Prefiring the Dolphins with a Torch

     I'm still working on the silver dolphin pendants.  They are about ready to go into the kiln.  However, first I am prefiring them with a torch.  Why?  Two reasons.  First, one of them (the lone dolphin with the dichroic glass) has a captured hanging bail for the chain.  I used a torch on that part by itself to prevent the two independent pieces from fusing to each other in the kiln.  Secondly, I wrapped the glass dichroic cabachon a little to tight, so I was anticipating some cracks.  I'm doing a little shrinking prior to full sintering, if you will.  And it did get a couple of tiny fractures.  Easy to fix.  Once that's done, it will go into the kiln.

More updates to follow after the final firing and patina...

Until then, have a great day!

Janie   

 



From the Daily Motivator - www.GreatDay.com                                           Photo by Janie Zetsch

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Positive example

     Don’t merely wait or wish or hope for the world to become more positive. The world becomes more positive when you become more positive.

     The experience of life in this world is not something that is imposed upon you. Life is precisely and reliably what you choose to make it.

     What you cannot control, you can accept, interpret and make use of in a positive and purposeful way.       

     Shine a genuine positive light where you are, and that light will quickly spread beyond you.

     Don’t complain about how bad things are. Imagine how good life can be, and then persistently act on   what you imagine.

     Life is the way you live it. Live it well, with joy, with purpose, with care and commitment and love.

     Live according to your highest vision and your most treasured dreams. Be the best positive example for all of life to follow.

— Ralph Marston

Read more: http://greatday.com/motivate/index.html#ixzz24Sv9QprD

                                                                  

So, have a great day!
Janie

 

 

 

Playing with Dolphins

I'm still working on the dolphin pendants.  One singlular dolphin is finished and ready to go into the kiln.   That's the large dolphin on the right side with the bail coming out of it's back.  He has to wait for the others to be finished though.  They have more sanding and refining to do and then other stones to set.  I wasn't happy with the two small dolphins that I showed in the previous blog post, so I made the two new ones you see here on the left side of the top pendant.  They'll get mounted on the pendant at the top with the aquamarine stone.

Have a great day!

Janie

The Dolphins are Coming!

I'm in the process of creating a few Dolphin pendants out of fine silver clay for custom orders.  Some will have backings and one will be a lone single Dolphin with just a bail.  In this photo, they have been refined but still need a little fine sanding.  I broke the tail off of one, but that's an easy fix.  I'll probably wait until I add it to a backing before giving it a new tail.  I'm also waiting on a couple of stones that I ordered before deciding which ones to use in two of the pendants. 

I hope to show more photos as I progress with this.

Have a great day!

Janie

Published in Metal Clay Artist Magazine!

My silver and polymer butterfly necklace is in the gallery section of Metal Clay Artist magazine!  Along with some of my Metal Clay Heads  team members from Etsy.

Have a great day!

Janie

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