On My Workbench: Silver Apple Branch Rings and Leaf Pendants

I’ve been working hard this past week on some new pieces, both custom and for my ready to wear line. I’ll have some pictures of the custom piece for you next week, it’s coming along great, and it’ll really show you more about the process of how I make silver leaves. But this week I’ve been working on finishing up my new style of Apple Tree rings. They’re cast in fine silver, and come in both a high polish silver and in a black oxidized finish. I love the way these bands came out, there really comfy, and on the thinner side of the twig rings that I cast, only 3-5 mm wide. The textures are really well defined in the apple bark, much more so then the maple tree rings.

The other piece that I finished this week is a luxurious Art Deco style leaf pendant, that’s set with a 5mm faceted White Topaz. The pendant’s hanging from a really incredible matching Art Deco style chain. Like my other leaves, I cast this Sage leaf after growing it in the garden. I hand carved the setting for the stone and set in the hand-made bail. This is a really special looking piece, the veining of the sage leaf sparkles and so does the stone, the entire piece is just so amazingly reflective.

 

How To: Dye With Natural Elements

Color Wheel Dyed on Wool with Acid Dye

One of the biggest problems with textiles is obviously the pollution that comes from the growing, weaving, and dying process associated with creating fabrics. There are many ways to cut back on the huge amount of waste created. Using organically grown or raised fibers is a huge step, especially with cotton. The large amounts of nitrogen based fertilizer used in regular cotton production is well-known to be a big contributing factor to the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. At home choose organic or natural dyes is a big step in the right direction. It is definitely possible to get beautiful rich colors using minerals, plants, and even insects as dyeing material.

Photo Inspiration: Bee Balm

 Bee Balm is an amazing plant used by Native American tribes for everything from antiseptic poultices for infected scrapes, teas for soar throats, headaches, fevers, and stimulants, as well as a seasoning for wild game. The plants are a wonderful bonus to a vegetable garden adding not only there beautiful color, and medicinal value, but they also attract tons of pollinators!

I’m Honored

There are times when your happy to have your work stand alone, and then there are time when someone takes your work, and makes with it something so much better then you could have ever dreamed. In the last few weeks it seems as though the amount of treasury’s being made on Etsy has more then quadrupled, but the quality is far and away better then I could have imagined. I am honored to be included with these amazing artist in these remarkable holiday treasuries.

The Autumn Blues…
Curatet By: toriska
Featuring The Work Of:  SimpleHearted, NomadicNotebook, phydeaux, beautyspot, kurush, Raceytay, AcornAlleyDesigns, SnipSnap, lottahelleberg, FabulousFabulous, MADART, yorktownroad, OneLoomStudio, cayennepeppy, JenSanCandles, mychristmastree