Sunburst Ring

My "Sunburst Ring" , which was my 3rd RAW is featured on Thomasin Durgin's blog. She is the one who came up with the idea for this years Ring a Week Challenge. Thank you Tomi for featuring my ring! And don't forget to check out the challenge to see some of the other amazing rings made by artists from all around the world!

RAW #4 (Ring a Week)

For my 4th ring in the Ring a Week (RAW) Challenge I decided to try something I haven't done before. I wanted to carve a ring out of a piece of ebony (wood) and then add some silver detail to it some how. It has been quite a while since I worked with ebony and even back when I did I never made a ring before. I wasn't sure what the piece was going to look like when I started the project but I thought it would be a good learning experience for me. So here's how it went :)

I started by cutting a small chunk off the block of ebony that I had.

I used a drill press to make a hole in the ring and then started to file the ring into the correct size to fit my finger.

Finally it fit. YAY!

Then I just started filing and sanding until I had a shape that I liked.

Once I figured out where I was going to add the silver, I carved a groove a little off center on the top of the ring.

Then I inserted the oxidized silver piece and polished up the ebony to bring out the rich dark color of the wood. All finished!

And here is the finished product next to the chunk of wood it was originally cut from. It took me about 4 hours (give or take) and the entire ring was done with hand tools, except for the drilling of the hole. It was fun to make and I definitely learned a few things for next time! Well worth the time and effort spent!

I am now a member of EtsyMetal!

YAY! I am so excited! I just found out this morning that I have been invited to join the EtsyMetal team! EtsyMetal is a group of wonderfully talented silversmiths, goldsmiths and metalsmiths from all around the world. It will be great to meet new people and connect with others all around the globe that have the same passion for metals as I do! If you get a chance, check out the EtsyMetal website. You won't be disappointed!

Ring a week challenge ring #3

Although this technically is only the start of week 3 of the ring a week challenge, my ring # 3 is already finished. It has been so cold, snowy and cloudy here in NJ that the weather has inspired me to think of sunny summer days. Between the color/sparkle of the stone and the color/shape of brass, they were perfect for what I had in mind! I call this ring the "Sunburst Ring". It is hollow formed and made from oxidized sterling silver, brass & a druzy stone. I am pretty happy with the way this ring turned out :)

Ring a week challenge- ring #2

Well after seeing all the great rings submitted to the RAW52 Challenge I have finished my second ring. I was inspired by the texture and shape of my reversible puffed heart necklaces and wanted to make a ring using the same techniques. This is what I came up with and I am pretty happy with the outcome :)

The copper has been run through the rolling mill to give it texture. Then it has been hydraulic pressed to give it shape. I attached it to a sterling silver back that has been accented with sterling balls and set with a turquoise stone.

2011 ring a week challenge

In 2010 I came across the ring a day challenge while messing around on Flickr. The challenge was to make one ring a day every day for the entire year. By the end of the challenge you would have 365 different rings. Being such a ring person, I thought it was the COOLEST idea ever and wanted to join in but I didn't come across it until day 115 which put me VERY behind :(

On Jan 5, 2011 I decided to check out all the completed rings in the challenge. There were a lot of rings and it was great to see all the creativity that just came oozing from everyone who participated. Much to my surprise I also discovered the ring a week challenge (RAW) for 2011. Needless to say it was something I HAD to participate in. Although the first week in January was almost over when I discovered the challenge I was able to submit my first ring made from bulls eye onyx and sterling silver. I hope I am able to follow through and complete the challenge!