what does a typical day look like for a jewelry designer? First of all I can only give you my take on this topic. The nature of an artist or designer is such that we create in many different ways. I work with metals, gemstones and lots of fire! This may not be true for others though. My typical day at the bench I tend to segment my days to be more effective. The days I am … [Read more...]
Chaos at the Jewelry Bench?
Not really. I know it has that chaotic vibe but actually I have a feel for everything and where it has been placed on the bench. Currently I am doing some soldering so I need the soldering board. In my case I use the bottom board for protection of the wooden bench. I have learned over the years that you just cannot be TOO careful when working with fire! Thankfully I have not … [Read more...]
New Projects at the Bench
Do you ever wonder how some of my jewelry gets to it's final wearable state? Here's a peek at a few designs in process. As you can see I am partial to amethyst! the entire left half of this photo features 6 different amethyst pieces!. On the right you can see a potential malachite and emerald pendant plus a few druzy quartz gems. By the end of the day, ONE of these pieces … [Read more...]
Handmade in Arizona..
You've most likely seen this tag line on my jewelry designs. Did you ever wonder what handmade means? Here's the official definition: made by hand, not by machine, and typically therefore of superior quality. Each of my designs starts with metal sheet or wire. I use a variety of tools to texture, fold and mold the metal. Texturing hammers add subtle or bold finishes, … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Jewelry Soldering Junkie
Yes, it's true. I love to solder. Next to hammering it is my favorite jewelry technique. Of course it was not always so. I have destroyed many a piece of silver during my early days. Life has gotten much easier since I have broken the code on this process though. Here's a piece that was one of my first soldering jobs. Not only did this take about 10 times longer that it … [Read more...]
