The Rules for Team Challenges.....

In the last few challenges we've had questions about the rules..... and we figured out that the rules had been scattered over many places, threads and forums....and that we hadn't been following all of them very well.... so here they are in black and white....

Official Team Challenge Rules….
To enter and vote you must meet the following requirements:
- Have an Etsy shop
- Be a member of the Aspiring Metalsmith team on Etsy
- Be able to post your photos to our Flickr pool without blocking them from download, so the blog master has access.
- Follow each challenge’s rules as to submission times, materials and/or techniques, or any other rule for that specific challenge.
- Make something NEW for the challenge….not something that you have in stock that fits the rules. These challenges are to push you to try new things, not just show off things you’ve already done.

We politely ask that if you do not meet these guidelines you do not vote either. These challenges are intended to be an internal, skill-pushing endeavor….not a popularity contest. We like to show off how well we’ve done, but really want our peers on the team to judge our technique and skill growth.

To Everyone Who Has Participated recently......
From now on we are moving the challenge back over to the Etsy team only....we are going back to basics. Please, if you can, join the team on Etsy.
Though we love the work from other members on FaceBook, we started this challenge process to push the members of our ETSY team in skill level and process. We appreciate all the participation, but feel the need to bring this one aspect of the community back into it's original focus. We hope that this doesn't offend anyone on FaceBook, because everyone here has great insight and can answer questions that have been brain wracking....There won't be anymore posts on the FaceBook page about the challenges proper from here on out, the will be left on the Etsy team page. 
Again, we would love it if you were able to join the official team on Etsy....and hope to see you over there too!

And the winner is........

Ryan Quantz

of RyanQuantzStudio took the prize this time, with 22 votes....I think we can all agree his wood and silver ring is unique and very well executed!

Jason of HappyTortoiseDesigns came in second with 12 votes for his Industrial cuff.... I think the patina on this one was wonderful!

S. Michelle of SMB Studios "Come Play with Me" bracelet took third place this round with 6 votes. A very lovely piece that would be stolen out of my hubby's jewelry box and hidden in mine if it was at our house!

Ryan will be coming up with a challenge for the team soon, so keep your eyes peeled!!

 

Time to vote on the "MAN JEWELRY CHALLENGE"

Way back in January Sam gave us a challenge to make some not boring men's jewelry. He wanted to see color and some delicacy to the design.....he wanted something to hand down to his future grandson. Here's what we came up with......

Claire of BrightStar109 made this colorful ring, and says:
"A Drop in the Ocean

For the Aspiring Metalsmiths Team Challenge, a ring for a man, Sam mentioned how he would like an heirloom piece so that is what I tried to do, set in a 9ct gold bezel with gold wire inlays around the bezel and in the ring band itself, echoing the patterns in the gorgeous hand cut custom stone. A truly one of a kind piece, made to last forever."

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Autumn of Autumn Bradley Jewelry Designs made these lovely cuff links.... "Finally finished! Sterling silver and ruby cuff links for Mr. Tom Cruise. These nearly killed my hands but it was worth it. I think they turned out pretty good :)"

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S. Michelle of SMB Studios made this neat bracelet.... "Come Play with Me

Cloisonne enamel with basse -taille enameling, engraving, embossing, Handmade Viking chain. Sterling silver, fine silver"

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Jason of HappyTortoiseDesigns made this stunning cuff.... "Sterling silver cuff with a "construction" of brass and copper tubes and wires. The brass and copper are given a patina, of course."

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Ryan of RyanQuantzStudios worked all sorts of magic with this unique ring. "Ebony, Sterling and Mokume Ring- January ASM Challenge...Macassar Ebony ring, fabricated, hand-cut, hand sanded and hand-rubbed finish, inlaid with sterling/copper Mokume Gane, patinated, inner sterling liner hammer-fit and sterling "skid-plate" riveted to the liner. Size is about a 9.5."

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Julie from JulieMauerer made up this sneaky snake ring..... I guess if Cleopatra can have hers, Marc Antony should have a matching one!

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Elizabeth from ResurrectionSilver made a locket to keep loved ones close to his heart..."January Challenge Men's Double Copper Verdigris Locket 1. For the January challenge, I made my first locket! I tried to make something that would be sentimental, yet manly. So I created this double swivel locket from copper and gave it a rustic, uneven patina. I hope this meets Sam's standards!"

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Asa From AsaPearsonDesigns made up these cuff links.... Carved tiger eye shows off military history of the old world.... blue paua shells show a pop of color, only a little hidden from view!!

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Kharisma from Popnicute made this lovely set...."Cupid's Wings - January ASM Challenge

These wings were commissioned by a lovely couple for their 5th anniversary. His and hers pendants. Obviously the wing with flowers was for the girl. Handmade from argentium silver, sterling silver, and copper.
My entry is the pendant on the left for January ASM Challenge - Men jewelry :)"

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There you have it folks..... good luck picking a favorite....but when you do, make sure to vote over on the right side of the post!!!  The winner gets to pick our next challenge, and maybe a few guy customers!!

Voting ends on the 14th.....Good Luck!

A Teaching Moment, the January Blogroll

So the Aspiring Metalsmiths are at it again. This month they are doing what they love to do most – teach and learn! Make sure to have a sharp #2 pencil and your notebook....you will want to take notes!!

The blog roll tour takes us on a journey of skills – each person is sharing something that they are proficient at and teaching it to the rest of us. Come along and see!

VCArtisanOriginals 
Sylvia Anderson 
Metals Addict
Lilian Ginebra
Esmeralda
Stacy
Mary Anne Karren
Shannon of Gifted Designs
Pennee- All Wired Up Jewelry Designs
Jessica @ Abella Blue
Elizabeth Brown - resurrectionsilver.blogspot.com

January Jewelry Challenge

            January 2012 Challenge

Let me start of by saying thank you all for the win in the Color on Metal Challenge.  My flame painted work is always a crowd favorite and fun to do as well!!!

Now, here is my idea for this month’s challenge.

Men’s Jewelry.

Sounds simple right….. Wrong. 

Here’s the catch…………..

I have always been a good husband and like to buy very nice jewelry for my wife. (Pat, pat on the back)  I have spent a great deal of money and she has a very nice collection including a blue sapphire set I have been putting together for several years. My daughter and her also have a few matching pieces I have bought the two of them.  I consider all this heirloom’s that will one day be hers and then her daughters. 

don't do this

With that said let me tell you how disheartening it is for a guy who does like jewelry, is friends with a ton of remarkably talented jewelers, and all I see to buy in the catalogs, and online for men looks the same!!!

When I get a catalog, I open it up to see boring black, Stainless steel, a few Dog Tags and then a few crosses thrown into the mix.  Look, I get it that that stuff is popular. We as a society are geared towards what is trending.  Screw that. 

don't do this

 I want to see something besides a bracelet with a piece of cable running through it or a leather cuff.  A charm for a necklace that is not religious or a dog tag. A men’s ring that is not gold, black or silver.


If woman’s jewelry can be beautiful and artistic why then can men’s jewelry not be just as ornate and beautiful.




So there it is:
I want to see you all make a piece of men’s jewelry that is something you would make for your husband, boyfriend, Dad or for the guys yourselves.

I want to see color.
I want to see something that while it looks delicate it is sturdy enough to take a beating.
I want to see pieces that I could give to my grandson one day.

Some of you may be all over this idea. Some of you may be kind of hesitant to take on something that takes you this far out of your comfort zone.  But that is both the nature of this monthly challenge and the whole point of growing as artists. 

Expand your product lines into a new direction. Look, when we all go to our shows there are always a ton of jewelers there right…. How many of them have pieces for men? Next time hopefully you will. 
Good Luck. Have fun. Do your homework on this folks. You have two months to do this. Yes, two months.

 I want to see pieces that are well researched designed to last and are not thrown together.  Take your time. Enjoy pushing yourselves into this unfamiliar territory. 

Well, I do hope you all will enjoy this. It is something as you can see I have a deep interest in seeing done and I hope you all will take part. 

More examples of what NOT TO DO:

 

Entries are Due on March 11 by midnight in the Flickr pool.

Remember to TAG (not just title)  your photos, January ASM Challenge, in our flickr site.

Thank you all for this opportunity to present a challenge!

Here's a link to our team flickr stream!!! just upload your entries there and make sure to TAG them with December Challenge!!

TEAM FLICKR POOL

And the winner is........

SAM of Coppersunsets!!!  His Salmon fishy blew everyone else out of the water!

Second Place goes to Elizabeth of Resurrection Silver with her wonderful VanGogh-esque necklace.

Angela of A&J Jewelry rounded up the top three with a Kiss....well, sorta.

Congratulations to our winners...congratulations to all who entered, it just keeps getting tougher to pick a favorite with all this talent showing up!!

Keep your eyes open for the next round....Sam will be picking, and I have a feeling that we might be a bit sorry for that.....but we're also up to the challenge, RIGHT?!

let the COLOR on METAL challenge voting begin!!!!

Late last year we were given the challenge of adding color to metal....and not just using Liver Of Sulfer to darken it. Here is what some of our members came up with. Pick your favorite...I know, it's hard...and vote for them on the right sidebar!!  The winner gets to pick what we do for the next time around!!!  Best of luck to everyone!
Voting will end on Thursday night.....so don't delay on your choice!


Juliette of Art In the Redwoods brings us this lovely flame painted leaf necklace.

December ASM Challenge
Fire Painted Copper (another view of the previous) necklace - copper, mookaite beads, ceramic beads, polymer clay beads.

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Viki of Lorie Lynn Designs brings us a glass enamled heart necklace. And it's one of her first attempts at enamel....pretty neat huh?

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Valorie from VCArtisanOriginals brings us a lovely necklace that I'm sure her mom loved.

"My mom's gift: a rustic textured, blue patina'd copper bezel and a blue and red Sonoran Sunset cabochon that I purchased from Cabbingrough (Laura). The cab was so gorgeous I pierced out the backplate so you can see the reds in the back.

The blue is from ammonia fumes. This has been scrubbed with a wire brush, polished and tumbled. ...the cat hair on the bottom of the piece is annoying me to death!!! Argh!"

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Elizabeth from ResurrectionSilver made this amazing necklace....so dreamy!!

My challenge piece this month is created with Prismacolor on copper. I've been itching to try this technique for over a year and this challenge was the perfect push. It's a long necklace on an oxidized copper chain with glass and copper bead embellishments. The focal piece is just under 3" square and is like a mini copper framed painting inspired by my favorite artist - VanGogh. In fact, I have had a huge 4x3' canvas for about 3 years just waiting for me to paint this design on it and hang it in my living room.


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Gloria from Hemlock Hollow Creations, who gave us this challenge, brings us a necklace ready for your Valentine.

"Color achieved by using prismacolor pencils, then brushed with turpentine, colored again using, brown, red, blue pencils, brushed again. Sprayed with clear acrylic. Line across heart was done by form folding and left copper color"

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Esme from Silverblueberry made these neat earrings...can't tell she's a scientist, can you?

Dengue virus earrings. Etched pattern, color is glass paint.

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Cindy from  Devine Designs made this wonderful cuff bracelet with a heat patina.

"heat patina cuff.  copper cuff with heat patina, line folds, and reverse dapping"

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Angela from A&J Jewelry Designs brings us a pretty cool take on a dog tag.

Remember the etched lips? Well, I always wanted to do something with them, and the December challenge was just the thing to get me to pull them out again. The lips are mine, etched with ferric chloride into copper, and then the color is Sharpie marker colored on, and then slightly rubbed back off with steel wool. I haven't clear coated it yet because I wanted to get the picture, but I will use a Rustoleum clear coat to seal the color in. 

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Anne from Metalworks Jewelry gives us these pretty earrings.....the bright blue is great!

Since I'm still recovering, these are something I played around with this fall. (I didn't want Gloria to think we didn't like her challenge!) These are copper earrings with multiple layers of Miracle Grow sprayed on them, and finished with Krylon Clear Satin Finish.


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Sam from Copper Sunsets entered this amazing fish!!

"Flame painted Salmon, December challenge piece.This Salmon's colors were acheived using only heat. By applying pinpoint heat to the copper all these beautiful colors are possible."