Apples & Butterflies

Two new projects just finished today...



The apple was hand sawn & sanded for a matte finish.

The brass butterfly was hand sawn & etched using saltwater (my nod to saving the environment). A patina was added to enhance the design on the pendant & chain.

A peek into the creative process

This week's project ...

...Starting with the initial sketch that I scribble into my sketchbook. This will eventually be a pair of etched, riveted earrings. This project was inspired by a recent visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

And on to the fabrication... I used rubber cement to attach the pattern onto the metal. These were entirely hand sawn.

Next, comes the etching. I use a saltH2O etcher because I do it at home. It's much safer than the chemical alternative and works well for copper and brass. I'm still struggling with getting it to work on silver. Because of this, I did the etching on brass, which will be riveted as the back of the earrings.





Here is a view of the front & back. I'll eventually drill holes where you see the sharpie dots and add a pop of color to the center before I rivet them closed. I'm still trying to determine how to make the earwire...stay tuned for the finished product.

A Little Birdie Told Me...

Hot off the solder station...just made today

BkLyN

There is something endearing about williamsburg.

graffiti covered edifices and handlebar mustaches...
peculiar piercings and vintage furnishings...
haute couture and indie ambiance galore...

I think some of it may be rubbing off on me in a subtle way. My sewing machine arrived and I am soon en route to sign up for studio space to start making my bling again.

Oh Dear

So I am in California for a little rest and relaxation...I've been pampered and spoiled and am loving the foggy mornings & hot afternoons. Earlier today I happened to mention something about purchasing leather scraps to incorporate into my jewelry and my dad informed me that there is a leather store conveniently located on the other side of town. Not needing to add any more stuff to my jewelry making supplies, but curious to see the store, I hesitantly asked my mom if she'd be interested in accompanying me to visit said mercantile. She quickly said yes and we drove off in search of scraps I could add to my collection of goodies. Lucky me, they had boxes and boxes of leather leftovers and I found some beautifully colored pieces. One large, gorgeous, pearly swatch in particular screamed out *clutch* to me and I had to get it...oh dear. I don't even know how to sew. I've spent the last 2 hours searching the web for patterns and an inexpensive sewing machine. I think I've found another hobby. Oops. Stay tuned for the progress...I think I am going to try and make something simple to start...similar to this:

..

MassArt

Yesterday was the first day of metals at MassArt...Very excited to have the opportunity to hone my skills over the next couple of months. I felt like a kid in a candy store seeing all of the equipment I'll have access to...first project is to make a 2"x2" sawn self-portrait...this should be interesting. Stay tuned for a photo of the finished piece.

...in other news...

I had a creative spurt over the weekend and made some new pieces. This time, per the recommendations of several people, I am incorporating color in the form of malachite, irregular beads of unknown origin and colored shell.

Deep Freeze

So it is. It's the middle of winter and we're snowed in ... again. Perfect time for me to upload a pic of my latest commissioned piece...and now, back to work.