Simple things

Now that I've finished my nouveau piece, I'm on a bit of a back to basics and simple designs right now. I love how these little flowers look like they're holding hands. Kind of like when you're taught to hold hands as children. And you never outgrow it -- my sister, when she was in Vietnam couple of years back, while crossing the street, she and her friends would do pinky holds.

Silver Bead

To me there is nothing more fascinating than metal transformed to sensual shapes that belie its rigid characteristics. Using the metal folding technique using my beloved hammers, I created the bead below from a strip of silver.

For other transformations, please check out my Tools of the trade post.

Two silver moons and a moonstone necklace

I am a huge fan of Art Nouveau and Renee Lalique. With its asymmetrical composition of the organic and nature themes and the emphasis on the feminine, Art Nouveau touches the human psyche. Its mystery is further enhanced by the transformative quality of the works. It's a style I've admired for a long time and hoped to capture in my pieces.

This necklace is my homage to Art Nouveau. Of course there is no delusion in my part that my work will come anywhere near the greatness of the masters; however, my objective is to create the best jewelry given my experiences and aesthetics as well as to create exceptional pieces that can be worn everyday complimenting the beauty of the wearer. The piece represents a transformation of a silver moon into a beautiful moonstone. The ridges and valleys were created using the reticulation process. I then hung a beautiful rainbow moonstone to complete the transformation.

Experimenting with casting and organic forms

This silver necklace of droplets was created from experimenting with organic form and casting. I love how the droplets look a little like petite boxing gloves. Kind of takes one back to an old college poetry class -- "not even the rain has such small hands". Rain may not have such small hands but these droplets still have small enough hands.

Sterling silver was cast and the coppery finish appeared naturally when the droplets of the silver cooled. Based on the research I’ve done, the reason for this is due to either 1. a chemical reaction with the flux, or 2. a small percentage of copper usually contained in sterling silver rising to the surface. Either way, drilled and attached to a hammered silver bar, they make a sweet necklace.

The Dot and the Line: a romance in lower mathematics

Do you remember an old Chuck Jones cartoon called The Dot and the Line: a romance in lower mathematics (based on the book by Norton Juster)? I think some of these cartoons are sheer works of genius. Quick rundown of the story: The line was in love with the perfect but frivolous dot, who was only interested in the squiggle. The line was heartbroken but later he discovered he could bend so that he could shape himself into all different shapes. With this new found discovery, he won the dot away from the squiggle.

Of course, there is that part of you that says "no! the line's too good for the frivolous and demanding dot" but eh, that's a story for another day. In any case, I was reminded of the lovely cartoon while making my Silver Whimsy necklace, a happy marriage of the garnet cabochon and a sterling silver shaped and hammered by hand.

You can view the classic Chuck Jones cartoon on YouTube at the following link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmSbdvzbOzY

Tools of the trade

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be exercising self-control over purchasing …..hammers. In fact I’m chomping at the bits because I would like to purchase some hammers. Yes, hammers. Jeweler’s hammers that is. But still hammers.

You might be thinking what is she talking about, and I understand because until about two months ago, my relationship with hammers was very limited. I’d use them to strike a nail to hang a calendar or when making jewelry, straighten out a warped metal piece and maybe to texture a little.

So what’s with this obsession with hammers?

I’ve always been fascinated with metals in fluid form imitating flowing fabric or curling leaves or petals. The fact that something so rigid could be transformed to look soft and sensual and have movement appealed to me immensely. For past 7 years, I’ve been busy learning the basics of metalsmithing waiting for a chance to learn to create those forms that I admired so much. Then about 2 months ago I got that chance. Master metalsmith Betty Helen Longhi was teaching a workshop locally and I jumped at the opportunity. She is the expert on metal folding techniques and her work is amazing. Check out her creations on her web: http://fluidformsinmetal.com/gallery.html

It was in this workshop I learned about all the possibilities these simple tools possessed. How these instruments are used to manipulate raw material into exquisite forms to be admired and coveted. I was hooked. I AM hooked.

Four hundred dollars later, I realized I needed at least four hundred more dollars worth of hammers to feel adequately prepared. Yes, I do realize the need would be insatiable, so for now these “jewels” have to do.

I love my hammers used for creating hand forged jewelry.

The various hammers were used to shape these Sterling Silver Beetle Wing Earrings

as well as to shape and add textures to the Silver Petal Necklace.

My first post ...

You know the drill, you've finished your piece, you're so happy with the results and you can't wait to post it on etsy. You then take some pictures of your piece with your homemade light box and your not-very-fancy camera. Somehow, the photographs don't seem quite right. But you post them anyway because you are dying to share with the world your masterpiece. Ok, a masterpiece in my own mind and to the world a cute necklace. So you post your pictures and look at the Etsy thumb-nail version and it's really apparent that the photos are not so great. Alas there isn't enough sunlight today to retake the pictures.

A picture from the first take:

This piece was finished yesterday (Floating Silver Hearts Necklace) and the lighting doesn't quite seem right. It's blue, no? I love how the necklace looks, but the background has a slight violet tint, which is kind of pretty, but I also see all those foodblog pictures that are just so perfect, and I'm thinking "arrgh".

So you wait till the next day and out of desperation, you actually learn to adjust white balance on your camera (still not sure what that means, but seems to have improved the pics a bit) and take a new batch.

Here is a picture from the next day:

The background looks slightly better, but the pendant now has some pink tinge and the hearts don't pop like the previous pic. And this is after the resizing, cropping, and adjusting the brightness/contrast. Sigh. And of course, all the other pictures in the batch have the same issue. But as the famous southern belle vowed "Tomorrow is another day...."