summer solstice

I am the Queen of Procrastination.  Two - ok, maybe more like three - years ago, I decided that I needed to expand my repertoire and branch out into making my own components.   I thought about lampworking, but I am not a big fan of open flames.  This is also why soldering seemed like a poor choice for me.  I ordered a packet of silver clay and a creme brulee torch, but the expense involved was daunting, as was trying to find a place in my small house to do torch work of any kind.  The silver felt too precious to allow me to make mistakes with it.  I need to make LOTS of mistakes.  It's how I grow and how my work grows too.

Sooooo, I decided to go for broke and ordered this baby:

opening the box

 
A Paragon metal clay kiln, metal clay in copper, bronze, and - - - something else I can't quite remember right now.  The clay is not exactly cheap, but not so precious that I wasn't able to get into fooling around with it and making enough thingies for a firing.  I will post some photos when they are done.  I am sooo excited!

And here are some pieces I haven't blogged before:

A Tibetan turquoise earring, deer antler tip, copper spiral, red jasper for strength and courage, vintage inlaid bone beads from a Buddhist prayer mala.

Lucky Ancestor flower earrings.  Horseshoes, skulls, blue evil eyes - and hearts.

This piece features three large, hand faceted rutilated quartz beads, a raku scarab, mother-of-pearl bar, glass beads from Indonesia and the Czech Republic. A couple of really old African trade beads framing the scarab and some smokey quartz too, I believe. I haven't listed this one on Etsy yet - can't seem to figure out what to say about it.

And another large ceremonial piece because people kept asking if I was ever going to make another one and I just happened to have bought two of the (alleged) Song Dynasty bronze coins and had one just hanging around.