Silversmithing Adventures

Black Onyx and Silver Ring

As many of you may already know I've been taking classes in silversmithing for the past several weeks.  I just concluded my instruction and want to share everything I've done with my new skills!

First off, my instructor Nancie Roark is fantastic! She's a wonderful teacher, so positive and upbeat, and she also makes very unique pieces of jewelry.  Here is a picture of her studio in Franklin, TN.  She has so much space in her garage turned studio, as she frequently has students working with her there.  She also teaches at Vanderbilt.

In the many hours spent in this space I learned how to solder metal together, anneal metal to form into rings and cuffs, create a bezel setting, set a stone, saw shapes out of silver, and all of the tools and materials that are necessary for silversmithing.  

The first project we worked on was a long large chain necklace, I formed all of the circles out of wire, soldered them together, filed them, hammered them, and then Nancie polished them for me in her tumbler.  The necklace ended up being four feet long! The purpose of that being so I could get plenty of practice soldering.  It's not an everyday necklace, but it was the perfect accessory to my little black dress at my friend Madushi's bachelorette party!



Next we started on my ring, I learned how to make a custom bezel setting for a black onyx cabachon.  What I did was bend fine silver around the cabachon (stone without a hole that is flat on one side and rounded on the other), solder it to make a continuous oval, and then sweat solder the oval onto a piece of sterling silver.

Next, I had to saw out the oval shape to complete the bezel setting.  Then I formed the ring out of heavy gauge sterling silver by annealing it.  Annealing is the process of heating up metal to an almost melting point and then quenching it in water in order soften it up so you can bend it.  The metal for the ring was so thick I couldn't cut it with my wire cutters so I had to saw it and then file it down so that the bezel set flush against it. 

The last step was to tumble the ring (without the stone in it) to get it nice and shiny, and finally set the stone.  Here is the finished product:

The last project we worked on was a cuff.  There were far less steps in making the cuff than the ring or necklace.  First we just started with a sheet of heavy gauge sterling silver, sawed out a 1 1/2" by 5 1/2" rectangle with rounded edges.  Then I filed down the sides so they weren't sharp, hammered one side to give it texture, annealed it and formed it.  To finish it off, we tumbled it to give it a nice polish.

Because I enjoyed my classes so much, I've decided to set up my studio so I can do silversmithing at home.  It's much more condensed than Nancie's and I still have a few more tools to purchase before it's complete, but here's a picture of what I've got so far:

I've made a couple of earrings in my little silversmithing studio since I got it set up, and it's been quite enjoyable.  I'm especially happy with the way the Mermaid Necklace turned out.

Thanks for stopping by and reading a little about what's going on in my world.  If you would like to see additional pieces I've made please visit my etsy shop or become a facebook fan:

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

www.facebook.com/jomariejewelry

Update

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile, I've been keeping busy and didn't stop to take time to update you all on how things are going. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm working on my project: 100 Earrings in 100 Days. I'm on Day 24 and it's been interesting and challenging. I'm so glad that I decided to pursue this challenge because I've created a lot of earrings that I absolutely love that might not have come about otherwise. Some of my favorites are:

The Love Knots

Turquoise Tears

and Rain Drops.

Besides creating new earrings I've also taken a couple of custom orders and have been filling regular orders as they come in. I was very happy to make my 100th sale the last day of February! I have also been working very hard on marketing, I spent quite a bit of time creating (and perfecting, you know me, always the perfectionist) a brochure, as well as a line sheet and gathering materials to be able to visit shops.

Here is a picture of my brochures:

I finally feel like I'm ready to go to some boutiques and get my jewelry line onto their shelves. Now I just have to get the shops to agree to see me! :) I've contacted a few stores but haven't gotten the green light yet. I understand that it has to be the right fit, our aesthetic has to be similar and they have to have a need for jewelry. It's just a matter of finding the right store. Logically I understand that, but subconsciously it's a different story. I've woken up for several bad dreams this past few weeks where shop owners were telling me that my jewelry sucked and I wasn't good enough. Isn't that ridiculous! Can you imagine if someone actually did that! Haha! It's just my inner demon talking, but I think I'm starting to overcome it. Today I had a meeting with a local magazine, and I was really nervous about it. To prepare, I had to talk myself up a lot, just like I used to do for job interviews. But you know what? It worked, I was still nervous but I felt really confident in my jewelry. I absolutely love the designs that I've created and I'm really proud of the progress I've made over the last couple of months. All of the positive feedback I've received from my family, friends, and followers on Facebook has been really helpful too! And I've learned that even though it's scary, you have to put yourself out there. It took five e-mails to land the interview with that magazine, but now they're going to feature me in their May issue! And the wonderful Nashville Fashion Blog has already done an article about my jewelry. Just because I haven't found a shop to sell my jewelry doesn't mean that I'm not going to, I just haven't asked the right shop yet.

To purchase my jewelry please visit my Etsy shop:

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

or send me an e-mail:  jomarie.jewelry@gmail.com

Follow me on Facebook to be kept up to date on new designs, giveaways, and discounts: 

 www.facebook.com/jomariejewelry

100 Earrings in 100 Days

As I discussed in my last post "Generating Creative Energy" I was really inspired by one of the speakers from the Etsy Symposium I attended.  I've found Noah Scalin's blog about his project "Skull-A-Day" if anyone's interested: http://skulladay.blogspot.com/  Part of his speech focused on getting us to be creative everyday, to really challenge yourself.  He must be persuasive because I was inspired to start my own project, "100 Earrings in 100 Days".  I've already announced it on my facebook fan page, but I'll reiterate here.  I will be creating one pair of earrings everyday for 100 days straight.  Come rain or come shine, I must create a new pair of earrings everyday, no excuses.  I started this on Wednesday, February 9th, so I'm on my 3rd pair of earrings and I can already tell this is going to be tough.  Actually I could tell the first day when I was so freaked out about my first pair that I couldn't even get started.  I put too much importance on them, because they were the FIRST pair.  But that's sort of what this whole challenge is about, getting over that need to be perfect, because let's face it not all 100 pairs will be perfect.  There will be days when inspiration is wanning or time is running out.  But there is no rule that every pair must be a masterpiece, in fact there are no rules at all, except that I must post a picture of my new pair of earrings to my facebook fan page by midnight (central time) every day.  But otherwise the sky is the limit, I can use any materials and any techniques that tickle my fancy.  I can draw inspiration from anything and everything.  Which brings me to the main point of this project, and that is to expand my arsenal of skills.  Through this project I plan to try new techniques, use different materials and increase my creative capacity. 

But I'm not just embarking on this journey to serve my own selfish purposes, I will also be giving away a free pair of earrings every Friday.  Everyone who likes my facebook page will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite pair for the week.  By voting they will be entered into a drawing to win the pair that they voted for.  The voting will take place on Thursdays, or what I like to call "Voting Day Thursday!", everyone will vote on the earrings I created the previous Wednesday to Wednesday, and the winner will be announced on Fridays, what I like to call "Friday!". 

I'm excited about this challenge, because I honestly think it will be help me grow and become a better jewelry designer.  But also because I did a giveaway this past week and it was so much fun!  I liked hearing people's feedback, and I loved making someone's day by sending them a free pair of earrings.

I also think it would be fun if someone came on this journey with me by doing your own 100 in 100 project. 
Does this sound like something you would be interested in doing too?  What creative outlet do you have?  Do you like to paint, draw, or write?  If you want to challenge yourself in this way let me know, it's always good to have a buddy to help you keep going!


To follow my project find me on facebook, search for JoMarie Jewelry and like my page.
To see the jewelry I have for sale go to my etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

Here are my earrings for the first three days:
#1 The Simple Elegant Ones

#2 The Ones with a Bit of Sparkle

#3 The Sweet Ones

Generating Creative Energy

As you all already know I have a shop on etsy.com.  I've really enjoyed being a part of the Etsy community, I receive e-mails from them with tips on improving my shop, marketing, inspiration, and success stories.  Well today they held a symposium online with different guest speakers addressing many of those same topics.  So I attended, actually, I'm in the middle of attending (they are taking a break) and I just had to share!  The first topic was "Generating Creative Energy", the speaker was Noah Scalin.  He did a project in which he created a new skull every day for a year.  It became quite a big deal online, he got a huge following world wide and turned it into a book deal.  He showed some of his creations and they were really cool, so check him out if you have time.  At the end of his speech he had us do a little project, we had to choose a shape or object and create it ten times in about ten or fifteen minutes.  Being so close to Valentine's Day I chose a heart, I found it challenging because I'm a perfectionist, but the time constraint made it impossible for me to perfect each creation.  However, I'm pleased with the end result and enjoyed the exercise because it did get my creative juices flowing and reinforced the lesson that nothing's perfect, and that's okay. 

So here it is, Happy (early) Valentine's Day!

I really like this one, I made it by arranging tiny ruby beads.

My nod to Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman :)

These two obviously aren't perfect, but I was running out of time.

This one is similar to my Hammered Heart Necklace http://www.etsy.com/listing/66507866/hammered-heart-necklace 

This one is my least favorite, probably because it's the least creative:

And this one is my absolute favorite, I think I'm going to use it as a new design for a necklace!

I hope you enjoyed this little creative journey, if you have ten minutes and want to smile I suggest trying this exercise at home.  Don't think about it, just do it.  You'll be surprised with what you end up with.

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

Enjoy What You Have

As a small token of appreciation to my customers I've begun including a Dove chocolate with their order.  Not only is the chocolate a little treat for the taste buds, but the sayings on the wrapper can be a little treat for the soul.  Recently I indulged in a chocolate myself and found a saying that really got to me.  It said, "Take a moment, enjoy what you have.  You see, I suffer from the grass is always greener syndrome.  And generally once I have the grass from the other side, I'm already looking beyond the next fence.  So this was a good reminder for me, I have a lot to be thankful for and I need to enjoy it!

One of my hobbies besides making jewelry is painting, I'm not very good at it, but it's something that I like doing and it's very therapeutic for me.  So to de-stress from the day's work I pulled out my paints and canvas and put that saying from the chocolate wrapper to good use. 

The Inspiration:

The Process:

The Result:

I'm going to hang it in my studio as a well needed reminder :) 

To see some of my newly created jewelry designs visit my website: 

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

I hope you're all taking the time to enjoy what you have as well!

Jewelry Care

My sister suggested that I post a blog about caring for your jewelry, and I think that is a great idea. I did some research to ensure that I'm giving you all accurate information, and I learned a lot in the process.

The easiest rule of thumb for almost all jewelry is: to keep it shining like new, wear it often, put it on as the finishing touch of getting ready, and store it in a sealed plastic bag.

By wearing your jewelry often you're actually polishing the metal throughout the day. Waiting to put on your jewelry until you're finished getting ready protects it from hairspray and perfumes which can build up and attract dirt.  And when you're not wearing your jewelry, storing it individually in a plastic bag slows down the tarnishing process and prevents it from being scratched. This is especially true of sterling silver.

Hammered Heart necklace made completely out of sterling silver:

Sterling silver is composed of silver and copper, the copper is added to strengthen the metal, but it also makes it susceptible to tarnish. It's easier to prevent tarnish by storing jewelry in a sealed bag, than to remove tarnish. But if you've got some pieces that have already begun to tarnish, they can be cleaned with a polishing cloth or by dissolving baking soda in warm water and gently rolling your jewelry through the mixture (be sure to completely dissolve the baking soda so the mixture is non-abrasive!).  Metals tend to tarnish much more quickly in humid climates, so storing your jewelry in plastic bags is much more important if you live in a humid area or near the ocean.

The exception to the plastic bag rule is pearls. This is important to note since I use pearls so often in my jewelry designs.

Brooch with Pearls - Necklace

While pearls are very beautiful, they are also very delicate, and can dry out easily.  So instead of storing your pearls in a plastic bag, a bag made of soft cloth is better.  If your piece of jewelry contains both pearls and an easily tarnished metal the best solution is storing in a soft cloth bag inside of a tarnish resistant jewelry box.   In addition to drying out easily, pearls can also be scratched easily and are sensitive to prolonged exposure to light, hairspray, make up, perfume, cleaning chemicals, and acids such as vinegar and lemon juice.  That sounds pretty high maintenance, but honestly if you just wear them often, putting them on as your finishing touch to getting ready, wipe them off with a soft cloth when you're done, and then store them in a soft bag they should be fine.

Through gentle handling and proper storage, your jewelry will stay shiny and beautiful for years to come.  If you have any specific questions about jewelry care, please let me know.

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

Inspiration - Amethyst Bracelets

My designs don't always come as easily to me as the Turquoise Necklace did.  But the same creative process still takes place, I start with the materials, and a need.  This past week I found myself in need of some bracelets, and I had these wonderful amethyst beads that had been sitting on my shelves unused.  So I started to play around with them, I mixed and matched the amethyst with other beads until a few ideas were formed.  Then I sketched out my design:

After creating a sketch or two I got to work on the real thing.  Sometimes I get lucky and the actual piece of jewelry turns out just as I envisioned it, but other times rework is necessary.  In this case, I wasn't 100% thrilled with the bracelet, the amethyst looked great, but the spacer beads just weren't cutting it:

So I looked through my inventory to see what else would work better, and started over.  Here is my second attempt:

I think this one looks SO MUCH better, the shine and simplicity of the ball beads compliment the smooth curves of the amethyst and give the bracelet an overall elegant look.  It's funny how a small change can have such a large impact, seeing that illustrated here pushes me to continue striving for the best and never settle for anything less.  If I don't love a piece, how can I expect anyone else to?

On it's own, this bracelet is dainty and sweet.  But it also occurred to me that it would work well as part of a set.  So I got to work on two more of the exact same bracelet, and put them all together.  The effect?  Voila!  I love it!  They are still dainty and sweet, but the three together just have more of an impact, plus I love to hear them jingle against each other as I move. 

If you love these as much as I do, check them out on my Etsy site: www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry

They're perfect for a February Birthday :)

Lesson Learned - What is success?

The first week after quitting my job, I was completely overwhelmed, I had so much I wanted to accomplish but didn't know where to start. And I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself, for some reason I felt like I had something to prove and if I didn't have immediate success that I was some kind of failure. The Sunday night before my first day as my own boss, I couldn't even sleep, I was so anxious. I felt exactly like I used to the day before a new school year would start when I was a kid; excited, nervous, and full of expectation.

Before focusing full-time on JoMarie Jewelry, I thought that my biggest asset was going to be time, I thought I would have SO MUCH time that I'd be able to get absolutely everything done. But I quickly figured out that my days didn't magically get longer, I still only get 24 hours, and, no, I'm not able to get everything done in them. Despite not crossing off everything on my To Do list, the time that I do have is awesome, I don't want you to think that I'm complaining!  But what I've found, is that my biggest asset is really my flexibility. I don't have to stick to that 9 to 5 regimen anymore, in fact, as a creative person it's better if I don't force it, but instead work when an idea comes to me. If a new design strikes me at midnight I can work on it right then (the fact that I'm a night owl doesn't hurt). Last night, I had this burning desire to create a new bracelet made with a mixture of shiny and shimmery black glass beads, it was 12:30 am, but I went ahead and worked on it. I didn't get to bed until 2:30, but that's okay because I made a new bracelet and I enjoyed doing it!

Here's the result of my late night:

Midnight Sky - Bracelet

I went ahead and slept in a little to make up for the late night. Last week I would've beat myself up for sleeping in because I was still holding myself to the standards of the corporate world. It seems pretty straight forward, but it's taken me awhile to realize that I'm not in the corporate world anymore, I can and should do what's right for me when it's right for me. I quit my job in order to pursue my jewelry business, but I also quit because I was unhappy. So I'm not going to beat myself up for sleeping in, I'm going to be grateful that sleeping in is an option for me.

 Although I'm not quite two weeks into this I've already learned an important lesson, success does not just mean making JoMarie Jewelry into a profitable business, success also means finding my happiness. This week I have focused on having a more balanced life, I've allowed myself the time to do fitness classes at the Y, cook healthy meals, and just relax without feeling guilty about it. And I've really seen a difference, I feel happier and more serene. I just enjoy life more. So according to my definition of success, I would say things are going really well!

Inspiration

I get inspiration from the raw materials used in jewelry making, combined with a particular need I personally have. I figure that if I'm in need of a certain piece of jewelry, then some of my customers are probably in need of something similar. The latest design I created was a long bohemian style necklace made with vintage turquoise my mother had given me.

As a kid I remember going through my mom's rather sparse jewelry box, she didn't have much, but she did have some beautiful turquoise bracelets and necklaces. The last time she visited me in Nashville she gave me a little baggie filled with irregularly shaped turquoise beads from an old necklace that had broken. At first I thought she wanted me to fix it for her, but she said I should just keep the turquoise and create something new with it. The beads were so beautiful that I immediately wanted to make something, but they were also special to me so it was really important that I make something spectacular. This expectation of making something brilliant paralyzed me, so I ended up sitting on the beads for several weeks, unable to commit to an idea that was "perfect" enough to warrant using them. Then one evening as I was getting ready to go out with friends, it hit me. I needed a long silver bohemian style necklace with a splash of bold color to complete my outfit, the turquoise was perfect!

In a matter of minutes I had the design all mapped out in my head. I was supposed to meet my friends in a half an hour so I had to work quickly, I mixed large and small turquoise beads with freshwater pearls and a silver hoop to create a beautiful pendant full of nature's treasures, I cut chain long enough to easily slip over my head, fashioned it into a completed necklace and was out the door!

I'm in love with this necklace and am so happy I was able to use my mom's precious turquoise in such a wonderful way. Time and again, I'm reminded that for a piece of jewelry to be beautiful, I have to start with great materials.

To purchase this Turquoise necklace or other pieces of jewelry I've created, please visit my website:

www.etsy.com/shop/jomariejewelry