New from my Workbench

Silver 

My handcrafted silver pieces are made from fine (pure) silver (99.9% silver) and sterling silver (92.5% silver). I love highly textured pieces, and I seek out the unique and unusual when it comes to textures and patterns. I add a patina (antique finish) to bring out the details which gives the piece the look and feel of something that's grown more beautiful with age.

Glass Beads

Lampworking is an ancient technique of melting glass rods in a flame and wrapping them around a mandrel, creating beautiful pieces of art in the form of glass beads.  I use Moretti/Effetre glass from Italy and Bullseye from Oregon. I love to experiment using glass rods, reactive glass, enamel (powdered glass), frit (crushed glass), silver foil, and a hot or cool flame. 

The outcome is unpredictable and organic - so cool!

Vitreous Enamel

Enameling is a centuries-old technique of fusing multiple layers of powdered glass to metal in a kiln at 1380° to 1500°F. Enameling is where my silver work and glass work come together. The enameling techniques I use are cloisonné,  champlevé, and basse-taille. Enameling is a very meticulous process but extremely rewarding.

And, did I mention the colors - absolutely gorgeous!

Gemstones

I  select each gemstone one at a time, looking for organic shapes and unique stones. Using fine silver, I create bezel settings based on the characteristics of the stone. A few of the stones I'm currently obsessed with are turquoise, apatite, chrysocolla, jasper, labradorite, lapis, and larimar.  I don't always look for "perfect" stones - the imperfections are what makes them beautiful to me.

Bead Work

To create my wrap bracelets, I hand-stitch each Swarovski crystal onto high-quality Greek leather cord, finishing it off with one of my handmade silver clasps. I love the contrast between the crystals and the rustic leather cord.

Definitely my go-to bracelet for everyday - love them!

Keum-Boo

There are certain designs where a little gold accent goes a long way in enhancing the beauty of the piece. I add gold accents to my silver pieces using the ancient Korean technique, Keum-Boo. I heat the silver piece to 700°F and  burnish 24-carat gold foil on to the silver. This creates a permanent diffusion bond between the gold and silver. Beautiful!