oooh loooky!

oooh loooky!
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I just couldn't wait until these were done to share!! I'm so excited. These will actually be my first full set of tree bark rings in yellow gold. I've done single ones and sets in white gold. They are so pretty already, I'm excited to see them all finished. As I'm sure the happy couple that will be wearing them will be too!

Look for the finished photos coming soon!

Reclaimed

Reclaimed
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

This is one of the pieces that may or may not turn in to a new series. I really like it, but I've had so many ideas rolling around we'll just have to see which ones play out! This ring was a cast ring that looked quite different than it does now. I used three different hammers to create an entirely new texture. I love how the three hammers work together to create a completely worn and organic look. I have a few other rings I want to try it with and perhaps a pendant or two and some earrings!! And even though I just listed it, I decided to put it on sale for the weekend celebration I'm having! Check out the ring in my etsy shop!

Nya says "Go check out the SALE"

the first one - what a doll!!
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

That's right, I'm having a sale. July 27th is my 2 year anniversary of the very first item that I sold on etsy - so I am having a sale to celebrate! Sale starts today and ends on Monday July 28th. Loads of items are in the sale section and for those lucky readers of my blog if you mention this code SALE02 you will also receive free shipping on your order! When ordering, please wait for an invoice so I can give you a correct amount.

Thanks to all the support I've had in the last 2 years, its been great!! And I know the next will be even better!

Eucalyptus and tree bark rings

Eucalyptus w/ tree bark
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I love these rings together. My new eucalyptus leaf imprint and my ever popular tree bark. At some point I'll work on a set of three rings that will each be a different natural texture. For now, enjoy these two! Oh and look for more of the leaf imprints to come. I really love working w/ eucalyptus! It smells yummy and looks so pretty!

aspen ring - done!

aspen
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

Here it is all finished! I am extremely happy with how it turned out. I worked for about an hour on the bezel, giving it a careful and subtle leave shape. I wanted the ends to elongate the look of the stone, not to just be a plain oval around the edge. I love it! Thanks to Natalie for being one of the most superb customers I have every worked with. I'm glad I was able to work on this piece for her. I also makes me want to work on more rings like this. It made me remember how fun stone setting is. I really enjoy working in waxes and combining stones to go with the great organic textures. I have so many great stones and yet they seem to just sit around.

I think I realized its because I don't really like sawing very much and for some reason most of the ideas I have revolving around stone setting requires sawing. So I just find something better to do! Being able to just solder the bezel right to the cast piece was so much more fun! and no saw required!

juniper rings - done!

juniper
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

Another recent commission I got finished up and in the mail! Helen and Seth sent me some Juniper and asked me to make some wedding bands for them and these were the finished product. I've been fortunate and had some wonderful customers letting me have free reign on creating some great organic rings. Too often I feel like I don't have time to come up with new designs, but I'm always happy to be given an excuse to work on something new for some one else, well, as long as it fits in my style... and these of course, were very much so!

Diamond in tree bark - 2nd try

diamond in tree bark - 2nd try
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

Mmmmm I am loving this ring! So much I'm wearing it and giving it a test run! I got some champagne diamonds to try casting in place with my tree bark rings. My first try didn't turn out so well. I don't know what happened with the diamond. I'm still working on trying to figure it out! So I just tried another one - and this one turned out fabulous!!! I love it! I'm thinking of calling it Tree bark love knot - but I'm not sure if thats too corny. It will be an engagement ring that will stack with the other tree bark band or can just be worn on its own for an every day kind of ring - by someone married or not!

parts of a flower ring

parts of a flower ring
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

Another commission I have been working on are these "parts of a flower" rings. Lots of experimenting and a few failures - these are the near finished product! I have a little bit more work to do on them before they are 100% finished, but they are oh so close!

... and yes, they are real flowers, surprisingly, not that easy to work with! But fun and the waxes looked oh so pretty!

When I was doing a lot of black and white photography (with a 35mm camera and actual film!) I started looking at everything in black and white. My eye became trained to seeing the contrast and knowing what it would look like w/o color. I'm finally starting to feel that same sense with I am working with natural materials and wax. Wax only, was quite easy for me to "see" what it would look like in metal - totally finished with a patina and highlights. Natural materials are a little bit different, as color can sometimes trick they eye making one thing stand out over another. I think the black and white photography training is kicking in. I'm getting a much better sense of what they will look like in black in white textures instead of the bright orange pop of the petal mixed with the green of the leaves and the black and yellow bits of the stamen.

Practicing is good and I'm thankful for my customers that give me a fun project to work on - it allows me the time to experiment and try new things that I might not otherwise feel I had the "time" to do.

aspen ring part deux

aspen ring part duex
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

The texture around the stone and the transition wasn't quite right - so here is the redo! And I'm loving it. You can check out more on my flickr - but the transition is oh so nice now! Can't wait to see it all finished and I know Natalie feels the same way! (It will be her ring after all....)

aspen rings in wax

aspen rings in wax
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

not quite finished - this is a ring I'm working on for a gal who sent me some aspen leaves. Its coming along quite nicely. I'll be changing the texture around where the stone will be, and adding a bit here and there, and maybe taking away a bit here or there too!

The red is a red wax from italy that is mixed w/ italian beeswax. It is divine - smells yummy and is great to work with. The brown wax is one of my favorites too. Just victory brown wax for those of you that know about wax! Very easy to work with, but can get quite mushy and most people feel it is too soft. I like that I can make it do almost anything!

I'll post with finished photos when its all said and done!

Tip #4

58/365
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

Listen to that voice in your head that says "you are about to slice open your finger." Seriously, 99% of my injuries are because I ignored that smart voice. All I needed to do was put on a glove as I knew it was just a matter of time before that burnisher skipped and sliced through my finger. Why are those edges so sharp? ouch.

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leaf earrings

leaf earrings
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I love these little guys! So much that I almost wanted to just keep them for myself. But they were for Maya - and her wedding that is coming up next week, so in the mail they went!! I haven't seriously thought of doing molds and having loads of anything cast - until I made these leaves. I've made little sterling leaves before and really liked them - but having them in gold is just a whole other thing! I love them and want to put little gold leaves on everything. I've got ideas to put them on my organic vine pendants - which would provide a whole other level to that series. And of course, I'd make a pair of earrings for myself!!!

It might be a few months before that would actually happen as I've got loads of ideas going around my head right now. I was working on some new things yesterday in fact that I need to photograph. And I've got pieces in the kiln today that are new designs - custom pieces for customers that I am working on some new prototypes for.

And I'm going to Boston this weekend and then pop over to CT to see my dad! woohoo!! This will be a busy week!