Welcome Back Old Friends and New !!

  A little update , or as little as I can make it ,lol. We have been gone a long time !
But we're here, and will be showing you more and more new items,including the launch of our new "Home" Items made by Stephen Sloan. 

 I was in a car wreck July 2016 , which left me with severe neck issues which were already compromised by degenerative disc disease. Mom (Carol) Broke her sacrum (yes,she really did) two years ago Christmas. She also has DDD in her neck! It is genetic. We have been healing and in therapy since. But we are back at our benches , and will be showing new product weekly.

 We are really excited to bring you a new addition to our line.Turquoise Rayn Home. My husband Stephen is a Master Carpenter and Designer too. They are Rustic and full of charm. We'll be adding his pieces to the mix as well. 

 Our Etsy store is on Hiatus, but will soon be loaded with beautiful OOAK pieces.
You can ask me for pricing in the meantime by sending me a message here - www.turquoiserayn.yahoo.com or through our Instagram page here- here  https://www.instagram.com/turquoiserayn/. Please note I am building all the sites up one by one. We'll be up and running before you know it.

 So happy to be here again. I hope you will enjoy the new items. As well, I always like to share
my favorite artist's and their design's, recipes,what ever I find interesting that I might share.
Fall will be here before you know it. Festival times will be posted too,as we enter into our busy season.

 Thanks for stopping by, can't wait to here from you! Blessings, Love & Light, Jennifer

Welcome to the Final Chapter of Cherrie & Curt, "A Love Story"....

Oh my goodness, what a joyful journey! But, as with all jewelry designs...the are finished,and you pack them up, and your baby is delivered to it's new home. Before I finish this beautiful ending, (or beginning as the case may be), of Cherrie & Curt's Story, I want to share with you the last steps of the Necklace fabrication process. So let's begin...

THE CHAIN

In the last blog we finished the pendant and now it's time to make the hand wrought chain!
Making a continuous coil enables me to make all of the links the same size. A good old wooden dowel does the trick. Thank goodness my husband is a carpenter so I can go rob him of his leftovers! You can see what the coil looks like behind the dowel. I the place tape on one side of  the coil, which helps keep the coil stable when I saw it into jump rings.

 

And here are the jump rings. All ready to be soldered together.

I joined all the links to one end of the already made clasp. Now I will solder the joins one at a time.Then I  will texturize them, which also work hardens the metal, and gives them a great look. You will see the end result at the end of this blog.

                                                                  
                                                                      THE BEADS

After finishing the chain. I moved on to the hand made beads. With Sterling Sheet in the Disc Cutter and my trusty ball peen hammer (I DO NOT use my good hammers on whacking jobs, haha) which gives I nice dead blow to the disc cutter. I made 4 beads in 2 sizes. 

The disc that will become the bead.

The discs have been stamped.I have a repeating stamp pattern on the bezel strip,clasp & beads.
After the stamping is finished I dome the discs. Then find the center and punch the middle for the stringing holes.

 

After placing the discs together with solder chips placed inside just so, I drive my T-pin into the holes to keep them together. I invested in this very cool Heetrix station last year...it allows me to spin while soldering, keeping my heat nice and even allowing my solder to flow. How did I ever live without it?

And Ta Da... the beads fully soldered. Now time to clean them up,and get them ready for patina.

                                                         THE FINISHED PARTS

Here are all the finished parts ready for  their patina and assembly. Pictured are more Nevada Candelaria Turquoise Cabochons  from the same Old Stock. Cabs are from Etsy's "Lost Sierra Stones" cut by Artist Terry Williams. He and Richard make one heck of team, and know their Rocks!! I am proud to call them my friends! And very lucky to get such extraordinary stones!

FINALE'

At last! The finished the necklace! The patina is a wonderful Gun Metal Finish. This allows me to highlight the high spots, and keeping the rich dark color in the texture and stamping. I have to tell you, when I finished ,  I cried! And as my nearest and dearest read this, they are all shaking their heads yes. Jen gets so emotional. In this case, a true labor of love. And it was a beautiful creative partnership. Curt and I agreed , we don't remember  having so much fun!

Close up and personal !!

Like a natural leaf in it's natural state, I wanted to show imperfections to make it realistic.

The hammered, textured, and stamped chain, clasp and beads.

You want your back to be as pretty as the front !!

        
             AND THEN THERE WAS THE NEED FOR A BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY BOX !

As I was finishing the necklace, I got the idea for a jewelry box. So I  asked Curt if he would mind if I asked my husband Stephen to make it, and he love the idea. So as the box was being designed and made, I wanted to add a very personal note from Curt to Cherrie...and he gladly obliged. So I made a copper plate, textured it, and then stamped the beautiful saying. From what Curt told me, it was very sentimental and Cherrie would understand the meaning.  I stamped the words..... "Fairy Tales Do Come True" and stamped them in a "not so perfect" fairy tale way. Learning from a First Nations Elder... you always leave an imperfection or flaw, to remind yourself that you are not perfect...and  always learning and growing our spiritual selves. Nice.

One of my favorite tools. My Foredom Belt Sander attachment...gives me freedom to file perfectly. Hand finishing comes last, then ready for Patina.

                                      AND HERE IS THE FINISHED JEWELRY BOX !!

Stephen made this from repurposing a felled Cedar Tree on our property. Mother Nature took her down, but
Stephen gave her a second life. She will  now live forever. 

I also use Metal Clay in my work, and I had this beautiful letter "C" that I just finished firing in my kiln. It was laying there staring at me, and I thought "PERFECT!" I gave it to Stephen and now Cherrie has her initial in copper on top of the box. Made a nice touch.

Here is the plate finished and mounted on the inside of the box.

I have to thank Stephen for putting his heart into making this gorgeous box. He left it natural for the most part, and it was the perfect home for the necklace. I wanted to make sure the necklace was well cushioned, so Stephen cut a nice supple piece of tanned deer leather to lay in the bottom.

Ahhhh....Home at last! Praying they love it !!

                                                               AND ...THEY DID!!

And here are my precious Curt & Cherrie Clarke. A love made in Heaven. They waited a very long time to find each other, but with Divine Intervention, they did!  We delivered the necklace to their gorgeous home. Did I mention, that Cherrie is also an Artist in her own right, and they both love to decorate and create. I have to tell you, they are very talented! Their Home is soon to be in a magazine. How exciting and deserving !!
After we got settled and started talking, they shared more of their story. And then Curt made a very profound statement...and I hope I remembered it correctly...
 "God was busy making them ready for each other, it just took awhile."
Then Cherrie opened the box.
Happily,they loved the package that we delivered (She is wearing the necklace in the picture),and of course with all the emotion tied up in making it...my tears spilled. What an amazing gift God has given to us all.
I am thankful everyday for meeting them both. I am in awe of them both. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for allowing me into their beautiful lives. The "Necklace" was more than a piece of jewelry, it was a spiritual journey. I learned so much about myself, a gift in itself.  The end result ? Well, I don't think there is and ending here...we gained a friendship that feels as if we have always known each other, and Curt & Cherrie will continue to live, laugh & love.... because...

"Fairy Tales Really Do Come True."

 

                                           Welcome to Part Four of "A Love Story",

  On Valentine's Day, I shared part of Curt and Cherrie's  Love Story, their wedding.
What a joy to print a real live "Fairy Tail". In a world of trouble and turmoil, there are still
shining examples of love and beauty.

 In this segment, I am wanted you to see the the pendent all the way to the polish. Although, it does not yet have it's patina, and the stone is yet to be set. I have to say, this was a real challenge ! One I have truly enjoyed.

Here are the pictures of the final stages of the pendant . In the next Blog, you will see how I made  hand stamped, hand fabricated bench beads, and chain. But for now, take a peek below.


Here is the leaf. My objective was to turn it into a 3D sculpture.And when I saw the leaf's plain surface, it just didn't add up. Leaves have dimension and texture, this one needed to come to life!
I then used a straight line stamp. Next, annealing the metal so I can conform it to the pendant.

After annealing the leaf to soften the metal and start forming the 3D image, I then have to solder this baby to the pendant. Leaving plenty of room to set the stone later.

And here we have it! It's not pickled yet so the oxidation is still present. But you can see were the stone will slide
under the leaf when ready to set.

I have cleaned it up a bit, and decided the end or tip of the leaf, needed to be curled. It was a bit pointy, and I didn't want Cherrie to catch it on anything.



And here she is! I have given the leaf's edges have a more realistic shape. I made tiny textured impressions, like a leaf's natural surface. And have polished it until it gleams. It will be oxidized a gunmetal finish with lots of light polished highlights,and tumbled for strength when all is said and done. And that my friends, you will see in the end result.


Next time, we'll visit the handmade bench beads and chain...I can't believe we're coming to a close, but I can't wait to see it around Cherrie's neck! See you soon! God Bless, Jen


P.S.... I wanted you all to see my Valentine Gifts I made for my girls....of course when you have as many as I do, You have to add initials !!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! 

Today, I dedicate the entire Blog to anyone who thinks that true love has eluded them!

I thought about posting more pictures of the Pendant, and trust me you will see the progress in the coming days, I promise. But instead I asked Curt if he would share a little more about he and Cherrie's Love Story.

Curt and Cherrie "ELOPED",( yes you read it right) ,to New Orleans (and yes, we are all jealous now ),

and were married in front of the Fountain at "The Court Of Two Sister's". Sigh. Yes, I do believe my little Blog is no match for a book that must be written on "How to be the most romantic couple ...ever !! "

Curt wrote the most beautiful thing. His version of a wonderful song we all love... "God Blessed the Broken Road that led me straight to her." Are you all hugging your kleenex box now? How many times I have performed that song in weddings over the years. But I have to say, it now has a whole new meaning. 

Then Curt sent me one last picture with his own words attached.....

"Shortly thereafter we left for the City of Light and Love."

Now that's a Honeymoon! Can this story get any better.You will have to tune into the Blog to see.

I thank Curt and Cherrie for sharing their story.They inspire us all, especially today.I wish you all a 

Blessed Valentine's Day. And remember, sometimes we have to wait for our "Someone", 

but as you have read above, Miracles do happen.

God Bless, Jen

Welcome to Part Two of "A Love Story"...

   In the first segment I shared Curt & Cherrie's story,and the initial design process, that started with a Fabulous "Old Stock" Cabochon of Nevada "Blue Boy Mine"Candelaria Turquoise. In Second Segment ,  I start fabricating the metal into 3D! This is where Magic starts to happen.Please take a look!

In order to give the customer an idea of actual size, I make the sketches to scale with the actual stone.
I'm afraid I am probably still living in the dark ages by some jeweler's standards. Today, many use the CAD/CAM
computer program to design, and that's wonderful, but for me, I was a doodler first. As I say in many descriptions...my perfection is my imperfection. Meaning, I like things a bit, shall we say, off. That's where my esthetic and character come into play. I then place tracing paper over the rendering, trace, and then trim.

Then it's Good Old "Elmer's Rubber Cement". I apply it directly on a very clean sheet of Sterling Silver Sheet. When it dries it will keep the drawing in place. Then I  will pierce and saw around the drawing.And now we have a back plate.

I decided to give Curt and Cherrie a gift of my own. On the back I pierced another leaf . A Tree and it's Leaves , are a sign of growth. Cherrie will wear this close to her heart, a secret if you will. Love Grows.

And here we have the bezel sitting on the back plate,ready to be soldered.

I will leave you with the leaf. Cut out, but not yet a 3 dimensional piece...watch for Segment 3 and see it come to life!
Thanks for stopping by today. Check back for the latest installment of "A Love Story" ... and don't forget to look in the store below for new items. Blessings Everyone! Jennifer
www.turquoiserayn.etsy.com

Happy Valentine's Everyone,

  It's just a week and a half away, didn't we just celebrate Christmas? I am posting a very special blog today, just one in a series that I will bring to life over the next few days. It is dedicated to some new friends mine.Who you say? Well, that's an interesting question,  let me now present a Love Story to inspire you.

    At our last Show of 2012, also our Christmas Show, we met a lovely couple... Curt & Cherrie. Cherrie is an Artist in her own right, and had a lovely booth in that same show. Like my husband, Curt was there for moral support,and to help set up her booth for her. Then we all get a chance to wonder around and view each others booths.I was truly blessed when they dropped by ours. The nicest people one could meet.

  Cherrie spotted a necklace of mine in our booth. Later, Curt came by and secretly purchased that necklace. And in turn we started to have some great conversations throughout the show. It was a 2 day show, so lots of time to talk of stones. You can tell right off the bat, that Curt new his stones well, and the quality.  He also mentioned that he lived in New Mexico at one time, and missed it so. As many of you know, it is my favorite place too.
  
  To enjoy this story more... on the second day of the show, I brought a display of Fossils I am currently using in a new line I am creating. Bison,Walrus, Equus (horse) all from the USA. etc.(and a whole different Blog) and last but not least, my very best Nevada "Candelaria" Turquoise! Cut by my dear friend Terry Williams,who owns Lost Sierra Stones on Etsy,about 99% of my stones are hand cut,and mined by Terry.This is exquisite Old Stock Turquoise, some that will never be seen again! It was mined in the 50's-60's. Curt came by the booth later that day and eyed that turquoise... without words, I could see he knew it was very special. Then the show was over, a success, and we all parted and headed home.

  Remember the necklace Curt bought at the beginning of this story? I believe it was to be a Christmas present for Cherrie.Well... it didn't make it to Christmas. Curt just couldn't wait, and so a few days after the show he ended up giving it to her! They both called me individually to thank me, and to tell how much they loved it! As you can imagine, I was beaming. It's a wonderful thing when someone loves your work. During that same conversation, Curt asked if I still had the Turquoise stone he liked so much. Yes, I did ! And from there he commissioned another surprise for Cherrie.

  I sent 3 sketches to Curt.He love them all, but felt Cherrie should be the one to pick.Yes, the secret was to be, no more. Cherrie called me a day later and made her decision. I have to say, other than my folks, I have never seen a man so smitten and adoring as Curt. Did I mention they have only been married eight years? She is just as smitten as he is! One can only hope for a love like this. They are an inspiration to us all. Bravo!

  Starting today I will document the stages of the necklace in a series of Blogs.
  Hoping this love story will inspire my fellow artists & friends. Here starts the Journey....

Here are the three original sketches with the actual stone.I made the sketches to scale,which makes it so much easier when actually making the pendant.

And here is Cherrie's Pic !! 

The first step is building the bezel for the stone. The back plate is going to be fairly plain, so Cherrie and I decided on Hand Wrought & Stamped Bench beads (in a future Blog) that will be on the chain itself. I added the same stamping design to the bezel. The beads and the bezel will compliment each other nicely. Oh, and meet My Very Favorite Hammer... a Fretz "Janus" Chasing hammer.God Bless You Bill Fretz!

 

Tune in next time to watch the transformation!! See you soon!

MERRY CHRISTMAS........