Seeing the clay & and a sneak peek..

I have finally put several pairs of Valentine-ish earrings in my Big Cartel shop. I started these pieces a few weeks ago, you may recall, and just today I made the ear wires. And.... I love them.

There is something so pleasing about unglazed porcelain. Perhaps it is the potter in me, but I know I am not alone when I say that I have dumped more than a few cups of coffee on myself after turning someone's pottery cup over to see 1. who made it and 2. what kind of clay and firing methods were used. I like to see the clay.

From time to time I am asked "why don't you glaze the back of your pieces?" The answer is simple. I want to see the clay. For me, that is part of the experience of buying/wearing/using ceramic jewelry/components. Just as I look at the bottom of a cup to see what it is made of, I want to see that history in my pieces as well.

I really love these little heart earrings. Very simple yet elegant. I made them in two different styles; a hook ear wire and a hoop, which I oxidized to a nice dark gray finish. The matte black you see is a stain that I rubbed in and then wiped off to give it that wonderful antique look that I like so much.

They can be found here.


In other news... I have been playing around with my new riveting ribbon technique that all started with this piece. On this piece I am using a beautiful 3" wide ribbon. I'm really enjoying "sculpting" the ribbon; coaxing it to bend and fold the way I want it to. It's part dressmaking, part jewelry making. I can't wait to see how it comes out!

Comments

Tam. said…
LOVE the unglazed ones :) I just bought them! YAY!
Mary Harding said…
beautiful earrings!!!
Nic :) said…
I lvoe the unglazed ones as well. They are so pretty! ♥
so pretty! Love the way your design constantly evolves and is so uniquely yours, Nancy :)
mairedodd said…
i really love those hearts too! and i agree about seeing the clay - it reveals the history... the riveting is intriguing - cannot wait to see more...
lunedreams said…
love how sculptural your ribbon is with those rivets--i often find myself wanting the ribbon i use to have more presence, and that technique you've hit on is perfect for that!

i love matte finish anything, so your little hearts really appeal to me! the white ones look like candy.

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