The Very Aspirational Necklace I have a new project in mind that I think of as the Very Aspirational Necklace, or VAN. Because who doesn't love an acronym? Anyway, the VAN consists of multiple layers of natural beads, terminating at a hammered copper disk. It's attached to a choker made up of little round dangles. […]
What a busy and productive weekend it's been! Following an absolutely brutal summer, the weather finally cooled down enough that it was more appealing to be out in the garden than inside in the studio. My property has taken on serious haunted house vibes this season, with an overgrown front yard and vines creeping up […]
The weather's still hot and the trees are still green, but it's September, and that means it's time to start planning for fall. If you managed to get a garden in this year, you're probably up to your eyeballs in produce and, if you're like me, weeds. I've got my eyes on taking a couple […]
In a possibly misguided attempt to accelerate my metalsmithing journey, I decided I would try to create a piece of jewelry designed by AI. I fed DALL-E the prompt "A product photo of a piece of jewelry made from a 1" square of copper." Here are the designs it produced: I determined that I had […]
I have a love/hate relationship with how-to videos. On one hand, it's possible to learn how to do virtually anything simply by watching a video (or several). On the other hand, the online practitioners sharing their expertise have an uncanny ability to make their talents appear "simple," when often they simply are not. Sawing metal […]
Last week, I spent approximately $172 million dollars on new tools and supplies, thanks to a fabulous book I'm reading. Simple Soldering: A Beginner's Guide to Jewelry Making is a delightful tome that teaches far more than soldering alone. Obviously, I don't consider myself a beginner, but I am new to many of the techniques […]
I had hoped to introduce my summer collection, By the Sea, in time for, well, summer. A wind storm and shipping slow-downs have ensured that won't happen, but I'm almost there! This collection combines the aqua and turquoise, sky-blue, and delicate brown tones of a gentle beach, where sea grass and bleached wood abound. The […]
Last week, I talked about creating silicone rubber molds for metal clay, attempting to use said molds with said clay, and the trials and travails of equipment failure and lack of experience. I had ordered some new supplies and was ready to dive into new ventures. As I waited for my supplies to arrive, I […]
Last week's post took a somber turn as I contemplated the depth of meaning behind this year's Memorial Day. This week starts on a cheerier note with some exciting updates from my time at the bench! Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride of successes, setbacks, learning curves, and a few equipment failures. I took last […]
I have colored-grapheme synesthesia, which means that I perceive letters, numbers and many symbols as having an inherent color—and not just any color, but a very specific hue that has remained consistent my entire life. I have a positive or negative reaction to certain words and number combinations based strictly on how well or how […]
