Numbers 8,9 and 10

Hi everyone,

Well, I have been busy making rings and things...hope you have been having fun in your studios too! I realized as I was getting ready to post photos of my latest ring that I forgot to show you numbers 8 and 9...so, now, you get all three!!

So, to start, number 8 is a set of stenciled metal clay with sterling bands that were too big for me so I couldn't wear them...so, I decided to re-think the whole problem to make them wearable. There was a space about 1/8th of an inch to play with....and I have all these sheets of my polymer experiments so I choose the one that looked like it was wood grain. Right size and thickness...how lucky was that? So, I whipped out my saw and cut out the slabs and chemically bonded them....I may go in and add some decorative rivets or pre-sets at a later date, but I haven't thought about it yet.

Next in line is number 9, which is a ring base of Faux Bone and has been stained with ink and polymer clay. It has been hanging around for about a year so I decided to use it. I also used some leftover bits from some earrings I made years ago and a purple rivoli. So, they were also chemically bonded to the surface....riveting inside the Faux Bone ring was just not possible for this ring.

Then it was time to make a new ring but I have had these parts on the workbench for a month and it was time to move it or lose it.....so, I sat down and tried to work things out. I had planned for this ring to have one of my epoxy cones in it and to have the copper metal clay faceplate hold it in place. The problems started when the faceplate broke after getting the first rivet set. Then the little bit at the top broke off...that was when I set it aside. So, when I decided to re-think the idea and make it convey something different. I find if I change the direction I am approaching a problem from, I get a completely different solution that I thought I would. So, while I was thinking, I was also playing around with my little bits and pieces and I found the one with the hand on it and it also had two holes for riveting in it. I slid it between the copper faceplate and the sterling band and it fit nice and snug. I decided to sew the disc in place to help hold everything together while I was riveting. The funny thing was that I liked the thread once I had tied it into place. I thought the softness of the thread was nice against the hardness of the metal, so I left it in place and then I antiqued the whole ring with acrylic paint and a little colored pencil. It is very comfortable to wear even with all the different layers.

So, I am already working on my next ring....it may be a four finger ring with a polymer sheet and a long thing stone bullet of amethyst lace agate. You will have to come back to see.....have fun playing in your studios...Kelly Russell www.Beadfuddled.blogspot.com if you want to see more photos and different angles.....