End of the Year Clean Up

Probably ought to do a little end of the year wrap up on my semester, so lets break it down by class.

CAD: Nothing changed since the last post, look for more stuff by the end of January.

Jewelry:

A sad looking drum that needs revamping when it comes to the head. But I have a plan for fixing it later....

And the whole shebang for this semester. Rather disappointing isn't it? It was a bit of a bad semester all around for everyone in the class though, blargh. Hopefully the next go around will be better.

Fibers has eight of my 10 samples here for the final project and

a blurry cell phone picture of the final piece. It's about the Albright-Knox and how the classical architecture is at odds with the modern art in it. The columns are trying to contain the art (or the art is trying to break out). Anyway, the columns growing over the background remind me of the Konami shooter Lifeforce in which your piloting a ship through some sort of organic thing with walls that grow and get in your way.

 

 

Since they are so far back in the top image have some exclusive images of my two favorite samples. First is a nice modern art looking one that was the basis for the final (and also looks better) and the second one has a nice japanese garden railing reflecting in the pond look to it. All in all a great year for me in fibers; I'm tentatively looking forward to the next class im taking in it.

 

Digital Methods: the less said about it the better I suppose but heres some stuff anyway,

 

Random ad I had to cobble together into photoshop.

Stupid illustrator tools.

The silly old southwestern chair hut.

Probably the best pieces from the class are these laser cut cloud earrings. I'm happiest with how these came out despite the bad glue job, would laser cut again etc, etc. Which means I ought to look into buying an Adobe Suite, especially when coupled with the fact my copy of Photoshop is three versions out of date.

Overall its been a a fairly good semster in all the classes that aren't directly concerning jewelry, funny how that happened. Since I am in a celebratory mood and it's nearly Christmas let's end with OCRemix again and a Mario/Christmas music medly:

 



Having Bitten off More...

...Than I can possibly chew at one time, I've reorganized some priorities to bring you the process of making my latest jewelry piece.

We begin with forging the lower half of my necklace out of quarter inch copper rod as they are just about to be annealed again for more hammering.

Once I shaped and drilled the ends of the piece I riveted them together. Some how I always wind up having to rivet on top of a dapping punch since the pieces have just enough of a curve that a flat anvil or bench block won't work.

Because I learned my lesson with the Pac-man necklace about how rigid riveted pieces are the top half of the this one is a normal chain that I twisted into a sort of curb chain, which doesn't lay right with the rest of the piece but eh live and learn? Also notice that you cannot see the solder seams on the chain since I used a copper solder I got from the Rochester gem show. It's a lot like low temperature silver solder and actually flows with out using flux. It means however its easier to stick feed it than to use pallions. Still want to get more of it and keep experiementing with it though.

Here's how everything starts to line up so far for the necklace. Once the chain was attached and the clasp made and put on it was time to start adding the plastic.

I had to have help slicing the tubing since there are difficulties involved in running it through power saws. After that it was time to begin fitting the pins that hold the plastic to the metal necklace.

While I started working on the plastic part of the necklace the Nor'easter Iron Conference was happening, specifically they were doing their big 1,000 pound iron pour outside next to the jewelry studio. Such a lovely smell from the coke furnace, indeed.

By now I have the top and bottom circles fitted to the plastic rings and its time to start gluing.

Gluing even with some practice proved to be messier than I had anticipated but here are the pieces half assembled and filled halfway with aquarium gravel, some Monopoly houses, miniature dice, and random key knockouts plus tiny rhinestones.

Look at that glorious strat-o-sheen shine! Anyway, not only does the gravel make a falling water sound it looks a lot like flood water especially with houses floating in it. The dice represents the chance of rain since the whole necklace is supposed to be a modern tribal attempting to summon the rain kinda thing.

Here it is finished! Photographed on the world's worst background in the vent where I glued it together with quite caustic acrylic cement. It's not as wonderful as I hoped and I haven't had a chance to try it for weight since I have been letting it to cure for a full 24 hours but at least it's finished and ready for a likely brutal critique.

 



And there was one more benefit to the glue practice, expect to see this piece as a background enviroment in CAD which the entirety of my Thanksgiving break will be spent doing in attempt to bring that project to fruition.

Non sequitur noise time, how about another Cyriak animation, Welcome to Kitty City?

Its amazing what some people can do with a copy of Photoshop, After Effects, and Fruity Loops while I continue to look askance at Illustrator, but the Adobe Suite and I are getting along better now, thanks for asking.

Summer/Fall Production Pricing

Dull post title but accurate! For those of you interested in owning a piece of jewelry I've got prices listed below on those ready to go. All earring posts and hooks are made of sterling silver, and the entire piece is sterling for the tube and curve designs. If there was something else you wanted from the original post showing off the pieces, don't hesitate to email me, the link for which is in my profile. And if you're not interested in these, there's a small preview after the price list of what I'm developing next.

 

 

 Tube Earrings $35

 Tube Necklace: $100

Triangle Earrings: $20

 "Reverse" Earrings: $10

 Click Clack Earrings: $15

 Curve Pendant: $40

Curve Earrings: $30

For the grand preview, I have finally learned how to drill seaglass! As you can see the ear wires got quite experimental, and because of that these aren't quite ready for sale yet, but they will be soon.

 

The other things I am looking at for production is a few older designs to improve upon and as always using alternative materials and recycling/upcycling. Not pictured are some ideas involving the square studs from studded belts which im still working out, among other things. Stay tuned!

Fairly Pretty Pictures

Alright let's do this! I don't have the right backdrop for it, but on with the pictures!

Astro Ring, Sterling and Rutilated Quartz Cabochon

Wing Earrings, Sterling and Black Chatoyant Cabochons

Jupiter Pendant, Sterling, Turquoise, and White Cubic Zirconia

Three Tier Tube Earrings, Sterling and White Cubic Zirconia

Tube Chain Necklace, Sterling and White Cubic Zirconia

"Gladiator" Earrings,  Sterling and Red Acrylic

A Cat in Bamboo? Okay Then...

Reverse Earrings, Sterling with Acrylic

 

Curly Earrings and Pendant, Sterling

Click Clack Earrings, Sterling, Brass, Laserdisc, Record, and Compact Disc

What the? A...crane?

How did these pictures get in here?

Oh I get it! They're building a bridge,

Ha ha he's smoking a pipe while working! Ah hrm anyways,

Triangle Earrings, Copper, Sterling

Brass Capped Earrings, Brass, Black Acrylic, Sterling

Protype Tube Earrings, Sterling, White Cubic Zirconia

Gear Pin, Brass, Copper, Nickel

Sonic Spike Earrings, Sterling, Record Vinyl

Lion's Eye Pin, Acrylic, Brass, Nickel

Cube Pin, Brass, Nickel

Spiral Green Earrings, Acrylic, Sterling

Heart Pendant Protoype, Brass, Copper


There you have it! an entire Summer's worth of jewelry work and distractions. Some of these pieces will even be up for sale fairly soon and if anyone's really interested drop me a line through the blog. Watch for a bit more to come in terms of the tubing based jewelry and the reverse earrings too! In two weeks the Fall Semester begins and so will the unveiling of the new theme. Until then don't forget to double stack your trailers.