NEW ideas with SEA GLASS

Here is a new ring! Men's size 11 - 11 1/2, it's hard to say because the flat top created by the tubing doesn't let it fit on my ring sizer very well. It has a wide brass band, and three pieces of tubing going across the top, one copper, one brass, and one nickle silver. Then I oxidized it and brushed it back!


This ring is almost identical to the one below but is a size 12 1/2 - 13 (for a guys hand) and was made for a friend. Hopefully Danny is enjoying it!!

p.s. that is not me holding it, it's my 11 year old sister. The ring isn't that massive!


New Zealand Sea Glass Ring Series
This sea glass series idea came from my travels to New Zealand last February. I was there for three months and realized that the trip really showed me what I love to do and want to continue doing for the rest of my life. About a month and a half into the trip, I had an art dream. It was early in the morning where I was half awake but still dreaming and I found myself brainstorming all these art ideas. After I woke up I actually became very frustrated and angry because I wasn’t able to start working on all my new ideas, so I began sketching. So for the rest of the trip I kept gathering seeds, shells and sea glass for all the art plans I had. I was on the beach for hours and hours with my head turned down to the sand instead of looking out at the water and enjoying the view. I was so excited about the possibilities of what the little treasures hidden in the sand could lead to that I could barely stop. So from that trip came the New Zealand Sea Glass Ring Series, with every piece of glass gathered from their shores.

All of these rings can now be found at Helen's shop in Littleton!!! Check out her website at http://www.willowartisansmarket.com/ or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Willow-an-artisans-market/79153913317
THANKS HELEN !

Here is one of the rings just expanding on the copper pins idea. On the three copper pins are bits of tubing that are made of brass and some of copper and very in size and shape. There are a few pieces of the tubing that are square. Then, of course,I oxidized it and brushed it back.

Named this one A Modern Masculine.

These two rings are both on thinner brass bands and have three pieces of different colored glass each. I then pinned the glass to the band by flattening out each side of the copper wire. The thin bands seem to have an easier and more comfortable fit, but I believe the wider bands make the rings more bold and balance out the big chunks of glass better. Any input?

I named this one the Blue Beauty.
I call this one the Wacky Band piece.
This special ring has four different colors and seven pieces of sea glass total! I'm going to try and expand off this one

I call this one the Modest Peacock.

This particular ring has tow different pieces of glass and a very roughed up texture. And again, a square band.

I call this one the Imperial.

Here is a very wide brass band with a clear, rectangular piece of sea glass pinned inside with four copper pins. Notice that the glass is not in the center on the top of the band, I think it's quite interesting.

I somehow managed to come up with the name The Pinned Bandit.

Here is ANOTHER ONE, this time with a square band! It also has a brass band and a copper wire holding in the glass. This is also one of my favorite pieces of glass, I'm guessing it's been in the ocean for quite some time. SOLD

It's nickname is the Rounded Square piece.

This is the first ring of the series, made it with some scrap brass and the copper wire. I have to use my little pliers to smash the copper wire until the ends are too wide to fit through the holes in the brass bands.


I've just been calling this one The Starter.

Three different colored pieces of glass all next together on the same piece of copper wire. Also in a brass band and oxidized then sanded down a bit to get some of the original shine.

Also gave this one a simple name, the Multi-Spinner ring.

The more sculptural ring I came up with... three pieces of glass in a row. The glass wiggles a bit. This piece has a hammered brass band and three pieces of thick guage copper wire pieces which have both ends smashed down to pin the glass into place. I then oxidized and sanded it down a bit.


Of course this one is called The Mohawk ring.

Here is a smoky quartz bead attached with sterling wire to a hammered brass band. Just an idea that I tried out while working with the sea glass.

Still not sure if this one deserves a name...

Felting with Britta !

Britta just sent me this pic va facebook.
Here are her incredible arm warmers that she made out of the raw wool!!


THE BAG OF WOOL I BOUGHT ! ! ! ! ! ! !


Britta getting started on the felting process. First you lay out the wool with all the fibers going in the same direction, then you layer on more wool but with the fibers running perpendicular to the previous layer. You will want to continue this until you have at least four layers. Now you get some water boiling and mix in some bar soap shavings. Now you take a cut and gently poor the water on the wool until it is evenly wet, not sitting in a puddle though. Now you slowly and softly start rubbing the wool, sometimes it helps to use a baggy over your hand while doing this to have less friction until the wool begins to felt together and become stronger. Now you just keep rubbing and rubbing, flip it over and rub it some more. Eventually you have to dump the now cool and very dirty water out of the tray and put more of the boiling water on to keep the wool fibers shrinking together. Also be prepared for this process to take FOREVER...one of the needed tools for this is definitely patience.


Top left is Britta's tobacco bag that she made out of the felted wool, some beads/shells, and a zipper. The little bag with the brass button and the pair of arm warmers I made are not as tightly felted. The wool texture is easier to see in mine, but they are not as strong...I'll have to keep working on my felting.


Here I am with all of my completed wooly projects !

SKETCHES from NZ

HERE ARE MORE ! ! ! I've continued sketching since being home...too many ideas to be able to store in my head.


Ideas for rings, pendents, reconstructed sweaters, wire and glass sculptures and who knows what else...but it's all on these papers. Hope some of them come true, I'm going to be back on the 12th of May and then hopefully will be able to immediately start working on some of my favorites !

it's going to be interesting, some of the current ideas involve experimenting with different metal wires, solder, glass and copper foil, a rock polisher, and a sewing machine (which might be the biggest of my problems) SO EXCITED & READY TO GET STARTED