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About AltasOrnamentation

In 1904 Alta Ethilda Barnhart was born. Making something out of nothing was her specialty. Being the wife of a coal miner who farmed on the side helped her develop that skill. She loved to knit, crochet, sew and bake. She even wrote a song that the late Dinah Shore recorded. I'm so glad I inherited my creative abilities from her and followed her example of hard work, determination, and perfection. I think of her when I make my ornaments, jewelry and chimes. I love the silver plate I work with. It reminds me of the luncheon set Park Lane by Oneida that she gave me when I went off to college. It was tarnished black in and beautiful blue tri-fold case. She told me she bought it from a traveling junk man in 1924. I those days, "junk men" would travel from town to town and buy, sell and swap things to make money. Today, I use a variety of tools my husband has collected over the years to bring my creations to life such as a metal band saw, pliers, Dremel, bench vice, drill press, rubber and metal hammers, hydraulic press, and a small anvil. Materials used include fishing line, beads, glue, buttons, washers, and all types of silver serving pieces and flat ware. I've learned to use a Dremel with a cutting wheel to carve my materials to create sharks, puffer fish, guppies, grouper, whales, piranha, and angelfish. I can be found in my basement studio listening to talk shows, opera, classical, alternative, new wave or country while I carefully de burr and polish all edges. Some pieces I completely refurbish, but mostly I find I enjoy the patina the pieces have acquired over the decades. I also carefully choose items by weight for a finished product. Varying weights, produce varying tones and the results are delightfully musical.

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