I had a wonderful, productive weekend in my shop, and I look forward to sharing more of the beautiful outcomes with you this week. For me, Groovy Summer evokes the 1970s, including flowers and bright colors. The hollow form earrings with the orange flower at the center (which I posted a week or two ago)… Continue reading Groovy Summer – sneak peek!

Richard Salley offers a comprehensive online course on etching copper and silver - I recommend it! I bought it in the Fall of 2020, along with all the necessary materials. But my health deteriorated shortly after that, and I never got around to trying the techniques. I am working on a collection concept that has… Continue reading Etching experiments

It was a beautiful weekend, and such a pleasure to be in the shop! Among other things, I finished these hollow form earrings with silky ruby. It’s getting easier and faster to make the hollow forms, and I’m really enjoying incorporating them into my work.

Fabricating these earrings has been both an amazing learning experience and a major pain in my ass. 😂 😂 But after a bunch of false starts, I’m very happy with how they turned out. If my health continues to be stable, these earrings will be part of a new collection called Groovy Summer. I hope… Continue reading Success!

This weekend I had the opportunity to take a class with Taylor Saleem, whose work I have admired for years. She works in silver and leather, and I like how she brings botanical elements from her garden into her work. She also has some fun collaborations with her bestie, who works with enamel. The class… Continue reading The Language of Flowers

Here is the final piece from my studio last weekend - a large, stunning labradorite cabochon. I learned the prong setting from an online course by Lucy Walker Jewelry. This setting technique has gotten quicker and easier with practice!

It seems that I prefer to work very large or very small. This weekend I did a little bit of both. I just love the depth and sparkle of this small cloud-shaped moss kyanite. I don’t think the photos do the color justice - it’s a velvety, deep ocean blue. I bought a few of… Continue reading Sparkling clouds

I usually think of turquoise of a summery stone ... but this one sings of winter to me. I’m absolutely smitten with this White Lavender turquoise. I’m really enjoying the new Liver of Sulphur I tried on the back, too: It’s been in the forties, so it’s a little chilly in the garage - even… Continue reading Winter white

In the past few weeks, I’ve been grouping my (zillion!) cabs into a series of small seasonal collections. It’s been quite a production! In this picture I’ve also got some serious craftermath going on because I’m starting to put together handmade holiday cards again this year. What I am not planning to use in a… Continue reading Collections

I am getting ready to try flush settings again, this time with a 4 mm stone. In order to avoid having to layer sheet metal, I bought one thicker sheet. 12 gauge is heavy - substantial - but challenging to work with given it’s heft. Once I get the hang of it, I’m looking forward… Continue reading 12 gauge

I love the brown paper and leafy ribbon, but I’m going replace the butterfly ribbon next time. And I finally settled on a dark green for the gift bags inside. Each little experiment is fun and rewarding. Sending these off to their new homes, and really gaining an appreciation for what it would be involved… Continue reading More packaging experiments

I didn’t metalsmith last weekend, and my shop was a bit of an explosion when I went out there today. I put some music on and cleaned up my workbench, and then I decided to prep for making a couple of Octopus Setting rings. I didn’t even get around to turning on my pickle pot… Continue reading Clean & prep day