Senin, 23 Januari 2012

Show & Tell: Bookends

Show & tell: bookends just shipped out today: this is the first set I've made in a loooooong time :)

The bearings all move; they spin around within each other; very fun & cool looking
This is a matching pair; commissioned by a daughter for her dad's birthday: hope he likes them!

The bearings are all salvaged: from a heavy equipment transmission shop: thanks Larry :)   I clean the grease off & then weld them together--it's hard to come up with matching sets, but it worked out perfect this time :)

Amber


Sabtu, 14 Januari 2012

The Fam: Skwishy Cat :)

Just for fun, I thought I'd introduce you to a member of the crazy family around here...
 Skwishy Cat....
he is big, & white, & has a skwishy belly...he's kinda like a basset hound cat: lays around most of the time, kinda useless, but cute & entertaining...not too smart, but very love-able, lol :)
 In the snow...
 In the sink...
 Cat house with Beasty...
too funny...lol
destroyer of phone books...
addicted to cat-nip...
& Starbucks...
yummy...
caffeine buzz!!  lol
The Skwishy Cat: cute, cuddly, & very talkative; he always has a meowrrreow for everyone (and lots of white hair to share, lol)

He's not much help in the shop, but I feed him anyway... ;)

Amber

Kamis, 12 Januari 2012

More Sneak Peekings: Bouquet Photoshoot

Got a few sneak peek images from EB of Two Bird Studio today: 
omg....soooo excited to see more!  Loving the dreamy lighting & over the top styling...

 This first one is Chanel: model & dancer for the Trey McIntyre Project here in Boise.  Chanel is gorgeous & tiny & strong & travels the world as a dancer: I feel so lucky that she wanted to be a part of my little project!  Loving this shot!


 And this is the lovely Annie: we met a couple years ago & when I was putting together this little project, I knew she would be perfect!  Love the eyelashes: purple feathers--I think I might have to get some for myself...lol :)   You cant see the copper bouquet she has in her hand, but I love the way the necklace looks---it's one of my all-time-fav-pieces: I am considering listing it on my Etsy, but I'm a bit attached to it since I wore it to last year's Carnevale...  We'll see... :)


This is beautiful Kate with Max & Josh; omg, I love the brick wall background!  Kate was amazing during the shoot; she knows how to pose & make things look great: I'm so grateful to all the amazing talent that showed up to help out & join in the fun...

And big thanks to Matt at the Powerhouse: you were so welcoming & accommodating for us & all our craziness :)  The Powerhouse was the perfect backdrop: I would highly recommend the space for a party, wedding, get together: anything: it's an amazing space!

Looking forward to seeing more of the pics: I have had to restrain myself this week from emailing EB & bugging her about it, lol.  I'm trying to be patient, but I'm so excited!!
More to come...

Amber








Senin, 09 Januari 2012

New in my Etsy Shop

Just thought I'd share a few new items just listed :)
Copper Bells Necklace & Earrings set: made with little jingly copper bells, an antique glass & rhinestone charm, magnification lens, & accents of bright turquoise crystals & cream pearls.
Oooooh: I love the look of copper & the little bells tinkle softly as you move: too much fun!
This one has a very fancy little silver & brass lipstick tube: that still has lipstick inside!  Accented with another lens, vintage rhinestones, chain, & a little silver key...
And another lovely old key necklace: with a vintage rhinestone & pearl charm, glass lens, little fuse, & a tiny silver teapot charm: so cute!
I have worn this lapel pin many times & finally decided to list it: super sparkly vintage rhinestone brooch with a pocket watch movement, old chandelier crystal, & accents of cream pearls.

These can all be found on my Etsy shop:


Amber


Sabtu, 07 Januari 2012

A peek into my little world....

Today, I thought I would share some pics from my little apartment....it's a very fun & funky little space & I love it!  It's actually part of my shop...yep: I live in my shop, lol :)   The little shop was run down & half finished when I got ahold of if about a year ago...my good friend Marcella & I did the remodel almost all by ourselves-we had a bit of help with overhead sheetrock & a few things, but other than that, it was all us...  Pretty much everything we used was salvaged, re-used, scrounged, or built from my stash of junk: even all the paint was mis-mix or from Second Chance.
Starting with my chandelier....this is actually from the old Barbacoa: it used to be bright sparkling clear crystals, but after the fire everything is black & will not come off.  There are even some drips of melted glass...  When I saw it at Diamond Street Recycling, I had to have it: love the black imperfect-ness.  It got new wiring & a new home in my little living room...
Now it hangs above my train-spring table (please ignore the mess: was taking jewelry pics too)
The wood wall behind the little couch hides the fridge: it's made of old cedar fence pickets (Second Chance): I added a wash of white sparkly paint :)
And this is the view into my tiny kitchen...stainless steel sink from Craigslist, lights from the Re-Store, shelves from the Reuseum, & lots of fun & funky storage...
The overhead rack I made from some old trade show display pieces: works great for hanging things...
And my little bathroom...lockers for storage (these actually came from IKEA), a custom pedestal sink built from the same old trade show metal, metal shelving & boxes for storage.
Another view of the sink...  The basin & faucet were left-overs from a remodel project on another house, the mirror is one I made years ago: has some scratches so I couldn't use it for the project it was made for--but works great for me :)   And the funky shelves are actually pieces that were salvaged from some old machines....
$5 light fixture from the Re-Store...it got a new coat of black paint & glass shades.  (the feathers are a hair accessory :)
Little metal boxes that I scored from the Reuseum....I use them to store extra contacts, soap, & other small things...
Added some little magnetic words just for fun...and they can be changed out whenever I want :)
Old first aid boxes--also from the Reuseum--they hold aspirin, cold medicine, etc.
And, one of my fav parts: ceiling fan/heater....there were holes around the outside because the old one was bigger, so I covered them with old rhinestone jewelry & other bits & baubles....Crystal chandelier on a budget, lol :)
And of course, I had to throw in a few gears too... ; )
These are my very steep, narrow stairs...a huge steel turnbuckle serves as the handrail :)
My computer station/jewelry workspace/wedding bouquet studio...
And looking the other way; the little chandelier hangs above the stairway, the shelf is an old wooden storage box; perfect for displaying some of my supplies.
My collection of jewelry stands :)
And back downstairs: an odd assortment of storage & display space :)

Well, thats if for now; thanks for joining me on my little tour....feel free to comment if you have any questions about the stuffs you see; I am happy to share where I got things/ what they are.  

 Next, we will take a look into the shop side (after I clean up a bit, lol)

Amber


Kamis, 05 Januari 2012

In the Idaho Statesman today.... :)

Highlights of January's First Thursday gallery stroll in Downtown Boise
  BY DANA OLAND - doland@idahostatesman.com
Copyright: © 2012 Idaho Statesman BY DANA OLAND
Idaho Statesman Published: 01/05/12
Amber Conger’s “Secret Laboratory”: Altoids tin, gears, keys, fuses, light bulbs, necklace, clock parts and other miscellaneous stuff.


MINT-SPIRATION
How creative can you get with an Altoids tin? That’s a challenge that will be explored by artists participating in “An Altoid Tinstallation!” You’ll be amazed by what is being done within these little mint tins by artists from Art Source Gallery (1015 W. Main St.), BOSCO (an artist organization that promotes interaction between artists and viewers) and Treasure Valley Institute for Children’s Arts.The sale at Art Source Gallery will go on throughout January. The tins sell for $20 each, with 100 percent of the proceeds going back to the donating group. The opening reception is from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday with music by Dan Costello and wine from Indian Creek Winery. ArtSourceGallery.com.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/01/05/1940229/gallery-stroll-highlights.html#storylink=cpy

Rabu, 04 Januari 2012

Bouquet Photoshoot-sneak peek...

These are a few quick snaps I took yesterday at the shoot: lots more to come...
EB of Two Bird Studio & I decided to team up to get some cool shots of my bouquets for submissions, portfolio, etc.  We spent the day at the Powerhouse in Boise: such a cool building & perfect for the feel we were going for...
ooooh: I cant wait to see the finished pics!
We went with a bit of retro, glam, steam punk, circus, edgy, over-the-top styling...so much fun!
Tiffani did some crazy hair & make-up: there were feathers, crystals, shimmer, & shine...
It was fun to see EB do her thing; she set the models up in all kinds of crazy positions & on different backgrounds; I got a peek at just a few of the shots: omg--amazing!!
It was such a fun day: I'm already looking forward to the next shoot...lol :)

Thanks so much to Tiffani & co, for the rock'n hair & makeup; models Josh, Chanel, Max, Kate & Annie; Matt at the Powerhouse; & of course Elizabeth for your amazing skills & imagination.

Finished photos to come; stay tuned :)

Amber