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In the Studio: Soldering Handmade Rings

Here's a short video of me soldering handmade bezels onto handmade rings. It's pretty typical of what I might do in my studio on a given day. Alas, no makeup, safety glasses on, and a hooded sweatshirt gave me second thoughts about putting this up. But, let's all love ourselves just the way we are. :)

Eventually, the rings you see me making in this video will become these rings (the finished product).

14K white gold, white moonstone stacking ring. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

In The Studio: Time To Clean Up!

Above: Emily Wiser's Jeweler's Bench. Photo by Emily Wiser.

Yes, it's my jeweler's bench. It's a big, giant mess! Boy, do I love tools! See that little white gold ring on the steel bench plate (bottom left). It's going to be one of these 14k white gold birthstone stacking rings:

Above: 14k White Gold & Turquoise Stacking Ring. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

Etsy Finds: Tuxedo Cat Treasury

This week's Etsy Finds. Here's a list of cute tuxedo-kitty related things!


My favorite is a super-cute cat tuxedo by SnoopCattyCat. Don't you just want to stuff your poor kitty into one?

Life Of A Studio Cat: Cat-Gaze

My little black cat has taken a break from roaming and comes into my studio. What is he trying to tell me with his intent cat-gaze?

New Jewelry: 14K White Gold

I'm going to try 14K white gold with brown and black diamonds! I've first made this 14K white gold stacking ring with 18K white gold setting and a pretty little sky blue topaz. Look for the diamonds soon!

In The Newspaper

An article about me came out in the Metro Silicon Valley yesterday.

Life of A Studio Cat: Introducing Tabitha

Here's my other studio cat, Tabitha. Isn't she sweet? Her favorite spot is under my desk by the space heater. She's blind in one eye and very gentle.

Thank You to My Wonderful Clients!

I just wanted to thank all of my wonderful clients! Your support and encouragement really brighten up my day!

Here's some feedback from my clients:

mishanesselrod says:

The most amazing, beautiful rose gold earrings that I've ever seen and they're mine all mine!!!!!!

Private

So Amazing! Beautiful quality and craftsmanship on the ring. Quick delivery too! Emily is such a pleasure to do business with!

rebeccagonzales says:

seller was great and answered all my millions of questions! would work with again!

cullin says:

Ordered rose, white, & yellow gold stacking rings. Beautiful. Rings are hammered, so they are organic, not flashy. Timely service. Received tracking emails and shipping information. Recommended artist to friends.

haleymonley says:

When I found this ring, I was looking for a small, lightweight wedding band to wear with my engagement ring, which is kind of wide and doesn't leave much room on my finger for another ring. This ring turned out to be perfect, and at a really good price compared to a lot of white gold wedding bands. I even asked Emily if she could have it ready sooner than usual, and she finished it the same week I made my order. The ring came in its own box along with a purple drawstring pouch, which is perfect for keeping up with it the day we get married and storing it until then. The ring is very simple and sweet, and it fits with my engagement ring just like I wanted. I love the look of the hammered gold--I feel like my wedding band is really unique. It's so light and comfortable, I hardly notice I have it on. If you're looking for a pretty wedding band that you can easily leave on day after day, this is it.

missalix says:

beautiful ring, arrived quickly. thanks!

gemini1962 says:

Pretty and very light.

URNemesis108 says:

I am so proud of the rings that Emily makes! Emily is not only creative she is conscientious about making sure that everything comes out right. The Presentation is fabulous, The work is thrilling, and she even included a very thoughtful lagniappe for good measure. Everyone needs to see this shop and the lovely jewelry by Emily! I will be shopping with you again in future! A+++! ^_^

manema says:

Received as advertised. My wife loves it.

stormyweather says:

Beautiful bracelet, friendly service - made just how I wanted it!

goddessimho says:

The hoops were exactly as described and were shipped with special care. The package was insured by the seller and had a security tape so that I could tell if it had been opened in shipping. For these smaller valuable items this is a nice touch.

shellbelle484 says:

Perfect! Thanks!

aliciadawn says:

love these. the craftsmanship was incredible. I gave these as sets of three to my two dearest friends, so we have matching sets to wear. they were a tremendous hit. tears flowed. thank you for sharing your talent.

Bits N Bobs: Jewelry Haiku

My soldering station. Photo by Emily Wiser.

I'll probably live to regret "publishing" this poem, but we need to have fun while we can.

The pickle!

The pickle,
it burns my eyes, smells
like salt brine.

In the photo above, you can see my soldering station. That big crockpot is full of pickle. In the old days, jewelers used to clean their soldered metals in pickling solution--the same kind that was used to make pickles. Later, we moved to sulphuric acid. Now, the green jewelers are back to good old fashioned pickle--vinegar and salt.

The bricks are fire bricks. You can heat them and they won't break. The white pads are Solderite pads. The pill boxes hold bits of solder. I use the trivet with steel screen to enamel.

In the Studio: My Other Studio Cat

My adopted cat. She loves my studio. Photo by Emily Wiser.

My other studio cat is a real sweetie. Her name is Tabitha. We adopted her from a shelter in Chicago. She is blind in one eye from an infection when she was a stray. She is the gentlest cat ever, and she really loves being in my studio!

Bits N Bobs: Copper Pans

My bit of copper: Turquoise Enamelled Copper Heart Pendant. Pendant & Photo by Emily Wiser

I've been shopping for copper pots and pans, and I've found they are so expensive! I was quite shocked. $250 for a copper frying pan? I could make one for a lot less. I do have all the hammers I would need. It's pretty simple to make a copper frying pan (without handle), but it takes a lot of muscle and a lot of heat. Basically, you hammer until the copper is too tough, then you heat it to soften, then hammer again, and so on. Eventually, it takes the shape of a pan. It's slow going, but might make a good gift for the cook in your family.

Supplies:
1) A really big anvil with horn
2) Assorted smithing hammers
3) A really big blow torch
4) Safety glasses, hearing protecting, ibuprofin.

In the Studio: Enamelled Copper Pendants

Torch-fired blue enamel copper pendant on sterling silver chain. Pendant & photo by Emily Wiser.

I'm very happy to show you my new enamelled copper pendants! I've done a lot of research on torch-firing enamel (which is different from the traditional kiln firing). I've also done some experimenting, and I've finally come out with my new turquoise enamelled copper disc pendant on a sterling silver chain.

I'm very excited about torch-firing, and I plan to do a lot of experimenting with colors. I've read that one of the bonuses of torch-firing (as opposed to kiln firing) is that the colors are more "organic"--you get different colors depending on the type of fuel you use. You can even change colors a little bit if you break the rules and heat directly on the enamel. It promises to be a lot of fun!

A Yurt!

Crooked House. Copper, Brass, Patina, Lacquer. House & Photo by Emily Wiser

My instructor at my jewelry school mentioned in passing today that she had a pet sheep. Every year her sheep needed to be shorn. She didn't know what to do with all of that wool! She tried to give it away to the Kindergarten so the children could do crafts. It turned out that even the Kindergarten couldn't use a whole sheep's worth of wool every year! She began to make diamond and dyed felted jewelry, which I think sounds just fabulous. Then she told us that she finally got together with a friend and they took all those years' worth of wool and made a yurt (a traditional Mongolian house)! Imagine that! A fantastically dyed, bright purple and pink and red and orange yurt! I can't stop thinking about it. I really want to get my own pet sheep and make my own yurt.

While I'm slowly working on the yurt, you can see a photo of my own little portable house, which I made out of copper in the photo above. I've engraved every single bit of it with the nursery rhyme "The Crooked House."

Above & below: close-ups of my Crooked House. Photos & House by Emily Wiser.

School Starts

Wire-wrapped sterling silver & ruby briolette necklace. Necklace & photo by Emily Wiser.

I'm taking a Trade Practices class at Revere Academy in San Francisco. It's not a shop class. I get to sit down and rest for the whole class. It's a big change from working in the studio! It's a two-day class, and ends tomorrow. Gem setting is starting in February. It promises to be interesting.

My New Logo

I am very excited about my new logo, which I just designed. My two-year-old is in love with the moon, so I made a moon and stars logo, inspired by him!

Thank You To My Clients!

Peridot & Sterling Silver Stacking Ring Set. Rings & Photo by Emily Wiser

I just wanted to thank all of my wonderful clients. Without them, EmilyWiserJewelry would not exist.

Here are some highlights from my shop's feedback that make me so happy:

snapshotsunmade says:
delicate and pretty. I like that they are unique. thanks so much.

noanoa2 says:
Beautiful, simple and delicate! They will be an everyday favorite. I definitely recommend these!

terami says:
Thank you! These are perfect. x

claireroyer says:
Beautiful! Emily guided me on which stones to choose. Went with moonstone and mother of pearl. So pleased with the result. This is for a good friend's birthday. She is going to love it. Thanks again Emily!

sylviatbrink says:
I'm super happy with them! And thanks so much for the little present :-)

URNemesis108 says:
I love these rings! They are so dainty, And the joining and soldering are as good as invisible. I can tell that the artist really loves what she does, IT shows! Thank you for such wonderful work!

annieharry says:
got my rings today, they are gorgeous! can't wait to wear them, but i have to wait for christmas.

bonsaiguy75 says:
Beautiful crafstmanship, incredibly responsive to questions, and sent the products before the estimated timeframe. Definitely will recommend Emily to others!!

chicahot says:
Just perfect.

claireroyer says:
Love it!!! Stone is colorless and setting is simple yet elegant. Perfect for everday or dressing up. Emily's work is superb and customer service is top notch. Repeated happy customer who will definitely be back. Thank you!

hannahtodd says:
Amazing workmanship! Love the way this ring fits and looks. Very fast shipping

shillson says:
These topaz briolettes are absolutely stunning!

wanitten says:
Very delicate, sit comfortably - I hardly know I'm wearing them (some stacking rings don't sit as nicely). Great everyday look to honor my two boys.

checky1 says:
These are such beautiful rings! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I really love them, and they fit perfectly:) Your work is extraordinary!

ghanagyrl says:
Absolutely gorgeous rings! They arrived in a beautiful package, and once I tried them on...I never wanted to take them off. I am saving up my money to buy the same style in rose gold. I love them!

terami says:
I love my ring! It arrived quickly and is exactly what I hoped it would be. Emily is a great seller and I would definitely buy from her again.

denasiegert says:
Beautiful workmanship and great contact.

Soldering Fun

Silver solder chips on firebrick. Photo by Emily Wiser.

Soldering sterling silver is a fun process. Above, I've taken a photo of one of my firebricks. I put sterling rings on the firebrick, heat the ring, then melt one of the silver solder chips you see in the photo. The solder balls up, and I can pick it up with my pick and drop it onto the ring. At the very end, you get a beautiful sterling silver stacking ring (see below).

Sterling silver stacking ring. Ring & photo by Emily Wiser.

My Studio During Christmas Rush

I thought I might entertain you with a photo of my studio during Christmas rush season. Everyone is ordering and much jewelry to make! Yay! In the photo above, you see an engraving ball, which holds pieces while you engrave them. The orange ear muffs are hearing protection. You can get constant ringing in your ears and deafness from the high-pitched ping of the silversmith's hammer. The red handle above it is a jeweler's saw. This saw is primo! I love it. The round steel objects are mandrels.

$15 Credit Winners for FB Fanpage Give-Away!

Sterling Silver Stacking Ring $10. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

Shannon Szostek, Kathleen Boylan, and Kelly Price Tanner are the lucky fans who have each won a $15 credit (and free shipping) from my etsy shop: http://emilywiserjewelry.etsy.com . The jewelry must be shipped directly to you, and you have six months to use your credit! So, stop by shop and pick out your goodies by MAY 1, 2011! Thank you so much to everyone for entering!