Erika Price Jewellery

18/09/2024

Challenge No 7 Earrings
Now SOLD 💕⁣

What is your favourite colour combination? I have so many, it's difficult to choose, but caramel and cappucino colours teamed with shades of blue will always be high on my list!

This is my second entry in the September Colour Challenge in The Very Nice Group on Facebook, made especially for the event. The colours in these one-of-a-kind wearable art earrings include watery teal and pale blue, crusty ivory, creamy coffee and pale brown, teamed with copper and bronze, and they are shown here together with the photo that inspired them.

Do you like browns and blues together?

Love,
Erika 💖💖💖

07/09/2024

Challenge No 4 Earrings
Now SOLD 💕⁣

At some point this spring my creative mojo went AWOL - has that ever happened to you?

Being a procrastinating perfectionist doesn't help, but the pressure of meeting deadlines - from my jewellery business and for diploma project submissions - finally got to me. Guess soul just needed a break and, in truth, various more appealing distractions were beckoning - including playing in a band and (best of all!) watching my little grandson develop.

It's been a long time since I made any new wearable art pieces, as I'd gone back to my silversmithing roots and for most of the past two years concentrated on creating fine silver, gold and gemstone jewellery. But even that had stalled over the summer.

Then a couple of days ago I spotted a September Colour Challenge happening this weekend in one of my favourite Facebook groups (The Very Nice Group) and organised by Lindsay Philipson. One of the photos she had chosen for the Challenge set lightbulbs off in my head, and sparked a flame that has been absent for many months.

Feeling inspired, I cleared a space on my bench, dug out a large pile of materials in suitable colours and textures, and made a new pair of wearable art earrings for the Challenge. Due to too much faffing, and being so out of practice, they took the best part of a day to make and midnight oil burning was necessary before they were finally finished. Felt a little nervous posting them in the group last night, but the response was absolutely amazing! I woke this morning to find reams of wonderful compliments, and was amazed to discover they had sold straight away (and I hadn't even priced them!)

Perhaps my mojo wasn't AWOL after all, just buried beneath pressure of work and a pile of to-do lists!

Anyway, here are the earrings, together with the photo that inspired them. Do let me know what you think!

Love,
Erika 💖💖💖

04/09/2024

Have you ever broken a favourite jewellery tool?

The other day I wrecked my favourite, much-loved flush cutters by mistake - a pair of RX 8152 cutters. My records show they cost the princely sum of £48 way back in October 2010 - replacements for my original RX 8152s, ruined in a similar accidental encounter with steel wire 🙃.

How amazing is that? These cutters survived almost 14 years of daily use, and show what fantastic value beautifully-made, professional precision tools really are - IF you look after them. Although not easy to find in the UK, all the tools in the RX range are well worth searching out. In addition to the cutters, I have several sets of pliers from the range and they are all superb quality.

So buying like for like replacements was a no-brainer, though I almost fainted at the cost - now almost double the price of the old ones. Thank goodness for credit cards - especially as sales of my jewellery are unusually slow at the moment!

My new cutters arrived this morning, and I'm a happy bunny again. I simply can't make jewellery without them - they feel great in the hand, and cut like a dream. Just keep them away from ferrous metals, ok?! And no, this is not a sponsored post and I'm not gaining anything by saying nice things about them. This is my own, honest and entirely biased opinion based on many years of using these awesome tools. But yes, I do confess to being a bit of a tool nerd 😉

What's your favourite jewellery tool? Let me know in the comments!

08/08/2024

Good Morning
Our Member of the Day is Price Jewellery
https://pcg.procraftersguild.com/directory/erika-price-artisan-jewellery/

26/05/2024

The squirrels 🐿️🐿️🐿️ around here are certainly resourceful in their determination to steal the food I put out for all the birds that visit our garden. The blighters have even worked out how to open one of our "squirrel proof" feeders. The bars are too close together for a fat squirrel to wriggle through, but the other day I caught one culprit with his entire body stuck down the tube after he somehow got the lid off and climbed down to reach his prize. So I padlocked the lid, and this morning we watched a squirrel frantically trying to pull the padlock off! Wonder how long it will be before he works out the combination - or breaks the entire feeder?! 🤣🤣🤣

02/05/2024

30/04/2024

Setting a crystal in a 9ct gold and recycled sterling silver ring

How would you wear this? On its own or as a stacking ring?

This is the ring I was working on yesterday, which I've finished tidying and am now setting the stone. Eventually decided on a clear crystal - I think the sparkle really brings out the yellow of the 9ct gold and the contrast to the silver of the band! 🙃

What do you think? Do let me know in the comments!

Erika
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29/04/2024

Making a dainty 9ct gold and recycled sterling silver ring

Do you like your rings dainty or chunky? All silver, all gold, or a bit of both?

Now back in my little workshop again after a rejuvenating break in the sun, and happily hunkered down against the cold and rain outside - returning to British weather was rather a shock to the system!

Working on this dainty recycled sterling silver ring, onto which I've soldered a 9ct gold tube. I plan to set a little stone in the tube, but am undecided whether to use a coloured or clear stone. Will probably leave that until tomorrow, but before then there's some cleaning up and filing to do! 🙃

What colour stone would you choose for this one? Let me know in the comments!

Erika
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11/04/2024

Wax Gem Set Ring 💍

Do you prefer chunky or dainty rings? I'd love to know what you think?

I tend to wear dainty rings, but I've hand carved this one for a guy who wants a simple but heavy and chunky silver ring. It's now ready to be cast in recycled sterling silver by a professional casting company, using a process known as lost wax casting. Once it comes back from the caster I'll set the gemstone in the centre. Watch this space! 😉

Have you tried wax carving and, if so, did you enjoy the process?

Erika
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10/04/2024

Recycled sterling silver bracelet

Do you think I should add charms to this, or leave it as is? Let me know in the comments!

This one-of-a-kind chain bracelet was entirely handmade by me in recycled sterilng silver. Every link is individually shaped and soldered, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out! 😁

If you would like me to make you a similar piece, simply send me a message with your details and requirements!

Erika
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09/04/2024

Making a recycled sterling silver locket, part 2

Would you wear a one of a kind 🐈 locket?

So, the locket is now all soldered and ready to be cleaned up in the pickle. Next steps will be to thread a length of silver wire through the tubes and create a riveted hinge, and then I'll add a catch before polishing. Once it's finished, this will be sent off to Edinburgh for assaying, before being despatched to it's new home 🙃

If you would like a custom-handmade solid silver locket, do please send me a message

Erika
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