You can tell by my hair that I don’t like to be subtle in my appearance. This sometimes applies to the jewelry I wear as well. I like all kinds of jewelry, but occasionally, I want something that makes a statement. Fortunately, if you feel the same way, there are many artists out there that create such pieces. Prepare to be noticed!
Warrior Pagan Fae Woven Wire Copper Necklace by WireMoon
Raw Pyrite Four Finger Ring
Super Space Tetris Man Nintendo Bib Necklace by MyCheekyCreations
Since this post is a little different than the norm, and isn’t based on a theme or medium, the gallery in this week’s post exclusively features members of the Mom’s Basement Etsy Team. Enjoy!
Melvin disapproves of art theft… Melvin Sprite by YumesPixelCrafts
It came to my attention this week that someone on deviantART was using a of photo of mine, featuring my jewelry, without my permission. They posted it in their gallery and claimed to have made it themselves. I responded that this was my work and I would report them to admin, which in turn caused them to again insist that they made the jewelry in question and barrage me with a series of badly-spelled, juvenile insults. The photo was subsequently removed, however, all of the other photos in their gallery were also infringing on other artists’ ownership.
This seems harmless on the surface – just some tween’s boredom, or a troll trying to get a rise out of people. However, this person also claimed they could make custom orders or do trades for customers based on the pictures in their gallery. I would hate to think my or any other artist’s work was misleading people into thinking that’s what they were going to get, only to receive something sub-par, or worse, nothing at all.
Fall Impressions Pendant – Geek Atom by FaerieGardenFancies
This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with people using my designs for their own gain, but it caused me to think harder about what can be done about it. I know artists that have had similar experiences to mine, and many of us geeks that frequent the MB site are crafters and artists as well, so I hope the following information is useful.
What’s cooler than steampunk? Steampunk contraptions that actually function. Because really, what’s the point of all those gears if they don’t actually do anything? (Besides looking cool, that is.) The following gallery includes amazing inventions and art pieces that would make DaVinci and Atrus proud.
The Braxtonian Lantern by JWKinseysArtifice
This wall sconce features a slowly rotating inner cylinder and displays a star field on the ceiling in a dark room. It looks amazing, and the super fun part? That round knob at the top is the on/off switch.
Personal Reactor by ReactionDesigns
This cool necklace features a tiny “reactor,” composed of sterling silver, brass, titanium, and a glowing glass tube. The front of the pendant slides closed over the tube, where the light then shines through the three portholes in the front.
Steampunk Rotating Gear Heart by CarryTheWhat
Functional steampunk doesn’t have to be expensive. This awesome puzzle heart was 3D printed in metallic plastic. It can be twisted apart and rotated back together. It also comes in a colorful cube variety.
Recycled Computer Mechanics Ring by StudioLaTouche
I’m a big fan of using found objects and up cycling. I’m not super environmentally conscious, (although there’s nothing wrong with that,) but I do believe that if you have materials and items that can be repurposed into something tasteful and useful, it’s better than throwing them away.
I love things that are organic, rustic, vintage, and post-apocalyptic themed. I create my own found object and post-apocalyptic jewelry on my Etsy site, Blastland. Hunting for new (old) objects to use is always fun. I’ve walked into the Idaho desert in January and plucked bullet shell casings out of the cold, muddy ground, excavated fossilized, opalized seashells and obsidian knapping, and scrounged through creepy abandoned trailers for rusty nuts and washers. Ebay is also a great source for transit tokens, keys, and other vintage items I can’t find on my own.
There are a surprising amount of geeky items created from found objects. I’m sure these artists enjoy hunting for their materials as much as I do, and have used them in extremely creative ways.
