nicilaskin — nicilaskin

Checking my stats and posting in the Etsy forums had become such an ingrained part of my daily rituals that spending a day without Etsy filled me with a bit of daunting anxiety. To get my cheap fix, I posted a few half-hearted comments in the forums, however still reeling from my passionate rant and reaction to the Etsy Fireside Chats, my thoughts were miles away from wanting to see that big E plastered before my eyes. What has been said has been said and I could not even begin to summarize those feelings again so I will just share...

made this today - gold bypass ring in shape of a guitar I started with a mock up in bronze ( much cheaper ) 20 gauge ( 0.8mm thick ) is what I use i bronze or gold as I have a hard time bending things by hand with those 2 metals 18 gauge ( 1mm thick ) I use for copper and sterling silver as both metals are softer and not as springy I drew the shape out on a piece of label paper make it 3 inches long as you have to "bypass " the ends and anything...

Just playing around with metal I started out with some sketches I always use scratch paper for the initial sketches and when i like the design I will trace the design onto a piece of label paper . label paper has already " glue " added to one side soI do not need to glue my design to sheet metal ( rubber cement works the best if you do not have label paper ) I always end up with a sticky mess if I use the glue I cut out my design and stick it to the sheet metal in...

This sterling silver flower necklace was sawed and constructed entirely by hand from 18 gauge sterling silver and features a genuine black onyx stone in the center to complete the botanical statement. Embodying the organic flow and rhythm of a flower shape, the outer pedals were sawed as one continuous shape from the flat sheet of sterling silver and dapped and domed on a shaping block to capture a realistic three dimensional form. The inner whorls or pedal structure was also sawed by hand, domed, and then soldered to the outer pedals using a hydroflux welder before setting the onyx...

  Sterling silver " Rock and Roll " cuff bracelet   I used a 20 gauge 6 inch by 1 1/4 inch strip of sterling silver for the base and 18 gauge sterling silver for the guitars and the star. The shapes were cut out with a 6 inch jewelry saw and 1/0 saw blades. Personally I prefer the german saws and saw blades as I found the quality to be outstanding , but I might be biased because I am german. I used a template to draw the guitars right on the metal and then sawed them out ....