The Devil's Workshop

From my old blog on February 24th, 2010. Day 23 at 890...

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:15:20 -0400

From my old blog on February 24th, 2010.

Day 23 at 890 Queen

Down with the old walls and up with the new. Tony and Dad arrived at noon to begin installing my picture frame walls! this is an exiting day for me! Cant wait to see them all done!

Acid Etched Warhol Banana

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:08:18 -0400

A customer asked for a banana pendant as a gift for the 1 year anniversary of his friends website called Steel Banana. I etched the Warhol screen print onto the silver using tar as a resist and put it in a mordant of nitric acid for a while.

This one was actually my second attempt as the first one sat in the acid a bit too long and became but of a ghost of the banana that it once was. I hope Warhol doesn’t mind that I hung the piece upside down as it was the only way I could do it without it looking too phallic.

Enamelling for Beginners

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:05:39 -0400

This weekends Enamelling for Beginners class this past weekend went great! Thanks again Catherine!

The students got to work with glass on metal to create these great pieces using scrafitti, painting and cloisonne. One of the Artists that we represent at The Devil’s Workshop, Mary Frances took the class this weekend and made the cutest little tea pot set in cloisonné, I cant wait to see how she applies this new application to her work. Some day I will have to take this class.

Our next Enamelling for Beginners workshop is scheduled for November 7th and 8th.

Diamond Alternatives? Good Question!

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 03:03:00 -0400

Anonymous writes:

Hello Sarah,

I came across your workshop online as I perused a location close to where we live where my fiancée and I could take part in the process of creating our wedding bands.

We are both outdoors, ethical, and sustainably-minded individuals, and thus having a difficult time in selecting a stone/material that would fit the path we have are trying to live in our lives (i.e.. making wise/green choices when the opportunity arises). I’m hoping that with this email and your experience in the jewellery business, you might provide your own insights to us. Perhaps you’ve been faced with similar questions in the past. I know that more individuals are aware of “blood diamonds” and the Canadian north diamonds are an alternative, but I’ve worked in the Arctic for many years, and unfortunately have seen the irreparable damage a diamond mine is. As is the majority of stone/gem mines.

With some guilt, I admit that I am an admirer of shiny stones/gems (shocking my fiancé) and I tend to wear silver for my day-to-day attire. Are there any particular stones/gems that you would recommend for an engagement ring that matches our philosophies? Do you have sources that you have used in the past?

Your thoughts and advice are greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Desperately seeking alternatives

My response…

Hi Desperately seeking alternatives,

Have you ever heard of moissanite (they are natural but i think that you would be interested in the more common synthetic variety) or Lab-grown Diamonds? I have often had sentimental (practically no value) stones cut like diamonds and then set them into Engagement Rings like this stone (see here) found on the streets of Bolivia while my client was visiting with his fiancée to be.

But if it must be the “real thing” then I always advise my clients to buy an Antique Diamond, something that predates “conflict stones” and mass mining practices, these may be hard to find but the chase is half the fun ;)

Happy hunting!
Sarah

Do you know the Muffin Man?

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:54:00 -0400

Eric is the Muffin Man and I was honoured to make baker themed cufflinks for Eric’s wedding, I really love them and everything is always better when miniaturized. I hope Eric and Sarah will have a wonderful wedding this weekend and it was great having both of them in The Wedding Band Workshop a few weeks ago.

Take a look at Eric’s baking blog, Do You Know The Muffin Man next time you feel like making a mess of your kitchen, the photos are and inspiration to my inner chef and my belly rumbles as I write this post! I am ever in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, they must be chewy and a little crispy on the outside and this recipe from Cooks Illustrated recommended by Eric looks just right but I am sure the secret ingredient is the baker who bakes them ;)

Rob and Formidable Silver Horse

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:51:00 -0400

Yay to Rob! After 2 years Rob has finished his Pull String Horse and it was well worth the wait!

…Ok, it didn’t take the entire 2 years to finish but Rob did start it two years ago and finished it just recently. This sterling horse with moving legs was quite a challenge for a first time Silversmith (& Lost Wax) student, it is always easy to imagine a complicated project but execution is another thing all together. Rob must have tried to put this horse together at least 5 time before he decided to go with square pins instead of round, what a breakthrough that was. Hopefully Rob will make more of these little gems ;)

Your perseverance paid off, congratulations Rob!

I just thought I would share this adorableness with you all. I...

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:45:25 -0400

I just thought I would share this adorableness with you all.

I took this photo at yesterdays Wedding Band Workshop of Sarah and Eric’s rings at mid bending, just before we soldered them together. I often take this shot for the couples but I am especially proud of how this one turned out this time. Wedding Band Workshop Instructor today Wedding Photographer tomorrow!

Propellers

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:43:00 -0400

Propellers:

Check out Propellers jewellery shop on Etsy. Propellers is a gathering of 3 different jewellery disciplines by Sylvia Lee (graphic etching), Tanya Lyons (glass) and myself (metalsmith), so happy to be part of this collective. Great photos are by Marc Ouelette!

I hope our little Etsy venture goes well, tell all your friends about it and keep us in mind come Christmas time or anytime ;)

Best Gramma Ever! Creativity needs nourishment and Gramma is...

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:40:22 -0400

Best Gramma Ever!

Creativity needs nourishment and Gramma is just the one to do it.

Lucky Jamie got to spend some time this week with Gramma while he was visiting from Halifax and they made a few stop motion videos called Jamie and the Dragon and Jamie’s Drummer Video together. I am reminded of all the creative things that Mom used to do with us when we were kids. I remember making pottery in the backyard with other kids in the neighbourhood, making busts out of clay, making jewellery and other crafts at the PUC with the senior citizens club in London, creative birthday parties and amazing home made Halloween costumes and beyond. Can’t wait to see the Alphabet video.

Thanks for the nourishment Mom. Little Lee is looking forward to his time with Gramma too.

Custom Engagement Ring

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:36:53 -0400

I want to thank my recent enagement ring customer for giving me so much time to perfect his ring. I started over 5 times! I wanted to get it just right and a little something seemed to go wrong with every attempt but the finished piece looks great. So happy to have a customer that values craftsmanship as much as I do. This ring is called the “Weave Ring” it is in 14k White gold and has 6 Blue Sapphires of varied sizes. Cant wait to hear how the proposal goes!!!

Fused Glass Pendants

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:34:11 -0400

This Sunday’s Fused Glass Pendant class was great. This is the 4th time we have held this class and it has always been a great success and this time I am particularly proud of the students work. I have chosen just a few of my favorites from this group, Lia, Marnina, Tracey, Meghan, Chantalle, Agata, Rebecca and Kelly.

Valentines Day at The Devil's Workshop

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:28:46 -0400

Thanks for the Petit Fours Kirsten!

We had a great Valentines day! I learned a new word… ;)

Happy New Year 2008!

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:24:00 -0400

It has been so long since my last post. September is always busy in the Queen West neighbourhood and November and December are insane as usual. I am currently on a long break, December 25th through to January 5th, and it is wonderful. Looking forward to 2008, this January our busy little studio will be jam packed full of classes and we are already booking into March!

This holiday season the West Queen West Business Association ran a friendly little window decoration contest the proceeds went to St Christopher House at Queen and Bathurst. Since I have very little window display space, I decided to make a diorama in a light box. My diorama window fought me every step of the way, lighting, casting even the cotton batting for the snow was near impossible to find. Luckily I finished it one week before Christmas day (a little late) I think it looks pretty good it is called “Silver melts at 1640 Degrees Celsius.

Couple made in birch bark heaven

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:22:00 -0400

Ok, it has been forever since my last posting. Summer and all, you understand.

I have to blog about Danielle and Stephen. About a year ago Stephen bought Danielle one of my signature birch bark rings. This year Danielle came in to order birch bark cufflinks for Stephen that he has been asking me to make for some time now, but as a surprise to Stephen for his birthday. Danielle told me that if Stephen came in to order cufflinks for himself that I should tell him that I can’t make them. But of course Stephen walks into the shop a couple days later and asks about birch bark work. Stephen doesn’t want anything for himself, he is in to commission me to make a birch bark pendant for Danielle’s birthday (which is 3 days before his)

And I have to keep this all a secret. I am bursting to tell them each time they come in separately and am imaging them in each others presence when they check voice mail from me letting them know that their work is done. Murphy’s Law - I put the pendants in identical black boxes and labeled them wrong so when Stephen came for Danielle’s pendant I almost handed him his own cufflinkes! Thankfully he didn’t notice my blunder.

These beautiful photos where taken by Stephen up at their cottage.

North Carolinian Goldsmith Ana-Cristina

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:18:00 -0400

Jewellers, Jewellers everywhere! Ana-Cristina is visiting Toronto from North Carolina for a few months while her husband works on a film here. Ana-Cristina has been using my studio to work on her handwoven jewellery to be featured in a magazine called the Robb Report. Ana-Cristina has her GIA certificate and is going to be a special guest instructor for our “Gemology at a Glance Workshop” at The Devil’s Workshop in October. I am so excited as I have been purchasing stones for clients for some time now but do not know enough about what I am buying. Check out Ana-Cristina’s website.

So pretty

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:12:00 -0400

I just finished these wedding bands for Mike and Jane. They made these 14k white gold bands almost a year ago and finally got around to having the stones set. Mike has a solitaire Peridot and Jane has diamonds and pink sapphires. I think these coloured stones make the rings look fresh and exciting. I can’t wait for them to see the rings.

OH!

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:09:00 -0400

You will never guess who came into the store last week…

Sandra Oh! She wandered into my shop because she got off at a streetcar stop too soon (how eco-friendly of her) and was petting my brother’s lazy Springer Spaniel who was laying on the sidewalk in front of the shop. Sandra purchased a pair of Double Hoop Earrings in Brass with Aquamarine. The pair she purchased are the large ones on the left.

They looked so good with her outfit that she wore them out of the store. I didn’t have the heart to ask if I could take a picture of her in them, someone told me that it was “very Canadian” of me not to ask (I’m not sure if that is a compliment).

If anyone sees Sandra wearing these earrings in the press please, please send me a photo or source.

All that glitter is not gold

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:05:00 -0400

I have been trying to cast with Bronze Manganese and hate it. It doesn’t flow like gold and silver when poured and the melt down takes forever. The Bronze castings always come out porous. I have found the perfect solution! 14k gold casting alloy. Casting alloy doesn’t have any actual gold in it but is used to cut the karat of gold when making alloys therefore it is smooth, melts quickly and shares many of the same qualities of gold. I made a burnout acorn in the casting alloy and I love it. I can now offer this as an option to my casting students so that they can use it to get the look of gold without spending a fortune on gold.

Waste Not Want Not

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:59:00 -0400

Check out the ring Colleen made in her Lost Wax Casting Workshop.

Colleen’s Dad requested that she replace the wedding band that he no longer wanted to wear with an updated piece. Since Colleen’s Dad is a “nature lover” a burn out of a piece of bark was the perfect solution.

She started with a straight piece of bark and burned it out to make a straight piece of silver bark; we then bent it into a ring shape and carved out the middle to make it smooth and thinner. We then made a rubber mould of the silver model for reproductions and ultimately cast the work in 14k yellow gold.

Colleen then used the silver model to make a matching pendant for her mom and used one of the trial pieces to make a great pair of earrings for herself

Great work on putting all your trial to good use Colleen!

My Bumble Bees for Bell are finally done.

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:55:59 -0400

My Bumble Bees for Bell are finally done.