Where I'm at now...

I'm in limbo between making physical pieces with natural elements and digitally creating them in 3d modeling software. I am going to continue doing both for the next week, but most likely will remain doing physical parts with the 3d modeling pieces on the side.

Anyway, in here I'm working on breaking up some geodes. I have shattered a ton today and also contacted UM Geological Sciences and am trying to get access to the rock cutting room. I will be in the metals studio in the morning and this weekend to make some pieces before next week :)

Here are some pictures of my geodes:

bring it on, mother nature

I went out today and borrowed a bunch of bark from a few trees. I spent a lot of time today sanding down flat edges so that I can make them into wearable jewelry once they are dry.

Ps, there are a ton of little white flat bugs on tree bark. I don't like them.

glorified woodchips

I started today with hopes of finding a method to make uncontrolled designs and patterns in wood. Last year, I needed to cut down this piece of beeswing narra and ended up with this gorgeous sliver of wood.

So, I grabbed some different types of wood and headed to the wood shop to see what I could make. I fought a lot with the bandsaw- no injuries or anything, it just wouldn't create what I wanted it to. I tried cutting the woods against the grain, with the grain, faster, slower, thinner, thicker... whatever I could do to try and get the blade to eat away or rip up some of the wood. I had *one* piece with any holes. It is paper thin and the holes suck.

I ended up with this outcome:

Some close ups:

^ Bloodwood ^

^ Macassar Ebony ^

^ Lignum Vitae ^

^ Beeswing Narra ^

I want to see what I can do to these pieces of nearly paper-thin wood. I've been trying to break them with my fingers to go along with the grain to create a natural shaped form, but that hasn't been successful yet. Any suggestions of processes to try on the wood to get my desired result?

Boring stuff

Well, I started working on a few sample pieces mixing wood and silver. They are really boring. I don't like them.... but I made them, and I'm showing them because I don't want to get yelled at for not posting on here. What I don't like is:

• The material contrast is boring. The olive wood's grain, even though it's gorgeous, isn't interesting enough to make me feel like this is at all successful. 
• I am having a hard time bezel setting material that is below the bezel - as in, not a cabochon or stone that rises above the piece and the bezel hugs, this is a situation where a giant, grizzly bear hug is needed. Because of that, it's extremely difficult to get a smooth edge on it. Maybe a rounded glass front would help? That could also bring out more of the grain and create a unique visual interest if the wood was magnified through the glass. I will have to look into glass cutting, grinding, and polishing for future use.

^some pieces and a burnisher^

^slightly closer, you can see the bezel's bear hug^

^backs^

Quick Update

I'm really bad at remembering to update this.

I'm thinking about changing my project. Well, maybe not changing, just readjusting. I think I want to focus on material usage and to use silver (as a precious metal) to display natural, common supplies like wood, natural raw stones, geodes, etc. I am starting with wood and spent 5 hours sanding yesterday to make the pieces smooth and even. I plan on cutting some forms out to lay in silver and see how they work as samples. I also ordered and drove out to GS Metals to purchase some a ton of sheet silver to use for these. Here is where I am so far -

^ picture of my set up ^

^ close up of some olive wood ^

^ my poor keyboard ^

^ the end pile of saw dust before it was thrown out ^

I also researched last night to find necklace chains, break your own geodes, and different/new styles of bails that might work for me.