Billy and the ivy roses

Today is the winter solstice when the hours of darkness are the longest they will be in the year. Tomorrow the days start getting lighter again. It is also the first day of winter. I thought today I would bring some you some silver interest.My siversmithing class finished last week and I managed to get all 3 of my projects finished. I will share 2 of them in the new year as they are non festive but one project I finally completed were my ivy rose earrings.

Last year we did some lost wax casting and I made a few different designs including some holly leaves. If you remember I made a Daisy chain for both my daughter and Daisy last Christmas...this is the post here  Time ran away with and I didn't have a chance to make them into earrings. At last I was able to do so and I made them up.

 These were the wax leaves I created, I cut them , added some texture and also added some veins.
The process of lost wax casting is very interesting here is a link. We sent our pieces off to be cast in silver at Hatton Garden in London.

They were then sent off to the casters (with the other ones I made) and this is what came back. Gorgeous silver...mmmmmm

These are in their unfinished state, they all had pouring sprues on the back which needed to be cut off and filed neatly and polished.

So after some filing, finishing and polishing of my ivy leaves I attached them to some rose earring fittings. I have already given the other pair to my daughter but they are very similar to mine.

Now I had to laugh as I took these photos. I used my light box as it is so hard to photograph jewellery, especially at this time of the year.....just look at my helper.

 I'm not sure you can call it being helpful can you...??! Come on Billy out the way.

That's better, here they are.

My Ivy roses, they are lovely to wear and have had a lot of comments.

So my card today has to feature some festive greenery on it doesn't it and a cute creature or 2 like my darling Billy.

I have used a sweet Wild Rose Craft stamp and some festive papers. I have used my Promarkers to colour.The sentiment is LOTV and the corner die is Memory box. I added some gems for extra bling. I still love making cute as well as grungy cards...LOL...I really am an oddity I think in the crafting world.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges.

Pile it on anything goes Christmas/holidays

Papertake Weekly last Christmas card of the year

The artistic stamper anything goes

Deep Ocean Christmas is all around
Simon says stamp Wednesday winter photo inspiration I was inspired by all the photos...the whole woodland scnene
Creative Inspirations Christmas/New Year
Country View nostalgic Christmas. I adore the TH nostalgic stamps I used here, they really are just as I picture Christmas
Loves rubberstamps Holiday blitz anything goes
Simon says stamp Monday anything goes
Magnolia-liscious anything goes
That craft place anything goes
Totally Gorjuss love at Christmas
Cheery Lynn anything goes
I love Promarkers anything goes
Passion for Promarkers bingo my line is the middle; die cut, free (stamped image) glitter
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas whatever is still urgently needed for Christmas

I would like to enter my earrings into the following challenges;

Allsorts last minute gifts
All Crafts Challenge anything but cards

Just 4 more sleeps...................

Back tomorrow,

Jane x