German Shepherd, Ruby in Fuchsite & River Rock Pendants

Here's a few new gems....fresh from the studio:

Terra Cotta River Rock in hand-soldered frame

Gorgeous Ruby in Fuchsite designer cut gemstone (40 carats!) from India

And one of my faves...a German Shepherd portrait on porcelain

A Jewelry Show Featuring One of a Kind Designs...

My work below will be featured in an online jewelry show this Sunday. Information about the show and times is listed below...hope you'll stop by!

I’ve discovered the beauty of solder. The way the heat makes it flow into glorious patterns and shapes reminds me of life...the way it rises...the way it falls...the way it levels. The centerpieces I choose are each encased in a heavily soldered frame, created by solely by me and gravity, making each one truly a one of a kind creation.

Although I'm setting several different types of material in my solder art pendants (broken china, gemstones, porcelain cabochons), I'm particularly drawn to the river rocks I've been using as centerpieces recently. I've always had an affinity for rocks and stones of any type. I've been collecting them since I was a child. These neutral colored, natural stones are shaped by acts of nature and worldly circumstances...which I happen to feel a "closeness" with, as I, too, have been shaped by my worldly circumstances. The rock’s rounded shape comes from years of tumbling in rivers and oceans. Who I am comes from years of tumbling through life. There's a likeness there - between myself and the stones. I have found others feel the same way, and although it might be subconscious, they also see the similarity between themselves and the pendants they choose to purchase. It's as if they feel a kinship with a particular stone when they see "the one".

River Rocks, while natural, are also very colorful. The hues and shades of color presented are indicative of the artistry of the ages, as it forms a kaleidoscope of nature’s pallet within itself. Each freeform stone is hand selected for color, size and feel, then framed artistically with solder to create a unique look - no two are ever the same.

I am thoroughly enjoying my new journey into this realm of solder work, experimenting, designing, and trying to control something that doesn’t want to be controlled. Sorta like LIFE, you know?
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Show Information:

Location:		www.nowlive.com/showid/63074
Notes:		Date: Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 Time: 12pm PST, 2pm CST, 3pm EST or 9pm if you're in Europe Event: The JoolTime Yahoo Jewelry Making Group will be featuring a jewelry show of one of a kind designs! Information will be provided on each piece by the designer and it will be a really fun occasion full of color, dimension, and texture! Please join us in the broadcast room on November 2nd for this wonderful display of talent! To interact with the broadcast room via real time text messaging, webcams, and mics you will need a user id available at www.nowlive.com/support. To simply watch and listen, no user id is required.

Solder Art Jewelry: River Rocks

Neutral colored, natural river rock stones are shaped by acts of nature and worldly circumstances....gee...sounds sort of like us, doesn't it? I've completed these four pendants so far.

Solder Art Jewelry

I’ve discovered the beauty of solder. The way the heat makes it flow into glorious patterns and shapes reminds me of life...the way it rises...the way it falls...the way it levels. Here's a few pendants I've made so far. The first three are broken china pendants. The second two are gemstone pendants.

This all began because I'm selling some china on Ebay. I came across a piece with a crack - I didn't want to sell it because of the damage, so I went looking for something else I could do with it. And alas, I found one could turn it into beautiful jewelry!
Working with the solder is quite interesting. I've seen other soldered-edge jewelry...some with plain edges...some with beading. Very *uniform*. I guess I'm not experienced enough with solder yet...but "uniform" is not even in my soldering vocabulary. So I decided to stop trying to control it, and just let it go where it wanted to go.

It's almost like a hot knife on cake icing...as you're putting icing on the cake, the hot knife melts it so fast, although it might go where you want it to, it won't hold a shape. So you add a little more...and a little more...and soon you have something that looks like a wavy, chunky mess, with peaks and valleys and swirls and curls - but not uniform.

The good thing about the wavy non-uniform application is this - it looks FABULOUS as jewelry. It kind of reminds me of the gold nugget jewelry I used to love so much when I was a kid...only this is silver color. Each time I inspect a piece, I see a new pattern or shape in the self-made silver frame. The most exciting thing is that each one is different....unique in its own right. And that is something I definitely find appealing, as I've never been one to enjoy churning out jewelry that all looks the same. After all...*we* are each unique individuals - shouldn't our jewelry be the same?