New Pendants and Some Fun

Yesterday I spent a few hours in the workshop making up a few new pendants. I had one final (for now) jigsaw puzzle pattern to try out as well as a new heart and star. I of course went with my hammered finish but for the heart I didn't think it would suit so I gave it a nice high shine polish instead. I'm glad I did. I think it suits the piece much better.

Later on I spent some time with my two little cousins making bracelets. They really need no help with this at all now. I cut the elastic and tie the knot thats all they want me to do. They both love to lay out the beads and play around with the order the want to put them in before stringing them which is fantastic to see them at 5 and 6 doing.






I think I will be stocking up their bead box for their birthdays next week. The box they have has suddenly gotten very empty and I'm afraid they will start "shopping" in my bead stash.

Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Pendants

Today I tried out some pieces I had been wanting to make for a while. I had these sketches in my book for a while and finally got around to making them. I made three different pieces in Aluminium, Copper and Brass. I'm really happy with how they turned out. Again I've used my hammer finish which seems to be my signature finish at this point. I may as well just embrace it. I have a few more patterns I want to try out now as well so I you may be seeing them soon. 

Rain Cloud Pendant

I recently picked up the April issue of Make & Sell Jewellery Magazine and there was a feature called "Make a statement with Weather Motifs" which included a tutorial on making acetate rain cloud earrings. Being me and having to use a bit of metal and change things just a little bit I used aluminium and a few extra beads along with a bit of chain to make mine. I also made it a pendant instead of earrings. 

I'm really happy with how it has turned out and will be wearing it very soon I can imagine. I have a few more ideas to play around with the theme so hopefully I will have a few more pictures to share soon. 

This Week In The Workshop

I've spent more time designing pieces this week than actually making anything so I don't have a lot to show. I do have a new pendant and bracelet that I worked on this week though so it wasn't a wasted week.



The bracelet I made using a mixed packet of pastel coloured glass pearls I got last year from Beads Unlimited. I loved all the colours in the mixed pack and wanted to use them together. I used a four strand slide clasp to finish it off. Its a very summery bracelet I think.






I also made a pendant using aluminium and copper (again) and yet again a hammered finish. I'm not finished using a hammered finish just yet but I'm sure I will get sick of it at some point soon. I like the option of this piece of being able to wear it with both pieces or each on their own.

Some New Pieces From The Workshop

I cut out a butterfly and heart pendant on Monday and today I got back to the workshop to finish them both. They are both made from copper sheet and finished with a high polish and then a hammered finish. I had wanted to make a butterfly for a while but kept putting it off when I had other things I wanted to make. I'm really glad I got back to make it now because it turned out better than I thought it would. The heart is a plain and simple heart shaped piece but has a lovely pattern with the hammered finish. Again I love a hammered finish and I'm using it a lot at the moment, I'm sure I will move on from it at some point but right now I really think it is suiting the pieces I am making. They are plain pieces and the hammered finish just adds that little extra.

 I then decided to make another heart shaped piece. (It must be all the valentines related things I'm seeing online at the moment.) I made an aluminium heart and a copper heart outline of the exact same size. They are only connected with the jump ring so they move about independently of each other. I really love this piece and for once I'm also really happy with how the pictures turned out, I think they show it off really well.

Copper Flower Pendant and Cross

So far this week I have made two pieces in the workshop. The first piece is a cross pendant made using Aluminium and Copper. I used a high shine polish and hammered finish. The Aluminium cross to the back is curved and the copper cross is flat. I liked the way they sat using this method.  I love mixing copper and silver coloured metals together so I love the look of this pendant.

The second piece Ive made this week is a copper flower pendant. It is a project featured in the February issue of Beads and Beyond magazine to be made from silver sheet. I made the flower pendant in copper instead and also used a hammered finish. I also added a drill hole to take a jump ring to suspend the chain. The project is called Daisy Daisy by Joanne Tinley. Thank you Joanne I loved trying this piece. Im going to have a go at the smaller flower tomorrow.

Today in The Workshop

I spent all evening wanting to get into the workshop yesterday to try out a few ideas I had so this morning I started and got two of the ideas running around in my head done. I am actually pretty happy with how they have turned out. As I'm still only getting used to my tools and being back at the bench Im expecting a few problems but until today I still hadn't broken a single saw blade (which is amazing for me I used to go through so many). I know I have to work a bit on my polishing still as I was used to using a huge polishing machine and doing it with a dremel is very different. But I'm getting there.

The first piece I made was a horseshoe. Its basic and simple but gave me a challenge with the saw to see how I would get on. The major problem I came across here is I drew the horseshoe freehand which looked ok until I had it cut out. I kept the lines pretty well but my drawing was a tad bit off but what horseshoe is perfectly symetrical? This piece is made of aluminium.

The second piece I made is actually made up of two different pendants both musical notes one in aluminium and one in copper. I love the look of aluminium (or silver) and copper together so this gave me  chance to make something using both. I love how it turned out. I love this piece now so I'm going to stick to the theme and try a few more pieces this week. As soon as it was finished I had so many ideas.

I am currently using aluminium instead of silver for the cost aspect. As these are just practice pieces and I'm just playing around in the workshop trying to find my style again it seems like the most cost effective thing to do. The last thing I need is to be worrying about having too much unusable scrap silver lying around. My next purchase will be some melting equipment so I will be able to reuse the scrap metal when I need it but right now I don't have this option.

First Piece From My Workshop

So yesterday I made my first piece at my new bench wanting to just get used to my saw again. I used my saw and new little drill and polishing sticks and have to get used to the polishing sticks a bit more as they are very new to me. When I was training I used a bit polishing machine so doing it by hand is going to take some getting used to. The drill is hand operated and again Im used to a power drill but this one I got is simple and easy to use so takes no getting used to.

I had thought I would have problems with the saw (it has been 6 years after all) but really its taken no time at all I havent even broken a single saw blade which I was always doing when I used it all day every day so Im pretty happy about that.

The piece I made is simple and it has a few little issues (I drew the heart freehand and Im not great with getting a heart to be simetrical) but all in all Im happy with how it turned out. I havent decided weather or not to use this as the center piece in a bracelet or just add a simple bit of chain to each side as a pendant. It measures 3 cm x 1 cm and is made from aluminium. Either way I know I will wear it.

I was up very early this morning and back out in the workshop by 8am and spent most of the day working on an other piece that required a lot more piercing so as I can test where I am at skill wise now. The piece Im making is something that wouldnt have taken much time when I left off 6 years ago but is taking a lot more at the moment but Im happy with were its going. Still no broken blade in my saw so thats a plus. I have a market day tomorrow so I wont get to work on it but I should have some photos of it in a bit better condition during the week.

New Tools

I said in my last post how I was getting back to working at the bench with my tools and metal. Well Im closer to my goal. I ordered some new tools and sheet metal from Cookson Gold and it arrived exactly 24 hours after I places my order. Im not very used to things arriving so quickly so Im really happy.

I spent a long time training with some fantastic jewellers a few years back who thought me a lot and its always been the goal to get back to working this way and keeping the beaded work as a hobby as it has always been. (Not that working at the bench is like work either really haha.) I have spent a lot of time building a workshop and gathering tools when money allowed and I have just about what I need to get going. Im starting basic and realising how many tools I had access to in the workshops I trained in. Hopefully one day as I go along I can build up my tools and have some fancy equiptment. But for now what I have will just have to do.

I ordered a new mallet and saw (I now have a few different types) along with saw blades, Beeswax, A hand drill and drill bits, and the best part: Aluminium, Copper and Brass Sheet. As its been a while I wan to practice again on a cheaper metal than silver but I also like aluminium. Its light weight and a good price so I think I will be sticking with it for a while.

Cant wait to place my next order with Cooksons. I need to get some polishing materials next.

There is nothing like getting new tools