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Dec. 1st, 2007 05:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
afmetalsmithDespite my cold, I had a great day in the studio today!
I finished 2 pieces: the second of my "Mending Hearts" scent lockets, and the Dublin rose plique earrings.
The locket needed a garnet drop at the bottom, which went well. Beadwork isn't my strongest point, but I've gotten pretty competent at the basic beads-on-wire-with-wirewrapped-ends technique. After that, all it needed was some polishing, and it's done! What's more, I can now use its project box for something else! (And about time, too- I have at least 2 projects, illegally by my rules, sitting on my bench without boxes!)
I don't get to reclaim the project box for the earrings, though, because they are in the permanent "Enamels: To Be Finished" box. Still, they are done! This is the first time I worked with the hoop earring type of hinge and catch, and it was interesting. I did end up having to make new wires, since the ones the sets came with weren't long enough, and today I decided I did not trust a simple hinge that was merely a couple of pieces of dimpled metal- and very thin metal it is!- holding in the wire. So I drilled them and riveted the hinge, and feel that's pretty sturdy. Not that hard, either. I used a semi-matte finish on these, since I think it makes a nice contrast to the smooth and shiny glass.
These were the high points. I also made various bits of progress on various other things. Like, I did an initial twisting of 28-ga. argentium wire, to be used on my Viking beads. I want to anneal it, then twist it again; from the pictures, it looks like the originals have a VERY tight twist indeed. And I cleaned up the stone setting that will go with Spiculum #1; now I can start fitting the setting into the spiculum.
And this and that, of course- there's always bits to do. I'm very pleased at having completely finished a couple of pieces today, though!
I finished 2 pieces: the second of my "Mending Hearts" scent lockets, and the Dublin rose plique earrings.
The locket needed a garnet drop at the bottom, which went well. Beadwork isn't my strongest point, but I've gotten pretty competent at the basic beads-on-wire-with-wirewrapped-ends technique. After that, all it needed was some polishing, and it's done! What's more, I can now use its project box for something else! (And about time, too- I have at least 2 projects, illegally by my rules, sitting on my bench without boxes!)
I don't get to reclaim the project box for the earrings, though, because they are in the permanent "Enamels: To Be Finished" box. Still, they are done! This is the first time I worked with the hoop earring type of hinge and catch, and it was interesting. I did end up having to make new wires, since the ones the sets came with weren't long enough, and today I decided I did not trust a simple hinge that was merely a couple of pieces of dimpled metal- and very thin metal it is!- holding in the wire. So I drilled them and riveted the hinge, and feel that's pretty sturdy. Not that hard, either. I used a semi-matte finish on these, since I think it makes a nice contrast to the smooth and shiny glass.
These were the high points. I also made various bits of progress on various other things. Like, I did an initial twisting of 28-ga. argentium wire, to be used on my Viking beads. I want to anneal it, then twist it again; from the pictures, it looks like the originals have a VERY tight twist indeed. And I cleaned up the stone setting that will go with Spiculum #1; now I can start fitting the setting into the spiculum.
And this and that, of course- there's always bits to do. I'm very pleased at having completely finished a couple of pieces today, though!
