Skip to main content

This Isn't Your Mother's Charm Bracelet

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

John Keats' epic poem, Endymion, 1818

A labor of love comes to an end. I'm inordinately proud of this piece and hope someone scoops it up soon; it doesn't deserve to languish without an owner.

This is a serious piece. Weighty and solid. I used a ton of sterling and fine silver (made headpins with my new torch for the cane glass beads) and was crazy meticulous about working every technique perfectly. It's bold and contemporary and definitely not for the shy retiring type.







Taking photos was arduous as well. So hard to get the feel of the piece captured. The beads are luscious and pick up light beautifully. The silver is polished and dazzling. I think I did ok, but who knows. I took a ton of pictures and rejected most of them.

Anyway...I'm feeling kind of crappy (killer fall allergies), but will do another set of photos of a necklace destined for the Etsy shop. And then I might just play with my torch some more. If I can get out from under this cat that is.

Comments

  1. Just gorgeous! Is that David Christiansen cane glass? Everything I've ever made with those beads sold before I had a chance to list it :) Hope this one disappears as quickly for you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much. I feel like a proud momma or something. Yes it is DC glass. This is my first piece using some. I have more in different colors. I really hope it goes, too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jewelry Making Tools

Part of the mystique of jewelry manufacture is the tools. I admit it, I love new tools. I love good tools. Finely worked tools that have special and often obscure purpose. Sometimes I just go through catalogs looking at stuff and wonder what the hell a person does with such a gadget. I remember spending a lot of time as a little girl at my dad's workbench, messing with his tools (lord help me if I misplaced any). A while back while on a visit to my folks' house I spied dad's coping saw (frame saw/jeweler's saw) in his workshop and told him I coveted it. He laughed and said I could buy one for about $10 at Lowes. He's right of course, but that old one looked sweet. My own tool collection is modest and consists largely of the inexpensive variety. Until this craft starts to pay off, I can't justify the expense when money is put to better use buying materials (Christmas is coming and you never know what Santa will bring – Lindstrom, hint hint). But every ...

Signature Style

Most jewelry artists are known for a specific look. Think David Yurman and you know there will be twisted sterling silver involved in every piece. Bankable and something customers come to depend on. But what about an artist just starting out? Should you stick to a particular look or design or should you branch out and have a wider field of possibilities? This is something I'm working through myself. In the early 2000s when I first started making jewelry, I followed the herd. Doing the easy stuff - the stuff I saw on other shop sites and at craft fairs. The problem is, I don't want to be known for stuff you can get at craft fairs. I don't buy or wear that kind of jewelry and making it doesn't appeal to me. So. I need to define my style and therefore my customer. In doing so, that means I can jettison some of the fussy/cutesy stuff that used to be in my line at first. Also, I can identify a particular type of jewelry that will help bolster that style to the cu...

A new frontier

I have been ignoring this blog. Yup. Bad blogger. So sue me. I've recently upped my jewelry game to the space I've always wanted to play in - I have progressed beyond wire - to sheet metal and other stuff. Real metal work and soldering.  It's what I've always wanted to do, but haven't. I'll keep the reasons why to myself because it doesn't matter. I'm equipped and practicing and soon I can produce something that I hope won't be awful. So what did I buy to round out my kit? Here we go. Stating with the lower left corner and going clockwise we have - Bezel wire (three sizes) Citric acid pickle Third hand Pickle pot (tiny crock pot) Copper tongs (not required for C.A. pickle, but that's ok) 3M polishing pads Tripod Copper sheets Saw blades Cuprinol anti-firescale spray Handy flux Flux picks Sheet solder and cannisters More brass and nickel silver sheets Burnisher (for bezel setting), gorgeous #4 file, and twe...