Sunday, July 24, 2011

What I'm working on right now.....

My very talented team, the "Aspiring Metalsmiths", does a monthly blog project where we choose a topic and "everyone" writes about it.  I put "everyone" in quotes because this is my first time to participate...usually I write about 10 lines and get distracted and end up missing the deadline.  This month the topic is "What I'm working on right now".  I'm 8 lines into it and I'm not distracted yet...so far so good!

As usual, I'm working on tons of different things at once.

These gemstones will soon be made into rings....
Rose Quartz, Carnelian


The new rings will look similar to this ring, but I may wrap them in solid gold bezels....



I'm in the design stage with a couple stones.....

 This one is a hand cut Ray Mine Chrysocolla from Laura of Cabbingrough
 The little wheel looking things will actually be poppies.  I'll stamp and dome the silver and add a center ball.
Or.....maybe I'll go with this design. Hmmmm....lots to think about!

 I had to bevel the upper edge of this drusy with my sanding disc so that I can bezel set it.  It will be either a ring or a bracelet....
I'm leaning towards this design....

I'm halfway done making several pairs of earrings that I hope to be able to finish soon.  I will add the gemstones later...


Then there's my little Sterling Silver and Copper barn.  This was for a team challenge where the theme was Architecture.  I missed the deadline to enter and so here it sits.  I'm determined to finish this little barn, and I actually have been working on it little by little over the last few weeks.  I have to cut out, bend and solder the second half of the roof, cut and solder the hinge onto the back, and figure out how I want to do the finishing.  I'm thinking the roof might get a verdigris finish.  I like the way the soldering has left a distressed look to the barn, but I think I may end up sanding and polishing it because that way the little flowers I stamped into the sides will show more clearly....and part of me really wants to watch it age over time and end up with a natural patina...

 I searched for the little sterling animals I made, but couldn't find them.  I'll post pics of them when they turn up!
 It will open like this, and have a hinge down the back...once I learn to make a hinge.  There will be a latch on the front to keep the animals in. Moo!
I soldered little stalls inside but the solder didn't hold.  I'm not sure why, but after several attempts I abandoned them, so the inside will just be hollow.  The design is modeled after a toy barn Santa brought for my kids.

I have more things that I'm in the middle of....but I had to stop somewhere!  I just wish there were more hours in the day.  I'll post pics of my little barn when it's finished!

To see what my Aspiring Metalsmith Teammates are working on click on their blogs listed below:


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