A beautiful September morning...

  

The cold front passed through, but we're back to normal fall temps.  I couldn't, however, pass up the picture of snow on the foothills which lasted a little longer than the snow in my yard.  I like how the high peaks are visible between layers of clouds.  The leaves on a few trees have started turning, but the show of color is probably two to three weeks away. 

The chuckers are back.  They came through last year, and here they are again.  I don't know what they are finding to eat here, but they are poking/pecking around every morning.  15-20 of them were hanging out for quite a while.

I was inspired to make some jewelry this weekend, and the fall colors were inspiring me. 

Since my jewelry tools are out...

It was finally time to make the necklace I've been thinking about for months.  I bought the tourmaline string of rainbow gems nearly a year ago..waiting for the inspiration.  About a month ago, I purchased the tourmaline teardrop which I could make into a pendant.  Then I saw the right color and size of pearls I wanted to use...and now it's all come together. 

Rivet Magic

I enrolled in a jewelry making class over the weekend: Rivet Magic.  The task was to make a pair of metal disk earrings.  However, we had to cut out our own disks of metal, texture/hammer them, drill holes, and make a smooth rivet.  Then, we could add any stones or gems that we wanted to add some interest...or bling.  It took a couple of hours to do this, and the instruction was very good.  Had blast!

We had a choice of choosing silver, brass, or copper; obviously, I chose the copper (although the rivet is silver).  I'm hoping to make another pair (perhaps this week), now that I know the process and how to use all the tools.  Next time: silver.

Wire-wrapping pendants

Here's Natalie's Necklace, a fun, kind of whimsical piece that I made for my niece.  The red heart glass pendant did not have a drilled hole, so the heart had to be wire-wrapped to became a pendant.  I credit Alice Gustin with great instructions for teaching me this method.  Every time I wire-wrap, I'm surprised with the outcome, because the wire and/or stone often dictates what happens.  I may have a plan in mind in the beginning, but it becomes just a guideline in the end.  I saw a similar piece with the clasp on the side, and that was something I decided to try with this piece.

Jewelry Class

I enrolled in another jewelry class with Alice Gustin, titled "Rope Your Ears."  What fun!  I learned to make twisted wire earrings, as well as the earring wires!  On one pair, I learned to use a twisting tool, which makes the twist in the wire even and consistent. There was a bit of a learning curve for me, but I finally got the hang of it.  Making the earring wires was not very hard either, once you learn a few easy tricks.  The pair of twisted wire earrings with the amethyst and moonstone tear-drops were made in class; working with the tiny holes in these stones was a new experience for me too.   I also made the large earring wires in class, but added the stones after I got home.   Now I'm inspired to make more!

Making Jewelry

Another of my hobbies is making jewelry, which I have been doing for ...let's say... 5 years.  That's got to be close...

Anyway, my latest creation is with copper.  I took a class in the spring which instructed me how to take copper blanks (squares, rectangles, ovals, etc.) and roll them through a press which stamps a design into the metal.  It's fast and easy.  Then, I took guilder's paint and put a reddish patina on the metal.  Again, fast and easy.  So, I finally took a few of the pieces and made a necklace and earring set.  I added some turquoise beads,  glass beads, copper beads, brown pearls, and Swarovski crystals. I added a copper chain and toggle closing.  By adding the chain, it makes it less heavy around the neck.  I've got a few more pieces I need to complete...so we'll see what happens.