Fun in the Kitchen

Have studio (tools, silver, etc) will travel.  Last week I worked at the shop and today I worked in my kitchen.  I will conquer this "no studio space right now" thing for sure!

I belong to a mailing list for Beaducation - if you haven't seen their YouTube vidoes I highly recommend you go check them out - they have everything there and their videos are very well done.  They have a number of different instructors and they teach everything from beadweaving to riveting to fusing.  Go check them out.

Last week I got a link to one of their videos - "Fused Fine Silver Peacock Chain Tutorial" and I really wanted to try it.  I have been working with fine silver for a while now - I prefer it because it fuses with no need for solder and it doesn't get firescale the way sterling silver does - cuts WAY down on the clean up.

I watched the video through once - (wonderful instructor - Iris Sandkuhler - kudos for such a detailed video) and because the instructor went into so much detail she made it look manageable - and not at all scary.  It's not that I am afraid of the torch, after all I do torch enameling and LOVE it, rather it's a fear of melting the silver when I try to fuse it.  And this project calls for 20 gauge fine silver (although I used 18 gauge and am very happy with the results) so that made it all the more intimidating.

I laid out all the tools and followed along with the video - and I can definitely say I will be making this chain a lot.  It was fun to do and makes up fast (I used a 3/4" copper pipe and 18 gauge fine silver).

the links

New from the Bench

I do not have a studio right now - through moves and job changes I have a pile of boxes that have to be unpacked and no where to use a hammer and my beloved power tools.  That is until I realized I could "borrow" a bench at the shop (where I work) and hammer to my hearts content.

I wandered the shop and looked for things that would help me with my project - copper bangle bracelets with "organic rose shapes" as a focal.

Of course, wire, some cutters, needle nose pliers, and files...............then I had to find something to use as a "mandrel" -

............and I found this part that is the perfect diameter.  Using 12 gauge wire on these - I wrapped the part 

and then kept wrapping to form the rose shape

Once the wire was wrapped as much as I could wrap it, I took it off the "mandrel", finished the wrap using my tools, then filed the ends.  

I wanted the bangle part to have a hammered look - (I found this piece of steel at the back of the shop - cleaned it up a bit and it was perfect for what I needed!)

I found another part in the shop that I used as a sort of working mandrel - the part was secured in the vise and I just moved the bangle around while hammering the outer edge to give it a hammered look.

I tumbled them and now I just have to decide if I am going to add a patina to them or not.

It was a very enjoyable day "in the studio".

Silver Works

In spite of the fact that this past Christmas was overshadowed by a family emergency, I managed to make two pieces of jewelry for my sisters for their gifts. (luckily the nephews are easy - iTune gift cards almost always seem to fit the bill for them)

I worked on these pieces in my free time - the raw sapphire necklace was done over the course of a couple of days (a lot of beads to wrap!) and the bracelet was done in an evening - from conception to finish.  I used heavy gauge fine silver for the bracelet and for the focal on the necklace (14 gauge to be exact) and 20 gauge for the wire wrapping on the sapphires.  (and of course the beautiful sapphires came from Turquoise Magpie - who else?!)

The links on the bracelet were formed using the ends of two of my dapping tools (oh, did I also mention I had packed and was in the middle of moving into another place at the same time?!!), as were the jump rings.

The clasp from the same gauge fine silver (I adore working with fine silver - it's soft at first but it is so nice to work with)

The bracelet

Raw sapphire rounds wrapped with 20 gauge fine silver 

The focal for the necklace is composed of two double loops intertwined - 14 gauge fine silver

The clasp

The necklace

December Echo Creative Club Reveal

Welcome to my reveal for the Echo Creative Club December blog hop.  I would like to thank the very talented Jeannie Dukic (JKD Studio) for allowing me to participate.  It has been a very positive experience - one which stretched my creative muscles a lot more than I had anticipated.  It's an honor to have an artist send you their creations and put their trust in you to create something from that.  I was ever mindful of the fact that I was not only making a piece of jewelry but I was being given an opportunity to make another artists creation shine in the process.  Thank you for that Jeannie - for the experience I have gained and for the chance to work with your art.

Now on to the reveal.  I was given some pretty little half lotus blossom charms to work with this month.  

From the very beginning, when I pulled them out to take a picture for the first blog entry, I knew what I wanted to do with them.  I had purchased some beautiful hand dyed silk ribbon at the Bead Fest in Philadelphia earlier this year.  The colors were perfect for these little cuties. 

I used some 12 gauge brass wire to create a bangle, which I then wrapped with the silk.  I secured the silk with some 26 gauge brass wire and wrapped some delicate little micro faceted amethyst beads with the brass wire.  

I added some yin/yang charms and some sun charms to accent the half lotus blossoms......they add to the overall bohemian feel of the bracelet.

Thanks again Jeannie! 

Please visit the other participants in the December Echo Creative Club blog hop:

Dagi http://www.kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/

Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Lola Surwillo http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com/

December Echo Creative Club tease..............

It's time once again for the "tease" post.  I received these cute, colorful little half lotus charms made by the enormously talented polymer clay artist Jeannie Dukic (www.jkdjewelry.com). As in previous months, I am only showing what I received to incorporate into my design........

I pulled out some of my hand dyed silk, some pretty little faceted amethyst beads and some brass wire - as before, I am not sure what I am going to create - I let the pieces sit on my bench for the month while I play with other things that *could* go with them.  

Aren't those half lotus charms just adorable?  Oh, and you'll just have to check back to see what I create with them........come back on the 25th for the big reveal!