Modern Relics in a Modern Era - One Way I'm Handling the Rise of Silver

For several years I've had 4 bronze pieces sitting on my desk. They have been waiting, patiently for me to set them in silver as I've done before with my Modern Relics series. They've waited while I've been consumed with making less expensive pieces, always getting pushed to the back corner. This year I was determined to make them into jewelry, into the pendants they were meant to become...and then the cost of silver began to rise...and rise...and RISE. And with it, my interest in creating settings for these pendants, diminished. I had already rolled out the textured backsheets in PMC but I didn't want to spend the silver - or the time to make them into settings. Then it hit me! These pieces are not fragile turquoise, or shell or other thing in need of protection. They're solid bronze and they're STRONG. They don't need sides! (I wouldn't want them to be pendants by themselves because I wouldn't want them to turn people's skin green.)

So I decided to rivet the silver backs onto the bronze. I LOVE riveting and it was easy to drill the bronze. I even drilled large holes for tube rivets so I could use sterling jumprings for bails. The riveting was easy cause you can smack that bronze with a hammer no problem!

I love the way they look and feel and I like having the sides exposed because they are cool and cracked and craggy.

Now they're actually reversible (although I still warn about wearing bronze against moist skin).

With the rise of silver I began to have a mid-jewelry-life crisis. But the first thing I did was cash in 10 years of saved scrap. This was a lot of scrap and it yielded a lot of credit at Rio Grande. Enough to get a kiln, a Flex shaft and drill press, a torch and some tools. Enough to start MY OWN STUDIO! Now it was a scary idea to start my own studio when I was worried if I could afford to keep working with silver but then I thought about my work and the materials I use. I work with copper, brass, bronze, found objects, fabric, shells, stones, leather and feathers. I use silver with most designs but as accents, as embellishments.

So I'm not about to stop making jewelry, just to start making jewelry a little differently, with a little more focus on the other stuff. In April, these pieces were the first ones I created with my new tools and it was very exciting stuff.

My mentor Celie wrote a great blog on her way of dealing with the price of silver, check it out HERE. Now that I have my own kiln and now that I love these new Modern Relics, I will be working with more BronzClay and I'm really looking forward to that. Silver has been down in recent weeks too, maybe it will keep going down, but it's good to know that you can let creativity overcome anxiety, that you can adapt.

Spring is springing!

This is my favorite time of year.  The snow is receding, revealing new ground every day. Buds are emerging, birds are chirping, the days are longer, my world is habitable again and I can be outside in it.  

I've been working in copper clay.  Here are a couple of pairs of earrings made with it, the color is so rich, I'm calling it 'Rusty Rose'.  Just perfect for spring!
I'm also taking some of my Modern Relics pieces in a new direction, hiding herkimer diamonds in their open spaces. The herkimers move around, adding noise and flickers of light. These are just the first two rings of the series...

I would write more but I have to go out and enjoy this beautiful day. Happy Saturday! Happy Spring

New Bronze pieces in my Etsy Shop

The Women's Festival of Crafts was great.  I made soooooo much work to get ready for that show and now I'm able to put some stuff in my Etsy shop.  I added about 20 pieces today.  I can't believe it's December now.  Sheesh.  No time to rest, gotta get ready for my Trunk Show at Sweet Lady Jane on Dec 13th.  More on that soon...

Modern Relics come alive

Been a while since I last posted, I've been busy making these!  

Blue Buddha pendant (well, blue/green).  Bronze set in Silver, with silver beads and Peruvian Opal.

The back features the 8 auspicious symbols of Buddhism.
Unearthed Ring (aka Bronze Knuckles).  Bronze set in silver spanning two ring bands.
On my hand.
Patched Tablet Ring.  Bronze set in silver.
Fern Fossil Pendant. The bronze came out with a beautiful rainbow of patina.  I polished up the surface and this fall leaf 'emerged'.
It is set in silver and it is reversible.
Round Fern Fossil Pendant.  Love that patina!
Back.

New work on Etsy

I'm sort of catching up a little bit... maybe not.  I did make a lot of new pieces and add them to my Etsy shop.  This ring is part of my new line of bronze and silver called "Modern Relics"  It features a subtle spiral that looks like an ancient, unearthed treasure.  The bronze has a slight green patina.  I'm all about setting weird and wonderful things and it's so great to be able to make the piece that I set.

Here's some more set pieces.  Most of my pendants are reversible and if not, a lot of care has been put into the design on the back.  They're all very unique and have a very organic feel.  

Sometimes I go outside.  The other day was pretty magical.  I could spy showers in the distance leaking out of the sky.  A bit later I felt the sun come in my window while it was raining.  I knew there must be a rainbow out there so I ran out with my camera and there it was...Back to work...

Saturday was another lovely day at the Artist Market.  I managed to finish lots of new earrings, including several pairs using the Bronze Clay.  I tried out a few of my silver designs and they transfer really well to bronze.  They are much harder to hammer but the result is a very light earring, even lighter than the silver, which means I can go even bigger with my designs!  It was such a fun day and the weather was perfect.   There was an occasional gust of wind and at one point one of my earring stands blew over and sent two earrings flying.  I fixed the stand but I didn't notice for a few minutes and suddenly, in a panic wondered why I was missing a pair.  It occurred to me to look in front of my table and there they were, about a foot in front of the table and a foot apart from each other, just lying there, helpless.  Luckily they had not been stepped on and it was as if I could feel their relief when I rescued them.  I imagined they had been crying out "MOMMY!"  I know, I know.  They're just earrings, but they're all my babies!  

    Speaking of babies, there were so many puppies around.  This adorable little one was just chillin' in a bag.  Thus the Market pic of the day.

On Sunday I went for a bike ride with Claudia and sadly realized that it had been 7 years since I was last on a bike! But, it was just like riding a bicycle so it was all good.  We rode on the causeway and the lake was just magnificent! 

The first shot is looking to the left and the second is the view on the right.

Bronze Clay!

I had such a blast working with Bronze Clay this past winter! I eagerly watched over Celie's shoulder as she worked with Bronze Clay but it hadn't occurred to me to ask to try some. I was busy setting things in PMC. I was searching high and low for interesting things to set (unusual stones, coin, shells, beads). I got frustrated and wished I could find (or make) some kind of tribal artifact. Then a bell went off and I asked Celie if I could try the Bronze Clay.  She generously gave me a whole package!

Making my PMC settings is very precise and

working with the Bronze Clay was very freeing. The pieces I made were very primitive but I loved the outcome. I think the combination with the PMC setting results in this "modern relic" style and its a direction I'm very excited about pursuing.  I'm so thankful to Bill Struve for inventing this wonderful material.  I feel so lucky to have gotten to work with it. 

 I feel even luckier to have 3 images of my work (the two rings featured here and the other side of the pendant shown left) in an article in the June issue of Art Jewelry magazine titled "Now Entering the Bronze Age".   Its such a great article and it begins with a giant and amazing photo of Celie's spectacular carved bronze snake chain.  

I've wanted to make myself a cuff bracelet similar

to my patched rings forever but the cost of PMC prevented me from ever doing so.  I finally got to make one using the Bronze Clay and I just love it!  I've also started making several pairs of Bronze earrings to sell at the Artist Market (which I will soon post in my Etsy shop). 

Celie will be teaching Bronze Clay classes in the fall, check out her website for more info.

A new Bronze Age is here!