Australian Marine Conservation Society

This month’s worthy cause is the Australian Marine Conservation Society. AMCS is an independent charity. It is staffed by a committed group of professional and passionate scientists, educators and advocates. It has defended Australia’s oceans for over 45 years. AMCS work tirelessly to create sustainable fisheries, protect threatened species, tackle threats to our oceans and to create marine sanctuaries.

I love the sea, and it is such a source of inspiration to me, so I like to help protect and save our beautiful ocean habitat! Therefore, I will be giving 10% of all sales for the month to the Australian Marine Conservation Society to support their good works. Head over to The Silver Forge Shop now and do your bit. The threat to our environment is getting worse by the day. Without clean healthy oceans, we are nothing!

Gemstone of the Month – Blue Chalcedony

Blue chalcedony is a form of silica, comprised of quartz and moganite. It was in use as early as the bronze age, for important items and jewellery. It comes primarily from Africa and Turkey.

Blue chalcedony is believed to be an excellent crystal for public speakers and those who speak for a living, such as lawyers, actors and singers.

Blue Chalcedony Crystals (photo credit PristineMinerals)

It is thought to generate peace, encourage stillness and calm in the home, and be good for daily journeys to work, or stressful trips involving children.

{Fluorite Spheroids on Blue-gray Chalcedony – Image Rob Lavinsky}

I created this ring using some blue chalcedony drops. You can see more about it here.

I have these lovely blue chalcedony cabochons in my gemstone collection, available to be custom made into a pendant or ring for you!

Knitting – Amigurumi

Blogging about the knitting we did for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital recently got me thinking about the many other craft pursuits I have. Yes, long before becoming a silversmith, craft was already in my blood! My mum is a very creative woman, and taught me just about everything I know about most of the various handcrafts I’ve taken up. My granny is a fantastic artist, I have two of her beautiful oil paintings hanging in my home – one of them I keep in my workshop, which always inspires me! My dad loved to play the guitar, as did my uncle; my grandfather was an author, and as I’ve blogged about before, three of my ancestors were blacksmiths, just to mention a few. Lots of creative juices in there!!

Anyway, back to the knitting. Even though I’m left handed, my mum is right handed so that’s how I learned to knit, back when I was six! A few Christmases ago, she gave me the most divine book, Amigurumi Knits, by Hansi Singh.

Amigurumi is more often seen in crochet, but Hansi has created the most wonderful knitting patterns for all kinds of amigurumi creatures and things – everything from tomatoes and earthworms:

To octopi and deep sea black devil angler fish!

Hansi’s book is really well written, with very clear instructions. I learned so many new techniques from knitting these fabulous creatures, I feel quite competent now! Knitting – satisfying, creative, relaxing, and very Zen. Speaking of creativity running in the family, It is a shame I can’t ask my grandpa about his experience of it. I believe he wasn’t a bad knitter himself!

Story of a Beautiful Tree

I bought the most divine wooden tree puzzle from my lovely friend, Kylie, and it lives in my study where it brings me joy each day! I was inspired so much by it, that I asked Kylie how she would feel if I were to borrow her beautiful tree design for the ‘Earth’ symbol in my new Elementals range. She kindly agreed to let me! I feel honoured both that she was happy for me to use her gorgeous tree shape, and that she liked the pendant I created so much that she bought it! Below is a blog post that she wrote about it. You can read it in full over at Kylie’s Raw Toys website!

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From Puzzle to Pendant

Back when I first started my little shop, I made a handful of two piece tree puzzles. I sold most of them and have not felt inclined to make more so I discontinued them. Out of the blue, I received an email from my silversmithing friend, Ruthie, from The Silver Forge, asking my permission to use the design from one of these trees she had purchased a while back for an idea she had in mind.

It’s no secret how much I adore Ruthie’s work, so as you can imagine, I was thrilled with the idea! Here is the original tree puzzle belonging to Ruthie:

And here is her finished piece.. my tree design as a stunning silver pendant!

I developed an instant crush on this pendant and decided that I neeeded to be it’s owner. The beautiful tree pendant and I are now insperable and it’s especially perfect that it features my birthstone, the peridot. Thank you so much, Ruthie, I treasure each of the beautiful creations of yours that I’m lucky enough to own – you are a rockstar!

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Thank you so much, Kylie!

The Thin Green Line

Passionflower Vine Curl (photo credit to Simone Carter)

Many of the world’s park rangers work in extreme conditions while protecting our endangered species and ecosystems. Low pay, lack of equipment, poor living conditions and the threat of severe violence is the daily reality for many of these frontline conservationists.

The Thin Green Line Foundation provide protection for wildlife rangers around the world. Over a thousand rangers have been killed in action in the last ten years. The Foundation provide vital equipment, training and resources to rangers in the field, predominantly in high value conservation and conflict zones. The also remember the widows and children of our fallen conservation heroes, and provide meaningful and effective social support.

Supported by such diverse people as Jane Goodall, Gotye and Tex Perkins, The Thin Green Line Foundation are partnered with the International Ranger Federation, and these are the only organisations around which are dedicated to protecting wildlife rangers.100% of donations to The Thin Green Line go to supporting projects on the ground. Donations are fully tax deductable.

The Silver Forge will be donating 10% of all sales this month to The Thin Green Line Foundation, so pop over to the shop and see if there’s anything you can help with!

EDIT: If anyone would like to own the divine photo at the top of this post, Simone the photographer has very kindly offered to donate the proceeds to The Thin Green Line. Simone’s shop, Kudos2uPhotos, is full of wonderful things – pop over and have a look!

Tool of the Month – Mandrels

Mandrels are tapered steel rods, which come in various shapes and sizes. I have three round ones, which go from a millimetre or so up to maybe 40mm in diameter.

Using either my wooden mallet, which will reshape silver but not stretch or resize it, or my bench hammer, which will both shape and stretch the silver to a different size, I use my mandrels to shape bezels, shanks and various other things as I am creating a piece. I even bend my round hoop earrings on my mandrel!

You can get oval mandrels, square mandrels, teardrop shaped mandrels, hexagonal mandrels.. I do have another one or two on my wish list, but for now I love my round mandrels!

Down from the Mountain

The Mountain Kids are a fantastic brother and sister team, aged 5 and 7, who have their own great JuniorMadeIt shop on MadeIt.com.au.

I got to know of them as I have become fast online friends with their lovely mum (Kylie from Raw Toys), and after checking out their newly opened shop, Mountain Kids Creations, and the lovely goodies within, I commissioned them to make me this divine rainbow necklace.

I just love it! When I’m not wearing it, it hangs in my study and brings me joy each day!

The Mountain Family came to my place the other day, as they were interested to see what a silversmith at work looks like. It was such a pleasure to meet them in real life! I gave them a tour of my workshop and a bit of a demonstration. A few days later, and what did I find in the mail, but a lovely thank you card, and this divine bracelet.

I truly feel blessed to know such a lovely bunch of people. Do pop over and check out The Mountain Kid’s shop, and if you find yourself a little something, you’ll be helping them support the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, too. Thanks, Mountain Kids, you rock!!

HeartKids Raffle Fundraiser 2013

I was recently contacted by Kelly, who is arranging a fundraiser at Vani-T Emporium in Glenelg to raise much needed funds for HeartKids. HeartKids are dedicated to providing support, encouragement and hope to families of children with heart disease, while raising awareness and providing vital funding into researching the causes of this chronic disease.

Kelly was looking for raffle prizes, and I was happy to donate these two pairs of earrings to this worthy cause. Good luck, HeartKids, I hope the fundraiser is very successful!

Strawberry Quartz

Strawberry Quartz Rough (photo credit Promiseintime)

Strawberry quartz is sagenitic quartz, a transparent colourless quartz containing needlelike crystals, in this case red inclusions of iron oxide.

Strawberry Quartz Pebbles (photo credit Crystal Lovers)

The bright color of genuine strawberry quartz is accentuated by small seedlike inclusions of lepidocrocite and haematite. It is most often found in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Brazil.

Strawberry Quartz Point (photo credit Rob Lavinsky)

Strawberry quartz can be soothing and calming. It apparently enhances intentions of love, gratitude and generosity.

Strawberry Quartz Sphere (photo credit Crystal Cure)

Some people wear Strawberry quartz when trying to attract a soul-mate. Strawberry quartz is thought to assist in bringing balance to the psyche and the emotions.

Strawberry Quartz (photo credit CrystalRocksandGems)

I have a gorgeous little strawberry quartz cabochon available to be made into a ring or pendant – more info on that here.

the silver forge

jewellery handcrafted by ruthie gray