If music be the food of art materials

...get on and play! I was recently presented with the innards of a very dead piano by a friend who specialises in festival installations, interactive noise-making sculptures and other joys over at the Gypsyjam Collective.

Piano innards awaiting my tender ministrations

Lots of pianos meet a splintery end as they're hard to shift, no-one wants them etc, but at least this one would get used for something. I had no idea what, but, well, all those lovely little levers and springs... so I started dismantling and organising.

Piano bits all neat and tidy.

At this stage, I knew more about how a piano worked, but still didn't know how the components would be used except that there would be (a) articulation, and (b) non-piano additions. I began to tinker. And then some more, until...

Here it is Pianomechanical #1

...yes, wall-hangings - it's more-or-less flat, so hangs easily, and I shall be making a series of them, all numbered 'Pianomechanicals', and all different. They're for sale, so if you are interested, do get in touch. Right, back to the workshop...

Shiny cabinet of shiny shinies

The period after New Year is a quiet time when trying to sell art and craft (unless you've got a really generous January sale maybe!) So, I took the opportunity to look through my stock, remove a few early pieces from sale because they no longer meet the standards I've set myself along the way and expand into new areas, particularly hair-wear.This doesn't mean I'm making hats, but I am expanding my range of one-off fascinators and hairbands (now known as 'plaitinators' courtesy of fellow artist Lisa Thorne... As part of this, I've replenished my cabinet in the Art House (AKA 'my second home') in Southampton. Here's some of what's currently available - enjoy!

Pendants - steampunk and blacksmith styles.

Mini-me in a frame.

The cabient in all its shiny glory.

Purty fascinator with mesh, bows, checks and rhinestones.

Cyberpendant.

Cyberbrooches.

'Plaitinators' made of leather offcuts from Conkers Shoes in Totnes.

Mighty steampunk mechanical brooch.

(Keep wearing) fascination

No, not an homage to the Human League (I make no apologies for punning) but an introduction to my recent foray into making hair-wear/fascinators. This may seem an odd addition to my jewellery range, but they are small pieces packed with detail, so more of a logical progression that they may initially appear. I'm also retaining (of course) the recycled/reused ethos, so apart from the bases and clips, they are constructed out of, well, all sorts of things and generally have an industrial/cyberpunk/steampunk feel - there won't be any sprays of dyed feathers... for more, have a look here - they are quite tricky and time-consuming to make but there are more in the pipeline...

Fascinators with mainsprings - wobbly!

'Cyberpump' fascinator - a wondrous device for your hair (and lighter than it looks).

The first one I sold - a tiny time machine - here being worn by its new owner at a Steampunky gig.