Subtlety - New Wedding Bands

Subtlety
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

When I was first learning to cast, I remember my teacher specifically saying not to cast something that can be fabricated more easily. When I was thinking of making these rings, that was all I could think about. Was it worth casting these when they are really just simple bands? The more I thought about them and looked around at other "simple" sterling bands, the more I realized that they are different and they are worth casting. It's subtle, hence the name.

The edges are soft and there is a very slight 'texture' that can only be achieved through the soft wax that I use. They are silky and satiny looking to me. And oddly, were hard to focus on as there seemed to be no hard edge the autofocus could land on! There is something about these that make me really happy. They are almost calming. A customer said it reminded her of a pool of water. They kind of remind me of a gentle breeze... maybe blowing over a pool of water.


You can see the listing on Etsy or Artfire.

Review - Bur Life

For a long time, I thought this was another of those products to waste money on. Every once in awhile I might use a little beeswax if it seemed like I really needed it, but in general, I just use my drill bits, saw blades and burs as is.

Since I started doing more stone setting and my collection of burs is growing, I thought I would give it a try. It is amazing. I am now completely a believer. I got the 'sampler' pack as I didn't know which medium I would like the best. The middle container that no longer has any words on the label (and I haven't had it that long) is the gel type. Its my favorite so far, though it is quite messy. Mostly because of the heat I think - and having a studio with no climate control, well... the summer in Georgia isn't so kind to something that has a fairly low 'melting' temperature. And come to find out, the gel stuff takes off the ink of the label! But it truly makes the burs cut better. Maybe it is my imagination, but anything that will make my tools act like they work better, and hopefully make them last longer, is worth the money.

I've used the stick (solid) a little bit, and the liquid only a drop or two.

If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. If you have tried and/or use it regularly, would you share your experiences? Do you use one kind over another? Any tips?

more new photos

more new photos
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I've been working on more new photos - I'm feeling really happy about these latest ones. I have an amazing eucalyptus tree that is one of my favorite trees ever. I love the color of their leaves and the smell is great too.

I like the whites in my backgrounds and want to continue to use 'mostly white' even though, I know you are thinking, um, Beth, this photo is NOT mostly white. But still, the paper underneath the leaves is white - and it ties in nicely w/ the rest of the photos. In addition to the darker green leaves that give a very nice bright contrast, I love the subtle softness of the eucalyptus leaves. The powdery look seems to agree with the overall feeling I want my photos to have. One extra lovely thing about them is that you can rub them a bit and they become darker green! fabulous! So keep an eye on my shop as a trade out photos and get a more cohesive feel - and let me know what you think!

one wish in 14k yellow gold

one wish in 14k yellow gold
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

So, I hadn't blogged about this yet b/c I wasn't very happy w/ the photos I'd taken. But I haven't had time to take any new photos, so I'm going to blog about it anyway!
Doing the dandelion rings are super difficult. The little seeds, though tiny and delicate, don't like to burn out all the way. I've taken to handling the 1000 degree flask, taping it around in all directions and then giving it a slight vacuum to suck out any last bit of ash still stuck in the mold. This works great most of the time. Sometimes not. As you can imagine, having the seeds going all the way around the ring lend to more ash, and more possible mistakes that end up in me having to remake the whole ring.
So I opted for doing the single one in gold. I've really wondered why no one has asked for it in yellow gold before. I mean, dandelions are yellow - it seems pretty logical to me. Maybe many people aren't wearing yellow gold these days? It used to be my least favorite until I started working with it, now I love it.
Just wanted to put this little guy out there. I haven't listed it anywhere yet, though it is completely available for custom order if anyone is interested :)

gmails 'task list'

I know this is silly, but I just had to share my excitement. I love making lists, especially when I can check things off. I'm one of those that adds things to the list just so I can mark it off and show the progress I've made. I sometimes used the 'stickies' to make lists on, but they don't have the nice little check boxes! and when you check something off, it puts a line through it also!! Its the little things.

ant hill garnet and palladium white gold w/ patina

ant hill garnet and palladium white gold w/ patina
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

so things have been really busy - as you might have noticed in my lack of posting. I am finally starting to feel like I'm getting caught up. I still have.... well, a lot of work to do, but I've gotten over that hump of feeling completely overwhelmed. I opened my Etsy shop back up - I had decided to close it for a few days to give myself some breathing room. It really helped! Yesterday I completed some important projects I had been working on. This set included - the first tube setting in palladium white gold. I've done tube settings before, though just using ones that had been purchased. Since you can't buy tube settings in palladium white gold, I knew I had to make my own. And since the tubing existed - I figured I could do it. I had to do a practice one in sterling first and I think it turned out pretty fabulous!

Though oddly enough - I am finding that flush setting is easier for me. I was scared of it for so long and now when I have an extra few minutes I drill a hole in a discarded ring and throw a stone in just for extra practice! It revamps the ring and gives me more confidence in offering it to customers.



So, yup, I'm still really busy, but going to try to come back to a more balanced work load that includes at least a couple of blog posts a week!

Sound-nostalgia

Sometimes I hear an older cd that I realize I've missed hearing. When I first got this one, I listed to it alllll the time. It evokes all the feelings I had during that particular summer, brings back memories of the heat, driving to Savannah on a whim late one night and in general, being really busy and a little all over the place. Maybe I've wanted to listen to it now b/c I'm really busy, its hot and I feel a little all over the place?!

Pink is great to listen to when I need a little upbeat girliness. I think I must have such eclectic listening tastes b/c I like something for every mood, and well, I have lots of moods and it helps to have music for all of them!

Do you have anything that you particularly love listening to that brings that sense of nostalgia?