Monday, February 20, 2012

Just playing with Photobucket

Someone took this really nice picture of my baby, my 5 year old son Ujjwal (and me in it). I cropped myself out, and was playing with his picture. I love him soooooo much!!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

YOJ 2012 - Week 7 Pottery from the past

To buy this, go to:






To buy this, go to:

I made this using the new wire my new friend Nicole Hanna told me about (her blog link is in my blogroll). It is copper wire, painted with antique bronze, and then enameled. I LOVE how this wire looks. It is a lot harder to make this kind of pottery with it because it is not as soft as pure fine silver wire. But I sure do love its looks, and the price doesn't hurt either :-).

This piece is based on the earthenware pots we used to have when I was a child, growing up in India. We stored water in them to keep water cool. We called this kind of a pot "Surahi".

I couldn't find any ready made chains in this finish/material. I was trying to find those to keep the price of the piece down. As it is, this type of weaving and shaping with this wire took a long time and plenty of blisters, I didn't want to add more to the labor cost by hand making the chain as well. However, I found no chain that looked just like this wire, so I created my own with 24 gauge wire of the same kind, and cream colored fresh water pearls. I have kept the chain long because this kind of a pendant does not look nice on a short chain. I have not really measured the chain, but the pendant falls around the heart or just below. The chain is so long it does not need a clasp, so instead of a clasp, I added a BIG white fresh water pearl, and made a scroll on it with the wire I am so in love with.

So...what you think?

I have been wanting to learn pottery for ages now. But no time for that. So I will use wire to do my own pottery :-).

Oh...and the last 2 pictures...that was just something I was playing with in Photobucket edit mode after seeing Nicole's black and white picture with color splash :-D.

In case you are wondering where I got this lovely wire from, I got it from Etsy...this store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/UnkamenSupplies?ref=top_trail  The owner Ralph is a really nice and friendly person. Very helpful too! :-).

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

YOJ 2012 -Week 6 Auction piece for animal rescue work


Before I talk about this piece, I must scream, "Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!! I'm having the hardest time photographing this piece!". It looks so sweet, divine, in person. The Rose Quartz, and the shiny silver give it a very peaceful, divine feeling. But the photographs I have been taking suck royally! This is about the best I could do so far.

I am donating this piece to a really sweet animal rescue worker who will auction this piece to raise funds for animal rescue work. I really want her to be able to raise enough funds...but for that, the picture should do justice to the piece. However, the picture sucks. I don't know how to bring out what it really looks like. And that is so important for an online auction.

The pendant is a Rose Quartz heart, to signify the big loving hearts that animal rescue workers have...all those who work to save an animal from gas chambers, all those who try to raise funds, or will participate in this auction, so that the money could be used to save animals. This piece is in your honor. The metal used is AG silver wire. And I have made the chain using dyed fresh water pearls, and sterling silver wire. The clasp is handmade as well.

Monday, February 6, 2012

YOJ 2012 - Week 5 Romero fold form leaf

 


To buy this set, go to:


In keeping with my resolution to complete all unfinished projects, I fished out this Romero fold form leaf I had made in 2009. Yes...that long back! I was in school, doing a semester of metalsmithing. I had done some metalsmithing before. Most other students were very new to it, so I was making these leaves and showing off :-P. Hey, its only sometimes that I get to show off, so I did :-D. After that I did nothing with those leaves. Last year I made an ear cuff that had these three hanging things made with garnets, pearls and copper. I knew I wouldn't really ever wear an ear cuff. So I took that apart. Used the cuff part to make the bail for the leaf pendant. I hung one "hanging thing" (for the lack of a better phrase..LOL!!) to the leaf, and used the other two to make earrings. 

The earrings look really good actually. The pictures suck -- they look dull. My daughter has been drooling over all of this and is trying to lay claim over it all...the necklace and the earrings. I was hesitant to make the earwires in this design, because I know someone (forgetting who now...but I know I love her work) uses this design as her signature design for earwires. But then I saw this earwire taught in the "Visually Teach Yourself Jewelry..." book. So I am guessing its ok to make this kind of earwires.

The leaf is copper, and is flame colored. I'm quite proud of this leaf actually (hence the showing off in class).