No Animals Were Unnecessarily Harmed Making This Post

 There is a very talented woman who lives in Iqaluit, in Canada's far north. From time to time, it is necessary to harvest a polar bear and when that happens, they make use of every possible part. She makes beautiful customized fur parka hoods and we also buy pompoms she makes using other fur.

Some time ago, we received a genuine polar bear claw.

My wife Vickie is a very accomplished polymer clay artist. She can duplicate pretty much any rock I can find and the joke is, "If I can find it, she can fake it!". So she embarked upon a quest to duplicate this claw. After she made one that passed her test, we decided to use it as a focal point in a necklace that also included some of her hand made polymer clay beads. Here's the result.

The claw focal point is spectacular.

This piece is available on line or in the shop. Hope to see you some time this summer.

DISCLAIMERS:

Note to animal rights activists. I have rescued several animals and do not hunt. This animal had to be harvested. Would you be happier if it had been left to rot?

Note to those concerned with cultural appropriation- this isn't and I will ignore any negative commentary in this regard.

The Process

 I am not a jeweler per se. I am a lapidary. To me the most important element in any piece is the stone so settings are created to best show the stone and keep it safe. In this particular case, I was working with a stone exhibiting amazing patterning so the challenge was to create a setting that didn't cover it up. Step #1 was the design.

I positioned the stone on the paper and located the three shallow tabs where they would be clear of the best patterning and yet keep the stone secure in all directions. I cut the paper (roughly) and repositioned the stone using 2 sided tape. Then I folded the tab extensions up and drew the tab shapes and lengths. I used the square outline to cut a piece from my upcycled copper sheet and then cut the copper plate to fit the design. Then it was a matter of doing a LOT of filing until the plate matched the paper outline. At that point, I switched to sandpaper (400 grit -12,000 grit) to create burnished areas and other areas where I left the patina and character intact. Using a metal punch, a hole was made in the top extension to accommodate  the jump ring. At that point I carefully bent the 3 prongs until the stone was firmly held everywhere.

This agate is really amazing and I thought it deserved a special sliding bail. So I created this one and even added a little copper bead to "cinch" the neck.

The real problem was getting the colouring right on the picture. I can assure you it is much more dramatic in person (a photographer is another thing I am not!). Next step was to choose a complimentary premium leather cord and choose the length. I settled on a dark red to pick up the red in the stone and a length of 52 cm. (20 inches). The stone was hung on the leather and I finished it with a hand made decorative neck clasp.

I think the final piece is a real show stopper! Available on line or in the store and remember, I sell cabochons so if you would like to work with some beautiful rock, just let me know.

See you soon.

By the way, I have just passed 130K (non bot) page views on this blog and I would like to thank all of you for being part of my adventure.

Junk Journals are not...Junk Journals!

 Junk Journals have become one of the hottest art forms of late. And while there are lots of variations, there are some common threads.

These journals come in all sizes and shapes and are generally made from found or upcycled materials. They can be used in a variety of ways. It may be to record memories, ideas or events and as such become a work of art in itself. But they can also be used to inspire.

As such, they then become a sort of "prepared canvass" that allows other artists/ scrapbookers to complete the creative process in their own personal manner.

So whether it's used as a piece of tabletop art, a creative gift or a starting point for your creative efforts we have a great selection put together by a mixed media artist who, trust me, has one of everything!  

Inside, you might find original art, ephemera, fabric- you name it!

The pictured ones are priced between $95 and $125 and remember, we ship. So if you see something you like and want to see more pages, we'd be happy to send them but if you are local, come on by and see and feel them for yourself.