The Making of an Island, the Island of Sylt

     I've been working on an unusual custom order.  It's for a man that I met at my last art show this May.  He wanted a pendant made of the Island of Sylt, an Island in north Germany.  I'm documenting my process here for two reasons.  One reason is to provide an easy layout with all the photos together in one format for my client.  The other reason is to show how easy it is to create unique custom jewelry pieces by making your own templates.  The process can work with just about any kind of subject. 

     My client gave me his key chain of the Island for an example, but he wanted the pendant larger.  The first thing I did was google the Island to learn about it, and to print out a map with the exact geographical shape of the Island Sylt.  I traced the outline of the Island with a black sharpie.

     After I had a black outline, I scanned the map and saved it into a word file.  Once it was in the word file, I resized the map to the dimensions of the pendant that I would make.  Next, I printed out the smaller outlined map.  I cut around the shape of the Island in order to use it to make a template.  After it was cut out, I covered it with clear shipping tape and cut around that to get the shape back.  Now, I have a water proof and sturdy template. 

     Notice that I left more tape and paper around the edges where I drew the outline.  This was to allow extra space for refining and sanding the edges.   

     After I had the template made, I rolled out a layer of PMC3 silver clay to a thickness of five cards.  I put my template on top of the clay and used an exacto knife to cut out the shape.  Sorry, but the photo I took of it at that point just didn't come out.  But, here is the next phase where I am sanding it and refining the shape.  My client wanted it to be a little three dimensional with sand dunes and the road.  Sylt is known for their dunes.

     Here, I have the dunes in and I am sanding it to get rid of all the edges.  Once I had that done, I took a lead pencil and drew where I wanted the road to go based on the map I had printed out earlier.

  

      I put the road in by using a syringe filled with PMC3 silver clay.  Another request I had about this pendant was for it to have a hidden bail on the back.  I did this by putting a half loop in a piece of 12 gage fine silver wire.  I hammered the two ends flat so they would insert and lay on the clay better.  After I made the bail, I marked where it would sit on the pendant.  I then cut out indentations into the clay for the two ends of the bail.  I inserted the bail and back filled the holes with syringe silver clay.  I let it dry and shrink a little and applied some more.  Remember, the clay will shrink during firing, but the fine silver wire bail will not.  And the last step before drying and firing in the kiln was to add my "J" logo and the .999 silver mark. 

 

     And finally, here is the completed pendant, the Island of Sylt.  It has been tumbled to work harden, given a patina with Liver of Sulphur, and finely hand polished to bring out the details and give it a nice shine. 



     So, that's it!  What do you think about the pendant, and what do you think about my mini tutorial?

Have a great day!

Janie

Before, during, and after the firing of silver jewelry

There are a ton of things in work on my work bench right now.  I'm getting ready for my second art show out of three this year.  The next one is April 21st. on Dauphin Island, Alabama at the St. Francis Episcopal Church, on Key Street.  If you'll be in the area, come see us!

I'm working on some new silver pendants amongst other things such as polymer.  Here are some photos of some silver pendants I made fresh out of the kiln prior to polishing, after polishing, and finally after a patina has been applied.

This first photo is a Hummingbird pendant that I hand carved.  The photo shows what it looks like prior to firing.

Here it is again after firing, fresh out of the kiln with two other pendants.

And here are all three after they have been scratch brushed prior to tumbling and polishing.

Here they are after tumbling.  Tumbling work hardens the silver and gives it the initial polish.

Finally, here they are after I gave them a patina and their final polish.

I like to add a patina because it give each piece more definition and brings out the details.  A patina can always be taken away though.  All you have to do is refire the piece and give it a new polish.

So, what do you think?

Have a great day!

Janie







Fairhope, Alabama Art Festival Photos



The Fairhope art festival was great!  I had a small table display inside the shop at Cadeaux Caches on Fairhope Ave.  I enjoyed meeting the other artists who were there with Cadeaux Caches.  There were two of us set up inside the shop, and four other artists outside on the sidewalk.  Sandy Castor, who is a mosaic artist, was my table mate inside.  Oh my...you should see her work!  No website for her, you will have to visit her work at Cadeaux Caches.  She doesn't use the traditional broken pottery or porcelain in her mosaics, but instead uses imported glass, stones, and various other interesting media. 

I can't say enough wonderful things about Donna and Rob, the owners of Cadeaux and Caches, especially Donna.  She has a real talent for what she does.  She is in the right place!  It was a pleasure working with them and it's a pleasure and an honor to have some of my jewelry for sale there on consignment.  No photos of them.  Donna is camera shy...Please visit their shop.  Donna is a very out going cheerful person and can tell you anything and everything about each piece that is for sale in her shop.  She is a real pleasure to be around and you will love meeting her..  

Inside the shop

There was also a guy there who makes stringed instruments out of gourds.  He played music for us all day for the entire three day festival!

Jason of "Jaybirdbanjo"



Sandy Castor, a mosaic artist.  Her work is available at Cadeaux Caches

Kip Hayes amd his wife from "Hayes Gallery of Southern Art" were with us also.  He paints some awesome old time southern scenes on reclaimed wood from hurricaneKatrina.  

And there was also Debra from "Sugarboogers".  She made earrings and the cutest little onesies and t-shirts for toddlers.  I don't have a website for her.



And here are a couple of photos of my display.  One is from inside and one is outside.  One of the outside venders left early, so we moved my table outside!  The person behind my table is my best bud PJ.  She helped me all three days! My work can be seen online at Life Art Designs. 

And here is a photo of Brina and Justine who worked for the owners inside the shop.  It was St. Patrick's Day.  That's why the green hair.  They are behind my booth wearing a couple of my pendants.

Now that this show is over, I am busy getting ready for the next one.  It is the St. Francis Episcopal Church’s 10^th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival on April 21, 2012 located at 401 Key St. on Dauphin Island, Al.  Not one of the largest...but one of my favorites! 

Have a great day!

Janie



   

Silver Sea Turtles

Out of yesterdays work with all the different silver pieces being worked...three Sea Turtles emerged.  One of them is actually a custom order and will be picked up today.  But, she must choose....  :). 

Have a great day!

Janie



Fine Silver Clay In progress

I'm getting ready for the annual Fairhope, Alabama arts and crafts festival, which is in two weeks!  It's a juried show that has a huge waiting list for venders.  Luckily for me, the owner of Cadeaux Caches, where I have some of my silver jewelry on consignment, offered me a small space inside her shop.  Yay!  So now, I am in a creating frenzy.  I'm also finishing up on a couple of custom orders that I was already working on.  I also have two more shows here locally on the Island in May and April.  So, it looks like I will be busy for a while!  But, I'm having a blast creating new pieces.  Here's some silver clay pieces I'm working on:

Below are little tiny flower petals.  Usually, when I make something out of fresh clay, I will take the left over pieces of clay and make components for future use.  They come in handy at times like this.  And, it just seems nore economical that opening a new pack of silver just for some tiny pieces.  

Here is a close-up of a large Mermaid pendant and some Sea Turtles I'm working on.  Neither are finished nor ready to fire.  Much more detail work in store for the Mermaid.  And, lots more work to them after they dry.  The Sea Turtles are just laying on top of the base.  I still have to fine sand them before firing.  That's why they look so scraggly.

That's it for now.  I do have a pile of silver that is fresh out of the kiln.  But, no time to photo that right now!

Have a great day!

Janie 

Polymer Clay Big Bead Necklaces

I've been playing around with some of the polymer clay beads that I recently made.  You can read about the beads and see their in-progress photos in my previous posts if you would like.  Here's a couple of necklaces I am making with them, I am going for a very simple design for now:

Have a great Day!

Janie

Success or Failure

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
-- Thomas Alva Edison

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