In the Jewelers Studio...

On Saturday I had the opportunity to teach my dear friend Greg some jewelry making skills.
Greg bought some lovely little pearls when he was on a beach in Africa a few years ago, with the intention of getting them made into jewelry for his Mom and Sister one day. I suggested that he join me in my studio to make them himself. I thought that Greg would find moving metal pretty fun. We started by hammering out two circles with a disk cutter and
then doming them in a dapping block.

Then Greg textured the metal with a ball bur at my bench.

We had two perfectly textured silver domes.

Then Greg's partner Dave and our beautiful friend Becky came by with Hanukkah Cookies.
Happy Hanukkah!

I let Greg take a short cookie break and then I made him get right back to work.
Like any good teacher I made sure to always look sternly over his shoulder while he worked.

Of course, no jewelry would be complete without a little bit of colour.

So, i sifted some transparent purple enamel over the textured silver
and then torch fired the piece.

Here are the finished pendants. Nice Job Greg! It was so much fun having you work in my studio with me!

New York in the Winter?

I have been fantasizing about going to New York for a while now. Lately I fluctuate between talking myself out of it and talking myself into it.

Reasons to go:
"From The Village to Vogue"
An exhibition of Art Smith's modernist jewelry at the Brooklyn Museum.

His work is amazing. I, of course have only seen it in pictures.
Getting to see it up close, I think, would make my knees weak.


Another reason is the Guggenheim.
If I walk into the Guggenheim,
I'm not certain that I will ever want to walk out.
Right now they have an exhibition of Kandinsky.
Kandinsky is my favourite artist.
There is something about his paintings
that give me a physical reaction.
Something inside of me stirs and I want to wrap
my whole body around his art.

I love the colours. I love the intricate pattern. I love the boldness.
I have visions of being at the Museum
surrounded by only his paintings and wanting to
just lie down and let the amazing energy of his work fill me up.
I'm not sure how lying down on the floor
will go over at the Guggenheim.....

It's All About Me Ring

I have a thing for rings. I remember when I was little I had a board game called "Rings on your Fingers". I think it was like memory, only you had to match these little plastic rings and when you made a match you could wear the rings on your fingers. I loved it. It is one of those toys I wish my parents never threw out.

This is the "It's All About Me" ring. Sometimes we all need to be bold. We need to ask for exactly what we want. We need to stand up for ourselves. We need to be noticed.

For more amazing rings check out one of my favourite blogs ever
The Carrotbox.com. She also has a thing for rings.