First Friday UFOs

So what's all this?

It's bits and pieces of things I've started during the past year and not finished. UFOs: Unfinished objects. I'm working on these and others, most of them one-of-a-kinds or new designs, and will have some of them ready for December First Friday at Warwick Glass Studio. Eep! That's just a couple of days away! (Click the link for a map to the studio.)

This is my last show of the year, and it's a group event, so expect lots of great art to enjoy if you decide to come out and visit me.

I'll have Squiggles and chains and a mix of my regular work in addition to the one-offs ~ and everything will be at the old prices from before silver skyrocketed above $25 an ounce. (I just checked and it's $28.70 right now. If you're interested, check Kitco for the live silver spot price.) Unfortunately, my prices will be going up to better reflect the market the next time I order silver, which will be soon.

Good news: You can now shop for Tin Cup Designs jewelry at Annie Kaill's in Juneau and Flypaper in Anchorage. And soon I'll be adding Gold Rush Fine Jewelry in Fairbanks to the list. More to come in the new year.

Finally, I got the nicest compliment yesterday (from my first Canadian customer, too). It made me so happy, I hope you'll forgive me a little tootling on my own horn. Here is is: 

Thank you for the most beautiful piece! The Alaskan Autumn Leaf Pendant Necklace is so nice! I knew I would love it when I saw the picture but I had no idea how beautiful it would be around my neck against a solid, textured sweater... the earrings are the perfect match. I am happy with everything! I know my mom will love the paperclip necklace and the earrings I have for her for Christmas! ~ Gail Adams

I loved that necklace, too, and am so happy it went to live with someone who will love it just as much. There will never be another one just like it, just as no two leaves are ever alike. But if you like real leaves imprinted forever into metal and would like for me to make something for you, all you have to do is get in touch. I love working with the leaves: Always a surprise, and the surprise is always good.

From leaf to metal...

Many of you have asked me how this:

turns into this:

Last summer, a friend commissioned me to make a candle lantern as a wedding gift. I had never worked on anything that large, and so I decided to document the process in pictures. Basically, it's the same process I use for making the Forest Floor jewelry.

I pick the leaves as I walk on our property during the summer and fall. They're pressed and dried between sheets of blotting paper and stored in large frames built for me by a friend. When I want to print the leaves onto metal, first I arrange them on a sheet of copper or sterling silver:

Once I have them arranged to my liking, I run the metal and leaves through a rolling mill.

The intense pressure of the rollers captures even the most delicate veins in great detail. The leaves are destroyed in the process, so every piece is completely one of a kind.

After washing the leaves and sap off the metal, I decide on the general shape for the piece. This usually involves using my jeweler's saw to create detail along the edges, and in the case of the lantern, piercing holes for the light to shine through.

Next, I file the rough edges.

Here are the six panels for the candle lantern laid out in order:

and after the liver of sulfur patina had been applied:

For the lantern, I "stitched" the panels together with sterling silver wire. This technique resulted in a flexible but sturdy construction and a rustic look.

And finally, lights out:

Such a fun project; I learned a lot while making it. And I hope you've enjoyed seeing how leaves give their shape (and spirit) to metal.

Show more than tell...

A small confession: I've been trying to write this blog entry for days. I finally realized I'm over-thinking what I need to say. In fact, perhaps it would be better to show you than tell you. So here are a few pictures of jewelry available in my Artfire studio now.

This copper pendant reproduces in minute detail every vein and crack in a leaf I picked up after it had already been on the ground for awhile this past fall. I love the autumn color of the copper, and the rolled edge of the pendant evokes the way leaves curl up and dry out after they've fallen from the trees. With the handwrought sterling silver chain, the necklace is approximately 20 inches long.

These Starburst Earrings are slightly domed sterling silver and copper disks with hammered decorative lines. This is the larger size, with the upper disk approximately 3/4" in diameter. I also make them smaller, with the top disk approximately 1/2" in diameter. And just for fun, there's a swingy version with the copper disk on top in both sizes. You'll find the pair in the picture in the shop now; please get in touch if you're interested in any of the other versions or in a pendant.

This Forest Floor cuff, in oxidized sterling silver, includes raspberry, high bush cranberry, willow, chokecherrry, Siberian pea and other leaves, all gathered on our 10 acres this past summer. The leaves overlap each other, and the edges are sawn a little ragged to mimic the nibbling of insects and squirrels. A bit of decorative hammering adds texture and interest. Of course, it's one of a kind, as the leaves are destroyed during the process of imprinting the metal.

When you look out the window as you're flying into Fairbanks, you notice scribbles and curlicues carved into the land by the Tanana River. That's the inspiration for this simple Alaska Riverbend pendant made of hammered copper on a satin or suede cord with sterling silver lobster claw clasp.

Next up on the blog, more show and tell: A photo essay on how real leaves are transformed into jewelry for the Forest Floor series.

Earth Hour, Made in Alaska, and playing tag

Did you participate in Earth Hour last night? We did: I turned off all the lights, unplugged the computers and TV, and listened to the silence and my husband playing his acoustic guitar. It's always pretty quiet here, and there's not a lot of artificial light outside the house, either, but it was so nice just to sit and enjoy the time together. Wonder why we do so little of that?

From Tin Cup Designs Handwrought Jewelry

Before we get to the game, I must report that I finally applied for (and was accepted into) the Made in Alaska program. I'm not sure why it took me a decade to do this, as the process is completely painless and the cost is minimal. But this means I can now display the Made in Alaska logo on my jewelry cards and other materials. For folks who already live in Alaska, this may not matter. But for our many visitors from elsewhere, it's a reliable assurance from the Alaska Department of Economic Development that they're not buying "Alaskan" tchotches actually made in China.

Plus, the logo is kinda cute: a polar bear mom and cub..

Now for the game: I've been tagged by wonderful painter and photographer Joanne Giesbrecht, so now you get to learn stuff about me you probably don't really want to know. Or maybe you do? In any case, here goes:

What are you wearing now?

Jeans, a Georgia Bulldogs long-sleeve T (tho I'm not a fan, husband is), organic cotton socks and sheepskin slippers.

How often do you blog?

I try once a week. But fail.

Who was the last person you hugged?

My husband. I think it was by lamplight during Earth Hour last night.

Which item from your closet are you wearing most lately?

Still wearing my heavy Scottish wool cardigan most nights.

What's for dinner?

I don't want to think about that.

What's the last thing you bought?

Three larimar cabochons — and probably paid too much, but oh! so pretty.

What are you listening to right now?

Blessed silence. And my finches beeping and chattering.

What is your favorite weather and why?

A crisp autumn day. I still get that "new beginnings" feeling from all those years starting school in the fall. And the leaves smell so good.

What time do you usually get up?

Between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. (Yes, weird. I go to bed at about 4 a.m.)

What is your most challenging goal right now?

Finding all the papers to do my taxes — and actually doing them. And then cleaning up my studio.

Say something about the person who tagged you.

Joanne pays exquisite attention to detail, not only in her wonderful paintings, but also in her photographs. She loves and is inspired by the natural world as much as I do/am.

If you could have a house — totally paid for, fully furnished — anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?

Sewanee, Tennessee, my heart's home.

Favorite vacation spot?

Any vacation anywhere would be nice. Haven't had a true vacation in many years.

What movies can you watch over and over again?

O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Amelie, Ronin, Dead Man, Baghdad Cafe, Howl's Moving Castle

What is your favorite tea?

Earl Grey or a good green chai

Who are you tagging?

Erin Bowe

Emily Roe