Intentional Stones

An Original

Part of my current design policy, perhaps the part that drags me down sometimes, is the concept of originality. I don't want to put anything out there as "my work" that contains the designs of another.

But c'mon here! This is jewelry and a chain is a chain! Clasps? Only so many ideas work and are readily customizable. Patrons of wearable art do NOT want their necklace to fall off. Lapidary work? Yes, someday I very much want to go there. But for now metal is a life consuming art.

There are a few pieces of progress in my thinking. One is to consider all of these things as textures an colors in my palate. Another is to realize that some things are just too time consuming to be worth it. Finally, I'm exploring some new materials, like braiding embroidery floss to make kumihimo necklaces for pendants and possibly some map or book materials to accent earrings.

Still i don't want to just take pieces i've bought and put them together. A piece feels less special when I haven't hand created everything.

I worry about all these things all the time, sometimes to the detriment of my studio time. Then I face a show with just enough art pieces to accent the table and a bunch of very very simple pieces that I don't necessarily love. It's not a good feeling.

As I become more accomplished, I can hand make more. And I've found a few techniques that I can do while we home school to make accents for simpler pieces that give them a unique touch. Hopefully my efforts are improving all of my art at the same time as eliminating my worry that not everything I make is unique or special enough.

How do you feel about handmade?
-Simbelmynë

Winds of time

Nice dramatic title, eh?

The Wheel of Time books that I'm Still reading, (Yeah at just about 800pp per book and 13 books, it takes this slow reader a while.  Especially checking the Wheel of Time Wiki every time a character is mentioned, And listening to the podcasts a bunch of delightfully foul mouthed geeks are producing, spoilers abound, so if you're not up to date, don't go to either.  I'm a true geek.) start each story with the Wind.  The Wind is almost a character.  It carries the threads started in the prologue into the main part of the book.  A fun literary tool.  Especially when it clues in characters we've been wishing would get a clue.  Like a little gnat biting them.  Ok, maybe it just adds to the frustration.  But if I didn't love these characters, I wouldn't be on my 5th re-read of the series, nor would I be cheering on Brandon Sanderson to get the final book done. 

Anyway, the reason I mention all this, is that the past few months have flown by.

How does time do that?

Since starting the school year, on top of Show Season, on top of finishing the remodeling of the kitchen, on top of everything else, I haven't had time for anything.

I've been disappointed in the studio.  When ever I'm there, I can feel my skills growing and my work getting better!  But I can't spend nearly as much time down there as I'd like. 

I have a number of small commissions I picked up over the summer and fall that are nearly done, but they've been inching along!  (Thank you, if you're one of the people I owe work to.  I know you're looking forward to your pieces.  I wish I was working at any kind of decent pace.)  And I'm only barely making my deadlines.  I have been careful to explain to people that I'm severely limited in my work time, but it doesn't help me in feeling like I'm way too slow. And I have a big set I've been working on for months.  Since the beginning of the year.  That's still not done.  I work a little at a time and try to show my work when it's gotten somewhere.  And I just got a key to the biggest piece, so I hope to get a bunch done this weekend.  It's not that I'm not thinking about these things constantly, it's that I just can't find time to do everything!!!

There.

It's off my chest.

I'm terrible.

I'm not going to take any more commissions until the ones I have are done.  I'm hoping I can clear up 90% of them this weekend.  Putting them ahead of everything else. 

I'm certainly not making excuses.  Time is just moving way too fast lately.

-Simbelmynë

 

 

Birthstones everywhere

I've been making a lot of these birthstone rings.  They're a fun and inexpensive way to have a piece of jewelry made just for you.  Being me, I've not been happy with just the original design.  I've been encouraging people to choose something even a little bit more customized.  This one will have a pearl for June, making a pearl cup is new for me, and she's asked for fewer bands on the ring.  These stones aren't set yet, so it doesn't look quite as it will.  Actually, she hasn't chosen stones, I gave her a choice of garnet colors and shapes as well.  Here, I was worried that these would be boring, but they're giving me a chance to experiment with stone setting.  The next set I'll be working on will be emerald cut stones.  I'll have to add listings for the variations!

 

That was really the purpose of designing the birthstone stacking rings in the first place.  Creating settings is my next skill goal.  I think I've got a handle on the tube setting that's the basis of the orinial ring.  The square stones will be very pretty.  In fact, the design for the next ring will be a "Steelers" design.  I'm pretty excited about that one, but a little afraid.  New things!

I need a recommendation for a good stone setting book or video course.  There are a few at Rio,

 

Like this course, or the book Creative Stonesetting, by John Cogswell which has been reviewed very well on amazon.  But I'd love more feedback.  Nothing would replace a class, I think, but I haven't found one and I've done OK so far on my own. 

Anyway, I'm rambling. 

It's been good to have a new skill to focus on while getting ready for this seasons shows.  I can get overwhelmed in the process of preparing applications and improving my displays, and it's nice to feel like I'm still growing, even when my time is spent on non-jewelry projects.

-Simbelmynë

 

Strands and strands

I have to reassure you.  If there's nothing posted here, it's due to the fact that I'm very very very very busy. 

Project Runway is on the TV on thursdays and it's vitalizing to see the design in process.

One last Sunday show is coming up at the Waterfront.  Look for us from 11-3 in the Pump House! I'll be there for their holiday market in late November, but I'm skipping the Biketoberfest on the first.  Maybe I'll stop in with my bike!  What a concept!

But, most of all, I'm getting ready for holiday shows.  I have many great pieces that I've started but need those last finishing touches or a necklace to hang from.  I have planned improvements to my displays to complete.  Photographs to get into the portfolio.  My tent needs repair or replacement.  (One gust of wind from Irene took it out [the storm never touched Pittsburgh, except that pesky wind]) And I need weights to keep that from happening again. 

Bedford's Fall Foliage Festival will be here in no time!  October 8th is coming up very very fast.  This one's a big time show and everything must be hand made!!! 

Then there's the listings.  I uploaded some photos to facebook, but they're not written up or listed yet!!!

School is in full swing around here.  Which is the primary reason for being too busy to blog.  It's like I have two full time jobs.  And while it's filling a lot of my time, I feel like my life is finally back where I want it to be.  We're having the most rich time working together and learning together.  And we completely back in control of our lives. 

Today in the studio I have strands of tiny stone beads getting ready to support beautiful stone pendants.  Woven chain with me all day long.  I'm finishing commissions and making a few larger gemstone rings.  OK, I'm overwhelmed by my aspirations.  

Still.  You get the idea. 

Sawn

The tool I use second most has to be my jewelers saw, and it's certainly the first I use in most projects.  Generally speaking, I don't mill my own metal.  So I start with a sheet, tube or wire I've purchased.  So cutting is the first step. 

Flush cutters and shears work quickly, but they tend to leave compressed and sharp edges, these require lots of cleanup work.  A saw leaves a nicer edge.  It's flat and just needs a little bit of filing and sanding to create a finished look. 

I do all my sawing at my bench, against a bench pin- a piece of wood clamped onto the tabletop.  This gives me a solid surface to hold the piece still.  I keep a bit of melted candle next to my benchpin to wax the saw.  A little wax keeps the teeth from catching on the metal and reduces the friction to keep the saw blade from heating up.  Sawblades tend to snap- the smaller the quicker they break. 

Jewelers saws can hold blades of many different sizes.  The blades are tiny compared to a household coping saw, some are like fine wire.  The teeth are so small you have to run them over your finger to figure out which direction they're facing. 

You need to pay careful attention to the direction.  You want the teeth pointing "down" so that they catch on the downstroke as you cut the metal.  You place the blade into the saw on one side, tighten the screw and then brace the top of the saw against a solid surface, push gently to bring the arms a little closer together and place the other end of the blade in the other arm and tighten.  When you release the pressure, the saw will be taught. 

Sitting straight in front of the piece, you hold the saw perpendicular to the piece you're cutting.  This gives you the best chance at control and cutting exactly as you want.  You just move straight up and down and let the saw do all the work.  You really don't need to exert much pressure as you guide the blade.  I've heard that companies make saws with very stiff frames that can help make your cutting even more precise.

I like to rubber cement a pattern to the metal and follow the lines as I saw.  Sharpie or scribed lines work well too. 

One of the nice parts of this type of saw, you can drill holes and insert the blade before reattaching the saw blade to the frame.  The depth of the sawframe allows one to work a few inches deep into a sheet of metal. 

Saw Blades Guide: 16 gauge sheet metal (#2 saw blade), 18 gauge sheet metal (#1 saw blade), 20 gauge sheet metal (#1/0 saw blade), 24 gauge sheet metal (#4/0 saw blade), 26 gauge sheet metal (#6/0 saw blade), 28 gauge sheet metal (#8/0 saw blade), (reference from wikihow)

Of these, #2 is the largest, the numbers go down to 0 and then start at 1/0 and count up again for smaller and smaller sizes. 

I have a few favorites (the three above are 1/0, 4/0 and 7/0) I use fairly thin sheet most of the time  and I'll use a smaller blade than recommended to get into tiny corners to reduce filing.  The saw can create infinite shapes large and small.

After things are soldered down, it's easy to use the saw to trim excess sheet or bits that are too long to precisely the shape and length I want.

 

The saw makes jumprings that fit every time, wonderful pierced and lacy designs, and beautful bits to embellish anything. 

-Simbelmynë

Technique

It's hard for me to look at any technique simply.  It's probably the thing that's given me the hardest time in learning new skills.  I think about chain and I see a world of snake chains, diamond cut figaro chains and micro chain. 

Not every complex idea is a disaster.  I've talked at length about playing with woven chain. 

My approach is not entirely without success, it's just that heading at full speed into a careful and detailed task and lead to tears and frustration much of the time. 

This last year, I've been taking classes.  Forcing myself to slow down, ask for help when I really need it.  And it's been wonderful. 

And now that I have that time free, I'll be writing about it. 

Forging-Yes, after a couple of years of self teaching, I didn't realize that this title referenced a specific technique.

Sawing

Piercing

Hammer texturing

Soldering

Creating findings

Bezel setting

And then the more advanced techniques that these skills make possible

Intricate piercing

Chasing

Chain making

Marriage of Metals

Design of complete pieces of jewelry

Tube and hopefully more complex settings.

I am by no means an expert yet, and so I won't be posting complex how-to guides.  But I do hope I can share, and therefore reinforce for myself, the basic lessons I've learned. 

I cannot say for certain what the future will hold, but I do know that I've found work and art that inspires me and gives me real joy.  Thank you for letting me share with you.

-Simbelmynë

 

 

Artist's weekend

My family will be out of town having the time of their lives.

And I'm staying home to have a party! (yes, I do feel like a teenager whose parents have left town for the weekend)

It's an artist's retreat at Simbelmynë's house!  I'll hit Costco and fill the house with food. I'm used to all sorts of eaters-picky eaters, carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, food sensitivities, OmNomNomNivores... Also I have hot and cold running WiFi, which is, of course, optional.  And, never fear, coffee.

Everything's ship shape with lots of room for big projects.  I'm not far from Construction Junction, really you could get pretty crazy. I'm planning to set aside areas for specific things, and we can adjust as people arrive with their projects and goals for the weekend.  I have lots of places to sleep, if you're from out of town or just don't want to leave.

The jewelry studio will be in full swing.  I have almost every type of equipment anybody could need-from torches to finishing equipment. I have tables and corners and quiet areas for writing, being quiet, meditating.  A park next door for walks and listening to the world around us.  A full crafting room with all sorts of supplies, if you forget anything.  I even have a macro photography studio, if you want to get some small photos.

We can swap, dump, laugh, play, work, meditate, trade secrets, teach, learn, whatever we want to do.

If you RSVP I can make sure I have what you need.  Or just show up, the more the merrier!

Stay all weekend or come and go as you please. 

Official Start is 7pm Friday, March 18 and end at 7pm Sunday March 20.

-Simbelmynë

(412)608-8986

235 Oakview Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218

(Please ignore the photo it's from the highway, for some reason)

We're the last house on the left.

Simple sapphire

Learning new stuff I've been trying to challenge myself a lot.  Unfortunately, this last couple of weeks that's meant a lot of frustration and doing over.  I'm not ready to share that right at this moment.

So I'll share this

It's sterling silver and sapphire. just a little trinket ring, size 9, and tube set. The band is 1.4 mm wide.  Tiny, unobtrusive, fun to wear.

-Simbelmynë

 

Woven Chain

Found in the Complete Metalsmith in the chain section, this is a really nice chain for a crafty little person like me!  I like the idea especially for the bead-charm bracelets that are popular right now. 

It also seems like an ideal solution for my butterfly problem.

The first one came out a bit irregular but, drawn to a smaller size, it looks pretty good.  My jewelry teacher showed me the chain and suggested ending it with tubing. 

  The second one will be a bracelet.  I added a couple of loops (5 loop woven chain) and some gemstones.

Tomorrow I should get these two pieces done.  The dragonfly is being graded right now, but hopefully I'll get the soldering fixed tomorrow in class.

-Simbelmynë

Lemons and Lemonade

 

That soldering thing I was nervous about? 

It didn't go well.

I reforged the body of the dragonfly.

Packed the whole thing up and I'm going to ask for help once I get to class. Hopefully, the teacher will be able to get this whole mess together. 

It's learning, I just need to be patient.