Latest Project: Abstract Tree Pendant With Filigree Leaves

Latest project that I'm working on:

Copper and Sterling Silver Pendant with tree and leaves.  I'm making a few cutout leaves
and I'll be adding some filigree to fill in the leaves.

I sweat soldered the leaf and the tree to the copper plate.

If you're looking for a custom made piece, contact me.

See more Jewelry Here.

Never Stop Learning

Don't you just love learning how to do new things?  I enjoy the internet so much for this reason!  It's like having access to unlimited information and techniques at your fingertips.  What I especially enjoy is benefiting from another artisan's experience;  Building on their techniques, applying them and making them my own.

What have you learned lately?  What do you enjoy learning about:  cooking, arts and crafts, home decor...?  Please share in the comment box.  It's fun to see the varying interests of each person.

If you love to learn, you will be captivated by this site that offers online classes in so many categories.  You are sure to find one or two that you really would enjoy.

I decided to try one of them out.  I chose "Painting Trees in Acrylic."  I enjoyed this course so much, I cannot wait to apply what I've learned.  The one thing I loved about the course, is the HD Videos.  Once you purchase the course, you have unlimited access to the videos in your course package; isn't that wonderful?  No need to hurry; just go at your own pace and go back as often as you want... I love it and cannot rave enough about it.

The best thing is, you can even try it for free... isn't that great?  Click here to start your painting class free.

My Photograph Featured in Canadian Magazine

A few years ago, I submitted some Humpback Whale photographs to a contest held by "Our Canada Magazine." I never heard anything about it and figured out that I didn't win, and that was o.k.  I really thought the photographs were worth submitting because of the most awesome display by Humpbacks; a superb double breach!  We were excited to even just see Humpback Tails, we never expected to see what we did.  So, you can understand that even if I didn't win, I was eager to share this shot with someone!

A couple of years later, I received an email from Our Canada's editor explaining that even though I didn't win, they held on to the photographs and knew they wanted to use them in a future issue of the magazine and wanted a small write-up of the day we went whale watching on the Bay of Fundy.  Of course I was thrilled and accepted the terms, and now in the September issue of "Our Canada Magazine" this amazing double breach, the Humpbacks in all their glory, was shared with thousands of readers across Canada!

Love this Rustic Wedding Band!

I just finished a beautiful, 2 mm thick wedding band in solid brass.  The ring has a nice, rustic, brushed texture to it.  I love the way the texture reacts to the light; it's almost like a cut diamond; gorgeous!

Go to my shop to see more rustic wedding rings.  Or get one made especially for you.  

Progress on my Sheryl Crow Earrings

A client walked in my store about a month ago with a magazine in her hand and asked me if I could custom make a pair of earrings that would be similar to those worn by Sheryl Crow on the front cover of Red Book (issue of August, 2010).  Of course, I will not copy the design exactly, because that's just not right, but I will make them in a slightly different size and in .925 sterling silver. 

This is a whole new venture for me.  I usually do wire work, a bit of silver clay and some soldering, but I've never actually worked with silver sheet.  This should be interesting.

I finally got the template of my main earring design transferred onto my .925 sterling silver sheet and I traced out the design and very slowly cut it out with my jeweler's saw. 

This jeweler's saw can be a pain.  The blades are about the size of a couple of strands of hair and they break very easily if you're not careful.  The heat caused by constant friction against the sterling silver sheet causes the blade to get brittle and break.  In order to prevent this I need to constantly lubricate the blade with beeswax. 

Now, I'm getting ready to cutout the center part.  I'll need to transfer my design and drill a small hole in order to enable me to pass my jeweler's blade through it (the jeweler's blade easily comes off  enabling the metalworker to pass the blade through the hole and then attach to your saw).  This is a necessary tool to make cutouts from the center of a piece.

See picture below of my first and second step - It doesn't look too pretty at this point...