Jewelry making class pictures - making a metal brooch

I taught my forged wire brooch class at Gifts of Avalon in Gainesville (Florida) this past Monday night.  Once again, I had a dynamic group of students that was a quick learning bunch!

Students start by filing their pieces of sterling silver or copper wire they selected for their finished piece.  At far left is Chris (a perennial class attendee) and Brenda (center left).  Kathy (or at least half of her) is on the right side of the picture.









Derry was also new to my class.  She's filing her metal wire as well.

















In making their brooches, students learned how to use a draw plate.  This is Linda getting ready to use a pair of draw tongs to pull her wire through the draw plate.










Once everyone pulled their wire down to make the brooch stem, it was time to shape and form it.  Brenda used a hammer to give some of the curves of her brooch a flat edge.









Cheryl (another class newbie) used round nose pliers to form the end of her pin to be the pin catch.










And here's the best part -- finished projects!



Brenda's pin, to which she added some beads as she was forming it.












Derry's finished pin.

Cheryl's finished pin.  I couldn't believe how quickly Cheryl adapted to using the draw plate.  She told me she had never done this before.  Quick learner!

Chris' finished pin which she proudly wore.

A closeup of Chris' pin.

Kathy (another new one to my class) was the only one who made her pin out of copper.  My photography doesn't do it justice!  She finished it with a soft, satin sheen and attached an aquamarine bead to dangle from the middle.

Kathy's pin really looked great on her black blouse.

Linda was having some artistic challenges during class, but I hope to help her finish it at another time.  I shared with her that sometimes taking a piece that has bad karma and throwing it in the scrap pile can be very therapeutic.  *smile*

My next class is the first Monday in October.  Hope to see you there!

The business of making art

In my ideal world, selling my acrylic and resin jewelry would be like the Field of Dreams movie.  "Build it and they will come."  Alas if it were only that easy!  Having a successful artisan jewelry business requires active participation on my part.  I just can't simply make handcrafted jewelry and expect people to magically know to find me.  There presents the quandry.

Balancing the business of making contemporary jewelry and marketing contemporary jewelry is not easy.  I tend to get stuck on one or the other at some point.  Over the past week, I have been on a creative tear and find that I have to beat myself to follow up on emails and phone calls.  Perhaps it's because artists go through mental blocks too (at least this one does), so when I'm on a good creative track, I hate to give it up.

I write this blog post as motivation to help me find the right balance, which some days, is easier than others!  Okay, back to the studio.....

5 biggest blunders men make when buying jewelry for a gift

I love it when guys are buying jewelry for their ladies. It's such a sweet and thoughtful notion on their part. I LOVE to help them! Unfortunately, it doesn't always turn out well, so I wanted to share the top five mistakes guys make buying jewelry:

1. Not knowing the details. I have actually had men buy earrings for a gift and not know if the woman had pierced ears. Wow! Major gamble! Find out as much information about your lady as possible. A good start is to find out a ring size, bracelet size, preferred length of necklaces, color preferences, metal preferences and any allergies.

2. Getting her something she doesn't have. This is only a good thing if you have heard her say that she wants a ".....". For example, if she doesn't own any bracelets, there may be a good reason why. Maybe she has a job where it gets in the way or she would have to take it off frequently. Take a quick inventory of her jewelry and get an idea of what she prefers or take notes the next time you are window shopping together.

3. Not considering the "what ifs". Is your jewelry purchase sizable? Can you return or exchange it if she doesn't like it? What if she likes the pendant but wants a different chain? Understand the exchange and return policy on the jewelry BEFORE you purchase it.

4. Buying something that doesn't go with her body type. Believe it or not, how a piece of jewelry is shaped or formed impacts how it looks on a person. For example, round earrings do not look good on a woman with a round face. A small pendant on a short chain isn't particularly flattering to a curvaceous woman with a large bustline. When you're buying the piece, get the person helping you to give suggestions or even the model the jewelry if necessary to help with the decision making process.

5. Buying something that doesn't go with her style. Buy her something she will wear! If she doesn't go to a lot of fancy occasions, she may not get a lot of wear from a big, fancy cocktail ring. Inexpensive earrings may be a better fit for daily wear. If she does a lot of work with her hands, a ring may not hold up to her rough schedule, but a necklace might fit the bill

Mother's Day is coming up and I am happy to help the guys out there get a special gift for the moms in their lives. Contact me at the KMS Designs jewelry website for help getting your special gift.

Is your jewelry protected?

With spring cleaning on everyone's mind, cleaning out a jewelry box might fall somewhere on your list. Did you know that many homeowner's insurance policies will not cover the full value of your jewelry if it's lost or stolen? I recently found an article, Appraising Fine Jewelry. It covers the basic details of what you should have appraised, who you should get to do it, and what you can expect it to cost.

Class projects: riveted metal

I had the opportunity to teach another class last night at Gifts of Avalon. I thought it would be fun to share everyone's finished projects!

Last night's class was joining metal with rivets. Basically, you use metal rivets or metal tube to join pieces of metal together (much like the rivets on jeans). This piece is from Linda. She used brass rivets to join copper to sterling silver sheet. She stamped initials on the left side of her pendant. Linda had a surprise visit from her boyfriend who I think was impressed with her new skills.





These earrings are from Chris. She has taken several of my classes and I always enjoy hearing about her family. She stamped her children's initials on the top sterling piece and will rivet the sterling silver to copper underneath. She used sterling silver tube for her rivets.








Carol is my "overachiever" (*wink*). Her project was creating a sterling silver cutout of a heart to rivet on top of copper. Her pendant will also have tube rivets at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. I love that she always aims high in her projects.










(Another) Carol in the class made hammered copper earrings. They have sterling silver squares riveted to the top with brass rivets. Her earrings have a nice, shiny finish. This Carol was a complete newbie and made these earrings in about 2 hours!








I love teaching students! They force me to think in new ways. It's a good night for me as well.

How to keep your jewelry out of the repair shop

No one ever buys a piece of jewelry with the intent of destroying it, but sometimes, that's exactly what happens. Unfortunately, I have had to repair jewelry pieces due to neglect or because ladies thought they were actually doing the right thing.

So I realize I don't fix broken-down cars, but a broken or ruined piece of jewelry is kind of like the same feeling (at least to me). You were wanting to wear it only to feel disappointment that not only are you not going to be able to put on that piece of handmade jewelry, but it's going to have to be repaired as well.

This is just a short list of what I usually see and what you can do to avoid mishaps.


1. Stones are ruined after cleaning. I have seen this mostly from people either putting their items into "dip" cleaners or using them in an ultrasonic cleaner machine. Soft and/or porous stones such as pearls, coral, and malachite should be treated with extra care. When in doubt, ALWAYS ask the person you bought your piece of jewelry from.

I only recommend the following cleaning methods:

• A solution of mild soap (such as liquid Ivory) and warm water. Soak the piece for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse. Wipe dry with a soft cloth. This is good for getting grease and fingerprints off a piece.
• Sunshine polishing cloths. These are what I use on my own jewelry. You can very carefully use the cloth to go over pieces while avoiding the stones. I love these things so much I sell them when I do shows.
• Haggerty's silversmith polish sprayed onto a soft cloth. Use these like the Sunshine polishing cloths above. You can usually find this silver cleaning product at some of the large, mass retailers. Don't spray the polish directly onto the piece since it may get into recessions that you won't be able to get it out of.
  

2. Holes or "pitting" of the metal. I usually see this after someone wears the jewelry while exposing the jewelry to bleach. Most everyone thinks to take their jewelry off before using household cleaners, but some women forget about wearing their jewelry in pools and spas. Chlorine is used to keep those things sanitary. It's that same chlorine in the bleach that pits the metal. Unfortunately, there is no fix for this.

3. Severe oxidation or tarnishing of a jewelry. This happens when someone doesn't store the piece properly. Mostly, I see this when women take their jewelry off and think "I'll put it away later" only to forget, then find it in a couple of months looking almost black. In a high humidity environment (like Florida) tarnish can happen very quickly! Jewelry can turn dark enough to where the polishing and cleaning methods above don't even work. I do have an industrial grade silver sterling tarnish cleaner that I use in my studio for such cases. It does a better job of removing tarnish than other methods, but isn't completely able to get tarnish out of deep recessions or up next to stones. Read my article here on how to keep your sterling silver jewelry free of tarnish.

These are the biggest ones I see. Are there other problems you have questions about? Let me know below! I'll do my best to get you an answer.

A change in the way I do business

I love making jewelry. It's a great outlet for me. I also love visiting with my collectors. It's how I get to know what everyone likes and doesn't like. It also gives me valuable feedback on what and where to go next with my art. That leads me to a few announcements:

I am moving towards selling more directly from my studio. What does this mean to my typical customer? If you're local, there are a couple of things:

I am going to be selling my jewelry at more home shows and events directly to customers. I really enjoy the relaxed setting of getting to know people. I will not be doing the Santa Fe Community College Spring Arts Festival in Gainesville next month. I will instead, be booking events at homes and businesses. Anyone interested in hosting an event can email me at kmsdesigns@hotmail.com. By selling my jewelry this way, I can offer discounts and incentives to party hosters and attendees. It's a better situation for me because I don't have to be away from my family for extended hours and be concerned with finding childcare.

I will also be reducing the number of Gainesville, Florida area galleries that I show my work in. Effective March 16, my work will no longer be at the Artisans' Guild Gallery. For those of you not familiar with how the gallery operates, the artist members staff and maintain all the business aspects of the gallery. With three small children at home, I cannot honor my 10 to 15 hour monthly commitment to the organization and must resign at this time.

I am excited that I will be able to teach classes monthly at Gifts of Avalon. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to interact with jewelry and crafting enthusiasts on a personal level. My next class is March 29. Details are on the Gifts of Avalon classes page.

For those of you who are not local to Gainesville, not much should change for you. You will continue to receive top quality jewelry in a timely fashion upon purchase. I have more jewelry to photograph and post, so be looking for new work over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you to everyone for understanding this change. I'm looking forward to offering you more of what you're looking for.

Both pairs of earrings shown are available for $65. Go to the KMS Designs resin and sterling silver earring page to purchase securely through Paypal.

Custom order: part 2

So onto the next pour of the custom order! The picture shows after I poured the orange. I let the resin cure for 36 hours in between pours. That assures me the pour before is solid so that way if I accidentally get resin where it shouldn't be, I can soak it up with a Q-tip, although sometimes accidents happen. See the pendant in the top row just to the right of center? It spilled after I let it cure so I will have some sanding to do later.





After all the resin has hardended, I can begin sanding. If you look closely at the pieces, you can see I have "overpoured". This is intentional, as I need to sand until the pieces are flush.










The center pieces of silver are also a little taller than the outer piece to make sure that any spills go to the outside, versus the inside (easier cleanup). The next step in the process is to completely sand it down with 8 different grits of sandpaper. I then use a buff to give it a soft, satin finish. The last step that I do is to coat it with a museum quality microcrystalline wax. That makes the pieces just a smidge on the satin side and makes them moderately tarnish resistant.




As I was writing this blog post, I realized that I didn't get a picture of the set before my customer picked it up. Whoops! The pendant at left is the same as the one from the first picture in this post (bottom row, middle pendant) and the center pendant in the second picture in this post. This pendant is available for $50 on a 16 inch rubber neoprene cord. Sterling silver chains are an option for an additional charge.





I hope my customer will send me a picture of his sweetie wearing the set. I will be sure to post. :)

How to keep sterling silver jewelry free of tarnish

In the process of designing, constructing and selling sterling silver jewelry to customers, I am often asked how to keep the jewelry clean and free of tarnish. Here are a few of my recommendations along with customer mistakes (and how to fix them!).

1. The first thing you need to know is that "tarnish happens" when it comes to jewelry. Even gold jewelry, after many years, will eventually tarnish. Tarnish is caused by the reaction of the copper, in the sterling silver, to humidity and elements. Even perfumes, lotions, hair care products and sweat will accelerate tarnish on jewelry.

The remedy: Try to make sure all your "body products" (hairspray, lotions, etc.) are dry before putting on your jewelry. After you are done wearing your jewelry, wipe it clean and dry with a soft cloth (I prefer plush cotton or flannel) before storing it.

2. Leave jewelry sitting out, exposed to the air most of the time, tarnish becomes inevitable.

The remedy: Store jewelry in a place that is cool, dark and not exposed to air. Other jewelers advocate placing jewelry in a ziploc bag for storage. You must make sure your jewelry is absolutely dry and the bag is free of air when doing this. Otherwise, you create a "rainforest" in the bag and it will tarnish in a matter of days! If you want to do this, I would recommend wrapping the piece in a soft cloth first, then place in a ziploc bag. Squeeze all the air out of the bag before closing. For those that like having their jewelry in a box where you can easily see it, place a piece of chalk in the box. The chalk will absorb the moisture. Be sure to replace the chalk monthly.

3. My jewelry is tarnished. What is the best way to clean it?

The remedy: Always opt first for a polishing cloth to remove tarnish from your jewelry. I sell and recommend the Sunshine polishing cloths, but have also had good luck with Haggerty's silversmith polish sprayed on a soft cloth. (Do not spray this product directly on the piece.) Sometimes I will use the tarnish removing dip to clean a piece, but ONLY if the piece is metal only (no stones) and if there is no "patina" on the piece. (Patina is the intentional oxidation of the piece to highlight details.) These dips mush be used with care as they are removing the outer layer of metal on a piece (like the cloths) and can act very quickly!

4. I use a tarnish removing dip cleaner for my silver and now it tarnishes so much faster. Why is it doing this?

The remedy: While the liquid dips that remove tarnish will do so, they leave a sulfur residue that makes the jewelry react with the air and tarnish more quickly than before. If you are going to use the silver dip, the jewelry must be rinsed for a minimum of 15 minutes under running water to remove all the sulfur residue.

5. Someone told me to use toothpaste and/or baking soda to clean my jewelry. Is this okay?

The remedy: Using either of these is only okay only IF the sterling silver has a matte finish. If the jewelry has a shiny, mirror polish to it, these abrasives will remove the tarnish but will also scratch that shiny finish. Should this happen, they only way to remedy the situation is to have a professional properly polish the piece again, assuming the damage isn't too great.

6. What about ultrasonic jewelry cleaning?

The remedy: This is only an option for pure metal jewelry (no stones) or jewelry with stones hard enough to withstand ultrasonic cleaning. Stones such as coral, turquoise, tanzanite, and others are not ultrasonic cleanable. When in doubt, please consult the designer of the piece or a jewelry repair expert.

Learn more about caring for art and jewelry on the KMS Designs jewelry care and art resources page.

No, I don't sleep much

I get asked a lot how I manage to get everything done. The answer is, "I don't sleep much."

I have three small children. They pretty much run "wide open" during the day. The only way I can get any amount of uninterrupted work done is to work while they're sleeping. This might be during a early afternoon nap, but I would say 50 percent of the time, I only get about 45 minutes of time. I usually prioritize phone calls and emails then since most people aren't in the office at 10 PM. So, I'm usually up before 5:30 AM and up until about 11 PM "taking care of business." (I suppose the first thing I will do when they eventually move out is to sleep for a weekend or something.)

Oh yeah, my house is also a mess and my husband works at the grocery store, so he does all my shopping. That leaves me more time to make jewelry.

Buying jewelry for a gift

With the holidays upon us, I know people are considering buying jewelry for a gift. I am happy to say that a lot of my jewelry gets bought for gifts. I wanted to share some of my thoughts and experiences with the blog readers to help them make the best decisions for purchasing jewelry for someone else.

1. Get to know as much about your recipient as possible (discreetly if you can).

• Does the wearer have any allergies? The one I see most often is to "nickel silver" (which isn't really silver at all).
• What does your gift recipient normally wear? If she normally only wears earrings, now is not the time to get her a bracelet.
• Can you find out appropriate sizes of her current jewelry collection? Is there a particular chain length she likes? Find a ruler and measure the length of her pieces in her jewelry box.
• Does she actually have pierced ears? I've seen people get wire/post earrings for women that they're not even sure have pierced ears!
  

2. Earrings and necklaces are generally better choices than rings and bracelets if you don't much about your recipient.

• Earrings and necklaces are generally closer to a "one size fits all" types of pieces. Bracelets and rings require knowing more about the recipient's exact size.

3. What color (if applicable) would the recipient like?

• People make the mistake of "Well, she always wears blue, so I'm going to get her something red." Wrong! She wears blue because she LIKES blue. It's always a good choice to get someone more of what they like.

4. Is my recipient going to care for her jewelry completely or would something easier to care for be in order?

• Does your jewelry gift recipient have the time and knowledge on how to care for their jewelry?
  
• Can she keep the piece clean and maintained properly? Sterling silver pieces in humid climates (Florida especially!) will tarnish very quickly if not cared for and stored properly.
  
• Are you considering an "everyday wear" type piece or is this something that is considered a "special occasion" piece?
  

5. Always ask the person or store you are buying from what their return and exchange policy is.

• Can the recipient return or exchange the piece if she doesn't like it? I typically offer a 14 day return policy and a 30 day exchange policy on my pieces.
  
• Can you get a gift receipt? I am happy to offer a gift receipt. This is important in cases such as Christmas where the purchaser may be buying the piece several weeks in advance of the holiday.
• If you have questions or concerns about the returns or exchange policy, always ask! I am always happy to work with customers if they let me know up front what the concerns are. For example, if some is buying a Valentine's Day gift in mid January, I am happy to extend the return period until after February 14 to let the recipient have time to decide if she likes the piece.
  

6. Ask what the warranty is on the jewelry considered for purchase.

• Ask for instructions on how to care for the piece. I cannot stress how important this is! Unfortunately, I have had to repair several pieces I have made for customers because they weren't careful with wearing and cleaning the piece. If you aren't sure about your piece, have a professional give advice on how to clean and care for your jewelry.
  
• Ask for directions on how to return the piece to the artist/store for repair if necessary. Any good store should have the ability to repair your jewelry or recommend you to a reliable person for repair.

I hope this helps everyone this month. I will be posting more information over the next couple of weeks on how to purchase individual styles of pieces and such. Happy shopping!