Amethyst water cast pendant

Hello, the sunshine made a welcome return yesterday afternoon after quite a dull few days. I took these photos in the early evening last week, I really like the shadows cast at that time of the day.

My fuschia and pots are still hanging on to their colour.

My silversmithing class is on summer break for another month but I thought today I would share the pendant I finished on the last day of term in July.
You may remember that last year we played with watercasting and I cast some interesting organic shapes. If you missed that post you can see it here
I had some other piece left and decided to use it as the base for an amethyst I wanted to set.
These photos are taken on my work bench with my phone so not the best but I know people are interested to see the process.
Below is the piece of water cast silver.

This is the setting I made for my stone.

I soldered both pieces together

 I then carefully cut off the excess and filed the edges smooth.
Then I set the stone, this view is taken from above with my setting held in a vice on some setting wax, which had been melted first. It's very much like the wax used for seals and has that distinctive smell too. It holds the setting in place without marking it and I was then able to gentle tap the edges of my mount over. You then gentle tap the setting out from the wax.

I also soldered a hanging loop on the back.
Here is my finished pendant.

Silver is so hard to photograph but I think you can get an idea. You can even see my hands and the lens in the stone's reflection!

 So my card to day is also purple in colour

It's a very CAS wedding card made for Dotty's Teahouse. The die cut is Sizzix, the stencilled hearts are a Tim Holtz stencil. The maker of the sentiment escapes me ,sorry!

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

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
AAA cards use a stencil
Happy Little stampers CAS die cuts
Creative Moments 2/3 anything goes
Lil patch of crafting friend's 3/3 anything goes

Thanks for stopping by, the sun is back here again this morning and I have a plan to start some Christmas cards..yes only 117 days to go..ho ho ho!!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Schools out

Yesterday I finished my jewellery/silversmithing class for this year so yes School's Out for summer! Does anyone else remember Alice Cooper's 1972 single...I still love listening to it and it takes me right back to my childhood with my brother and I blasting it out in my dad's car on my yellow plastic radio 😂😂😂  I had just left primary school and was looking forward to my secondary education. Those were fun time and great memories.

There is always an end of year exhibition at my college and I took a couple of photos I thought I would share.  It is set up in Sutton library until 16th June.

 Below is a list of all the departments who take part in the show.

 It's always fun to see your name in print..here I am at Number 15 (I'm still in Top of the Pops mode with Alice Cooper now!!) In case you are wondering the NFS stands for it's Not for Sale... we could sell our work but I either wear mine or make it for family so there is never anything spare.

The blue cabinet below contains my exhibit..

I made the ball part form fold forming and etching and I hand made the complex chain...it is a multiple loop .never again...LOL! It's hard to photograph through the glass but you can see it here. 

I thought I would also share a very recent make using a stone I have had in my stash for a while. I etched the background and used none other that peel offs (remember them!) to give the resist. How amazing it is that my crafts cross over so much. I did not make the chain for this one.

I made the claws by cutting them into the backing and pushing them through. That was very fiddly indeed. I also hand made the bail to hang the chain from. It's a gorgeous agate stone and I had been waiting to set it for a couple of years.

So a card to share today.....as it is nearly time for everyone's summer holidays I thought I would share something very summery. I wanted to enter a few challenges too. I created this for selling at Dotty's and it features a Lili of the Valley pair of mermaids.  I really love this stamp.  I don't often hand colour images now as it does not pay me with the time involved, but every so often I get the urge to break out my Promarkers. I made myself a seaside backing using my new acrylic inks (great fun) and some white acrylic paint. I used them on top of a rejected oxide background and I liked the way a tiny edge of colour remained!

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

Penny Black and More 2/3 anything goes

Passion for Promarkers add a sentiment

Rubber dance 1/3 blue, sea green and sand

Noor summer

Fashionable Stamping 1/3 feminine

Allsorts 1/3 use at least 2 dies I have used 9!

Pixie's snippets playground #285/6 I used snippets of card for all my die cuts.

Simon says stamp Monday 1/5 touchy feely my card has lots of texture..the seaweed die cuts, the glossy accents over the bubble and the glittery hair shells!
Deep Ocean die cuts, chipboards and/or punches

and just in case you want to listen to Alice... whom I still love...because deep down I am still a hardened rock chick ....I have a link to You Tube....enjoy 😎

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBEcLxnXVAc

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x