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.

While I'm Knitting Away...

While I'm knitting away on this incredibly soft bolero, I unfortunately have no fun little crafty projects to share. Don't worry, I'm keeping up with the creative every day thing. But it's mostly just knitting. I could share the daily progress on my green mass of yarn right now, but I figured you'd much prefer to see the FOs. So! I'm going to share some of my previously made projects with the world. :)

First up is a necklace that had been swirling around in the recesses of my mind for some time before I let it out. The idea for this piece started with New Years Eve 2006. My roommate decided to drink the last bottle of my wedding champagne while I was asleep. So, I saved the cork and decided that it needed to be a necklace. So I cut a cross section of the end of the cork, made a bezel, and turned it into a necklace. It's holding up very well. I just love it! :) (And it goes with so many outfits!)

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.