Cooking!

That's the general term for what's happening around here.  I'm finally in high gear in the studio and it translates into high gear everywhere.  And now I've got my feet up and a nice cuppa tea, savoring.

The Ruffoni has been filled up with various yummy things, here's the sink full of the bitty yellow plums and the syrup bubbling away from last week.  Man, is this stuff good, tart and sweet, over pancakes, yogurt, muffins, and a few drops in some pan drippings would make a fine meat sauce.

Here's today's pot of deliciousness, it's a variation of Giada's marinara sauce though I've turned it into more of an Arrabiata sauce for those of you who can roll your r's.  It's spicy with the addition of Ro-tel tomatoes and lots of red pepper flakes plus a mad cruise through my well stocked spice cupboard. 

I'm cookin' in the studio too, fusing a lot of fine silver earrings in the last few days.  I love to wear these, they are shiny and very eye catching, quite long but still lightweight.  These are attitude earrings, you can't help but get some when you wear them.

And, tonight I started putting together a couple of heavyweight fine silver bracelets.  These are just FUN, big, bold, heavy, substantial pieces.  The metal is 10 gauge fine silver, really hard to shape but so worth the effort.

We're looking at some rain so I soaked the yard today to guarantee that we'll get some.  As an added incentive to Mother Nature I cleaned out the fountain, emptied the dog's pool, washed my truck and dug a good rain ditch in front of my garage door.  Please...the forest is thirsty.

Pretty things in my garden, it still tickles me to have these things grow almost like weeds around here.  I scattered some lychnis seeds and have been encouraging the hollyhocks to spread some too.  The leaves on the flowering dogwoods are just starting to turn red.  The Open Studios Tour is the first two weekends in October, so they'll be putting on a show for the second weekend here.

So, back to eating bon bons now.

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!

Blue Nile

This is new on my website.

The longest hammered spear in the front is 3 inches.  You can wear it longer or up closer to your neck.  It's a luscious piece and has earrings to match.  I love these earrings and will probably be doing more to be sold separately, these two pieces go together.

So if you have a Queen's attitude, these are the pieces for you.

Smiles

Back with pics

Whew, that was a long 15 days without my laptop.  I was able to limp along with my Droid but still couldn't upload and tweak pics to any great degree.

But I've bought a few more days with my old laptop and will probably buy a new one soon depending on how irritated I get with this old one's sticky keys and general lack of speed.  I want it right NOW dammit, not in 30 seconds, ha!

The weather is glorious if a bit dry, my life is pretty freaking fine too.  I'm feeling sassy and ready for some summer fun.  My road trip is put on hold for now but there are satisfying travel plans in the future.

Here are a some pics of the newest earrings out of my studio using some of the huge batch of bronze pieces  made in my last bronze clay frenzy.

These are bronze and copper.

 Bronze and carnelian.

Bronze and turquoise.

Bronze and turquoise.

Most of the turquoise I use is from a Kingman mine in Arizona.  This is stabilized turquoise, as is about 97 percent of turquoise available today.  The process drives resin into the stone at high pressure and does make the color richer but no color is actually added.  A truly natural gem quality piece of turquoise will cost several hundred dollars.

Peace

New Jewelry

I love these new mixed media earrings, mostly sterling silver and hand formed bronze.  A couple have the new ear wires I'm developing, they are larger and set off the earring a bit more.

These are from my personal collection, the little pine cone medallions are sweet.

These are sterling that has been flame darkened, along with unpolished bronze.

Bright sterling and bronze.

Again, bright sterling and bronze, can you tell I used an "o" stamp to texture the silver?

Sterling and bronze.

These are the biggest, very striking earrings of sterling and bright bronze.  I think they are almost three inches long.

Enjoy, lots more coming soon.

Peace

Pretty

I met a really interesting man who teaches blacksmithing.  He's also been doing some experimentation with foldforming metal.  He gave me a pretty copper piece and I turned it into a piece of jewelry for his wife.  It's got a bit of the sacred feminine influence which some may appreciate and some may not.  I framed his copper piece in fine silver with bronze rivets and then added the cultured freshwater pearls.  I love the luminous quality the fine silver exhibits which is matched by the pearls.

Now you can find me in my studio happily banging away on various pieces of copper, foldforming is really fun. Except now I want a bigger anvil and some bigger hammers, of course.  I'll never have enough tools.

So we've talked about some collaborative learning which I find completely fabulous.  I might also have a place to set up my serious torch and be able to use that safely.

I've been working on a very simple technique to make some leaf earrings and there are a few pendants in process on my bench.  The copper picks up some beautiful patina under flame.

This passion keeps me going through some very wet weather as well as the SAD light I keep in my studio.  I'm also sustained and kept laughing by a very sweet man.

Peaceful dreams to you.

Bronze

Bronzclay is fun, messy, sometimes aggravating and delightful all at the same time.  I set up my kiln in the kitchen and have run at least four batches of bronze pieces in the last week or so.  Now I have piles of beautiful bronze pieces ready to make mixed media earrings.

These pieces were sintered in a coal based charcoal which yields some really varied and interesting patina on the bronze.  They will get a little brass brushing to bring out the shine.

Bronzclay is one of the many precious metal clay products on the jewelry market.  It's made up of microscopic metal particles mixed with an organic binder and water.  You can shape, mold and texture the clay, then dry it, refine it and cook it in a kiln at 1550 degrees for almost nine hours.  In the end (usually) you end up with some really nice bronze, copper or silver pieces (depending on the clay you use) that are uniquely yours.

It can be tricky, sometimes the clay doesn't sinter well and the metal pieces are brittle and useless.  When it works the pieces are fabulous.  

I'm very happy with these.  The little hearts are my favorite.

Peace

Clearing Out!

I'm sifting through inventory, trying to make sense of a huge pile of "stuff".  I'm going to try to pare out a little bit, which is to your advantage.  I'm feeling generous and want to find out if anyone is actually paying attention.

This matching set is the first thing up for grabs.  It's all sterling silver metal, the beads are african trade beads in colors that are great for spring.

I'm going to have a give away, this set will go next Monday the 19th.  There really isn't an exact hour on Monday, just whenever I feel like it.  You must leave me a comment on this blog telling me which of my jewelry pieces on my www.riverwomandesign.com website you like the best.  I'll do some random thing with those who comment and the winner gets this exact set.  (This is just for my friends in the US, shipping overseas is too much.)

Have fun!

Peace

Holding my breath...

I think that today the house will be mine.  Everything is signed, funded and processed, we just need that magic button marked "Recorded" to be pushed and I can go get the keys.

If you listen well you'll hear me squealing.

Here's a wonderful little Pelton wheel I saw in Sutter Creek last weekend.

I think it would go beautifully in my new backyard, unfortunately the generator attached to it is VW sized.

And a new pair of earrings, the bars are forged fine silver, with a beautiful cultured freshwater pearl.

Peace to you and yours this weekend of Thanksgiving.

Almost...

The loan documents are signed.  If all goes well I will get the keys the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Here are a few of the many pendants I finished this week.

 By Wisdom and Courage

 A Valiant Heart

Truth gives wings to courage.

Now off for some fun.

Peace

Closer...

Signing loan docs today!

This is some of my work this week.

I saw these on a walk through the Empire Mine property, pretty strange looking.

Going to try to fit dog walking, studio work, loan signing, a Gallery shift and maybe make some apple butter today.  The weekend is for fun, relaxation, laughter, loving, maybe some yard raking, whatever we damn well please, thank you very much.  Can't wait.

Peace

Small Things

This Friday is the opening reception for Small Works in the Foothills, which is an annual art show and sale at ASIF (Artists Studios in the Foothills).

This is the first time I've been invited to display at this event, it's so exciting.

Here are some of the pendants I've been making:

Sub umbra alarum tuarum - Under the shadow of thy wing.

Memor Esto - Be Mindful

Nolite Tradere - Never Give Up

These pendants come on a custom leather cord.

Peace

Full Speed

Inspection today...pics to follow.

Looking at appliances.

Meeting some interesting new people.

Heading to LA this weekend to meet up with my daughter and engage in some spectator skating.

Preparing for a gallery exhibit.

Trying to remember to breathe.

Life is exhilarating lately.

I don't know if I posted this pic already, some finished earrings.  I think these will go into the ASIF Small Works Show which begins November 4th.

Peace