Copper and cake

Last weekend was a little bit odd.  I fluctuated between the cake and jewelry work to get a cake delivered for a birthday and also finish up a few copper pieces.

I ran some copper through the rolling mill with steel wire for a pair of earrings and I like the randomness of the pattern on them.  

This cuff started out as a fold forming project but I decided to keep going and form it over a stake. It was a lot of heating and hammering (and heating and hammering) and I'm really happy with it.  I love all of the little crevices all over it.

The cake was sort of a quick put together because I didn't have much notice or time to fit it in.  My general feeling about it is that it's just ok...the scale is a bit off and I had planned to do more with the basketball.  But  the time came to get it out the door and the birthday boy was happy and that's all that matters.

  

New metal pieces

Last weekend I spent several hours at the jewelry bench for the first time in months. I've made some commissioned pieces here and there but this was a couple of mornings of just tinkering to see what I could come up with.

I started out with some sterling and a glass cabochon I made on a flat mandrel a long time ago.  I love, love, love the colors in that glass.  Dreeeeeeamy.  

I made this ring at the same time--a very different feel with copper and sterling tubing added to a hammered base with a brushed satin finish.

I did a lot of prep work with the rolling mill, texturing copper with fabric, paper, and other metal.  Maybe I'm the only person who feels this way, but if I use the rolling mill for an hour I feel like I've been lifting some serious weights.  Maybe I'm too impatient and try to tighten it too early...I don't know, but by the time I'm done I'm sweating and my arms are sore.  It feels like it takes my whole body to push and pull that metal through.  I ended up with some great patterns and made a pair of earrings with sterling rivets.