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RinHalfway weaved <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/weaving?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#weaving</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/silversmithing?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://pixelfed.social/discover/tags/sterlingsilver?src=hash" class="u-url hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sterlingsilver</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Last three pendants I made for this weekend's show: Chevron Amethyst, white Buffalo (often referred to as Buffalo Turquoise), and Kingman Turquoise. All on hand formed sterling silver. My favorite from this bunch? The White Buffalo Turquoise. I bet it sells on Day 1. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SupportArtistsAndMakers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SupportArtistsAndMakers</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️I struggled with some of the solders on this one, but it's finally done. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SupportArtistsAndMakers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SupportArtistsAndMakers</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️New earring style. The copper was supposed to have a green patina, but the patina chemical I bought gave me disappointing results so I kept it simple. I made just 3 pairs of these, but if I get time later today, I'll make a bunch more components that I can assemble at the art show. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SupportArtistsAndMakers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SupportArtistsAndMakers</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Took a break to add a few new pendants to my online shop. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SuportArtistsAndMakers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SuportArtistsAndMakers</a><a href="https://mljewelrydesigns.square.site/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://mljewelrydesigns.square.site/</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Here's the finished Larimar pendant next to my sketch. I never make them exactly the same. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Glamour shot to come. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Progress on the Larimar pendant design I came up with yesterday. The frame is complete. The soldering went easier than I expected. Either it's the new torch or I'm actually starting to get good at this. 🤣 I'll run it through my patina process and, with luck, be able to set the stone and complete the piece later today. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Just finished these three. They are my new "low-end" bezel-set pendants. Each of these are Kingman Turquoise with spiny oyster shell set on hand cut and hand stamped sterling silver backplates with handmade riveted on bails. They are more work than my old "rollover" bail pendants, but I think they're much nicer. They will sell for $79 each and I expect to sell them all at my next show. I have a total of 5 of these plus an older rollover design. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Just finished this one. I think it looks nice with the malachite and silver beaded necklace I already had. It sure is a pretty stone! <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Here are the completed head pins with the 21 gauge sterling silver wire I made them from. Making the head pins involves cutting the wire, using a torch to melt balls on one end, quenching, pickling, tumbling, rinsing, and drying. They still cost about 50¢ each in materials to make; they cost twice that premade. I only save $1 per pair of earrings. But I can also provide a truly <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/handmade" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#handmade</a> item to my customers instead of a piece of <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> assembled from manufactured components. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️My artist friend <a href="https://mastodon.world/@Featherlady73" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@Featherlady73</a> (Janet) told me that I need to make "statement pieces" to participate in the better art shows. I've been thinking about that for a long time. In January, I bought a matched set of cabochons and sketched out this design for a necklace with all three stones linked together and hung from an attached beaded necklace. I'm going to be working on it over the next two weeks. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Also quite satisfactory. 😊 <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silver</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Well, I like the way this one came out. 😊 <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/jewelry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jewelry</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silver</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Frame and prongs are soldered. Now all I need to do is add the bail, clean it up, and set the stone. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Well, because I didn't meet my self-imposed quota on Sunday and I didn't do anything in my studio yesterday, my goal is make FOUR pendants today. The almond shaped ones will be made using one of my designs for those stones (the other photos). These are a pain to make, but they sell quickly. The triangular one will take some minor design work. I'll do the oval one with one of my Navajo-influenced designs. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Remember the pendant I was working on the other day? The one I kept hoping would look better than the drawing I made of it? Well, it looks better than the drawing but I still don't like it. That's why I waited so long to share a photo of it. I think it looks like crap! Hopefully, someone out there will disagree and buy it.My two main mistakes: copper in the design and choice of stone. I might try again with a different color colored stone. I'll also make the prongs shorter. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Here's the piece with the bezel (which still needs trimming and texturing) and the three prongs. As you can see, I have a lot of cleaning up to do on the copper. What's next to the bezel doesn't really matter because the stone will cover it, but the silver around the prongs must be cleaned up. I'll use my flex shaft and a variety of tools to do that next. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️I'll use a third hand to hold the prong while I solder it. I'll do them one at a time. I'm using paste solder here, but I'm not sure if I like the results. The drawback to soldering on copper is that the extra solder really shows and needs to be cleaned off. I might try stick soldering for the next prong. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️Here's a step it's pretty tempting to skip: rounding the solder ends of the prongs so they better fit into the dimples I made for them. I use a cup bur on my flex shaft with some outline (not shown). I need to do everything I can for a snug fit so the soldering operation goes smoothly. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

Maria Langer | 📝 🎬 ⚒️🛥️The next step is the prongs. With the stone in place, I used my center punch to create dimples in the backplate. I'll widen those out a bit with a tiny dapping punch. <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/silversmithing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#silversmithing</a>

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