So... it seems I can no longer move photos around n my blog! They all sit on top refusing to budge! My love/hate affair with technology is leaning more towards hate on a permanent basis lately!!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
All in a days Work
So... it seems I can no longer move photos around n my blog! They all sit on top refusing to budge! My love/hate affair with technology is leaning more towards hate on a permanent basis lately!!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
back to metal
I forgot how much I love working with metal- just metal- dont get me wrong- I adore stones- they are like candy to me- I cant get enough- but something about working just with metal- you can beat the hell out of it- it doesnt chip- break- or crack- it doesnt fly off the workbench and dissapear into thin air. It just is what it is!
Pliable- even though it doesnt seem like it should be- shining up even after it looks like hell- forgiving in all manners- except when i melt gold- other than that...
Today I went back to metal and tried a new idea I was thinking up in bed early this morning. In place of stone, I would make cabs from etched metal and then set them like stones in bezels.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The 25 Hour Ring
I am really happy wth the results- sort of like antique meets- well, I have no clue- I just like it!
Now on to more supercool stones- this amazing rock is a plume agate- looks like layers upon layers of weird mountains underneath a cloud filled sky. Like I would imagine Mars to look like- if it were with atmosphere- as for some reason all sci fi movies like to assume.
And onto a classic, but always a favorite of mine- a big fat juicy checkerboard garnet. This ring took more muscle work than I have used in AGES! the base that the bezel is sitting on is solid sterling, that I felt the need to carve- not from wax first- carve the metal itself- exhausting- and then after I put the whole ring together, I noticed a small hole in the bezel- so I reheated it and took off the bezel- thus overheating the base and melting it- So... I carved another one- until my muscles were screaming- all this to avoid workmen in my house (bathroom renovations- but that is a different story!).
In the end, this ring kicks ass- it is a heavy, textured silver with a gorgeous red stone- looks like something that fell off a Spanish Galleon.
And I should never underestimate the OMG factor in Morgan Hill Poppy jasper- First of all, I love the name- which is a totally legitimate reason to use a stone- really-
So, one more day until my house full of workers go away- they have been with me for a week- each day bringing with them more destruction and mess- hopefully bu tomorrow, I can begin to organize- and not have to greet them at the door at 6:45 a.m.- WTF? What kind of contractors are so punctual- its making me nuts!! :)
Until next time...
Mara xo