At the 2008 PMC conference, I attended one of Robert Dancik’s lectures which I found to be very interesting and informative. During the show, I purchased saw blades, forming tools, and several sheets of Faux Bone™ from Robert. Upon returning home, I put all these materials on a shelf in my studio thinking it would be fun to play with someday. Then last June he taught at the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee. I stopped by his booth on “Meet the Teachers” night and he now had Faux Bone™ ring blanks which I purchased to add to my stash for that “someday project”. After reading Robert’s book, “Amulets and Talismans”, I decided to move the Faux Bone™ down from the shelf and onto my workbench – it was finally time to make something with this material. I find it a very versatile medium that can be sawed, carved, sanded, shaped, imprinted with metal stamps, and colored with a variety of materials. I decided to start small – a ring would be my first endeavor. This photo shows a Faux Bone™ ring blank next to the ring I made. I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly this material cut – the saw blade glided through it! Metal stamps and a checkering file were used to texture the ring. I rubbed black and brown shoe polish into the finished textures, added a coat of butcher’s wax, and then buffed the surface. A sterling silver disk riveted to one side of the ring and a sterling balled wire perched on the lowest tier are the finishing embellishments on this piece. It’s extremely comfortable to wear. I can’t wait to start another project using Faux Bone™!
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