October is, among other things, World Menopause Month. The first week is National Mental Illness Awareness week. And I am currently experiencing the effects of both. I have made a decision to take a break this October, backing off of blogging, social media and marketing to allow myself room for healing. I need to spend […]
The Very Aspirational Necklace I have a new project in mind that I think of as the Very Aspirational Necklace, or VAN. Because who doesn’t love an acronym? Anyway, the VAN consists of multiple layers of natural beads, terminating at a hammered copper disk. It’s attached to a choker made up of little round dangles. […]
What a busy and productive weekend it’s been! Following an absolutely brutal summer, the weather finally cooled down enough that it was more appealing to be out in the garden than inside in the studio. My property has taken on serious haunted house vibes this season, with an overgrown front yard and vines creeping up […]
Do you believe that gemstones have power? Many cultures revere gemstones not only for their beauty, but also for their perceived metaphysical qualities. Romans made chalices from amethyst, believing that it could ward off drunkenness. The Vikings may have used sunstone to help them navigate the seas. In Navajo culture, turquoise is a sacred stone […]
The weather’s still hot and the trees are still green, but it’s September, and that means it’s time to start planning for fall. If you managed to get a garden in this year, you’re probably up to your eyeballs in produce and, if you’re like me, weeds. I’ve got my eyes on taking a couple […]
A colleague sees me eyeing the collection of smooth river rocks on her desk, and invites me to take one, which I joyfully do. Something on the floor catches my eye—a small circle of leather with some incomprehensible lettering. Where did it come from? Was it important? A faded flower from a Rose of Sharon […]
I have some gorgeous pieces in copper, brown and green coming up for fall. I’ve used a lot of wood in this collection, including some lovely sandalwood in its natural color, a soothing olive tone. The collection also features malachite, bronzite and intriguing moss agate, all combined with rich, natural copper with an antique finish. […]
I spent much of the week practicing soldering and other metalworking techniques. I’m happy to say that I managed to make an entire cut in a piece of copper without breaking my saw blade! And, I’m getting better at recognizing that magical moment when the solder is ready to flow. I’ve still got a way […]
As a child, I was never into baby dolls. The trend when I was that age was to make them “realistic.” I’ll leave the specifics to your memory or imagination. If it’s the latter, I assure you that it had nothing to do with the texture of their skin or the glazed look in their […]
In a possibly misguided attempt to accelerate my metalsmithing journey, I decided I would try to create a piece of jewelry designed by AI. I fed DALL-E the prompt “A product photo of a piece of jewelry made from a 1″ square of copper.” Here are the designs it produced: I determined that I had […]
I have a love/hate relationship with how-to videos. On one hand, it’s possible to learn how to do virtually anything simply by watching a video (or several). On the other hand, the online practitioners sharing their expertise have an uncanny ability to make their talents appear “simple,” when often they simply are not. Sawing metal […]
Do you love opals, with their marvelous play-of-color and kaleidoscopic effects? I frequently browse opals when shopping for gemstones, but the high price tag on fine opals puts them out of many people’s reach, mine included. Fortunately, opal comes in a vast array of varieties and colors, from the enchanting reds and oranges of fire […]
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