A ring and some earrings

Not the best photos of the latest pieces but the clock is ticking and I have other things to do. While I was trying to polish the ring, the dog came into the room to let me know it was almost his dinner and walk time and then the cat decided he wanted out. Then my daughter phoned to ask me if I'd meet her for lunch after her soccer game. I know, these are trivial things in the real world. Seriously. 
I'll be going to my silver dealer on Tuesday and will pick up more polishing wheels (and saw blades...and maybe some more silver :)  ) and I promise these pieces aren't finished yet.

Remember this?

Yes, I've blogged about this bracelet before but if you were paying attention you'll notice it's now half an inch longer.  I wouldn't expect you to notice but take my word for it - several hours at the workbench later and it's grown. Oh, and it's been polished. It's for a prospective client on Etsy who asked me to add some bits and what the client wants, the client gets. 
Now, back to the ring and earrings. Stay tuned.

It's toilet cleaning day

My mom was good at using the phrase 'into every life some___must fall', the___part being whatever it was you happened to be whining to her about on any given day. With 7 kids she probably got tired of listening to all of us complaining about this and that, like what she had prepared for dinner or the household chores she had us doing. Of course she was right because into every life some toilet/bathroom cleaning must fall, today being that day. So... I'm giving you a sneak peek at what I'm working on. It's a size 6 1/2 ring and it's waiting patiently on my workbench for me to come back and finish sanding and polishing it. I also have a pair of earrings waiting there too so stay tuned to see them. Now...I'm off to clean some toilets :(

I dream of making things like this...

Like wow! I LOVE this ring! It isn't my work but I wanted to share it with you since I have nothing of my own to show after being away on a little vacation. This looks like copper with raw amethyst and it's from Midwest Alchemy on Etsy. You'll find the shop at  http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MidwestAlchemy  
So while you're enjoying that, I've started work on a new ring and pair of earrings which I hope to be able to show you in the next couple of days.

See you in 3 days. Going on a tiny vacation :)

I'm back.. with a ring for Kim from start to finish

You never know what'll happen when you're working with heat and metal. You need to be aware of minute changes in the appearance and behaviour of the metal; too much heat and a piece can suddenly turn molten, too little and whatever you thought was soldered, isn't. Frustrating at times but very rewarding when it works out the way you'd intended

I'll be back...

Am going to be working in my studio for the next couple of days so I'm leaving you a shot of some polished stones I've had kicking around. One of these days I'll figure out what to do with them :)

Lend me your ears

My first pair of earrings. I don't wear alot of dangles but... they were kind of fun to make because the thicknesses of each component were easy to bend and shape. I took them out for a test-wear this morning and even got complimented on them. Now if I can get away from the kitchen sink for awhile (it's been one of those days) I'll make more.

Business cards arrived

Quite pleased with the business cards that arrived the other day. Designed them using vista print (in case you wanted to know). 
I'm working on pair of earrings at the moment and will hopefully have something to show you tomorrow... 

Lost & Found

I love metal; shiny, dull or rusted. If I were a Bower bird, my nest would be filled with scraps of it. The top image is of a coil one of my sons found. He's lucky enough to live near his work and on his way to and from his job he passes along an alley behind a small grocery store, a treasure trove for bits of discarded metal. I think it's beautiful.
The bottom image is of some scrap wire we found on our property, fencing wire I guess. I coiled it up and it sits on a table in my living room. I love it.