etsy metal

“What’s New”–this week in our shops

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends,
Here we are again with new jewelry made with lot of love from EtsyMetal team members.

iacua                                                          e5jewelry

simplymega                                              nova of sweden

hartleystudio                                         fluxplay

lsueszabo                                                 Michele Grady Designs

Erin Austin                                                2Roses

NodeformWeddings                             betsybensen

Quercus Silver                                       SCJ Jewelry Design

Rebecca Bogan                                      Cosmo's Moon Jewelry

Stunning pieces!

****

I will be here next Saturday with more new jewelry.
In the mean time,
Have a wonderful weekend!

Charm Swap Update

2012-01-26T20:03:00.008-05:00

I am typing this week with a wrist brace on my right hand so I will keep my own words to the bare minimum.

I do have some really cool progress photos to share from Victoria with Experimetal. She is DONE with her charms!!! I want some suspense to build however, so I am only going to show you a couple of pictures this week:

Victoria says she has been a little addicted to working with leather lately. Wait until you see the finished charms. They are phenomenal!

There has been quite a bit more chatter regarding charms going on with swap participants lately. I can't wait to see more progress photos and share them with you next week.

Until next time...

Ask Auntie EM - This week we tackle the BIG G!!

2012-01-24T06:00:00.004-05:00

“What’s New “ in our shops

2012-01-21T03:46:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday everybody.
I am very happy to show you our new entries for this week.

simplymega                                              Rebecca Bogan

victoria takahashi/experimetal       SCJ Jewelry Design

lichen and lychee                                   lsueszabo

QuercusSilver                                           Michele Grady Designs

LivelyHood                                                2Roses

iacua                                                              betsybensen

We'll meet you here again next Saturday.
Have a great weekend !

Charm Swap Update

2012-01-19T16:49:00.006-05:00

Time marches on and this means our charm swap deadline is getting closer and closer!

Ruby from iacua posted this update this week:

"I finally finished my design for Etsymetal's charm swap 9! A simple twig with buds."

And a quick little teaser from Virginie of VirginieMartinStudio:

"For my first charm swap, you'll all get a Fleur de Lys which represents Québec... I haven't finish my prototype but it is getting clearer in my mind... keep posted"

We all have just over two months to get our charms designed, created and mailed off. I am excited for the upcoming weeks as I am sure we will be seeing more and more hints, updates and completed charms from the swap participants.

Until next time...

Making a collet mount with punches and block.

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

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!

Ask Auntie EM

2012-01-16T12:30:00.009-05:00

“What’s New “ in our shops

2012-01-14T03:52:00.000-05:00

Hello again,

Weekend is here and I am here again to show you our new collection created this week.

Enjoy,

Rebecca Bogan                                       Panicmama Jewelry

Jen Lawler                                               SCJ Jewelry Design

simplymega                                             e5jewelry

Michele Grady Designs                       Silentgoddess

Lichen and Lychee                               Quercus Silver

Danielle Miller                                        2Roses

LSueSzabo                                               Gotham Atelier

Nodeform Weddings                            Nina Gibson Designs

NRjewellerydesign

I will be here again next Saturday.
Have a great weekend!

“What’s New “ in our shops

2012-01-07T07:05:00.000-05:00

Holidays are behind us and we are all back , full of energy and ideas, looking for a wonderful 2012.
This is our first post for 2012.

Rebecca Bogan                                       Michele Grady Designs

Betsy Bensen                                            LSueSzabo

e5jewelry                                                  NRjewellerydesign

SCJ Jewelry Design                               EtsyMetal

Once again we wish you all
Happy New Year !

EtsyMetal Charm Swap 9 Update

2012-01-05T14:19:00.006-05:00

With the new year upon us I realized that March will be here before we know it. And with March comes our charm swap deadline!! I know personally that means that my procrastination has at least a month and a half to work its magic.

However it looks like Tess from NovaDesigns isn't waiting around! She is busy with her charms and gave us this update:

"I've landed on seahorses
They'll all be a little bit different and filled in with different colored resin.

so far I've only have all the heads done... Better get back to work."

Our deadline is March 30, 2012. That gives us just under three months to complete and send in all of our charms. Still time to procrastinate and to change our minds on what we are going to do at least a few more times.

Until next time...

Ask Auntie EM - What torch sould I get??? Part two...now the fun begins

2012-01-03T08:57:00.010-05:00

By now I would hope you all had heard about the new weekly blog post here on the EtsyMetal blog. Ann Hartley of Hartleystudio and, Sue Szabo of lsueszabo , will be answering YOUR questions in a weekly post we are calling "Ask Auntie EM". EtsyMetal has over 100 members with vast amounts of knowledge and far reaching interests and capabilities. We figured if we couldn't answer your questions...someone on the team could! "What can we ask?" Great question! Ask anything! Metalsmithing, enameling, raising, stone setting, cooking, childcare, travel...you got a question, we probably have an answer! To ask a question, email it to askauntie@etsymetal.com. Who knows, you may get it answered next week!

So, last week I talked about fuel and fuel safety and storage. This week I'm going to talk about torches. This will NOT be a comprehensive discussion on every different type of torch. I have done some research but most of this information is from personal experience and will only include the larger, more expensive types of torches. If you're here reading this, you probably already have some type of heat source to solder with, be it a disposable hardware store torch or the ever popular creme brulee torch. This is the post for you if you're looking to trade up to a bigger source of heat.

I think when you're trying to decide what kind of torch to buy you first need to consider what type of fuel you want to use. We talked about fuel last week so you should have been able to make an informed decision after reading that and calling your local gas supplier. Now you need to think about what you make. If you make huge teapots you are going to want a big torch that can solder large pieces and anneal. If you make teeny rings and do a lot of really fine work, a smaller torch is perfect for you. Here is a post where I wrote about torch size and what to do when your torch might be too small for the job:

http://etsymetal.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-blog-feature-ask-auntie-em.html

Anyway,...I'm going to start with the torches I have and then delve into more unfamiliar territory.

The first torch I ever bought was the Smith acetylene and air torch.

This kit is here.

This is the exact kit I bought and I bought all the tips as well, which are sold separately. I was making pretty big work at the time and needed it's ability to anneal and solder large pieces. I find that the smallest tip is perfect for small work as well. Soldering really delicate pieces is tricky with this torch, the smallest flame is small but wide and it doesn't come to a point like some of the smaller torches. It works with acetylene and atmospheric air so you will only need a tank of acetylene, very nice if you're worried about having compressed oxygen in your studio. I have found this to be an excellent, all around torch for almost everything I want to do. I reach for it 85% of the time.

The second torch I acquired from my husband's grandfather. He was somewhat of a hoarder and we found this in his massive stash of really great stuff. This is the Smith Little Torch.

This torch and all it's many accessories can be found here.

I love this torch. It won't do everything and it's not for big pieces (although I know I'll get a comment that someone made some huge behemoth piece for their BFA show with this torch) but for "pinning" and closing jump rings and doing really fine soldering, this is your tool. The hoses are really supple and the torch itself is very light, making this torch a pleasure to use. I wouldn't have it as my only torch but that's just me. I got it for free so I totally understand that I'm lucky to have both. You will need a fuel (I believe this torch with work with all fuels, I have used it with natural gas and acetylene) and compressed oxygen. You will need to do some experimentation with the tips, I found some to be useful with natural gas and others useful with acetylene. The tiny tips I use with acetylene have synthetic ruby imbedded in them to keep the aperture super small, which didn't work well for natural gas. Experimentation with pressure and tip size is very helpful with this torch. Rio has an excellent tech department that can also answer all your questions about this torch.

Another torch I have used is a Hoke torch. I used this torch at the jewelry store and, I have to say, it takes some getting used to.

The Hoke torch can be found here.

I have to admit I found this torch to be a bit clunky and heavy. It is not light or lithe like the Little Torch but it is very sturdy and precise. It does about the same job as the Smith but I would say it's a little more versatile, although I wouldn't use it for huge pieces. It's a jeweler's torch, able to handle the many smallish jobs a goldsmith would do in a given day. This torch has many devotees who wouldn't switch and have come to love the stability and mid range flame of this torch. It will work with many different gasses and requires compressed oxygen as well. This tip comes with a few tips but, honestly, in my years as a goldsmith I never once even thought to switch out tips, nor were any laying around to use that I ever saw. I'm sure I used the standard tip that came with the torch.

Because my kids are getting antsy, I'm going to wrap this up with the last torch on my list. This is a torch I had never even heard of until recently and it's a very interesting option for those of you in apartments or in places where the danger of having flammable fuels makes other torches not an option. Meet the water torch.

The water torch seems to be available here.

This is a totally unfamiliar option to me so I asked some other EM members what they thought of theirs. This is what one member had to say about their water torch:

I began using it because my current workspace does not allow gas, and will not allow me to tap into the natural gas lines...
it uses distilled water and sodium hydroxide, runs on electricity, and creates gas on demand, so it is sorta like a piece of furniture when not in use....

It most definitely has a learning curve, and kinda blows around solder, so if you are not good at pick soldering or soldering off the stick, you will have a harder time learning to use it....

It gets super hot...so hot it does not burn you if you miss, but will cut right thru skin and cauterize ( ak! )

The tips are like hypodermic needles....I love how tiny they are and you can do all kinds of things with them but they break easily and it takes nothing to ruin one....

Cons, I suppose is this machine is PRICEY and there is not a 'less expensive' version
also though you can use it on metals like platinum , as it gets hot enough, you cannot anneal larger pieces and things like that ...no big bushy flame ....I could never use this to melt for casting, and have trouble using it for things like belt buckles and larger pendants....I sometimes have to run over to a friends to use his oxy air.....I really wish I could have BOTH...that would be my perfect set up!

The solution has to be drained yearly and all remixed and new gaskets and stuff and its a PITA

Also she is 'touchy'...if I don't solder for a week or more it will get 'clogged' and not work right, or sometimes it just doesn't wanna mix the gas properly and I cannot get the flame I want....one year I sent it to the repair place 3 x to the price of 60 bucks ( its heavy!) a shipment....

I kind of have a love/hate relationship w/ her....! when she works and does what I want, I don't ever think I could live without her, I am so used to her ( yeah, her name is Penenlope!) and when she fritzes out and doesn't wanna work or I am having a hard time because I need a bigger flame, I wanna throw her out the window!

Caveat is, that my soldering style is I like go super hot, and get in and out fast, and this machine is perfect for me if the piece is within the size range that it works best on...

Let me conclude by saying that there are MANY different torches and there is no one perfect torch because we all make so many different things. Many of our members love propane and love disposable tanks. Some have even found recycling centers in their areas that take them. Everyone agrees these disposable tanks run out of fuel VERY fast and this makes them extremely expensive to use. Many members make amazing work with tiny torches that cost less than $30 so you definitely don't have to have a full size torch to make good work. In future weeks I'll post about more torch options so keep checking back!

Keep asking those questions! We love them! Email askauntie@etsymetal.com with your questions and we will try our best to answer!

Have a great week!

EMJC–January 2012 - “Rock & Roll”

2012-01-01T04:28:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year !!!

I want to show you our December Challenge bracelet for “The Ganoksin Project”

This bracelet is for sale on our EtsyMeatal team shop.
100% of the proceeds from the sale of this bracelet will be sent directly to Ganoksin to help them to continue to provide free information which improves conditions through information to jewelers globally. If you would like to make a direct contribution, please do so at: http://www.ganoksin.com/donate/

***

Our January team challenge due to December 31st was:
“Rock & Roll”
Elvis Presley's the “King of Rock & roll” birthday on January 8. Born in 1935.
This month was very intensive month for all of us.
I made a small rock star pendant for this challenge

Inbar Bareket

***

Our February challenge due to January 31 is:

“Chinese New Year”

This year is the 龍 Dragon year (January 23).

Get inspired by the Chinese art, culture and colors and excite us!

Happy New year !!!

“What’s New”–this week in out shops

2011-12-31T01:53:00.000-05:00

LSueSzabo betsybensen

2Roses Art By Winona

e5jewelry

Happy new year everybody !

Ask Auntie EM - What torch sould I get??? Part one - first you'll need gas.

2011-12-27T07:42:00.008-05:00

I recently talked to Praxair Safety Manager, Mike Stephens and he was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. I would encourage you to call Praxair, or wherever you buy your fuel, if you ever have any questions...no matter how stupid you think they might sound. Believe me, I asked some pretty dumb questions and he answered every one without making me feel like an idiot. Thanks Mike!

First off, Mike says everyone should have "flashback arrestors" on their regulators. This prevents the gas from traveling back into the oxygen tank and causing the tank to catch fire internally. There is a great article on them here.

So, let's talk about fuel. There are thee main types of fuel that are good for making jewelry. There is acetylene, propane and natural gas. Each has it's own pros and cons so I'll go over each one individually.

Acetylene is probably the most popular choice for lots of reasons. This gas burns the hottest and combines well with oxygen to produce a very hot, very precise flame. Acetylene is sold in tanks, most home jewelers get a "B" size tank that is small and easy to transport and store in a studio. Each tank is filled with a calcium carbide and water core that is very porous. The acetylene is mixed with acetone and becomes very viscous in the tank. When in the tank in this viscous state, the gas is very stable. If you look on the top of each acetylene tank you will see a grey circle. This is your safety valve. If the air around the tank should reach 212 degrees, this valve will melt open and release the gas and pressure. This is good if there should be a fire, it will keep your tank from exploding, but bad if you keep your tank too close to a heat source (remember kids, it's 212...it takes a lot of heat to set that sucker off) or your lit torch. Be aware of where you keep your tank. Acetylene should be kept indoors and above freezing. When acetylene is too cold, the viscous liquid the gas is combined with will thicken and you won't be able to get the pressure you need to use the torch properly. Ideal temperature is 7o F. Acetylene tanks also need to be kept vertical and, if transported in the horizontal position, need to be standing upright for as long as they were laying down before they are used. It takes a while for the gas to move through it's porous core into the bottom of the tank where it belongs.

Now let's talk about Propane. Now, I don't use propane so I don't have as much first hand information about this gas. Propane burns cleaner but, if your pressure is correct, Mike says all the fuels we talked about will burn clean. Propane is easy to get, being sold on almost every street corner and hardware store. Propane requires different tips than acetylene and natural gas and different hoses. If you buy a torch for propane, it can't be used with any other gas without buying new tips and hoses. If you will be using propane with oxygen, know that it will use more oxygen than acetylene, Mike thinks it's enough to justify the extra expense of the acetylene. Speaking of price, propane is definitely cheaper than acetylene as well. For any welders, and I mean plumbers, iron workers ect..., out there...propane can't be used for brazing and welding so you'll need to use acetylene for sure.

The last gas I want to address is natural gas. I used natural gas for years and really liked it. I used the same torches, tips and hoses I use now for acetylene and it was very convenient. You will need a licensed plumber to come out and run a natural gas line to your bench area and natural gas has to be regulated so you will need a regulator to control the pressure. It is one of the safer home options as your house may already be set up for natural gas. Natural gas burns very clean and, again, if it's regulated properly, you should have a flame that is about as hot as propane. There are no tanks to mess with and it's a very economical option. My own husband is a plumber and we have talked many times about running a line out to my studio to convert it over to natural gas but we just never seem to get around to it.

In any case, the gas you choose is secondary to the safety precautions you use in your studio. All tanks need to be chained up so they don't fall over. The valve on oxygen tanks is particularly dangerous as the valve diameter is so small and the oxygen is under extreme pressure. Any blow to a valve should be investigated. So, you have your tanks secured safely, that's great but now...you need to shut off your tanks and bleed your lines EVERY TIME YOU ARE DONE. I am miserable about this. I did it every night at school and have failed miserably now that I'm at home. Shutting your tanks down properly will save you money over the long haul as well as being an extra safety measure in case of a fire. To properly bleed your tanks you will need to shut the valve completely and then open the torch all the way to release the extra gas left in the hose and torch. You then need to back the pressure off your regulator until the needle is at zero. This last part is so important because, when you come and turn that valve, all the gas in the tank goes rushing to the diaphragm in the regulator. If the pressure is still high, it will slam into that diaphragm and cause damage to your regulator...and those things aren't cheap!

One last word about tanks. Don't buy a shiny beautiful new one from Rio or some jewelry supply company, buy a tank from your distributor. I say "buy" but really, you're kind of renting your tank. When you run out of gas, you will bring your tank back and they will swap you for a full one. Each time you will get a different tank. I bought a beautiful new tank and was horrified when the guy at Praxair handed me a dirty, rusty, ugly old thing. Learn from my mistake...start out dirty.

I think this might be enough for one week. There are a lot of factors in buying and setting up a home studio and how you get your fire is an important thing to consider. Think about your space, the limitations you have, how much money you can spend and what you're actually allowed to have in your house or apartment. Maybe call around to suppliers and see what different fuels cost and how available they are. I have found different suppliers have vastly different prices, on acetylene especially. There is an acetylene shortage right now and it might be impossible to get in your area without an established account. My advice? Once you find a distributor you like, stick with them. My local Praxair offers "your 5th tank free" and, although they can't give me a free tank of acetylene, I just got my oxygen tank for free. They will also be there for you to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have.

Next week I'll actually talk about torches, I promise. Until then, happy metalsmithing!!!

“What’s New”

2011-12-24T02:42:00.000-05:00

Hello again,
Holidays are here and we are all busy… but…
still we have new creations !

art by winona                                        Inbarbareket

lsueszabo                                                  SCJJewelryDesign

Michele Grady Designs                       Rebecca Bogan

Have a great weekend !

Work Of Art - Season 2 Episode 8–“Sell Out”

2011-12-18T03:18:00.000-05:00

Premiere: December 7, 2011
The artists work in teams to create a minimum of one piece of art to sell to the public, but that is also worthy of presenting in a gallery show.
Since we all already sell to the public the choices are...
a. Collaborate with at least one other person (jeweler or non-jeweler) to create a piece
b. Create a piece that could be in production but is unique enough to show in an art gallery or magazine
Other interpretations are welcome. This one is a bit vague.
Happy making!

Evelyn Markasky

“I used CA Highway 17 as my inspiration. "It connects Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Built in the 1930's... Today more than 75,000 vehicles a day use the beautiful but dangerous road for recreation, access to work, vacations and commerce.... spans 25 miles... it is also a road that many people hate or fear. " From "Highway 17 The Road to Santa Cruz" by Richard A. Beal.
I am among those that fear Hwy. 17! Twisty 2-lane mountain road, where people travel way too fast and even worse in the rainy season.
These earrings are made with hammered 16 gauge copper wire and enameled by torch firing.”

L.Sue.Szabo

“This is called Urban Decay #1 and is a mixed metals, found/upcycled piece.”

Inbar Bareket

“I collaborated with Betsy Benson (did you know that Betsy?)
I got these gorgeous stones from her.
Than I made these gold and silver earrings”

Enjoy !

“What’s New”

2011-12-16T15:57:00.001-05:00

Welcome to "What's New" in our team members shops.
Enjoy viewing our new designs listed this week.

Kathryn Cole                                          aroluna

lsueszabo                                                  Rebecca Bogan

Silentgoddess                                         Michele Grady Designs

SCJJewelryDesign                                 Panicmama Jewelry

Lichen and Lychee                               Danielle Miller

Nodeform                                                 e5jewelry

Victoria Takahashi/Experimetal     Jennifer Lawler Designs

Tonya Zielinski/LivleyHood            Sarah Hood Jewelry

rubygirl                                                    EtsyMetal

Hope to dee you back nest Saturday :-)

A way to make a mount for a cabochon marquise .

2011-12-16T06:00:00.037-05:00

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. Set the stone as you would normally by using a pusher first, then finishing off with a burnisher.

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 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.

This book is one I have bought very recently and find to be superbly clear to follow. It also has this mount featured very similarly to how I've done it here (I learned from an old, out-of-print book, long ago) and also how to make the mount for a faceted marquise and many other instructions. (I am not affiliated to the author or publisher in any way).

Good luck!

Project Accessory Season 1-Challenge 6: "Kenneth Cole"

2011-12-15T23:01:00.001-05:00

Project Accessory Challenge
The designers were asked to design accessories for the Kenneth Cole Holiday Collection. They each were assigned an outfit from the collection that they needed to accessorize with a clutch and an accessory of their choice. The challenge asked them to incorporate their style but to also create something that fits with the aesthetic of the Kenneth Cole brand. The winner was awarded having their items produced by Kenneth Cole and sold in the Holiday Collection.

EtsyMetal Challenge
For this weeks challenge, create an accessory of your choice that goes with one of the outfits given to the designers from the Kenneth Cole Collection. It must still fit your own personal style but accessible enough to be part of the Kenneth Cole brand.

And the creations...

Adobe Sol

A vintage carved mother of pearl button brings this piece together with neutral coloring to go with any of the Kenneth Cole dresses in the episode. Handmade with fine and sterling silver and accented with a white cultured pearl at the clasp.

L. Sue Szabo

Here's my entry for the Kenneth Cole challenge- it should go nicely with any of his clothes- it's black and modern.

Panicmama Jewelry

Zen Circle with black onyx dagger bullet dangles, sterling silver. 32" long chain that converts to 16" length. I wanted something dramatic but versatile. Black, of course, to go with the Kenneth Cole image.

The Next Challenge:

Season 1~Episode 7

Aired 12/15/11, 10pm/9pm cst

View full episodes here:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-accessory/video/full-episodes

Project Accessory Challenge
The designers were asked to design accessories for a red carpet evening gown. They each chose a gown from the choices. The challenge asked them to bring their signature style to make statement accessories to compliment the gowns they chose. They were taken to a store in NYC called Evolution. The store was filled with insect specimens. Each contestant was to choose an insect for the inspiration to their challenge. The insect had to be used in at least one of the accessories. TWO designers were eliminated in this challenge to bring the final three to the seasons final show next week.

EtsyMetal Challenge
For this weeks challenge, create an accessory or two of your choice that goes with one of the gowns chosen by the designers from the show. It must fit your own personal style but use an insect or bug as inspiration. If you have a few bugs laying around, by all means, use them!

Now go be creative!

Submissions due: 12 midnight pst Next Thursday, 12/22/11.

**guidelines for guest submissions**
Please read this every week as there may be small updates and changes. The pieces you submit must be pieces that are made specifically for that weeks challenge. Then post a link to your challenge creation in this weeks comment area before the deadline.
*We only are accepting guest submissions from our blog comment area at this time, insert your links there. Then please cross-post this to your Blog, Flickr, Etsy, etc. And tag them with "EMPA 1.7". We will post your name with a link and a picture of your piece on our blog. The deadline for guest submissions will be Thursday at 12 am (midnight), Pacific Standard Time. The new blog posts and the new challenge will go up the Friday after the new episode airs.

Work Of Art - Season 2 Episode 7 - "La Dolce Arte"

2011-12-12T03:46:00.000-05:00

Premiere: November 30, 2011
The artists must utilize one automobile component from a Fiat 500 and transform it into a piece of art.

Evelyn Markasky

"My first car ever, was a pea green '65 mustang convertible with pony interior. I loved that car. Perhaps I loved it too much. It broke down almost every week and I just didn't have the know-how or the money to fix it, so I eventually sold it to my boss's 16 year old son. I worked for a sandblasting company and they restored and collected cars. I think he still has it.
So in memoriam for my 1st car, I took the emblem of the mustangs and pierced them out of copper, enameled them and added fused copper chain."

Our next challenge:
Episode 8: Sell Out
Premiere: December 7, 2011
Due date: December 16, 2100
The artists work in teams to create a minimum of one piece of art to sell to the public, but that is also worthy of presenting in a gallery show.

Since we all already sell to the public the chioces are...
a. Collaborate with at least one other person (jeweler or non-jeweler) to create a piece
b. Create a piece that could be in production but is unique enough to show in an art gallery or magazine

Other interpretations are welcome. This one is a bit vague.
Happy making!

Project Accesory Season 1- Episode 5 "Beach Blanket Blingo"

2011-12-11T22:43:00.004-05:00

Project Accessory Challenge
The designers were asked to design beachwear accessories. They each chose a bathing suit & then were sent to Coney Island Beach to collect found objects for creating a pair of sandals, headwear & an accessory of their choice. Given $100 to also shop a the tourist shops along the boardwalk.

EtsyMetal Challenge
Since we all don't live near a body of water, I chose to keep it simple. Create a piece of jewelry that would be worn stylishly to the beach. It can be a ring, bracelet, earrings, necklace, belt, anklet...you choose! You may incorporate objects from the beach, but not a requirement.

Here are this weeks creations:

Kira Ferrer

Kira often incorporates beach glass into her work. This was the perfect challenge for her!

Panicmama Jewelry

I choose to do something that emphasizes textures you might find on the beach. This abstract pendant incorporates a labradorite rose cut stone, bead, and a Tahitian Cultured Pearl (what is more beachy than a pearl!)

The Next Challenge:

Season 1~Episode 6

Aired 12/08/11, 10pm/9pm cst

View full episodes here:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-accessory/video/full-episodes

Project Accessory Challenge
The designers were asked to design accessories for the Kenneth Cole Holiday Collection. They each were assigned an outfit from the collection that they needed to accessorize with a clutch and an accessory of their choice. The challenge asked them to incorporate their style but to also create something that fits with the aesthetic of the Kenneth Cole brand. The winner was awarded having their items produced by Kenneth Cole and sold in the Holiday Collection.

EtsyMetal Challenge
For this weeks challenge, create an accessory of your choice that goes with one of the outfits given to the designers from the Kenneth Cole Collection. It must still fit your own personal style but accessible enough to be part of the Kenneth Cole brand.

Now go be creative!

Submissions due: 12 midnight pst Next Thursday, 12/15/11.

**guidelines for guest submissions**
Please read this every week as there may be small updates and changes. The pieces you submit must be pieces that are made specifically for that weeks challenge. Then post a link to your challenge creation in this weeks comment area before the deadline.
*We only are accepting guest submissions from our blog comment area at this time, insert your links there. Then please cross-post this to your Blog, Flickr, Etsy, etc. And tag them with "EMPA 1.6". We will post your name with a link and a picture of your piece on our blog. The deadline for guest submissions will be Thursday at 12 am (midnight), Pacific Standard Time. The new blog posts and the new challenge will go up the Friday after the new episode airs.

What’s New !

2011-12-10T03:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome !
We had very fruitful week and we show you a bit of what we have to offer.
This is the time to the "last moment" buy !
Enjoy !

Rebecca Bogan                                       aroluna

e5jewelry                                                  lsueszabo

Nodeform                                                 Fluxplay

Danielle Miller                                        Art By Winona

Michele Grady Designs                        Hartleystudio

SCJJewelryDesign                                 Quercus Silver

Sarah Hood Jewelry                             Lichen and Lychee

Nodeform Weddings                              Panicmama Jewelry

Inbar Bareket                                           Gotham Atelier

Silentgoddess                                            simplymega

Discomedusa

We will be here again next Saturday with new amazing jewelry !

Charm Swap 9 Update

2011-12-08T19:45:00.006-05:00

Our charm swap participants are still keeping pretty quiet these days. I think we all have the holidays first and foremost on our minds (I know I do)! We did get a quick hint from Tess Norberg with novaofsweden this week and I can't wait to see what she comes up with for her charms.

Tess says:
"I haven't decided what to do yet but I want to do something in this direction. I love the way the resin looks with the filigree."

I am betting once we have the holidays behind us and the new year underway we will be seeing more hints about what charms are in the works.

Until next time...

MEMBERS' NEWS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER

2011-12-07T10:11:00.005-05:00

Ring by ArtbyWinona

The members of Etsy Metal have been busy making and bringing you the best in handmade jewelry this season. Here are some of the holiday shows our members are participating in this month----

Michele Grady Designs will be at Main Line Art Center Holiday Fine Craft Sale, 746 Panmure Rd, Haverford, PA December 2 thru 11

Shannon Conrad of rubygirl will be at Crafty Wonderland December 10th and 11th.

Jenny Baughman (Gecko J.) will be at the Spruill Gallery Trunk Show on Dec 17 (11-2)

Theresa Kwong of tkmetalarts is now the Co-Chair of Programs at the Metal Arts Guild San Francisco, founded in 1951. She will be working with her partner to schedule workshops, lectures, demos, and special exhibit tours at local museums.

ArtbyWinona has been featured in the Editor pics blogs!!! Check it out!! It's the Painted Masterpiece ring

Ask Auntie EM

2011-12-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Have you heard about the new weekly blog post called "Ask Auntie EM"? Ann Hartley of Hartleystudio and, Sue Szabo of lsueszabo , will be answering YOUR questions in a weekly post we are calling "Ask Auntie EM". EtsyMetal has over 100 members with vast amounts of knowledge and far reaching interests and capabilities. We figured if we couldn't answer your questions...someone on the team could! "What can we ask?" Great question! Ask anything! Metalsmithing, enameling, raising, stone setting, cooking, childcare, travel...you got a question, we probably have an answer! Email your questions to askauntie@etsymetal.com and YOUR question might get answered next week!!!

This week's question comes from Lina, who asked "How do you transfer patterns to metal?"

Well Lina, there are many different ways to do this depending on what you are trying to achieve.

For a general pattern that I plan to saw out or pierce with a saw, I will make a copy of the pattern to size and use rubber cement to glue it to the metal. I "burnish" the paper down to get rid of any bubbles or extra glue and let it dry (this takes about 20-30 mins.) This will hold your paper pattern to the metal and allow you to saw right through it easily. When done, the pattern will just pull off. You can also use super glue in the same way and burn it off with the torch when you are done- make sure you use a vent when doing this as the fumes of burning super glue are toxic.

Another way to transfer a pattern is to paint the metal with a material called China White. This comes in a little block of pigment from jewelry, enamel, and art suppliers. You dampen a brush with water and rub it on the China White pigment and paint it on the metal. It will barely be visible and will not really look white. That's OK, that's what it's supposed to look like. Let it dry. This will put a thin coat of matte pigment on your metal and you can directly draw on it with a graphite pencil. If you have an exact or complex drawing, you can put a piece of graphite paper between the metal and the drawing and just trace over the pattern lines with a pencil, transferring the graphite to the China White surface. This is quite a stable surface and does not rub off easily. The pigment can then be removed with soap and water or burned off with a torch under a vent.

My favorite scribes and China White, complete with the Rio Grande number

If you need a truly exact transfer, you really need to use a fine sharp steel scribe to put a fine line in the metal. Remember that whenever you use a pencil or a Sharpie marker, the thickness of the marking line will effect the exactness of your design. A scribe will give you the thinnest line and thus, the most exacting transfer. It may also be necessary to scribe the line of a drawing so that you will have a permanent line on the metal. This is helpful if you need to heat the metal (for soldering or annealing) before all of the pattern has been sawn, for example. The heat from those processes will remove Sharpie, glue, paper, or China White so scribing your lines will give you a guide to follow later. Plan accordingly.

If I want to transfer a simple pattern, for example, a pattern for a cone or a spiculum I want to make, I will generally start with a paper template pattern. I make these out of used manila folders- they are stiff enough to hold shape but still flexible. I will cut a pattern out of the folder and play with it until I can get it to work and form the shape I want. I then use either glue or double-sided tape and place the paper pattern on the metal. I then use a fine Sharpie and draw around it or I scribe the line around the paper template onto the metal.

Of course there are other ways to transfer patterns, including etching, but we'll save that for another day. These are the basic ways I use to transfer patterns to metal- please feel free to share yours.
Til next week, happy metalsmithing!

Sue