beaten silver, amber and turquoise earrings

I'm really proud of these.

I finished my basic silver-smithing course and am already thinking about designs and new ideas. I'm thinking of ways to combine the bead and wire work I do with hammered and soldered pieces.

OK, so these are pretty labour intensive but heck, they're worth it!

Turquoise from Chatuchak market, Bangkok, antique faceted baltic amber from Bermondsey antique (thieves) market, London.

Gemstone properties:
For happiness, friendship and positive energy.
To promote self-confidence.

vintage silver filigree and crystal drop earrings

Vintage silver filigree beads (was part of an antique necklace found in a Spanish flea market some years ago), blue quartz drops, Indian faceted amethysts and Swarovski crystals.

I'm starting the process of rediscovering old treasures and making them into something new...

Gemstone properties:
To promote calm, balance, intuition and wisdom.
For self confidence.

New toy - silver soldering kit

Thanks to him indoors and a birthday, I had money to buy a soldering torch, regulator, gas bottle and other bits and pieces to get started on the way to a silver-smithing workshop (kitchen bench: hurrah for a granite insert and already battered steel worktops).

I bought all the bits and pieces, took a lot of advice, had a couple of false starts (had to go back to the gas retailer to connect it up, have a bit of tutorial on pressure, lighting and gas safety), a quick rummage through him indoors' tool box and I was away.

Success - well I didn't burn me or the house down and made some silver bangles in the process.

Next stop: buy a polisher and the tools to make bangle and ring shapes....

hammered and kooky silver pendants

The silversmithing course is starting to bear fruit.

I have spent the last couple of times welding and beating little objects in addition to the projects we are supposed to be doing.

I've found working with offcuts of silver and wire that I've brought along and making them into something pretty much more satisfying than the projects we are tasked with.

Above are two little silver pendants beaten from silver offcuts of the 'official' pendant I have been making.

The silver rings holding the stone pendants are welded, hammered and polished pieces of wire I have been saving for such an occasion.

I like their slight kookiness a lot more than the symmetrical rings I have been buying from my usual supplier.

sorting out my paints

I haven't painted for a while but what I did do yesterday was wash my little plastic paint trays and reorganise my watercolours. Those trays were washed for the first time in 5 years.

So instead of keeping leftover paint in little Thai ceramic cups like the ones above, I am now storing them in little plastic pots that once held jam, honey and sauces... I took them from the breakfast buffet from last weekend's hotel. They were the most exciting things on the buffet.

silver charms - work in progress

I'm halfway through my silversmithing course. It's very satisfying heating, drilling and hammering precious metal... I'm working on a lot of little organic shapes and rings to make pendants and charms out of. I think the tutor thinks I'm slightly odd but there is method in my madness.

Can't wait til Monday to polish this lot...

Jingle jangle smoky quartz bracelet

A frosted quartz point and garnet bead bracelet with added charms. The Balinese silver centre bead is a bell (but not of the annoying kind!).

It jingles softly as you move.

I've put this one up on MangoFrooty.com

ritzy dangly earrings

I'm having a run on earrings - the chandelier type earrings - the ones that make people sit up and take notice...

I've put these ones on etsy.