Adventures in metalsmithing

[bludiva]

Welp, class is over and I squeaked in 2 more projects...

Spinner ring....these are surprisingly easy to make!


And 3 stone from wire and sheet....difficult and came out wonky AF but learned a lot




And that concludes the official adventures in metalsmithing chronicles

Thanks for letting me share and all the encouragment along the way. This wasn't something I could discuss with colleagues and my friends' eyes would glaze over so I really appreciate it!

 

[Austina]

Don’t try making jewellery using gem beads @bludiva or you could end up with trays and trays of lovely beads and findings, like ‘someone’ I know, allegedly

 

[bludiva]

Don’t try making jewellery using gem beads @bludiva or you could end up with trays and trays of lovely beads and findings, like ‘someone’ I know, allegedly

I got a few beads for the ring my friend requested and it's like a portal to another dimension opened. They're so pretty and relatively cheap...it's dangerous.

 

[Austina]

Tell me about it, one of these days, I’ll get back to making things, rather than hoarding my lovely beads

 

[mrs-b]

Great job, @bludiva! Your things are fab! Well done.

 

[bludiva]

Great job, @bludiva! Your things are fab! Well done.

Thanks, @mrs-b !

 

[stracci2000]

Fabulous, @bludiva!
Great work! I hope you continue to make jewelry and show us all your pieces.
(And now you know that prongs are miserable to make)

 

[bludiva]

Fabulous, @bludiva!
Great work! I hope you continue to make jewelry and show us all your pieces.
(And now you know that prongs are miserable to make)

Lol the prongs, the basket, the joints.. .it was rough! I'm taking a casting class next, looking forward to learning more!

 

[Luce]

I just read this whole thread! What an adventure @bludiva ! You have made some beautiful jewelry. It was very interesting to see how involved it can be. Now I want to look for a class in jewelry making! Thanks !!

 

[bludiva]

Thanks, @Luce !! The most intimidating and most fun part for me was learning to play with fire There's a lot that can be done with wire wrapping too, my friend has this gorgeous long gold & labradorite bead necklace that her mom made & it looks totally pro. Let us know how the class goes!

 

[Luce]

Thanks, @Luce !! The most intimidating and most fun part for me was learning to play with fire There's a lot that can be done with wire wrapping too, my friend has this gorgeous long gold & labradorite bead necklace that her mom made & it looks totally pro. Let us know how the class goes!

This is on my bucket list for sure!!!

 

[bludiva]

I know i said i was done with this thread but omg you guys, casting! So much fun! Here's a ring I made for my hubby...wish I'd taken a photo of the wax I carved for it...

 

[stracci2000]

I know i said i was done with this thread but omg you guys, casting! So much fun! Here's a ring I made for my hubby...wish I'd taken a photo of the wax I carved for it...

Fabulous! I've never done casting, so you must learn it for both of us!

 

[bludiva]

Fabulous! I've never done casting, so you must learn it for both of us!

It's great b/c you are making tiny sculptures out of wax and then flinging molten metal in this manual metal contraption using centripetal force ...feels like such an ancient m, analog process. Did not expect to enjoy it so much but a great antidote to spreadsheets and powerpoint

 

[bludiva]

The class term is over and it feels a little anticlimactic. Best thing to come out of it was hubby's new wedding band...he put his fancy jeff cooper band away and wears the argentium ring i made him every day

Here are some other pieces from the casting class. All bronze except the rose ring which has a silver band. I put a simple pin mechanism on the back of the eye so it can be worn as a pendant or brooch.



Stonesetting practice...channel was by far the hardest for me, prongs made more intuitive sense



May take one more class or buy some more tools to keep making at home....