Ladder Shield Earrings

It's been a while since I had the time to make anything. My oldest just left the nest so I've been busy trying to make sure she has all the things she needs to live on her own. I wish someone bought everything for me when I moved out! I remember sitting on the floor and having one all purpose pot to cook with. When I finally got furniture, it was something a co-worker didn't want so it wasn't pretty. I furnished the whole apartment with everyone's cast offs and was grateful for them.

Once things settled down it was great to finally get a little time for myself so I could make something. As usual, these didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned. As much planning as I do, you really can't be sure something is going to work out like you think they will until you sit down and make them. Originally, these were going to be hoops which they still are but just not the way I planned them. The rolled hoops at the top of the piece were going to be the fulcrum and the catch. Once I made the earrings, I discovered they were too close together and I didn't like proportions when I made a long hoop to accommodate the narrowness.  I had the circle hoops on my bench in smaller size and thread them through and like the way those looked better. So I decided to make them larger and in a heftier 18ga to go better with the earrings.

I also cheated a little bit on the glass bead. I riveted a small dome that perfectly fit the bead. I cut small rectangular pieces that I was going to criss cross underneath the dome that I could bring up and use as prongs to set the bead. Once I had them cut and pierced, I laid them out and thought they added too much bulk to that area so I cheated and epoxied the bead into the cup. These days I don't think there's that much stigma attached to glued pieces as there used to be.

I think I'm going to keep these for myself.

Sundial Mixed Metal Necklace

It felt good to get back into my studio and make something again. It's been months since I was able to make anything!

This piece started out with a square hole cut out of the middle of a penny. I wanted to see if I could dome two pieces together. First I thought I would rivet the penny to the brass disc and dome them together, but I didn't think it would come out smoothly so I domed them separately and riveted the two domes.

I felt it needed something so I created a frame for it by soldering a large ring in 16ga copper wire. Next I wanted to see if I could join them without soldering the ring to the domed piece. So I cut another piece of brass and cut tabs/prongs into it. I riveted the center of that to a disc I cut out of nickel silver that I textured first. I lifted alternating tabs/prongs and folded them around the domed centerpiece along with the copper ring and it held it in place.

I originally made a narrow rectangular drop but I didn't think the proportions were right when I tried to suspend it from the bottom. I found a pair of earrings that I always thought came out too large and added one of those instead. The proportions looked much better.

I thought of leaving this one as is (raw brass and copper) but decided in the end to oxidize it and I'm glad I did. It toned it down and gave it a beautiful old look.

I've got a lot of ideas swimming around for the next project!