Inspiration and Testing

I'm gearing up for the fall Open Studio Tour.

I saw these stones up for sale and I'm using them as an inspiration for some scraffito enamel work.  The metal blanks will be covered with dark brown, then the other colors will be sifted over and before they go into the kiln I'll scratch lines to show the dark brown underneath.

Here are my first color tests, I still need a deep green and that warm orange, but so far so good.

Another challenge to look forward to.

Peace to you

Enamel Bracelet Continued - Part 3

It's getting there.

Here you see the discs have all be enameled and I'm working on attaching them to the plates using a riveting process.  Here you see me experimenting with clasp ideas.

The riveting gets a little tricky, often the enamel cracks but that will be fixed on the final trip into the kiln.

My goal is to make a clasp that blends in completely.  The first idea was to slip a disc through a slotted plate, but the loop on the bottom is too big, scratch that.

Here's idea number two, which might work but relies heavily on bracelet tension.  I'm going to try it but there are a lot of reasons it might not work.  In the end I may just use a double lobster clasp but it's fun to experiment.  However, I've got only a few weeks left until the Open Studios Tour so it's time to move on.

Ready to tumble.

Starting to put the plates together.

 I love these sorts of challenges.  This will be the Satellite bracelet.

Peace

Process - Enamel Bracelet

I'm starting to work on a new piece that has been floating around in my head.

Here's the preliminary sketch.

And here's the beginning.

Like some of the earrings I've already done the rectangles will remain silver.  The rounds will be cupped and placed randomly but with perhaps a bit of wave.  I plan to cut out a slot in one to allow an enameled round to slide into it, making the bracelet design almost seamless.

Happy dreaming!