Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Singin' in the Rain Under My Umbrella-ella-ella...

See my work and get to know me at MissNovemberStudio.com
Pieces can be purchased at missnovemberstudio.etsy.com


Sneak peek at the latest:


 I can't help but be inspired by San Diego's wet weather! Torrential downpours, yikes!


My friend and blog mentor Carol, from InPursuitOfPrettyThings.com convinced me to start working on less pricey pieces for my website so more people can enjoy my work without emptying their wallets entirely. This little umbrella pendant is the first prototype for that project. I wanted to incorporate crystals that resemble raindrops, they look like they're sliding down the chain! I'll be getting this up on my etsy soon for only $35! If you just can't wait, let me know and I'll make one just for you!

Stats:
Hand formed sterling silver and copper umbrella with sterling handle
sterling chain with 6 simox crystal raindrops and sterling clasp
Delicate and dainty, it is a short necklace resting high on the decolletage with a 16" total length chain
The umbrella top to tail is approximately 1 1/2 inches

What I'm really excited about with all the rain is these babies:
I haven't owned galoshes in years and there isn't really much reason to own a pair in San Diego. I saw an SA at Kate Spade wearing them and died when I noticed the bow. 

THEY HAVE BOWS! 

I've been taking stock of every pair of galoshes I've come into contact with (no thank you to kiddie prints), and these my friends are what grandma would call smart. I call them adorable, I also call the black on black pair mine thanks to a random trip to TJ Maxx where I unloaded $80 for them. I promise I will keep these forever even though I will only see them for a few weeks every year. I LOVE you fancy bow galoshes with ridiculous rubber heels! (You can try your luck at TJ Maxx or get them here)

Bring on the rain!

Santa LOVES Miss November Studio!

My work can be viewed at MissNovemberStudio.com
You can purchase my work at missnovemberstudio.etsy.com

Santa always has a way of bringing things I need. This year in particular nearly all of my gifts were for working in the studio!

Santa brought
-Lighted tweezers (brilliant!)
-Multiple tweezers (can't have enough when working with a torch!)
-Magnifying goggles (I may have to post a ridiculous picture of these on my face)
-A super-shiny neck mandrel (this was on my must-have list!)
-A canvas smock with pockets (I destroy my Anthropologie aprons)

And my favorite gift of all: A home made oak anvil.



Let me explain...

Silversmiths use hard oak stumps with a polished surface to work metal. Instead of marring the metal by using a steel anvil, the oak is softer and absorbs hammer blows. It can also be used with a flat steel anvil off the work surface for smaller studios like mine. When I hammer on my workbench everything bounces and tips over making a mess. With my new oak anvil I won't bounce my tools off the workbench anymore! Hooray!

That isn't the reason I love it so much, though...

My darling husband (my highschool sweetheart, swooooon) found a big oak stump on a muddy hillside in Escondido (North County, San Diego) and brought it back to Acme Garage (he's a mechanic) where he spent the better part of the day sawing it in half by hand (I helped a little).


Once the sawing was complete we realized a huge chunk of the stump is actually a hollow burl. Blake would have loved to carve the burl into a bowl or something, but instead we decided it would just be a unique feature on my custom anvil.

If he had cut 1/4 inch to the left the hollow portion would have been hidden. Its like a big empty pocket, you could fit a softball inside.

Top side of the burl. To me it looks like a bear on a scooter!
Blake mounted the chunk of oak on a table base we had scored at a local junk store for $15.


To finish it off he sanded and polished the surface and inscribed "Miss November Studio" in the burl.

The twists in the grain are beautiful! That dark spot is the burl opening. 


I love it!!! Thanks to my creative, crafty, handyman honey!




Thursday, December 23, 2010

Thinking of my LOVE

Just a quick note that Miss November Studio is having a VALENTINE'S DAY SALE...All my rosary necklaces are 20% off and shipping in continental U.S. is FREE (new shop policy!)

Take a gander and drop a hint to your honey!
Miss November Studio
Vintage San Fransisco Souvenier Key

Vintage Keyhole and Skeleton Key

Vintage Watch Face and Chandelier Crystal
More available at my etsy shop!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Salutations!  


Its been a busy few weeks here in the Logan apartment and Miss November Studio, and with Christmas shopping at its peak I'm pretty exhausted after working my day job. Between getting Christmas cards out late (taking the picture ourselves, yikes!), wrapping gifts and baking up a storm, I haven't had much ME time on my hands...so I'm taking some right now!


Speaking of that self-snapped Christmas card...We took this in Balboa Park on a beautiful sunny December day. Ahhh, San Diego how I love your weather. It was entertaining walking through the park dressed up carrying a tripod and tinsel tree!

One thing I really look forward to at Christmastime is pulling out our tinsel tree! I know, I know, some of you are thinking taaaaaacky... but it fits perfectly in our Mid-Century decorated apartment in Hillcrest. I love turning on the light strand and seeing it sparkling with ornaments.  

This year my M-I-L brought out a box of glass ornaments I had squirreled away and never used from Christmas 2005, the year San Diego was blessed with it's first Anthropologie (Carlsbad), and I procured employment with the beloved brand. The ornaments are gorgeous and large in comparison to my daintier, more appropriately proportioned ones collected especially for the tinsel tree. Oh well, I still very much adore my collection of Anthro ornaments, and they make great tie-ons for gifts! 


I usually whip up a batch of scrumptious chocolate-butterscotch-peanut clusters (they should really have a proper name...hmmmm...ChocoScotchNut Clumps? I'll work on that one.) which are a hit at work during the last shopping days of the season. We are talking MAJOR sugar rush here, people. Those are resting in the fridge until their December 24th massacre. 
I did try a new holiday treat this year- shortbread mini cutout cookies. For some reason I thought they would be time consuming and difficult to make but they are so easy and sooooo good! They didn't make it past noon when I put a bowl out at work! Do you ever feel that if you're baking you should have a dusting of  flour on your face and clothes? These cookies will create quite a dusting indeed! ha-choo!


I have to thank Carol from Inpursuitofprettythings.com for giving me a nod on her fabulous Anthro-obsessed blog...Thanks Carol! I recognized her face from her blog and proceeded to introduce myself when she made an appearance at the store to do fitting room reviews. She is so kind and always cheerful and willing to try on anything, even if the hanger appeal is so-so...that should teach scrutinizing shoppers out there to try it on...or... read Inpursuitofprettythings.com to see how they fit Carol and her BFF Kathryn.


Merry Christmas, friends. I hope you're working hard on your resolutions, mine is to have a giveaway contest and stay busy in the studio so I have something interesting to share with you here!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

How I Made a Wolf Howl

The finished product
When people find out I'm a silversmith I am usually asked if I make custom jewelry. Llara, a friend and co-worker of mine asked me a few months back if I could make a custom necklace for her future mother-in-law for Christmas. After a few quick questions about size and preferred cost I knew exactly what I wanted to create for her. Llara asked specifically for a wolf necklace and wanted it to be a good size. I threw out the idea of a wolf howling at the moon and she loved it.

I decided this would be a good opportunity to document my process so I dug out the tripod, cleaned up my work bench, and snapped away as I worked.  I have been doing this for a little over a year now in a studio under the stairs at Acme Garage in Kearny Mesa. I learned to Silversmith from Deanna Jacobsen in a seven week course at the Art Academy of San Diego in North Park. Deanna was a fantastic teacher and really let me explore techniques she usually saves for her Silversmith II class.

Ok, enough history, on with the big show!


Usually I  begin my process with a sketch. Something for simple reference is really all I need.
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I already had an idea bouncing around in my brain, so this part was easy. Next I drew out the wolf shape in more detail, cut it out and glued it with decoupage paste to the 24 gauge copper sheet.
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After the paste dries I use a coping saw to cut the shape out using the paper as my guide. I cut detailed shapes this way because its easy to make mistakes with the coping saw. Also, after I peel the paper pattern off I can save it for later use.
Beeswax is used as a lubricant to help the saw cut through the metal more easily.
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Howl do you do?
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Next I cut out my moon. Working within an auto garage has many benefits, including tons of tools at my fingertips! I like using my husbands sockets to trace large circles. After tracing comes more sawing. This silver sheet is 22 gauge, a little thicker than the copper I used and less likely to bend accidentally once the piece is finished. 
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My wolf and moon cut outs are cleaned up with various files. Sharp edges are softened and the moon is rounded. 
My circles are never perfect after sawing so I do a lot of filing, which makes my hands tired.
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Next I use sandpaper to even out the surface and clean up any excess roughness.
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I love making moon texture. You can't get it right without concrete or asphalt which ensures a random pattern of texture. Here I am smacking my fingers more than the silver disc with a chasing hammer. ouch!
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Moon texture complete (compare)
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After a satisfying pounding, its time to anneal my moon to pound it into a concave dish-like shape. Annealing makes the metal softer and more workable. I heat the metal with my Little Torch using a mix of propane and oxygen. Once the metal glows cherry red I quench it in water to cool it quickly. I heat metal using a firebrick to absorb the heat, protecting my work surface from the torch and the super heated metal.
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On a suede pounce bag full of sand I pound my metal disc (with a heavy ball peen hammer, not this rawhide hammer!) until I have a nice concave shape.
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I throw the pounded metal in the pickle pot to clean off the fire scale and skin oils to prepare it for the next step. Pickle contains sodium bisulfate and has burned holes through my cute Anthropologie aprons. I use long copper tongs to fish my metal out and wash my hands and the metal immediately using soap and a wire brush.
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Here I am placing solder chips on contact points where the copper and silver will be sealed together. Flux is painted on first and acts as a glue to hold the pieces together while I work. Its real purpose is to help the solder flow when heated.
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Again I use my Little Torch starting with the flame about 6" directly above the metal heating it slowly so my solder chips don't fly off when the flux bubbles. I use a slow circular motion moving closer to the piece to heat the metals evenly, otherwise the flux will flow only onto the copper which heats faster since its smaller and finer gauge. Once I see the shimmer of flowing solder I remove the heat source and send it back to the pickle.
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After cleaning and wire brushing the freshly pickled piece of metal, I begin the arduous task of sanding...
...and sanding, and sanding, preferably with at least 3-4 different fine grit sand papers.
I start with the lowest (600) grit and moving up to the highest (1200), sanding and polishing until my fingers are numb.
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After I'm satisfied with the hand shine I mark holes for the anchor jump rings. Measure twice, drill once!
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I like drilling holes the old-old fashioned way. My air tool always seems to get away from me leaving large gashes in its wake, destroying the hand polish that numbs my fingers.

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I use a slightly larger drill bit to clean up the holes and take the burrs off.
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I want the moon to have a high shine so it glows against the more matte copper wolf. I use jewelers rouge to grease up my polishing wheel and buff until I can see a weird, pock marked reflection of myself in its surface.
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Getting all that black rouge gunk off the silver can be a chore. Here I am polishing it off with an old dishtowel.
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After polishing once more with a soft cloth and silver polish, the wolf is ready to howl!
The chain is stock, I cheat with chain, but add my own rings, patina and texture to make it more custom. Making chain is very time consuming (not cost effective), frustrating and requires a lot of patience.

Anyhow, here she is before silver polish:

and here she is after:


What do you think?

Llara was all jacked up on pain meds from dental surgery when I gave it to her, so I didn't get an accurate read on her enthusiasm level. A few days later I mentioned this and she said she thought it was perfect and would suit her boyfriend's mom well. I hope so! 

What would you like to see me create next?

For more information on learning to silversmith or expand your artistic horizons visit the Art Academy of San Diego. I highly recommend Deanna Jacobsen, she's a talented silversmith in her own right!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Its More Fun On The Naughty List...

...but its good to be NICE too!

With only a few shopping weeks left until last minute holiday havoc is upon you, why not get some shopping checked off your gift-giving list with Miss November Studio!

(or just keep shopping for yourself, you've been too good not to!)

I haven't been in the studio very recently and my time is booked up with custom orders I'm fulfilling, but if you have something very specific or you need something you can't find anywhere else, I'm here to help.

Right now my custom projects backlog includes Llara's fabulous "wolf howling at moon" necklace in sterling and copper. This one should be a breeze, I'll try my best capture my process in photos!
For my dear Carrie, a nautical theme pendant of which I have total artistic license with. I love artistic license! Carrie wanted a piece of nautical art by a local artist to remember her time in San Diego, I'm so grateful for her support!
For Elle, a circus wagon with a zebra from the circus menagerie...I started this one a while back so its kinda half in the works, but with no deadline and a steady stream of custom orders coming in, Elle is being wonderfully patient!

I don't usually photograph the custom orders well because I become antsy and excited to show the purchaser. Enjoy these iPhone pictures anyway:

Michelle's Maple Leaf Earrings

Mandie's New Mexico Turquoise Peace Sign Pendant
Stefan's Polished Sterling Band


Blake's Gaspyite Sterling/Copper/Leather Cuff


Stefan's Sterling and Copper Two Finger COCK Ring
Val's Malachite, Sterling and Copper Ring


Happy Customers Val and Sydney showing off their custom jewelry by Miss November Studio:
Val loved her huge malachite ring. She provided the stone and I set it in sterling silver with copper discs as prongs. I think it looks kinda spacey.

Sydney and I had traded work and I made her this pendant. I discovered the fossilized coral stone and set it in sterling silver with copper "sewn" around the face then draped it with brass chain.

I love the challenge of custom work, creating something that "fits" the client's personality and style successfuly is extremely rewarding. For custom orders please contact me via my website www.MissNovemberStudio.com, or check out my etsy shop where you can find a gaggle of gifts to check off your Christmas gift-giving list!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Psychotic Reaction to Turning 30

Thanksgiving is over and my Quinceanera Doble was a success, so I'm back to blogging and back to the studio Wednesday where I'll attempt to photograph my process as I create a custom "howling wolf" pendant for a coworker.  Here are a few choice photos from the party! Thanks to my little batpig Parisa for being my Papa-paparazzi!
Red Velvet Cake-Yum!
Erin and I in our Party Dresses (I'm wearing my new Psychotic Reaction Necklace!)
My good friend Erin arrived early decked out in this smashing ensemble, and was pretty much one of the only people who wore "outrageous party attire" as requested on the invite...She also gifted me one of her sculpted bird necklaces which I had been eyeing at her studio not long ago. Erin is a fabulous, multi-talented individual I met a few years ago when she sold her handcrafted jewelry line, Psychotic Reaction, in my (now closed) vintage clothing store. Her craft has since evolved from painted wood monster pendants to three dimensional, hand-sculpted jewelry made with polymer clay and resin. Her aesthetic is kooky, laid back and colorful, which makes sense since she's a surfer, an artist, and at one point the best go-go dancer I ever laid eyes on! Here's a sampling of Erin's handmade goods found at Psychotic Reaction's etsy shop:
Feathered Fran Sculpture Necklace

Astral Necklace in Cerulian

Capra Necklace
She also has a few of her paintings on her etsy shop as well:
"Tar Beach" Velvet Painting with Hand Carved Frame
Even Rob, her husband-to-be, is an artist creating furniture and frames from exotic woods. His woodworking business called Sweedle's Groove is a collaboration of he and Erin's love for tiki culture, with a heavy dose of mid-century modern style. Feast your eyes on few of my favorite hand-crafted pieces from Sweedle's Groove:
Sweedle's Groove Pendant Lamp

Sweedle's Groove Mirrored Curiosity Shelf

I'm so lucky to have such creative types in my life to fuel me creatively and inspire me to continue improving my own craft! Thanks Erin and Rob!
**Photos courtesy of Psychotic Reaction and Sweedle's Groove.**