Happenings in and around the studio...

Here is how the progress begins on making a bezel set piece with PMC (precious metal clay): Here you see the slab of 'clay' (micro-particles of fine silver mixed with an organic binder that burns off in a kiln at 1500 degreesF, resulting in a pure (99%) silver piece), a fine silver bezel (soldered together) my drawing/template and the lampwork piece that will be set.

And this is the constructed piece. I am feeling it is a bit over-done... I will make another that is simpler. I do like it...but it is more of a "Piece" than I envisioned. I can't wait till it's fired. It totally transforms, and it is always like Christmas, opening the kiln and beginning the polishing/finishing process. The bit of staw is to keep the loop (bail) round as it dries.

And in other News:

The tooth fairy vistited our house! Chicken News: First it is love...

Then, wrangling.

Here are the moons w/ a ring soldered on the back. I put these on lever-backs. Lovely. My new favorites.

Elements of the bezel setting and peeps

Here are the chicks. Aren't they cute?

Here are the elements of the bezel setting I am working on. Picture shows a completed setting with gorgeous bead, and the bail (to be soldered on), the bezel cup, bead to be set, and sheet of sterling from which the bail and backing were cut.

have a wonderful day!

~Kristen

Changing the Moon

No, I didn't join a HazMat team. This is my get-up for filing/sanding using my flex shaft. I don't want to be inhaling tiny particles - even if they are silver! I am re-working earrings for Jan in CA. An avid Dalai Lama follower. Jan, are you reading this? So, here is the progress:

Notice how one fine silver disc has a tiny loop above it? I am soldering on tiny jump rings to the back, so these can be attatched to a french earwire. These are my 'Full Moon' earrings. Originally designed w/ an attached earwire, so they didn't move much. I was thinking of changing them so they would dangle from an earwire and the design would have more 'flow.' Then Jan emailed and asked if I would change her Full Moon earrings that she had ordered - she wanted them "...maybe 'free' dangling...?" Yeah! I told her I'd been thinking of changing the design and her request was the motivation I needed to do it. Thanks Jan. There is another example of 'every question is a good question.' They will be on their way tomorrow, pending approval from my in-the-field tester in California. ; )

Here is the original design for the full moons:

New Beginnings

Hope everyone who celebrated/has been celebrating Easter, Passover and the Spring Equinox had good and thoughtful celebrations! It was an incredibly beautiful day here in the North East, after all the rain and flooding. We were in Rhode Island w/ the kids Auntie and cousins and witnessed the devastating flood damage in so many places there. Sending good thoughts for everyone cleaning up from that, and hoping they all had good flood insurance.

New beginnings here. We have 8 new chicks! Adorable and peeping like crazy. I wonder if Buttercup (my remaining Black Giant) will feel motherly toward them or want to eat them? Chickens are ...unpredictable. To me anyway who is still a novice. I'll let her look at them today through their little cage. I'll see if I can read her chicken thoughts

New designs this week too I hope. Studio time is being weedled away already this week b/c of various appointments and obligations. My goal is to get in there and do a bezel set piece in PMC. It looks great w/ my sweatshirt. This is a classic bezel set piece - the new ones will have a surrounding 'field' of silver! Yum!

Off to the feed store. The peeps need food!

~Kristen