Home Brooch

My jewellery tutor set our class a challenge - if we wanted to join in, we had to make a brooch from a little packet of supplied materials (an oblong of guilding metal, a small square of brass, some copper shim - really thin pliable copper sheet, a small square of copper, some paper, and a small piece of silver for rivoting). We were allowed to add no more than 5g of silver, and whatever other materials we wanted.

I took my inspiration from PTI's Love Lives Here stamp set for the house shape - not a direct copy, as the metal I had was slightly smaller - but pretty similar. The sun rising, and the dangles were all just 'things' that emerged along the way in my design process.

The second part of the challenge was to use as many different techniques as possible - think I've scored highly on that one. The blue colour on the copper and brass was achieved with a little help from amonia and vinegar. And because I wanted to 'hang' the home sign I rivoted with silver tube. Used my own patterned papers.

The little dangles at the bottom have a meaning - the heart for love; the pearl (June), amythyst (Feb) and tube bead represents opal (October) are for my 3 children. And the bird? I just like them :o)

Its not my usual style - but I really like this brooch. And it was fun to make too. And lots cheaper than using silver.

Anyway, tonight is the night we have to 'submit' the brooches for judging. Think we all get to vote, and possibly the other class get to vote on our stuff too. We all paid a little extra so the winner could have a small prize. I think we've all enjoyed making them - and there are some great designs - will be good to see them all together.

Silver Jewellery

Something else I've been working on recently - a commission for a friends birthday. Got it back from hallmarking yesterday, so its had its final polish, and will be handed over later today.

It was quite fiddly to make, but not too difficult, just a little time consuming.

(The dot in the top left is a speck of dust inside the camera lens - the only way to get it removed is by sending off for a clean - and I haven't got any lovely photo editing software that I can remove it with. And the thought of being without a camera for a few weeks is what is really putting me off doing it.)

Random Stuff!

My daughter is continually admiring her rounded stomach (gernerally after a large dinner), and pronouncing she has a baby in her tummy. Well, tonight was obviously the night, that her tummy expanded, helped enormously by a balloon (all her doing). She happily posed for the camera.

Later, at bedtime stories (balloon now gone), she told me the baby had come out of her tummy and was sleeping. If only it really was that simple...

I'm currently enjoying making banners, and this one was for hubby, and his recent birthday. A complete surprise for him - I'd had to wait till he had gone to bed before stringing it up ready for him to see in the morning (after his breakfast in bed). Not a great photo, due to flash requirement, this was taken on a very grey day.

And a close up of the individual banner triangles - you can't really see but I have used patterned papers (Stampin up - sweat pea).

And finally, I've entered a competition, run by the V&A, Inspired by... The entry form and photos arrived with them today (I've done the on-line tracking thing with RM), so I'm hoping that it stands out and they like it. If they do, the winners (?) entries are displayed in an exhibition in June this year - would be great to be able to say I had something exhibited at the V&A wouldn't it? But I expect there are a high number of entrants, all with stunning entries (variety of mediums), so I'm trying to be realistic about my chances. Still, it was a challenging piece to make, which I enjoyed. I also left it a bit last minute - really should have been more organised about this.

Clearly if my ring is picked to be displayed, I shall be shouting from the rooftops about it. If not, you probably won't here about this again... I won't know until March some time.

Jewellery!

I have been busy trying to set up my web site sharonbetts.co.uk for selling my jewellery, and showing stuff I have made. Also the three pieces I submitted for the exhibition were accepted, so a preview to attend this Friday - and I really wanted to have the web site vaguely presentable by then, so I can hand out some sort of business card - yet to be sorted, should the opportunity arise!

More Jewellery

I have the opportunity of submitting some jewellery for an arts week, max of 3 items, application has to be in next Wed, before they look and choose what they will exhibit. It all has to be made within the last year - the Birdie pendant I know I finished after Christmas, and the other 2 I finished this Tue. Really couldn't remember when I finished other pieces I could have submitted, so I thought I'd go with these:

My trusty Birdie pendant - I love this, and there was alot of work went into it. It also gets lots of comments, so I'm hopeful...


Next is a comission - I was asked to make a Holly pendant, and this is what I came up with. If this one is successful, then my friend won't get her pendant for a little while longer. But I guess it would be nice to say it was publically exhibited. The main leaf was frosted, and the veins brought back to a high shine to give extra interest. The central vein coils round to form the bail.

And finally, a stylised leaf. It was originally just going to be silver, but we covered enamelling in my class, so I filled the 'recess' with blue enamel and torch fired it, as we have no kiln to use (the general method for enamelling).

Owl Broach and some Cards

I made this owl as a broach to go on a bag, or coat (using copper and brass). Its ears a touch spiky though! He is kinda cute though, and fairly easy to make. Inspired by some owls from Craftwork Cards.


This card uses some really cute stamps from Stampin Up. A fab set that also comes with some little houses.

The next card was inspired by one made by Ashley Newell, shown on Nicole Heady's blog here. I'm really pleased with how this turned out - love the colour combo, and it makes a great 'man card' - I can see variations of this being used for the next couple of male birthdays.

Cardstock and ink, Stampin Up, stamps by PTI.

Birdy

This is something I've been working on for a little while. Made most of it before the summer, but the drill bit broke inside the little birdy while I was drilling it, and as I really liked my little birdy and wasn't prepared to consign him to the scrapheap, I had to find a way to dissolve the drill. Sulphuric acid was suggested, but thats nasty, nasty, nasty, especially with little people around, managed to find alum dissolves it, so set about a quest to get some - tried ordering from my local chemist - very helpful - but after a few months of them not being able to get it from their supplier I chased round the internet. Alum is cheap, postage on the otherhand was not always cheap, and I finally only got it just before Christmas. So my birdy went swimming in an alum solution over Christmas, and yesterday I finally put it all together.

The back is domed too, and has the same leaf texture, so could be worn back to front too!

Resin Jewellery

Here are a couple of bangles I made from resin


and some sterling silver cufflinks with resin. Made the silver bit a while ago, but only got round to putting the resin in yesterday!

Was fun to play with! I have a couple of other bits that I made, but they need more work on them before they are finished.