Finishing

 I managed to finish my last pin through the week.

I oftentimes find that how I see something being worn, isn't always the way that others do; so I felt I should probably make one for myself, so that I could wear it and let people see how it might work. And so it came to pass that I made another pebble pin/brooch.

I don't tend to wear brooches/pins up on my lapels so much. Rather I tend to wear them along my hem line. Like this. Apologies for the background lighting - who knew it would be so sunny! Plus I took the shot using my watch connected to my phone which is a first for me, so I got what I got!

Barry also took a photo of me wearing one of the long thing bar ones - which I think looks best vertically, so I might have to wear one like that too. I am however wearing this one on a lapel type thing on a great winter cardigan.

Enough of the modelling. I also finished off a final pice of calligraphy using the five lovely S words. This one is purple on black, and I now have five pieces that can be popped into frames. I trimmed them all yesterday, signed them and put them in a bag for transporting. Finishing, finishing.

So I think that has brought me to the end of production and making for the Pop Up in Scotland. The job now is to inventory, price and pack. Always so many associated tasks.

Including writing some explanatory notes about my Conversations with Women Friends and the Glimpses book-ets. I sometimes think my work and its purpose can be a bit obtuse or opaque, yet I find people grasp it if I tell them a story about it. Of course, I can't speak to everybody all the time, so I thought maybe a few notes here and there might allow people to pause and read and understand a bit of where I am coming from. Maybe.

And then to inventorying and packing. I put out all the jewellery in my stash and worked out which pieces I would take. I decided on 10 pairs of earrings, 7 pendants and 4 brooches/pins. Fingers are crossed.

Two of these will stay in Maleny

Two pairs of earrings will stay in Maleny.

As you can imagine, our suitcases will be full of arty things! Fortunately we keep most of the clothes we need in Scotland the cottage. We are edging closer...

Patience with the process

 After last week's morning of set backs and learnings, I have taken it slowly this week with the pair of brooches that I have seen in my mind's eye, and am working towards.

Without planning to, I decided that in fact the brooches would look good if I textured the silver background a bit, and I do like what happened when I did that.

Here are the pieces ready for finalising with a super strong glue that can handle pebbles and metal. You can see the silver bobble-headed pins that wouldn't drip or melt last weekend.

The plan being to use the blu tac to hold the pieces in place as I glued, and as they dried.

So I put them together and glued each step and then left them. Herewith the patience in the process. I moved the laminated sheet they were on after a couple of hours and then didn't approach them again until the next morning.

Then I snipped the silver pin off, and filed down the nub that was left. I then sanded the back of the silver to create a surface for the glue to key into; and did the same with the pin back.

And then with, what felt like it had to be, surgical precision I glued the pin back to the silver and once again left them alone.

And they are still waiting to be able to be moved, and turned up the right way. I so hope that they look OK on the right side!!!

Testing out a new design

I have had in my mind some earrings that are in pebble-form, but cut from sheet silver; and joined by thread. Sort of bringing together my love for pebbles, and my stitching.

Barry helped with this prototype, by showing me how to use the die cut we have to cut the different pebbles - but from silver plate only until I have tested the idea to see if it works!

There were a lot of instructions to follow.

That last photo is an excellent reminder - I went back to do some more drilling by hand on something by myself and thought that because the piece was longer I wouldn't need to hold it with the pliers. Note to self - rotating drill bits create heat and make the piece of silver VERY hot. I will use pliers from here on in. Laugh.

And the prototype is here, kind of sort of. There needs to be some sort of overlap I think; although not like this. I played with several different ways of stitching and holding the pieces firmly and I think the overlap ends up helping keep the earrings stable. The thread is too pale for the plain silver - but then I wondered what if I oxidised the silver? And then where can I get some of the silk thread in other colours?

So a fair way to go yet - thread to find and ways to tie off tidily to work out, getting the overlap right, and working out if the thread will support them well enough, and sheet silver to price which given the state of affairs with precious metals these days might just mean they would be too expensive in the end.

I am also not sure if they will hang well, so they may not go anywhere, but it has been fun exploring new techniques and new designs!

Winning and losing and playing the game

 I have had some success completing some pieces of jewellery for the Pop Up in Scotland, followed by what can only be described, and re-framed, as a morning of 'learnings' (not failures!).

In a funny turn  of events, a friend popped by before heading overseas for a couple of months, looking for a pair of earrings to take on her travels. Out of the pile I had ready, she selected the only pair of the trio of stacked pebbles I had. Which was lovely, except I had chosen them to feature on the postcard we had recently had printed for the Pop Up and now I wouldn't have any of my advertised wares to sell!

As they say,  back to the workbench I went, and produced two pairs this time so I can't be foiled. I remain fond of their wobbliness.

After pondering three piece or five piece joined necklaces through the week, I decided to make two five piece ones and am pleased with them both. Different chains, but they are both lovely to wear.

And so to yesterday's morning of learning...

I had this idea for a brooch to incorporate flat silver with a pebble. I had designed it in my head, and thought my way through the way to attach the pebble and to then add the brooch clasp on the back.  I slowly and methodically went about things, and had Barry teach me how to drill holes in stones (using a 1mm diamond bit and water).

Which was excellent fun and not as scary as I had anticipated. You just have to go very slowly and keep adding water.

I got a bit carried away and tried to drill more than one hole in a couple and that was also excellent fun! So the morning did hold several successes.

Until it didn't.

I was trying to put a silver pin with a bauble head through the drilled pebble, and through the drilled silver, and then use flame to seal it on the underside. For love nor money it wouldn't 'drip' and seal the bottom - and I kept the flame on it for ages as you can tell by the colour of the silver off cut I was testing on.

Sharp eyes might also note that pebble I was using looks a bit damaged. And it was. I had drilled two holes in it and in the first one we tried we couldn't get the wire pin to drip and seal so to speak, so we trimmed it and attempted to gently hammer it like if you were riveting it - ever so gently flattening the wire so it creates a circle which would seal the attachment point. And of course, the pebble broke.

We worked out that stone was drawing all the heat and not enough heat remained on the pin for it to run/melt/drip. And clearly the heat then made the stone brittle and this was the result. Sigh. This was a couple of hours of testing this that and the other.

So an alternative is now being explored, because I still really like the idea!

And so to playing the game. A list of things I have been doing to keep me calm and happy and relaxed.

My first attempt at laminated cheese scones. We tried these in Scotland the last time we were there and I loved them so much I really wanted to know how to make them. These were good, but I think they can be lighter and puffier. But delicious nonetheless!

I spent a quiet relaxing time addressing envelopes for a Christmas in July event this week.

And then one of my favourite things to relax is a jigsaw, which I usually don't get to do except at holiday times, but I thought it would be a good plan this week.  And as soon as I began I wondered what on earth had I been thinking with all these multiple bright colours and patterns and repeats??? Still as I conquer small parts of it there is a sense of achievement for sure.

Win some, lose some and keep on playing...

Jewellery this way and that

 Barry and I are headed back to Scotland soonish, and will be having a Pop Up Show at the Armadale Village Hall, a bit like we did last year.

In preparation I have been making new work, some of which continues my passion for sterling silver pebble jewellery. I am refreshing some styles, and have been thinking about and making some new styles. Such fun!

I tried a five pebble linked pendant on sterling silver chain; then a three pebble pendant. Both are lovely and I like the movement.

For whatever reason, I was thinking about beach combing and pebbles and driftwood. This is the result so far. One pair of earrings with a tiny pair of the usual pebble forms and a hand beaten piece of silver 'driftwood'. The second pair is a solid silver pebble with similar hadn't beaten 'driftwood'.

And some nice large earrings.

And another nice new design, This is a scarf pin or maybe simply a brooch. It is large pebble form that has two sterling silver lapel pins soldered underneath to allow it to go through the clothing/scarf and be held really flat and firmly. I think it would look great on a black coat, scarf, jacket, top, jumper... 

And a few more works in progress, playing around with layout so to speak, which forms go with which, and how  many are best?

This one got rejected because all I could see was Mickey or Minnie Mouse.

Here it is again but with slimmer "ears"and I am still not sure.

I really think I will end up doing another five pebble piece instead. Or maybe two of them...

I have had a couple of good days in the workshop cutting, hammering, soldering, cleaning, rolling...all great fun.

Back to jewellery - making!

 In preparation for the next Pop-Up Art Show back in Scotland later in the year, I have put my head down and been working hard to create some new pieces of jewellery. Some are variations on a theme so to speak; others are new designs and I am enjoying the challenges they all bring.

I did a lot of soldering of silver wire when we were at the cottage, and on return I have rolled it and buffed it.

Here I took five of the rolled pebble forms and set them together as a necklace. Rather than solder them together and make it a rigid piece, I thought I would try to link them together; and that would give a little bit more movement to the piece.

And then I connected it all together with a sterling silver chain. And was happy!

I had six small pebble forms ready to go, so I also rolled them. This time I did solder them together and they are such delicate little stacks of stones.

And here they are together. Quite a good result for a new design; and an older design modified to use very small forms!

Packed and ready for sale!