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.

Topaz and Silver Broach

This one I have been working on for quite a while.  I had a bunch of pieces of various gauge wire left from other projects, so I attempted to put them to use.

Original Sketch.   It is supposed to be sort of a celtic looking thing.

Then I found some wonderful old stock topaz stones from this vendor on ebay:

sellingoffoddstuff ebay

Apparently these were cut by this person's father and grandfather.  The stones are actually much better than the pictures, and very affordable for what you get.

For example here is the picture from ebay of a citrine I bought:

And here are pictures I took:

Super good.....

lovely.

It is very hard to take good pictures of bright shiny stuff, as you can tell if you have seen my other posts with my cell phone camera pictures!

Anyway:

Here are some other pictures of the fabrication of the topaz broach:

Making the Setting for the large Topaz

Figuring out where to cut the prongs to leave just enough to hold the stone without being in the way.

Making tube sets for the round topaz (topazs, topazes?)

At this point I decided that three different sized round would be better than two of the same and one smaller.

Luckily I had an extra one or two......

I will try to organize this better, or finish the darn thing... someday.

Fold Form Urn

This is yet another piece that is in progress, and may be for a while.

The idea was to make an urn using the fold forming method.

Sort of in the shape

Urn Vader

It all starts with Geometry.  Then some Physics.  Pay attention in school kids!

The big slab of copper was tacky 1970s platter from Goodwill $1.99 

To get the metal soft enough to work, you have to repeatedly heat it.  Copper is really dirty to work with, there are worse metals (nickle) but certainly not as nice as silver or gold.





It gets all black with the products of combustion and the cupric whatevers.


Then you have to pickle it

Pretty Nasty

 So, do this about 14 times and hammer it in between, and you will be able to see why this isn't done yet.....

Pat's Sketch for new jewel - Ellensburg #39

This is sort of funny, but it is a part of the story.

Those are very rough sketches that I made to start figuring out how to make some jewels myself.  Part of the reason I decided to study to become a jeweler was to make things for my friends, and in the back of my mind was the Lodge.  So I finally feel that I have mastered the basics (and I mean very basics) of jewelry making and can attempt this now.  To be successful in this or really anything in life, you need to match your skill-set to the thing you are attempting to do.

So the first few I make will not be as extravagant as some of the ones shown on this blog.  I just don't yet have the skills.  But hopefully my lodge brothers will like them.

So part of my accumulation of all of these is to attempt to work out scale, construction methods, weight, etc.  Or at least that is how I have explained it to my wife.  ;)

I want to make jewels that are personal and specific to this lodge in this temple at this time in history.  I'll write more about this later.

project sketches - my first attempt to make some fraternal jewels

 

 I'm getting ready to get back into the studio and become productive.  I have about 6 or 7 rings to make, and those are going easier now that my skills have improved.  I will use those to fill time between making things like these.


 These are intended to be past master jewels for members of my Lodge in Ellensburg.   I am attempting to make these personalized to the owner, trying to gather images and symbols that relate to him - his specific service to the lodge, attitude and personality.

For example, WB Tedd Hansen organized, spearheaded and did a lot of work renovating the lodge room a few years back.  In the process we removed about 8 layers of wallpaper.  (about half way down that page).

So I am going to try to incorporate a piece of the old wallpaper into the jewel.

Nick Henderson design below...

back

Nick has been master a few times.

Greg Maes ( I ran out of room - rough sketch...)

This one will likely be champleve or limoge like this project, but hopefully with more skill and less cartoony.

This one will be more of a drawing in enamel.

I'm trying to depict the roles Marco usually serves with these images.

 These are pretty rough sketches, and the designs might change.  They also might take a long time to finish!

Custom Door

Cabinet by Gary Galbraith 

This is not a piece I made.  It was made by a local wood artist and friend of the family.

Here are some of the concept sketches he did for us while planning the project: