems I had to solve. So much which I learned the hard and long was and in the end is a big part of who I am and rather important also of who I want to be. Science is about a never ending curiosity. The same drive which keeps me crafting. painting, sewing, whatever, keeps me in the laboratory. But this also represents the biggest problem. I don't have a real distance to something which in the end is work, a job. And with every work comes politics, small societies with their own rules, being completly dependent, nececessities which have nothing to do with the actual work in the lab but are sometimes even more important. This all is also in my thesis and to be honest: I can't stand it anymore. It will be finished (no if, no when!) to the end of july. Maybe some little corrections... but nothing more.

Yes, Michelle (from "Mich L in LA", have a look her mystery guessing is going on again!), for me it is like giving it away. :) All the weight which comes along with it. Do I fear a little bit what may come after this? Of course. But also I am eager to go this way. A lot of job applications already went their way, also an application to study a second time (medicine) and there is the possibility of apllication for research grants (already there are some people and ideas behind). One of this will work out :)

The "doctor" in germany is translated into english with PhD. But like with a lot of things there are differences due to the systems in the different countries. I have my diploma in biology. This is like having a bachelor and master. So I am a really traditional natural scientist. During my main studies in the third and fourth year we had to chose three main courses in biology and one main course from another discipline (the first two years are the same for everyone with really verything, from zoology to physics, from microbiology to informatic). I had neurobiology (I guess most of you are not surprised ^^), microbiology, genetics and for the non-biology topic, molecular medicine.

After my diploma work (which is done in the fifth year after the oral exams) I started with my doctoral work. This is a research work for about three to five years (for a Dr. rerum naturalis or short Dr. rer. nat, yes, all our doctor titles have different prerequesites ^^). 

I already gave you in my last blog post the link to PhD comics but maybe just have a look at this youtube video and listen to the song: So true! One wants to laugh and cry at the same time. This video was sent in minutes through all labs and institutes! 

But in the end it is not only a work which teaches ones a lot about the own research but also about oneself. A lot of people go through the same experiences like me. At least, I am not alone ;) 

Back to the night... I just had to work with my hands and not on the computer. A small and little project I thought because time is limited.

 I transfered the wolf (Canis lupus) skull on old paper sites (from the book - Trotzige Herzen, which means defiant hearts). I played with several transfers and then started to paint on one. I had an old newspaper lying below to protect my table. After adding more and more details to the old book paper and the skull I thought that it would be a good idea to add a body and just started to expand my painting from the book site to the newspaper.

I used laquer pens, acrylic colours, water acrylic paints, 3D acrylib body art medium, pens and a paint which is named Inka-gold from viva decor (I used lava green). I applied it with brushed, sticks, paper and my fingers. Especially the last I used a lot of times. I found paint in my hair, in my face, on my lips and also on my nails at the next morning. ^^ 

Sometimes this happens with me: Painting in a rush without thinking. I belive that it keeps me sane and that the result is something which has a lot to do with me. And yes, I can find myself in the picture and even with all the negative influences, for me, in the end it is not negative at all (but that'll be all what I am writing to this topic).

This was my first try. You can still see that I was to fast working because some colour is missing (or smeared) and some paper is left. But it is nevertheless really easy. I am preparing a blog entry for the future about some results with different glues and acrylics for their use in image transfer. The pictures are already there for some time but the text is still missing. ^^

The pictures are from Karen "the graphics fairy". I already used a lot of her bones and skulls pictures! :)

The lines of the lung are to fine to really pop out from the background. I'll keep that in mind for future projects. By the way: All the pictures were printed with a laser printer!

Kasuarine or casuarina earrings

Okay, I know, there is not too much to read from me at my blog at the moment. This is due to finally arrived the last days / weeks to finish my doctoral thesis. I am more than a little bit afraid, exiteted, exhausted, nervous... and maybe there is also a little spark of hope which belives that in some time this won't dictate my life anymore. Or better... that I'll have a real life again.

If you want to have some funny impressions of research life, just jump over to PhD comics. Although maybe it  is only funny and cruel to the people who live in this little world with its own rules.

But back to the actual topic. Stuff! I love the look of the earrings! I already made them some time ago with the cone of a casuarina (german - Kasuarine). The cone is hard and wooden and very, very stable. Okay, it is not a real cone, wrong family, but I don't know how I should call it otherwise in english. If you want to look after this plant just search for Casuarina equisetifolia. 

Originally it comes from the other side of the world, from Burma to Australia... but it also grows in a lot of other pleaces worldwide now due to its traits. fast growing, a really high salt resistance, able to grow even in nutrient-poor sand.

I got them from "für große Mädchen" who found them all on fuerteventura. 

I used my dremel to cut of the little wooden end of the structures and to drill holes in it. After that it was just adding a bead :)

I love the contrast between the little frosted cream pearl and the spiky wooden and strange look from the casuarine cone. I think it would suit a steampunk outfit as well as an evening gown ^^

And last but not least: I'll be away the first days in august. Being in the real little paradise on earth - formentera!

When I am back there will be some (and first) candies from me. Due to several reasons, the first is that I have nearly 100 readers. Yes, I love comments, I love readers, I love new ideas and contructive critics :) Also I hope I'll be more relaxed after (I still can't belive it and won't until it actually happened) giving my thesis away. So this alone would be reason enough for a giveaway. :) 

So at this date I'll be hopefully in a state of high endorphines, so if you would like to have something special for a candy, it'll be the perfect chance to say me that. Endorphines are reducing any resistance to suggestions ;)

The dragonfly tile and the white!

In this case the white is again polystyrene. I stamped my dragonfly tile stamp on polystyrene and cut it out... after shrinking it with my heating tool I used the now little tile for earrings :)

Cardboard + Paper = Earrings

...and of course several layers of laquer. 

Yes, they even survive a heavy rainstorm. I tried it...!

(no, not by choice ^^)

It is a very sturdy cardboard. I was even asked whether this was some kind of wood.

For lisbonlioness :)

A little lace choker...

...with one of the crochet flowers out of my stash :) 

Very simple, but it creates a beautiful effect :)