Summer 2010 Collection: Desert Winds

A lot’s happened since my last entry in March and the title of my summer collection, Desert Winds, kind of sums it up nicely. I’ve traded the grime and grit of Brooklyn, NY for the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, NV. I’ve left the glorious, humid New York summer to the suffocating, dry summer of Nevada. My relocation may be temporary, as I’m here to attend yoga teacher training and after I’ve graduated, I’m not sure where the path leads then. Crossing the country by car with my best friend last month ignited new passion for my country and my art. Passing through Ohio, the beautiful and lush landscape was green with spots of purple and even rarer, a few hints of white. I immediately thought of combining green turquoise with amethyst and freshwater pearls. As I passed through the red rock mountains of Utah spotted with green trees, I fell in love with carnelian all over again and looked forward to creating new pieces incorporating green turquoise. Since arriving, I’ve delved into yoga school and a commitment to living a spiritual life. It’s a moment-to-moment endeavor and I enjoy the challenge. I’m working to balance my spiritual work with my creative work and, therefore, haven’t completed my summer collection yet, but I wanted to show you how it’s looking thus far. Desert Winds will feature lots of turquoise, namely because I’m obsessed with turquoise and have been for many years. But it’s also the popular stone of this summer’s fashion trends! To learn more about each piece, make a purchase or request a custom design, visit my etsy page at abigailramos.etsy.com or email me at AbigailTRamos@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

New Design: Stone and Chain

I’m working on a few new designs for my Spring 2010 jewelry collection and wanted to share one with you before I call it a night.

I wanted to create something simple yet still striking and that could be worn with the cute bold print dresses we’ll see a lot of this spring and summer. This is a simple but super versatile “stone and chain” necklace design, perfect for layering multiple necklaces at varying lengths or a great accent piece on its own too! I’ll be unveiling my newest designs this Saturday, March 13, at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg. Stop by if you’re in the area!

Silversmithing Class: Week 5

In my introductory silversmithing class this week, I finished my hollow ring project and it was such a great feeling to see the beautiful result of my hard work! So without further ado, here’s the ring I’ve been talking about for weeks, all polished and shiny and crazy big.

Picking up where I’d left off the week before, I continued filing the ring with a large hand file to scratch away the white layer that had formed on it during the soldering process. I used an electric tool that spins (not sure what it’s called) to sand the center hole until the edges were all even. Then I continued sanding to remove the white layer from the sides of the ring by rubbing it along a piece of course sandpaper (220). To get into the smaller crevices of the dome part of the ring, I used a small triangular hand file. Yes, I did A LOT of sanding and filing! Once the entire surface had been sanded and no white remained

visible, I used the electric sander to sand the entire surface again and again and again, first with course sandpaper (220), then moving up to finer sandpaper (400). The last step was to polish the ring until it shined bright! Next week I may decide to put a satin finish on the ring. Any thoughts about that? Well, that’s it for my hollow ring project! I’m super proud of it and hope you’ve enjoyed seeing it evolve over the past few weeks. This week I’ll start working on a pendant and I look forward to documenting that process too.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave me a comment or question.

Silversmithing Class: Week 4

There’s only two weeks left in my silversmithing class and we’re going to start a new project next week — making pendants with a stone setting (cabochon). Exciting stuff! My hollow ring project is almost done at this point and I’m pretty proud of how it’s turning out, only I’m not sure I’ll wear it much because it looks like it could hurt somebody!

At the end of last week’s class, I had just soldered the inner and outer rings to a small sheet of silver to close one side of the hollow ring. So this week I started by creating the finger hole. To do this, you first create a tiny hole in the center using a drill. Then you pass the saw blade through the hole, re-attach the saw blade to the handle, and cut out the center. My next task was to cut out another small sheet of silver and solder it to the other side, closing up the ring. Voila! Now it’s truly hollow! Then, I “fluxed” the seam lines and heated them with the torch. I believe this step helps to keep the pieces together, but I’ll need to ask for clarification. The next step is to once again place flux-dipped solder bits, this time medium rather than hard, around the seam lines. Dipping the solder bits into flux first helps them stay in place. When I was ready to solder, Michael assisted. I heated

the entire area, moving in small circles around the piece, then brought the torch closer, increasing the heat, until the solder liquefied. At this point, Michael used a small sharp tool to guide the liquid against the seams. It all happens so quickly, it’s impossible to capture on camera! One day soon, I’ll do both parts of the process on my own — heat and guide the solder — but I’m just learning so the assistance is much-needed! Once the soldering was finished, we allowed the red-hot color to fade away and then dunked the ring into water to cool it. After that, and as illustrated above, I let the ring sit in the pickle for a few minutes to get rid of the oxidization that occurs during the heating. At the end of class that, I had cut the excess silver from around the edges and was using a large file to smooth them out (see the last pic). I can’t wait to show you my ring! I’ll also take pics of my classmates’ rings to show you because everyone is making really cool, unique rings. If you have any questions or comments, please leave it in the comment box!

Spring is in the air

In the past two weeks we’ve had a couple of really beautiful days, where the sunshine is warm and the wind doesn’t have that winter bite. While the snow-covered city is a beautiful site to see, I do look forward to the warmer days of spring ahead; and especially, to retiring my boring long, down coat! With the hint of spring in the air as my inspiration, I made these two new necklaces. They’ll each look great with some of the hottest spring 2010 fashion trends!

I’ll post more new earrings, bracelets and necklaces I’m working on for my spring 2010 collection very soon! See designs that are currently for sale at my etsy shop. If you’d like to be notified when I post new stuff, you can subscribe to my blog here on the right. You can also become a fan on my facebook page. Thanks for stopping by.

Silversmithing Class: Week 3

I’m really enjoying learning the whole process for making a hollow ring, but it’s labor intensive! Michael, the instructor, even made it a point to say that making a ring is as simple as the first part we completed, where we made a silver band. We should not think that making a ring will always be this complicated. Making a hollow ring gives us a chance to practice all the new skills we’re learning, like sawing, annealing, sanding, filing, and soldering. And the result will be nothing less than a cool ring we’ll be proud to wear!

My ring, which I call “Superdome” because it’s shaped kind of like the Superdome in New Orleans, is coming along quite nicely in week 3, I think, even after my big disaster!

Last week, I shaped the dome part of the outer ring and soldered the creases, so this week I finished shaping the bottom part. After I got the shape where I wanted it, I confidently went over to the soldering area and TRIED to solder the two edges together, but instead, melted the silver. OOPS! Not only had I skipped putting flux on it first, I also didn’t heat the whole area evenly first.

Michael came to the rescue and helped me reshape the outer ring, solder it correctly and then saw off the melted part (above). So basically, the design is going to be the same, but the ring will be skinnier than I had originally intended. No biggie and hey, mistakes help us learn, right?

Next, I cut out a piece of silver and soldered it to the inner and outer rings. You take the piece of silver and sand it with course (220) sand paper to prepare it for soldering. Then you place the inner and outer rings on it, put flux in all the seams, and heat the flux. Then, you place solder bits against the seams and start heating the entire area. Once the area is red-hot, you close in on the seam areas while spreading the melted silver along the seams. Voila!

Here’s the ring with the silver piece soldered on. After pickling it to remove the oxidization that happens during the heating process, I sawed off the excess silver flush with the outer ring.

It’s Time for DJ Center

Music is a topic I weave into my jewelry design blog often because it’s a big part of my daily life. Music is always playing in my house and, therefore, many of my designs are inspired by specific songs or artists or just a feeling a particular mix gives me. I especially love, and rarely encounter, an album I want to listen to from start to finish. Lauryn Hill‘s Miseducation is one, as is A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, and Gnarls Barkley‘s The Odd Couple. So I thought I’d share this one with you, because it’s THAT good, from start to finish. DJ Center‘s new album, Everything in Time, is a must-have in any music lover’s collection too. But don’t just believe me, check it out for yourself! Click on his picture to get a preview-listen at iTunes.

Silversmithing Class: Week 2

If you’ve ever been interested in learning the art of silversmithing, I highly recommend it! We’re in the middle of making silver rings at my silversmithing class at Fitzgerald Jewelry in Williamsburg and the process is really interesting and fun. I was too engrossed in learning and doing to capture every step but I did manage to get a few key moments.

In this first shot, we’re annealing the silver so that it will be malleable. You move the torch back and forth so that it heats evenly and when it turns red-hot, it’s done. This took about 10 seconds. After pickling, it’s ready to be bent and shaped into a ring.

Here’s my ring! In this shot, it hasn’t been soldered closed yet.

To solder the ring closed, we cut a small sliver of hard solder, placed in the gap, used tweezers to clamp it into place, and heated it with the torch until it melted. We learned that an important step in soldering is to heat the entire area first so that the heat is evenly distributed, then zero-in on the solder with the hottest part of the flame.

Using a large file, we filed the edges until they were smooth and even.

In this photo, the silver “dome” that will sit on top of the ring is being pickled, which means it’s already been annealed and soldered.

Here’s where we stopped for the evening. The ring is shaped and soldered. The dome is not quite finished, but when you compare it to the sketch, you can get an idea of how it’ll look. (see the sketch directly to the right of the dome.)

I’m gonna call it, “superdome.”

That’s it for now. Can’t wait to show you the finished Superdome ring soon. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for stopping by!

Silversmithing Class: Week 1

The first day at my introductory silversmithing class at Fitzgerald Jewelry was hands-on from the start. There were 8 of us, all women, and after brief introductions, we got right into it.

Metal Cutting
The teacher, Michael, and his assistant, Vanessa, each took 4 of us into small groups. In my group, we started with a lesson in using the saw blade to cut through a square sheet of copper. The first (and absolutely the hardest) technique we learned was how to load the saw blade. Most of us broke several blades within a few minutes! Next, we used stencils to draw whatever shapes we wanted on the sheet, and then we started cutting. I chose a circle. Then, we pierced a hole into the center to create a starting point for cutting out another shape, from the inside out. This time I chose a square. Finally, using a large file for the outside shape and a small file for the center-cut shape, we smoothed out the rough edges and refined the shapes. I could tell right away that filing is something a person (most likely a woman) could get obsessive about. Or maybe it’s just me, as I’m the type to file my nails often, working to shape them just right, and this felt quite the same.

I brought my unfinished copper pendant home and put it on a sterling silver chain, making it a memento. It may be too early to tell, but I see lots of pendant-making in my future!

Casting and Annealing Silver
About halfway through our 3-hour class, we switched places with the other group and learned about how to (correctly and safely) use a torch. Michael covered the process for mold casting and annealing silver. We each got to practice melting down the scrap silver with the torch while another one of us poured it into a mold, trying to pour as evenly as we could. It was amazing to watch the silver melt into a pool of silver lava. And even more magical? When the heat is removed from the silver, it hardens instantly! I imagine that at some point, I’ll be able to maintain the flame on the silver while pouring it into a mold, but right now, that seems like an impossible juggling act! Next, we learned about how to anneal a sheet of silver so that it can be shaped, like when you want to make a ring. Michael explained how to position and move the torch to distribute the heat evenly. It only takes a few seconds for the silver to start glowing red, and that’s how you know it’s annealed! Finally, we picked up the silver with pliers and dropped into water, then the pickle for a few minutes. After rinsing the silver, it’s malleable and ready to be shaped! Metal is fascinating.

At the end of class, we started our first “long-term” project, which is to make a hollow, structural ring. It’s supposed to take a few classes to complete. I’ll take pictures of the process to show you how it all comes together!

Love is… Fire and Ice

I’m proud to present to you some new designs from my winter 2010 series titled, “Fire and Ice.” My hope is that they’ll inspire your love, make you think warm thoughts, make you feel beautiful, and give you the perfect, unique gift idea for that special someone! If you would like to see more designs or learn more about these pieces, visit my online boutique. Select designs are on sale from now until February 14! To order a custom design for your loved one in time for Valentine’s Day, email me at abigailtramos@gmail.com. Orders are shipped daily! Thanks for stopping by! Comments are encouraged and appreciated.