I’m trying out this copper/silver alloy bowl on a patinated mokume gane disc. I’ve tried other stands, but the bowl ‘stands’ well on its own, so I’m going for something simple that highlights the blue patina.
There will be some of my charm jewellery going to Art in the Buchat, Glenbuchat as well. I gave it a little polish and its tucked up in its boxes now waiting to charm visitors from Friday, 7th September.
The second casting that I did with my first-smelt copper produced the ‘Manx cat’, a mouse, a pudding charm of the Christ child and two partial shells.
The mouse and the pudding charm were the more successful pieces. I have ordered a different kind of casting ring for the shells, to see if that is more successful. The shells are too fine for a conductive metal like copper, which tends to cool before completing the mould.
It is exciting using metal that you have ‘made’ yourself.
This is a silver charm bracelet that I finished for Christmas. It’s a commission for a friend with a piece from the Thames foreshore, from the beach in Fife, a witch stone from New Zealand for luck, a silver threepence and a part of an old earring. So it’s quite special, includes lucky amulets and each piece has a story. I plan to do more for Valentine’s Day.
I had a fun morning showing Kat and Trisha how to sand-cast. I managed not to take pictures, but they both made bowls and shell pieces.
We worked outside as it was a stunning day (still is)
Just popped out for proof!
Anyway it reminded me that I have two further workshops scheduled for this year:
8th August Plantlore and Jewellery as part of Pittenweem Arts Festival
This is a brooch made at an earlier Plantlore workshop
and a week long sand casting workshop in The Algarve 13th to 20th November at Aqua Ventura.
I finished the wee pewter bowls this morning and one is off to Germany with its new owner.
The wee silver bird earrings are off to new homes too.
I shall make up some more of these earrings for tomorrow, which use my silver bird charm and so are only available from my Open Studios (until Pittenweem, White Fox and London!)
I’ve started a new range of earrings using my silver charms. The top pair are pull-through silver chain earrings and the bottom pair are on a silver wire and oxidised metal hoop. Both will be at Cambo House today at the ENOS stall.
I poured these shells and wee fish yesterday. For the sand moulds I used the Borders sand and clay mixture, I made themoulds up last week so that they were good and dry when I poured in the molten metal.
This pic shows my pewter crucible with some of the scrap cut from the castings – the runners and risers for the metal to flow in and the air to escape out. These pieces will be available at ENOS and the technique is one that I’ll be teaching in November in Portugal.
As I think I’ve mentioned already, I hope to run a casting work shop at Aqua Ventura (Portugal) this November. I’m just back from brushing up my casting skills with the lovely Zoe Arnold at West Dean.
I’m planning to start with cuttlefish casting using cuttlefish that we will collect on the beach (but I’ll make sure there are some dry reserves.)
The cuttlefish set up to pour in the molten metal.
The opened mould once the metal has been poured and allowed to cool, showing the shell, the pouring button and air vents.
The other side of the shell casting showing the cuttlefish markings.
All I need to do now is cut off the surplus metal, make the cuts look like the rest and take a photo. I may shine it back to silver too.
I’ve started a new design drawing on the landscape local to my studio in Cellardyke.
The fisher lasses were the women who followed the silver darlings (herring) around the coast of Scotland and down to Yarmouth. They gutted and brined the herring, gutting up to 60 a minute.
This is the layout
The layout with the seaweed oxidised. I gave myself a shock when I first tried it on as I thought it was real dried seaweed!
Still some work to do to complete the neck-piece, but I know what needs doing. I also have some other design ideas for the theme.
I took a commission to personalise this charm bracelet. The adder stone ( a traditonal protective stone with a water bored hole) and the lava bead are replaced by the rock crystal, a garnet and by a sterling silver cast heart. The heart charm is not cast yet, but I’ve made up the two stone charms. The bracelet now has charms for health, happiness, friendship, hangovers and wealth, with love to follow. The new owner will get charms added to celebrate her life.
Another visitor is keen to have some charms personal to her made up into a bracelet, so that sounds fun.
I still have some bracelets available for sale and/or modification though.
juliacowie 