Aubergine

Tiny Gold Seahorse Necklace


Sterling Silver Wishbone Necklace


Coral Necklace cast in gold


Laurie Brown, of Aubergine, is a new member to Etsy Metal. She excels in sand casting items found in nature and creating beautiful and intriguing pieces to adorn the body. Inspiration is drawn from the juxtaposition that something which many discard after death, such as bone, can be immortalized in precious metal, and given a new life.

Laurie uses gold as well as silver, and techniques such as sand casting, fabrication, and stonesetting in her work. You can find more in her Etsy Shop, as well as on her Flickr.

In the Studio with themusesjewels

1.) tell us about your studio. how long have you been there? where is it? (in your home, arts center, store, etc.. and city)

My studio is in my apartment, here in Montreal. I've been here about 4 years, and it's mutated a lot in that time...It was originally in the closet of my bedroom (a wee bit cramped, not to mention a serious fire hazard...), but I've now taken over the entire dining room (we never used it anyway...).

my mess
Originally uploaded by themuses

2.) what is your favorite tool you have? why?

Hmmm...It's hard to choose just one. I have quite the love affair going on with them all. I guess if I had to pick one that I'd have a really hard time working without, it would be my flex shaft.

Bench
Originally uploaded by themuses

3.) what do you listen to or do while working? music, news, or nothing - i'm concentrating!

I often listen to the CBC (Canadian public radio), or a huge and eclectic variety of music. Lately I've been listening a lot to some works in progress I've been writing for some musical projects I'm involved in...multi-tasking, really.

studio - music
Originally uploaded by themuses

4.) what time of day is your favorite to work?

I like to get administrative and shipping duties done with coffee early in the morning, and my favourite time to create jewels is in the evening, when the temperature cools, and my studio is darker. I prefer to solder in a darker environment, as it makes seeing the colour changes in the metal easier.

Administration zone
Originally uploaded by themuses

5.) do you have an inspiration bulletin board or something else that you keeps you inspired? do you have a picture of it?

Oh yes...there's stuff all over my walls and my studio...I have a 'motivation shelf' with a book by the awesome and inimitable Tammy Forsythe http://www.strikebooks.etsy.com , and a photo of Patti Smith, sitting under graffiti that reads 'Vive l'Anarchie'. Those two ladies keep me honest...
I also have a couple of bulletin boards on which I stick random clippings, photos, etc., of things I like. (see 'inspiration' and 'inspiration 2' photos on Flickr)

Inspiration 2
Originally uploaded by themuses

6.) can we get a little sneak peek of what you're working on right now?

Sure...it's pretty much all in my head, and only becomes reality when I actually put fire to metal, but here's a shot of a page from my sketchbook (see 'Sneak peek' photo on Flickr). I've just gotten my hands on a whole bunch of cross agates for my Scarred Sacred series, and have mostly been working on those lately...

Sneak peek
Originally uploaded by themuses

Thanks Norsola!! Make sure to check out her flickr and of course her jewelry on Etsy!

Tip #7 - Strengthening Posts

post earrings tip
Originally uploaded by esjewelry

When making post earrings, after soldering the post on, work harden by twisting a couple of times in each direction. At the same time pull to straighten the post.

Etsy Metal Finds

Sorry about these finds being a day late. I was out of town this weekend and it completely slipped my mind! Oops:) But, while I was on my way out of town, I couldn't help but think about how high gas prices are these days, and how much I wish I could just bike everywhere! Enjoy todays bike friendly finds! I couldn't narrow it down to two, so you get three...

Bikerman with Red Stars by BrendaRose. I love ALL of her pieces!

Flying Bike Messenger by lscreamseams.

Bike Parts Shirt by shopshopdesigns.

EtsyMetal News 7.25.08

Just a few quick things this week! Friday almost slipped by (well, I was out of town, so that helped!) but wanted to post a few quick important things before tomorrow.

Colleen Baran is having a show tomorrow at Blim - check out the site for more details!

And Ashley is running a contest on her blog! You have to check it out - who wouldn't want to win something of Ashley's?

more to come this weekend!

Sudlow Jewelry

Rachael Sudlow, of Sudlow Jewelry, is a metalsmith who displays in her work a wide range of techniques and expertise. Here is a short interview with Rachael:

1. Where do you live, and where are you from?

I was born & still live in Lawrence, KS. Proudly, the only county in Kansas that votes democratic. We're a fun little artsy town. I escaped only briefly for school in rhode island.

2. How did you get started working with metal?

AGES ago, in junior high I did a piece that was mixed metals & looked like a scarab beetle..it had moveable parts that swung around on rivets...I think it had 40 some. I did jewelry through high school & college as well.


3. What are a few of your favorite pieces at the moment?

the peapods are always my favorites...I wear them all the time & love to make them. As far as new work, I'm working at getting better at stone setting & playing around with faceted stones--it's a nice way to add sparkle & color to my work. But now I just want to buy super expensive pretty stones! My taste is getting more and more pricey.



4. What inspires you (artists, objects, interests)?

my pets! I've got a ton of fish (down to 4 fishtanks!) & my boston terrier pup, bella- They're great company & keep me from going insane as I work in my studio. The fish are only part of the fun with my aquariums, as I do saltwater tanks & grow all kinds of nifty corals.
Getting new tools always gets me motivated to try new projects. I have to test them all out! Plus the more I learn, the more I can teach in my jewelry classes I teach at my local arts center. It's so much fun to pass along the tricks I've learned.

5. Do you have any other artistic interests?
well I got my degree in photography, so I suppose I have an interest there. I got a bit burned out of it after 4 years though. My Cowscapes are my proudest bit of work- & I really should getting back to shooting more of them.

Tip #6 - Vinegar

tip #6
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

After casting - the metal is covered in the investment. Some pieces have tiny details that trap the investment and can't be removed with a simple scrub-a-dub-dub. I soak mine over night in vinegar. It not only cleans the investment off, but acts just like pickle and cleans the metal to a bright white! Though it might not look like it immediately, I just give them a quick scrub with a toothbrush soap and water and it takes off any residue that might just be sitting on the surface. If it is still not clean to your liking, just leave it in there longer. If the investment is all cleaned off but not completely white, I still proceed with my usual clean up and finishing and then drop it in the pickle if it needs it, though usually it doesn't.

It is a very economical solution to an ultrasonic cleaner. I use an old pickle jar (it already smelled like vinegar!) and buy a gallon at a time for about $2. The vinegar will start to turn blue after a few uses, just replace w/ fresh vinegar!