I am slowly realizing Christmas is only 35 days away–yikes! This pair of earrings is the first of a very few finished pieces that have even a remote chance of making it under any tree this year…,
Available on my Etsy site- one pair only!
Just finished the final touches for my next workshop, and it’s all about bezels–metal cups filled with special treasures, and then sealed in resin. The inspiration for these little time capsules came from an old photo of my great grandmother (Barbara Ether Waddy Smith) . She passed in 1908 and this photo must have been taken in the late 1800’s, in Wexford, Ireland. This is what I did with a copy of that photo back in late 2012…
Today my work has evolved into less ornate designs and these are a few of the pieces the current session will focus on:
Both copper and brass will be used to design around the bezels, and I’m excited to see how these suggestions will be used by the class for new and innovative pieces!
Don’t ask what happened to the rest of the bird, but his feathers continue on…in jewelry no less. These were used to help create background papers for my next workshop that will involve resin- filled bezels. Wishing my good friend and amazing artist Lynn Mizera could have joined me in this, she has a “way” with paper and inks that she shares on her blog so pop over and have a look! And bonus for me, she lives in Creston!
It didn’t take much of a demonstration to get this crew well on their way! Happily pounding on sheet metal and firing up torches like they’d done it forever, these ladies were on a mission. They amazed me with their creativity, and enthusiasm for trying out nearly every shop tool I own.
After just a short few hours, these are some of the creations that appeared-wow.
They learned how to solder, set a bezel for a stone, how to anneal, pickle and patina, shape, make a set of silver ear wires, draw a bead with silver, stamp, come cold connection techniques, and mostly how to problem solve. They knew what they wanted, just had to figure out how to get their with each piece. The results make this teacher proud ! Did I mention how much fun we had- and to be able to spend my day in the pleasure of their company was terrific! Thank you ladies-
Maybe we’re rushing the Fall season a bit but these ladies were on a roll. We spent the day refining (bashing, beating and bending) sheet copper to make some amazing pieces to hold many of the semi precious stones and gems I ordered in especially for this workshop. Lapis Lazuli, Hematite, Blue Lace Agate, a few blue Sapphires, and some really cool purple Turquoise…
With a few waves of their magic wands, these appeared:
And just like that, ♥♥♥, our day was over…way too soon! Thank you ladies, what an awesome day! Your creations, energy and wonderful spirit inspire me-more than you know ♥
Hate to admit how long this cuff took from start to finish, I measured production time in weeks, not hours. It began with the stone, called Unakite, that I cut here in our Creston Rock Club shop. Unakite Jasper, according to my stone directory is a stone of vision. ..one of the most healing crystals of the heart and mind.so I’m going with that! I also added a couple garnets – good for regeneration and vitality..this should be one healthy good luck cuff!
The silver cuff template came from a course I took with Leslie Kail Villarreal earlier this year and if you are a silver smith, it’s worth checking out!
The weather has finally cooled off a bit here in the Creston Valley and the shop has followed suit…thankfully! Excited about the first class for Fall 2016-it’s going to be just wicked! Will be playing with copper and creating some awesome pieces-a time to treat yourself to some “just me” time before the hectic holiday seasons begin….mark Sunday September 25th, 2016 on your calendar!
Did I mention the soldering that will be happening? And the stones we’ll be using–carnelian, soapstone, black onyx, aventurine, jasper and blue lapis…yum. Only 15 more sleeps….If you are local or plan on being the area, contact me for course details at carolgeurts@gmail.com.
Of course I had to pick one of the hottest days of the summer to do this, but we survived. A wonderful (smoking hot) day spent with some amazingly talented friends, and artists in their own right, just sharing ideas, lots of laughs, and enjoying each other’s special gifts. None of these folks have ever worked with metal etching, let alone turning it into wearable art…their pieces left me “amazed”–♥♥♥ and feeling so grateful to be able to call them my friends..
Thanks to Anne Fetterly , Bart Bjorkman , Janet Holder and sister Linda and Danica Sullivan ! You guys rock.
SO loving this gorgeous white quartz…”Quartz is a stone of clarity which dispels negativity and clears away negative energy. It can be used to purify and clarify on the spiritual, mental, and physical planes. It is powerfully protective because of these properties..”
On top of all this wonderfulness, it’s just plain stunning. The band is hand formed and hammered 20 gauge sterling silver, that has not been antiqued—yet. May just leave it as is, or maybe not. I often wear my pieces for a bit before deciding on the final finishing touches, waiting to see what feels just right. This may never leave my finger-
Well, one more anyhow…this half formed ring was sitting around the shop waiting to become “something”..and tonight was THE night! Just happened to have some beautiful hematite stones on hand and they look scrumptious with the etched silver! Working on some new designs but keep coming back to this one-looks clunky but wears beautifully. This is a design from Leslie Kail Villarreal whose course I took earlier this year-a must for any metalsmith!
