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!