More preparation for the jewellery workshop

 

As you can see from the image above I had completed some examples of the type of jewellery participants in my Scotland workshop could make.

The following images enable one to see a bit more of the detail; including where I have cropped the image of the flower pendant and the slightly hull shaped earrings. 

The cropped images show how the pieces could look if participants use the hard nail polish to colour the pieces. I particularly like how the design on the silver-plate shows through the red polish!!!

I have also developed a two page document that introduces the participants to the tools they will use. As part of the workshop I will talk the participants through the two pages and demonstrate how the tools are used. Some edits yet to be done on the document!!!

I am pretty close to finishing the preparation for this workshop.

The simple colour and beauty of flowers

 

This blog post is a celebration of the beauty and diversity of some flowers in our neighbourhood. How fortunate are we that we have such colour in winter - though the sunflower at the end is a bought flower that brings sunlight into the house to counter the dismal drizzle days we are having.

Still even mist and drizzle has its good aspects including bejewelling flowers with droplets such as can be seen in the opening photo.

I hope you find the beauty in the following images uplifting.

Many projects on the go

 

At the moment I seem to be jumping from one thing to another including: finishing watercolours for a friend (see opening photos; progressing watercolours for Scotland (see below); doing a How to Use Tools document for my jewellery workshop; finishing examples for the workshop; and negotiating the finalisation of my repair work on the Montville footpath.

The watercolours for the friend reflect the colours and subject matters she likes.

I successfully test printed the 16 page A7 sized Flow Country poem booklet on different weight and colour photo inkjet paper. Fiona and I selected some threads to test sewing heavy weight paper; and today Fiona sewed the booklets for me. As you can see from the photos below I think at the tests have worked and I'm good to print booklets for sale at the Pop Up Art Show in Scotland. The thread is a heavier gauge and the colour reflects the bog country - loose threads are deliberate!!!

I'll get around to blogging on the tools and finished jewellery samples soon.

Testing tools and making examples

 

Preparation for my Simple Stylish Jewellery Workshop in Scotland in August is proceeding. We will be using salvaged silver-plated brass. Having done a plan and a design options sheet, I am now testing basic hand tools I can take with me on the next trip and making some examples based on the design options sheet and with the hand tools.

The opening and following photos shows the examples I made today

As the following photo shows I have cut most of the metal for the workshop. 

I'm testing a wooden dapping tool, metal punch pliers, a micro eyelet setting tool, diamond file for make the flower form and a vintage jeweller's  hand held vice - see photos below.

Over the weekend I hope to complete and assemble the examples including putting the pendants on necklaces and the earrings on earwigs.

Moody morning moon, orchids and other blossoms

 I headed out for my walk this morning in soft pre-sunrise light. This made for an opportunity to take a few moon photos with out-of-focus items in the foreground as you can see from the photo above (moon with barbed wire) and those following. 

The dark grey tones are a result of me trying to sharpen the focus on the moon. It does sharpen the focus but also darkens the background - still I like the result.

Images of a few of the orchids blooming in G's orchid house.

And a few bit of beauty taken during the week.

May the fragments of beauty lift our spirits and encourage us to hold on to hope.

Four for Scotland and two for a sick fellow artist

 On Thursday I returned to Megan's Thursday morning art group - managed to progress 4 wee Scotland inspired watercolours I had started whilst in the cottage. Today I managed another hour to further progress the four.

I was informed that a fellow artist is very ill and a few folk are going to give her a concertina book of small artworks. I started two today - got the under washes done.

The opening photo shows where I got to with the six works today. Some process shots of the four for Scotland follow. The order is a bit random - I'm sure you can work it out!!!!

A couple of process photos of the art for a friend follow.

Hopefully I will get close to finishing all six in the coming week.