Ringing the changes

While I've been off work I've had a chance to try out and play with things, and practise things I learned how to do 15 years ago and not had the chance for a very long time, so here are a few of them. All sterling silver.  (Wish I could remember the name of that stone in the top - I got it a couple of years back and can't for the life of me remember what it is - anyone know?
Edited to add - just remember Blue Goldstone.

Fire, spinning, rolling and balls!

While it is true to say that my silver pea pods are the mainstay of my jewellery business, and without them I probably wouldn't have half the tools I have been able to get, I do love to experiment when I have the chance. So here is what I have been doing; rolling (with the mill) flame throwing to make the lovely little mercury balls (which I have to say for the last 20 years I have had a thing about - what is it that fascinates me with granulation??) and redesigning a ring I made over 15 years ago into a spinner ring!! I would like to have put a gold spinner round but as it was an experiment - gold is an expensive experiment, so maybe next time. Anyway - here are the weekends spoils.

New Projects - splashing the colour!

I have been so caught up with new sprojects I have been a bit lax on here, which is a bit of a shame. Anyway, here is one of my projects, I have been playing with sterling and cold enamel, and having just the biggest blast. Playing with colour is just amazing, and I adore how well it goes with silver. I don't think my neighbours can be too happy though as I've been banging and hammering away like a mad thing, but I'm pleased with the results.

Of course, now I have to get all the photos done and uploaded etc etc, but I have a date in mind and I still have time, so that's ok.
The summer has been mad with new ideas and projects started, but my work room looks like a bombs hit it, I wish I could sit down and make one thing and finish it at a time - just never happens though! Ah well. More to come!

Playing with Sterling again!!

I started silversmithing about 15 or so years ago, then got sidetracked with life and a lack of money. I started making jewellery again about 4 yearsa ago, beaded, and used bali silver etc, then moved onto precious metal clay. I just recently found my old boxes of sterling and thought this afternoon I'd have another go. I have all the equipment I need now, funny, I couldn't afford it years ago and now I have it, but bought for something else!

So first, I dug out the feather that I started. It has 9ct gold rolled onto sterling, that was then textured and cut into. I then realised I had no idea what I actually wanted to do with it. I polished it up today in the tumbler, and still have no idea what to do with it!! Its about 3 inches long, so it could be a chunky pendant or a brooch.

Then I fancied making some stacker rings. I soldered them and hammered them and then tumbled them and am just delighted with them, I can see what I am going to be making in the next few weeks!

Mind you I have 300 grammes of precious metal clay on its way and my funds have been totally exhausted paying for a masterclass I'm going to next weekend. So, once my dusty old supplies of yore have run out, I'll have to wait till the funds top up a bit!

Will write about the materclass after next weekend.

Sterling silver or Tibetan Silver???

Years ago I learned silver smithing, then gave it up as couldn't really afford to continue. The internet selling phenomenom hadn't arrived and I had no idea how to sell jewellery. so..

Years later I went to some random beading class with a friend, and got hooked into jewellery again. Seed beads, glass beads, crystals all sorts of pretty sparkly things, I loved it, and it was so much cheaper!

Problem!!! - the lovely items I made, which took loads of time to make and were cheap to make, so therefore cheapish to sell, just didn't last. I started buying wholesale from Asia etc to try and keep costs down. I sold over buys on ebay but still had the problem of the 'silver' rubbing off on the tibetan silver and the wire breaking on the cord, and the glass cracking on the lampwork.

I saw some really pretty beads on ebay, silver they were. I wrote to the lady and asked for some information. Point being the cost of one bead was the cost of two or three bags of cheap beads! I also asked her if she had any clue how to protect tibetan silver or if it could be re-covered. This lovely lady took the time to talk to me and said that she had changed over to sterling silver years before and had never looked back.

I thought about this and splashed out on enough bits to make a sterling silver bracelet with some of these beads.

She was so right. I never looked back.

(one of the first beads I bought is at the top of this - the lady I bought from was: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Pretty-Pebbles-Beads).

So.. slowly I got more hooked, spent a fortune, strange how one day £5 seemed a lot to spend, a week later £50 was nothing! Slowly I bought more and more, importing from Bali, buying in large quantities.

Eventually I moved over to Fine silver, but that's for a future blog, here I want to say, this lady was right. If you are wondering, quality lasts, quality costs but is so worth it. Items I made that lasted a month or so before the colour came off, in silver would last a lifetime, though not cost a fortune. People are willing to pay for quality so all round it was one of the best moves I made.

My thoughts on it anyway. (by the way, if you would like to buy a few huge boxes of tibetan silver cheap - let me know!! ;-)