Prong Setting Project

As well as the production I will be moving on to make prong samples so that I know exactly what size and shape of stone I will be setting in the prong setting necklace that I will be making...mmm filigree this is going to be so much fun. Stones and filigree yay!

Student Sale Update

Along the lines of the student sale, I will also be working on production pieces in the studio now that will hopefully be sold at the student sale as well. These pieces will be earrings and of course going along with the theme I've created this semester; insect inspired earrings.

However, I have also been making wax pieces inspired by insects and will be taking photos of the wax pieces before casting them. Then hopefully I'll take a couple and make some rubber molds and when the shoppers come there will only be a few singularly special pieces. So come early! :)

Student Sale Work

This is a hollow form bracelet that I made over the summer and I hope to sell at the student sale. I went back to the mini form for this because I feel I am best at smaller things and I believe you will be seeing small in a lot more of my work now.

Odds and Ends 2

...I seem to have really gotten into the hairpiece making right now...so here are more pieces I've began for another hair chain

...and here is where the chain is being constructed.

Again I hope to have finished images up so that you can all see the beetle inspiration in this hairpiece. 

Odds and Ends

This is another hairpiece that I started to work on and when it's finished hopefully you'll be able to see the leaf bug inspiration in the piece.

Scorpion Hairpiece w/Flush Settings

...this is one shot i took during soldering the many pieces together 

..here is the back view of the finished hairpiece

...and here is a frontal view of the hair piece.

I apologize that the piece isn't on the model it was made to be placed on....she went home for the weekend.

Hey Guys!

 So I've come to the conclusion that I have no idea how to fix the app on my phone haha. On the upside I will be taking pictures of the castings to post for you all to see. I also have some images of a hairpiece that came from scorpions as inspiration.

I will also be posting some images of work I will be selling at the student sale this year.

And some odds and ends that I have been working on in the studio in my off time.

Back at That Casting Grind...

All this time I've been waiting to get back to the studio to do some more work and so I have....

(I have been creating rings and this is one of them that has been cast....)

(This is another that has been cast as well)

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post a picture of the two of them as they have been cast.

Earring Challenge #4: Hollow Form

I began by cutting out the shape for which I would then I would make smaller gauged in the studio...

..rolled to correct gauge and began the forming process

End Product! 

The idea was to make a pair of earrings without using circles in the form, but also creating a hollow form. SPICULUMS! I made spiculums that were hollow with non-precious stones (cubic-zerconias) in them. There is a small space leading down to the stone that i left open to purposefully draw your eye towards the somewhat hidden "treasure". I am proud of the successful outcome of these earrings. :D

Earring Challenge #3: Using only domes, circles, or spheres in presentation

For this earring challenge I used the dapping punch and made four replicas of domes. I then chases the sides in order for the soldering process to work well. I made the earring wires while creating the design in order for them to flow with the piece and the earrings to have movement. These little earring spaceships spin around on the wires unevenly to give them a fun and playful feel of movement. These earrings did not come out as I had planned for them to, but the mistakes are happy ones and work better to help the piece in the end.

Earring Challenge #2: Wire Only

Our next challenge was wire, which I'm not personally fond of using it all of the time, but I believe that these earrings came out well for being only able to use materials I do not often use on their own if at all. They came out better than I expected them too. What do you guys think?

Earring Challenge #1: Mixed Media

In the process of creating the porcupine quill earrings....adding the color and ear wires to the mixed media challenge earrings...

..close up of finished piece.

These were the first of four earring challenges. They were definitely a success! :)

Update

Ah, so it seems posting from my phone will be on hold for a while, but I will be posting from the laptop frequently in order to keep you all up to date :)

Update

I have decided that I dislike the mobile app for Blogger because none of my images are uploading and it is stressing me out to the maximum amount. Hopefully I'll have this fixed before my next challenge is finished. I want you guys to see what's happening too, not just have to read about it.

Excited yet sad...

This semester is over which means that I have another summer to wait before coming back to the bench in this studio....but until then I will be keeping up my sketches and my creations in my studio at home.

Linkage project

Final soldering of the linkage pieces which ended up being a necklace and a bracelet.

Mother's ring

Made this ring fir my mother. It has her three children's birthstones in it.

Update

I'm at odds with my professor's techniques because as of lately (this whole semester) none of them have been working for me. Today during cleaning one of my brooches vital pieces came off and I am now struggling to put them back on. Literally blood, sweat, and tears have gone into two of my projects as of now and I am quite frustrated because I have never been so upset about the turnout of what happens and needs to be repaired in the end of the processes of my creations. I'm hoping that soon my luck will change and by switching back to my own techniques my projects will be salvaged and the end product will be a success. Wish me luck!

Goblet antler

Parts in progress. Hooray!!

Metalsmithing

Making a deer antler form out of spiculums!

Going with the Flow...

Since there were some glitches in my gauges, I'm going to have to work with the problems and make them a success ...
It Can Be Done!

Out of the flask..

The result after starting clean up out of the four flasks

Casting!

Four in one day... Yay!

Wax Casting

Finishing up the wax pieces and now letting the investment process take its course. Tomorrow is burn-out day!

Metalsmithing

I have been raising a 6 inch and 12 inch vessel, as well as a catenoid in metalsmiling. Here is how they look so far...

Portfolio Review

Just had a portfolio review the other day. Here are some pieces I had in the review...

Soundwave Brooches

metamorphosis of a stretching soundwave

Update

Created metamorphosis brooches out of copper metal. Just need to do a few touch-ups and then they will be complete.

Update

Recently I have been struggling with my design ideas. Both the sketching and the actual creation part. However, I believe that by stepping away I have helped myself to cleanse my mind of all the negativity and I'm back in full mass production mode. Let's create!