A Very Special Ring

Over the holidays our daughter Sarah and her long-time boyfriend Brian got engaged!

Guess who gets to make the ring?!

A perfect fit.

A ring for Nancy

Ring-a-ding-ding.

I hope she likes it.

Prototype Ruby Ring

I pulled out an old sketch book (after I melted a piece, grrrrr) to dig up an old idea I sketched dated February 19, 2008! I only had an hour of studio time left so I scrambled and got it roughed out. I'm actually very pleased with this, rough and unfinished and raw as it is, I see what it will be. Hammered, textured, filed, sanded and polished....maybe put it on a tiny sinusoidal stake....such potential. I see an entire series....

I can't wait until tomorrow.

Rings, rings, rings!

Sterling, fine silver and some have a bit of 18kt gold.

Golden Knots Workshop

Long radio silence here, 'tis the season!

In early November I was able to take a workshop at Krasl Art Center with Loren Damewood of Golden Knots. I was thrilled, I've been wanting to take a class from him for several years but just never worked out...this time he was going to be teaching in Chicago, I was going to head over to take it but I had already committed to teaching then. Rats! I talked to our education director Julia Gourley and she was more than willing to host him at Krasl if he was willing to come. Can't hurt to email him and ask so I did, he was happy to swing by before going on to Chicago, we worked to find enough folks to take the class and BAM I was set! Not only that, but it was during the Holly Market Sale at the art center and they invited Loren to bring and sell some of his finished jewelry, there were many, many happy women wearing some of his lovely rings and bracelets. Good for all!

First thing in the morning, Loren started us out making the Prolong Knot cuffs.

In the afternoon we started working on Turk's Head knot rings, I made one during the class and have worked on several more (between commissions) since then. I feel like I am getting the hang of it. It's a bit tricky to take a single strand of wire and turn it into something like these. A few of them didn't come out this nice...but I won't show those knots.

Just these.



It's going to be a nice holiday here, my gifts are all done. *wink wink*Are yours?

You gotta' hand it to that girl Nancy...

She comes up with some of the best ideas. My friend Nancy passed this fun ring display idea on to me, thanks Nancy! And if you think that is a great idea you have got to see her work at her her etsy store. Wonderful I tell ya'!

I decided to make my hands multi-functional so I hung some of them from little hooks to show off bangles.

I used some scrap bits of marine grade 4mm plywood (from a friend), traced my hand on a piece of paper, cut it out, transferred the patterns onto the wood, cut out one set with my handy-dandy scroll saw, sanded the rough spots, used the first set as a pattern to trace out more, cut them all, sanded some more, painted some and VOILA!

Rivety Rings

Forged Sterling Rings with Copper Rivets