Happy Chinese New Year! May the Year of the Ox be a healing one for all of us. Thanks to everyone who sent me get well wishes. I feel as if I've been gone forever but I believe I'm beginning to rejoin the land of the living due in part to all the beautiful new work I've been seeing online. Polymer clay rings, like this one from Susan Turney, are popping up all over the place.
Jana Roberts Benzon has been on a recent ring making binge, as well. This one was made for the lucky man that happens to be her hairdresser.
I ran across this ring from Nemesia while I was checking out some new photos on Flickr. She's been using recycled flatware to make spoon rings and other new jewelry. Very clever!
Seeing all of these rings reminded me of my own collection of rings that I've recently acquired from other artists. I gathered them together to take a group shot and realized just how many creative ways there are to construct these fun jewelry items. Zsuzsa made the green eye ring using a purchased adjustable metal ring blank. I've seen similar blanks for sale from various online companies. The small band ring in the foreground was made by Donna Kato who's been using some sort of ceramic base to form and bake her rings on. Leslie Blackford sculpted this cool party animal and used an oversize o-ring for the band. The pretty ring with the flower cane slices was made by Kathy Caldwell, a member of the Kentucky/Tennessee Polymer Clay Guild. Below is a photo of the socket she confiscated from her husband's tool box and adapted for use as a form to both build and bake her rings on. I love this idea. It would be so easy to make rings in the exact size you need using this method.
I think a trip to the garage to look for a socket set is in order. Keep warm and stay creative!
Edited to add: If you'd like instructions on making the flower and leaf canes like the ones on Kathy's ring, you can find them here.
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8 comments:
It is so good to have you back! Hope everything thing went well and you are back on track. All the best, Ellen Prophater
Ellen, Thank you so much! I really miss you. I was daydreaming about your beautiful earrings that you didn't want "to saturate the market with". You're one of my favorite people!
Hi, Kim!!!!! It's so good to see you back! Thank you so much for including my ring in your blog. It's always a thrill! I got on the ring bandwagon after Jana posted some and told me to use the sockets! Isn't that funny how people come up with the same ideas?
I hope this means you're feeling up to blogging again...I've missed your posts.
Susan
P.S. I did make some rings with my "Kim Cavender flower cane". I always think of you when I use the purple fimo flower!! :)
Susan, good to hear from you! All of your new things are beautiful! I'm finally starting to feel a bit better. I'd love to have my old energy level back so I'm just waiting patiently for that. That purple flower is definitely one of my favorites.
The socket sets are such a wonderful idea. I hope to give it a try myself soon. It looks like great minds DO think alike!
So good to see you back! Have missed your blog so much. Wishing you good health for forever!
Love this entry - and the tip for using sockets for rings is just inspired - my poor husband will be tearing his hair out as I raid his tool box yet again in the name of Polymer Clay!!!
Kim,
Thanks so much for the honor of including me in your blog entry! The rings have been so much fun...I just wish I could spent all of my time exploring the many possible variations!
When I began making the rings, I was rummaging around my studio for forms...the metal tubes I had didn't come in enough large sizes...I decided there HAD to be something else. I had a flash of memory of my husbands tool box.....sockets! In all sizes! Perfect!
Give 'em a try..they're absolutely perfect for the job. Fortunately, my husband isn't such a tool guy...he won't miss them, at least for a while anyway..lol..
Thanks again, and so, so glad to hear you're feeling better. And, I hope you keep that gorgeous son of yours LOCKED UP! He must have the girls going nuts over him :) I've enjoyed seeing his pictures at flickr..
Hi Pips, Thanks for the nice comment. I'm happy to be blogging again. I think the idea of using the sockets as ring forms is so clever. I'm grateful to all of the artists who thought of it.
Hi Jana! Brilliant idea about the sockets. I saw Kathy at a retreat in KY a few months ago and managed to charm that ring out of her. I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks for the nice compliment about Daniel. I hate to sound as if I'm bragging but he is one gorgeous young man.
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