News From The Shop — sterling silver
Sandcasting A Ring
artist casting copper creating handmade jewelry jewelry making Lora Lee Lora Lee Artist metal sandcasting sterling silver
I used the stainless steel ring on the left to sandcast a copy in sterling silver. You can see how rouch and textured the band is from the sand. From there I use files and abrasive wheels on my dremel to smooth the surface. I love playing with different objects in the sandcasting. Just to see what patterns do well or don't do well. I've cast acorns, rings, twigs, and ingots using this process. I got my sandcasting kit from Craig Dabler on Etsy. Great casting tools and patterns for sale in his shop. He also has a great group...
From Reality To Silver - An Acorn's Story
acorn creating handcrafted handmade jewelry jewelry making Lora Lee Artist metal oak reclaimed metal recycling sandcasting small business sterling silver tree
An acorn from our Granddaddy Oak tree in our yard here in Louisiana. The ground is always covered with them every year. I used Craig Dabler's sandcasting kit to cast this one in sterling silver. I save all my scraps of silver from different projects and use them to cast things like this. So no metal goes to waste in my shop. Every bit is saved to use in casting new items. Recycling is Beautiful.
Creating New Designs
creating handcrafted handmade jewelry jewelry making Lora Lee Artist making a silver ring sandcasting silver silver ring sterling silver
Step by step photos of creating a new ring design from scratch.
Emerald CZ and Sterling Silver Ring Hand Made by Lora Lee
creating CZ Emerald engraved green handcrafted Lora Lee Lora Lee Artist metalsmithing overcoming reclaimed reclaimed metal recycling ring sand casting small business sterling silver
It's not perfect, it has flaws. I learned so much from making this one. I can't wait to make another.