Sue making jewellery.
Well the weather has been good, and the sun is blazing through my jewellery studio windows! We have the last jewellery making course of the year on Saturday 31st July. We will be making silver bangles using cold forging techniques with Georgina Franklin. This course is fully booked but we will run it again in 2011, dates will be here soon.
Last Saturday, Bronwen Tyler Jones taught a jewellery workshop about making lockets, including hinges and catches. The images from the day can be seen on the student’s gallery page.
August is the time for me to be making and bringing together ideas to add new pieces to my jewellery collections in preperation for Goldsmiths’s Fair, soon after followed by Dazzle and The Hereford Contemporary Craft Fair. I will add images of the work in progress on my twitter page, so do follow for all news and info. I will be adding new pieces of jewellery to my online contemporary jewellery shop in the coming weeks ahead too.
On Saturday 24th july Bronwen Tyler Jones taught a locket making workshop, here at the studio. It was a great day, everyone had some experience of making jewellery already so were interested to find out more about hinges and catches. Everyone made a very nice finshed piece, some students choosing to add more detail when they returned to their studio. Here are some images from the course.
Getting started, Bronwen demonstrates using the fly press to make the shapes.
One of the locket samples for students to follow and one halfway through.
Nadine, Rachel and Michelle preparing to press the silver forms.
The shapes are drawn around with a pen to help see the cutting line, and a lip is left to attach the hinge to.
Rachel exploring using letter punches within her design.
One of Bronwen's samples that students could make, including a simple hinge and clasp.
Tube is cut for the hinge, soldering 2 pieces to one side of the locket first, then soldeirng the 3rd tube to the other side of the locket. This can be a bit tricky!
Soldering the tube, using a piece of brass as a riser to get the hinge to just the correct height.
Soldered tubes in the correct position, now the locket is pickled to clean away the oxide that built up during soldering.
Crimping the hinge to hold the wire in place.
The open locket.
Nadine's finished locket.
Maxine's locket, she was going to add more decoration when she returned home, she was really interested to learn the skills and do the rest at home. I would love to see it when it is finshed!
Inside is as good as out!
Michelle's locket.
Rachel put the detail inside and planned to add beading when she got home.
Back in March, I blogged about casting in the jewellery studio when I recycled some rings for a couple who wanted to make one new wedding band reusing the metal. To make the ring even more special, the couples family visited my jewellery making studio and all had a hand in applying a finished texture. Here are some images of the family all adding their individual mark!
Checking the wedding ring to make sure it is a good fit.
Applying a planished finish to the wedding ring.
Again, applying a planished finish to the wedding ring.
And again, applying a planished finish.
Watching the work take place.
The finished wedding ring.
The weather has been lovely, and a few days ago it was hay making time here…
My Dad checking out if the grass is ready to cut.
The grass has been cut and left for a few days in the sunshine.
Baling the hay into small square bales, though some large round ones too.
On Saturday 3rd July Georgina Franklin taught a workshop about reticulation and fusing. I am always interested to see what everyone is making, and therefore am always on hand to help out if needed! The jewellery course was very relaxed, making an enjoyable day, with everyone working on different projects. The day began with Georgina explaning the techniques and going through the many samples she had made, followed by a demonstration. It was then the students’ chance to plan a design and get started. Here are the images from the day.
One of Georgina's samples that students could make. A fused silver ring.
A sample of lots of small pieces all fused together to make a pendant.
Lots of silver squares were cut with snips, layed out and fused. During fusing you get the lovely reticulated surface.
A reticulated silver sample.
Georgina demonstrating fusing, hence the bright red colours!
Annealing the silver between 5-6 times before heating to get the texture.
Wendy's piece on the soldering block ready to solder the granules in place.
Georgina had only just had an operation on her foot a few days before the workshop, hence the big foot and krutches! She was a star and coped really well.
Nadine fusing a piece of copper wire to reticulated silver.
Georgina showing different techniques.
Jerry making her necklace.
Wendy's finshed pendant.
Nadine's reticulated silver hook earrings.
Nadine fused copper to a piece of reticulated silver and made a brooch fitting.
Jerry's pendant, including reticulation, granulation and soldering.
I am a contemporary jewellery designer maker based in rural Herefordshire. My collection is subtle and pure incorporating clean lines and a soft finish. I pass on my skills through teaching jewellery workshops from my jewellery making studio.
