Weekend workshop

I spent the weekend learning new jewelry making techniques one of which is etching on metal, I am SO hooked. I love the effects that can be achieved, I can see this fitting it with my designs. I see the daisy in a whole new light...
I took the workshop from a wonderful, creative and super fun lady named Jill Rockwell,
( www.Jrockwearableart.blogspot.com )
check out her beautiful work and check out some of the work that the other ladies made also. She has taught me a few workshops and I look foward to more, it is always an interesting and relaxed way to learn, and I get to hang out with some of the most amazing ladies who also like to create,
Thanks for a great weekend ladies,
Mimi xo ( mixed metal Mimi )

First run

My sister-in-law had her first run this week, it was a 5 Km. She has been training for months, getting out of bed at 5:30 am to run along the beach with her trainer-Dylan.It is not always easy to leave a warm bed when the rain is spitting off the windows and there is no sun in site but she did and she came in with a great time, we are SO proud of her.
I made her these sterling silver earrings for her efforts.
Love ya, good on ya,
M xo ( mixed metal Mimi )

Sea pebbles

Today Mother Nature turned on the switch and summer arrived. I played in my garden and I played in my shop.

I made some rings with some sea pebbles that I collected from our local beach, I am so lucky to be able to go play on the beach with my dog Amigo and collect treasures that I can make into little jewels.

Thank you Mother Nature, I SO needed that heat to warm my soul...

( mixed metal Mimi )

Gifts

I received this necklace of beads today from a young girl. I told her that I could not accept it and that she should pass it onto someone special, a friend. Her response was , " I don't have any friends". She is 18 yrs. old and trying to finish grade 9. She had been bullied and had gone in and out of school and was now trying to finish her education. I put the necklace aside and I found out that she had a sister who was 15 when she had her first baby, and her cousins had their babies at 13 and 14 years old. She promised her mom that she would wait till she was 25 to have her babies.

We talked about crafts and creativity, I always try to encourage the young girls to be creative, it is an outlet, a strength , a way to work on self esteem, an individuality. I told her that she could do anything that she put her mind to ( my parents always instilled that in me and it made me strong-thanks mom and dad xo ), she told me that she was a quick learner...

I feel that this young girl has a lot of obstacles in her life and has a tough road ahead. At the end of our time together, I took her beads and I removed my bangles , 1 sterling silver and 1 copper that I made, from my wrist and gave them to her, she instantly put them on and left with a small smile on her face.

Go and be creative girl... be strong and believe in yourself.

xo

( mixed metal Mimi )

Just a really pretty picture

I can't believe that my little Fuji took this pic of these really pretty flowers in my garden, I just had to share.

( mixed metal Mimi )

Pebbles and Glass

I have wanted to make something out of this pebble that I collected from one of our west coast beaches. It is an exercise in bezel making, soldering and oxidizing. I made the copper and silver pendant to practice blending the two metals together, the black glass is some left over stained glass that I had which I cut and ground to fit the bezel. Since I started silversmithing I have wanted to incorporate stained glass.
These are definately not show pieces but practice pieces.
Thanks for taking the time to look.

( mixed metal Mimi )

Little Projects

Well the rain continues to soak the grass and flowers. The weeds are lovin' it. So, I am taking advantage of the weather to play around with new projects in Our Treehouse. I made some fun little sterling silver rings, I recycled some bits of silver that I had by melting them into little balls, hammering them flat, stamping them with letters and symbols and soldering them to silver rings that I made ahead of time. My husband gave me a steel ring mandral that I would be lost without.( Thanks sweetie xo ) I have discovered liver of sulfer, I LOVE the effects that I can create with this stinky liquid ( smells like rotten eggs ) the metal can be oxidized from blue to black with many colors in between depending on the length of time that the metal is exposed to it.



I also made a brass ring, which I cut out of a sheet of brass, hammered, cut out the heart, stamped some letters and again oxidized with liver of sulfer.
I brought back to life a pendant with a mountain range, I call it Copper Moon. I treated it to my new discovery and I instantly loved the effects that came of it.
Thank you for taking the time to share in my blog,
M xo

Heather's Starfish

My friend and best customer asked me if I could create a starfish pendant for her niece that is graduating from high school. I can't believe this beautiful young lady who I knew when she was just a little ginger haired baby is now going on to her next journey in life. I as usual got excited by the challenge and got busy right away.
I started with a copper little creature that I sawed, filed, sanded, hammered, embossed and oxidized. I tried out my new polishing clothes that I purchased on Etsy ( I have been standing by my pledge to buy handmade ) I love the way the little bumps came to a shine.
I decided the next day to create a sterling silver starfish as well. I am pleased with both.I have given her the option to take both home and with the help of her family she can choose which one will be...Heather's Starfish.
Congratulations " little one ".