Hydraulic Press

 

So here’s another work horse in my shop.  This is a 20 ton hydraulic press.  It can be used in so many ways when it comes to forming metal.  It can be used to make impressions from plates, shot plates, cut bracelets using pancake dies, cut all sorts of shapes using pancake dies, shaping metal with forming tools, and much more.  I love having the best tools for the job!

Rolling Mill

 OK…time to show you how some of my jewelry is made.

This is my Pepe C130 Rolling Mill.  This is how I impress images onto my copper/silver sheet to make pretty designs.

I am fortunate in that my hubby is very good at mechanical things and was able to add on a motor to my mill as cranking with a handle is pretty much impossible when you want to achieve a good, deep impression.

The really cool thing about using a rolling mill is that you can make impressions from just about anything. 

Personally, I use brass plates, steel plates, papers and leaves.  Pretty much many things that have texture that can transfer.  Some things work better than others, but I am aware of an artist is Arizona who uses cactus spines and makes some gorgeous jewelry.

 I love making jewelry for my family.  Since my granddaughters are having families of their own I love making bracelets for the babies.  It's the custom work that I really like.

 

 I have been uploading pictures to some new pages.  Now I just need to figure out how to get those pages to show up so you can access them.

Sorry if this gets confusing .

 Sometimes it’s not about the jewelry…it’s about marketing.  I am getting ready for some shows and decided I want T-shirts to wear.

My granddaughter is starting up her own custom store and does some really great designs.  Check her out on Instagram at Emily’s Customs.

 Ok, so it’s nearly 100* outside and I don’t have any A/C in my studio.  So I am doing a bit of wire wrapping to pass the time.  I am using some African Turquoise I purchased a few years ago.  It’s just thin slabs but interesting to look at.

I’m keeping to simple swirls so as not to over whelm the stone.  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

 So I have many different interests and one of those is cooking and food preservation.  Last year, I found an amazing recipe for Sour Dill pickles.  My family loved them and wanted me to plan on making them again this year.  So we planted a small garden and included pickling cucumbers, garlic, and dill.  These pickles are not processed in a water bath like other pickles…they are fermented like sauerkraut.  I am really excited about these pickles because they are so good for you.