Rose Rake Challenge

Here's some pics of my Rose Rake Challenge piece from the Chatty Metalsmiths thread on Etsy. It has a small cobaltian calcite druzy stone. Obviously it isn't set yet! Neither is the ring oxidized to bring out the forms. The 2 sides of the ring are competing forms, with the leaf-like side having holes and the rake side with straighter lines. The druzy sits in an odd shaped cup between the 2. I had thought to do the rake side with square wire, but it didn't turn out that way! Hope you at least get an idea of the piece. Druzy is impractical for rings, but I enjoyed playing with something different.


Here are some of the other responses to the Rose/Rake challenge.

Addendum: here's the finished ring as I posted to the challenge page earlier this week:

Biz Cards

Thank you very much, those of you who have visited. I am not apathetic about blogging, my blog or others'. I'd say more accurately I'm de-energized on life, at the moment. I'm finishing one job, beginning another, and have a mountain of projects I MUST DO NOW TO STAY SANE in my workroom. I also am in desperate need of business cards. I think I knocked off at least the card goal tonight. I've gotten rather tired of apologizing as I hand out my business card. "My card might look kind of silly, but check out my work..." I've ended up with a card that may not be less silly, but. Well. At least it's drawn and painted silliness. And that is the most serious kind. ;)

The card is reference to the avatar I use for my blog. And is from a previously posted drawing of mine. A troll, under a bridge, holding a flower and making the peace sign. (The colors are more vivid than this pic.)

One small project I finished is my Itty Bitty Cool Tree earrings. What I did was cut out the center of the Cool Tree Ring I'd carved, and made it into earrings.

Cliff Notes

*Note the cliff note. Hahahahaha!*

This is what I most strongly saw in a piece of jade bought from BeadersBoutique. I may revise. The stone is a pretty translucent new jade stone. It might do better with form, than relief. But I love the idea of Icarus staring at the ocean before he takes off. Somehow I identify with it. ;)

edit: I think I'll stick with a simple torso for my first carving! lol. I decided the above scene might be just a *tad* complex.

Old Metal Work

I saw this in an old house. I'm not an expert in antiques or anything, but I do enjoy the look of old metalwork. I didn't get up there to see what the green is...(getting closer would have involved me standing on an elderly gentleman's old bed. lol.) Could it be enamel? The fixture is cast, and weighs approximately 30 lbs.