New Silver (and Bronze)

At any given time I normally need new findings (making jump rings by hand is NOT my favourite task) and often need new wire. And I really, really wanted precious metal clay, just a little bit, both in silver and bronze (I already have a small packet of copper tucked away), to persuade me and remind me that, this year, at last, I will open those sealed pouches and I will use the contents...

Folksy Friday - Jewelled Variety

After posting about branching out from silver the other day, I felt it was worth a look around Folksy to see what other jewellers are creating by not using silver. Mostly...

As you can imagine, it was pretty inspiring. So here's a Folksy Friday of jewelled variety.

1. Aqua floral fabric necklace by Jewels by Susan
2. Heart shaped pendant by Skylark Lane
3. Sea glass and copper earrings by Celtic Shore
4. Polymer clay and silver necklace by Clare Lloyd Jewellery
5. Daisy glass pendant by Elle & Pea
6. Wood pendant by wood-n
7. Copper flower pendant by LO Designz
8. Bird ceramic brooch by Little Brick House
9. Amethyst and grey felt necklace by Anna King Jewellery

Fabric, pewter, paper, resin, sea glass, copper, polymer clay, glass, flowers, wood, copper clay, ceramic, felt. And some silver, just for good measure. All beautiful. I call that very inspiring.

Multimedia here I come...?

In late April 2011 the price of silver hit £940.67 per kilo, double what it had been six months beforehand. When I started making silver jewellery, a little over ten years ago, bullion cost was around £100 a kilo. At the time of typing this, it's just over £600 a kilo (check out up to date prices here). It's amazing to think back to it being so 'cheap' (relatively, of course). Even then, we were still taught to treat silver as the precious commodity it is, saving offcuts to reuse, and even collecting up sweepings, the tiny shavings created when you saw a piece of silver up. But, now, with the price so high, I'm increasingly nervous of it. And, with that nervousness, the joy of experimenting and creating has decreased a little.

I've been making jewellery with other materials for a while now, just as experiments, and I've been thinking about even more things I could try. I can't imagine turning my back on silver completely; I love it too much and know it too well. But, as the cost of pretty much everything increases dramatically, I think it's fair enough to be more careful with how we use many resources.

Copper, polymer clay, semi-precious stones, wood...

So far, I've experimented with copper (see here and here), and polymer clay (see here, here and here), and have always used beads in my jewellery, combined with silver, both glass and semi-precious.

Next on my list is to use the copper clay that I bought last year, expand my experiments with polymer clay, and also look to fabric and thread, (am fascinated by the idea of Kumihimo braiding already), check out wood and stone, do more with beads, of all types, and try approaching jewellery in a more multimedia-orientated way. I was also pretty inspired by this book about paper jewellery. The idea of combining different materials and techniques with still using silver (just perhaps less of it) really appeals to me.

How about you? Has the cost of materials involved in what you make, whatever it is, altered the way you use it and made you start to consider how you can expand on what you know and do, and perhaps try alternative materials? I'd love to hear, not least to get a little more inspiration!

Hope you're having a good weekend. It's amazingly un-snowy where I am...but the rest of the UK seems to be under snow or water. Hope it's okay wherever you are.

Copper wire brooches

As often happens, a birthday crept up on me at short notice (how do they do that?) and I wanted something quick to make and give, that looked good, and was practical.

I called upon my stash of copper wire, much of it still only half-stripped after being pulled from the house during rewiring, and did some hunting in books and much searching on the net for inspiration (as well as some gazing out of the window aimlessly).

I came across the idea of creating a brooch from one piece of wire, no soldering, just some planishing, some filing, and lots of bending. Yippee.

I was not overwhelmed by my first attempt -

But preferred the second brooch I made, finding the catch more organically a part of the design, and the curves more pleasing to the eye.

I got quite a kick out of creating something that, it turns out, is going to be worn on a winter jacket for the next few months, something bold and striking, that took some planning and a bit of strength (wire is always less bendy than you think, especially if you go the wrong way and need to re-bend...), and which made someone smile when they tore off the wrapping paper.

I'm even starting to look forward to winter evenings now, curving that wire and creating bright jewellery.

Copper in Autumn

Last weekend I spent a few hours with a friend in her workshop, tucked away against the chill weather outside, surrounded by silver, copper, polishers, rolling machines, and enough tools to make anyone who makes metal jewellery rather happy.

Copper ring, with a rolled pattern. Like a leopard's spots, or a honeycomb.

We chatted about the price of silver (slightly decreased), the fact I've most definitely missed the final posting date for the Diamond Jubilee hallmark (boo), and that assay offices will now hallmark silver and gold even if they're attached to metals such as copper, something they didn't previously do (interesting).

Another ring through the rolling mill. This time the pattern is more abstract.

We drank a lot of tea, finished off a jar of hot chocolate, and ate too many biscuits and chocolates (very naughty in a workshop, I know).

Oh, and we also made some jewellery.

More roller textured copper, a little crown-like...

Crown-like also, but in a slightly more-committed curvy-way.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the beautiful silver locket my friend finished, nor of the silver and copper owl she was working on, but I have included a few snaps of the four copper rings I made, and of the copper owl I did some work on (and no, we didn't converse beforehand, just coincidentally were both working on owls...), and which may well turn into a brooch. Or a pendant. Hmm...

The two crowns fit together, just, and make a wider ring.

Nothing I started is finished yet, the rings needing some more filing and polishing, and  the owl either needing more work on the detail, or me discarding it as a prototype or experiment.

A brooch in waiting. Or a pendant. Or just a copper owl.

But, still, not a bad way to spend a Saturday in autumn at all.

Silver by post

I ordered some silver and a few other items from Cookson Gold last week and they arrived as promptly (and as well packaged) as ever. I was struck, as I am every time I order precious metals, by how small the parcel is when it arrives. Sterling silver is still not getting any cheaper to purchase...

When I started working with silver, a little over ten years ago now, although silver wasn't cheap and I was soon taught to squirrel away all the offcuts (and even the dust) to reuse, refine and recycle, it was still possible to have some fun with it, to experiment with it, and to try out new ideas. Now that experimental medium has become copper, or aluminium, or even steel. Don't get too excited though, as the price of base metals has also increased dramatically over the last decade.

My silver purchases - jump rings and wire

Cookson has, amongst other gems on their website, a rather neat little page for checking metal prices, both current and up to 20 years in the past. You can chose from silver or gold or various other precious metals like platinum, and discover how the prices have altered over time. The hikes in the price in the last five years are quite frightening...

Back to my parcel. I've also invested in something a little new. A few years back I did a short course in silver clay (pmc), but thought I'd now try some copper clay. As I've not used this before, or indeed any metal clay for a while, I'm approaching this with some trepidation. I've yet to open the packet - must know what I'm going to make first! - but it's quite slim so I'll chose my project with care.

Anyone else used copper clay? I'd love some hints and tips, or links to any creations.

I also purchased some anti-tarnish pads but, trust me, they're not worth a photo...