http://www.silverpenny.co.za en-gb silverpenny.co.za 2011-7-24T00:00:00Z silverpenny.co.za http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#98999 I wanted to do justice to this really beautiful agate stone and have a more organic surround to it so I have hammered the silver to make it also look like weathered stone and I think that it really shows to advantage it. 2011-7-24 10:34:25 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#89948 A friend of mine asked if I could set a pottery brooch of hers as a pendant seeing as it had sentimental value and she wasnt wearing it much as a brooch. She didnt want any fancy design just a setting to show off her cabochon as best as possible and I really like how this turned out. 2011-3-23 11:08:09 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#89254 I saw a picture of this leaf and just knew that it would be a lovely pendant. I hammered the design into the silver sheet and then I turned it over and hammered the 3D look in. Hope you like it as much as I do 2011-3-15 13:41:09 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#76064 Hi all just wanted to share this new pendant I made. The glass cabochon is made by my friend Nola Ladwig and I am hoping she will make many more they are really pretty The picture doesnt really do justice to the piece because of the way the glass reflects light but its not too bad. 2010-9-22 09:56:32 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#75831 I was brushing my teeth and I noticed a moth on the wall and it gave me an idea for a pair of earrings. So here is the pic of the moth and the pair of earrings that it inspired You might not see what I saw but I am really happy with how my earrings turned out. 2010-9-19 13:56:52 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#75292 I have been experimenting with doodling to create different textures and while playing around I came up with this simple but fun design which I thought would make funky earrings my teenage daughter likes them so perhaps I was right I pierced the design out of sterling silver let me know what you think 2010-9-12 15:09:47 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#74821 I have been really bad about updating my blog and have made several pieces of jewelry since March but havent really been taking pictures partly because I am not managing to take awesome photos but also because life has been so hectic that I havent really been thinking straight and taking pictures before the pieces go off to their new homes. Yes I have been selling my jewellery quite well so exciting. And here is a picture of a piece I am very proud of. I pierced sawed out my pattern on to sheet metal and then meaured and made the bezel for the stone and soldered it in the middle of my design and once it was polished I set the orange agate stone. I hope you like it 2010-9-6 11:40:11 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#61599 Kerryn has really wanted me to make a K pendant for her since I made a D pendant for someone else and so last weekend when I was needing to cast some more plate silver sheet and wire I thought it would be a good opportunity to let her do her K. First she had to carve her K into a cuttlefish which we then put together with another cuttlefish to make the mould to pour the melted silver into and then I melted the silver and cast Then she decided she needed to have a stone in it namely her birthstone which is an emerald. Nothing cheap for my daughter So I flushset the stone she soldered the ring onto the top for the chain with a little help And Voila 2010-3-28 12:52:09 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#56843 Although it is already 24 days past New Year I cannot believe how quickly time has gone I have been so busy getting the kids ready and off to boarding school that I didnt have time to stop and smell the roses Anyway New Years resolution is to update my blog at least once a week lets see how it goes. I am wanting to really get stuck into making jewellery and finding a place to market it this year. That said I am still helping my husband out in the mornings so I will just have to be more organised and with no children at home I should really have much more time available. I am very pleased with this piece. It is a Coat of Arms commissioned form someones 21st birthday and I think it turned out really well. The emerald at the top has sentimental value as well although I dont know the whole story. I am really enjoying creating jewellery with a 3D effect. 2010-1-24 11:45:17 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#53018 My sister commissioned me to make this for a special friend it reflected the light when I took the picture but Ali was very happy with the result 2009-11-21 13:19:06 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#53016 A customer asked me to add two stones to her ring which contained the champagne topaz which you will see in the middle of the ring. She is really thrilled with it and while I am not sure I will modify something that someone else made again I learned a lot about ring construction. 2009-11-21 13:07:15 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#50626 I am very happy to announce that I have found a very reasonable source of factory made sterling silver chains which I will be able to offer with or without my pendants for sale Which is great because although I can and have made some chains and I like making chain it is time consuming and consequently they are expensive if they are handmade. I have a small range of different ones in stock at very competitive prices so dont delay Also remember that I do offer a repair service for both gold and silver jewellery which I personally take to a very respected company in Durban to repair 2009-10-15 08:52:58 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#50496 This is the next in my Zulu range of jewellery and I think it has turned out very well. The picture has reflected the light more than I wanted but after many attempts this was the best I could do. 2009-10-13 10:38:40 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#50096 2009-10-6 10:57:19 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#50095 I made this a little while ago but battled to take a photo that did it justice and am still not sure this is a great picture but it does show how the lines of the swirls pick up the lines in my jasper stone. 2009-10-6 10:28:42 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#49093 I am very pleased to say that a few of my pieces have been accepted by Artisan Gallery 344 Florida Road in Durban. I hope that I will be able to take a few more pieces to them as soon as possible. Their website address is www. artisan.co.za. This means that I have taken my shop on my website down and will only sell through Artisan or you can contact me if you wish to commission me to make special items or reproduce anything you have seen in my gallery. 2009-9-20 12:41:51 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#46857 2009-8-13 09:42:49 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#45904 I am going to an evening class at the Durban Tech once a week I had my first one last week and it was really good to go and take the things I have been struggling with and get help with them. I am doing this for several reasons but mostly to improve my technical skills and have access to their equipment which I wouldnt otherwise be able to experience. Very exciting for me to go and meet people who have the same interests So watch this space for more developments 2009-7-31 07:29:57 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#44449 Finally finished this pendant I would like to say I planned this but this one just evolved beginning with the lovely Rose Quartz stone. The picture unfortunately doesnt do it justice 2009-7-6 15:17:25 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#44386 I am very excited to be able to announce that my jewellery is now on sale at the Baobab Art Gallery in Eshowe Janine Andrews is the owner and a very accomplished artist herself. The gallery is normally open mornings but just to make sure here is Janines number 0726738710 definitely worth a look especially if you have visitors and want something to do 2009-7-5 17:03:57 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#40478 I cannot believe we are already in April and unfortunately I havent been very good about writing updates but then I havent been very productive. I have been working for my hubbie at our shop while he had someone on maternity leave so I havent managed to do much but shes back Hooray so this is hopefully the beginning of a much more productive period I havent quite finished this it needs some more sanding and polishing but this is a pendant. The stone is malachite and I put all the rings around because of the bubble swirls on the stone. I am not sure I like it but at least I am being productive again. 2009-4-25 06:37:03 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#35258 2009-1-20 11:50:14 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#35075 I had begun beading again instigated by my sister Laura but more as a hobby than very seriously and then when she began wedding plans she asked if I could make her a tiara and she gave me a pic with her ideas. And this was the result And the beginning of my exciting journey into the world of jewellery I would love to do more wedding jewellery maybe I should explore this avenue. 2009-1-16 12:55:04 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#34757 A friend of mine asked if I could make a pendant that she had that she felt was too small as a pendant into a ring for her daughter for Christmas. I felt that I could and that all I needed to do was set the pendant as if it was a stone. I think it has come out very well. My pictures arent very good but I think you can see how pretty it is. It is quite large for a ring but the fashion is for large 2009-1-10 07:35:28 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#34329 Happy New Year everyone I hope that this year will be an easier year than last year for everyone I thought I should lay out my goals in black and white and then I cant wiggle out of them My goal is to go and market my jewellery at galleries in Durban. I have tried markets but really dont enjoy sitting around and selling. I do have a few contacts so I am going to try all within in my power to really get my jewellery out there 2008-12-31 15:42:02 http://www.silverpenny.co.za/page9.htm#34179 This is very exciting for me I have managed to create my own website with help from MrSite.com and now I have decided to add on a blog for me to document anything about my jewellery. I do have another blog but I think that I am going to leave that one www.silverpennydesigns.blogspot.com and begin this one as part of my website. Kind of makes sense that I have them together. And my New Years Resolution is to update it at least once a week 2008-12-26 09:53:17