Unique Handmade Fine Silver Jewelry for Great Holiday Gifts!

I've been busy using some of my newly acquired (and a few I haven't played with in awhile!) vintage bronze jewelry dies from Afghanistan to create new unique wearable pieces in pure silver metal clay..... still handmade by me in my little Ojai studio and fired in my mini kiln. And I decided to play a bit more with braiding Irish linen for cords in different colors.  It was a little tricky securing the braided cord ends in an attractive way.  I tried several different ways which failed my aesthetically critical eye and was about to give up (for the day, that is) when VOILA!, the Universe came to my rescue and a solution finally came through my thick skull.  I'm excited about the results... and I especially LOVE the braided red linen!

 All items available, or soon to be, in my Etsy online shop.

Tribal Heart Necklace

Floral Blossom Necklace

Floral Mandala Necklace

 

Arabesque Heart Necklace

"A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist."

~ Louis Nizer

Playing with Aura 22 Gold

The price of gold is at an all time high ... $1,855. today!  But, with the invention of Aura 22, I can still play with gold and not have heart palpitations if I make a little mistake!  My cousin commissioned me to create a necklace for her thirteen year old daughter, who saw the crystal druzy and fell in love but wanted my PK touch with it.  I finally found a moment to get my act together and finish it.  I made a few pieces, along with the custom order, so I could practice my guilding.  I made the extra tear drops in case the custom one didn't come out right... luckily they all came through with flying colors. 

The process is fairly easy. You make your fine silver metal clay piece, fire it like normal, then without touching it or polishing it, you paint several thin layers (I did four layers) of the liquid 22k gold clay paste.  The liquid gold has a small percentage of silver clay mixed in so it will fuse with the metal clay piece.  So, after applying the gold, it goes back in the kiln at only 850 degrees for 15 minutes (or you can fire it with a torch).  The first time I used it, I had a difficult time as the clay didn't want to stick to the silver after firing....  it flaked off while I burnished/polished it.  I read that it sticks better if you take it out of the kiln while still warm (but NOT hot) so I tried that approach. Seems to have worked!  Though from the first try, I learned not to polish with a polishing pad with any grit or it will rub the gold off. Best to use a burnisher.  I haven't tried the tumbler yet.

The first photo show the teardrop metal clay pendant without any oxidation. The whiter area is the silver without the gold overlay. The following photo shows the same teardrops as earring WITH oxidation.... a completely different look.  The last photo is a fine silver metal clay pendant with Aura 22 gold painted only on the granulation and floral detail, then oxidized.

GOLD 

 This symbolizes the purity of the spiritual aspect of "All That Is". It is symbolic of spiritual development in the realm of complete understanding, allowing one to both attain and maintain communion with the source of all being. It emits an energy to prompt one to allow beauty to come forth from the inner being as one travels through the world of experiences. It assists one to activate, to mobilize and to actualize the intrinsic potential of the self. The energy of gold can assist one in the elimination of ego conflicts and feelings of futility. It balances the heart chakra and amplifies thought forms. Gold has been used to open the third-eye and is an excellent mineral for purification of the physical body. 

"PURE GOLD DOES NOT FEAR FURNACE."

~ Chinese Proverb ~

Beads and Legos of Summer

Yes, I have been a bit distracted from my jewelry passion lately.

I have been very determined to help my fiver year old son learn to be a stronger swimmer so we've been in the pool practically every day this summer.  He loves the water and is definitely part fish like his father but he has had a great fear of THE DEEP END! Several attempts to motivate him into the DEEP END ended up in tears. Hmmmm. I decided to bribe him.... The other day, I told him that when he was ready and could swim from the deep end to the shallow end (long length of the pool) I would buy him a new Lego set.   I know, I know... I shouldn't have but I just KNEW he could do it! He looked at me and said "You mean for FREE??... No allowance?"  I said "Yes!".  He ran straight to the deep end, jumped in and swam all the way to the shallow end ...NO TEARS!  Thank you Lego...mission accomplished!

Despite my hours in the pool, I have managed to squeeze in a little creative time for myself and managed to design and assemble a few pieces that have been sitting in my studio for a few months.  I made the silver pieces months ago but as you can see, I'm finally playing with the beads I went crazy buying at the bead shows and having so much fun! Here is a sneak preview before they hit Etsy....

"You are all separate beads strung together on that one thread, God."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~

Trust Those Dreams of Gold

Last year, I posted a blog (She Sailed Away...) about a dream I had  several years ago that prompted me to finally take a jewelry class and learn how to use Precious Metal Clay.  In the dream, I (I think it was me!) was making gold jewelry.  I enjoy working with silver but I REALLY would love to work with gold....high carat gold like 18k, 22k, 24k... but with the price of gold at an all time high I have only dabbled with a few findings. A few weeks ago I splurged on some 18k gold ear wires and head pins and created a pair of earrings that had been in my head for awhile.  They ended up being the most expensive pair of earrings I had ever listed on Etsy and I figured they might sit on the shelf for months, if not forever.  Low and behold, one week later.....SOLD!  I couldn't believe it! 

I know the concept but now I now I trust it...... Do what you love and the rest will come!

So, you might be seeing more gold accented jewelry soon.  

And someday I WILL learn to craft in gold!

“What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.”

Julia Cameron

Ancient Valentine

I just looked up the history of Valentine's Day and am so surprised to learn that this special day is a very ancient tradition and not invented by Hallmark!  The history is a bit convoluted BUT I will give you a VERY short synopsis.... 


There was an ancient fertility celebration the Romans called Lupercalis/Lupercalia on February 15th.  In the 5th century AD, Pope Gelasius turned the celebration into a Christian feast day honoring St. Valentine and changed the date to a day earlier.   Two hundred years prior, the bishop Valentine had ignored the emperors ban on marriage and married young couples in secret and was consequently martyred ....  on February 14th.  In the middle ages, St. Valentine's Day became associated with romance and love....supposedly influenced by Chaucer. You can read more about it at the Holiday Spot.


I only have one heart necklace for sale in my shop so I'm excited to get into my studio to create more tokens of love!

"My bounty is as deep as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite. "

William Shakespeare

Baubles, Bangles and More Beads ; )

I've been so indulgent the last year gobbling up loads of beads at the local gem and mineral shows.  As I've mentioned before, my eyes grow bigger than my pocketbook at these affairs and I just can't help myself from adopting all the beautiful treasures I see! My guilt is finally starting to wane since I'm actually using them in my new designs and putting them up for sale.  It is often not easy parting with my little creations but I'm so happy when someone loves them like I do....makes the separation go easier. 


Available on Etsy Sunday December 5th!


Here are a few new ones....

Persimmon colored onyx layered with a fine silver floral pendant

strung with a mix faceted semi-precious  stone beads 

(aquamarine, carnelian, onyx, moonstone, labradorite, 

fine silver pendant with Austrailian opal beads 

strung on Irish waxed linen

fine silver charms mixed with labradorite,

turquoise & sterling beads on Greek leather cord

All silver pieces are created from antique Afghani bronze jewelry dies that I found in a bazaar in Islamabad, Pakistan.

“Life is a train of moods like a string of beads; and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses, which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

PMC Dreamy Mandala Necklace

I have just spent the last 4 hours photographing, cropping and editing 18 different new pieces and I now have to describe, price and list them on Etsy.  This business is time  con - sum - ing!  I'm not complaining ... I just wish I had a little brownie (you know.... the little fairy helpers?) to lend a hand.  I think I will just post a couple per day so I can find time to workout (Doctors orders...I must get my bee-hind out of the chair at least a 1/2 hour per day)!


So here is one of my favorite new creations .... a mandala pendant handmade from precious metal clay using an antique Afghani bronze jewelry die, square cut labradorite beads, and tiny handmade sterling Thai beads.

Sublime Copper

I had always thought copper to be a nice metal for bathroom pipes or lighting but I never purchased anything decorative.  It's not that I don't like it but I had just never seen anything that caught my eye. Then, I went to Pakistan where incredibly crafted vases, pitchers and bowls are made.  I purchased a few things and my mother went crazy.  Her entire house is filled with copper now!

When I heard that copper metal clay was invented I wasn't too interested as I've never come across any jewelry that called my name... until I saw some pieces made with it. And I love it in combination with silver and/or bronze.  So, I ordered some and realized afterwards that the firing was much more complicated than silver so I decided to take a class. I'm so glad I did ...  I would have had a devil of a time!  You really have to add moisture to the ready made clay and knead it until it' the consistency of fresh silly putty. And, you must wrap and  put away any unused clay in an airtight container before it begins oxidizing.  When it does, it turns hard and black.  Otherwise it  was fairly similar to silver clay.  Getting it out of the kiln is another matter.  It really takes two people.... one to open the kiln and pull out the shelf and another to grab the fired pieces (with mask, gloves and long tongs) and get plunge them into water lighting fast.  If you don't, a hard scale grows on the copper which is very difficult to remove.  I was lucky as my pieces had hardly any scale.  Then you pick of the scale, polish and put in pickle.  If the pickle is fresh, it help remove the scale.  As with silver, it's a delight to see your dull porous clay turn into a hard shining metal. 

 Here are my first copper jewelry pieces, peeks at my Pakistani finds and a sample of what raw copper looks like......

MORE ON COPPER

Healing history of Copper: 

Copper has been used in medicine for thousands of years, apparently since before the beginning of recorded history. The ancients recognized copper as an essential healing mineral. Copper was found useful for its curative powers — largely due to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties — in the treatment of wounds and skin diseases.  In modern times, copper is becoming more widely recognized for its effectiveness in the treatment of a number of internal diseases including anemia, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and heart disease. 

Here is an interesting quote from Shimmerings on copper....

"Mystical Properties:Due to the fact that copper is such a wonderful physical conductor of electricity and heat, it is also considered the conductor of the spiritualist's belief system.  According to myths, copper has the ability to conduct spiritual energy back and forth between individuals, crystals, auras, the mind and the spirit world.

It is also believed that copper has the power to amplify thoughts when sending and receiving psychic communications.  New Age followers carry copper with their stones and crystals to 'straighten' the properties of them, as well they are used when crating crystal wands to be certain of their clear and straight powers. Copper is also quite instrumental in the physical and mental healing rites of many peoples of this world"


AND recently in the news, it is believed that King Solomon's copper mines have been found in Jordan!

Pom Pom Blossoms

I just listed my little pom pom earrings today on Etsy.  They are made from from an antique Afghani bronze jewelry die and then I embellished them with tiny little dots and lines.  I didn't realize what they were until after several weeks after I made them.  They reminded me of something. Then, I went into our mini orchard and saw my pomegranate trees chock a block full of blossoms and BONK! It hit me...my little earrings are pomegranate babies!  Since the earrings looks like blossoms and Afghanistan is famous for pomegranates (pregnant women drink it for healthy babies ...great source of anti-oxidants) and the dies are from there, the little motifs must be one and the same.  


Twenty years ago, I fell in love with pomegranates after painting many of them in a college art class.  I still hang one of my favorites in our kitchen.  But I never truly enjoyed the incredible flavor (besides sucking on a few seeds as a kid) until I tried fresh squeezed ice-cold pomegranate juice at the Khan Club restaurant in Peshawar.  There is nothing like fresh squeezed Heaven.  When we purchased our home in Ojai with two mature pomegranate trees, I went straight out and purchased a special juicer.  Ahhhh.... a little slice of heaven once more!   


Pom Pom Earrings on Etsy....

Oil on canvas...circa 1990

Our very own pom babies...photographed this morning.

Sucking... painting... juicing... molding... polishing... wearing.  The funny little pom pom fruits just keep coming back into my life. I think it's a good sign especially since they are a symbol of prosperity and abundance, fertility and marriage, rebirth and eternal life!

“Let us get up early to the vineyards; 

let us see if the vine flourish, 

whether the tender grape appear, 

and the pomegranates bud forth: 

there will I give thee my loves.”

~ Song of Solomon 7:12

 King James Bible ~

Happy Vernal Equinox

About two months ago, we were told that our gorgeous giant live oak on our side yard was very sick and must be taken out.  We were heartbroken but better the tree gone than our heads (the tree could have fallen into our master bedroom).  Once the deed was done and the rains came, we were left with a huge gaping muddy hole and very unattractive side yard.  So, I got to work sketching out a landscape plan with all my favorite drought tolerant plants and realized I better consult an expert for final approval.  In comes Cathleen Lynch of The Essential Garden in Ojai to the rescue.  


Cathleen has an enthusiasm for plants that is contagious.  She guided me towards a few more suitable and interesting plants that I had never heard of, massaged my plan a bit and drew up a beautiful revision. She even purchased the plants and helped me place them. Thank you Cathleen!  


After some additional grading, new drainage pipes,  fence, gravel (thank you Abel at Mar Gardening) and butterfly chairs along with the olive trees, new plantings and uplights (thank you Chris the electrician!) we finished just in time for the first day of Spring!

Before 

After

It will take a few years to fill in properly but it's all about the process, right?  When I went to pay Cathleen, she said she wanted to see my jewelry first.  And low and behold, she wanted to do a trade for her design time.... I am so flattered!  Here is the necklace she picked.....

metal clay pendant 

from antique Afghan bronze die 

with amazonite (?) drop strung with

faceted peridot and Thai silver beads 

Incredible Discovery

While surfing the net the over the weekend for any historical information I could find on Afghan bronze jewelry dies, I came across a groovy website that sells ethnic jewelry called beadparadise.com.  I wasn't looking for a shop but I decided to browse anyway.  Suddenly I saw an incredible Afghan necklace that reminded me of an antique one that I bought in Islamabad. As I looked closer, I noticed that the centerpiece of the necklace looked almost identical to one of my vintage Afghan bronze jewelry dies.  I pulled up a photo of a pendant I made from that die and my jaw dropped.......it was EXACTLY the same design!  Could it be that the die that I own was used to make this necklace?? 


I emailed Ruth, the owner, and told her of my discovery.  She believes the necklace to be 75 to 100 years old but wasn't sure where in Afghanistan the necklace was made.  She said that these dies are not that uncommon to find but I would LOVE to know if these dies were duplicated or one of a kind.... and, I want to learn how these brass dies are made. Were they designed by men or women? AND, are they still made today?  Does anyone out there know?

 

necklace from Bead Paradise

 Afghan bronze jewelry die

my metal clay creation made from the die above