Contrariwise ramblings

In my last post, I wrote about sketching out new designs.  Well, here's the work in progress.

When it's finished, it'll be going to Hope.

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Another long day at work (are they ever short?) followed by dinner at home (thank god for leftovers!) and all the other activities one usually might expect (or not) while school is coming to a close for the kids.

Toward the end of the day, I was so close to heading out to bed and vegitating in front of the TV.  But I also wanted to work on my latest project.

Until this past December, silvermaking meant I had to head to the garage - and dress appropriately for the weather.  Now that I've moved to the basement and arranged a work area, it's so much easier and the weather isn't an issue.  So now if I have a couple of hours, I don't have much of an excuse.

It was a pretty close call, but I decided to continue working on my latest ring.  A couple of  hours later, and this is what I have so far.


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Both my day job and new commisions I've been working on have kept me pretty busy.  Plus my daughter is graduating from eighth grade, so there are all kinds of activities there. (Rehearsals, recitals, plays, and parties - oh my!) 

I'd bought this dainty pink rhodochrosite a while ago without knowing what I was going to do with it - but it was too pretty to pass up.  It was patiently waiting for me, until inspiration knocked me upside the head and told me what I was supposed to do with it.

Seriously, this is the way it seems to work with me.  An sudden idea.  A few drawings to get the idea on paper.  But then after the drawings,  I still have to figure out how to make the design work with silver and solder.

This juicy pink druzy is going to be part of a floral motif on a ring.  I'm going to pair it with a small blue topaz which is going to be the center of a flower.  I've also got some ideas on adding some depth to the petals and the leaves - different than I've done before. 

I hope to have some time to work on it through the week and will try to post some photos as it progresses.



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I spent about 6 hours making/finishing pendants on Saturday and even with all the time I spent, I didn't complete a single project.  What you can see above are pendants in varying stages of completion, as well as earrings/earring components.  Several pendants only need chains, but I still need to make/attach them, decide upon what kind of clasps I want and then make them.  And I know its going to take longer that I really want it to. 

In case you're wondering what kind of stones these are, going clockwise starting at the upper left: a blue/green chrysocolla, a bird's eye rhyolyte, a Prudent Man Agate, and a Flower Jasper.

I wonder if other metalworkers are as slow as I am?  Lots of times I don't have the entire completed piece in my mind, but I'll create it as it develops.  So I'll often be at a loss as to what to do next.  This means that a half-completed piece will go on my shelf, waiting for inspiration to hit me.

I'm feeling a little bit of frustration and it may be time to take a break from soldering.  I have a couple of wirework commissions and maybe I'll focus on that area for a while.


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Lots of stuff!

I love doing these Workbench posts.  I sweep the crap off my table with my hand, lay out my unfinished pieces, and snap a few photos.  It's really a little slice of my life.

I've had a really busy weekend.  By tonight I'll have 4 new pieces of jewelry finished - including a pendant with the blue stone you see at the above left.  I've also finished photographing several other pieces that are in my "backlog".  (I just never seem to have enough time.)

And, finally,  I will be listing several brand new pieces on my Etsy store over the next couple of days.  (Starting later today.)

And do you remember the piece in the middle.  It's a huge freeform Graveyard Plume agate.  To the right of it is the setting, which is partially oxidized and waiting to be polished and set.

I started it a while back and wrote about it in an earlier post.   It's taken me seemingly forever, but now it's almost finished.  The uneven natural stone on one end was definitely a new experience and I learned a lot.  What I can absolutely promise is that you will see the final necklace posted in my blog sometime this week - along with more about how I made it.


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This beautiful Graveyard Point Plume agate!

I just got it this week from Gemcutter, a lapidarist who has a shop on Etsy.  Right as I type this I have a couple of sketches for pendants, for this cab and a Morrisonite Jasper,  sitting on the desk and I will be heading to my workshop to create!

I haven't made ANYTHING all week.  I had a huge deadline at work that kept me busy and stressed - but it's over now.  It's Saturday morning and no one's home  -  which means I can play!

Check back later to see what I've made.  This is the first time I'm setting a freeform cab like this, so this should be interesting.

A few of my current projects that I've been working on during the evenings for the past week.

Right now it's Saturday morning and the house is quiet.  I'm off to sneak a few hours at my workshop.  These rings are almost done and I hope to have them finished this weekend and listed in my shop over the next several days.