Kuriosities

I recently attended the Bead & Button show in Milwaukee, WI for a week’s worth of metalsmithing classes. It was an incredible experience…and as I am just now catching up with all of the other things that were waiting for me on my return, I will be blogging about it over the next little while. About the projects, people, and new things learned.

One class that stuck out for me in particular, and the one in which I created my favourite piece of the week, was Mary Hettmansperger’s class entitled “Stacked and Stitched”. It promised to teach different weaving and stitching techniques with wire and sheet metal – as well as applying heat patinas. I almost did not take the course, and it was a last minute addition to my list – as the techniques did not look overly complicated, and like something I could work out myself. I am so glad that I went ahead with it, it was a highlight of my week.

Upon entering the class, and during our first demonstration, Mary told us that she does not use conventional jewelry making tools. That she did not even use a saw??!? She said instead, she sharpens screwdrivers and uses them with a hammer to cut out inner shapes in the metal, and snips to cut out the main shape of the piece. Huh!? This seemed crazy to me. Then she said that she also did not use a drill, but instead used leather punches. I’m sure my face registered my dismay, even though I tried to hide it. A voice inside my head said “Erm, I think I’ll be a-usin’ my jewelry saw, thank-you.”

But I fought the snotty voice inside my head that was entrenched in traditional metalsmithing tools and training, and decided to go along with the way Mary did things. And I am so glad that I did.

Mary’s class was like stream of consciousness poetry in metal and multimedia form. I gave myself over to the process and the materials, and turned off the logical planning part of my brain. I took the techniques that she taught us and let my hands take the lead. I had no plan for the piece that I made at the outset, it revealed itself to me layer by layer, bit by bit, and even I was surprised by it at the end.

Usually I spend a great deal of time in planning and researching my pieces, imbuing them with meaningful symbols, and stories to tell. I am usually quite deliberate in what I create. So I was surprised at the story that revealed itself by the end. That there were meaningful symbols in it, that there was a story, although the story was not altogether clear, and perhaps a bit mysterious, and certainly open to interpretation. Perhaps a little darksome. You can decide your own story for it…for me, it changes by the day.

After I created the piece, I wore it the next day when I went out. I was wearing a new sundress that was not altogether revealing in a tawdry way, but certainly plunged at the neckline whilst remaining within decent boundaries. People stopped me several times on the street and asked to look at the necklace. They wanted to touch it, and turn the pages. Each time, so engrossed in discovering the bits of metal, that they seemed oblivious to the fact that they were reaching in towards my bosom and bringing their faces closer than what is usually publicly acceptable. At first I was a bit uncomfortable, but then decided to take it as flattery that they were completely unaware of the awkwardness of the situation, and just drawn into the little book and its story.

I hope to take what I have learned here, and let my hands serve to guide me to new places every now and then…

A StoryBook Pendant: “The Oldest Story in the Book“

A primitive storybook in copper that has been texturized with hammers, stamps, and punches. It has been coloured by applying flame to the metal and quenched in water. The front window punched out with a screwdriver. Text from a vintage newspaper ad has been sandwiched between copper and a sheet of Mica, using sterling rivets to hold. Handwoven wire creates the bail…

Cut from an old playing card. Holes were punched through and riveted with copper eyelets.

Rivets hold the page together. A window cut out with a sharpened screwdriver. The “glass” is made of Mica – a sheet of mineral. Clipping from a vintage newspaper advertisement. Copper has had a heat patina applied.

Sterling silver eyelets on copper with a heat patina applied. (Made by torching the metal and quenching, torching, and quenching). The back of page three is also shown, handstamped with the exclamation “oh!”.

Coloured with a heat patina. Riveted with sterling silver eyelets (bubbles). Handstamped with the word “deeper” and a tiny seahorse. Copper and assorted findings.

Handwoven fine copper wire hold the paddled pieces of the bail together, to give the piece a primal feel. Free mving hanger and beads add movement. A mysterious modern artifact piece.

Spring has finally descended upon the Island, and with it the freedom of the outdoors. I have been taking advantage of the weather and spending as much time out of doors as possible wrangling ponies and rambling about the farm.

I fixed the back fence that had been overcome during winter by snow, and put the ponies out in their summer home. It is a long stretch of land, and they love to gallop at top speeds from one end to another. When I go out for the evening feed it seems to never fail that they are at the far end of the pasture, and upon seeing me emerge from the barn with the hay, they come galloping towards me. Although I trust their rambunctious selves, it is still somewhat unnerving to have a herd of 4 horses come straight at you at a gallop. The ground shakes, and the sound of hooves in the air. It happens every day, and yet it still makes my heart skip a beat when Lyric slides to an eager stop a mere two feet away from myself.

I have also been riding (hurray!) both my Lyrical pony (trusty and loyal steed that she is and co-conspirator in all of my cowgirlish daydreams), and my daughter’s little naughtypants pony, Sophie. Ms. Naughtypants actually ditched me the other day, having spooked at a plastic bag rattling in the breeze. I was bareback, and although the little jump and rear she gave would never unsettle me with a saddle, I had decided to ride bareback that day. When I went to cling with my leg, the fat of her chubby little sides just rolled and bump down I went. Which really, is much like falling off a chair, she is so small. But she stepped on my arm! Ouch! My first time falling in 18 years, and it was off Miss Naughtypants. The shame of such a thing!

Here is Ms. Naughtypants, Sophie, with my kind and sweet old mare Hill. She looks all innocent…but she is a clever and mischievous girlie. I am training her right now so that she behaves better when my little girl rides her. Right now she is keenly aware of the difference between myself, and B. She will behave like an angel when I am astride her chubby self, but the second I hand the reins to B it is an entirely different story. She tries to walk off with her, and tries to rub her off of her back by walking too close to trees and fenceposts. So she is in pony bootcamp. Ha.

My pony injury…Sophie is small, but she still weighs 600 lbs. And anything 600 lbs stepping on your arm $%#&$ hurts. I’m just glad that it did not break, and that it was my arm, and well, not my face or ribs. yikes.

The kiddos and I had fun the other day with a cowboy(girl) dress-up and photo shoot. They are having a Carnival Week at their school, which means that they dress up as some different theme each day. One of the days was Cowboy Day, so I went shopping at some second hand / vintage stores and managed to turn up this nifty cowboy hat. So we pulled out the cap guns and played cowboys for the camera. So much fun. I wish I could post the pics of them all scowly and mean lookin’, but internet being as it is, I don’t post pics of the little ones. You will just have to trust me on the cuteness factor, or if I know you well, ask and I’ll send you some. But how nifty is this hat?! (I need to work on my mean face)

Stick ‘Em Up, Mister ! Ha.

Not too many new jewelry pics right now. I have been busy with a multitude of things, and will have more pics soon. But here is a recent set that I made for frequent client. She was looking for something special for her sister’s 50th birthday, and wanted something with the birthstones of her sister’s children. I came up with the following sketch, and after it was approved, the following jewelry set. She was over the moon happy with it, and I feel honoured that she chose me to make something for a milestone birthday bash…

Faceted blue topaz, garnet, and quartz in sterling settings. Matching bracelet, charm necklace and earrings.

I bought a new mic that I have been busy with…still getting the hang of recording things, and will be picking my guitar teacher’s brain for all of his tricks on making things actually sound good…but here is a small poem of mine that I posted a while back.

Upcoming projects: a new Paiste cymbal pendant, spoken word audio, and a multitude of soldered sterling pieces. Perhaps even a song or two… if I get truly brave…that remains to be seen.

I have decided….Spring is a tease. She arrives and flaunts herself for a day here and there…just enough to make you believe she might actually stick around this time, might coax the buds from the branches, might plant the sun in the sky to delight you. And then she disappears, without a word, without a trace. And suddenly you are back in the lonely depths of Winter, wondering how the snow could be falling so hard around you again when just yesterday it seems like your world was finally melting under her fond gaze. 

We are destined to get yet another 5-10cm of snow tonight, and I am displeased – to say the least. Perhaps I am overly eager, and need to learn patience (good things come, and all that jazz), or to appreciate what Winter has to offer. Need to wait for Spring to pick her time, make her grand entrance, and be enthralled when she finally arrives with her dizzying gifts. But it has been a long, cold, Winter of waiting and waiting. I am not very good at waiting at all, not when the end is uncertain in its timing. It is torturous.

In the meantime, my fingers have been busy with making. And my mind wrapped up in daydreams. This morning I awoke to the news, complaining of crows. How can anyone complain of crows? Apparently Victoria Park in Charlottetown has a crow problem – thousands upon thousands of crows have decided to make their homes there, and cause a great raucous. The surrounding residents are complaining of the noise, and the mess, and say that the crows are causing mayhem and destruction. I am, however, absolutely enchanted and delighted by this notion. A massive clan of crows causing mischief! I must see this with mine own eyes. They say that when the crows return at dusk, the sky is thick and black with them…so I will make it my mission this week to see such a sight. Thousands of crows gathering to welcome the night!

from the pendant series “A Storytelling of Crows”
Crow #1: One is for Sorrow
“My love she’s like some raven
 At my window with a broken wing.”

My love she's like some raven, At my window with a broken wing

The message hidden inside...

This particular pendant was inspired in large part by the Bob Dylan song “Love Minus Zero/ No Limit“. I had been searching for Crow #1 for quite some time, but she had not yet come to me, when I happened upon this song – and immediately I recognized her. This is what I wanted her to be – this beautiful, wise and strong crow – wounded temporarily from life’s heartbreaks, fragile. At the window of her lover, waiting to be healed. And the gift of finding her dark self, waiting there…

It was important to me, that the window could open. That the wearer could feel that act of participation in the story, the act of opening the window, of finding the crow, of bringing her inside. I also wanted that moment of discovery, of finding the hidden story, of it drawing the wearer in. So…hinges! My first set of hinges – which are tiny and a little tricky to get just right, but in the end they were nowhere near as difficult to construct as I had let myself imagine. Fiddly, yes. But certainly not impossible. I plan on incorporating them into my work more often.

The Trickster

This fellow is not part of the storytelling series, but is a storyteller none the less. He is a mischievous fellow, this particular crow… full of strange tales, and sordid adventures. He could charm the stripes off a snake, charm the devil himself I think, and the coin from your hand while he is at it, and all the while you would thank him for it. But there is something in these tales he tells, a method to the madness, and a message in it if you listen closely. And as much of a raggamuffin scoundrel, this crow who hops from branch to branch, there is a certain redeeming something that draws your eye, begs it follow.

Just finished this piece for a client from Detroit. The “D” is the Detroit “D”, etched into sterling silver, to represent the Detroit music scene, and its importance to the wearer. There is a tiny garnet in the record player arm, which is her birthstone. I also added three tiny garnets to the clasp (again, her birthstone), to dangle delicately at the nape of neck, as an extra detail – and also to tie in some White Stripes symbolism, she’s a huge fan,  (red, and 3) into the piece.

Custom record player pendants are $65 for a copper backing, $75 for sterling silver. Handstamping engraving is included, custom etching of images or special fonts +$20. How do you get one for yourself? Just email me! kimberly@kuriosities.com.
 

I stayed up late last night making this piece…the little faceted labradorite stones were telling me that they needed to be used in something, so I had to listen.

I have been thinking a lot about Hope lately, and how beautiful and horrible it is at the same time. How fragile it is, and how we cling to it. How sometimes that helps us, and other times it leads us astray. How we all have that need to believe inside us – that vulnerable longing for something.

This pendant is tiny – only 13mm in diameter (0.5″). I stamped it with the word “please” in a script font, so it looks italicised. I wanted it to be a whisper, a fragile, vulnerable thing.

The stone is a faceted labradorite, my current stone obsession – which is a wishing stone, fabled to bring you what you ask it. The pendant is slightly cupped to hold the wish, and has been hammered and beaten slightly to give depth and age. The whole has been oxidised and then buffed to a shine. It is strung on a choker length leather thong, so it sits in the hollow of the throat, where voice begins, and emotions swells.

Plea

Corvus VI
#6 in the series ” A Storytelling of Crows”

“Six is a Thief”

Crow is known throughout different mythologies as both a Trickster and a Thief, two archetypes that intrigue me to no end. He is drawn to all that is bright and shiny, and as I take my pieces out of doors to photograph, you can often see him plotting his thievery from the treetops. He hops from branch to branch, pretending not to be up to devious behaviour, but there is a certain glint in the coal black eye that too quickly looks away.

What is Crow up to this time? He appears to be trying to make off with a bauble of some sort. Is he swooping down to catch it up in his claws, or has it slipped free of his clutches and falling? I wonder if somebody left it out there for him to find, or if he has been watching quietly and swooped in at just the right moment? And what will Crow do with it if he succeeds? Would he cosset this new bauble, keep it safely and shine it up, or discard it for something new? Who really knows the way of Crow?

Hand pierced (sawn) sterling silver plate, bezel set in a sterling silver frame whose back has been hammered to lend Crow texture, and oxidized a sooty black. A rose quartz cab (the bauble) has been set between the plates. Two iolite crystals adorn the bail, a symbolic continuation throughout the crow series. The heavy sterling rolo chain has been oxidized and antiqued, finished with an s-clasp.

Keyhole Pendant #3: Safety and Vulnerability: Further study in themes of loneliness and isolation. A whimsical keyhole, could it lead to someplace enchanted? To an inner dreaming? Three labradorite wishing stones adorn an antique skeleton key. And yet the keyhole is darkened, and what lies on the other side remains hidden, and inaccessible.

Etched sterling silver keyhole plate (original hand drawn design, chemically etched), riveted to backplate and then oxidized. Labradorite gemstones, Antique skeleton key. Sterling chain.

Safety and Vulnerability

I have tread here before
though winds have blown the dust of my footprints
eroded the valleys of my passage
and new grasses, and small trees have taken root
the message the wind carries still whispers
the same.

and if I were to lead you here
the quiet spaces where the breath escapes
then gently fills, renews
if I were to lead you here, this landscape
where my soul tangles in the bare branches
is carried like a ribbon on the breeze-
what mark would you bring?

How deep would your toes reach
to place themselves in these sands,
how careful would they gage their landing?
And could the hieroglyphics of their departure
map my way back to where you stand?

A strange fish for today… A piranha skeleton etched in relief in copper and framed in a sterling shadow box pendant. A wheel has been riveted where the tail meets the body. A macabre child’s pull toy.

Three labradorite stones are included in this piece, on either side of the pendant, and one attaching an antique skeleton key to the chain. Labradorite reminds me of the sea, and in this case, three wishes. Traditionally, it is known as the “Magic Stone”, bringing a swift and rapid change of circumstances to those who wish upon it, and those who do are warned to be careful in what they wish for…

My macabre fishy…means several things to me. It touches on themes of the absurdity of trying to control things that are beyond our control. The struggle to find balance.

The key…the possibility of buried treasures unearthed, longings fulfilled, wishes answered.The precariousness of hope.

I have been remiss in my writings lately. Life has a way of making you slow down and pay attention to others things you may have been neglecting, and steps in rather forcefully to let you know that you need to wake up and listen closely to what they have to tell you. So I took a brief respite from writing here in order to search for the small things that needed to be found. For those of you who noticed my brief departure and asked me if I was ok, I thank you for noticing. I apologize for my neglect, those of you who hazard by on a regular basis for updates…

I have also been working like a fiend in the studio, so I will have lots of new things to show over the next little while. One of the most exciting of which, is the Paiste cymbal piece.

A brief re-cap on the story behind this:

When Brendan Lazar of The Ivorys (a Rock band based in Chicago) first approached me with his idea for a custom pendant, I was a little surprised by the simplicity of design. It was to be a large smooth flat circle, with a large “B” on one side, and then his band’s name on the other.

Usually people come with all sorts of intricate detailing, designs, and layers of meaning for me to try to weave together into one piece. So at first, I thought “Sure I can do that.” and thought that this would be a very quick and easy project. That was until the details started to work themselves out over the course of several emails.

Brendan wanted the piece to be made out of bronze – but not just any type of bronze. He requested that, if possible, we could make it out of a very specific alloy of CuSn8 – 92% copper, 8% tin. The specific alloy that Paiste uses in its 2002 series cymbals, of which Brendan is a loyal devotee, using exclusively Paiste cymbals in his kit. After some amount of research I quickly learned that this was not entirely readily available to a metalsmith such as myself through the ordinary avenues.

It became very clear that we would have to contact Paiste to see if we could find a piece of sheet or locate a defective cymbal to purchase. Later that week, excitement abounded as we were contacted by Yamaha Canada letting us know that Paiste had asked them to donate a cymbalto be made into art – and that they were interested in seeing the results of said art!

The idea of turning an instrument into jewelry enchanted me – especially when this particular type of cymbal was one that held meaning for my client, was one that he was devoted to and used.

But what caught my interest perhaps most, was when Brendan told me to watch a clip of the Who performing at the Isle of Wight festival and to watch Keith Moon play. That perfect polished circle and how it picked up the stage lights and reflected them back at the audience as he thrashed like a mad man. That was when this piece took on a life for me, when it was imbued with energy.

In the end my goal was to make this little bit of bronze so shiny and perfect that it could lure the crows from the treetops for want of it. To take the stage lights and reflect them back strongly enough to blind the audience. Not an easy task when one considers the texture of the cymbal to start, but in the end, mission accomplished. I love this pendant, and wish I could see it in action. Maybe one day I will! Thanks, Brendan, for trusting me with this very nifty project. If you have not already, go, go, go!  check out Brendan’s band The Ivorys!

The cymbal sent by Yamaha Canada and Paiste, a gorgeous 18″ Crash Ride Cymbal from their Innovations collection. You cannot see it in this photo, but it has a small 1 inch or so crack near the centre – so it is no longer usable.

Drummer Keith Moon from The Who, at the Isle of Wight Festival. Note the pendant he is wearing, which was the inspiration behind this piece. For an even better understanding of why this pendant was part of the inspiration behind Brendan’s necklace, you really should take a peek at the video here to see it in motion, and how it reflects the light: Keith Moon Solo

The first cut of the Paiste cymbal and the tools that were used to bring it to this point.

• Gauge (to measure diameter)
• Compass scribe to trace circle on metal
• Centre punch, to mak a small dent for the compass centre to rest in.
• Jewelers handsaw.
• Swiss metal file, to finish shaping edges of the circle.
• Grinding stone for flex shaft, grinds the ridges out of the bronze.
• Medium grind sandpaper rollie for the flex shaft.
• Fine grind sandpaper rollie for the flex shaft.



The circle as it appeared when first cut.



The circle after preliminary grinding and sanding to remove the ridges of the cymbal.



As part of the design process, I give my clients mock-ups down in photoshop so that they can visualise what the finished piece might look like. Brendan at first thought that he might want to have a swirly sort of “B”, similar to the The Raconteurs “R”. After seeing some swirly letter B designs, he realised that wasn’t what he wanted at all.



I sent some other options of different styles to explore his options, and he decided on the Bootle font below for the B on the front of the pendant. For the back of the pendant we used the same look as The Ivorys logo.

A preliminary photo of the pendant in process, after the first etch, but before polishing and finishing.



The final pendant, with a sterling silver bail, and strung on Greek leather. The little specks on the front are water droplets (it was raining when I was trying to shoot the photos.



It is actually even shinier in real life. The photos simply cannot do it justice – but just for effect, scroll back up to see the rough texture that this started out with! I was very happy with the mirror polish we ended up with.







I have the rest of the cymbal to play with now – so if you would like to have a custom piece made for yourself, or perhaps a drummer you know, get in touch with me pronto. My waiting list for custom work for holiday giving is almost full!

It is a grey and damp thanksgiving Monday on this blustery island. We awoke to sopping wet ponies and that chill that sinks into your bones, letting us know that winter is on its way. Not quite yet perhaps, but it is making plans to visit soon. The house is quiet now, with everyone recovering from yesterday’s festivities of overindulgence in food and drink. We had friends come and stay the night, which was fun, and a bit of an adventure. It has been great to have old friends move to this island, people who I can just feel comfortable with and enjoy.

After dinner, my friend C and I decided to take a walk in the twilight hayfield to help the feast settle. We decided to take Miss Molly Ma Gog, and C’s dog (who is actually also Miss Molly’s brother) Bear along with us.

The dew was wet on the grass, and you could smell the woodsmoke from our fire in the crisp evening air. The moon was full, lighting the hayfield and stretching shadows from the hay bales. The two Labradors bounded ahead of us with reckless abandon. Reckless being the key word here. For on the other side of the first hay bale they bounded joyfully onto none other than a skunk.

!!!!!!!!!

The silly things didn’t have a chance. One second they were leaping through the grass in one direction, a fraction of the same second later they have spun 360 with their tails between their legs headed for home, intermittently throwing themselves face first into the wet grass in an attempt to scrub the stench from their woe-begotten faces.

C, bless her,  reacted as a well-mannered lady with “Oh my, oh my, that’s not good, is it?” I was still feeling the wine from dinner and cursed a blue streak that could have well lit the night’s sky.  F$%##%! Goddammit. (Which people never suspect I am able to do for some reason.)

One skunked Lab is enough to deal with, but two is quite the ordeal. So the stinky duo were incarcerated, much to their woeful dismay, with gallons of skunk-off seeping into their miserable hides in the bathroom – where they proceeded to bark and howl their misery for all who would listen for the entire night.

Ah well, as C told me, it will be a thanksgiving memory for us to remember and laugh about next year. And despite my stenchy Molly ma Gog, I am already giggling a bit about it. Poor puppies. Poor skunky C and I after trying to de-stench the puppies too.

Today I am immersed in myths and stories of goddesses. The weather and time of year got me to thinking of Persephone and pomegranates, so I hammered out a simple little pomegranate pendant today in honour of Fall and changes. Sterling silver, raw silk, and 4 garnet seeds…

pomegranate

three seeds
or was it four? caught
between my teeth, each one
a valentine bursting, your dark juices
staining my lips.

the taste of you lingers
on my tongue…