Letter opener update

Getting closer, but lots of show pics and apps have been slowin' me down!  The photo shows how all the pieces are assembled separately, and then they will be joined together as the last step.  I decided to throw in the labradorite, which is a .40 carat beauty.  It takes hours to get this far, and there's still a good chance something will melt and have to be rebuilt...

Thank goodness February has one extra day this year, huh?

Letter Opener project - new!

It may sound silly, but I'm really proud of myself for keeping up with a blog.  I'm incredibly busy and get a bit pre-occupied now and then, so writing 4 or 5 times a month is pretty stinkin good!

By the way, the pieces I posted for Valentine's Day sold out - my apologies for those who inquired about them.  But the good news is I've got a lot of new pieces in process that should be available soon!

The last post was a hard one; I'll write more about the happier side of Tucson later - the gem show - but for now I have a treat for you!  I've been working on a project that I sketched out in January for a letter opener.  Funny thing, it almost looks like a lady's dagger - yikes!  I wanted to design another table top piece and incorporate filigree somewhere.  There really wasn't a better place for it than in the handle, so I created a fern leaf motif that swirls around inside a stronger, heavier-duty frame.  Ferns grow wild in the woods around here, some of them even stay green all winter long.  They're incredibly beautiful.  After sketching it out a few times, I added in a small oval labradorite stone where the fiddle head forms.  It just needed a little sparkle. :)

So, here's the final handle sketch and the pieces in progress... hope you enjoy, and I'll keep you posted on my progress!

~Jeni  

Visit to Tucson

It's been a very busy couple of weeks, and I've just returned from Tucson to the cold bitter weather of Ohio!  The temperature difference was more than 70 degrees - and then add in the wind chill.  WOW!

I originally planned the trip to attend the Tucson Gem & Mineral show and visit my family, but it turns out my dad hadn't been doing very well so the focus switched to seeing them.  He's been struggling with cancer for several years, had half of a lung removed, and we thought he was out of the woods.  Then last year he hurt his ribs, and when they didn't seem to heal up, the doctor did a scan and found lesions on his ribs and some shady spots on his breast muscles.  He went through two heavy duty rounds of chemo and radiation only to lose his voice in early  December to another area being attacked by cancer.  By the end of December this evil disease had wrapped itself around his spine, causing him to lose feeling in his feet and lower legs.  Within a period of less than a month he went from walking a few miles a day to struggling down his short driveway with a walker, stopping at the end to sit on the little fold out stool attached on it's frame.  When I saw him this weekend, he was so thin and tired looking, and  could barely catch his breath.  

This man once considered playing professional baseball and wrestled criminals into jail cells.  It's so sad to watch him disappear into the shadows with no voice.  It's almost like he's already half gone.  Although he hasn't said anything, he wants to go, I think.  He's supposed to contact hospice - hasn't done it.  The last attempt the doctors have for him would sequester him to a radioactive room with no contact with the outside world for six weeks.  He cancelled the appointment.    

I love him, told him so, and gave him a hug so big it nearly crushed his frail body.

Hot hearts!

It is TOO cold today!  Luckily, I always have my torch to warm me up...   

Here's today's Valentine contribution - a pair of swirlie heart earrings just in time for the holiday!  Instead of the typical traditional filigree I make, these were made with less tradition and more of a fun, modern feel.  

Enjoy!

~Jeni

For the love of Filigree...

Here she is!  I am so proud of how this heart pendant turned out - it took long hours of work, but it's completely worth it when I see this photo!

I use very old traditional techniques based possibly as far back as the Middle Ages to craft in the filigree style, and it takes more time to yield results that are authentic to the historical roots. I then apply the techniques to design pieces that have an Old World feel, but still strike a modern edge.  I get a wonderful satisfaction knowing that every single part of this pendant came from my own imagination!  From the sketch to the final polish, it's completely original.  

This weekend I have an invitation - only show to prepare for, another exhibition next weekend,  and I haven't even posted the heart to my website yet.  I love being this active, but it can sure be an interesting juggling act.  Back to work for now, more to post for later!    

~Jeni

Chilly day, warm hearts

The day was frigid from the beginning, my breath hanging as tiny floating icicles in the air.  If I were to toss a cupful of hot water out into the cold, it would have frozen before hitting the ground!  The only saving grace was intensely bright sunshine - almost enough to make me forget the sub-freezing temperatures.  

I planned a lot of work for today, mostly clerical, although my metal is calling me.  Have you ever spent the day getting all kinds of things done and then looked back only to wonder what it actually was you did?  It's all the details of life, I suppose. :)  

I haven't worked my torch in a day and already miss it.  I've just finished polishing a magnificent heart pendant in honor of Valentine's day.  As soon as the photos turn out I'll post one to share.  It looks so romantic and feminine...  It's made of filigree, which I forged by hand and is probably my favorite technique of all.  I love all the delicate twists and scrolls!  Today it reminds me of the way the smoke curls wisp out the chimney.  My next project will most likely be a filigree letter opener that I just finished sketching out.

Time to curl up like a kitten and get some much needed rest.  Happy sleeping, and stay cozy!  

Art show applications - yuck.

Anyone who's ever had to deal with this part of the art world knows how tough it can be.  While it's exciting to begin a new year, I do a lot of nail biting when I apply to juried shows.  I try to plan my schedule well but several really good shows are at the same time.  You never know if you'll get into the ones you really want, or if they all require fees up front with no refunds.  If I get accepted to all of them at once and then have to cancel all but my first choice then I could be out $1,000 or more.  And they're not free to apply to, either.  Some are as cheap as $10 per category, while others go as high as $50 or more.  Since I create both jewelry and functional metal pieces, my category cost gets doubled.  Blah!

With over 20 hours spent combing through applications and schedules, I've just about finished my list of 1st and 2nd choice shows.  Now comes the time to get photos and slides of all my new work and look for cohesive groupings.  Then it's off to paperwork land again!  

I have so many design ideas in my head that I try to at least get down on paper.  With all the "background" work that has to be done to make it as an artist I sometimes feel like very little time gets spent on doing what I really love.  *sigh*   I know that one day I'll be spending less time on the background; pay dues now, reap benefits later.  You definitely have to be committed to your passion to make something like this work.  I have that dedication!