Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Hatched Variation

I’ve been out of the studio for a while reorganizing, cleaning out the pile of paperwork, checking inventory, and getting ready to do shows again.  It’s both nice to have the creative break, and tedious to keep up.  Thankfully, the breath of Spring has allowed me to play in the dirt when my hands get restless. Today I’m back in the studio making eggs and playing a bit with the “Hatched” theme:
 



I may have bought more opals and be feeling the need to set a few of the old ones as justification. Not that I have an opal problem or anything.

really.

I can stop any time.

Posted by Margarita at 20:30:42 | Permalink | No Comments »

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Opals are my…. ya know…

Well, if you know me well, have heard the story, read the article, or just know my entertaining use of language, you can fill in the blank.  Otherwise, make up your own entertaining title and swear you know it’s true.
I’ve been off the blog map for a bit, mostly due to moving. The studio is mostly back up and running.  I hope to have plenty of new pieces/stories/pics to share soon! 
My most recent pieces are opal.  The first is a simple set of rectangular cobalt enamel on copper earrings bezel set in sterling silver.  I fused a bezel for the opal into the enamel and set the opal over the enamel.  The slight translucency of the opal allows the cobalt to show through as well as act as a mirrorback for the opals’ fire. Oooooooo!

The second opal I cut back in Ohio in the summer of 2005.  It’s a brown boulder opal which is seriously messy to cut, but, Boy-o!, is it fun!  Through the wet brown muck on your hands suddenly flashes of color from the exposed precious opal come into view. Each second it changes shape and more or less peeks its way through.  The fabulous “crack”* of precious opal that heads straight towards the point only showed itself in the final sanding and polishing steps. Score.
I decided to set it with a piece of silver scribble and do a sparkly (but sort of matte) Mizzy wheel texture.
 
~margarita

*You know how punny I am. It had to be done:)

Posted by Margarita at 17:11:30 | Permalink | Comments (1) »