Randomosity on Fridays: A Manatee and Shiny Things

Hello, lovelies, another Friday is upon us and it's time for a well-deserved dose of randomosity!

Lately all I've done is various forms of creative slave-labor and now that things are over and done with and the pressure is off, I have the leisure to share gratuitous picspam.

1. I made a manatee for a classmate. In exchange, she is to make me a bronze tooth-and-tentacle ring, because teeth and tentacles are her thing.  I present to you now: Christinatee!

She wanted a manatee with a burger on its head.
Why?  I know not.  She said it'd be the cutest thing ever
and bought this burger bead at the ren faire.

Behold the appliqued and bead-embellished tentacle on one flank.

Lastly, there is an appliqued tooth on the chest.
I told you--teeth and tentacles.

2. I learned how to make my own prong settings this semester. Then on the last workday of class, I was looking at this glass stone I'd gotten a while ago, and I was like, "Hey, that looks like a rat."  Typical to have a brilliant idea at the last minute.  There ensued a great deal of cursing, angst, and regret, but five hours later I'd bamfed out this little guy:

Sterling silver prong-set glass stone ratty pendant.
The tail loop is the bail from which to hang it.

I explored the outer limits of my cursing lexicon
when trying to get those freaking ears soldered in place.

On the bottom/back are teeny rat-feet cutouts.
That mark between the forepaws is the .925 sterling stamp.

3. I also made this necklace inspired by the anime/manga Rurouni Kenshin:

Glass stone in oxidized copper prong-setting pendant.
I hoarded this stone for over a year, waiting for the right moment.
I mean, look at that cross-shape on the red stone!

The back hiragana says, "Oro?"
I sawed out each character with a 5/0 sawblade, which is practically hair-thin.
Around the edges, the oxidized black patina has been deliberately
worn away to give the pendant an aged appearance.

I then put the pendant on a black chain and,
in another last-minute fit of mad inspiration,
made a tiny sakabatou/reverse-edged sword pendant
to go on the extender chain in the back.
The sword turned out a tad short. Sigh.
You can't see it in the pic but the back of the blade is filed to give it an edge.
Sterling silver blade, bronze fittings, copper hilt.

So there's a sampling of my slavery.  I made a boatload of other things, but it is late and I am lazy tired.  I haven't been writing as much since it was end-of-the-semester crunchtime, but now that I have some more leisure, I'm looking forward to getting books read and stories written!

Q4U: What are your creative outlets? Should I try to make some kind of articulated or sterling silver manatee next semester?