Alta’s Ornamentation

Alta’s Ornamentation is a member of the Greater Ithaca Art Trail and my home studio will be open from 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday June 1 at 96 Lake Road in Dryden.  It is a part of the Community Arts Program which is now in its 22nd year.  You’ll see my white tent on my driveway with jewelry, mobiles and chimes for sale.  Visitors must wear masks and maintain social distancing. All open artists have signed an agreement agreeing to wearing masks at all times, maintain 6 foot distancing, clean surfaces frequently, limit the number of people inside a space, and provide hand sanitizer. Visit arttrail.com for more information on the trail.

I bought a few pieces of mismatch silver plate flatware in 2016 at a garage sale.  It sat for a year before I investigated what I could make from it.  I made a simple fish mobile and a teapot wind chime. Now, I create over 20 wicked and whimsical sea creatures from spoons, forks, butter knives, and serving pieces using the basic tools I “borrowed” from my husband.  My creatures include whale, shark, pufferfish, proboscis fish, sea snakes, squid. manta ray, a variety of tropical fish and species yet to be discovered.  I’m careful to cut each mouth differently, hand etch the fins, gills and stripes, design different tails for different species, and make each as detailed as possible.  My latest, greatest piece is my Fish Chandelier with tea light candles.  Everybody needs one of these, right?

In 2018 I moved to jewelry design but wasn’t happy with the results.  I slowly invested in professional tooling and am so glad I did.  I developed my skills and remember my grandmother telling “Practice makes perfect”! I made basic pendants, then fork tine earrings, then bracelets and rings.  Now I can create jewelry faster and it’s high quality with great prices.  I’m always shopping for flatware at the very best price.  I want people to have something really nice at a great bargain.  It makes them happy and gives me great joy.  I can make any size bracelet, anklet or ring.  Custom orders are not a problem.

Feel free to bring your family heirlooms and I’ll be happy to give you ideas or a quote for creating one of a kind pieces for you.  Visit my website at altasornamentation.com/custom-orders for details.