The Die is Cast (or Soldered. Beveled… whatever)

Though my blog may appear vacant for a time most lengthy, I assure you, gentle reader, my time was spent, nay invested well.

After numerous sleepless nights and pots of coffee, the decision has been made (for better or worse) that my focus should now lie solely in jewelry, as I find it to be a pleasant mix of challenging and rewarding most intoxicating. The product also sparkles, so what’s not to like?

I recently attended a class held by Don Norris in which light was cast upon many of the shadowy recesses of my chosen craft.
-I learned an entirely new way of soldering that leaves my pieces less…charred.
-Bezels no longer further my descent into insanity.
-My cabochons no longer require a scrap yard worth of metal to secure.
-I can now make pieces more quickly and with greater confidence.
-My bands are now more effectively crafted, making elaborate designs more of a possibility.
…Well you get the picture. The class was insightful and worth the investment.
Directly after the aforementioned tutelage I made these prototypes:


Pardon the dog hair.

I have more silver on order, so expect more pieces to come from Lime and Aqua. It’s good to be back, readers.

Drafting Patterns

Just to let you guys know, I'm in the process of drafting a few patterns for me to eventually start my etsy shop. I'm loving my new studio so much. There's just so much room to craft! I've got to put together some curtains & shelving, but it's well on its way. :)

Last night I put together a cute little tote to send off to my four year old beta tester for durability testing. :) It's in the general shape of the bags I'll be making & it has the same stitch setting that I'll use. I just want to make sure it holds up to some heavy duty play time. :) I didn't include the fancy pockets or detailing that I will when I make these for actual profit. It's strictly for testing. I'll post pics of it this evening some time.

*edit* I got so excited about giving the bag to my little beta tester that I completely forgot about the pics. Sorry!!

New Year Flower

For my first post and a new beginning, I bring a good luck charm for the new year. This piece is my rendition of a narcissus flower. It's been cut out of a sheet of 22 gauge sterling silver. I broke 7 or 8 blades in my jewelers saw for this piece.

The Narcissus flower is thought to be a symbol of good luck and prosperity if it blooms on New Years Day. Mine bloomed just today. :) I hope it carries me through a prosperous 2008.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Welcome to the inaugural post of my new Lime and Aqua craft blog. My name is Brie and I've decided to start this blog to have a place to share all of my hard work. This blog is to help me grow as an artist and to hold me accountable for my progress. I hope to make new friends and have a forum for input.

Before I jump right in to my creations, I'll share a little about myself. Like I said, my name is Brie. I'm a 24 (almost 25! January 12th!) year old female living in Austin, TX. I've lived in Texas most of my life. It's home. I've lived in quite a few places here and I have to say, Austin is the best.

The blog name is Lime and Aqua because well, they're my favorite colors. :) Pretty much everything I own is either lime... or aqua. My studio is aqua, my car is lime, my tennis shoes are lime and aqua! :)

I hope that everyone enjoys my work. I'd love to have input on my pieces. Please, feel free to share any ideas or changes that could make my stuff better.

So! Without further adieu. It begins....