We had the most beautiful day here today. Forget your coats -- the sun was shining and even my long sleeved shirt was too warm. Spring is just 9 days away and it feels like it! This is a butterfly pendant to celebrate the season. The butterfly is hand cut from the copper, with a silver coated back plate and fine silver antennae. It's about 1.5" in diameter. You wouldn't believe how often I go back and make a little correction after I've taken a photo. Small imperfections don't always jump out when I'm holding a piece in my hand, but they are clear as day in a photo. Now I usually snap a few shots and blow them up on my laptop screen before I call a piece "finished." (Note to self -- go back and solder the top curl on this bale, so the chain doesn't slip out!)
I'll be here every day of March with a new piece to show you, so come back!
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This is a sterling silver pendant with polymer clay 'stone' and bead. A few years ago I made a bunch of polymer clay beads and a few canes, but the clay has been stuck in a drawer ever since. I woke up feeling a little guilty about that. Isn't it weird where inspiration comes from? **This pendant is a giveaway choice** Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
This 1.25" copper pendant is an experiment combining foldforming with corrugation. I plan to do a similar-but-different pendant and earrings set soon. I just need to come up with a twist on the design. **This piece is a giveaway choice** I am starting to lose track of lunch times. Here it is 3 p.m. and I haven't had a thing to eat yet today. Short post, time for a snack! Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
Wow, today was hard work! This is a slotted tab bracelet made of copper sheet. Each piece is individually hammer textured, cut out with a saw, and filed 5 times with successively smaller grain files / paper. Then the bracelet got a dark patina treatment and some time in the tumbler. This is what the sheet looked like as I cut out the shapes. The main benefit of doing this bracelet was the cutting practice. I could already cut but there is a difference between knowing how to do something and mastering it. By the time I finished cutting out the last piece, I could feel a difference in my skill level. And for me, that's what March is all about. As much as I hate repetition, I can't deny the importance of practice. Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
Today’s piece is a copper and sterling silver charm bracelet. I actually started it yesterday and finished this morning because I had an afternoon commitment today. The copper links are soldered together and the charms are hung with soldered jump rings. For design continuity, the clasp is a simple sterling silver hook attached to one of the copper rings. Finally, the charms were scraps salvaged from my previous projects; they just needed sanding, drilling, and hanging. This charm bracelet was truly a milestone for me. Soldering has always been a hit or miss proposition, especially after I moved from a plumber’s torch to a “real” jeweler’s torch. When it worked, it was a nice surprise. Finally this week I fixed a lot of mistaken process and pushed my success rate to about 95%... YAY!!! In case it helps someone else, here is what I did:
Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
Welcome to day six! These copper and sterling silver earrings are a simple, lightweight design that's meant to feel very Zen and feminine. **This piece is a giveaway choice** Yesterday there was a comment suggesting I should post photos of my tools. As I said in my reply, my wish list is much longer than my have-list, but stay tuned and I'll snap a few pics and get them posted. If I can manage to tidy up a little bit, I'll include some shots of my studio. I need a reason to work on that -- it's getting a little out of control right now.
If you're just tuning in, be sure to check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway and how you can enter. Today was pure fun. This pendant is foldformed copper, snipped around the edges fringe-fashion. The entire piece was hit with a torch flame until bright red hot, then each bit of fringe was melted from the edge until it began to ball up. The golds and reds are flame painted. After thinking a lot about what style the bale should be, it seemed right to hang it from a chain as though the piece was on the bottom of the ocean and got snagged in a fisherman's net. So close your eyes and think of walking along a sandy beach. Blue sky, hot sun, waves at your feet, when an object washes ashore. You pick it up... **This piece is a giveaway choice** ...but in the meantime you might see me wearing it! Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
It's a sleepy Sunday, cloudy with a little snow this morning. Chilly. Last year I wrote a lot about the endless winter, but this year it's been so mild that even if it snows the rest of March we're still ahead. Today I made a small pendant cut from a leftover scrap of sterling silver that was just the right size. It is about 1.5" long including the bale. I think it's time to get a blanket and curl up on the couch with my daughter, some hot chocolate, and a movie now. I hope you're all cozy out there, too. Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
Today's piece is a foldformed copper belt buckle, domed and about 2.5" wide. I've been wanting to do a buckle for a long time. This is a bit of a cheater photo because I didn't rivet the layers of leather belt together on the left. I was about to try, then realized I know completely zero about leather. When I hammer a rivet into that flexible material, will it just mush or bend? Who knows. I decided it's enough that I made the buckle today, and I'll consult someone later about how to attach it. I mean, why end the day in frustration when leather isn't my thing? Come back tomorrow :-) Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
Welcome to day 2 of my March 2012 One-a-day jewelry challenge. This is a copper leaf pendant with an apatite gemstone and sterling silver hanging charm.
**This piece is a giveaway choice.** So I've been asked how much preparation I do for these March One-a-day challenges. Do I plan it all out and draw up a month's worth of designs in advance? Oh my gosh. No. I wake up most mornings without a plan and just dig in. And the truth is, if I had it all planned I wouldn't learn much. For example, I'm getting to know a brand new tool right now... each piece helps me discover what's possible/fun, which leads me to projects I couldn't have thought up earlier. So no, I don't know what tomorrow's piece will be! Check my March 1 post for details about the giveaway, and how you can enter.
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Sue Lacy WiredThis began as a hobbyist's blog. Over time it became a quest to support & connect metalsmiths around the globe who use foldforming techniques in their work. See how it all turned out: www.foldforming.org Archives
July 2016
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