Yippppeeee

I think I have finally conquered the lentil press. 

The kiln gods have been kind.

Enamelled fish.

This is the second enamelled fish which I am so much happier with. 

The start was a drawing, with colour so I had an idea of what enamel colours to use.  I had done lots of colour test when I first started it was just a matter of matching the enamels to the pencils

                                                                                           


Then I made it into the piece of fine silver.
















Next the enamels.

This is the finished pendant.

Pleased with myself

Is having a very good morning, I have managed to vac and steam clean the downstairs of the house, as well as clean all the kitchen work surfaces. 

I even got some silver stuff ready to enamel, for later but first a cuppa tea and relax with the cryo cuff 

as I'am off to physio at 2pm and I don't want my knee all puffed up for that. 

Owww and heres a sneak peak at my enamel bits some that have been enamelled and some waiting for colour.

Gooo me Gooo me :)

Fruits of my labours

These are the finished enamel projects from yesterday's enamel fun

I managed to finish six pieces and I am worn out!!!
I still have one on my bench to finish later

Trio of rings

Trio of pendants

I am particularly pleased with the daisy pendant and the disc ring ;)

More test

The little colour test samples are now stuck in my ever growing enamel test and samples book.

  The two photos are the results of my colour test and I got a really 

nice yellow.

I like this enamelling malarky but who knew photographing them was so hard!!!
The earrings are fine silver and the ring top is fine silver with a sterling silver ring shank

More enamelling

I've been doing some more enamel test on copper just to see what colours I get.

Its interesting how the copper can change the colour so much

These are the test pieces.

These are the finished pieces made into a ring and pendant. The blue sterling pendant below was the same colour as the top box bottom right disc the centre colour, look how different the colour is!

Enamelled experiments.

I have really enjoyed making these enamelled cabs.

Who knew it was such fun,

well obviously not me!

The inspiration for these came from a gift from Tilly, she kindly gave me a beautiful cabochon that I fell in love with which Tilly  had made. 

This is the photo of it set in my silver work.

Tilly I love it.

Thank you x

The other photos are my attempts at making my own cabochons, to say I have enjoyed making them is and understatement.

Thank you Lynne for the ear bending xxx

I made another cuff!

I think I am done with dots, I am going to try something a little more challenging, so I think I might purchase Amanda Muddimer's harlequin tutorial.

 I've heard its really good from quite a few people.

These are my cuffs.

I made this!

I made this fun little bangle as a variation on a theme and just because I could.

Even with a glass cut!

These are the projects I wanted to make even with my cut finger.

My first project is,

 Dots Of Fun Necklace

The inspiration was from my collaboration work with Karina Kay Thornhill

with her gorgeous dotty beads.

I made two huge 30mm dotty cabs and some small beads to match, in the blue tones  that I have been wearing a lot just lately.

The second project was a cuff made from Sterling silver clay.

The challenge was to see how strong it is and believe me its strong, this cuff is only

2 cards thick!!!

I photographed it polished and then patinated it, so which one do you like??

Yesterdays Question

Yesterdays question was!

Patina or not to patina?

I decided "NOT"

see what you think

Sterling Silver Gingko Neck Cuff with Labradorite 

Jewellery for the shop

As my jewellery has been selling very well in the shop recently, I am having to make more stock.

This is great news as it might be the beginning of the end of the recession! 

SHHHHHH did I say that.I don't wish to tempt fate!!

Any way heres a peak at just a few waiting to be sent for hallmarking.

These are all sterling silver, some sterling clay and some sheet.

I am really tempted to keep the earrings, I really love them.

What do you think, 

should I???????

Sea Glass Bracelet

For everyone that likes to see what I am making this is the finished sea glass bracelet.

This is the before photo.

This is the finished photo

New collaboration workshop

Please take a  look at this new and exciting collaboration workshop.

I am really excited to be working with Special Kay a fantastic talented lamp worker.

Her beads are just beautiful. 

Or

 find me on Facebook

Busy busy busy

OMG 

This week has just flown by, I have not stopped.

I did have chance to finish a little something I was working on, in 

amongst the collaboration pieces, repairs, tutorial and a commission.

This is my By The Seashore series, so there will be more to come.

It was inspired by walks along our very local beaches.

Yesterday's makes.

These are yesterday's makes, I made them for our shop as they are more saleable then my normal off the wall stuff.

I am enjoying using the the sea glass because it really is recycled

and such fun to work with.

These are all made with sheet silver and hand forged

The Seaside Series.

I particularly like the black pebble ring which was found whilst out on a walk at Pagham beach

yesterday morning.

Building again!

This week I have been messing around with sterling silver clay.

I made some teeny tiny buildings.

First up is Home Sweet Home earring's.

These are the smallest little houses I think I have made.

 at

10mm by 10mm by 14mm

They are hollow which makes them really really light.

The next is a little castle turret.

I have named this one 

Wisteria Castle 

and she is definitely a keeper.

So I think I will have to make another one, but different

of course.

More porcelain experiments.

Here are some more little porcelain experiments.

The first photo is the little Tuscan Villa, it is really small and very light. The construction seems really strong, So I now know I can build quite complicated structors, which is why I am enjoying this media.

The next photo are my experiments with glazing, so I can build and add 

colour then make them all shinny.  I like this look the best and have big Berther on at home firing some other pieces, plus another little house. I shall be definitely glazing all of those.

My Dad really liked the butterfly, so I have also made a mini one of those for his hat. 

The hand painting is the best part of the whole process.

My experiments with porcelain

I am really enjoying playing with porcelain, it is so much cheeper then silver and completely different to work with. Its so light and I really like the feel once fired. 

The most noticeably thing is the extreme fragility whilst in the greenware stage. 

Its like re-learning how to handle the clay but I have managed to build a little house called the Tuscan Villa. I have added colour, silver and even colour and silver together and it works well. These have all been a one stage firing. The next lot have been fired to a bisque firing with colour . I will give them a glaze to see the difference.

Here are some photos of what I have been doing the little building is in the kiln a long with some other bits and bobs.

I can't wait to open the kiln tomorrow morning, but for now I think I need to make this lot into jewellery

Big Bertha is on!!

Big Bertha is on and loaded up with two layers of porcelain, see you in about 15 hours time;-)

This was the view of the first layer.

Experiments with Bronze Clay

This is not the first time I have dabbled with Bronze clay it tried it when

it first became available here in the UK, I didn't like the firing schedule, it was

unreliable.

Now that there are so many brands I thought it was high time I tried it again, this one was given to me to try by Katie, she wanted to convert me saying "its great stuff give it a go"

I will be honest the firing was easy, you can see from the photo that  I hit one with a hammer and even cut one with side cutters, with great difficulty I did cut the ring. To my surprise it didn't crack.

These are test pieces and not my normal artsy designs.

My thoughts are, Yes I did like it, with not a green hand in sight.

 Will I use it again?

I think so. 

Here are my samples, I like the polished finish, not keen on the out of the kiln look 

at all. 

I still have three more rings to test and might make a bangle to test the different sizes.

The continued week in Cornwall

After the porcelain class it was a short drive for the Rio Certification Hosted by Lisa Cain at MCSJ and taught by the very charming Mr Patrik Kusek.

The class was fast and furious but we all managed to pass with flying colours. 

This is a photo of the projects I liked,  I did voice my dislike for the others but hay ho it was all technique based.

Thank you Patrick and Lisa for enlightening me,

 to what a Mirkin is!

Week away in Cornwall

I had a fab week away, staying with Miss Julia down in Bugle in Cornwall and then taking a fascinating class at CSACJ with the very talented Marion Wilson, it was a one day intensive course learning how to use, fire and glaze porcelain. 

The class was packed full of information.

I chose not to fire mine but to bring them home, so I could do my own firing, this is the way I like to learn. They all fired perfectly and the schedule was very easy to follow.

Here are just two of the finished pieces of jewellery I made.

 The first is a pendant with a very subtle underglaze and the other is a pair of twee flower earrings, which I have to confess I love, they are so light.

 I think I will be making some more. It is a lovely material to work with.

Anna Mazon Class hosted by Lynne Glazzrd

Well what can I say apart from what  a fabulous week spent with dear friends then a two day class with Anna Mazon.

I loved every minute of her class and actually managed to get my piece fired although I had to finish at home which was great.

This class gave me so much inspiration, I came home and used the technique in one of my own projects and this is the result, I think it worked well.

Not I am making another project!!!!

Medusa from the garden

Critter number 13

Tiny the Door Mouse Ring.

Critter number 12

Considering the weather I thought I would make something seasonal for this weeks critter challenge.

This is Cyrile the Snowman

Thatched Cottage

This is my Thatched Cottage from Walderton in Sussex England.

When Katie was here from America we took here to many places and one of them was

the Weald & Downland open air museum at Singleton.

I took lots of photos and so did Katie. These are all old rescued buildings from around England.

It is a fantastic place for inspiration.

My cottage was inspired from a cottage that was rescued from Walderton here in sussex

Here is a link to a you tube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzQLNESnS9I

I am so lucky to live only 10minutes drive from the fantastic museum.

Oh and I have more building to make ;-)

Critter number 11

This is a tiny tiny sterling silver stylised cat called 

TERRY ;-)

Copper & Silver perfume holder

This is a Copper & Silver Combined Perfume Holder.

I am enjoying making these and have learnt so much with all the different techniques 

I am using.

This is going to be used by me for my favourite  perfume and it will 

be kept in my handbag.

I love making these, they are such fun.

Critter number 10

Terry the turtle, critter number 10.

Some more Bits and Bobs.

These are some more test pieces, the copper vessel is a pill holder. 

I wanted to test weather I needed to re-enforce the ends of the tube. 

As you can see from the photo I didn't need to. The ends are nice and neat, without the need for 

re-enforcing strips.

The next test was to make a whistle, tesing the Mokume Gane in the same way which also worked 

well.  

Also I made a little ring with the Mokume Gane technique

I am really enjoying making these vessel's they are good fun and make nice gifts.