Finished Bowls and Pendants - Grab a Cup of Coffee and Read On

Mom Sanding

Mom will probably kill me for posting this picture of her, hair not done and she is in the zone sanding, but this is us working away on Sunday.  Mom finished up sanding six "ThumBOWLina" bowls, sawed out and filed/sanded a blue bird pendant and a Kokapelli bowl.

ThumBowlina bowls to be formed

Kokapelli bowl to be formed

Bowl and pendants to be sawed out

While mom was working on sawing out, filing and sanding bowls and pendants I worked on finishing up the enameling from last week.  Oh, I did take breaks to take photographs of mom working on the blue bird pendant because I am creating a slide show of how we make our pendants out on Flickr and Facebook.

Cracking of Enamel

Enameling was interesting on Sunday.  Because the weather is starting to become cooler, we found out certain colors will crack when you take the piece out of the kiln.  Since mom and I just started using the kiln this summer we had no idea that this problem will occur.

So, we improvised, adapted and overcame the problem!

Space Heather Set Up

Mom got the space heaters out, we made up a little table and put bricks on it so I could put the hot enameled pieces next to heaters to keep the enamel from cracking.  Mom's a genius!!!  I think I will keep her.

Pendants out of Kiln

Bowls out of Kiln

Here are images of the finished pieces.  Sorry for the poor quality but I was not able to take the pics until the evening and the sun was going down and there were shadows.  But at least you have an idea of what we finished.

Earth and Air

Fire and Water

Red Creek Jasper Frog



Red Creek Jasper Leaf



Transparent Red/Orange Leaf

Dragon Fly Bowl

Fields of Grain Bowl

Flame Bowl



Lotus Bowl



This week I plan on finishing up six bracelets and a necklace that mom worked on.  I just need to crimp the ends and then take photographs of everything.

Bracelets to Finish



Bracelets to Finish




Necklace to Finish

That should be enough to keep me busy this week! Along with taking photographs of all the inventory - joy.

If you stuck with me this far you should stick with me a little bit more.

Lori Anderson, Pretty Things,was kind of enough to let mom and myself participate in her monthly Cup of Bead Soup.  If you haven't checked her Cup of Bead Soup out I would highly recommend it; Lori has created some of the most gorgeous jewelry with the beads that artist's have sent her - awesome!

Mom and I decided to send Lori an enameled copper "Lotus" pendant and some of our lampwork glass beads.  Mom loves these beads and I had a bracelet made out of these beads that mom kept trying to steal and I wouldn't let her.  Mom and I can't wait to see what Lori creates with the goodies.  I am so excited!

I guess that is it for now.  Thanks for sticking with me as I babbled on about what we worked on.  This coming Saturday will be another whirl wind activity of enameling and then Sunday is inventorying day (YUCK!).  We need to have the inventory done because our three day show is November 12th - November 14th and both mom and I are so excited.