New Earring Monday ~ weeks 35-36

OK - I know it's Saturday and I'm 5 days late, but at least I'm here.
I was in major production mode for an event, so I made plenty of earrings - even took pictures. Time to edit those photos and write this post eluded me for a bit.




First up is a collection coral and sterling silver earrings. I love to dress io simple beads with Bali bead caps. These are 10mm. I soldered and hammered the rings in the middle and used 8mm coral.

These were created to go with a collection of coral necklaces.
 













Next, is a mixed group - fluorite, vintage Himalayan glass and carnelian.
Yes, they, too, have necklaces!














Finally, you know I had to play with the big machine!*

So, we have a long county heart (2") that I annealed and curved around a mandrel (I see a channel dapping block in the near future.) and teardrops.

I love, love, love the satin finish on the first two. I discovered it by accident using a large wire brush from Harbor Freight on my dremel.

*"big machine" = hydraulic press





Please visit, my friend, Sarajo's blog to see who else has played along this week.  click here

Swamplandia – another edition of the Inspired By Reading Book Club

I was disappointed to miss last month. I was traveling once again ~ busy on Long Island attending retirement parties, family events and participating in the Sag Harbor Arts and Crafts Fair. In case you’re wondering (and even if you’re not), in spite of the pouring rain, I had a good show, with follow up opportunities.

I enjoyed Swamplandia, by Karen Russell. The story follows a family of alligator wrestlers who run an ailing tourist attraction in the Florida Everglades. Chief Big Tree and his children struggle to keep Swamplandia open after their mother, the main attraction, succumbs to cancer. They also have to contend with competition from “The World of Darkness”, the new high tech amusement park on the mainland.

It wouldn’t be a book club selection if there wasn’t a bit of the supernatural or weirdness involved in the story.  Sixteen year old Ossie considers herself to be a spiritualist and believes that she has relationships with ghosts. After finding a ghost ship (really a dredge from the 1930’s), Ossie imagines herself in love with a young man who perished in an explosion and decides to run off and marry him.

The obvious inspiration for this book would be alligators. So, as I read, I checked my stash and a few suppliers – no alligators. Then Ossie and Ava stumble upon the decrepit ship with a swarm of buzzards overhead. There was my inspiration! Somehow, someway, I was determined to create a buzzard. Luckily, Kevin Potter has a great bird pancake die and it was on sale when I wanted it. I headed out to the hydraulic press with some 20 gauge sheet copper. The next challenge was how to make it look like a buzzard…

After an internet search for buzzard images, a trip to Ornamentea in Raleigh for Thomson enamels, and four torch firings of different layers and colors, I’m pretty excited with the result.

I don't always counter-enamel, but felt this piece needed it  

I've added a bail and chain, maybe I'll add some beads, but haven’t decided if I prefer copper or silver chain. 

What do you think?

Please visit book club leader, Andrew Thornton's blog here to learn more about our group

and visit other participants listed below...

Sarajo Spurgeon Wentling

Allison Herrington

Mary K McGraw

Ann Schroeder

New Earring Monday.... ( through week 16)

Yeah - I lost track of what week it was, so I checked Sarajo's post for dates.
I'll try to get back to bi-weekly posts ~ but ~ no promises.
And, since I should be preparing for my very first North Carolina Art & Craft fair, I'll try to make this brief.

First up are my offerings for April's birthstone.
I acquired (purchased) a bunch of Herkimer diamonds in Tucson. For those who don't know, Herkimer diamonds aren't really diamonds. They are faceted quartz that come out of the ground just like you see them here. They are mined in Herkimer, NY.
 (Yay! NY!)

New earring cards for Ollie's Cafe & Gift Shop
Inspired by Sarajo Wentling

created for a 6 year old's April birthday!

I love these sterling silver discs I created with my disc cutter!












Since May is just around the corner, I had to dig out some emeralds.

Aren't these sweet!










A few weeks ago, I demonstrated flame painting copper at Ollie's during Art After Five.  Here are a few of the pieces I created...

I love the way these came out.  I tried a different technique.
I put the torch really close to the metal and pulled it away quickly.

demonstration mode

heavy equipment!

The shapes were cut on my Harbor Freight hydraulic press using pancake dies from Potter USA.









Finally, I've also had a lot of fun with my disc cutter and wooden dapping blocks.
Someday, I'll figure out how to photograph shiny sterling silver.

I might oxidize the next batch. But I do love these shiny!

Looks like I just might have enough inventory foe "Spring Daze" arts and crafts fair in Cary, NC this Saturday 4/25.

Stop by if  you're in the neighborhood!

Don't forget to click here to visit Sarajo's blog to find all the other earring artists!