by Barbara | Aug 21, 2015 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, At the Bench, Components, Earrings, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, One-of-a-Kind, Sterling Silver, Techniques
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 very early in medieval art. The die-cut sterling silver crosses will be subtly hammer-textured and accented with tiny dots of 18k...
by Barbara | Aug 5, 2015 | Art to Wear, At the Bench, Bronze, Cabochons and Gemstones, Earrings, Handmade, One-of-a-Kind, Sterling Silver, Techniques
I’ve been at my workbench dismantling the three pairs of heart-themed earrings I had recently made and reworking their designs. They are a bit too heavy to wear for an extended period of time. The silver and bronze sheet I used is 22 gauge, but the set stones...
by Barbara | Jul 27, 2015 | An Aside, At the Bench, Beads and Materials, Components, Embellishments, Equipment, Found Objects, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tools
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 ideas that may be helpful to you… For optimum performance, it’s important to keep tools sharp and if you create jewelry and use...
by Barbara | Jul 22, 2015 | An Aside, At the Bench, Faux Bone™, Handmade, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tools
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 photo above has been with me since I first started making jewelry over twenty-five years ago. It has served me well and will continue...
by Barbara | Jul 16, 2015 | Art to Wear, At the Bench, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tools
When it comes to heart-themed jewelry, there are those who simply can’t abide it and those who love it…I fall into the latter category! Heartfelt, heartbreak, big-hearted, sweetheart, change of heart, by heart, take heart, have a heart are words and...
by Barbara | Jun 30, 2015 | An Aside, Art to Wear, At the Bench, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Metal Clay, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Tools
I’ve already sold out of the collections of fine silver metal clay Ammonite components I listed several days ago so it’s time to make more! I’ve also made several collections of Flower Disk embellishments, which I’ll be listing in my Etsy shop soon. The work shown...
by Barbara | Jun 24, 2015 | Art to Wear, At the Bench, Equipment, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tools, Tutorials
Look at the goodies that just arrived from Potter USA. I can hardly wait to play with these! There are two flower-shaped pancake dies, a spiral impression die, a bracelet mandrel and bender, urethane pads and 2” x 2” contained urethane with a pusher, and...
by Barbara | Jun 12, 2015 | Art to Wear, At the Bench, Beads and Materials, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Techniques
And that may be for the best. My “Petal Drop” pendant is a result of serendipity. I had originally planned to surround the center bezel with a donut shaped jasper. All was going well…I had sawed out the bronze flower shape and soldered the bezel to the...
by Barbara | May 31, 2015 | An Aside, At the Bench, Beads and Materials, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind
It’s something I haven’t done in quite a while. I’ve had my hydraulic press for over twenty years and when I first acquired it, I worked with it a lot! I sawed my own die forms and made a lot of beads and components as shown in my “Harvest” necklace above....
by Barbara | May 4, 2015 | An Aside, Art to Wear, At the Bench, Beads and Materials, Components, Found Objects, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques
Fine silver cast twigs, sterling silver wire, drilled pebbles and nuggets of pyrite…I’m sorting through and selecting the pieces that will comprise my next pendant. I envision the piece I want to make…engineering it is the next step. I know I could...
