Sep 16, 20151 min read
Oh, well...it could be worse!
It’s a good thing that I’m not superstitious or I’d plan on having bad luck until I’m 74! I’ve taken several days away from the metals...
Sep 13, 20151 min read
September is my favorite month of the year...
Summer heat is transitioning into warm days and cool nights with the onset of autumn. The green leaves of summer have begun...
Sep 10, 20151 min read
Le Roi Soleil…
Louis XIV, known as the Sun King ruled as King of France for 72 years, the longest reign of any European Monarch in history. He was a...
Sep 7, 20151 min read
Time for a turn in the tumbler...
There's no getting around it. Unless treated with a protective coating, silver has an inherent tendency to oxidize and discolor. It...
Sep 4, 20151 min read
Hurray!
The results of the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads 2015 Jewelry-Making Contest featuring Seed Beads have finally been announced. ...
Sep 1, 20151 min read
My first project using the new star-cutter set...
You may have already guessed that my first project using the new star-cutter set I recently purchased would be another pair of...
Aug 29, 20151 min read
A new toy to use in my metals studio!
I had lusted after one of these for some time, but a set of shaped cutters are a bit of an investment so I waited and when I saw that...
Aug 25, 20151 min read
Medieval Muses…
As the first wife of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon fared somewhat better than Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn...Catherine, at least...
Aug 21, 20151 min read
What’s on my workbench now?
Another pair of earrings is in progress…this time a variation on a Maltese cross known as a cross pattée. This form of the cross appears...
Aug 18, 20151 min read
“Let them eat cake!”
That statement has been attributed to Marie Antoinette when she was told the people had no bread. Born an Archduchess of Austria and...
Aug 14, 20151 min read
Queen of Hearts….
That title may very well become my alias if I keep making heart-themed jewelry! I've just finished this pair and they are my favorite at...
Aug 11, 20151 min read
Is fashion going to the dogs?
Well, if this poodle has anything to say about it, the answer is definitely yes! Last weekend we dined in a restaurant that is located in...
Aug 8, 20151 min read
A great jewelry storage idea!
I'm always on the lookout for storage for my jewelry and I love this piece! It's made from an antique drawer that once housed...
Aug 5, 20151 min read
Re-working designs...
I've been at my workbench dismantling the three pairs of heart-themed earrings I had recently made and reworking their designs. They are...
Aug 2, 20151 min read
Now that I'm using set stones again in my work...
I’ve realized that I need more organization. For years I had been storing numerous packets of both tiny and large cabochons and cramming...
Jul 30, 20151 min read
I’m on an earring kick and...
I'm creating quite a collection! It’s been a long time since I've felt like making earrings, but dusting off my hydraulic press and...
Jul 27, 20152 min read
Repurposing Redux...
If you’ve been following my blog, you probably know that I never throw anything away that can be reused or repurposed. Here are four...
Jul 24, 20152 min read
PMC+ versus FYI silver metal clays…
There is no doubt about it…silver metal clay is expensive. When the silver market escalated several years ago, the price of metal clay...
Jul 22, 20152 min read
How many saws does a jewelry artist need?
Well, that depends. The answer is actually one…unless you are a tool junkie like me! The classic jeweler’s saw at the far left in the...
Jul 19, 20151 min read
“A Rose in Spanish Harlem”…
It’s a song I first heard on the album “She Cried” by Jay and the Americans in 1962. I was in 8 grade then and I played that record so...
