CRESCENT MOON EARRING

The definition of serendipity is good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries. Fluke, good fortune, good luck and stroke of luck also are apply. Serendipity can be a wonderful thing in the studio.

Such is the case with the crescent moon earrings I recently created (in the image below.) I was busy at my rolling mill, applying a gorgeous texture to a sheet of silver. The impression material slipped while applying the necessary huge amount of pressure to imprint the metal. The result was a smooth crescent moon shape on the edge of the silver, next to the textured pattern.

Happy accidents can lead to beautiful discoveries and creations. Now the question is, how can I recreate this beautiful discovery? I may not be able to and that’s the beauty of one of a kind handmade jewelry.

Crescent moon earrings

Indian leaf and vine domed earrings with turquoise.

HAND TEXTURED EARRINGS

Many things can be used to create texture on silver metal for jewelry. A few examples I’ve used for my handmade jewelry are paper, seaweed, dried leaves and plastic. I’ve included a few examples of the textures I’ve created and used for earrings.

The textured pattern for the earrings I’m modeling was made in my studio by “sandwiching” laser cut paper over sterling silver sheet metal. That “sandwich” gets passed through a piece of equipment called a rolling mill, at very high pressure. The paper image gets transfered to the silver. The result shown here is a rich organic texture that I use to fabricate earrings. Other examples of textures I’ve enjoyed creating for may handmade jewelry can be seen below. These include the use of seaweed and plastic egg cantons.

Jewelry can be about many things such as fashion; things that are precious and important to us or what we hold sacred and identify with. Handmade jewelry reflects those interests with attention to detail, process and design decision unique to each piece.

Image credit: Mark Forman

Texture impression earring

Water ripple texture made by rolling plastic egg carton over sterling silver .

Seaweed texture earring:

FEBRUARY'S BIRTHSTONE, AMETHYST

The lovely purple semi-precious gemstone, amethyst, is a variety of quartz. Its color ranges from deep purple to pale lavender, depending upon the presence of manganese and iron. Amethyst is the birthstone of February.

The origin of this gemstone, according to the ancient Greek myth, was the nymph Amethystos. She refused the attentions of Dionysus, the god of wine and intoxication. Amethystos prayed for protection and to preserve her chasity. The virgin goddess Artemis answered her call for help. She transformed the nymph into a white or clear stone. The story ends with Dionysus pouring his wine over the stone, either accidentally or deliberately, dyeing the crystal purple.

“With purple dye being the royal choice in the ancient Mediterranean, amethyst quickly became associated with wealth and power. It traditionally adorned the robes and crowns of the rich and powerful monarchs, being. viewed as equal in value to ruby, emerald and sapphire. Amethyst still holds a place in the hall of power, being worn by church official in the Church of Scotland the Anglican Episcopal hierachies and the Roman Catholic Church.” The British Crown Jewels include a number of pieces of amethyst.

On my bench are 2 works in progress that each include a small, bezel set amethyst cabochon. Held in my jewelers pliers for inspection is a rose cut amethyst which will be set in a flower ring. The next image is a hand forged sterling silver pendant waiting for its chain to be added.

IN PROGRESS AT MY BENCH: rose cut amytheis cabochon bezel set in a flower ring.

Amethyst and silver pendant for a necklace

BEHIND THE SCENES: CREATIVE PROCESS

Here’s a behind the scenes look at some experimental sterling silver rings I’ve worked on recently. Pushing the limits of metal is one of my favorite things to do.

I make my own twisted sterling silver wire, it has beautiful definition. I decided to push its limits by running my twist wire through a piece of equipment called a rolling mill. The mill flattens the twisted metal. The band on the right is an example of flattened twisted wire run through the mill. It’s a less dimensional profile of twist wire with a more reflective surface (see image below for a before image of twisted wire) .

The second ring band on the left is an experiment in working with bead wire. Bead wire is a long string of tiny balls all linked together on a long strand. I love the look of the tiny dots. More to come with bead wire!

Left: bead wire ring band Right: flattened twist wire ring band

Sterling silver twisted ring band not yet flattened

MESSY IS CREATIVE, IT'S ALL GOOD!

It’s been such a busy summer. Almost a month has passed since my last blog post. One has to take advantage of the warm , long days because before you know it, it’s autumn. My jewelers bench is one creative mess which is ok for now.

Creative reset time is very rewarding and really important. When it’s too hot to be using the torch and heating metal to solder I’ll often spend time drawing out ideas in my sketchbook. Being in the garden or at the beach inspires and is refreshing. You never know what ideas inspire at a later time. It is all part of creativity.

Enjoy this fleeting season!

Joanne

Design ideas from my sketch book.

My bench; a creative mess.

AMETHYST AND STERLING TEARDROP PENDANT

This sterling silver and bezel set amethyst pendant necklace is on my bench, waiting for its chain. The amethyst is particularly beautiful and colorful in this delicate pendant. It measures about 1 1/4 inches in length and is delicate. Please inquire if interested.

Amethyst and silver pendant for a necklace

OSPREY'S DOMINION LI ARTSHOW

Hello friends. I hope your summer is going well. Lately the garden is such a strong pull that I’m not at my jewelry bench too much. There are however, a few things I’m working on for the LI Artshow at Osprey’s Dominion, on Saturday, July 16th. I’m sharing a behind the scenes look at a few pieces in progress that will be at my table.

I’m very excited to participate as a vendor in this fun and diverse event. Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks are the featured band that day so there will be plenty of dancing going on. One fond memory from last year was seeing the osprey circle over head above the vineyard. It was beautiful.

Here’s a link to the Osprey’s Dominion. Check out other exciting things they have to offer that day and during the year, as well as directions. https://ospreysdominion.com Please note that the LI Artshow isn’t listed on their calendar of events. Kindly see my June 17th blog post for more information.

The North Fork of Long Island in the summer is alway special. The restaraunts, farmstands, history, and galleries are numerous Below are a few clickable links of my favorites.

https://barrowfoodhouse.com casual farm to table food

https://www.jamesportfarmstead.com a no- till organic farm that offers famstand sales on the weekends

https://www.jamesportsourdoughandcoffee.com Out of this world handmade sourdough bread.

http://www.alexferronegallery.com/dan-welden-and-john-cino contemporary fine art

Hope to see you at there.

Be well and enjoy!

Joanne

It was a wonderful day at the Osprey’s Dominion LI Art show. Thanks for coming!

BEHIND THE SCENES AT MY BENCH

I’m sharing a behind the scenes look at some unfinished pattern rings that are on my very messy bench this week. I enjoy sharing things in progress on my jewelry bench.

Behind the scenes you get a chance to see creative possibilities in progress and creative possibilities as they evolve . There’s a kind of magic (and tons of hard work) in transforming raw materials into something beautiful.

As abstract expressionist Williem DeCooning said, “Process is everything” , even at a jewelry bench.

3 sterling silver rings in a raw state. Look below of the finished pieces.

A pattern ring with patina shows lots of detail. It’ now ready for polishing.

Pattern ring in progress on my pinky.

FORGED SILVER RING

Forging is the process of altering metal from its original shape with hammers, metal working tools and heat. Once forged, the metal retains its new shape. Blacksmiths for example use forging to create things like horse shoes and other tools.

Forging precious metal is useful process in jewelry design. It can be used to create subtle and Interesting change of plain on a piece of jewley.

I’ve had some fun creating a forged sterling silver ring from some round sterling wire. The front opened ends of this sterling silver ring are somewhat flaired and flattened with hammers while the back of the ring shank is round. It’s an interesting and fun variation on a round ring band.

Forged sterling silver ring

TWIST WIRE HUGGIES AND BANGLE

I’ve been making “Huggie” twist wire post earrings at my jewelry bench lately . They “hug” close to your ear lobe. The beautiful shape and twist of the stud earring is echoed by pairing it with the bangle of the same thick twisted sterling silver wire.

There are many choices of lighter weight twist jewelry on the market and thick, weighty twist wire jewelry seems harder to find. I make my own twisted wire by hand to get the rich sophisticated look and feel I’m after. The result is a modern, refined look that pairs well together.

I start with thick sterling silver round wire and mill it so it turns it into square wire. The square wire then gets turned by hand to form the beautiful twists that are a signature to this look. Next the the wire gets sized and shaped to form a bangle, earring or maybe a ring.

The beauty of handmade jewelry is that you can make what you need to get exactly what you want. Heavy weighty pieces that are luxurious to wear and modern and refined.

BANGLE WITH KIMONO CORD

My jewelry-making always suffers in spring time. I love to be in the garden this time of year. Here’s a behind the scenes peek at some bangle designs I’m working on, that is when I can tear myself from gardening and get to my jewelry bench .

I’ve created these two bangle bracelets in copper. Once I’ve finalized the design and worked out the details, I’ll making them in sterling silver too.

The top bangle has colorful rayon kimono cord tucked inside the concave area of the bangle. The soft feel of the fabric again the shiny hard surface of the metal is an interesting contrast and the kimono cord brings a surprise of color. The floral fabric keeps me close to the garden and nature too.

The bangle stacked underneath is embellished with a sterling silver wire with gold-filled wire wrapped around it and a handmade copper bead as a focal point .

These are fun for stacking together or worn alone. Hope you’ll come back tony blog to see the finalized bangles!

2 bangle bracelet in progress.

OUR RESCUR CAT NADINE MAKES AN APPEARANCE

Our rescue cat Nadine is my constant companion. When I’m working at jewelry bench she sits in her “cat cave” and keeps me company. If I’m late she meows to remind me that it’s time to come and work. Nadine is the love of my life.

Have you checked out Jackson Gallexy on You Tube? He’s an awesome cat psychologist and one cool dude. There’s a clickable link below for you to check out his web site. He’s awesome and I understand cats better as a result of listening to his videos.

https://www.jacksongalaxy.com

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INSPIRATION

Here’s a look at some behind the scenes studies I’ve created. These drawings and photographs serve as inspiration for design jewelry designs or art work.

Star flowers in my spring garden.

Contour line drawing in my sketch book..

SPRING FLOWERS

Spring is finally here on Long Island! Here’s a behind the scenes peek at some mixed metal flowers from my bench. These are inspired by my favorite spring flowers, Forget Me Nots or firmament. They certainly will end up in a bracelet, ring or necklace. Stay tuned to see more!

Forget Me Not flowers from my garden.

Sterling silver and copper flowers fabricated at my bench.

MY RESCUE CAT NADINE

Our rescue cat Nadine is my studio assistant. Her “cat cave” bed sits next to my bench. If I’m detained from going to my bench, she meows to remind me to sit down to work. We keep each other company as I’m working on new pieces. Nadine is my buddy, constant source of amusement sweet inspiration! She’s the love of my life!

Nadine and Me pose together.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT MY BENCH

Many solitary hours are spent at the bench creating handmade jewelry. It’s a quite, private world that I love. In this image, I’m sawing out a pair of mandala earring from copper sheet metal.

Click here to see finished pieces at my Etsy Store.

HOOP EARRINGS AND PENDANT

Hoop earrings are my favorite piece of jewelry to wear. I love designing them is in different ways. Here’s a behind the scenes glimpse of work in progress of a new collection developing on my jewelry bench. Sterling silver or gold balls that I make and apply on the hoops and pendants are a feature on this collection.

Sign up here to see them in my Etsy store.

Sterling granulated bar earrings, top left, sterling granulated hoops and sterling granulated bar pendant.

Hoop earring with silver balls and vertical bar pendant.

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