Very demotivating to have your life in boxes!! Not really feeling like unpacking again. But I am...slowly this time, not as much "umph" in my steps.
Until next time...
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Movers were GREAT. Moving...not so great!
Moving day has come and gone...and with a few hick-ups along the way...
I don't think my bench has been this clean since I first put it in my studio!!! This baby is soooooooo big and heavy...and the movers had to take it down 3 flights of stairs...ouch!!
Boxing up my tools and stuff.
Here's my little moving buddy. He decided to hop on my car windshield and take a little trip with me!! :-)
The above pictures were of my new studio...until a week later...it flooded. So we called the movers back...and they moved my studio again!!! :-(
Very demotivating to have your life in boxes!! Not really feeling like unpacking again. But I am...slowly this time, not as much "umph" in my steps.
Until next time...
Very demotivating to have your life in boxes!! Not really feeling like unpacking again. But I am...slowly this time, not as much "umph" in my steps.
Until next time...
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Plastic Personalities...
Soooooooooooooo...we all know about Margaux Lange's art jewelry, right??? If not, you should!!! She makes bold and colorful jewelry out of...Barbie parts! Some of her work is pictured below...(EYE CANDY TIME!!!!!)
Or you can go to her Etsy store HERE:
or
Her website HERE!!
As we all LOVED playing with BARBIE. I remember when I was little I had a 3 story Barbie house complete with an ELEVATOR!!! I loved that Barbie house...it was sooooooooo tall, almost as tall as I was!! I also had a blow up Barbie pool and a big fluffy Barbie dog and a Barbie camper...ohhh...I could go on and on...
Anyway, there is an artist by the name of Kristyna Milde from Praha (Prague??). She stages Barbie's to reflect famous historical paintings which she then photographs. I find her work extremely humorous!!! Not sure if it's suppose to be or not. At the very least it is interesting, wouldn't you say???
Or you can go to her Etsy store HERE:
or
Her website HERE!!
As we all LOVED playing with BARBIE. I remember when I was little I had a 3 story Barbie house complete with an ELEVATOR!!! I loved that Barbie house...it was sooooooooo tall, almost as tall as I was!! I also had a blow up Barbie pool and a big fluffy Barbie dog and a Barbie camper...ohhh...I could go on and on...
Anyway, there is an artist by the name of Kristyna Milde from Praha (Prague??). She stages Barbie's to reflect famous historical paintings which she then photographs. I find her work extremely humorous!!! Not sure if it's suppose to be or not. At the very least it is interesting, wouldn't you say???
You can see more of her work at her Flickr site here
or
her website here!!
I never knew Barbie was so adventurous, did you??
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Almost Christmas...
As an early Christmas present, my husband, unbeknownst to him, got me this very beautiful...
I know, I know...most girls want diamonds, or pearls or perfume...but not this girl!! A few of my metalsmithing friends Linda and Melodie, had one of these pretty saws and when I saw it I just HAD to have one!!! I absolutely LOVE it!!! What the picture can't show you is just how comfy the saw feels in your hand...
Below is the actual"product description" from the website.
"The new jewelers saw frame from GreenLion Studios features an injection molded hard rubber grip over its sturdy 11 gauge steel frame. This saw offers the most in price point, balance, precision, ease of use and comfort! These are made in small batches and released in limited editions."
In case you were wondering the saw is ONLY $35.00...which is a bargain considering I was thinking about purchasing a different saw that was over $100.00!!!
So....if you want one for Christmas...you can get them at the link below. I am not sure if they still have them in stock or not...They make them in small batches...so when they are out, they are out for a while. I put my name on an e-mail list and they e-mailed me when they had more in stock. It took about 6 weeks or so...
www.sobaone.com
Happy sawing!!!...and Merry Christmas!! :-)
jewelers hand saw!!!
Below is the actual"product description" from the website.
"The new jewelers saw frame from GreenLion Studios features an injection molded hard rubber grip over its sturdy 11 gauge steel frame. This saw offers the most in price point, balance, precision, ease of use and comfort! These are made in small batches and released in limited editions."
In case you were wondering the saw is ONLY $35.00...which is a bargain considering I was thinking about purchasing a different saw that was over $100.00!!!
So....if you want one for Christmas...you can get them at the link below. I am not sure if they still have them in stock or not...They make them in small batches...so when they are out, they are out for a while. I put my name on an e-mail list and they e-mailed me when they had more in stock. It took about 6 weeks or so...
www.sobaone.com
Happy sawing!!!...and Merry Christmas!! :-)
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Lets talk Druzy!!!!
My shipment of druzy just came in...Aren't they pretty??!!
I quickly made a ring (below) because I wanted to see a finished piece. I know...it's not quite as fancy as it could be...but I am pretty happy with it. :-)
Sometimes referred to as druzy, druze, druse or drusie, these glittering rocks are sought-after by jewelry lovers and rock hounds. (I prefer to use this spelling, druzy.)
A druzy is sets of tiny crystals of minerals that form on the surface of another stone. There are many types of druzy, because there are many types of minerals. Each type of druzy has particular characteristics, such as crystal size, luster and color. Quartz is one of the most common druzy types because of the prevalence of silica throughout the world. No matter what mineral forms the druzy, the overall appearance usually resembles that of sugar. The tiny crystals are considered beautiful because, like large gemstones, they glitter and catch rays of light. The most commonly found druzy is quartz (agate or chalcedony). Druzy comes in many colors, most coming from non-quartz species of druzy gems, such as cobalto-calcite (hot pink), uvarovite (day glow green), and rainbow pyrite (multi colored) among many others. There is also a special coating called that can be put over the cystals to make them even more brilliant.
A chemical process called Chemical Vapor Deposition(CVD) in which the druzy are exposed in a gaseous environment that contains a metal like titanium. During the process the metal bonds on a molecular level with the mineral resulting in a spectacular rainbow of colors. By varying the metals and process parameters a host of colors and shades can be created. The most common compound used is titanium but others are cobalt, Silicone-Dioxide, gold, and silver.
A druzy has a Mohs hardness of 7...which is...hum...not the hardest, especially for rings. I have just started working with druzies...but I plan on ALWAYS setting my rings in a "shadow box" setting. This type of setting means the sides of the bezel extends past the crystal sides of the stones and will protect the tiny quartz crystals. You can see in the picture below how the sides of the bezels extend past the crystals. These are NOT set yet, they are merely sitting in bezels for now.
Unprotected settings:
Since druzies are fragile, the way they are set is really important to the "life" of the stone. A lot of druzies look like they are just set with glue or epoxy and the crystal tops are not protected. If the crystals get knocked off, the bare stone from underneath the crystals is not very pretty.
Below is another example of an unprotected setting. You see this type of setting a lot when you are surfing the net for druzy jewelry...click on this link for examples. This type of bezel is electroplated. The sides of the stone is protected however, the crystals are above the electroplating and are subject to being chipped off of the stone.
I did read my comment box for this post and there were some designers that were quite miffed at me for saying the things I said about electroplated jewelry. I didn't mean to offend any jewelers that actually do electroplating in their own studios...as I am sure they do everything they can to protect the stones from the users wear and tear.
The mass produced electroplated druzies from China do not protect the stones...therefore the jewelry does not "hold up." Hopefully the buyer will do their research on who they are buying from and if the jewelry is handmade/handcrafted. The buyer will also need to be educated and use their own judgment in regards to the quality and wearability of the jewelry they are buying.
I prefer to set my stones in a more traditional setting because I believe it protects the integrity of the stone.
More Information on druzy gemstones...
http://www.ehow.com/about_6606347_titanium-drusy_.html
I quickly made a ring (below) because I wanted to see a finished piece. I know...it's not quite as fancy as it could be...but I am pretty happy with it. :-)
Sometimes referred to as druzy, druze, druse or drusie, these glittering rocks are sought-after by jewelry lovers and rock hounds. (I prefer to use this spelling, druzy.)
A druzy is sets of tiny crystals of minerals that form on the surface of another stone. There are many types of druzy, because there are many types of minerals. Each type of druzy has particular characteristics, such as crystal size, luster and color. Quartz is one of the most common druzy types because of the prevalence of silica throughout the world. No matter what mineral forms the druzy, the overall appearance usually resembles that of sugar. The tiny crystals are considered beautiful because, like large gemstones, they glitter and catch rays of light. The most commonly found druzy is quartz (agate or chalcedony). Druzy comes in many colors, most coming from non-quartz species of druzy gems, such as cobalto-calcite (hot pink), uvarovite (day glow green), and rainbow pyrite (multi colored) among many others. There is also a special coating called that can be put over the cystals to make them even more brilliant.
A chemical process called Chemical Vapor Deposition(CVD) in which the druzy are exposed in a gaseous environment that contains a metal like titanium. During the process the metal bonds on a molecular level with the mineral resulting in a spectacular rainbow of colors. By varying the metals and process parameters a host of colors and shades can be created. The most common compound used is titanium but others are cobalt, Silicone-Dioxide, gold, and silver.
A druzy has a Mohs hardness of 7...which is...hum...not the hardest, especially for rings. I have just started working with druzies...but I plan on ALWAYS setting my rings in a "shadow box" setting. This type of setting means the sides of the bezel extends past the crystal sides of the stones and will protect the tiny quartz crystals. You can see in the picture below how the sides of the bezels extend past the crystals. These are NOT set yet, they are merely sitting in bezels for now.
Unprotected settings:
Since druzies are fragile, the way they are set is really important to the "life" of the stone. A lot of druzies look like they are just set with glue or epoxy and the crystal tops are not protected. If the crystals get knocked off, the bare stone from underneath the crystals is not very pretty.
Below is another example of an unprotected setting. You see this type of setting a lot when you are surfing the net for druzy jewelry...click on this link for examples. This type of bezel is electroplated. The sides of the stone is protected however, the crystals are above the electroplating and are subject to being chipped off of the stone.
I did read my comment box for this post and there were some designers that were quite miffed at me for saying the things I said about electroplated jewelry. I didn't mean to offend any jewelers that actually do electroplating in their own studios...as I am sure they do everything they can to protect the stones from the users wear and tear.
The mass produced electroplated druzies from China do not protect the stones...therefore the jewelry does not "hold up." Hopefully the buyer will do their research on who they are buying from and if the jewelry is handmade/handcrafted. The buyer will also need to be educated and use their own judgment in regards to the quality and wearability of the jewelry they are buying.
I prefer to set my stones in a more traditional setting because I believe it protects the integrity of the stone.
More Information on druzy gemstones...
http://www.ehow.com/about_6606347_titanium-drusy_.html
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Future Gallery Space
I just finished up a holiday show. I enjoyed it...but there is sooooooooo much packing and lugging involved.
Below are some of the pieces I made for the show!!!
These are my cute little stackable rings. I absolutely LOVE them. They are VERY bright and cute in person. They just kind of put you in a happy place (mood). :-)
This is actually a piece of sea glass that I picked up from the beach while I was on vacation last year. I added some gold onto the back of the glass, added the words on the front, set it in a sterling frame, added the topaz and the pearl...and volia' !!
More stackable rings...I am in the zone now...:-)
.JPG) |
| This is a piece that I have made several times. I just really like the shape! |
I mean really... lets face it...in the back of every jewelers mind..they would like their own gallery. So lets dream a little...
Mine would hopefully look something like this, with this flavor!!!
What would your gallery look like???...
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Emmy Jewelry: Sneak A Peek At the Jewelry You’ll See On The Red Carpet
I thought this was an interesting article on jewelry that was spotted on the red carpet.. Even though the Emmy's were 3 weeks ago...I think it's still nice to look at what is trending. These pieces are a good indication of what will be popular in the coming months as well! Some of the pieces in this article are so timeless. I love the pearls, the big gold cuff bracelet, the hair pins and the super sparkly cocktail rings!
Btw...the gold inscribed cuff was made by my friend, Cassandra Erin. Looks like she is gettin' famous!!!
See the full article at the link below!!!
http://blog.justfab.com/2013/09/emmy-jewelry-sneak-a-peek-at-the-jewelry-youll-see-on-the-red-carpet/
Btw...the gold inscribed cuff was made by my friend, Cassandra Erin. Looks like she is gettin' famous!!!
What is your favorite piece??
See the full article at the link below!!!
http://blog.justfab.com/2013/09/emmy-jewelry-sneak-a-peek-at-the-jewelry-youll-see-on-the-red-carpet/
Monday, October 7, 2013
Tips on Pickle, Wolf Clay and Mini Fiber Wheels
Hummm...just wanted to share a few things I have learned over the past few months. Since I want to remember these things I thought I would blog them.
1.
Going back to my pickle situation. I was having a rough time with something messing with my pickle. My Argentium would come out of the pickle pot with this nasty grey color all over it...and would not come off for anything...and I mean nothing would take that color off my silver. I was using Argentium...and I don't know if it was some kind of mineral in my well water I started with or if the pickle was some how getting contaminated, but I threw everything out ...and started over. New pickle pot, new pickle, distilled water, and a new charcoal block. The pickle I decided to go with was an environmentally friendly one called Otto Tech Citri-Pickle by Otto Frei of course! When I purchased it back on 2.22.12, it was $5.95 for a 2 pound container. I filled my crock pot 1/2 way full of distilled water and mixed in 8 scoops of pickle...and stirred until it was dissolved (you should mix it as 1 part pickle to 3 parts water). It has worked like a charm...not one problem with that pickle. I have made more since then, but yesterday I found my jar was empty. Sigh... I am expecting another container of citric acid from a different supplier (FTD) in a few days. I hope this one works as well. After I ordered it, I noticed that it was more expensive (twice) than my Otto Frei pickle.
So next time I will order from Otto Frei!!! :-)
2.
I have recently discovered something called Wolf Clay. It's a soldering clay. It has made complicated soldering jobs MUCH easier. I got mine thru Jayne Redman, but I would think you could order it thru www.wolftools.biz I think it was $42.00 for a jar of it...which sounds like a lot but it is reusable so I hope mine will last for a LONGGGGGGGGG time!! :-)
3.
Lastly ...the mini fiber wheel pictured below is suppose to get rid of solder spills. I haven't tried this yet, although I have these, I tend to use them for texturing the metal. Now that I ran into this tip, you better believe I will be trying it out in the near future!! :-)
Going back to my pickle situation. I was having a rough time with something messing with my pickle. My Argentium would come out of the pickle pot with this nasty grey color all over it...and would not come off for anything...and I mean nothing would take that color off my silver. I was using Argentium...and I don't know if it was some kind of mineral in my well water I started with or if the pickle was some how getting contaminated, but I threw everything out ...and started over. New pickle pot, new pickle, distilled water, and a new charcoal block. The pickle I decided to go with was an environmentally friendly one called Otto Tech Citri-Pickle by Otto Frei of course! When I purchased it back on 2.22.12, it was $5.95 for a 2 pound container. I filled my crock pot 1/2 way full of distilled water and mixed in 8 scoops of pickle...and stirred until it was dissolved (you should mix it as 1 part pickle to 3 parts water). It has worked like a charm...not one problem with that pickle. I have made more since then, but yesterday I found my jar was empty. Sigh... I am expecting another container of citric acid from a different supplier (FTD) in a few days. I hope this one works as well. After I ordered it, I noticed that it was more expensive (twice) than my Otto Frei pickle.
So next time I will order from Otto Frei!!! :-)
2.
I have recently discovered something called Wolf Clay. It's a soldering clay. It has made complicated soldering jobs MUCH easier. I got mine thru Jayne Redman, but I would think you could order it thru www.wolftools.biz I think it was $42.00 for a jar of it...which sounds like a lot but it is reusable so I hope mine will last for a LONGGGGGGGGG time!! :-)
3.
Lastly ...the mini fiber wheel pictured below is suppose to get rid of solder spills. I haven't tried this yet, although I have these, I tend to use them for texturing the metal. Now that I ran into this tip, you better believe I will be trying it out in the near future!! :-)
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