07.02.2024 It's been a minute

It had been my intention to write a blog post every month for 2024, but since that didn't happen there's no time like the present to get caught up.  

Spring in Austin - which was lovely, by the way - is long gone and we are now firmly planted in summer with weeks of 100+ degree days and little rain.  Fortunately, we have air conditioning.

Here's what's been going on...

40+ MPG in my new car

When I last posted, in March, among other things my car (still waiting for repairs from hail the previous September) had just been in a fender bender.  That was the end for my 2019 CRV. I am now the proud owner of a 2024 CRV Hybrid...wasn't planning on replacing my car, but having the hybrid is really nice...

I didn't manage to write anything in April  - which was filled with celestial wonders, visits with friends and celebrations.

Watching the eclipse in Austin

Austin was in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. Lot of folks - including a childhood friend who now lives in Amsterdam - came into town to see it, which meant a wonderful opportunity to visit in person. We spent an afternoon catching up on the past 30 years.

As for the big event, there were a lot of clouds that day, but they parted long enough for us to observe the strange, quiet darkness that occurred when the moon passed directly between the sun and earth.

At the end of the month I celebrated my 61st birthday and attended not one, not two, but three Passover seders (first, second and last nights) more than making up for last year when I missed out entirely because I was recovering from emergency gall bladder surgery.

All of sudden, it was May. I finished up at ACC with a collection of new pendants, including two - a tourmalinated quartz and an opal - set with gold.

Just after my semester finished, we took off for California to watch our daughter receive her PhD in molecular and cell biology from the University of California at Berkeley.  

We had an absolutely wonderful week. 

Having a very proud mama moment

The weather was spectacular, we had friends and family with us, we did some sightseeing, and of course, saw our daughter recognized for years of scholarship and hard work.

We returned home with just enough time to do laundry, clear the desk and fill the fridge before I started summer school at ACC, in June, with my longtime friend and teacher, De Pastel. 

I'm registered - once again - for Jewelry Techniques 1, which is the course I took with Steve Kriechbaum in the spring, but every instructor brings their own flavor to a class, so even with the same curriculum, I am learning new things.

In the first week De took us through a series of basic exercises - with a 2x2 inch square of copper - that demonstrated sawing, soldering, riveting and using the flex shaft.  

It was an amazing set of lessons with a minimal amount of metal.  Even though I've done all of these things before, it was a great refresher before diving back in.  

Designing and prototyping

I made a relatively simple chain last semester, but really wanted to focus on basket settings for faceted stones.

This session I want to work on a larger and more complex chain.  I've been eyeing vintage trombone chains (so called because their long, oval links look like trombone slides) and decided that rather than buy one - I'm going make one in silver and gold.

Given the cost of the metals, De suggested - and I accepted - that I should 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.  

Making the chain has been an incredible learning process - and definitely deserves its own post.  You can check out the progress pictures on my Instagram, and come back in August, for the whole story.

Until next time.

03.14.2024 March Madness

My basket set pendants

Those of you who follow my Instagram account might remember that on Monday I put up this cute photo of my pendants, with the message that internet goblins ate the blog post I had all ready to go for March, 

My CR-V post impact

and THEN later that day I posted THIS photo of my car, after getting hit on the way home from running errands and stated there would be no blog post this month.

Today, after hours on the phone dealing with insurance, I changed my mind and decided I needed to write.

Originally, I had titled the post "A tisket, A tasket" because I was writing about making basket settings, and couldn't figure out how to tie that to basketBALL. I had considered "Slam Dunk" or "Nothing But Net" but those didn't work at all

Then Monday happened, and I decided that this week has, in fact, been madness...so that's the title I'm going to use...and now I will attempt to reconstruct my story about making basket settings for pendants.

I put a fair number of progress pictures up on my IG account, but I thought you might find a narration of the process interesting...so here goes.

An early - and still favorite
bezel set turquoise

I have set a lot of stones along my jewelry making journey, but they have all been bezel set - which means a piece of sheet metal was fitted tightly around a cabochon (flat backed stone) and soldered (or fused) to a backplate (another piece of sheet metal) to create the setting for the pendant.  

Bezel and basket settings use the same materials - sheet metal and wire (they can also be carved in wax and cast in metal) - to create the framework for the pendant, but that's pretty much where the similarity ends.

Beginnings of the basket

As with bezel setting, geometry and order of operations are critical for creating basket settings - maybe even more so.

For a basket setting you do shape the metal to match the shape of the stone - but these stones are faceted on the back - so instead of fitting inside the metal, the stone sits on top of the setting.

Instead of adding pieces to make the setting - as you do with a bezel pendant - you cut metal away to open up the basket.

I started with the turquoise because it's much easier to build a setting - any setting - for a round or oval stone than for one with corners like the tourmaline.

First set of prongs

After forming the sheet metal, and making sure the stone sits properly on top of it, you begin to cut away the center portion of the metal - leaving two thin bands.  

It's important that you only cut halfway around the setting at first, otherwise you will have two completely separate wire-thin pieces and completely eliminated the advantage of fabricating the basket from sheet.

Once the basket is half open, you attach the first set of prongs - which gives your piece stability while you open the other side - and then attach the other set of prongs.

Oops

The process is essentially the same for a square or rectangular stone, but there are corners - and those are tricky.  The base has to have 90 degree angles; to achieve those you create mitered corners by filing into the sheet metal before you bend it, and then you solder the corners to reinforce the metal.

If you file too deep - or get your metal too hot - your box will fall apart and you get to make it again...all part of the learning process.

Using 3rd arms to hold the piece in place

The second attempt at the rectangular setting went better, and faster, than the first...and turned out quite well.  Same process once I had the base constructed - cut out one side, solder carefully, cut out the other side, and finally attach a bail.

When making a pendant, you do need to leave a small piece of solid metal at the top of the basket so you have a place to anchor the bail.

A word about adding the bail.  That went much better on the second pendant as well - and had nothing to do with the shape of the basket.

Ready to polish and set

For the turquoise pendant, I got everything set up and attached the bail using pick soldering (picking up the solder with a special tool and placing it where it will flow and attach pieces together).  That works great, except when it doesn't, and because my solder didn't flow on the back side of the bail, I ended up melting it off and doing it twice.

For the tourmaline, I opted to sweat (melting the solder on to the frame before placing the bail down) solder the pieces together - learning from my mistake - and it went beautifully.

None of these setbacks were particularly frustrating or problematic - they were simply opportunities to learn - which is why I signed up for classes in the first place.  I went back to the bench with a desire not so much to make more of what I had done before, but to challenge myself to make new and different things.

Cookie - keeping me company

ACC is on spring break this week - but I'm excited to go back and fabricate another basket setting, or two, before the end of the semester. One of the truly wonderful things about being a continuing education student is that I can sign up for the same class more than once - so it's my intention to take Jewelry Technique 1 again, and continue to learn from master goldsmith Steve Kriechbaum.

Watch this space - there's definitely more to come!

Until next time.

02.19.2024 Chain, Chain, Chain...

The second class project in my ACC jewelry techniques class involved making jump rings and connecting them together to create a chain.

Jump rings - for the non-jewelry types - are the open rings used to connect components of a piece together.  They are used to make loops for hooks on earrings, as simple bails for hanging a pendant or to attach a clasp to the end of the chain.

Jump rings - off the mandrel - before being sawed apart

I decided I wanted to fabricate a necklace with graduated links.  I sketched my idea in my notebook, then calculated the size - and how many of each - jump rings I would need.

The inspiration for this necklace came from several other pieces - a beautiful string of graduated pearls my Father brought home to me for my 21st birthday, from a trip to Japan; the Pat Areias silver statement chain I bought last summer in Carmel, and a round push lock charm holder from Cari Streeter, one of my favorite jewelers.

I settled on the design, with the push lock in the front, and small double rings to connect the links. Then I made jump rings...a lot of jump rings.

You can buy preformed jump rings (open - with a cut in the ring, or closed) - but where would be the fun (or learning) in that?  

The facilities at ACC are amazing - and they have all the toys - including a jump ring maker.  You wrap a piece of wire around a mandrel, and put the mandrel in a vice with a crank, turn the handle and voila - a stack of jump rings (that look like a spring).  

Laying out the necklace before fusing the rings

Once you have a coil of rings, the next step is to saw through them one at a time, then finish them by aligning the cut edges and making sure they are truly round.

I made the larger ones (30 for the necklace, plus a few extras) and ordered more small, closed ones from Rio Grande, in order to connect them all together. I'll admit to being more than a little pleased that I didn't melt any!

As I started assembling the necklace, I realized that although it would have the push lock in the front, it really wanted a clasp in the back to make it easier to take on and off, especially since I had decided to add some of Cari's wonderful briolette charms to the clasp.

Push lock clasp and briolettes from Cari

Rather than trying to make more rings and create a clasp in back, I ordered a short (16 inch) rolo chain, and used it to finish the necklace.  A case of working smarter not harder, especially because it only took about 4 inches of chain, and it doesn't show on the front. 

I simple cut the chain, preserving the clasp, and soldered it to the end of the necklace.

I'm so pleased with the finished piece!

It's always great when something turns out as planned

It's always wonderful when a design turns out exactly as I envisioned it (and that doesn't always happen - when I first started metalsmithing classes my visions waaaay exceeded my ability - and I have been away from the bench for quite a while).

I'm also delighted to have jewelry projects to write about again - so watch this space, class continues until May - and I'm planning on signing up for another semester in the fall!

Up next - new techniques for stone setting - starting with this fabulous faceted turquoise (then the tourmaline and opal).

I hope you are enjoying following as much as I am writing about my projects.

Until next time.

P.S. A few of you asked if I'm going to be making things for my Etsy shop, and the short answer - at least for a while - is no.  I had three great markets at the end of 2019, and then as we all know - things changed - and one of the most important things that changed for me was the realization that I've had a career, I built a business, and I don't need to do it again.  Maybe after a semester or two, I'll change my mind - but right now the best part of making jewelry is learning, and being free to do it simply for my own enjoyment.

01.26.2024 Back to School

My bench (for the semester) at ACC

Here we are at the end of January (how did that happen already) - and I realized if I want to start the year with the goal of a post a month, I'd better do something about it...

...happily, I am back at then bench - enrolled as a continuing education student in the Jewelry Department at Austin Community College, so I have things to write about!

It's been a long time (nearly 40 years) since I had a "first day of school" for myself...and I was as excited about it as any kindergartener.

I bought school supplies - metal, wire, sandpaper - and packed up my new tote bag and headed out the door early for my first class a couple of weeks ago.

Design sketch for the piercing assignment

Despite having metalsmithing experience, and an Etsy shop, I decided I wanted to start from scratch and enroll in the Jewelry Techniques 1.

At least for a while, I'm back at the bench solely for myself - with no plans to make anything to sell - I simply want the joy of being creative again.

It might be an introductory class, but we wasted no time getting started.  We hit the ground running - actually working with metal - after taking care of a few administrative things.

My Green Lion saw and 24 square inches of silver

To my great delight, our first project involved my very favorite tool, the saw.  Our first assignment was to design a piece (or in my case, pieces) that would need to be cut from sheet with details created by piercing (sawing the metal).  I decided on a pair of monstera leaf earrings.

It felt so good to have my Green Lion back in my hands, and it turns out it is kind of like any other activity that involves muscle memory - the skills come back pretty quickly.

The inspiration for the earrings came from a pair I bought as a souvenir on our honeymoon.  They were very inexpensive, made of brass, and unfortunately - didn't last very long - one of the earwires broke off, and I wasn't able to get them repaired.  Nonetheless, I've kept them as a memento, and was excited about making something to fill that void (especially since we just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary).

Old and new earrings

I arrived for the second day of class ready to get to work, with my template stickers, my saw and a big shiny new sheet of silver.

I got to work, first drilling small holes to get out the interior part of the design, then carefully moving around the metal with my saw until, at the end of class (and my first week) I had the beginnings of a pair of beautiful earrings.

I also lit the torch for the first time - and made earwires.  I had forgotten just how satisfying it is to watch the little ball of silver form in the flame and crawl up the wire.

I've now finished two weeks of class, and my first project - and I could not be more pleased.   

I am back in my happy place, I have a shiny, new pair of earrings - that of course, have a story - and clearly I'm going to have lots of material for future blog posts.

If you're new to following along on my jewelry adventures - welcome - I've missed sharing them.  If you've been here with me a while, either from the before times or during the pandemic - thanks for hanging around.

Until next time.

12.21.2023 That's A Wrap

2022 ended - and 2023 started - on a rough note.  

Watching the Rose Bowl Parade 

Exactly one year ago, our daughter - who lives in Northern California - was on her way to Austin for winter break (her first flight took off, but then everything was cancelled) when she got stranded in Los Angeles for 3 days.

She never actually made it here and ultimately took a train for 12 hours from LA back to the Bay Area.  Making things worse (yeah, they got worse) while hanging out in airports waiting, but failing to fly out, she got Covid.

We did however, manage to continue our New Year's tradition of watching the Rose Bowl Parade together - virtually.

Ice is never a good thing

Despite hoping for the best - things didn't get much better in the first half of the year.

February brought a horrible ice storm to Austin - we lost power (along with everything in the fridge and freezer) for almost a week - followed by Covid for my husband, 

and me...where the virus overstayed its welcome (ok, it was never really welcome).  Despite testing negative after a week or so, I wasn't really feeling much better...turns out I had ongoing inflammation in my organs, which ultimately led to emergency gall bladder surgery in March.

They took my gallbladder
and gave me socks

Did I mention our daughter had just arrived for her spring break when I went into the hospital?  So much for making up for the missed visit in December.

I spent April, May and June - including celebrating my 60th birthday and Mother's Day - recovering, but I am happy to report that as we end this year, I'm doing quite well.

Fortunately, by summer, things started looking up.

4th of July in Bolivar

We had a fabulous 4th of July trip to the Texas coast with some of our dearest friends.  

We relaxed, ate well and recharged for a very busy fall.  

August, September and October were all about coming and going - to the other two coasts!

Earrings from MB Aquarium
Necklace from Pat Areias

We spent a week in California with our daughter (mostly making up for the two botched visits planned for December and March)...and could not have asked for more perfect weather or beautiful surroundings.  

I'm not sure a could pick a "highlight" from that trip - we saw all manner of coastal marine life - both at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and in their natural habitat, hiked through beautiful scenery, ate incredible food and I came home with fabulous souvenirs - surfite earrings and a stunning silver necklace.  

All of this on top of wonderful, relaxed time together.

McLean Chicks Rock

In September and October I made not one, but two trips to see my high school girlfriends.

The first, in September, was back "home" to Northern Virginia, where we all grew up - and many of them still live - to celebrate with one of our classmates as she marked 20 years of her very successful pop up market business, Chicks Picks by Hillary.

The second, in October, was our annual weekend away - this year in Siesta Key, Florida.

Gal Pal Weekend 2023

I'm not really giving away my age (because I mentioned it earlier) when I tell you that I have know most of these amazing women for nearly 50 years...when we are together, we're all teenagers again and pick up right where we left off...mostly, we're all a little wiser now.

As the year wound down, so did we, quietly - at home.

Our Thanksgiving was small - with only our daughter, and no travel for us - again, we ate well, we shopped and squeezed in some visits with friends.

Who are those kids?

In December, we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary...and I'm not sure where the time - this year or since 1993 - has gone.

Through the ups and downs, I'm reminded how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life, and I am looking forward to more adventures and time together.

I'm also returning to the bench in just a few weeks - starting classes at Austin Community College - so I expect to be posting much more jewelry related content.

Thanks for reading along all these years.

Until 2024. 

11.28.2023 Grateful

Woah, oh I want to know,

Out and about in Siesta Key - wearing my Ciao Bella charms

Where does the time go?

- The Grateful Dead

I'm not sure how it got to be the end of November, let alone almost 2024...but here we are.

In October, I spent another wonderful weekend with my girlfriends, some of whom I've known for almost fifty years.  My love, adoration and gratitude for these women is unbounded...and even just a few days with them restores my soul.

It didn't hurt that we were in Siesta Key with gorgeous weather and beautiful surroundings.

We ate, laughed, walked and took yoga on the beach - where the sand is like powdered sugar - and for a weekend I ignored all my adult responsibilities and the outside world.

I know how fortunate I am - to be able to get away, and even more to have not just one but an entire circle of friends who have known me most of my life and love me.

Ciao Bella charms
from Bamboo Jewelry

I didn't buy any jewelry souvenirs on this trip either (you'll recall I came home empty handed from my jaunt to DC) - it wasn't for lack of trying - but I had just scooped up the fabulous silver necklace from Pat Areias in Carmel on our California vacation.  

I'm not sure I can ever top the souvenir from our inaugural trip to St. Thomas a few years ago.  I bought two of the charms when we visited St. John, and ordered a third - the compass rose - as a way to celebrate a post-Covid return to traveling.  Whenever I need that "girlfriend feeling" I wear these charms - I can definitely feel the love, and maybe even the warm Caribbean sun.

I don't use the word gratitude lightly - I do, truly, have a lot to be thankful for - but we all have tough days and on those days I find that reaching for a particular piece of jewelry can make a difference.

Me - and my jewelry - at the Austin Studio Tour

Most of my jewelry represents tangible reminders of the things that make my life good - a person, a place, a joyous event, an accomplishment.  

Jewelry became my creative outlet before Covid, and I've missed it - but I'm happy to report that it's back in my life.  I participated in the East Austin Studio Tour with  the Creative Jewelry Collective -a group of fellow artists from my days at Creative Side, and I'm going back to the bench in 2024.

I've registered for a metalsmithing techniques course in the Jewelry Department at Austin Community College - and I can barely contain my excitement!  

The class doesn't start until January - but given the way time flies, it will be here before we know it.

I'm hoping to squeeze in one more post in December and looking forward to having lots of new things to write about in the future, so stay tuned!

Until next time.

 

10.13.23 Coast to Coast

On September 1, I was in California.

On September 30, I was in DC.

On both coasts, the weather was beautiful - a wonderful respite from the heat we had in Austin all summer - which was not unlike living on the face of the sun.  

In fact, the weather in Austin has been particularly unkind this year.  Not only has the heat killed everything green and made it too hot to do anything outdoors, in between trips there was a hail storm that caused thousands in damage to one of our cars, and totaled the other. 

The windshield in my car has been replaced - there is no ETA from Honda on the body parts.

We bought my husband a new Volkswagen - which he is very happy about - but car shopping is among my least favorite activities ever.

Now you understand why there was no September blog post. 

Photo credit:
Monterey Bay Aquarium

California

After two failed attempts at a good visit with our daughter - the first back in December, when she got stranded in the winter storm and contracted Covid, then in March when she came to Austin, and I ended up having emergency gallbladder surgery - we had an absolutely delightful week on the central California coast.

We started our week at the Monterey Bay Aquarium - which is amazing.  It was all wonderful, but my favorites were the otters, including one named Rosa, who fostered more than a dozen orphaned pups until she "retired".  Now, she spends her days swimming and basking in the sun, and she's adorable.  

We hiked in Point Lobos and Big Sur, visited Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, and walked and shopped through Carmel.

Of course, I had to bring home souvenirs - jewelry and tea towels.

In Monterey, at the aquarium (in their wonderful shop), I found bright, striped surfite earrings and a tea towel with otters.

On the day we spent shopping in Carmel, I walked into Pat Areias' beautiful gallery and immediately spotted the necklace - it was actually two shorter ones - but she graciously customized it for me by putting them together to create a stunning (and adjustable) chain.  

I have put all of these to good use since we returned home - the necklace received numerous complements when I wore it to see Ballet Austin's Hamlet the weekend after we returned. 

McLean Chicks Rock!

DC

Technically, I didn't spend much time in DC - I flew in and out of National Airport - but I had a fabulous whirlwind weekend with my girlfriends in Northern Virginia.

The impetus for the trip was the 20th anniversary of my friend Hillary's pop up boutique - Chick's Picks - which I have been going to since she held it in her home.

If you have followed this blog or my Instagram for any length of time, you will recognize the women is this photo from my posts about high school memories and my trips to St. Thomas USVI and Charlottesville.

You also know I love to post my jewelry jumbles...and they are always displayed in a wonderful tray that I purchased at my first Chick's Picks. This particular jumble contains the pieces I took with me over the weekend.

Ironically, even though it was ostensibly a shopping trip - the only thing I bought was lunch! No souvenirs necessary - it was a much needed, soul restoring, 48 hours with my lifelong friends - which is both memorable and priceless, all on its own.

Happily, I'll be seeing many of them again soon on our annual girls' trip - this time to Siesta Key, FL - which I imagine will be worthy of its own blog post in a few weeks.

Until next time.