02.04.2025 Let Justice Reign

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that America cannot and will not survive...

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Photo credit: Getty Images

Here we are, in February - which is Black History Month - and despite not being a person of color (if you know me, I'm as pale as they come), I believe in celebrating the rich diversity of America, and the myriad of contributions made by Black Americans.  

The celebration was originally established almost 100 years ago as "Negro History Week". Fifty years later, in 1976, President Gerald Ford issued a presidential message establishing February as Black History Month, which has been celebrated by every administration since (until this year, when is being grudgingly acknowledged).

Because this is also ostensibly a jewelry blog - and especially when I started, my goal was to learn and write about the significance of jewelry - this month I want to highlight the amazing cowrie shells worn by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on January 20th.

Photo credit: Getty Images

My first reaction to the photos of Justice Jackson's collar of shells and matching earrings was that it must be a nod to Justice Ginsburg's dissent collar, which she notably wore on the day after the 2016 election. 

Photo credit: NMAAHC

But I began seeing comments on social media about the meaning of cowrie shells in African and African American history.

According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, cowrie shells were valued as currency and for protection in Africa as early as the 14th century.

Robyn Mowatt, writing for Essence, says:

"The saying goes a picture is worth 1,000 words. To the inaugural festivities of President Donald Trump, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was spotted wearing a striking collar with matching earrings...it alludes to the long-established value of cowrie shells in tandem [as a talisman against enslavement] with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s unique position of power." 

Ms. Mowatt also notes that the Justice is the descendant of slaves.

There are numerous Supreme Court Justices among my heroes - Felix Frankfurter, Louis Brandeis, Thurgood Marshall, RBG - if you've spent any time around me (or were, perhaps one of my graduate students) you have heard me talk about all of them.  I'm adding a new name to my list - for her courage, dignity, and commitment to justice for all - Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Photo credit: Amazon

Additionally, if you've been reading the blog for any length of time, you know I have written about the use of jewelry in sartorial commentary by women in power before, including

Madeline Albright - who wrote an entire books about her pins.   

On the inside flap of the book jacket she writes: 

"Before long and without intending it, I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal.  Former President George H.W. Bush had been know for saying 'Read my lips'. I began urging colleagues to 'Read my pins.'"

The Vice President, 
wearing Irene Neuwirth

...and Vice President Kamala Harris (we coulda had her in the White House; it's only been two weeks, think about how much better things would be) - for whom pearls are a statement about being a Black woman, an HBCU graduate, and a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sisterhood.

Since antiquity, jewelry has been created and worn to send a message. 

Especially in these dark and distressing times I understand and appreciate wearing a talisman; I find myself reaching for my pieces of Judaica both to make a statement that I am still here, and for protection against the dangers that come from speaking out.

Until next time.

01.23.2025 Do Not Let them Steal Your Joy

This is precisely the time when artists go to work.
There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear.
We speak, we write, we do language.
That is how civilizations heal.
I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, 
it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence.

-- Toni Morrison

Engraving bench at ACC

Three days into this new, hate filled administration in the White House, I went back to the jewelry department at ACC to start my metal engraving class. I left that first session feeling better than I have in weeks.  No amount of medication can match the surge of serotonin that comes from seeing my people and sitting at the bench.

When I got home, sitting at my kitchen table eating lunch, I remembered Toni Morrison's quote (above) about the importance of art...so I looked it up, again.

Our world is certainly bruised and bleeding. The people at the helm of our federal government are evil and full of darkness; but Ms. Morrison implores us to go to work, to create, to bring joy and light into our lives and into the world.

Being part of a creative community - engaging with fellow metalsmiths - is like plugging into a big battery. The world at large was no better at noon, when I came out of that first class, than it was when I first went in; but I was better. It was in that moment I realized how important it will be for each of us to have the things, even small things, that bring us light and hope as we find our way through what will be a very difficult and troubled time.

These oligarchs, these white men with more money than they can ever hope to spend, who can buy anything have no joy...and they want to steal ours.  

We will not let them.

Photo credit: Viasomatic

Part of the work, to protect and take care of those around us, is to take care of ourselves.  

I certainly don't have answers, but I do have suggestions.

Find a creative outlet - I love my classes, but I know not everyone has the same interests - or resources. Still, you can find something that speaks to you and that provides you with an escape from avalanche of headlines.

Put down the phone. Step away from the computer. Take a walk outside, try a new recipe, get a sketch pad or a coloring book...as long as you are doing it for yourself, and it brings a smile to your face.

My grandmother's engraved signet ring

Engage with your community - I hope you have folks who support and energize you in your local orbit, but not everyone does. As I said in a previous post, I'm not ready to give up on social media because it represents real and meaningful connections to people despite the virtual space. 

Try not become overwhelmed - my grandmother liked to say "no one eats an apple in one bite". Do what you can do, for yourself and for others, and know that it is enough.

The writer and activist, Rebecca Solnit, posted this recently...

You don't need to be the whole wall against fascism yourself;
you can just be a brick and if you can't be a brick,
you can be a dab of mortar
because there are millions of people ready to be bricks if they believe bricks are enough
or mortar if they get that just being mortar holds it all together.

Hold on to your joy, do not let them steal it, and know that we will get through this together.

Until next time.

 

01.20.2025 A Decade in the Making

MLK Jr Memorial - Washington, DC

Happy New Year!   

I had hoped to be out and involved in some kind of service project on this MLK Day, but it's just too cold (yes, I am a total wimp about the cold, but I live in Texas and I didn't sign up for this). I'm not about to turn on the television or look at my phone - so I'm putting up a blog post instead.

In smaller, but notable news...this marks my tenth year as a blogger! When I started this blog in January 2015, I planned to write about jewelry - and I have - but in the years since a lot has happened, and I've written about (and will continue to) other things, too.

Refreshing your memory - in January 2015, 

- Barack Obama was in his second term as President of the United States,
- the price of a dozen eggs was roughly $2.50,
- price of silver was less than $14 per troy ounce, and gold was roughly $1,100 per troy ounce,
- our daughter was a college freshman, my husband and I were in our 50s, I still had a consulting firm,
- Instagram was limited to photos and 15 second videos (there were no stories),
- most of us had never heard of a corona virus or an mRNA vaccine.

Today, things are a little different...

World's Proudest Parents and the Dr.

- a man (whose name I will not use), convicted on 34 felony counts, is returning to the White House.  I think he decided to move things inside NOT because of the cold, but because he was worried about a small crowd. I wish this was all a bad dream, but it is a stark, sad reality - and I am worried about our democracy.
- the price of eggs is almost $6 per dozen,
- the price of silver is almost $32 per troy ounce, gold is over $2,700 per troy ounce (this is why jewelry is so much more expensive),
- our daughter has a PhD in biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a research scientist at UC San Francisco studying viruses.  We are older, Dad is still working, I'm retired,

- Twitter is now X, Facebook and Instagram are both owned by Meta (I've got some things to say about that, scroll down),

- Covid changed all of our lives, and now we're watching and waiting on H5N1 bird flu.

My original MOO card

This is my 257th blog post - that's a lot of words - and I'm continually surprised at how many of you read them.  I will probably keep writing these things, not because I expect them to be read, but because they are a way to exercise, and often, clear my mind.

Much like taking metalsmithing classes to make - and then sell - jewelry, the blog started as a means to an end; to put myself out in the world in a new way.  Then Covid came along and shut that down. 

Post pandemic, jewelry classes and the blog have become ends in themselves.  I'm learning new things, but not making that many new pieces.  I'm thinking, writing and connecting, but in a very different way.

Which brings me to social media which is - legitimately - taking a beating right now.  Social media and the ability to connect online was a godsend during the pandemic.  It was a way to engage with like minded people when in person contact simply wasn't an option. One of the best parts about coming through the other side of that experience has been the opportunity to connect in real life with people I got to know through their presence on Instagram.

Instagram's parent company, Meta, has made some announcements since the election that are indeed, troubling.  But, it's important to remember that Meta (and its predecessor companies) have never been there FOR US - although that's what they want us to believe.  Without users, there is no Metaverse...they are a parasite that cannot live without a host...but the relationship still has some potential benefits to us.

I understand why some people are considering leaving, or at least reducing their use of social media (I left Twitter because it lost all value for me, and I've never had a TikTok account), but do we really want to abandon it altogether?

I saw a post (on social media - I wish I'd saved it so I could give credit) that asked what if the powers behind Facebook and Meta are trying to drive open minded people OFF the platform? What if they are actively trying to destroy the communities we have created because they are afraid of our power.

I put up a series of Instagram stories (you can find them all in my highlights) asking these questions - and a fair number of people responded saying they were thinking the same thing.  

Even before the election, I tried to be thoughtful.  I did my own fact checking (everyone should have Snopes bookmarked).  I blocked suspicious accounts and scrolled past ads without clicking. Post-election I've used the block option even more, and unfollowed people whose values are not in line with my own, even when I had previously enjoyed their content.

As I said in my stories, social media is a tool - and like any tool - can be used for good or for harm.  Our voices matter, our ability to share information and build community matters.  There are other platforms, and I follow content creators in multiple places - but some, like Substack (which has its own problems) aren't always free to access. 

Instagram isn't free - we see ads, the app harvests our information - but it is accessible without a financial commitment that not everyone can afford.  For me, for now, the good - promoting small and women owned businesses, sharing useful (and properly vetted) information as well as discrediting misinformation, and learning from others - makes it worth staying.

Food for thought - and I welcome your response.  Leave a comment here, or on Instagram.

Until next time.

12.23.24 Time of Inconvenience

Tea towel from Time Capsule Designs

We're living in the age of communication

Where the only voices heard have money in their hands

Where greed has become a sophistication

And if you ain't got money

You ain't got nothin' in this land

An' here I am one lonely woman

On these mean streets

Where the right to life man has become my enemy

-- Nanci Griffith, Time of Inconvenience (1994)

I've been listening to Nanci Griffith a lot in the past few weeks.  I find her thirty year old songs have a very current resonance (or maybe I'm just old).  

After returning to the blog this summer I thought I was back on the wagon...but I couldn't write anything in November, I just didn't have it in me.  The election was devasting - both nationally, and here in Texas.  I'm still trying to figure out in what world Ted Cruz beats in Colin Allred...apparently, the one we live in.

The earrings that were
my first project last year

I had a lot more hope this time last year than I do right now, but I'm trying to be optimistic...and part of that includes looking back on the really good things that happened for me in 2024.

In January I went back to jewelry classes at ACC - and it was amazing.  I knew I had missed being creative, I just didn't know how much.  It was wonderful to work in a community setting, to see old friends and make new ones, and to be actively engaged in learning.  I can't wait to start again in in a few weeks - I'll be taking metal engraving for the first semester of 2025.

In February we went to DC to spend time with friends and family - a trip we make every year to celebrate the birthday of my favorite (and only) great niece - we're already booked for the weekend of her party in a couple of months, she'll be 6.

With Mary and Mrs. K

It's always a jam packed few days - this past year we were able to squeeze in a visit with one of my best childhood friends and her mom.  I'm so glad we did - it turned out to be my last visit with Mrs. K - in the home where I spent so much time, and have so many wonderful memories.

March marked a full year since my gallbladder surgery. I have made a complete recovery - something that would not have been possible without so much support from the people around me - my wonderful family, incredible medical staff and my friends.

One of those friends in particular, Abby, was there for pretty much the whole gallbladder saga. She comes to Austin every March for SXSW, and I had just seen her in 2023 before I ended up in the hospital.

I couldn't exercise - even gentle yoga - for quite some time after the surgery; but in lieu of our usual practice Abby helped me with guided meditation through my convalescence.  This year there were no surprises - before or after her trip to Austin - and we were able to see each other twice during her brief stay.  Bonus - she was back for a quick visit and we attended an amazing yoga workshop together just a couple of weeks ago.

Things are always busy around here in the spring, but this year saw a massive influx of visitors in April because Central Texas was in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.

While people came in from all over the world - including a childhood friend of mine who now lives in Amsterdam (it was really fun to see her) - we opted to watch from the end of our driveway.

The absolute peak of our year came in May.

Dr. Hood, and her very proud parents

There is nothing like the joy and pride that comes with watching someone you love achieve their goals...especially if that someone is your child.

In May, our daughter graduated from UC Berkeley with her PhD in molecular and cell biology.  Not only were we there, but her village showed up for her.  We were joined by family and friends from near and far to watch her receive her hood - my only regret is that my parents, especially my father - couldn't be there with us.

Graduation ring from Estudio Zanny

While graduation was the highlight of the week, we did some fun tourist things, too.  The weather was beautiful, we visited both the University of California and City of Berkeley botanical gardens (if you've been here a minute you know I love flowers as much as jewelry).  

We laughed, we cried (well, I did) and we ate wonderful food.  Like her brother's wedding a couple of years ago, it filled my heart. She got a ring, too - but I didn't make it.  Cal's colors are blue and gold so we gave her a beautiful sapphire from my dear friend Zanny Cox.

Simple round link chain

Once we got home I was back at ACC in summer school for June and July, and focused on one big project - making a mixed metal trombone link chain.

Making chain was a new skill for me.  I had made a simple link chain with various sized jump rings during my first semester, and enjoyed the process. 

 

I'd been looking at vintage trombone chains for some time, but hadn't seen what I wanted at a price I was willing to pay, so I asked my friend and teacher De if I could focus on that during our short semester.

Trombone chain and t-bar

Her response was both positive and enthusiastic - and my idea lined up well with a class project.  The first thing she suggested was that I prototype the idea in copper - so that I could work through the design and to determine how much metal, especially gold, I would need to order.

I learned so much making this piece, and it has become a staple in my jewelry wardrobe. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see this chain showing up regularly - sometimes on it's own, or with the t-bar or charms attached.

Not quite as big an accomplishment as a PhD, but I'm pretty proud of the metalsmithing I did.

Navajo pearls from Santa Fe

In August my husband and I did something that we had not done in a very, very long time...we took a vacation by ourselves...not a family trip, not an add on to someplace one of us was going already. A real vacation, and we had so much fun just the two of us that we're going to do it again in 2025!

We drove to Santa Fe and had a wonderful week - just being together and enjoying everything! The skies and scenery were amazing.  The museums - incredible - so was the food, the art and of course, the jewelry.  I came home with some lovely souvenirs.

Twisting steel to make a tool

In September - for the first time in more than 30 years - I was the only one in the family going back to school. Our daughter, PhD in hand, started a postdoc position...and I was signed up to learn a completely new skill - stone setting.  It was a great class - not only was a going to learn new jewelry skills, but I had the opportunity to make my own steel setting tool.

I had fun and it made me a better jeweler - but the most important thing I learned is if I want something set with small stones, I will pay someone else to do it.

At Wellfleet Oysterfest

The calendar may have said fall, but the temperatures continued to say SUMMER into October.  Fortunately, I was able to escape to Cape Cod with my girlfriends.  The weather was gorgeous and the company - well - these women have been my friends for the better part of 50 years, and they are my ride or die.

I know from people I talk to that our friendship is a rare and beautiful thing.  

We grew up together - then for the better part of 30 years we were scattered - only seeing each other occasionally, and rarely all together.  Late in 2021, as we were able to get vaccinated and beginning to come out of our Covid holes, we reconnected as a group...it was though all that time just evaporated...and we've been getting the band back together once a year ever since.

in the sound booth

As I did with the blog, I'm just gonna skip November...

Despite no longer having a dancer in the house, it's not December without Nutcracker.  Once again I had the pleasure of visiting the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a docent for Ballet Austin, and then being in the sound booth to do the descriptive narration when the students attended the performance.

It always brings me joy to end the year with my Ballet Austin family.  I started as a docent more than 20 years ago, and I love being a part of the production even though I'm no longer a Nutcracker parent.

I've never been more grateful for "my people" than I am today. If you are reading this, you are a part of that community (pretty sure the only folks who read my blog see the notices on Instagram or Facebook) - and I am glad that you are here.

I have no doubt that the next four years are going to be difficult - but we will get through them the same way we did before - by showing up with and for each other.

Until next time.

10.07.2024 Let's Do the Twist

Twisting steel with help from Russ

I can't believe we are already at the halfway point for the fall semester at ACC. I'm taking stone setting, and for the first time in almost a decade of jewelry classes, I'm not actually making finished pieces*.

Yep, you read that right.  This class is all about learning new techniques -  it is one of the most challenging courses I've ever taken (jewelry or otherwise) - and I couldn't be happier about it.

We are making things - just not the kinds of pieces I've made in the past.  For starters, we're working with different materials.  First up - steel.

We began the semester by making a setting tool to burnish flush set stones.  Each of us were given a piece of quarter inch (square) steel, six inches long, that we twisted and then ground to points on each end.

My finished setting tool

With the help of instructors and classmates, we placed the steel in a vice, heated it until it was red hot, then twisted it to make a pattern.  More important that making the tool pretty, it creates groves that make it easier to grip when trying to move metal around a flush set stone.

After the twisting, we used a belt sander to grind down the both ends - one to a sharp point, one to a more rounded point - and then finished on the deburring wheel.  We each ended up with a fabulous tool - and while it may not be jewelry, I think it's very pretty.

Flush set CZs in brass

The purpose of this lovely little rod is to be able to push down metal around a stone to hold it in place in a flush setting.  We did our practice settings in brass, so we need a tool that was hard enough to move another metal.

After doing the flush settings in brass, we moved on to bronze - because it has a hardness close to gold (and at over $2,600 per ounce...well, we aren't going to work in that).

Four prong settings - CZs in bronze

When I first started metalsmithing - in 2015 - I imagined it would be fun...but I had absolutely no idea how essential it would become to maintaining my mental and physical health.

Initially, it filled an empty space in my life - after decades of being a full time mom.  

Then, it became a place where I could be creative, and I found a community.  

During Covid I realized how much I missed both the creative work and the people. Now that I am back at the bench - especially as a student - I realize how much happier I am when I'm making and learning in a shared space.

As for my physical health...at 61 I have outlived my Mom.  My Dad lived into his 70s, but by his early 60s he was already beginning to show the signs of Parkinson's Disease that would slow him down until, at the end of his life, he really wasn't doing much living.

Parkinson's is hereditary - there's no diagnostic test, and there's no cure - but there are ways to potentially delay its onset including keeping both your brain and body active.  Taking jewelry classes is a big part of that.  In addition to my regular yoga practice and walking, jewelry class makes me use my hands and maintain my fine motor skills, and it absolutely helps me build new neural pathways.

So, I might not be making more shiny things in this class - but I am definitely working on being around and healthy to wear all the things I have.

Until next time.

GOLD! Watch for some new things.

*De, our instructor, did tell us it would be a good idea to have a personal project or two, because we will get frustrated and need to turn our attention to something else occassionally...so despite the price, I've purchased some gold so that I can take advantage of both the bench time and her knowledge.  Stay tuned!

09.09.2024 Get Your Kicks on Route 66

Last month my husband and I went to Santa Fe...it was very different from the other trips I've written about over the years in a couple of significant ways...

Outside our room at the El Rey

- we drove - we almost always fly (generally because we are going to one coast or the other),

- it was just the two of us (usually I'm playing travel agent and cruise director),

and (not that I don't love seeing my family and friends) it was absolutely delightful!

We stayed at the El Rey Court, located on historic Route 66; it was a lot of fun...they had a nice pool, great pop up dining and tolerated us old folks hanging out among the hipsters.

We were there for a week, which gave us plenty of time to visit museums, walk around the Plaza and on Canyon Road, eat lots of wonderful food - and of course - shop for jewelry.  No surprise, I came home with a number of wonderful souvenirs (since this is ostensibly a jewelry blog, I'm going to write about those).

Navajo pearls from Malouf on the Plaza

I knew I would be able to find lots of silver - which made me very happy because I'm a white metals gal - and I had two items on my souvenir wish list: Navajo pearls and a spiny oyster pendant.

I started on the Plaza, where there are two famous jewelry stores and one of them - Malouf's - is where I found my Navajo pearls.

Navajo pearls are not that hard to find - but they are often large and heavy - and I was looking for a smaller (preferably) graduated strand.  Mitzi at Malouf's was wonderful and quickly put her hands on exactly what I was looking for.

The strand is just over 20 inches long, and the perfect length and size for layering.

While walking around the Plaza I also found a lovely shop with stones and vintage jewelry, and acquired a composite oval (which will become a pendant) and a sweet pair of vintage squash blossoms that I've turned into earrings.

The other two finished pieces I brought home came from artist vendors at the Railyard (also home to a fabulous farmer's market - although I didn't buy anything perishable).

The artists actually outnumbered the produce vendors - I had an absolutely wonderful time walking through all the booths and talking to the jewelers.

I  found the spiny oyster pendant first. 

PM Walsh spiny oyster pendant

I was looking for this particular stone because I have several pairs of earrings - including this pair (a souvenir from a previous trip, acquired at Santa Fe on the Strand in Galveston) but I wasn't wearing them very often.

Pablo Walsh had a gorgeous display of both cast and fabricated pieces - including an array of heart pendants - for which I have a soft spot. We had a delightful conversation about his work (he spent time working in Dallas in fine jewelry), the difference between Texas and New Mexico, the the joy of making.

Kathy Burhans chain

I wore the pearls and pendant layered while we were in Santa Fe, and once we got home, I was even more delighted to see how well both pieces work with the earrings!

The second market purchase (I guess you could say even without produce, I had a good #MarketHaul) was a beautiful chain featuring alternating oval and twisted barbell links, finished with patina.

After completing my trombone link chain, I've developed an eye for interesting chain - and this one was just to good to pass up (I spent some time talking to Kathy Burhans, the metalsmith, walked away, then went back to buy it.)

We did much more than shop - but I always love to highlight makers I meet when we travel. I'm now following them on social media and hope you will, too.  Although we covered a lot of ground, there are many things we didn't get to in a week, and we're already talking about a return trip.

Last, but not least - we did pull over at a Texas stop sign, because (to quote my father) "it's not a road trip without a Blizzard."

Until next time.

08.12.2024 T is for...

The chain - with my Mom's gold hoops

Trombone (links) and t-bars.

I finished my summer classes at ACC the end of July, and the promptly went on vacation (more about that another time) - but in my catch up last month I promised a full post about making the chain, so here it is.

You might recall that when I wrote about this chain, I mentioned I had been eyeing vintage trombone chains (so called because their long, oval links look like trombone slides) for some time.  

They are expensive - and what I really wanted (and had not found) - was one that was primarily silver.

With almost an entire semester in front of me, and experience making a simpler chain in my spring semester class I decided that this was going to be my focus for the summer session. 

Prototyping in copper

Given the cost of the metals (the gold for 15 small links was over $500) my instructor encouraged me to make a prototype in copper before placing any orders.  I did, and that process helped me determine not only how much metal to buy, but also what size wire to use for the links.  

I definitely wanted a substantial chain, but not so heavy that I couldn't wear it comfortably.  I settled on 12 gauge wire for the large oval links, and 14 gauge wire for the small round links (in both silver and gold).

Having determined how long I wanted my chain and how much wire I would need, I placed my order and got to work.

Side note: wire gauges are standardized based on the amount of electrical current they can carry - and they date back to the 19th century.  Both gold and silver wire CAN conduct current, but because of their relative value, they are not generally used.  Most modern electrical wiring is copper, but all wiring - whether or not it is used for jewelry - follows the same gauge measurements.

Six feet of wire, reduced to links

It takes a lot of wire to make chain.  

I ordered a little over six feet of wire (five feet of silver and just over a foot of gold) in order to make a 20 inch necklace.  I formed the oval rings using pliers, and the circular ones on a jump ring maker (yay for all the toys in the ACC Jewelry Department).

Each circular ring used about an inch of wire, and the oval rings took just over two inches.

Once the links were formed and shaped, they needed to be soldered.

In the tumbler to polish

The silver ovals and gold circles were all soldered closed, and then I connected the links - one at a time - by soldering the silver circles between the oval and gold links.  Getting all the links connected was an accomplishment, but I was by no means close to finished.

There was a lot of clean up to do - extra solder had to be sanded off each joint (there are a total of 60 solder joints in the chain).  Sanding was followed by additional pre-polishing and finally, after the chain was assembled - including the clasps - it went into the tumbler.

The second part of the project was making a t-bar.  I styled my chain after vintage watch chains - with swivel clasps on each end - which often had t-bars to hold the pocket watch chain in a buttonhole.

T-bar components - unassembled

My classmates were making a toggle clasp for a bracelet -  I modified the assignment to make a larger toggle to hang pendant style from my chain.  

Throughout the semester, our instructor had been saying that all the skills we were building would be required - and tested - in the making of the toggle.  She was not wrong.  

Even with a substantial amount of soldering experience, making the t-bar was a challenge!

Fabricating the t-bar required fitting small jump rings on the center of the bar, and soldering all the pieces together to create a long barbell with a center bail.

The chain and t-bar

With a little help - and quite of bit of patience - I completed the t-bar as well as the chain and I'm really enjoying wearing it.  

I'll be going back to class in a few weeks, and for the first time since I started taking classes (almost 10 years ago) the goal won't be to actually make anything.  Instead, I'm going to be taking stone setting which involves learned to take pre-cast settings and modify them to accommodate faceted stones.

After two semesters of fabrication review I'm ready to focus on learning something completely new.

I'll still have access to the benches and all the wonderful tools at ACC, so I imagine I will continue to make things for myself (and maybe others) - but I won't be adding to my jewelry collection in quite the same way.  I will, however, continue to post and write about what I'm learning.

Between now and a stone setting post, I'll be sharing our recent vacation in Santa Fe.

Until next time.