A Personal Project

This week I've been working on a special personal project, a necklace to honor the memory of my dog who died on March 23 at the old age of 16. We had been together since he was just 7-1/2 weeks old, and he had been a constant studio companion since I started my jewelry business. I am grateful for the time we shared together, and I miss him deeply.

For the necklace I created a sterling silver, locket-style piece with his photo etched inside a cupped pendant, to be worn close to the heart. A sterling disc nests within the cupped piece and bears a Native American sentiment that I've handwritten and etched into the metal: "We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow." These words have special meaning for me and remind me of our years together.

Rest in peace, my sweet boy.

Walnut Nautilus Ring :: Ring A Week No. 48

One of my first rings for the Ring A Week Challenge was a ring made of wood. As I near the end of this year-long challenge, I've again revisited wood for one of my final pieces. I've hand cut and shaped this walnut ring, giving it a soft, smooth finish. I then etched my tiny hand drawn nautilus shell design into a small sterling silver circle. It is soldered to a post that is inserted and secured in the wood shank.

Let it snow :: Ring A Week No. 46

I've continued with the snow theme for a second ring, etching my handwritten words "Let it snow!" into this hand fabricated band. The background texture is interesting and also a bit of a mystery. I have a particular strip of silver that reliably produces these textured lines when etched. I've etched a lot of silver and always clean and prep it in the same way, yet whenever I cut a piece from this particular strip to etch I get this result, no matter how well it is cleaned and prepped first. I find it more interesting than troublesome and really enjoy the effect.

Below is a Let it Snow! necklace, with a smooth background (available in my shop):

Go and wake up your luck :: Ring A Week No. 42

Every now and then I visit my mistake drawer for inspiration. For my latest Ring A Week ring, I combined two pieces residing in that drawer. The etched piece, which reads "go and wake up your luck," was originally to be a pendant. I wasn't happy with the shape or the etched lettering and so it went in the drawer. I made the wide band from a piece of silver into which I had attempted to imprint some grasses for texture but didn't love the result. I sanded away the texture before fabricating the band and soldered the the organically shaped etched piece in place. I then gave it an oxidized, somewhat shiny finish. I am glad to have found a use for a couple pieces that had not turned out as I intended. It feels great on the finger and is a ring I will likely wear from time to time.

Amethyst Leaf Ring :: Ring A Week No. 36

It's been a busy month, but I've finally finished ring number 36. This ring, created for a customer, is a modification of an earlier Ring A Week design, ring number 7. For this newest ring I've set an amethyst cabochon, instead of peridot, in the center. I've also given the bezel and stone a lower profile so that it is a bit more protected, nestled among the leaves. Other than those differences the two rings are quite similar yet the change in stone color gives the ring a different look.

Luna Moth Twins :: Ring A Week No. 34

My hand drawn luna moth design is a favorite nature motif in my jewelry collection. This week's Ring A Week ring features twin luna moths etched into sterling silver. Their antennae entwine and encircle a small, bezel set 3mm peridot cabochon. I had first intended to incorporate a moonstone cabochon, which would have been appropriate for the luna theme. The moonstones I have in stock were just a tad too large, so I went with the peridot instead. Since luna moths are a similar shade of green, I felt it was a nice second choice and I really like the tiny pop of color at the center of this ring.

Garnet Ring :: Ring A Week No. 32

I really enjoyed making this ring. I've set a 6mm almandine garnet cabochon into the center surrounded by my hand drawn etched vine lace design etched into a sterling saucer. The shank is also etched with the design and cradles the saucer. It is oxidized and hand finished and I really like how the patina shows of the delicate, lacy etched vines. I've recently created some pendants with the lace vine motif as well, which you can see in my shop.

My Life is My Message :: Ring A Week No. 30

I recently came across this quote by Gandhi: "my life is my message" and it stuck in my head. What a powerful statement. Not only was it true for Gandhi; it's true for each of us. I decided to etch this sentiment into my latest Ring A Week ring. I started with sterling silver square wire, hand fabricating the band, hammering the outer surface and etching the handwritten words into the silver. I then oxidized the hammered texture and the etched lettering for contrast. What a great reminder to wear on the finger!

Ring A Week No. 26

For my 26th Ring A Week ring, I etched my delicate vine branch design into sterling and then hand cut the intricate shape, soldering it to a hand fabricated sterling brand. I oxidized it for contrast. I really like the dimension and texture of this vine branch. This ring gave me some trouble that I did not anticipate. The delicate vine was so fragile that it broke in a couple places. I had intended for it to remain in one piece, although I think it looks fine as separate pieces encircling the band. Solder did not flow properly and it took me a couple of tries. I also had some issues with firescale which took some work to clean up. Do you recognize the branch? I also used this motif for Ring A Week No. 14. The two rings are very different.

I've also made a matching pendant (below) which is now for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Calico Lace Ring: Ring A Week No. 18

When I first got this calico lace agate cabochon I didn't know what I'd make with it but I knew I couldn't hide the back of this stone; the backside is as gorgeous as the front. The stone also features a small translucent pool, allowing light to pass through its depths. I love the dimension and the small white orbs visible within the frosty pool.

I chose to use this stone in my eighteenth Ring A Week piece. I wanted to keep as much of the two sides of the stone visible as possible so I have given it a bezel setting, cutting a large opening in the sterling seat to frame the back of the stone, and soldering the sterling shank to the edges of the frame. Below are progress shots of the ring before setting the stone:


I really like the open back of this piece and the stone's secret window, hidden when worn but fun to take off and hold up to the light.

Curl Ring: Ring A Week No. 15

I've been busy this week, preparing for the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, and did not have much time to devote to my latest Ring A Week design. This was a simple, quickly-created piece but I like its lines and can imagine revisiting and revising this design using a thicker gauge of silver. Now I'll get back to my show prep!

Ring a Week No. 13

Yesterday, I made this sterling silver and peridot ring featuring a single etched leaf, a simpler version of my Ring A Week No. 7. I really like this simpler design. I had first intended for it to have two leaves, but I found I liked the single leaf and decided it looked best that way. It's one of those special pieces I feel compelled to keep for myself. I've been wearing it all day and I like it!

I have one more ring design in mind that will feature my etched leaves. Stay tuned.

Spring Leaves :: Ring A Week No. 12

This week I've created some new jewelry pieces featuring my etched leaf design. For my Ring A Week number 12, I've hand fabricated this ring, overlapping and soldering seven small sterling silver leaves together. I wanted to keep this first leaf ring for myself, but once finished it was a tad too small. I tried to enlarge it and in the process discovered that the tip of one leaf was not properly joined when it broke free. As I was preparing to resolder that leaf, I realized that the ring actually works really well as an adjustable ring, and I chose to leave it that way since the overlapping design disguises this feature well. A happy accident!

Below are several other pieces from my leaf collection.

Two hearts beat as one :: Ring A Week #11

My eleventh Ring A Week project is actually two rings. These matching wedding bands were a collaborative effort, created for my friend and fellow calligrapher, Alesia. They feature her lovely hand lettered calligraphy. I've etched her words "two hearts beat as one" into these hand fabricated sterling silver bands. They've been oxidized and hand finished to highlight the raised lettering. I love that the bands happen to fit so perfectly together, one within the other.

Ring A Week Number 10

I began this ring two years ago. It originally had an etched design on the front but the etching didn't turn out so well. It sat in my work-in-progress drawer and every now and then I'd think about how I might be able to save it. I decided to have another go at it for Ring A Week number 10. I filed off the etched face and I flush set a 3mm faceted peridot. I gave the ring a rustic, lightly hammered texture and oxidized finish.

I wish I had a before photo. I thought I did, but I can't find it. I think I have improved the ring, and I'm glad that after two years it's finally finished.

Check out the progress of other Ring A Week participants here.

Vacation and Ring A Week Number 9

I am back in the studio after spending a lovely week in Park City, Utah. It was a wonderful and much-needed break. Since I was away, I didn't have the opportunity to create a ring this week for the Ring A Week Challenge, but I did recently finish this special ring for a customer. It features the words "well behaved women rarely make history" which I've handwritten in calligraphy and etched around the hand fabricated sterling band. I've oxidized it and I've given it a brushed finish. I'm really happy with how this ring turned out. The very tiny etched lettering is deep and crisp.

Below is a photo from the trip. The mountains were beautiful.

Ring A Week Number 8

This past week was a busy one, which included a quick trip to visit family in Michigan, so there was less time for ring-making. I did manage to create this sterling silver spinner ring for my eighth ring in the Ring A Week Challenge. The wide band is encircled by a thinner seamless band etched with a portion of my hand drawn rose garden design and oxidized. I etched the silver flat before forming the seamless band. The thin band rotates freely.

Ring A Week Number 7

I'm not sure why, but design ideas often come to me in the shower. My seventh ring in the Ring A Week challenge was one of those ideas. I was thinking about this small peridot cabochon that I've had for awhile and wondering how I might use it in a ring when this image of the peridot encircled with leaves popped into my head. I began drawing and etching the leaf design right away and the finished piece is exactly as I envisioned (which is not always the case, so I was very pleased). Below are some photos of the ring in progress.

This is my favorite ring (so far) that I've made for the challenge and it reminds me that spring is just around the corner.

Ring A Week Number 5

I've wanted to make something with this green druzy agate cabochon for some time. Its surface reminds me of hills and valleys and its color and sparkle remind me of fresh, rain-kissed springtime. As I look out my studio window at gloomy skies and a snowy yard, I yearn for spring. I found a line from a poem by Alice Duer Miller that sums up what comes to mind (and what I long for) when I look at this stone: "the light of spring on the emerald earth." (read the entire public domain poem here). I've hand written and etched these words into the sterling band of this hand fabricated ring. I've also etched the author's name on the back of the ring, above my maker's mark. The words are lightly oxidized for contrast.

I enjoyed making this ring for the Ring A Week Challenge. I don't do a lot of stone setting, so this was also good practice for me.

Family Craftsmen and Ring A Week Number 4

My dad is a talented woodworker as was my grandfather. I am fortunate to have really beautiful wood pieces made by both of them. Inspired by the abilities of these men in my family, I've been experimenting with a bit of woodworking myself, considering possible ways to incorporate wood into my jewelry designs.

While visiting my family over the recent holidays, my dad gave me some pieces of walnut wood leftover from my grandfather's workshop. Over the past few weeks I've enjoyed experimenting with the wood, learning to work with it and respecting its differences from the metal I am familiar with. For my fourth ring for the Ring A Week Challenge I have made this ring from a piece of walnut and I've riveted my sterling silver heart design to the walnut band.

I wanted to also try cutting an intricate design in wood so after finishing the ring, I hand cut this walnut heart with a design similar to the sterling silver heart:

I look forward to continuing my experiments with woodworking.