Rings!!

Some of my favorite stones made into rings, now up on my Etsy! Next batch will focus on greens and blues out of the SW and California Big Sur Jade, and interesting metallic rock~~

Of course I'm in love with silversmithing. Seems to suit me. All the steps suit my rotating moods. Cutting slabs with my Blue Monster. Peaceful meditating of choosing slabs. Noisy trimming of slabs. Focused concentration with cabbing. Then the silversmithing, and the many steps to produce a ring!

First Ring

After 5/6 classes with Chuck at UCD Craft Barn, my first  ring is finished! 

I was never interested in silversmithing before, and Margot would talk about all the sawing and sanding, and I always liked the immediacy of wire wrapping, but...I love this! 

I love how the solder flows. I love using a dremel, and putting compound on wheels. I enjoy sawing through metal. I love the solid feel of the piece. 

I need to improve my cabs, though, for bezels. I always did a continuous curve, like Sam Silverhawk, which is perfect for wraps. But not so much for this. 

And believe it or not, considering how over-the-top I tend to wrap, I am not inclined at this time to embellish the rings I plan to make.

I wish I had another summer!

I need to reinstate FRUGAL

...so to start, I'm staying home instead of going out. I've been pretty bad lately, justifying it by saying I'm 'setting myself up' for expanding my jewelry skills. But now I'm largely done, and while I hemmed and hawed and delayed to purchase what I did, and then when I did, now I seem to hear another voice in my head that says, 'Go ahead and get it. It's not much....' who is that??

Today, it was going to Michael's to use a coupon to get a head start on the holiday, but really? I have the materials at hand, most likely. It would just be easier to go buy it, because I don't remember the fiber content. And then of course, to save on gas, I would stop by big box store to get things that are low (but not gone) and Costco, because it's such a good deal and I'm sure I would find MORE food that I would then have to come home, and find a way to fit it in the fridge. GAHHH!

I'm staying home. I don't want to: strangely I feel I need to go and get things, but it's false. I don't need any of it, I can be plenty busy at home.

Sewing! I really love making these, I just run out of hours.

Preforms

A bouquet of preforms! Morrisonite, Ocean Jasper, Tiffany Stone, Hell's Canyon Petrified wood, Chrysocolla/malacite, plumes, and Amazonite.

Summer is too short.

Bunnies

...on socks.

Look, sir. Look, sir. Mr. Knox, sir.
...
New socks
Two socks
Whose socks?

Geewhiz' socks!

Soldering

SO MUCH fun! I have been ordering the materials and tools I feel I need to create what is in my mind. I had ordered copper bezel and solder from an Etsy shop and I tried it out today. Of course, after my success of pickling in household vinager, I thought I'd save $7 and make my own flux out of Borax and Salt.

The homemade flux was a failure. The solder beaded up and didn't flow at all. Luckily, I had bought a liquid bottle of pickling flux, and it worked beautifully. So of the 4 I had measured and cut, those 3 worked out well!

Bezel rings

Top is a commerical ammorite, the bottom is dino bone, and the green is malachite

However, I lack a jeweler's saw, so my bezels have no bottoms. Yet. I also lack the tripod on which to solder it together, but soon.

And of course, I'm slabbing! Here are some recent cuts:

Hell's Canyon Petrified Wood, See the heart?

Labradorite. What a bear to cut at the right angle for shimmer!!

Tiffany Stone. Can be very difficult to cab. We'll see.