Bashing Bells....

I forgot to show you what Pat Arnell brought the Wednesday Witches back from the NAME convention. Last Wednesday, she hosted our meeting. Since she and Walter both get a tote bag when they go, there are a lot of duplicates. We benefit.

she put all of the favors on a turntable and we got to choose until they were gone.

Everything that you see in the first photo, with the exception of the pink and white kit in front were my choices.

The witches always send some money with whomever is going, to purchase a kit of some kind for us to put together. This year it was a kit for a shelf with a bell collection. They were made from jewelry findings and beads.

I could not think of a single place to put a shelf of bells, so I decided to see what else could be done with them.

With the addition of a few extra beads and fancy head pins, I made goblets. Then I branched out and made a few silver bottles and jars.

I simply strung the beads on a headpin like you see in the foreground. Glued and let dry. Then I snipped off the excess wire. Easy.

Tessie can always use more bottles and jars for potions.

Not satisfied with just jars and bottles , I dug out some walnut and made a table for the workroom. Tessie made me do it....

It won't be finished until tomorrow. I thought you might like proof that I am back to the townhouse.

I just cut out the slab for the top in the size that I wanted. Then I made a four board skirt that measured a quarter inch less all around. I cut the legs 2 1/2" long. Standard table height.

I put those together in my jig. when those were dry, I cut a lower shelf the same measurement as the outside of the four legs. Then I cut notches out of the corners for the legs.

I glued that in 1/2" from the bottom. It looked too plain. I started cutting strips of 1/8" walnut to go around the outside. Once around the bottom shelf, once 1/8" above that. Then I did the same thing around the top and bottom of the skirt.

It is a bit Frank Lloyd Wright-ish. Kind of..... Tessie insists on calling it a Frank Lloyd Wrong table...I may just have to take it away from her. Zar could always use another work table.

I still need to do some sanding, staining and finishing. Tomorrow you will get to see it finished

See you then.