scrap decorated ring.

My next attempt at a ring, actually two, now that I had the basic soldering skills down.

I had all of these little pieces left over, just scraps, and wanted to see if I could make a passable ring.

So I basically just filled the space and soldered them down.

 

Then banged it into a ring shape on the mandrel

 I was a little scared with what it looked like.  Those are the products of combustion and cupric what-evers from getting it very hot

Once it had soaked in the pickle it looked somewhat better.

 

I made a just round one too.

.

 Not great, and looking back.... I'm still fairly proud because of the attention to detail, but not my best work.  creative, so okay.

Adventures of a jewelery student

I have been taking Metalsmithing and Jewelery classes at Central Washington University since the fall quarter of 2010.

This is my first attempt at a blog.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or just to say - hello.

I'm attempting to share the skills I have learned and the products of my work so that, hopefully, these can be helpful to other students or maybe just enjoyable or interesting to anyone who stumbles upon this little blog.

 So, I'm kind of doing this backwards I think, but here are some pictures of the first real object I made.  This is a basic sterling band ring I made for my wife Jodi about October 2010.

First Real Art Check

I have won some awards at little regional shows and stuff, but mostly just given the stuff away.  It feels good to do that.  Especially if I know the person will enjoy it.  Jewelry is hard to make for someone, it is just too personal.  

Sort of like Grandma's sweater that she made for you and you only wear when she comes to town.  You know she worked hard and it is well made, but she doesn't really know what you like because she lives in Cleveland and you only see her once a year and that isn't so much fun because they live in the country and because .... wait - too much.  Anyway, this is my first real check and it will buy some tools!

Chicken House

 A Home For My Chickens!

Bawk!

Large Front Yard

Curb Appeal

Detailed Plan

This is the base and has a drawer for droppings incorporated

Solid

Plywood Construction

Front Porch Pillars

Basic Color Scheme  - 8 colors

Tiled Floor

Ramp

Bamboo Front Porch

Oak Trim

One of my girls

Fenced in Yard

Happy Ladies

Skylight!

Birds of Time

This is yet another unfinished project.  It is going to take some explanation since I can't find my detailed planning sketches.  The idea is for four birds affixed to a shaft.  The shaft will have a crank on one end, and as the crank is turned each will bend down and 'eat' from a bowl in turn.  So they represent the four seasons.  The handle of the crank will be the earth, and it will revolve around the sun as the crank is turned.  On the opposite end of the shaft will be the zodiac, turning as well.  (I don't believe in astrology, but am very intrigued with the zodiac and the classical imagery.)

At any rate, here are some more pictures of the as yet incomplete fabrication:

I made one bird, to work out the mechanics of the whole contraption

Then set about constructing four exact replicas of the one that would 'work' as it were:

Each will have a differently coloured stone as a crest.

This one is getting ready to go in the kiln.  It looks dead, but don't feel bad for it:

Much more better:

So, in reality this project is a practice run.  If it works out well I will make a much more refined version.

Bird of Time

This is a strange one that I have struggled with for a while. 

It is going to be an enameled piece, sort of like the belt buckle with the poppies, but on a much larger scale.

It is going to sound strange, and would take a long explanation, but it is supposed to reference the constellation Scorpio.  I'll type up an explanation when I finish it, but it has to do with rabbinical lore and some other arcane types of stuff.

It started, as all my projects do, with a very detailed plan:

The sketch was on a shopping bag and read "make bird" above it.  But there is some math here too.

I stopped at this point and realized that I needed some sort of skills in a graphics program.  So I learned how to use 'the GIMP'.  (free software like adobe, sort of)

Then the sketch turned into:

It still needed something... so I added the Flower.

That is at least a little more balanced.

Then I etched the darn thing.

So the plan - at this point - is to add a clock.  Off to goodwill and garage sales.....

This one is the correct size, has a vintage cloth cord and is already cosmetically broken.  I won't feel to bad, and it keeps time.  Thanks and here is $4.

Nearly a perfect fit.  It will need a bezel to hold it, and then some sort of mounting.  And I will have to finish the enamel.  I learned a really good lesson through this project.... measure the kiln.  It won't fit in my enameling kiln.  So I will have to heat the enamel with a torch, or use a pottery kiln.  Or something.

I hope to finish this project this spring.  My professor hates it, so I do have some drive to complete it - other than just sort of liking it myself.