Rolled and Riveted

Here is a ring that I have been working on for a bit and have just finished up. It features two panels of silver that were roller printed with the hull of a tomatillo to achieve the texture. The panels were drilled and then fixed in place with hand hammered silver rivets. The dark finish is a result of liver of sulfur that was applied at the end and then I used steel wool removed some of the oxidation to reveal the pattern.

Cuttlebone Cast Ring

I made this ring this past weekend to add to my newly opened Etsy store. The ring is fabricated and cast from sterling silver. This ring has a formed cast piece that makes the top of the ring that was cast using a mold made from the bone of the cuttlefish. The texture that is imparted on the cast silver can be seen on the top and inside of the ring.

Roller Printed Silver and Gold Earrings

Just finished these earrings that are made from 18 K gold and sterling silver.

 

 

Fold-Formed Bracelet Prototype

Here is a fold-formed copper bracelet that I made today. I started with a strip (1.5" x 4.0") of 22 gauge copper and rolled it through the rolling mill to reduce it to about 24 gauge. After rolling it, it had lengthened to about 5 inches long. After rolling it, I annealed the copper and then folded it lengthwise. Before hammering it, I cut the folded piece into a half-moon shape that tapered toward the ends of the strip. After cutting to shape, I hammered the edges on the side opposing the fold. I did this hammering/annealing process 3 times before opening it up to its present form. This bracelet would fit an average to small woman. Now that I have dialed in the dimensions of the starting material, I can confidently make this from sterling silver.

New Pitch Bowl

I just got a pitch bowl to start working on some chasing and repousse projects that I have wanted to do for  a while. I ordered the larger, deep pitch bowl from Rio Grande and also the medium green chaser's pitch that they carry that is made by A Copper Rose. I decided to forgo the common plaster or cement at the bottom of the bowl and opted for a rock that I picked up down by the beach where we live. I avoided having to use all 5 pounds of my pitch to fill a deep bowl.

Silver and Onyx Ring

I made this ring for an upcoming fundraiser auction at Maryland Avenue Montessori school here in Milwaukee. The ring is cast and constructed from sterling silver and features an onyx cabochon in a bezel setting.

The top portion of the ring is cast using the bone from the cuttlefish as a mold. Using this ancient casting technique, I was able to create the intricate lined texture upon piece that comprises the top of the ring. You can read more about this technique of casting here on artist Nancy Shapiro's website. 

Roller Printed Sterling Silver and Onyx Pendant

I just finished this pendant for my wife's birthday present. I used sterling silver and ran it through my rolling mill with a piece of manilla envelope and 20# test monofilament pieces to produce the texture, this is called roller printing. The curvature of the metal is a by-product of the rolling mill treatment. The stone is a 10 mm diameter onyx cabochon which was bezel set in a bezel made of fine silver.