Fluxplay. Contemporary Jewellery Design...be inspired too.

Two great jewellery exhibitions to see in the UK.

2012-01-22T10:53:00.004Z

A fabulous collection of jewellery designers in this exhibition, if you're anywhere near that part of the country, you should definitely try and see it. Also looking very exciting is this exhibition;

And it's thanks to my regular ACJ newsletter that I knew about these shows, among many others. If you would like to join the Association for Contemporary Jewellery, then visit their website where you can find out more. They also have presence on FaceBook, LinkedIn, Crafthaus and their own forum.

Material alternatives.

2012-01-01T15:35:00.006Z

Another instalment of exciting jewellery from around the world, all made from or featuring what you might consider to be "alternative materials" either with a historical reference or a contemporary twist. Please click on the images to visit the websites or galleries of the artists themselves to find out about their methodologies, and stories behind their work.

Fabric Portrait brooch experiment by talented painter, teacher and Masters student "A blackbird". The portrait was intended to capture an element of fun and character of the person portrayed. Loosely padded and stitched.

Intriguing positive-negative spacial designs by Minya Mindungui. Abstract forms with a gentle look to them. The materials are not easy to pinpoint, the pattern could translate in different ways depending on the wearer and the viewer.

Beautiful and raw, steel nut ring by "The Justified Sinner", Dauvit Alexamder. An artist who constantly explores the boundaries of ideas, materials and technical process. A clever piece, honest in material and form, contradictory beauty with the tiny sharp, traditional stone.

"Spirograph brooch" by Trincar Uvas. Simple, clean, evocative of memories of childhood perhaps.

"A MANO LIBERA- CROCE necklace" Another ingenious folded paper construction by Frucci. Elegant, sinuous and flexible.

From the "Zoonoses" collection by art jeweller Stevie B Jewelry. To read more about the ideas behind this piece, read here. Found object used to tell a story and put forward the makers point of view.

Very attractive mosaic pendants by Angela Ibbs. These work because they are not over filled, the compositions of the tesserae are well thought out to fit the heart shaped space.

Felted brooch with a sculptural 3-D form that draws the eye most effectively. See her other felted works here. Compelling design that evokes thoughts of the Turkish "evil eye" to ward off spirits...or perhaps it has a psychedelic cartoon appearance.....

The perpetually inventive "2Roses" team never cease to inspire with their enquiring minds. What better way to learn about historical styles and techniques, than by trying and adapting for yourself, which is one of the ways in which 2Roses constantly explore their ideas. Read more about these scrimshaw bone earrings here.

"Carpented Pendant" by "Blind Spot Jewellery"; Janos Gabor Varga. A jeweller whose creativity and ingenuity never ceases to inspire me. Traditional carpentry techniques of joints and slots contain the marble 'bricks'.

"Spinal Decompression" brooch by Salvadorvico. One of a series of exuberant expressionist works of wearable art. You should certainly take a look at his archive of work which is made up of a huge variety of media. There is a rawness and dynamic vibrancy to this piece, it has a feeling spontaneity about it...no contrivance here.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at some of my favourite artists, find them as inspiring as I do and have come across some new styles.

Irish Cream recipe.

2011-12-26T09:00:00.005Z

Oh yeah, it's dead easy to make your own and perfect for New Years Eve. I saw this recipe on a TV show recently and had a go...it's good alright. I don't drink much, the odd medium dry scrumpy, a gin and tonic here and there, but a glass of Irish Cream during the festive season can lubricate a sore winters throat just nicely....

1. After first washing, sterilise a bottle and it's lid by boiling in water for several minutes, or in a bowl of sterilising fluid (like for baby bottles) or by putting in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
2.Gather your ingredients;

One cup of whisky.
One cup (tin) of condensed milk.
One cup of double cream.
One teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in a little hot water.
Two drops of Vanilla Essence

3. Put all the ingredients into a blender and whizz until thoroughly mixed up.
4. Decant the Irish Cream into the sterilised and dry bottle and store in the fridge.

Apparently it will last for between 10 days to two weeks in the fridge, though I can't imagine anyone leaving enough of it in the bottle to find that out....

Enjoy your New Years Eve!

Taps & Dies....the lowdown.

2011-12-18T17:34:00.002Z

No, not a dance routine on Strictly Come Dancing, but a way of making your own screws and threads for connecting parts made not of metals or for parts that need to be removable / interchangeable. Here is how to understand it all and how to make them, it's a lot of information so hold on tight!

I'd often wanted to know how to sink my own threaded hole and make a little threaded screw to fit into it. I'd read books that were old, out-of-print and new, but they all seemed to give me only half the information I needed. I looked on websites and found the information to be partial then found a variety of charts and diagrams on the internet, all meaning little to me. I've been asked so many times how to use these things and asked so many times how you're supposed to know which bits to use with what parts....that I bit the bullet and bought a set for about £45 ($69) in order to learn. Actually finding a complete set that I could afford or didn't look cheap and badly made, was another mission in itself. So I'm sharing what I've learned with you;

Above are the 4 pieces that I want to screw together. Two pieces of copper, one of old tins, one of perspex.

BA Size	Diameter of wire (mm)	Diameter of wire (inches)	Diameter of hole (mm)	Diameter of hole (inches)
12	1.3	0.051	1.05	0.041
10	1.8	0.071	1.4	0.055
8	2.25	0.089	1.8	0.071
6	2.85	0.112	2.3	0.091
5	3.2	0.126	2.65	0.104
4	3.6	0.142	3.0	0.118
3	4.1	0.161	3.45	0.136
2	4.8	0.189	4.0	0.157
1	5.4	0.213	4.5	0.177
0	6.0	0.236	5.1	0.201

ISO thread size	Diameter of wire (mm)	Diameter of wire (inches)	Diameter of hole (mm)	Diameter of hole (inches)
M1.6	1.65	0.065	1.26	0.050
M1.8	1.85	0.073	1.45	0.057
M2.0	2.05	0.081	1.6	0.063
M2.5	2.6	0.102	2.0	0.079
M3.0	3.1	0.122	2.5	0.098
M3.5	3.6	0.142	2.9	0.114
M4.0	4.1	0.161	3.3	0.130
M4.5	4.6	0.181	3.8	0.150
M5.0	5.1	0.201	4.2	0.165
M6.0	6.1	0.240	5.1	0.201

Above are two charts, one of which you will need to refer to depending on whether you work in "BA" or "ISO" threads. As I understand it, the ISO system is what is most commonly used today across a wide variety of applications, BA is an older system but the main difference is that the depth of cut and angle of the thread is less extreme than on an ISO thread....so if a screw is a little helter skelter at the fairground and the slide twisting around the tower is the thread itself, then how much the twisting slide actually sticks out from the tower and the steepness gradient of the slide, is known as the "pitch". The pitch is smaller on BA threads, which are used on really tiny srews like those on your spectacles. This is more appropriate apparently for using with soft metals like silver, as the pitch is less fragile (doesn't stick out so much and less steep) so less liable to twist or shear off. I could not find a BA set that I could afford so I thought "what the heck" shrugged my shoulders and went for an ISO set. You can buy taps and dies seperately, they are fragile and easy to break but I had no idea what I wanted, neither could I find a tap & die wrench to purchase seperately.

Here are the dimensions of the pieces, I'm using ISO. I had some more or less 2mm wire in stock so looking at the chart (I've highlighted the bit I looked at) I could see which tap and die size I needed to select. The wrench came with a circular 'washer' which is removable and is for holding the smaller taps and dies.

I have removed the washer (shown above with a smaller size die so you can see what I mean) and inserted the M2.0 that I needed into one of two tap adapters that came in the set (look again at my first picture at the top of this post, there are 9 dies, 18 taps {2 of each}, 2 tap adapters, 1 wrench and a die adapter (one adapter is for the M1 sizes and the other is for the M2 sizes), then making sure it's in nice and vertical, tighten the screw with a flat-head screwdriver.

Next, I took the copper disc that I wanted the thread cut into and taped it onto a block of wood. I had previously drilled a hole with a 1.6mm drill bit (see the chart again). The metal part should not be less than 2.5mm thick, this piece was about 3mm thick, because I soldered another small piece to the back to bulk up the guage without having the whole piece as thick.. Slowly and carefully I turned the wrench clockwise with a little pressure after having first applied a bit of lubrication on the tap (I only had wax but oil is more appropriate). I was careful to keep the tap perpendicular to the piece I was cutting into. I turned one whole rotation then turned back out half a rotation to let out the swarf. I kept on going in this way until I had cut a thread right through the disc.....it took about 5 minutes.

Hopefully, if you look closely you can see the thread cut into my disc.

Next, I needed to cut my wire so that it became a screw. I picked up the M2.0 die (see the chart). You can see how one side has the size printed onto it and the other might be plain flat or dished. Notice the notch in one side of the disc for locating against the screw in the wrench.

I needed the adaptor for holding the die which just pops in. I inserted the die and tightened the screw, you can see above the printed numbers just peeking out from under the adaptor. Notice that tightening the screw would make the centre of the 'clover leaf' squeeze down to a smaller size, the centre is where the cutting thread is.

Next I inserted the wire into a vice, making sure the wire was vertical. Then with the printed side of the die facing up I fitted the other side onto the wire in the centre of the 'clover leaf'. This side of the die hole is slightly champfered to accept the wire. Then I started to turn the wrench clockwise and after quite some considerable time, got absolutely nowhere. After lots of faffing about trying different things and wondering if the die, my digital callipers or the chart was inaccurate, I found in one of my books the instructions...."the wire needs to be just about able to fit into the die before you tighten the screw"......not exactly engineering accuracy talk, so I drew the wire down to a narrower gauge which just about almost not quite fit the die, down to 1.80mm, even though the chart says the wire needs to be 2.05mm. Trying again, the die cut beautifully, one turn of cutting, half a turn back to remove swarf and lubrication on the wire...over and over again. I still don't know why the original thickness of wire was too much, as all charts have the same number info on them, perhaps I squeezed my callipers too tight on the wire....

You can see that I've cut quite a way down the wire and the start of the wire is now screwed up out of the top of the die.

Above you can clearly see the wire has now got a thread cut onto it. How about that!

I sawed a section of the wire off leaving an uncut couple of mm at one end then soldered the uncut end to a head. I soldered that end on with a gap of no thread because I didn't want solder flowing up the thread and filling it up. The other end I slightly rounded off with a file and emery paper so that it feeds nicely into the threaded hole we cut earlier.

A moment of triumph, the screw threads nicely into the disc. It threads through an uncut hole in my bit of dished tins material....

...and through my perspex disc which is also cut with a threaded hole, then into a threaded disc of metal at the back. Hurrah!

Great. But what if you want to cut a threaded hole which doesn't go all the way through your material? You'd be using a thicker material for starters. The hole would be known as a "blind" hole. Ah, well you can see that the taps I have used are tapered, so how would they cut all the way down to the 'bottom' of a hole? You would need to buy taps called 'bottoming' taps, also known as 'plug' taps in the same size as the tap you use to cut most of the hole, so in the case above I would have had two or three plug taps in size M2.0, each tap would have a taper which is less severe than the one you use before it and so gradually cuts a thread into the last few mm of the hole you have drilled. I have seen taps for sale called "plug taps", so if I ever use any of these I will show you what happens.

Merry Christmas!

A pronged, claw mount setting on a whole other scale......

2011-11-29T15:53:00.005Z

Do you remember the simple claw setting we made for a faceted stone? I always say to my students that it could transfer nicely into other shapes and sizes of stone. Well here is one of my talented students who took me quite literally...word for word! She learned how to make the mount with me on a small scale, then used the making skills she's learned in the Large-Scale Metals workshop and taught to her by those specialist staff.

A huge welded steel ring and a massive claw mount has been constructed especially to house the chunk of Plymouth Limestone, which was a material used to build the Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery (for which this project was designed) and many of the City's grandest buildings, such as the Breakwater in Plymouth Sound and the Royal William Victual Yard. I'm sure that this student will go a long way with such drive and ambition!

Wonderful Devon Craft Fair.

2011-11-23T19:42:00.000Z

This weekend sees the yearly return of Crux, the intimate craft fair set in the spacious village hall at Rattery near Totnes. 33 makers from a wide variety of traditional, heritage and contemporary craft specialisms will be selling their wares direct to the public. Visitors can purchase raffle tickets to win one of many unique prizes each donated by the 33 makers, with proceeds of the raffle going to this years' charity "Cool Recovery". As usual there will be a cafe serving the most delicious home made food you can imagine, from savoury meals to cakes, mulled wine and mince pies. Celia Lister, who helped me test out my pen designs will be selling her beautiful calligraphy. Though I am not exhibiting this year, I have no intention of missing this terrific event. See you there!

Argento Jewellery Design Competition

2011-11-20T08:00:00.002Z

Deadline of 16th December. How would you like to have your jewellery designs put into production by Argento? Get your sketchpad out and start thinking! For details click on the image above and find out about the winner of last years' competition. There are two categories this year;

Silver – entrant to design a piece of high quality, 925 Sterling Silver jewellery, with or without crystals or semi-precious stones.

Costume Jewellery – entrant to design a piece and/or collection of costume jewellery which exudes originality, and is made of high quality materials. Materials to be determined by the entrant.

How to make a Collet Bezel Mount.

2011-11-16T08:00:00.003Z

This is very much like the rub-over bezel mount with an open back that I showed you here, but with an elegant taper for faceted stones only and produced with the help of a collet block.

What's a collet block?...it is a steel block with tapered cone-shaped depressions and a matching punch, for stretching tube sections into cone shapes for your mounts, or as in this case for tidying up a pre-fabricated cone shaped setting. These blocks come in different shapes for a variety of mount styles, such as oval.

So, first I made my template and then I marked that onto my metal. I used aabout 0.9mm thick metal, which is quite thick, but you will see why that is, later. How did I get the template right? There are lots of methods listed in so many books on how to do this and they all differ. Here is the way I do it, which you can see in my sketch below;

You can see that I have drawn the width of the stone as it actually is, which in this case was 5mm. The two lines which I then brought down (that long "V" down to a point) define the taper of the mount, so a shorter fatter V gives a squat mount and a longer V gives a more tapered, cone. It's helpful after you have drawn the arc, to also add the thickness of the metal you're using, onto that too, so that the final template you cut out is the whole of the shaded section and the extra bit up to where it's marked number 4. This technique works for me every time.

Next, I sawed out the shape and made sure that edges were neat. I used my round nose pliers to bend the shape for my mount around, until the edges met perfectly. Once you have a good flush join, solder it closed with Hard solder. After pickling, you get to put your mount into the collet block and use your punch to true up the form. Which hole do you use though?....well, which one does your stone sit in nicely that leaves the table of the stone a couple of mm below the surface of the block?....choose the next size of hole up from that one.

Now make sure the stone fits the mount. You need a couple of mm proud of the stone table (the "table" is the top, flat surface of the stone). The mount is then soldered into the jewellery item, again with Hard solder.

Now you need to grind away a seat for the stone to sit on, just like we did for this mount. Here in the above photo' you can see that I have coloured in the inside of the mount with black felt-tip pen, so that I can easily see the mark that I have scribed with my dividers which indicates where I will be cutting the seat.

I used both these burrs to grind out the seat. You may find that just one suits you better than the other. Because I have Carpal Tunnel syndrome in my wrists, I find this procedure quite difficult and a little painful, so I tend to grind out a little too much in my quest and for that reason, I prefer to solder a constructed seat into my settings, as in this setting. In this case, I might make another cone to a slightly smaller template and solder it inside. Then I would thin down the top edge of the outer cone, so that it is thin enough to rub over, but for the purpose of this tutorial, I will carry on cutting!....

Further shaping was achieved by using a medium sized, fine flat file, to take the height of the mount down until it is lower than the table but above the girdle (the "girdle" is the widest edge of the stone) so that I have enough metal to rub over. You can see here that the edge of the mount is now nice and thin from having the seat ground down. At this stage in the photo, I still have to take the height down a bit, as there is too much metal to push over.

You can see the ring is now held firmly in the Ring Clamp and I am pushing the edge over from opposite points with my pusher, bit by bit until the edge is snug against the stone all around. Only then do I push any visible lip down against the stone in a downwards push, before finally rubbing around in one direction with my burnisher....just as we did at the end for this setting.

In case you're not sure, this gizmo above, is a ring clamp and makes holding rings while you set stones a much easier job than simply holding the ring with your hand.

So here is the mount after pushing, but before burnishing and below you can see the mount after burnishing.

Job done. Do remember that this is just one way of making this mount, there are variations. Every jeweller has a different way of doing it and has tips to share...good luck!

A Guide to the Business of Creativity.

2011-11-13T08:00:00.000Z

"T-Shirts and Suits" by David Parrish.

This morning in my email was one of the regular bulletins I receive from Creative Choices and one article in particular that peaked my interest was about the nitty gritty of running a 'creative' business. The above book by David Parrish is available to download for FREE on the website, so I started reading and found it full of great advice and information, well worth a copy for yourself. Most of the information translates well across other cultures and countries, I feel. Chapters listed are;

Creativity and Business.

Know yourself.

Keeping a lookout.

The Magic of Marketing.

Dealing with the competition.

Protecting your Creativity.

Counting your Money.

Keeping good company.

Leadership and management.

Business feasibility.

Your route to success.

There are also references and eleven different real life case studies. If you prefer a paper copy of the book, then it is also available in paperback.

Precious Metal Bursary Competition 2012.

2011-11-09T08:52:00.001Z

Previous Precious Metal Bursary Competition winners.

A great opportunity for final year students in the UK; The Goldsmiths' Company Precious Metal Bursary is a national competition for final year students at UK colleges and universities studying Goldsmithing, Jewellery, Silverware at HND, Foundation degree or BA degree level to help them work in precious metals.

Prize:

£500 of precious metal
Personalised Award Certificate
Award Winner’s display card for exhibiting at degree shows

Applications open each September. To apply for the bursary, simply download the Precious Metal Bursary entry form here, but please note that the deadline for the design proposal has been extended to November 25th (not November 11th).

Objects of Desire.

2011-11-07T17:33:00.000Z

This is one of two Christmas exhibitions in which I will be showing work this year. I only wish I could get up to Lancashire to see it.....

Useful websites....

2011-10-26T10:48:00.002+01:00

...and there are so many of them! I want to introduce you to three sites in particular for UK folk in the creative industries which are full of useful information, job opportunities and articles about contemporary issues.

"The Traditional Crafts Blog" by Robin Wood is the blog of the "Heritage Crafts Association". These are fantastic ways in which to keep up to date with and understand the traditional crafts in this country, the issues facing makers and teaching institutions, current news, fascinating facts and information. The blog is full of insight and wit. The most recent article lets forth the news that Ade Edmonson ("Vivyan" from "The Young Ones") is featuring in a new TV programme coming out soon, called "Ade in Britain" (watch the trailer by clicking on the pic of Ade with his mug). Edmonson will be touring the country and taking part in traditional and regional crafts and culinary traditions. Something to look forward to!

You might find something of use to you in the latest edition of "Creative Choices". It is a fairly basic, general information source for those in the creative industries in the UK and free to subscribe to but there are often useful business tips and articles, like this one on the different funding sources for your education or young business...so it's worth signing up for the email.

Finally, if you are a jeweller, then you would be daft not to sign up for the free and very excellent "Benchpeg" which is a magazine of extremely useful and interesting guidance ranging from news, articles, competitions and opportunities and helpful tools like the "Jewellers Toolkit for Manufacturing", a concise document of clear and informative information on many topics such as subcontracting work out like casting or Rapid Prototyping, for example. To keep up with their latest output, sign up for their free newsletter.

Happy reading!

Simple Brooch Pin backs.

2011-10-12T15:50:00.000+01:00

Here are examples of pin fittings of the kind which I make most often for my work. There are many dozens of pin back styles you can make, but these are the less elaborate ones which I find simple in their making and appearance, as well as reliable mechanisms.

The hinge is a length of tube which has the same internal diameter as the thickness gauge of the wire eg. the wire is 0.9mm and the internal diameter of the tube is 0.9mm. The tube is soldered onto a piece of sheet (the plinth) to give a little height. A groove was filed into the edge of the plinth with a 3-sided, then round needle file to create a slight depression for the tube to sit in snugly.

The hook catch is formed from a piece of wire which has been soldered into a hole (could be partially drilled if the other side of the brooch is critical) in the brooch back. The hook has had the curve planished to strengthen and ‘set’ the shape. The pin is given tension, by the other end which is

bent down against the brooch back, forcing the pin upwards against the hook. The point of the pin is filed, emery-papered and polished to a bullet point, which parts the fabric fibres instead of piercing and damaging or causing a hole.

A longer, heavier piece here on the left is using the same style pin as above but with a double pin which has tension created through the kinks in the pin stems. The kinks force the pins upwards against the catch.

Another version of the above double pin, but the tension in the pins is created by the fact that the pins are forcing outwards against the curled hooks of the catch.

Another double pin but with a fancy curled hook. Notice that the tube hinge is not on any ‘plinth’, this is because the brooch is very lightweight and can be worn on lighter fabrics that do not need a ‘rise’ to lift the pins above thick fabric.

For a brooch made entirely by reclaiming metal from existing, unwanted items, a pin made from a paperclip was appropriate. The tension for this pin is created by the loop-around at the ‘hinge’ end, which forces the pin-stem upwards. The pin is not fixed but was threaded through holes in the back during its creation and hangs the brooch like a bead would hang from a kilt-pin.

This is a rough sample of a pin back which would be suitable for brooches made of non-solderable materials, such as plastics or wood or fabrics… It is sheet that is sawn out in the shape that I’ve sketched out. The long tab rolls up to become the hook. The other end has ‘ears’ which have holes drilled of the same gauge as the wire which then passes through the folded-up ‘ears’ and through the coiled end of the pin-wire . The holes drilled into the brooch are ready for riveting onto the brooch, or in the case of plastic, wires may have been glued into holes in the plastic, then a rubber washer then the pin fitting, slotted over and the wire heads riveted off. Or there may be several holes for stitching onto material. The back-plate could have a textured surface or a pierced-out design.

Remember that pin fittings need to be attached above the halfway point of the brooch, that is, 2/3rds of the way up the brooch. A common mistake for those early on in their jewellery-making adventures, is to attach the pin in the centre of the brooch, which would then cause the brooch to flop when worn.

Good luck!

Origins.

2011-09-13T12:03:00.000+01:00

High quality, innovative Craft from over 200 makers in a variety of disciplines. As the tagline goes, "Made, not manufactured". This year the venue for Crafts Council run Origins is Old Spitalfields Market in the East End of London. This is the original contemporary craft show of pedigree, which used to be held for many years at Chelsea Town Hall and was known as The Chelsea Crafts Fair. Click on any image and photo in this post to visit its website. This event coincides with "The Power of Making" Exhibition at the V&A and the "London Design Festival".

When I was a student at Central Saint Martins, studying jewellery design and silversmithing back in 1989, Spitalfields was somewhere you could go and buy food in the middle of the night, early hours of the morning when everything else was asleep, an atmospheric pulse beating at the heart of working London. To see old images of the place and it's environs....keep scrolling down.

From the terrific website (if you're interested in old London and its inhabitants) "Casebook: Jack the Ripper".

Original photo by Mark Jackson & Huw Davies. Found on the fascinating and absorbing website Spitalfieldslife. Take a moment to see how many diverse trades are advertised in the right hand margin of this wonderful site. Following photo also from Spitalfieldslife.

From the Deadpubs website.

And now, for something really special; A house in Spitalfields where you can step back into a moment in time, between 1724 to 1914 at Dennis Severs' House, 18 Folgate Street. There are historically accurate stories to see at several points over the centuries, smells to inhale, sounds to catch your ear, as if the occupants of the house had been there just minutes ago and as the owner responsible for bringing this house to the viewing public said, this is not just a museum, "it is still-life drama".

A way to make a mount for a cabochon marquise .

2011-09-05T09:00:00.002+01:00

This is a contemporary setting which nicely complements the shape of the stone. Here, I have made the setting into a ring. Notice that my stone changes halfway through the tutorial, this is because there was a few weeks gap in time between when I started and finished the project...where I managed to misplace the original stone in the interim! As with all my tutorials, this is the way that I myself make this setting, there are many variations and tricks used by different jewellers to make settings, there really isn't a definitive 'right' and 'wrong' way, there will be other ways of making this setting.

In your doming block, make a dome which allows about 1mm extra space at either end of your stone. In this example, my metal is 0.9mm thick to allow for depth of metal to be cut away in creating the seat later.

Use a template or some other method to mark your dome in half.

I use a piece of emery paper to draw a line that dissects the dome.

Saw the dome in half, then use binding wire to re-assemble the pieces back together, into the cup shape. Flux and solder together.

Check the stone fits into the cup. I'm using a nub of beeswax to hold onto my stone. I needed to open up my cup a bit as it was too narrow, I did this my forcing a doming punch into the cup until the stone fitted in nicely. File / emery (also know as Wet & Dry paper) the rim of the cup until it is level.

Now, as for a normal cabochon rub-over setting, envisage where the base of the stone needs to sit so that there is enough height of metal to rub over the curved sides of the stone. You can see here where I have chosen where that seat needs to be and I am using dividers to score a line.

Next, you need to cut away the metal of the seat, down to the line you marked earlier, to create the seat. Try and keep to within the line you cut. I find this part tricky as I'm not too handy with a pendant drill, the burr which I find easiest to cut the seat out with is one of these shown above, a "bud burr" but you might mind a different burr easier, just experiment. Keep your metal dust for sending off for recycling.

Next, use a graver to sharpen up the burr-engraved seat, making the little ledge that now exists, crisp and sharp. Keep testing the fit of the stone into your work.

Here you can see the finished cutting inside the cup, with the (upside down) stone next to it.

Here you can see the stone sitting inside the cup mount ready to be set. Notice that the walls of the cup are significantly thinner after being burred away. For teaching purposes I am leaving this ring un-set to allow students to see the interior of the cup and the burred seat. To set the stone I would use a pusher then finally a burnisher to set the stone, just as in this setting and this one too.....in fact, as you would for a basic rub-over cabochon setting. If your marquise stone has quite sharp pointed ends, then for a neater shape, you could file down the pointed ends of the almond shaped cup, so that they are a little lower than the rest of the bezel edge, then this would eliminate any pinching. I didn't need to do that here, because my stone has quite rounded tips.

The British Art Show 7.

2011-08-31T15:09:00.002+01:00

This time the British Art Show comes to Plymouth, which nestles on the river Tamar at the border of west Devon and east Cornwall. Several venues collaboratively known as the Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium, are involved in hosting the exhibitions, lectures and events which span from September to December. Visit the site by clicking on the banner above to find out about the artists taking part, and the various activities you can take part in, from etching to creative writing.

For information on the British Art Show 7 tour so far and to learn more about the artists, visit the Blog.

Ruby Ring.

2011-08-27T18:18:00.001+01:00

Not really....This is my entry for the Iluvmycan competition. I'm not sure if they've recieved it because their entry form and email address have not been working for 3 days...sigh. So here it is anyway, in honour of the great british summer tipple, Pimms.

...and it's not just a drink for the ladies you know...

....though, I do like it with a slice of cucumber, ice and fruit....and a bit more summer sun than we have been getting this last month.

Donegal. Ireland.

2011-08-22T10:13:00.001+01:00

Here are some photo's and a couple of quick sketches, of the beautiful northern coastline of Donegal, where I recently took a short break with family. The interior boglands and mountains, towns and estuaries are also staggeringly beautiful. If you ever have a chance to visit any of Irelands' northern coastal extremities, then your breath will be taken away by its beauty...pack clothing for every season, as the weather changes dramatically, on the hour.

Competition for you to enter.

2011-07-28T21:39:00.004+01:00

£1000 prize money for the winner, shiny trophy, bit of publicity, something of a challenge for your addled brain....check out this competition by clicking on the image;

Hmmm, but what to make though? I could really do with a nice can of hot ginger beer right now, to help me think about it. My favourite entry so far though, has to be this one;

...and then, by the same box-office-busting creek-boating crew is this film below, also a corker;

The closing date for the competition is end of August. What should I make?

Artists Who have inspired my work.

2011-07-11T07:00:00.002+01:00

There have been so many artists who have inspired my work over the years and who continue to do so, but right now, those who recurringly dwell in my mind are these below. For me, the main ingredients of the examples I've shown are collage, composition, typeface, assemblage, narrative. Although my work is in no way similar to the work of these artists, they have inspired me with their essential concepts. Please click on the images to visit their source and find out more information about these creative minds.

Clara Vichi. Brooch. Trained at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art. Well known for her beautiful graphic compositions in silver, brass and wood.

Robert Ebendorf. "InService" Brooch. American jewellery famed for his clever assemblages.

Jack Cunningham. "Fragments" Brooch from a series. A teacher, academic and contemporary studio jeweller.

Roy Ray. "May 5" mixed media artwork. Cornish-based artist

Sir Peter Blake. "The Toy Shop" mixed-media artwork. First known for his 'Pop Art' works and collage assemblages.

Ramon Puig Cuyas of Spain. Brooch from the Archipelagos series.
I absolutely love his work so much.

This post is part of the Etsymetal Blog Carnival. To see what other Etsy Metal members have written for the subject "Artists who have inspired you", click on the links below to visit their blogs...not all the inspirations are jewellery;

1. Theresa
2. Kate Jones
3. 2Roses
4. Elizabeth Scott
5.Inbar Bareket
6. Nodeform
7. Beth Cyr
8. Cynthia Del Guidice
9. Evelyn Markasky
10. Adobe Sol
11. Quercus Silver

Creativity & Education...a contradiction?

2011-07-07T09:04:00.001+01:00

.....it can be, but it needn't be. Watch this very funny, but most astute video of a speech made in 2006 by Sir Ken Robinson. It's 20 minutes long, but worth every minute.

Serendipity.

2011-07-04T18:18:00.000+01:00

"Serendipity"....the act of making discoveries by happy accident. Check out this new online design magazine with an international flavour.

You can also follow the magazine on Facebook or follow their Blog.

Making cufflink fittings. Tutorial.

2011-06-14T21:02:00.005+01:00

Cufflinks. Copper, reclaimed tins, oxidised.

Over the years I've used many forms of cufflink backs and never really been entirely happy with any of them. Pre-bought manufactured findings are nearly always in silver or gold and just don't suit my work with their clean, shiny finish and high-end look...... and are quite pricey. I've made solid arched fittings that have no movement (needs to be made from quite thick sheet) and solid arched fittings with tiny wire rivets (too much work when I'm trying to keep my work affordable and costs down). I've used short lengths of either my own hand-made chain or bought chain, but these always seem a bit...well, too pretty for my designs and awkward to solder on to the cufflinks. So I trawled through my books looking for another option and this is the one I chose, a "Swivel Back"...but with a few alterations. Here is how I made them;

First I straightened some 1.7mm wire (this could be between 1.5 and 2mm). I straightened it by rolling it under my mallet on a steel block, back and forth.

Next, I cut about 6cm of the wire and folded it in half by hand, before gently squeezing it together with parallel pliers, keeping an open loop at the folded end. Repeat for the second cufflink.

I soldered the lengths together with hard solder, using a bit of binding wire to keep them nicely shut. Don't forget to remove the binding wire before you pickle...otherwise you'll end up with a copper-plating solution instead of an oxide-removing bath. These will be the Stems of the cufflinks.

Now for the Stops (the non-decorative element of the cufflink which sits on the inside of the wrist, though of course you could have 2 decorative elements for each cufflink). Sometimes my stop is just round wire of between 3 and 4mm, sometimes I make it square. Here I made some square wire by rolling through the grooves of my rolling mill and gradually reducing the gap with each roll-through. Pre-rolling mill days, I would have forged square wire with a creasing hammer then planished flat, or used plenty of oil, sweat and a square-hole draw-plate. When rolling down wire into a square profile, you have to obviously start off with a thickness of wire that's bigger than you want, to allow for the shaping.

I sawed the length of the stems down to an appropriate length and the same with the stops, using one of my stock of manufactured findings as a guide...15mm for the length of the stem and 18/19mm for the length of the Stop.

I filed the ends of the Stems flat and smooth.

I filed the ends of the Stops smooth and flush, rounding off the edges and corners with my favorite emery-nail board to give them a good finish.

I soldered the Stem onto the Stop with hard solder. Notice that I have lifted up the stem by propping it on two overlapping saw blades, which serves to raise the Stem up into the centre of the Stop.

Here are the finished swivel backs, ready to go on to their decorative counterparts. I laid them on my steel block so the Stems were flat on the surface (with the Stops over the edge out of the way), then used my planishing hammer to flatten off the stems from round to square, whilst leaving the loop still with rounded profile. This gives a nice 'sturdy' look and complements the square profile of the Stop, also strengthening the Stem further. Pickled and brass brushed.

The last thing to do is attach the swivel backs to the decorative counterparts by threading them on to loops soldered onto the decorative backs, which are still unfinished. Notice the single hole in the backs which I have drilled to be the same diameter as the loop wire. The loop wire is 1.5mm and the loops, or rather 'n's have one leg slightly longer than the other, so that the longer leg can sit in the drilled hole and make soldering them onto the backs much easier....I don't even have to hold them in place with tweezers. I placed them on a wire mesh and soldered the loops on with hard solder by directing my flame on the other side, with just a quick dart of heat to the front at the point of liquidus (when the solder flashes into it's melted flowing form), thus avoiding annealing the swivel elements. If due to the design I couldn't drill a hole through the piece, then I would instead have used a cotter pin to hold the loops upright.

Quick and easy. If the cufflinks had consisted of two decorative elements instead of one and a Stop, then I would use the same concept, but at both ends having the Stem made up with a loop at both ends, so that it looks a bit like a cartoon of a dog bone.

The opposite of Grey...

2011-06-12T18:28:00.001+01:00

...is orange.
Grey, rainy, foggy, cold, windy miserable weather prevails here in the UK as per norm. It saps the creative spirit, everything is tinted grey, so here is some orange to counteract the malaise....

My favourite track "Y Ffordd Oren" which means "The Orange Way",
from a favourite band "Gorky's Zygotic Mynci", from my homeland of Wales. They're singing in Welsh - a colourful language.

By CubaGallery. A vintage tin.

Jelly Beans by Kamundse. Orange Ladybird by Kenjonbro.

House in Culross by Museumpiece. Orange classic car by bluejetjane.

Coming up....exhibition must-sees in June!

2011-05-17T14:59:00.002+01:00

Click on the header to visit the official website. The Contemporary Craft Fair was founded in 2003 and has grown from 4,000 to 8,000 visitors since it started and has become one of the most prestigious and highly acclaimed craft events in the UK. In the tents will be makers selling direct to the public their; Ceramics, Furniture, Glass, Leather, Precious Jewellery, Non-precious Jewellery, Metals, Mixed Media, Silver, Paper - Prints - Bookbinding, Textiles, Wood.

Having exhibited here twice myself, I can testify to the high quality of this very well organised event. Also there will be the usual array of tasty food tents, entertainment for adults and children. Outdoor displays, exhibits and sellers of art supplies, books and more. Tents with information and representatives from various colleges and institutions....a grand day out for all the family. Visit the small town of Bovey itself and the Devon Guild of Craftsmen at the other end of the park.

At the end of every June and into the first few days of July, over 3,500 newly graduated designers, makers and craftspeople representing the top 200 UK design courses, come together at New Designers in central London to meet industry employers, media, trend predictors and a design hungry public. Exciting, fresh and on the pulse, this is one to visit if you are in the industry, if you are thinking of going into Higher Education in the creative arts, or if you're simply interested in design and applied arts. My students at Plymouth College of Art will have stands here. Click on the green header to visit the official website.

............Plymouth College of Art............

Announcing our programme of events for Summer Shows 2011 where the College is packed with fantastic art, from stunning couture jewellery to delicate ceramics and thought provoking photography for the end of year exhibitions. The work on show is a culmination of years of hard work by the students, many of whom will go onto be pioneers in their chosen field. These exhibitions provide an excellent opportunity for members of the public and local business community to see what our graduating students have achieved.

The Further Education & Higher Education Summer Shows;
Monday 20 June to Wednesday 29 June, 9am-8.30pm
Saturday 25 June 9am to 4.30pm

The Degree Fashion Show
Thursday 23 June - 2pm and 7pm
Friday 24 June - 2pm and 7pm

The Further Education Fashion Show
Tuesday 21 June – 2pm, 4.30pm, 7pm
Admission to Fashion shows by ticket which can be purchased online or ring the college. Fashion shows will be held not at the college, but instead at the historic location of Crownhill Fort, Crownhill Fort Road, Plymouth PL6 5B, just a few miles from the college.

Plymouth College of Art
Tavistock Place
Plymouth PL4 8AT
Devon, England
Telephone: 01752 203434
Email: enquiries@plymouthart.ac.uk

The Usual Suspects. A quiz for Jeweller geeks.

2011-05-06T07:00:00.000+01:00

In the UK we call 'em Bench Pegs, in the US they call 'em Bench Pins, they're the focul point of your workshop. Some folk have more than one in their workshop, but each is like an extra limb to the owner and as unique as a fingerprint. Some have flat tops like Vanilla Ice's hair style, some have sloping shoulders.....hmmm. So here is a rogues gallery of EtsyMetal suspects. Can you match mugshot to crime? No prizes, just the joy of your detective skills giving you a warm, clever feeling. Answers at the bottom.

Number 1 has freckles all over, while no.16 has an ordered spatter of freckles on one side only. No.2 has long slender prongs. No 6 has solid bulky prongs with a single purposeful groove running across...for holding wire while filing perhaps? No.9 at the end of its life, is so holey my photoshop lasso tool didn't know what path to follow at all! No.15 has an interesting slit to one side and one of those grooves...very orderly. No.17 looks like a keyhole with a baby v-slot next to it, whilst no.18 has a very raggedy edge with lots of mini grooves. No.14 has a work worn surface with a definite left-leaning slot. Neat No.7 is apparently "the most beat-up one" in the workshop....if that's beat-up, then the tidy ones must be pristine! No.11 is very clean and noble. No.4 has a tiny amount of allkinds of marks on it, interesting scars along the outer sides...I'd say No.5 was tres chic! No20's peg ends up looking about as far from immaculate as her jewellery actually is. No.19 has a peg that's a mature 10yrs old and a steel part of a fine vintage 30yrs old! No.17 has a cunning magnet on the side for holding little tool parts, whereas No3 must surely be the creme-de-la-creme of pegs, with its own clamp...now who do they all belong to?

So, is it possible to match the perp' to the crime? To visit the shops, click on the images. To find out what belongs to whom;

A1. B2. C16. D20. E6. F4. G15. H11. I9. J17. K14. L8. M10. N12. O7. P3. Q5. R13. S19. T18. U21.

Mugshot background courtesy of photo8.

Meet Canbot.

2011-04-26T16:33:00.001+01:00

These little fellas are made from recycled metals similar to my own work, but whereas mine is made from the printed steel of old tins, these critters are made from aluminium drinks cans. I guess you might have one as a teeny friend sitting on your desk next to your computer, imagine him debugging your hard drive at night, when everyone is asleep...and I couldn't resist adding this BRILLIANT video to go with it. Enjoy!

A canbot under construction....

To learn more about Canbot and meet his teeny pals, go to Canbots website.

A Sea Song to go with my Sea finds and makes below...

2011-04-19T16:19:00.002+01:00

<br><br><br>Sea
Sea Song by The Doves.

Tidal Treasures - finds and makes.

2011-04-18T13:09:00.001+01:00

In the UK, we are never much more than 60 miles away from the nearest section of coastline which makes you realise just what a small island we live on. In bygone days the shore was a popular dumping ground for unwanted rubbish, not so great when the rubbish is polluting but pretty exciting when the rubbish is harmless to the environment and of historical interest, such as the old pottery and glass that I like to collect. I live in an area peppered with old industrial villages where two rivers meet the sea and tin, copper and silver mining, as well as seaweed collection and ore seperation were prevalent for hundreds of years. So a unique tidal area of great natural beauty, wildlife and manmade legacy allows for the kind of waterside rambles that I like best....Treasure Hunting!

I'm still trying to think how I can use my pottery shards collection in jewellery making, without ending up with the same style of work that other people are already using when working with beach pottery and glass. I've been thinking about it for years actually, but I reckon I'm close to coming up with something reasonably affordable, quick to make, as well as different from the rest. In the glass collection I have a small sauce bottle, a Shiphams Meat Paste bottle, a Brylcream Jar and a quarter pint Milk Bottle which used to be given to every school-child at morning break time as a means of ensuring the health of the country (I remember this ritual in the 1970's...they gave us a straw in our bottle too!). Plus, lots of little tiny worn fragments, bottle marbletops (from fizzy drinks) and interesting remnants. Again....I'm still thinking how I can use this stuff in different ways, but I sometimes incorporate the small worn glass with my reclaimed tins.

I also collect interesting shaped rubbish from the shores that might end up being made into something oneday. I do actually make things from this stuff when I have an idea that wont go away.

It's a great challenge to set yourself, why don't you try it?; Select some of your favourite Treasure finds, lay them out in front of you, move them around, look at the shapes and colours and materials, then let these things direct you to the end design, as well as HOW you connect it all together. This is called "materials-led designing". It makes a different area of your brain work hard, from the part that normally designs the artwork then applies materials to the design, it's a good excercise and helps you expand your creative skills and keep your thinking flexible...like Yoga for the brain.

I made this "Airship" actually sat on the shore, using a reel of rusty old wire that was tangled up in the pebbles. The tissue of the propellor and wheels was in my pocket and glued onto the wire with the slimey goo from seaweed used as glue. My tools were my hands and a basic mini multitool penknife.

I've always had a thing for automaton. This one above called "My Beating Heart" is again made from stuff I found on the seashore, which is why it moves a bit rough. The handle is turned and the heart palpitates up and down...it was tricky to make because the materials I was working with were rough and ready....it's a good challenge though, to work within limitations.

The automaton above is the first one I ever made, sometime back in the mid 1990's. It's made from copper, brass, nickel and gilding metal, oxidised and spattered with salt water then warmed up to create speckles. It pictures two boats and a buoy all bobbing up and down on the waves....I was really just trying to figure out how to make these things in a simple way (which of course meant, that it wasn't as simple to make as I'd hoped). To see another of my automaton, check out this post.

This "Cone Thingy" is just that. Playing with shapes, form and colour, using materials found on the shoreline.

Here's a romantic bit of stuff. Shells, wood and a rusty bit that I sawed out to make the frame for the map segment, which identifies the location for these particular finds. The wood was allready that shape...just right for the ridge that is actually there at "Cockleridge". Now it's your turn to go out for a walk.

Material Alternatives in Spring 2011.

2011-04-10T11:24:00.002+01:00

Here's a window into the world of exciting jewellery design from all over the world. Unusual materials are used to create original and wearable designs, but there are also some familiar materials and techniques used in alternative and fresh ways. What all these items here have in common however, is high quality craftsmanship and skill. I hope you find these pieces as bewitching as I do, so click on their maker names to visit their Etsy shops and see the full variety of their ingenuity.

"Polyoptic Split Bracelet" 3D Printed (rapid prototyped), nylon bangle by Uptomuch.

Crochet freeform necklace by Okapiknits.

"Berlin" porcelain rings by MaaPstudio.

Crochet, Felt & Button necklace by Franciesca.

"Crin Earrings" woven horsehair in silver by Nataliasaldias.

"Black Quote Bubble" brooch by Margauxlange. Resin, doll parts and silver.

"Meteorite Ring" resin and crystal by Triian.

Rosewood Bentwood Ring with offset Turquoise inlay by Stoutwoodworks.

Resin "Chunky Bangle in Chocolate" by Resign.

"Pink Shibori Silk Polka-Dot Pendant" in silver by Ashleyjewelry.

Polymer Clay and silver "Stone upon Stone" earrings by Jibbyandjuna.

"Paper Yarn Ring in Autumn colour" with silver by PaperPhine.

I have a project published in this new book....

2011-03-31T13:19:00.001+01:00

Following on from "30 minute Necklaces", the newest book by Lark for Jewellery Designers and makers is "30 minute Rings".

This is a fun book for those who allready have a repertoire of basic jewellery-making skills, but perhaps want to try some new techiniques by way of simple projects. Each ring project tells you what you need to prepare and get ready first, then the project instructions are laid out, step-by-step. The theory is the that each ring is do-able in a very short time frame, the designs are very simple and there is something for everyone here...out of 60 projects, you are bound to find some that you like. Here is the ring that I have in this book...but you'll have to buy the book to find out how to make it!

Silver, recycled tins, copper tube...simple.

Pinball Bagatelle game Ring.

2011-03-19T18:27:00.003Z

I made this in response to the March 2011 EtsyMetal monthly themed challenge, "Kinetic" (watch the etsymetal blog in the first week of April, to see how other participants responded).
I've been wanting to make something inspired by an old, pressed tin Bagatelle game that I own. I also live not too far from a museum of fairground and steam heritage, "Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre" where there are lots of penny-slot games and pinballs of different eras...I love them all, so here is my response to the challenge; "Kinetic" Pinball Ring Game. There are 3 holes in the tin game deck surrounded by raised 'stops' that score you either 1, 3 or 5 points. Made in sterling Silver, Precious metal clay, bronze, reclaimed tins, perspex, ghesso, paint, ballbearing, steel spring, constructed, molded, carved, embossed.

It was a challenge to make, it all had to be constructed and fitted together in the right order and planned more carefully than I would normally, but it all worked out ok. If I made it again, then I would design a far more elaborate exterior with etched fairground-style writing all over it, but I didn't do that this time, because I wanted the focus to be on the interior of the game, with a burst of fairground-style elaborateness in the ring band instead and just accents of colour. It plays well (the spring was from inside a pen) but it's actually incredibly difficult to get the balls into the holes...I think this game would get the wearer completely wound-up!....here is the video to show its movement;