Linda Connelly Enamels

Category: Jewellery Making

  • New ‘Irises’ Cloisonné Enamel Jewellery

    New ‘Irises’ Cloisonné Enamel Jewellery

    Here is a selection of my latest work featuring Irises in cloisonné enamel jewellery. For the past six months I have been working on a succession of cloisonné enamel pendants, necklaces and earrings which are inspired by Irises. I especially love the look of these flowers, particularly the bearded irises. It is a flower that has had a profound effect on artists of all genres over the centuries. I have never been fortunate enough to see Van Goghs painting of Irises in real life but this came to my mind at the beginning of my journey. Luckily I was able to find a beautiful second hand book with a good illustration of the painting. Last year I attended a session on Arts and Crafts Jewellery at the Goldsmiths’ Hall library and this reignited my interest in the Arts and Crafts era. This is the British expression of what later came to be called the Art Nouveau movement, which it strongly influenced. I was particularly taken by the jewellery of Edith and Nelson Dawson who together made some stunning examples of enamelled jewellery at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th.

    Here are a few of my latest cloisonne enamel iris earrings, necklaces and pendants.

    Purple Iris Necklace with Peacock freshwater pearls. Gold cloisonne enamel on silver.
    Purple and Apricot Iris necklace with fresh water pearls. Gold cloisonne enamel on silver
    Small Purple and Apricot Iris pendant. Gold cloisonne with moissanite set in 18ct.
    Pink and Purple Iris earrings. Gold cloisonne on silver and moissanites set in 18ct.
    Violet and Pinky-Mauve small Iris Pendant. Gold cloisonne on silver
    Violet and Pinky-Mauve Iris Earrings. Gold cloisonne on silver.

    I would love to know what you think. Send me a message. Don’t forget you can keep up with all my latest news including shows, exhibitions and classes by subscribing to my newsletter. You can also click the links to follow me on Facebook and Instagram where I share all my new works.

  • New ‘Memories’ Silver and Enamel Jewellery

    New ‘Memories’ Silver and Enamel Jewellery

    When  I first heard the theme of ‘Maps’ for this year’s Guild of Enamellers’ conference, I wasn’t sure it was for me! Maps and I do not have a happy relationship. All this squiggly lines that jiggle when I am anxious or stressed! Default emotions for me when I come to use one it has to be said. How my husband and I have stayed together when driving anywhere is a total mystery. Actually it isn’t because I used to drive whilst he navigated. I have only let him drive us places since Sat Navs came into being! These ideas have evolved during many sleepless nighttime design sessions. My best ideas come at about 3am! My recent jewellery has increasingly come to contain memories and emotions; hopes and dreams. These new pieces have continued to develop this theme. Jewellery with meaning in celebration or remembrance, to inspire and define you.

    Map of Memories Necklace - Brighton

    Map of Memories Necklace – Brighton

    Champleve enamel on sterling silver. Silver, Champleve enamel. SOJE 238,51,61,101,604,161B

    Brighton is a very special place to my family and I. This Map of Memories necklace recalls many visits over the years, parking in Madeira Drive, walking along by the Wheel, up to the Brighton Pavilion in its green park, (one of my favourite places in the world,) and then back down to the sea to walk on the pier. I often seem to have been blessed with beautiful sunshine and a blue sky, even in winter so my Map of Memories Necklace symbolises the very best of days out in Brighton.

    Map of Memories Necklace - London

    Map of Memories Necklace – London

    Champleve enamel on silver. SOJE604,101,238 and BJG V23. All other colours are shaded with one over the other. The colours have been left pale to recall misty wintery days on the Thames.

    This Map of Memories necklace holds memories of many visits to London and trips down the river. Here we have embarked at Embankment and we travel down the river past Big Ben, the London Eye, St Paul’s cathedral, Tower Bridge and then the Gherkin Building. 

    The edges of both these necklaces are irregular because memory is never perfect and the silver is shaped like pebbles to hold the fragments of special memories.

    Precious Places Bracelet - Belfast

    Precious Places Belfast Bracelet

    I like the idea of a piece of jewellery holding memories of people and places. This is a map of the Northern Ireland coastline. A gold X marks where Belfast is. My son Kieran is at University here and I like to wear this bracelet and think of him.

    Silver, 18ct gold, SOJE45, SOJE161B

    Precious Places Brooch - Sorrento

    Precious Places Sorrento Brooch

    A map of the Italian coastline. A gold X marks Sorrento. This is a place which holds lots of happy memories for my family and I. The concave shape holds the memory as a secret, thus it appears decorative with only selected people understanding the meaning.

    Silver, 18ct gold, SOJE45, SOJE161B

  • Dragonfly Pendant Commission

    Dragonfly Pendant Commission

    Before Christmas I was very excited to be asked to design and make a silver and enamel Dragonfly Pendant. I worked with the client over several months to produce the eventual design. It is always a huge honour to be asked to make something special like this which hopefully will become a family heirloom of the future. Here are some photos of the work in progress.

     

    Pierced, etched and engraved silver ready for enamelling

    First layer of enamel has been carefully wet laid in place and is ready for firing

    First layer of enamel has been fired to orange peel

    Second layer of enamel has been wetlaid and then fired to continue building up shading and depth of colour

    The Pendant has had several more layers of enamel and now is ready for the final stages. The surface will be meticulously ground until it is even and Matt, before being polished with diamond pads. In this case I chose to have the enamel surface an eggshell finish.

    Here the Pendant is complete with the silver polished to a subtle shine.

  • What’s on My Bench – Gypsy Settings

    What’s on My Bench – Gypsy Settings

    Gypsy setting or flush setting is something I have been promising my students for ages and have only now got around to. I began by doing some research on my iPad and found this excellent tutorial on the Ganoskin site. https://www.ganoksin.com/article/basic-gypsy-flush-mount-setting/ 

    Gypsy Set Pendant Front View
    Gypsy Set Pendant Front View

    Gypsy Set Pendant Side View
    Gypsy Set Pendant Side View

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Originally I decided to try it on a silver cuff bangle and found some suitable silver  which was  3.3 mm wide and 2 mm deep in my old stock box. Using a jig to ensure a square cut, I carefully sawed off 145 mm to shape into a cuff and set that aside. I was left with a piece which was 35 mm long  which I thought was perfect for a pendant or as an example for a pair of earrings. As a pendant I began by considering how it would be worn. Obviously I could drill a hole or solder on a jump ring but something so sleek deserved a more elegant solution. I decided to set a small piece of tubing into the top edge that a thin chain could thread through. Great practice for making hinges too! I used a slitting  needle file which has a parallel, diamond shaped profile to file a groove which I could widen to accept a 2mm outside diameter piece of silver tube. I could have used a triangular or a square file instead. When using these though you need to be careful to keep things an even depth. The tapered shape makes this a little harder so you need to do a little from each end and keep checking. After making the groove quite deep I used a diamond cylinder burr the same diameter as my tubing, in my pendant motor,  to very slowly drill a groove to accept the tubing. This needs to be about half the diameter of the tubing so the edge of the silver pendant comes to a knife edge front and back. My first attempt wasn’t deep enough and after soldering, I wasn’t able to make the tube ‘vanish’ after sanding. When I was sure the tube was a perfect fit, and even from all sides I was ready to solder.

    I stood the silver up almost vertical and used liquid flux under the tube which I then dried very carefully so it didn’t dislodge. Then I added tiny chips of hard solder and soldered it into place. For my first attempt I used solder paste but it is very hard to judge the right amount. Traditional solder worked much better. After pickling and rinsing I was ready for the next stage.

    Before doing the setting I wanted to finish the silver from all sides. Rubber wheels worked well to on the front to make the tubing effectively disappear from view and I used normal finishing and polishing method until I had a lovely, shiny well finished piece ready for setting.

    Key to the success of this project would be ensuring the stone was central and everything very well finished. I used a vernier to measure the width of the metal, mindful that this would have changed from when I started. I then set a vernier to the size of the central point and used this to help me set my dividers to measure the centre point. I find seeing half millimetres on a ruler a challenge even with glasses! This was much easier and by making a mark from either edge I knew the exact middle was inbetween those two points. I read recently it was better to use a small ball burr to make the initial divot to start drilling. I actually used ball burrs all the way through instead of my usual practice of using a drill because I found it much easier to correct any slight deviations from the centre. I worked up from the tiny one to a one mm and finished with a 1.5 mm which went all the way through. I then used a 2mm ball burr to make the seat for the two mm cz. Take care with this part. It doesn’t need to very deep and it is very quick, even at slow speeds! Next time I may do by hand.

    Setting was done using a nice chunky burnished working methodically according to the instructions in the article. Final finishing and polishing and my pendant was complete. It is very different to my usual style but I learnt a lot and it was very satisfying to successfully complete a new technique. I am not sure how or when I will finish my cuff . Another project for another time. Have a go with the Gysy setting and let me know how you get on.

  • Jyp’s Jewels – Ralphs Cross Cufflink Commission

    Jyp’s Jewels – Ralphs Cross Cufflink Commission

    Jyp Dog

    Introducing Jyp the dog, my faithful Workshop Apprentice and Chief Watch Dog. This year, following on from my occasional Blog Post series, ‘Jyp’s Jewels’ I have decided to make him a regular feature. Every month, Jyp will present to you his favourite piece. I have insisted that he only chooses jewellery and not bones or balls!

    Ralphs Cross and Roseberry Topping Cufflink Commission

    Ralphs Cross and Roseberry-Topping-Cufflinks
    Ralphs Cross and Roseberry Topping Silver and Enamel Cufflinks

    Earlier this year I was privileged to be asked to design and make a pair of silver and enamel cufflinks by a lady as a wedding present for her fiancee. Her late Father in law had been an artist who had worked in the North Yorkshire moors and often used Ralphs Cross and the hill, Roseberry Topping in his pictures. I decided to do the cross in cloissonne enamel and to use the distinctive shape of the Roseberry Topping Hill as the fitting for the reverse. I was delighted with how they turned out and so was my client. She said, ‘They are stunning. What a perfect service you have provided. I was very lucky to find you!’ It is always a real thrill when a customer is happy with your work and vision.

  • Jyp’s Jewels – Ladybird Magic Carpet Pendant

    Jyp’s Jewels – Ladybird Magic Carpet Pendant

    Jyp DogIntroducing Jyp the dog, my faithful Workshop Apprentice and Chief Watch Dog. This year, following on from my occasional Blog Post series, ‘Jyp’s Jewels’ I have decided to make him a monthly feature. Every month, Jyp will present to you his favourite piece. I have insisted that he only chooses jewellery and not bones or balls!

    Ladybird Magic Carpet Pendant

    The first piece for 2016, is a custom ‘Magic Carpet’ pendant in one of my hand made silver moon settings. This was commission for a client who was giving it as a special birthday gift to a lady who loved Ladybirds.

    magic carpet pendant ladybird

    I had lots of fun designing it and you can see I have included flowers and leaves too. The piece is cloisonne enamel on fine silver, in a sterling silver silver moon setting. We decided to do just one colour and let the silver wire delineate the design, making it a more sophisticated piece than having it bright colours. The design has been highlighted with flecks of pure gold before rubbing down and finely polishing.

  • Pets on Jewellery

    Pets on Jewellery

    I have been working on a new idea. Cufflinks for my husband with our dog Jyp on. They are cloisonne enamel on fine silver, set in hallmarked sterling silver cufflinks and they measure 14 mm in diameter. The idea would also work well as earrings or as a pendant too. Each side could have a different pet on or as here, a motif with the pet’s name. I plan to offer them as a commission piece.

    Jyp-Cufflinks

    Jyp-cufflinks-box

    Jyp-dog

  • April ‘Critter of the Month’ 2015

    April ‘Critter of the Month’ 2015

    Two new Dragonfly pendants for this month. They are both enamel on silver and hang on a leather thong. One is cloisonné enamel and the other has painted under-glaze details. Hope you like them.

    Dragonfly-Pendant-cloisonne Dragonfly-Pendant-Silver

  • Getting Started and the Design Process

    Getting Started and the Design Process

    This morning’s blog post by Grace Marshall http://grace-marshall.com/starting-badly/ really resonated with me and I have to share it because it is a problem familiar to most artists and designers. I had a design to do for a client that was a little out of my comfort zone. I did some preparatory sketches some time ago and it has been sitting waiting for me to get back to it. A few weeks ago I spent some time on Pinterest making a board to help whilst I was sitting watching telly one evening. I was ready to start but whenever I have some time, somehow I always found something else to do, like actually making something in my studio. Mother’s Day afternoon was a perfect opportunity. It was wet and dismal so husband and I divided the dining room table in half. He did what he wanted to do on one half, and I set myself up with pens, pencils and the chocolates my son had bought me. As I always tell my students, starting is the hardest thing. It is so true. I had been putting it off until I could see the finished design in my mind but it wasn’t happening. I needed to actually work through things with paper and pens to get to where I wanted to be.

    To start with, I sketched elements that were troubling me from the inspiration board on Pinterest that I had made. I did this from my iPad. Then I incorporated elements into drawings I had already made. When I work on designs I repeatedly trace them, incorporating changes each time. This time I used the scanner on my printer which saved a lot of time as I just needed to draw on top of the last print and then trace that and repeat the process. Over the course of the afternoon the design evolved into something I am really pleased with. I also used the scanner on my printer to change the size. Eventually I was pleased with my design and I could add colour. I feel such a sense of achievement! I can’t wait to show my client. Hope she likes it. Let me know how you get over the problem when you are stuck. I would love to know and perhaps we can learn from each other.

  • Cloisonné Enamel – The Making of my New Magic Carpet Pendant

    Cloisonné Enamel – The Making of my New Magic Carpet Pendant

    Cloisonné Enamel – The Making of my New Magic Carpet Pendant

    Cloisonné enamel is where fine wires are embedded in the enamel to create the design. There are a lot of different stages involved in making a piece using this technique and I decided to use my new Nimbus Cloud Dome to take pictures of the making of my new ‘Magic Carpet’ inspired Cloisonné enamel piece.

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    This shows the wires laid onto the base. In this case I am using fine silver foil on a copper base. I have used Soyer Silver flux over the foil and fired that before starting to add the wires. I have used fine silver and fine gold wires. They were fired into place in two separate firings as the design was too complicated to do all in one. I use Kyre-fire to hold the wires in place to go into the kiln.

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    This shows the first layer of colour fired into place. I have used a light blue under where the pink will go. I find that this helps the pink to fire a better colour.

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    This shows the second layer of colour that has been wet laid into the cells before it is fired. It is quite tricky where the design is complex to keep the colours separate. A good light and  the right glasses are essential!

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    Here the second layer has been fired. I am really pleased with the pink particularly.

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    Here I have added fine gold foils and painted oxides to the design. After firing I will then complete the enamelling with two layers of Blythes Medium flux. The two layers will be fired separately. If you apply it too thick it tends to go cloudy and obscure the colours. After the last firing I use a fine diagrit to rub all over the enamel to remove any excess. The aim is to achieve a level surface with no high spots or depressions. The latter show up as a shiny patch amid an otherwise matte surface. If necessary, I add more medium flux and refine and then repeat this stage. When all is flat and perfect I use a succession of wet and dry paper with lots of water to achieve a soft eggshell finish. I use Renaissance Wax to seal the surface and to protect it.

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    This is the finished piece before setting. There are hours of work involved to get to this stage.

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    The completed Cloisonné Enamel ‘Magic Carpet’ inspired enamel set in a sterling silver surround.