Alchemy Lego Floor Lamp

Here is a project that has nothing to do with metal-smithing.  

Or does it?

I always wanted to make a Lego lamp.  

The little blue and red transparent pieces just seemed to be begging for a light inside.

So I waited to find Legos at yardsales and whatnot until I had enough.  But it couldn't be just a bunch of random legos.

I decided to make  a lamp that tells the story of Alchemy.  The base has the four classical elements of Water, Wind, Air and Fire.

cardboard regatta boat - The Brown Trout #2

This is a boat I made for the local cardboard boat regatta.

A young friend and I decided to enter.  He wanted a fish.  So we made a "Brown Trout".

He wanted a trout, and since it was going to be a "Brown Trout", I gave it a racing number of #2

The basic process was to get up real early and go down the alleys downtown looking for large pieces of cardboard:

Cardboard.... check.

Scorpio Ring in 14k yellow and rose gold

This is another of my favorite pattern/no pattern ring.  This one is in 14k again, but two different colors of gold and highly polished.

This one started out like the rest:

Sterling, 14k, Topaz and Moostone Masonic Jewel - Ellensburg #39

This is a jewel made for a Past Master of Ellensburg #39 Masonic Lodge

 There was a time when it was common for the presiding officer for a fraternal organization to be presented with a 'jewel' or badge of office after the completion of his term.  I have a collection of these.  This is one I made for a friend and a member of my lodge, Ellensburg #39.

This custom has fallen away or has been replaced by purchasing a pin, likely stamped out of pot metal in china.  I think this is sort of a bummer.

This one was constructed from a vintage sterling spoon which bore the F&AM marks an gold from old and broken masonic lapel pins.  Sort of giving these old objects a new fraternal life.

Diamond Ring Trio

This is a three ring set I made for my wife.  Top is white gold with rough black diamond, center is white gold and rough grey.  Bottom is Palladium and 1/2 carat cut diamond.  The rough diamonds are of the industrial grade meaning that they are not the kind that could be cut.

The fancy diamond has a rough construction band, the rough diamonds have refined bands.

One hard piece was determining how to get them to 'nestle' if worn together.

Fun project, but it took me a long time....

Scorpio Rings - Sterling and enamel

Scorpio Rings - Sterling and enamel

I've made maybe 6-8 of these over the years.  This first one was for my wife and it was one of the first rings I ever made.  Other people seem to like it, so I have made more.

The pictures above aren't very good.  Maybe I'll get some more.

Here are some pictures of the construction.  These are mostly made from scraps of silver left over from other projects.

left overs... again?  yuck.

planning where to put the blue tube-set enamel

little more planning, trying for some balance

Gold Chased Ring

 20k gold man's ring with a chased center of the band.

This is the chasing  pattern that I rather like, it is like the surface of the moon.

This was the source of the recycled gold...

I actually bought this at an estate sale.  I'm pretty sure that the former owner of these teeth was done with them.  The black one probably hurt.

After carefully removing the teeth, with a ball-peen hammer, I melted the gold into a loaf shape

I split the loaf in half with my jeweler's saw....

Sterling and Topaz Brooch

Sterling and Topaz Brooch.

Back View

Here is a picture of it on display at the Larson Gallery in Yakima, Wa

Construction:

Pain.  There are about 43 solder seems.  And stuff broke a few times.  In this picture I am replacing the broken prongs for the pear shaped stone.

great stone.. that is the actual color

Diamond and Palladium Ring

White Gold, Palladium and Diamond Ring

My wife had a pair of earrings and - lost one.

So this is an attempt to put the other one to use.

I wanted the forged band to look rough and unrefined, I have a plan to make two other rings to go with this one.

Drawing of my dog Delany - cockerspaniel

My girl Delany

 

The was drawn with PrismaColor Pencils

Pencil Drawing of my Nephew as a Cowboy

This is a picture of Calvin - he is not a real Cowboy.

Layout

This is a picture of Calvin - he is not a real Cowboy.

 

Drawings of my dog Shadell - cockerspaniel

This was drawn with PrismaColor Pencils

This was drawn with oil pastels