Needling Hearts

oh my heart in October gets soft, squishy, and emotional. Time to pull out the wool and nasty hooked needles

Needlefelting works much like chasing and repoussé (at least in my mind). With needlefelting, I use a special nasty hooked needle to push the wool around. With chasing and repoussé I use chasing tools to push and squish the metal around. It's all very intuitive. Sometimes I am lost when I teach the metal process. I want to say "Just hit it. Squish the metal around until it looks like what you see in your vision." - same thing with needlefelting.

and just for giggles, in a moment of silliness...

You realize I'm gonna get better at this skull & crossbones thing, don't you?
Still- remember, it's always good to enjoy right where you are at.

Oxidized Silver Leaf Jewelry

Here is some more of the sterling silver leaf jewelry, this time oxidized to an antique black and burnished back to the silvery highlights.

All available in my Etsy shop at http://www.knitsteel.com

Studio Update

Last weekend I traveled down to Southern Illinois with my mom to pick up a few things from my Grandparent's home (the grandad that died back in June).  There are of course so many things that I wanted for sentimental reasons.  I got five flower and vegetable paintings on wood that my grandmother  had gotten at various art festivals in the 70s.  I also got this beautiful antique handcrafted bookcase.

Yes, I've already got more books and bits in it now.

In the studio, I've been working on a line of silver and gold leaf jewelry.  I'll show you the 18k jewelry next week, when it's properly photographed.  Here is a sampling of the silver jewelry.

Click on each of the photos for details or look in my Etsy shop at http://www.knitsteel.com .

Straight Brown Hair

I don't think I should tell you how much it costs for a 40 year old woman to have straight brown hair.
  
giggles

Hearts for September and October

I've been lax in posting September's hearts! I think I've been posting some kind of heart, either fiber or metal, all through this past year.  I finished these small, but not delicate, bronze hearts on the last day of September.  It's taken me awhile to get them photographed.

These bronze hearts are all individually formed with the processes of chasing and repoussé.  Click on the small photos for details.

For those of you unfamiliar with chasing and repoussé, I start with flat sheet metal and use small chisel-like tools to push and pull the metal into the desired shape.  The metal is pushed out from the back side and refined from the front side.  I use pitch, a flexible pine resin goo,  as a support material for small work.  The pitch supports the metal, but does not act as a form or mold.  Each shape is free-sculpted, intuitively, with my hands, hammer, and chasing tools.  The finished piece is hollow and quite strong.

In October, I've started out with sterling silver heart jewelry. From left to right, a large heart pendant, a ring, and a small heart pendant.  Again, the silver hearts are created entirely with chasing and repoussé.  I've forged small wire to create the vine forms as bails.  These pieces are all sold and will be shipping out to their new owners this weekend.

and finally, a piece that is not a heart.  I don't think I've ever gone a month without doing some variation on an oak leaf, acorn, or both.  I created this bracelet as a special order for a talented metalsmith.  It will be going out to its new owner today.

I think it's time I made one of these cuff bracelets for myself! 

Leaf and Acorn Art

I finished up all of the leaves and acorns that I forged up during my workshop at Tunnel Mill.  They are available in my Etsy shop  in the Leaf Art Section and Home Decor section.

Copper Ginkgo Pendants

Here are some of my own recent copper ginkgo leaf pendants.  These are sweet little pendants, about 1-3/4 inch max length, hanging on waxed cotton cord.  Click on the photos for more details.