Category Archives: Pendants

Metal Work, Necklaces, Pendants

Papaw Polished

The pendant at the right is Papaw polished! papaw polished You see, my father was a woodworker, not a professional, but a great hobbyist with a purpose. After retiring from the Army and then from work with the Soil Conservation Service, he spent many of his hours in his workshop, sawing, sanding, and polishing wood. He could make a new claw foot for a broken antique table leg or build a cabinet from scratch. He fixed things for the neighbors and built things for his friends and family. When my family visited him, I could hardly get in the door before he required me to take a trip out to the “shed” to see what he was doing. Often, I was solicited to help with the sanding and polishing.

Often I thought I was finished sanding a piece only to have Papaw run his rough hand across it and shake his head. That meant, there was more to be done. Although I really thought the sanding was often excessive, I quickly learned that I might as well do it right or he would go back and fix my work which was the ultimate insult.

Following the sanding, there were usually layers upon layers of varnish that went on a piece until the polish was just so. Of course there was sanding to be done between the layers. Sometimes, things then required a light coat of wax  or oil to produce the appropriate finish.

Today, I couldn’t help but think about Papaw as I worked on the pendant for the pictured piece. I cut it, hammered it, oxidized it and put it in the tumbler thinking that would be the end. Wrong! The edged were still slightly ragged. So, I ground them with the Dremel, smoothed them with the file and felt sure I was done. Wrong! The piece still wasn’t just right. I could practically see my father shaking his head. Finally, I worked on it with steel wool until I had something to be proud of. papaw pendant Yet, I can’t help but wonder if Papaw ran his hand over it would it be Papaw polished or would I be put back to work? Maybe I’d better go feel of that pendant again.

Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Productivity

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I’ve been chastising myself for accomplishing so little the past few days. Although I’ve tried to work at my normal rate, things just haven’t worked out well.  Granted, the ranching business is quite busy as we prepare for the October production sale and the phone does, thankfully, ring quite often regarding our offering.

Yesterday, I thought I’d simply put down the jewelry design work and focus on sewing something for my 9 month old grandson. When I began the project, I noticed the cat begging at my window. Taking pity on her, I let her into the studio and out of the rain. There seemed to be a “thank you” in every swish of her tail. Following her initial pleasure, however, she realized I just wasn’t going to stop and continue petting her as long as she wanted. First she got in my lap as I worked at the sewing machine and then she hopped right up on the machine in an attempt to distract me. I wasn’t especially happy with her when my stitching went awry while she paced around on the machine cabinet. Eventually she prettied herself over on the fabric I was trying to cut out. IMG_0355 I finally gave up on that project and put it all away, except for the fabric I couldn’t get out from under the cat.

Another attempt at the jewelry did net a couple of pieces that are going out of state. Feeling a bit down about my lack of productivity, I realized that I did at least get pictures of them.

 

sue turq

cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems I’m not the only person in my family who has been worrying about productivity lately. Twice on my last visit with my mother, she commented on how unproductive she felt. None of my philosophical dialogue seemed to comfort her. I tried my “age and stage” lecture, then the circle of life sermon, but they just didn’t work. Another resident, who is a friend to mother, overheard us talking. “That’s just silly",” she said in a very stern voice. “I’m productive if I just make it through another day!” “You should be happy to have accomplished that.” Mother didn’t bring up the subject again. Oh, for the wisdom of our elders – what would I do without it? I’m just beginning to see that I’ve been more productive than I realized.

Belts, Earrings, Metal Work, Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work

Just Pictures

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This blog runneth over with philosophy lately, so now I’m just showing a few pictures of some of today’s work. These are a little of this and that as I attempted to stay focused on my to do list. The first strung necklace and earrings shows how I just keep horsescoming back to those bone horses. These are a bit larger than what I usually use and so I didn’t do a double strand as in previous designs.

The next design is entirely of copper wire and beads. I used both 18 and 20 gauge wire selected according to the size of the hole in each bead. The pendant is surrounded by a new type cage that I am trying.

The bulk of the work time today was spent on hammering copper sheet metal and preparing components for an order. Armed with drill, dremel and a new texture hammer, I finished most of the pieces. I multistonehave not yet put the patina on these, but  a few are shown below.  The top piece will be a belt buckle; the round piece will be a pendant and there are six ovals requested by the customer for an unknown purpose. I’ve used the same type ovals previously in necklaces and in belts.  I purchased the texture hammer on etsy from Hodpodgerie. It is one texture on one head and a different on the other.  I’m not showing a picture of how my index finger looks after I hammered it with the new texture. Those little grids on the hammer are quite sharp. I imagine I will lose my fingernail. I also imagine I will be much more careful in the future. OUCH!

 hammer

parts

Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Wear Your Courage

I was driving my car today and mentally complaining about how dirty it was when I remembered that drought conditions here have warranted NOT washing your car. Our area is 40 inches of rain below normal for the last two years and one need only go for a short walk or drive to see the ramifications of this phenomena. Driving down the hill from our house, with smoke dust rising in big puffs, I’m reminded of tales of the Oklahoma dust bowl and know things could be worse. So, I drive my dirty car like a red badge of courage, thankful for the problem solving skills by husband has utilized to care for several hundred animals during dry times. He manages to keep our animal’s flourishing and never compromises the quality we strive to maintain. With a production sale coming up in October, I’m amazed at how he prepares our offering even knowing that this year will probably be a financial winner for the customer. His continual emphasis is on the customer. What would the customer need and expect? He could be breeding cattle for what he likes, yet, he is always looking to the customers to see what would enhance their herds. Surely there’s a lesson in that for me.

Since I’m known for stretching a story and making unusual connections, what is that lesson that might pertain to design work? I believe moving forward during stressful times is key for any endeavor. Even if there is not a show or customer immediately around the corner, I work just as diligently on my designs and maintain the same quality. A lull in business provides a great opportunity to try something new whether it is a technique, material or style. If nothing pleasant hatches, there’s nothing lost. As my husband does with the ranching, I continually problem solve and consider what a customer might want. A color, size or style might not be what I would wear, but the customer is the real boss.  fetish One of my favorite ways to determine the potential of a design is to wear it while I run errands and observe whether people notice the piece. For example, I like the piece shown on the left, but I wore it and no one acknowledged it. The piece below, however, is another story. Folks looked twice at it and guess which one had sold. The one below is already gone. turq

 

  This is the piece that I strung at least four times before deciding it was fit for the public eye. I could have just left it alone the first time, but quality maintenance is important here at Dreamcatcher and I don’t want to give it up.

My dirty car, however, is something I’ll be happy to give up. I look forward to the rain and the return of green grass.

Diversions, Pendants, Philosophy

The Song Remembers When

I’ve always liked Trisha Yearwood’s song by the above title. Based on something most of us can relate to, she sings of hearing an old familiar song over the radio and lets the tune wind her back to a memory. Couples may have “their song” that reminds them of a first meeting, wedding or other time. Music can bring up a memory out of the blue when you are riding in a car, sitting at a desk or moving along with daily chores, but it’s not the only memory initiator.

Last week, using the drill in the house, my husband, unbeknownst to me, brought in an old tin can from the garage which housed the larger drill bits. He set it on the bookcase and went about his work. Later, it caught my eye and took my breath. Papaw As the picture shows, it’s just an old tobacco can, rusted, dented and worn; but it is a definite reminder of my father who died in 2000. It sat in Papaw’s workshop for many years. As the tears gathered in my eyes, I could almost smell that tobacco smoking from his pipe and see the gnarled mouthpiece of that same pipe he chewed upon when he quit smoking. The can also conjured that funny memory of my father doing a little jig the day he put that lit pipe into his pants pocket just a little too soon and it caught his pocket on fire. These are good memories and I’m thinking of leaving that sad old can in the house.

I’m sure I could name many other things that bring back memories, but today I’m thinking about some of the special jewelry pieces I’ve made that “remind me of a time”. One of these is the seed bead piece pictured here. It reminds me of our family joy when our daughterKim got married here at the ranch over three years ago. It was a small outdoor wedding, but totally ours as we did the planning, work, and setup. This simple, but beautiful event, set in the bluebonnets of our front circle, left me quite exhausted the following day; so I gathered my seed beads, plopped in a chair and declared that I should not be bothered. I sat there all day and made my very first freeform pendant. I still love wearing it and it emits happy memories when I look at it.

I’ve sold a good deal of pieces for weddings in the past years and I’m hoping that some of them bring pleasant memories for the purchaser. I also hope that those tourists who pass through the hill country and pick up a local artist jewelry souvenier find pleasant memories when wearing each piece. Certainly, those folks who have recently purchased “Ralph’s Rocks”, picked up and polished on a ranch in Cameron, Texas, which I’ve wired and hung on copper neck wires were looking for a little piece to help them remember our hill country.

Many people look for little treasures while traveling to help them recall the trip. I’ve repaired many such “treasures” for people who just couldn’t part with an inexpensive and, in my mind, often not so pretty, piece of jewelry because of where it came from or the special person who gifted it. I enjoy hearing the stories of why the piece is meaningful.

While all our design pieces certainly will not store precious memories, I’m struck today by the power of the few. I believe I’ll be paying even more careful attention to construction of my designs in the future so those little treasures will hold up. We just never know when the “necklace will remember when”.

Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work

Are You Alone?

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This title could indicate a narrative about many different things. Some of these could be quite philosophical while others might be the opposite. My first tendency when reading the title is to burst into song. If you’re past 40 or if you’re a musician, you probably remember “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, a melody I still hum and have played on the piano too many times to count. This song can be spiritual and the blog title might also lead your thoughts to that arena. Of course, there’s the seamier side of hearing a husky voice on the opposite end of the phone asking, “are you alone”, but I’ll leave readers to ponder that one.

Last night while completing the two pieces shown here, cross I had  a strong feeling that I wasn’t alone. The dogs and cat were outside, my husband had gone to bed, yet something wasn’t quite right. We live in a timber frame house and although it is 10 years old, there’s still some creaking and groaning as the timbers continue to split and shift. Those sounds can create an eerie atmosphere late a night; Yet, the sounds were not the whole of the feeling. pendant Finally, I realized I WASN’T ALONE. I checked the kitchen; “sigh”. I checked the den; “sigh”. I checked the other rooms, but no intruder appeared. (I wonder what I thought I was going to do if one DID appear) Thinking I better get to bed before any more illusions crept into my thoughts, I glanced to the side of the work area and met the friend below. Truly - - - I Was NOT Alone.

gecco

Creativity, Metal Work, Pendants, Wire Work

Too Many Pea Pods

For the past several days, I’ve challenged myself to see how many different ways I might embellish the copper pea pods I’ve made before. It seemed like a harmless activity. Since I have such a dislike of making something more than once, I thought I’d work on that problem with the pea pods. When training to teach piano pedagogy, one of my instructors always said “attack your weakness”. Ok, I attacked my weakness and worked on becoming more willing to copy my own work. I just kept telling myself that I was using creative elaboration to change the pods slightly. After four pods, I declared that the challenge was complete and I should move on to another weakness (there are plenty to attack). But what am I going to do with all these pea pods?

pea pods

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split pea

Although it may be difficult to tell from these small photos, all four pea pods in the top two pictures are slightly different. The split pea pod in the last picture resulted when I rewarded myself for sticking to this challenge and took the time to make something different.

By the way, I don’t even like peas!

Creativity, Pendants, Wire Work

Still Rockin’

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In the midst of all that classical music I’m listening to in an attempt to stay on task writing our annual cattle sale catalogue, I have done a bit of rockin’.

Those pictured are mostly more of Ralph’s rocks, mentioned in an earlier post. My goal is to find as many different ways as possible to wrap a cabachon. The rocks are a great way to learn and practice since they present their own set of unique problems. Challenge #1: No two are the same shape or size making it somewhat difficult to repeat a discovered wrapping. Challenge #2: The sides are not equal a given rock. Challenge #3: There is not a flat back, as in a cabachon; therefore what may work for the front doesn’t work for the back of the rock. Challenge #4: I won’t give up.

It would seem that some of these rocks do not wish to be wrapped. Proof of this lies in the wastebasket beside my workspace. Sometimes as I’m starting to feel proud of the wrap completed, the silly rock just pops right out and ends up on my lap. (This is not helpful to my ego!) Other times, the wrap is such a big mess that I take the cutters and whack it off. And then there’s that “morning after” thing. Something that looked really great about midnight is pretty tacky by morning. (Think about that one.)Rock2

As I’ve mentioned before, the literature on creative thinking tells us that creative scientists, as opposed to those who are rule bound, know when to abandon an idea and move on. I’m definitely not any good at that, but then I never claimed to be much of a scientist either. (When we started the ranch and I suggested that I could go to vet school, someone suggested that I couldn’t pass the science courses.) It takes me a good deal of time before I give up on an idea and move to another. Perhaps that’s stubbornness, but it could also be resistance to closure. I want to be sure I’ve tried every angle before throwing in the towel on an idea.

The joy of wrapping these rocks is that I have very little money invested in the adventure. Since my friend provided the rocks and I’m practicing with fairly inexpensive copper wire the wrapping in economical. rock1

You might be wondering about the top of the rocks regarding why they have open hooks rather than closed loops. These are created to hang on simple neckwires and are interchangeable. I’ve had no trouble with them slipping off the neckwire as long as the hook bends down a good ways.

Soon I will need to stop wrapping rocks and apply these techniques to cabs, but for now I’m having a great time. Of course, I may have so many that you’ll find them dangling off my lamp shades before long, but I’m sure something better will dawn on me.

Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Wire Work

Timing is Everything

I’ve heard the saying in the title many times and often believe it is true. For example, as teenagers, my children knew when it was a good time to ask for something and when it would be better to wait.

Today, I wondered if my timing was just a little off. While I’m getting to the top of the “hill” that I may someday be old enough to be “over”, I’m not there yet. I have always worked diligently to know what’s in and what’s not with the young crowd. As a piano teacher, I kept up with the latest music so that my students could play what was popular as desert on top of their Bach and Mozart pieces. I even rewrote many popular songs to make them easy enough for my beginners. Now, I’m thankful that my son keeps me reasonably up-to-date on new music and artists. As for clothing, I’ve even gotten used to young men’s baggy pants that may need a hitch up while the wearer walks and midriffs exposed on young and some not so young women.

Yet, lately I’ve been thinking my open minded/up-to-date attitude may be slipping. I just didn’t realize that I could wear my pajamas to the grocery store. It seems that when I go to the grocery store on Sunday mornings, I encounter young couples in their pajamas who appear to have just crawled out of bed. The first time, I thought it was just a single occurrence, but I’ve noted it numerous times since. Some of these couples even have on their bedroom slippers. One pair of slippers was complete with cute little dog ears. Today I realized that my timing is just off. I’m going to the grocery store at the wrong time or on the wrong day. I’m much more comfortable when I go on Wednesdays, the same day that the bus from the assisted living facility brings their residents to shop. I can converse with those people and help them find their food without feeling odd. I just don’t belong with the pajama crowd.

Timing is also important when we try to sell things. Jewelry designers trying to make sales at outdoor events in this persistent heat need to realize that there’s probably nothing wrong with their work – it’s just the timing. Hopefully, cooler weather will give sales a needed boost.

Right now, copper jewelry seems to be selling well. The timing is right for it and I’m working to create new options for the use of both copper sheet metal and copper wire. Pictured below are a couple of new pieces that will probably work better for fall than summer. Although we are in the midst of our hot weather, boutiques are now clearing their pastel merchandise and preparing for the arrival of fall clothes. Now is the time for jewelry designers to be thinking fall as well.

Timing – such an important element in life. There must be some unique formula to help me get it just right. I sure wish I could figure it out before I’m any closer to the top of that hill!

browncopper spikes

         orient

Necklaces, Pendants, Techniques, Wire Work

Out on a Limb

birdonawire

Today’s photo shows another pin turned pendant from the same family as the dog shown in an earlier post. Although these pins, given to me for creation by the owner of Dovetails of Wimberley, presented considerable challenge, I’m pleased to understand how to alter a pin and will be more open minded about the pendant possibilities that other pins offer. In case you didn’t read the earlier post, the process involves making and gluing a wire finding to the back of the pin which turns it into a pendant.  Thankfully, I’m no longer “out on a limb” regarding this technique.