i am in love. oh, gem!

well...you may or may not know
{depending on how thorough of a blog reader you are}
but i just recently attended my very first silversmith workshop
taught by talented artist Mike Trembly.
the class came and went like a gust of flamey wind and silver dust.
now, a month later, i am finally digesting everything i learned that week..
not just about silver and jewelry,
but about who i am and what i want out of this short existence.
i would love to pursue this.

i am going to pursue this.
i have already purchased some equipment.
i am hooked, i'm afriad.
the metal sang a song...and i knew the words.
they were just there.

so, i have decided to share with you a little of my work...
it's not everything, but it's a start.
keep in mind the craftmanship is not exactly desirable.
but by the last day i was rushing it all out knowing
i wouldn't have access to tools for quite some time.
also keep in mind some of these designs have been inspired...
by other artists or what materials were at hand.
just to be fair.

now i present to you...
my first setting!
a little baby carnelian pendant.
it was our practice assignment.
i also took the liberty to experiment with
creating those tiny silver balls....such easy, wonderful magic!
and the texturing...my, oh my!

Birds of a Feather Shield Pendant

because that's what us jewelry makin' ladies were that week...
and, well, we were quite a gaggle of silversmith'n lady friends!

>> a tiny montana agate and sterling handcrafted feather<<

He Tells the Ocean Where to Stop Ring

" and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed' "
Job 38:11 ESV

i could write so much about this passage...
He tells the ocean its boundaries.
God is sovereign.

>> a beautiful ocean jasper with a little drusy pocket
& some silver bubbles <<

Armchair Ring

well, this is one doozy of a ring.
and i like it. a lot.
and it matches the vintage velvet chair
living in my studio.

>> a generous helping of crazy lace agate, off set,
with an...ummm...experimental bezel <<

Nervous Energy Ring

i am a nervous person.
sometimes.
about some things. silly things.
namely around homeless bandaids
and mysterious fluids.
anyway.
the branches in this stone scream to me...
neurons, neurotransmitters -
such a delicate balance between crazy and sane.

>> dendritic agate with wire wrapped bezel <<

an unnamed ring....
intended to look like a satellite...a flower...a nest.
organic silver.

>> a tiny calibrated coral droplet <<

and...
last, but not least...oh definitely not...
a little...well, umm....big something i dreamed up:

Woods Belt Buckle Ring

big enough to hold up mother nature's britches!
strange enough to garner a few headshakes
and eye rolls from mr. trembly!
heavy enough to clock someone upside the head!
not that you should.

i wanted something fun
and edgey.
so i added antlers to this cab of petrified wood.
and so much silver that i believe i scorched my eyelashes.
(ok, ok - all you pros out there, creating your 30 piece wonders must be thinking i'm a tad dramatic...
but it turned out to my everest as a fledgling silversmith!)

fit for a lumberjack, aye?

there were a few others who didn't make the blog cut...
a copper bird pin which didn't get finished...
a silver wrap band i cannot claim...
and a two-tone family tree i gave away to my mother
before i thought to photograph it.

all-in-all:
i learned it's easier and harder than i thought.
easier in that i actually know how.
harder...in...well...everything else-
it requires such craftmanship and attention to detail.
and patience.
a hefty dose of patience.

i melted a bezel or two,
broke enough saw blades to keep Rio in business,
pulled out the superglue,
got silver in places silver ought not be,
went to bed dead,
skipped a few meals to stay in the studio and play
(because 9 hours a day wasn't enough, obviously),
met some amazing people who deemed me Rock Star,
saturated my soul,
and sang the song.