Hammered Cross Bracelet

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Hammered Cross Bracelet that I made yesterday…. Seriously been wanting to make this bracelet for a year. I am wearing it right now and it’s super comfortable, super chunky and looks, well…awesome. Great for a guy or gal… another bonus.

Sign and Tables

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Just some pics of work being done outside. My husband made these tables for classes I will be teaching at a local gallery, The Flying Pig. The tops are reclaimed bowling alley lanes and the base/legs are steel. They are kinda rough looking right now but they will get dolled up with some varnish and sandpaper. The last picture is of a stand for my sign. All of the lettering is off my sign right now because I’m touching it up but you can get the drift. The sign is 8 feet tall and has extensions to go to 10 feet tall. I still have to sand and paint the stand but I really like it. It completely comes apart because it’s made with threaded pipe and it’s very stable. I wanted this sign for indoor shows so it’s very visible. By the time I get good at this show thing I will be 100 years old. I did also make a cross bracelet today that has been on my mind for a year!!!!!! Today is the first day of lent so I made it for today. I will show a pic of that tomorrow. It’s tumbling right now and will tumble overnight. Got a bunch of repairs done today too. On the list is Mark’s ring….a new wedding band for Mark with a star sapphire, hummm, interesting and I still have some ingots to pour and post pics of. Get to work Joy, jeez.

Labradorite Necklace

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I named this necklace “Near The Bridge” for a sweet spot we have here by the river where I live. I love this piece. The pendant swings on the bar it is on like a hinge. The chain is entirely handmade and hammered. Love it. Another Keeper for me??? Hummmmm…… I can’t keep them all ~~~~ can I???????????

Two Necklaces Almost Done

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Here is one Crazy Lace Agate Necklace which is finished. Love it even though it’s a little on the petite size for my pendants. The stones dangling on the bottom are rough diamonds. The next picture is the detailed pendant I showed a few days ago setting up with solder chips. I did not end up liking the perfectly round stone so I removed that bezel and used this Labradorite stone. Sometimes work changes while it’s in progress. The handmade chain is almost finished. I will finish the entire chain, polish and tumble it and then attach the pendant last, with the last two links. I will not attach the chain until it’s just about done or the pendant just gets in the way and you risk dropping or harming the stone. Great Labradorite cab! I will post pics when it’s done.

Next on the learning list is pouring your own ingot and rolling it out into your own stock. Next week…. Take Care all!

Some Fun Earrings

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Fun earrings just outta the tumbler.

Class at Peninsula School of Art

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Class was great! These wonderful women had experience already with torches and tools so they really took off. Their minds are spinning now with possibility! They just needed a door to open and they got it with learning to solder! Awesome! Tammy Rae one of the students in class I met by chance at the Bergstrom Mahler Museum Art Show last year – it was 100 degrees that day….. (poured a bottle of water over the top of my head while wearing a dress.) It was meant to be that we met. Check out her just awesome glass bead work. Love the glass eyes… they are new!

Little Details Up Close

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I really love to use tiny little details to texture a piece. Why I don’t know. I should take a granulation class or do granulation in general because I would love it. Here is the up close and personal pics of a pendant as I place the solder snippets and little details on the piece. This is very time-consuming and takes a lot of patience. I have it down to a science. It’s all in the initial setup. Placing everything where you need it one at a time. Warm up the flux before hand so your tiny pieces are not jumping all over the place.

Making Jump Rings Yourself

In this chain I have made all the links myself. I make all the jump rings in mass so they are ‘On-Hand’ and I don’t have to stop and do something as mundane as making 20 little jump rings. I loved the post by Melissa Muir (a fellow metalsmith and avid teacher) on using a the ‘Jump Ringer’ or using the ‘Koil Kutter.’ Here is the link so go and watch her tool review and how to properly use this great device for time saving!!!!   http://design.kcjewelbox.com/2012/01/31/tool-time-tuesday—koil-kutter-vs-jump-ringer.aspx

More Pics That Turned Out Well

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More Pics from yesterdays photo shoot….. We were cold but it was worth it.

Photo Shoot Today

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Photo Shoot Today! Unseasonably warm weather allowed us to work outside and almost not freeze to death…..We did have hot chocolate to follow The sunset was spectacular! Great day and got a lot done. Thanks to my lovely model and good friend who was willing to be cold.