Jewelry a day challenge January 29th

I began working on this piece yesterday when I found it in one of my cab trays. It was a piece I made for one of my PMC certifications, which would date it to 2000-2003.

It was a very experimental piece with metal clay hinges and metal clay bezels for the two non kiln safe stones to be set after firing. The square one shrank perfectly, the large one for the charoite was too small. So back then,  before I learned to solder, I patched the bezel with metal clay and refired that part. The hinges were too thin, the hinge 'pin' was a bundle of lopsided torch balled 24g headpins, that never sat right, and the bezel looked like it was Frankensteined.... I had worn it a couple of times and it would get caught, as the headpins were too long and the hinge finally broke slightly. It was tucked away as an example of failed design.

Fast forward many years and much improvement in skill. The base is solid. The shape is good. The design has a nice Asian flair, reinforced by the kanji texture on the back of the piece. It was worth saving. So, I reworked its weaknesses.

I removed the hinge. Unset the rainbow moonstone and charoite. Cleaned up where the hinges were and removed the patchwork bezel. The I set to evening out the fine silver base where the bezel had been attached,  patched and filled in. I made a new bezel from fine silver bezel stock. I cut a piece of silver tubing and cleaned up its edges

Then I soldered it all together with silver solder- the top piece with the moonstone and purple czs, the tube and the bottom focal part. And then I had to put the bail back on after I set the moonstone because I got a little too rough with it.  So, moonstone came back out, reattached the bail and then cleaned it up. As the piece was originally executed in metal clay, there was a lot of cleaning up to do. Fingernail markes, uneven thickness of the edges.... I toiled until almost midnight last night, vowing not to let the piece win. But I had to let it, and me, rest.

Tonight's work was finishing the edges, filing and sanding out a divot in the bail, polishing everything, setting the stones, applying patina and then final finish and polish.

I think for an experimental piece from my early career,  it cleaned up nice. :)
If I can find a pic of the original,  I'll post it so you can see the comparison.

Jewelry a day challenge- catch up

Well.. Sunday i went to the bead and gem show and got some amazing old stock Bali and Karen Hill silver. I mean, this is the real deal primo stuff from before the market crash when everything went to silver plate and simple designs.. i got some rounds that have some of the most amazing granulation on them i have ever seen.

And the weather here was amazing that day- 65, i think.. and after weeks of bitter cold and knowing that bitter cold was again, right around the corner, i went out and enjoyed the day. I collected some acorns and seed pods that will be excellent for elecroforming, so even when i'm not making jewelry, i'm thinking about making jewelry. :) I did put together a pendant that i could technically claim as a piece for the day, but i have plans for it to be an entire necklace, so i'd rather save it and show it finished than get partial credit.

Monday was a productive day, just again, not on the jewelry making front. I repaired one of my corsets- the busk needed a set of rivets repaired- i wound up making new rivets and putting it back together. and i listed a piece of jewelry on etsy- 1 towards my goal of 2 a week.

Tuesday, i worked on revitalizing old work. I had some great ideas back in the day, but not always the skill to execute them. So, i pulled out an old pendant, took out the stones and fixed some things. I will post a picture of it with my challenge piece tonight (don't think i got extra industrious and made 2 pieces today)

Jewelry a Day Challenge Jan 25th

This is kind of cheating... it's the piece i made as my demo in class today. Still needs a little finishing, but looks pretty good so far.

It was a fun class- fine silver metal clay, cut, domed and dry fitted and then assembled post firing. the ladies in my class made some great pieces and i can't wait to see where they take the 'technique'

Jewelry a day- January 23rd

Today's piece is a lovely statement ring with a wave patterned sterling silver band, fine silver bezel,  and a handmade boro glass cab from Appling Glass Studios.

Jewelry a day- January 22nd

Well.. there's no picture to accompany this post today because i learned a very important thing... paste solder isn't as strong as wire solder. and annealing is important when flaring spinner rings.

So.. no jewelry for today, but i certainly learned something. :)

Jewelry a day -January 21st

Two lovely pair of earrings from tonight's studio time.

Both feature hand blown glass from an artist in Toronto and natural stones. The capsule earrings have pyrite inside and are topped with silver plated brass from the Phillipines. They hang from handmade sterling earwires. The large rondelles are filled with assorted tumbled gemstone chips and are topped with handmade Bali style copper caps and suspended from artistic copper earwires. 

Jewelry a day - January 16-20th

I've been working on several projects at once- more samples for my locket class this Saturday and mokume gane samples for an upcoming private class.

The lockets are just waiting on rivets, which I'll do in class to demo how to do it.
The mokume pieces are 2 pairs of earrings and various cabs that I'll set like stones.

Jewelry a day - January 15th

More spinners!!!

Jewelry a day challenge - January 14

Another spinner ring. Copper base with copper and brass orbitals.

Jewelry a day challenge- January 13th

I missed Saturday and Sunday- for good reason. I got new rune metal stamps that I played with for a while and worked on a design for the boy.

Here's a little something to make up for it.
Sterling silver and blue lace agate earrings with raw silk texture on the squares.

Sterling silver and copper spinner ring with cross peen texture.

Jewelry a day challenge- January 10th

Today's piece is a sterling silver bangle with laser and diamond cut sterling bead and boro glass from Ryan of Appling Glass Studio.

Jewelry a day challenge- January 9th

Today's piece is a sterling silver statement ring featuring another lovely boro glass cab from Ryan of Appling Glass Studio.

It features crown gallery wire surrounded by a hammered fine silver circle. The randomly stamped triskle band is about a 7.5.

Jewelry a day challenge- January 8th

Today's post is a little different but no less adornment.

These are pieces for my costume for Sinister's Snow Goth themed night this Saturday at 1884 in Minglewood hall..

I'm going to be wearing a Marie Antoinette style wig with a baroque corset. I have to figure out the bottom part of the costume. But these are the accessories.

There's a Grosgrain ribbon choker with vintage chandelier crystals. The hoop  earrings are embellished with silver plated belly dancer bells, shimmering fiberglass 'wonder' beads and more crystals. The charms on the wire frame panniers match. The aluminum panniers are adorned with mirrors, silver ribbon,  charms and shimmer organza.

The pannier sit wrong on the mannequin because she's too skinny and well, only  half a girl. They sit right on me  :)

Jewelry a day challenge - January 7th

Today's piece is a pair of earrings made with handmade earwires and ball head pins, gorgeous boro glass from Ryan of Appling Glass Works and some pre-2008 Bali silver. The boro looks like amazing Deer Run Fire agate, the warm brown cradling subtle swirls of pink, blue,  green and purple.

Jewelry a day challenge- January 6th

Here is the ammonite, Willow creek jasper, sterling silver and copper pendant I completed today.

Jewelry a day self challenge

So, I know it's 6 days into January, but I don't think it's too late to start a jewelry a day kind of challenge.  If I do half of it, I'll still wind up with a considerable body of work and be pretty darn proud of myself.  So I'm going to post what I've made thus far this year and try hard to keep up with making something jewelry/metalworked every day.

January 5th

Jan 1st