Next Tuesday night (25th Sept) I will be starting a 25 week silver jewellery class! I found out about it last year a couple of months too late but this year miraculously remembered about it in time and enrolled a few weeks ago. It was quite expensive but covers all those lovely techniques I either can't teach myself/am too scared to try myself or just really need an expert to show how to do it properly.
I know it definitely covers etching (yay!), soldering, stone setting, enamelling and ring making. Some of it I will know how to do but a lot I won't so I'm really looking forward to getting started. Slightly nervous too but once I've got over the "which building is it/who are all these strange people/where's the toilet" stage I know I'll be fine :D
Finally got round to photographing a few pairs of earrings today - I was in one of those let's get organised and do the things that actually need doing and not spend all day experimenting with new design ideas moods, and the weather was perfect too.
The pair above are handcut flowers enamelled and wire wrapped to copper washers. I'm going to try the same idea with some soldered copper hoops (when I make them) for a more delicate version ......soon.......... :D
These are two copper discs rolled through my Bigshot with a Vintaj design (deco etch) folder then domed and pinned with sterling wire.
Sheet copper stamped with my favourite circle design then the earrings cut out and finished. I painted turquoise patina ink over the top and sanded back to reveal the design then oxidized and tumbled for just 15 minutes to it didn't take too much of the black off. Dark and a bit different.