This next project took me around 10 Saturdays to complete, so I think it should take at least two posts to properly show it off.
I took a locket making class at my local university and knew it was going to be for my mother. The perfect Christmas present, right? Well, this one actually took so long to complete that she didn't actually get it until February. *blush*
So here are the pieces after they had been cut out from the sheet metal.
So, the way this worked was I cut two circles from 20 gauge silver sheet metal which would become the outer part of the locket. Then I cut two circles from 26 gauge silver which became the bearing plates for the inside of the locket. As you can see in the piece to the far right, after doming the large pieces and soldering the cut out circles/bearing plates on, you create a place to insert pictures inside the locket!
Here is a close up of the design I chose to put on the front. It is always best to have the design in place before doming or soldering the pieces!
Here is an excellent step by step tutorial for making a locket! Really, I think my instructor must have taught the class from this tutorial!
I just also want to say that you definitely need a good amount of soldering experience before attempting a project like this. I still count myself a soldering beginner and this project was a bit... difficult. At one point, I actually soldered the entire locket together! It was definitely the hardest part in my opinion!
Next time I'll have some pictures of the finished product!
I have quite a lot of catching up to do!
First up, is my first bezel project. I recently took a class at the local art studio and made this:
That is a lovely red orange carnelian in the center! Here is a
handy tutorial that is really informative for making bezel settings. It is the first part of a five part series.
What I have found to be the hardest part of making the bezel is getting the solder to flow where you want it to go. As a beginner it took me three times to actually get the ring attached to the flat sheet. *whew!* I feel like it does get easier with practice though.
May favorite part of making this bezel was actually coming up with a design for this necklace. My favorite shape recently has been the diamond, so I ended up with this:
I created the texturing with a dapping tool. Yay! Then it became a Christmas present for my amazing friend M. ;)
Next up, will be my mother's Christmas present.
Here it is! Rivet and all!
An exciting first project. I already have a few more planned that I will have to make as soon as I can get my own jeweler's saw and the rest of the equipment. As for my next class, we are going to make a silver ring and I have to start thinking on the design for it.
Oh, here is an excellent video tutorial for riveting!
It's time for a new tutorial!
The other day on etsy I ran across pictures of some amazing ear cuffs made by gailavira which made me really want to try and make some wire ear cuffs. I found this tutorial on CutOutandKeep.net and realized that ear cuffs can be quite simplistic and that maybe a tutorial for them really isn't necessary.
I am definitely going to play with this style a bit tomorrow and will post my experiments.
It's been a bit again since my last update, but this next one should be a good one! I have decided to try oxidizing both copper and silver using liver of sulfur. This experiment will hopefully be taking place tomorrow.
I found this page here that explains the process pretty well.
I will have both before and after pictures to post tomorrow! Should be exciting!
I tried the wire wrapped stone tutorial again, and these are what I came up with!
These ones are probably twice as big as the first one I made. I think, personally, that I like the smaller one best, but I just love the colors in these stones! I need to work a bit more on the sizing, but I think they turned out nice.
I think that these ones will probably end up in my etsy shop since they were done nicer than the first one... I still have three more stones left that I can wrap, and I can't wait to try some more!
Let's see... I tried out the tutorial below for the Wire Wrapped Rock, but unfortunately I had the wrong sized stone. I had to do things a bit differently, but for my first wire wrapped stone pendant, I think this one turned out well! It didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, so I think I will just end up keeping this one.... Here it is!
I just love labradorite! Such pretty colors. I have a few more labradorite cabochons coming in the mail, so I will have to try this tutorial again! Also, I think for my next one I am going to try oxidizing the wire afterwards for an antiqued look. I guess I will update again when I get a chance to test this next time.
I have been looking around and have found quite a few different projects to try. Of course, I just don't have the right materials for most of them.
This is the one I would like to try next: Wire Wrapped Rock. I have most of the materials for this one, but I am waiting for a few things to come in the mail, so it will be a bit before I can get started.
The author of this tutorial, Dev Khan, has done some amazing work and I can only hope that in the future I can become even half as good an artist as her!
And now it is 4 am. Really need to stop posting so late when my writing and brain functions become fragmented....
Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention that I did finish my second crop circle pendant! Here is the finished product:
It isn't exactly like the crop circle pictured, but I think it turned out well! Need to find a new one to start on!
