Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Silicon Valley Open Studios
Friday, May 6, 2011
Triple Layered Flower Charm / Pendant with Lab Yellow Sapphire
My previous post described a two layer flower charm created with precious metal clay. After making the two layer flower it occurred to me that the flower would look better with a third layer add ed to the flower. this charm is created with three flower cutouts that have been formed over different sized forms until dry and then joined. A 2mm yellow sapphire forms the center of the flower.
o see more detailed pictures or to purchase this earrings go to Triple Layered Flower Charm / Pendant with Lab Yellow Sapphire.
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Fine Silver & Lavender Cubic Zirconia Flower Charm
One of the nice things about Precious Metal Clay (PMC) is the ability to form it while its in its wet state. Once the clay dries, it maintains its form. To make this charm, the wet clay is cut and then formed over a circular form. Once dry, the two pieces are joined and then the clay is carved to hold the cubic zirconia.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this earrings go to Small Flower Charm / Pendant with Lavender Cubic Zirconia.
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Simple Moonstone Earrings for Summer
April has been a busy month so far. At San Jose Made, a woman mentioned that it would be nice to have smaller versions of my diamond / shield and round / shield earrings. Since i have been thinking in that direction, I created these earrings. The PMC is impressed with a flower pattern and then mounted 5mm moonstone cabochons at the center.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this earrings go to Round Flower Impressed Fine Silver Earrings with Moonstone Cabochon
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Carnelian is for Summer
How is this for literal? I saw this small cookie cutter in the shape of a sun and couldn't resist using it to make a pendant. The pendant is made of PMC. At the center of the pendant is a lovely, intense 8mm carnelian cabochon.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this earrings go to
Fine Silver & Carnelian Sun Pendant. For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Summertime Carnelian Earrings
I love intensely colored carnelian. The beautiful deep orange color reminds me of the heat of summer. The earrings are made of Fine Silver (PMC). The stone is mounted using a pre-made bezel which has been fired with the PMC. The carnelians are 5mm cabochons.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this earrings go to
Fine Silver and Carnelian Earrings. For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio
San Jose Made was a Success
I think its a great idea that a community supports its local artisans. Go San Jose Made.
For jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Fine Silver Lentil Bead with Iolite & Green Pearl Necklace
Continuing with the blue-green-purple theme of the last few days, we have this lovely iolite and green pearl necklace with a fine silver lentil focal bead. The lentil bead has been impressed with a butterfly wing pattern and patinated with liver of sulphur. The patination has a steely blue cast. The bead is wire wrapped with a large gauge sterling silver wire.
The necklace is made of green button pearls and iolite beads which are strung on a SoftFlex wire that is attached to the wire wrapped lentil bead.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this pendant go to
Butterfly Wing Lentil Bead Necklace with Iolite and Pearl. For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio
San Jose Made Market is this Sat;urday
Location: San Pedro Square
151 W. Santa Clara Street
65 N. San Pedro Street
If you're in San Jose stop by.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Iolite & Amethyst Amphora Necklace
The amphora in this necklace was made using PMC slip, paper, clay and syringe. A form was created from wood clay. The form was then covered with about 8 layers of PMC slip. Handles were added with PMC clay. Scraps of PMC paper were applied to the amphora and the decoration was completed with PMC syringe. After firing, the amphora was patinated with liver of sulphur to achieve the bluish tone.
To complement the blue tones in the amphora i created 2 wire wrapped chains. The first chain consists of small faceted iolite beads. The second chain combines iolite with the purple of amethyst.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this pendant go to
Blue Amphora Necklace with Iolite and Amethyst Chain
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Recent Work - Lapis Lazuli & Chrysoprase Ring
I love it when i have time to work on rings and combine this with stones. I love stones and I particularly love combinations in the green - blue - violet spectrum. This ring was made with PMC. I created the ring band and let it dry. Once dry, i mounted the fine silver bezels to the clay and applied some syringe decoration around the bezels and to the ring. After firing the ring, it was tumbled and patinated with liver of sulphur. I then mounted two 5mm lapis lazuli cabochons and one 8mm chrysoprase cabochon in the ring.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to
Chrysoprase & Lapis Lazuli Fine Silver Ring
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Three Metal Jens Pind Bracelet
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to Three Metal Jens Pind Bracelet
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or studio.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Bold & Classic - Jens Pind & Pearl Bracelet
The Jens Pind chain mail pattern is one of my favorite chain mail patterns. This bracelet is made of handmade 14 gauge jump rings which are linked together to form this bold pattern chain. Jens Pind is a classic, contemporary, bold and elegant pattern. To add to its timeless appeal, the bracelet is closed with a pearl box clasp.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to Sterling Silver Jens Pind Bracelet with Pearl Clasp.
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Dreamin of a Hot Sunny Day - Copper Panel Bracelet
This bracelet is made from copper clay. Copper Clay is similar to Precious Metal Clay in that it is made up of very fine metal particles mixed with an organic binder. However, unlike Precious Metal Clay, Copper Clay must be fired in an oxygen free environment. To achieve this environment, this clay is fired in a lidded container filled with carbon pellets. This can be a messy process, but the end result is lovely.
The panels in this bracelet were laid on a curved surface to dry. Once fired, the panels maintain the curve to help the panels follow the curve of your wrist.
I particularly like the pattern impressed in this bracelet. It reminds me of a hot sunny day. The center of the pattern is a circle with four rays. The rest of the pattern radiates from the center. Dreaming of that hot sunny day...
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this bracelet go to Copper Panel Bracelet. For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Fine Silver Nest Ring
I love making rings, even though I don't make too many. Rings can be as simple as a plain band or over the top mini-sculptures. The nest ring leans more towards the later. This particular ring is made of Precious Metal Clay. I created a form to use for the creation of the nest and formed the clay around it. Once dried, i finished the green ware and then added the "eggs". The "eggs" are made of PMC. I create d the spheres as a means to use any leftover small bits of clay. Once dry, the nest is attached to the band, finished and fired. I tumbled the ring to give it strength and left it a shiny silver.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this ring go to Fine Silver Nest Ring.
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Time to Start My Garden - Peridot Wire Wrapped Necklace
Peridot Wire Wrapped Necklace
I started rototilling my vegetable garden this morning. I love being able to go out to my garden and pick fresh vegetables. I am featuring this lovely peridot necklace today because its lovely green color reminds me of spring and its the august birthstone, the peak of tomato season.
The necklace is made of faceted peridot rondelles, two joined together in single wire wrapped link. The links are joined with sterling silver jump rings. The necklace is 18" long and closes with a magnetic clasp.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this necklace go to Peridot Wire Wrapped Necklace
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
A Cold Morning in San Jose
There was a lot of press here in San Jose about the possibility of snow on the ground, the first time since 1976. I don't know if I'm happy or sad that we didn't have any snow when i woke up this morning. I grew up in the midwest where we had plenty of snow. This wire wrapped necklace reminds me of the colors that can be seen in the sparkle of the snow. 12mm white coin pearls have been wire wrapped and joined with jump rings to form this 16" long necklace.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this necklace go to
White Pearl Wire Wrap Necklace
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Reversible Fine Sliver Leaf Pendant.
This lovely pendant is also reversible. The front of the pendant shows is a leaf texture with applied PMC syringe and a fine silver ball for decoration. The back is a lace texture and applied fine silver ball for decoration. The pendant is approximately 1 3/8" long by 1/4" wide.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this pendant go to
Fine Silver Leaf Pendant
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Fine Silver Leaf & Labradorite Necklace
This is a lovely Labradorite, Pearl and Fine Silver necklace. The focal point of the necklace is a leaf that is made from fine silver (PMC). The leaf is made by using PMC slip, a version of PMC that has been diluted with water. When painted on an object, such as a leaf, and then fired, a replica of the original form remains. The necklace is highlighted with sterling silver beads and a lovely labradorite and sterling silver box clasp. The necklace is between 15 1/2" and 16" long.
To purchase this necklace or see more pictures, go to Fine Silver Leaf with Pearl and Labradorite Necklace
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Leaf Panel Bracelet
Here in San Jose, CA, the buds are starting to swell, plum trees are flowering and leaves are opening. This bracelet is made of PMC. Each panel has been embossed with a different leaf or bark pattern. Several panels have applied leaf decoration to further the leaf motif. The bracelet closes with a custom toggle to integrate into the bracelet. The bracelet is 1 3/8" wide by 7 3/8" long and weights approximately 56 grams. The panels are connected with sterling silver jump rings. The bracelet has been patinated with liver of sulpher. The patination process was stopped once hints of blue were achieved. The bracelet's length can be reduced by removing rings from the toggle portion of the clasp.
To see more detailed pictures or to purchase this bracelet go to
Fine Silver Leaf Texture Panel Bracelet
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Heart & Cherry Quartz Earrings
This is a cute pair of valentines day earrings. A small dotted heart hangs from a wire wrapped cherry quartz coin bead. The earrings hang 1 7/8" from the top of the ear wire.
To purchase these earrings go to Heart & Cherry Quartz Earrings
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to: website or
studio.
More Valentines Jewelry can be found at
Valentine's Day Jewelry
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Amethyst Chain Dangle Earrings
February's birthstone is amethyst. These stylish earrings have a beautiful diamond shaped wire-wrapped amethyst briolette hanging from a sterling silver chain. Simple and lovely.
To purchase these earrings go to Amethyst Chain Dangle Earrings
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
More amethyst jewelry can be found at Amethyst Jewelry
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Lemon Quartz Necklace
Wow! Does this necklace say spring or what? Lemon quartz has such a beautiful pale yellow color. This necklace consists of a large 1 1/8" by 1/2" faceted lemon quartz nugget that has been mounted in a fine silver (PMC) bezel, accented with 5mm garnet cabochon. This piece is strung with with alternating 8.5mm and 4mm faceted lemon quartz beads to complement the focal point. The large beads are capped with small sterling silver bead caps. The necklace is finished with a sterling silver and lemon quartz box clasp.
The pendant hangs 1 3/8" from the body of the necklace. The necklace is approximately 16 1/2" long.
To purchase this necklace go to Lemon Quartz Necklace
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Make a Statement for Spring - Featured Item February 3, 2011
Make a statement for spring. This is a lovely, bold necklace made of many different stones. The necklace is made of ocean jasper, pineapple quartz, green quartz, amber, glass, abalone, sterling silver, agate, chrysoprase, jade, base metal and Peruvian opal. The colors of the stones are pale greens and golden browns which can transition the necklace from spring to fall. The colors remind me of a field of wheat throughout the season.
To purchase this necklace go to Multistrand Springtime Stone Bead Necklace
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's website or
studio.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Fine Silver Layered Heart Pendant - Featured Item February 2, 2011
Just in time for Valentines day. This is a lovely heart pendant with an Chinese twist. The pendant consists of two layers, a background layer and a top layer which shows an Chinese market scene. The pendant is made of Precious Metal Clay and hangs from two jump rings.
To purchase this pendant go to
Fine Silver Layered Heart Pendant
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to: website or
studio.
More Valentines Jewelry can be found at
Valentine's Day Jewelry
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Prehnite Dangle Chain Earrings - January 22, 2011
This simple pair of earrings is perfect for spring. The prehnite briolettes hanging from the chain have a lovely spring green color. To purchase these earrings go to
Prehnite Dangle Chain Earrings
For more jewelry by Prairie Willow go to: website or
studio.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Turquoise and Coral Choker - Featured Item January 19, 2011
Get ready for summer!
This is a lovely turquoise and coral choker. This necklace is perfect for a casual day out or a day hanging at the beach. The necklace consists of 3 coral barrel beads separated by rough turquoise disks for that casual look. To purchase this necklace, go to Prairie Willow Jewelry @ ArtFirer
To see more jewelry from Prairie Willow go to Prairie Willow's Website.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Copper Washer Bracelet - Featured Item January, 16 2011
Here is the copper washer bracelet to match the graduated copper washer necklace and the copper washer earrings. Each washer is embossed with a different leaf texture. This bracelet was made with copper clay. Each washer was individually cut from an embossed sheet of clay, fired in my kiln and joined with handmade copper jump rings. To purchase this bracelet go to
Prairie Willow Jewelry @ ArtFire
For more on Prairie Willow Jewelry visit Prairie Willow's website or follow on Facebook.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Large Copper Washer Earrings - Featured Item January 13, 2011
This pair of copper earrings matches the necklace from
January 11, 2011 The washer is about 1" in diameter and has an impressed leaf pattern. These will look great against a summer tan. These earrings can be purchased at
Prairie Willow Jewelry
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Graduated Copper Washer Necklace - Featured Item January 11, 2011
Do you like copper? I love the lovely warm orange and brown tones of copper. If you love copper, then this is a necklace to get you noticed. This necklace was made with copper clay. Each washer was individually cut from an embossed sheet of clay. For this necklace, I chose to use leaf or leaf like patterns. After the rings were cut, they were fired in my kiln and connected with copper jump rings to form the necklace. The necklace is 16 1/4" long. The necklace can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry.
See more at Prairie Willow's Website.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Classic Byzantine Chain in Copper & Silver - Featured Item February 9, 2011
This is a lovely, classic chain in the byzantine chain mail pattern. To add spark, copper jump rings are used to accentuate the center portion of the chain. The chain is 16 1/2" long and about 3/16" in diameter. This necklace works well for both casual and dressy wear. This necklace can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Leaf Textured Ring with Syringe Decoration - January 8, 2011
This ring has been embossed with a leaf pattern around the entire band. A PMC sphere was mounted as the center point of the ring and then embellished with PMC syringe. After firing, the ring was patinated with liver of sulphur. The patination process was stopped when the ring achieved blue and magenta tones. This ring can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Getting Ready for Spring - Chrysoprase Necklace
Chrysoprase & Black Onyx Triple Strand Necklace
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Fine Silver (PMC) & Cubic Zirconia Leaf Pendant - Featured Item January 5, 2011
This pendant is a free-form PMC syringe leaf. To make this pendant, the pPMC syringe is laid down over a pencil sketch of a leaf. Once dry, the PMC is finished. I then created a tube set Cubic Zirconia and attached it to the leaf. The leaf was then fired, tumbled and patinated. I stopped the patination process when the bronze color was achieved. That color seemed right for a leaf. The pendant can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
PMC Upside-down Shield Earrings - January 4, 2011
This is a simple pair of Fine Silver earrings. The earrings are made of PMC which has been embossed with a spiral pattern. The earrings have been patinated with liver of sulpher to bring out the pattern and finally, tumbled to a high shine. These earrings can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry
Monday, January 3, 2011
Argentium Sterling Silver Jens Pind Necklace - Featured Item January 3, 2011
A change of pace today. This lovely necklace is in the Jens Pind chainmail pattern. How it got that name, I do not know. It is a lovely bold pattern with a contemporary feel. The links in the chain are made from 16 gauge Argentium Sterling Silver. Argentium Sterling Silver is a proprietary alloy that resists tarnish. It contains the same proportion of Silver as sterling silver. It is the alloy components that are different. Sterling contains 7.5% copper which is what causes the tarnish in sterling silver. Argentium Sterling Silver replaces some of the copper with germanium. This increases the tarnish resistance of the metal. To purchase, go to
Prairie Willow Jewelry
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Fine Silver (PMC) Amphora with Iolite & Amethyst - Featured Item January 2, 2011
This necklace combines multiple PMC techniques with wire wrap jewelry techniques. The amphora is made by brushing PMC paste over a handmade form, until there was enough clay to create a stable form. Handles were made by taking a thin snake of PMC clay and attaching it to the clay form. Once the handles were dry, PMC syringe and a cubic zirconia were used to decorate the amphora. The amphora was then fired. The handmade core burns away in the firing process. The piece was tumbled to strengthen the metal. I then used liver of sulpher to create the patina. THe chain consists of two wire wrap chains and one commercial chain which was patinated to coordinate with the amphora. To bring out the blue and purple tones of the patination, the wire wrap chains were made with iolite and amethyst. This necklace can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Fine Silver Garnet & Pearl Earrings, Featured Item January 1, 2011
This lovely pair of chandelier earrings uses a couple of different techniques. The base of the earrings is made of precious metal clay. A manufactured prong setting was attached to the clay while still wet. Once dry, holes were drilled in each corner of the diamond. This piece was fired. After firing, a 5mm faceted garnet was mounted Using wire wrap techniques, the pearl and garnet dangles were created and attached to the earrings. Finally, the earrings were hung from ear wires. These earrings can be purchased at Prairie Willow Jewelry