Bird a week challenge and another ring

I have been a bit late posting this, my bird for last week.  This is because they were waiting for me to complete enough beads to run an annealing programmed in my kiln.  This is a bit risky as it is better to put the beads into a warm kiln and straight on to anneal.  Anyway, they did survive. It is quite a long time since I made any bird beads and they are a little strange.

My ring for last week is in faux bone, coloured with alcohol inks.  This is inspired by some examples of 1960s modernist pieces and was really made to work out how long it would take to saw, file and finish.  I am planning to do this as a class later this year.

Here is my bird for this week. I feel a bit happier with the overall shape of this one, it is a bit more balanced as a bead although I did marver the 'wing' flatter on one side than on the other.  I think I need to get a bit more bead making time into my weekly schedule! 

Bird on the hand

Here is my bird and my ring for this week.  Again it is hollow, constructed in art clay silver with a steel screw embedded so that it can be fixed into this ring.  I made a sketch of an idea for a ring with a bird during 2009 but have not had a chance to go back and play around with the idea until now.  This one is interchangeable and it has a small jade bead as a spacer.  I am really enjoying the challenge but know that over the next few weeks it will be difficult to keep up.  It will be a good chance to go back to sketching ideas though

See some of the others from the Bird a Week group here

New schedule of classes

I have spent a long time today updating my website to show details of the classes I offer in a slightly clearer way and in more detail. It is quite satisfying to be able to do this, a few years ago I was very resistant to the idea of managing my own website but now, with much better designs of templates available, I enjoy being able to take control of this aspect of my work and business. This site is just about courses I offer www.lynne-glazzard.co.uk


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Birds and rings

I have finished two more Bird rings for both the Bird a week and the Ring a week challenges.  These are created using Faux Bone, a lovely material to use and to wear.  I was intending to tint the one above but after leaving it for a few days realised that I like the clarity of form so have left it un-coloured.

This 3rd one is also in Faux Bone with art clay silver flower bud and bird attached.  The flower bud also has a small orange cz set into the top of it.  The faux bone is stained using alcohol inks.  I may have to take these pictures again as I was struggling with the light and seem to have given them an odd colour cast.

Ring a week challenge

I decided to join the Ring a Week challenge before I found out about the Bird a week mentioned in my previous post.  I didn't get off to the best start with this challenge and haven't made any rings since last Spring.  I began a ring and seem to have mislaid it so had to start again, anyway, decided to start simple so here is my first ring of the set.

It is sterling silver round wire, soldered and hammered

Bird a week challenge

I have joined the Bird a Week challenge on flickr set up by Ruth Baillee


The link was sent to me by my good friend Joy Funnell who knows I have been using bird motifs in my work from time to time.  This is a good chance for me to go back to some of my earlier ideas and try and develop them a bit more fully.

Here is my first design although looking at it I don't think I quite have the balance right yet.  

Beaded bracelet

I am working on some large beads for a bracelet at the moment, bit by bit building these kind of spool shapes. It is good to be working properly and in a focused way.

Happy New Year

Here's hoping 2011 is a positive and creative year!



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