I’m starting to really like silver and seeing as it’s more popular with customers it’s something I am going to be doing a lot more of in the future.

Scarf pin / brooch which can be pinned on loosely woven fabrics

Key to a magical world

Pretty leaves

I’ve spent a lot of time avoiding working with silver for many reasons. Stirling silver is so expensive I’m scared of wasting lots of money. Silver plated wire can’t be oxidised so I can’t treat it in the same way that I can copper.

However, lots of people ask if I can make jewellery in silver so after making a circlet for someone I decided to use up the left over wire to make some pendants. I’m pretty please with them. I’m wondering if I should do more as silver seems to be a lot more popular.

Someone has asked if I could make a circlet, I’ve had a little play and this is what I’ve got so far.

I tried it on my mannequin head before I put it through the ageing process

I’ve been so busy with university that I’ve not had much time to keep up with my jewellery making. I can’t wait to finish my degree so I can have more time for creating.
Here are a few hearts that I’ll be listing tomorrow.

I’ve been finding it really difficult to balance my jewellery making with studying for my final year of my photography degree. Today I decided to try and sort that out and get making. The leaves are some of the first bits I’ve made with Copper Art Clay and I think I’ve finally worked out how to get it to do what I want. It took a lot of experimenting. The rings are my first experimenting with brazing copper. I’ve wanted to be able to do it for ages so now I’ve got a torch for the Art Clay I thought what better time to give it a try. The copper cats are from the Artisan show that I went to in October, I just had to get them!

We went to Brighton at the weekend and I saw some amazing little wire sculptures of creatures. It inspired me to get working with the wire again. I’ve been so busy with university work that I’ve not had much time for making. I really need to get back into the swing of things to stock up for Christmas.

A little paw print made with copper clay. I need to work on getting a smoother finish.

I was so scared using this, partly because it’s expensive and partly because it involves a super hot flame!

Having never used any of the metal clays before I had no real idea of what to expect. I bought a book which has been really really helpful but apart from that I was on my own. I’ve definately learnt a few things from my first experiments, now I am going to design some pieces to have a proper go at working with it. Firing with a torch was far less scary than I expected and was surprisingly simple and easy. I’d recommend trying it to anyone!

This is the book I have. It’s good as it focuses on torch firing rather than using a kiln and goes through each stage very thoroughly.

I had a request for some leaf earrings. I did my best to make them symmetrical but there’s always going to be a few small differences with a design like this, especially when they’re so small and fiddly.

I went a bit crazy with the coils today!
I’m making up new bits and pieces to put on my stall at the weekend. Anything that doesn’t sell will be up in my shop sometime next week

Inspired by our weekends away on the Jurassic Coast (where my parents are lucky enough to live) I have been trying to create fossil inspired pieces. Here are my first tries, I’m please with them although I might try and work more on them now I have the basic idea.