Amy jo Avnet
artisan jewelry:   who do you want to be today?
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March Ring Challenge, Last Day!! (21): Gold Squiggle

3/28/2013

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Day 21. A ring every weekday during March= 21 original rings, and I didn't even cheat by using any preexisting rings! The last ring is a bouquet made of 14k gold fill wire, just a fun little explosion of metal. I consider my brain expanded from this exercise in forced creation, and I only hit the wall yesterday after failing to make a concrete ring that worked (more playing in store, surely), but this morning looked brighter in the inspiration department and I was able to complete the month's task. Yippee!
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Floral explosion ring of 14k gold fill
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Tall gold curlicue ring
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March Ring Challenge, Day 20: Steel Display Ring

3/28/2013

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Today's ring is something I have been thinking of for a while without quite knowing how to approach it; a ring that allowed for a changing display. I was inspired when the daphne odora began blooming and I wanted to make a 'scent' ring, one that could temporarily clasp a little blooming branch of intense daphne. At the same time, I have always wanted to incorporate another passion of mine, photography,  into jewelry. This coiled steel ring, tight but open at the top loop, is my solution. The result is a living ring that changes its display with a whim!
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Steel display ring
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temporary display ring holds daphne branch
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Steel ring displays photos
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Steel ring temporarily clasps photos or other art
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 March Ring Challenge, Day 19: Sterling Platform Texture Ring

3/27/2013

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Sterling silver ring with added textures
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Sterling silver ring, enamel, oxidation, granulation
Today's ring has been through the ringer, so to speak. This is not how it began! Originally, I planned to master granulation (hah! how naive I was!) and add it to the top surface and set small cabochons within the granules. I have not yet mastered that technique, though, and really that was WAY too huge an undertaking.

But after managing to get a bit of granulation to fuse down, I switched gears and added some torch fired enamel, though with an ill prepared surface and uneven firing it only worked in some places. Luckily, I happen to love how mottled and organic the surface looks now!

I love the ring form, and how when it is worn it actually covers three fingers. VERY cool! What else could be added to the 'table' of the ring? Limitless!
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March Ring Challenge, Day 18: Plywood Ring Redux

3/26/2013

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Plywood and pearl art ring
Yesterday's ring, taken another step. Too far? In brainstorming, which this month of making rings is all about, nothing is too far. 

One idea I didn't have the materials for was to create a little showcase in the cut out square, maybe screw acrylic covers on both sides such that the 'box' could be filled with a kaleidoscope of gemstones to shake and view.

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March Ring Challenge, Day 17: Plywood Ring

3/26/2013

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In my "other" life, I am trained as an architect and have a lot of hands on experience building. One of my favorite materials is Baltic birch plywood, with its beautiful, clean surface and graphic layering. I have tones of scraps of it around the wood shop and whipped up this ring using a chopsaw and drill before filing and sanding. If I'd had time I would have used something like Daly's Pro-Fin to build up a glowing protective finish, but in a pinch used matte acrylic medium just to protect the wood.

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March Ring Challenge, Day 16: Easter Bunny Ring

3/26/2013

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Just a playful exercise-- I drilled a hole in a plastic bunny so I could insert a steel ring shank, painted the bunny with green nail lacquer, then used jewelry glue to adhere a line of rubies.  Wouldn't it be cool to cast the bunny in solid silver and truly set the gems? That would surely be over the top (in an awesome way).

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March Ring Challenge, Day 15: Fine Silver Wrap

3/26/2013

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Silver and sapphire ring
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Fused fine silver with sapphire accent
Today's ring was an exercise in fusing fine silver by wrapping it around and folding over the ends before torching. Once I had done this, I realized I had the perfect space left to channel set a tiny gemstone, so I put in a little sapphire. Fine silver is so soft, though, that if I remake this ring I will use sterling for better sturdiness.
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March Ring Challenge: Day 14, Apatite and Steel

3/26/2013

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Blue apatite steel ring
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Steel and raw apatite ring
Today's ring takes the simple wrap-around technique I used in the stick ring and simplifies it a bit more, creating a basic wrap prong setting to fit around the gorgeous raw blue apatite gemstone. Raw + crude = elegant!
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March Ring Challenge: Day 13, Amethyst Tornado Ring

3/26/2013

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Coiled steel tornado ring with amethyst crystals
Today's ring began with the idea of creating a spiral coil in a vase-like shape. I wasn't sure when I began what I would put in the center, but I had an idea of it functioning sort of like the vases in new VW Bugs. Instead, when I finished the steel coil shape it seemed to cry out to be stuffed with an explosion of something extraordinary, hence the raw amethyst crystals. Two crude materials transform each other, I think.

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March Ring Challenge: Day 12 Caged Nature Double Ring

3/18/2013

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Typical jewelry workbench mess
Some of my tools and inspirational detritus can be seen at left. As you can see, I had no access to my sketch pad this morning so had to make do with just grabbing and constructing. I think tomorrow I will go for more pre-planning!

Today's ring ended up being a lovely twig from down the street at Green Lake, simply caged in a steel two finger ring, then coated in matte medium. Seattle lichen rules!

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two finger steel and twig ring
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lichen on stick art ring
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double ring with lichen and steel
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caged stick art ring
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    Amy jo Avnet

    Artisan and ponderer, always looking for that next perfect metaphor.

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