Showing posts with label Copper. Show all posts

Recent Works - A Witch's View

Here are a few photos of some pieces I have been working on lately.  I've always wanted to learn a type of channel setting for stones using wire weave instead of soldering. These are my attempts at that process.

This first piece is a Labradorite with Goldstone Cabachons.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

This second piece is a Labradorite with Swavorski Crystals.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
I created a couple of videos so you can see the flash on the stones.  At the time of this writing all pieces are available for purchase.  My webhost is dragging their feet at updating my page so I can't post these for sale.  You can however message me directly on this blog or on my facebook page to purchase them.










Bracelets - A Witch's View

So it has been a while since I shared some of my jewelry.  Here are some images from my most recent creation.  Hope you enjoy.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

A Witch's View - SPACE

Lately hubby and I have been working on some new products. We have been playing with resin. Along with the cold casting, we have been creating pendants with images inside them. I found some really nice public domain images from the Hubble telescope. I wanted to share those with you.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


And here's a video.  








I am really pleased with how these turned out.  You can find them for sale on my website.  



Witchy Wednesday - Weaving Magic

It has been a while since I shared any of my wire work.  I'm extremely pleased how some of my new pieces are turning out.  So for this week I thought I would share some photos (and maybe a video or two) from the newest ones.

Photo and Wire Art by Renee Sosanna Olson














I'm really in love with these blue labs now.  Here's some info I found about Copper/Labradorite on the web.

This labradorite pendant is so impressive and amazing. It is modern and elegant. Blue flashy labradorite is eye-catching in a classy way. 

A stone of transformation, Labradorite is a useful companion through change, imparting strength and perseverance. It balances and protects the aura, raises consciousness and grounds spiritual energies. Excellent for strengthening intuition - promoting psychic abilities. Also just plain drop dead gorgeous of a stone!

Copper is said to promote love, sensuality, friendship, positive relationships of any kind, negotiations and peace. Healing work, fertility spells, prosperity spells, and spells to attract love.

Angel: Haniel
Gods/Goddesses: Shamash, Innana, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus
Chakra: crown, heart, solar-plexus
Element: water
Astrological Sign: Taurus
Planet: Venus;
Sabbat: Midsummer or Litha;
Tree of Life: Netzach
Tarot: The Empress

Copper is 100% recyclable without loss of quality. There is anecdotal evidence that copper can be used in the treatment of wounds and skin diseases, as well as internal diseases, anemia, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease. It can also help improve the circulation of blood, increasing energy and detoxifying the body. It is primarily said to benefit the Root and Sacral Chakras, but may also benefit the Heart Chakra.



Photography and Wire Art by Renee Sosanna Olson
You can find my work on Etsy and Amazon Handmade.

A Witch's View - What Makes a Home?

Because of my ability to work from home, I have the benefit of being able to avoid certain stresses. I don't worry about traffic or car problems.  The weather is generally not a concern of mine when planning my work week.

I'm also pretty lucky that I have a fantastic partner who supports my need to be creative.  He allows me the freedom and the understanding to do all the crazy things that I do.  I tend to spend a lot of time making jewelry.  I do dabble a bit into soldering but my passion is weaving the wires. It is so relaxing to me.  Recently I made a few pieces that I really loved.  I have shared them on here before and one of them is actually sold already but I can't help but share it again.

Photography and Jewelry by Renee Sosanna Olson


This piece really spoke to me.  It spoke to me about protection. While I was weaving the wires together I thought about the wrapping of the copper around the glass eye. Copper is well know for the healing properties it possesses.  I leveraged that along with the knowledge that comes from seeing clearly what is around you. The friends that are behaving as enemies or the family that is behaving as a foe. Using the eye as a way to see what you really need to see, you can open up a channel of knowledge simply by allowing the eye to see what you have been blinded to.

Many people use the adage "Home is where the heart is" , to me I'm one that doesn't give much thought to the structure that surrounds my belongings. A house is just a vessel that I use to keep my stuff from getting wet. At least it always had been.  Last year Hurricane Matthew came through and wiped out many people here in Seven Springs.  We lost our vardo, which took away our ability to travel to our events.

Flood Oct 2016 - Renee Sosanna Olson

Now we're looking at the possibility of resettling.  It leads me to ask what exactly is a home? What do we need?  We're looking for a place with protection from the elements, but also a place where we can live with like minded people.  A place that we can afford but also a place that offers protections for people like us. We want to be around people who think like we think and care like we care about those around us.

Since moving back to NC, my childhood home, I have found that being close to blood relatives does not make a place home. As many of you know I ended up caring for my mother in my home a few years ago and I have just now gotten over the negativity she brought into my life.  At the time I placed her in a nursing home my younger sister got mad at me and pretty much disowned me. This past Christmas she came to my cousin's house and broke down in tears. I have to admit I didn't feel as connected to her but I thought I would give it a try.  My birthday is next week.  She has messaged me once on Facebook since then.  I really believe if I was that big a part of her life she would have reached out a bit more.  It is something I long for, but have come to understand that we just do not have that type of relationship.

Kallan & Renee



Ideally what makes a home is a place where you are safe and cared for.  A place where you can count on those around you. A place where someone remembers your birthday or calls you just because they want to talk to you. A home is where your family is. Not blood family necessarily but those who come to your defense when you're under attack.  They offer themselves up to help you when you are down and they want to know what your day is like. Just because they love you.

Renee, Kallan & Elijah


I will be going home soon.  Our walls will change.  Our address will be different.  Our lives will be happier.  I'll need one of those little signs that says "Home Sweet Home".  And don't you worry, on the back will be a nice little eye, just to help me keep my eyes open to the world around me.


Glass, Wire & Magic - A Witch's View

This week I wanted to spend some time showing what I have been working on with my jewelry.  I met a gentleman in a wire weave group on Facebook who makes these amazing glass eyes.  Marcel does really fantastic work and I am very lucky to have connected with him. If you are looking for great quality and super fast shipping I highly recommend working with him.  These pieces I wrapped in dead soft copper and then tarnished it for a rich look that brings out the detail of the weave.  These pieces are available for purchase on my Facebook page as well as my Etsy Shop.  I currently only have 3 available.  They are all one of a kind and will not be reproduced.

When everything lines up just perfectly on these pieces I like to attribute this to a little luck, a lot of skill and a dash of magic.  I hope you enjoy!

Photography & Jewelry by Renee Sosanna Olson

Photography & Jewelry by Renee Sosanna Olson

Photography & Jewelry by Renee Sosanna Olson

Fries and Filigree - A Witch's View

This week we spent sometime testing out different root vegetable fries.  There is a really good reason that you only get French Fries when you're out.  Well at least for the most part.  Hubby and I go to Fiction Kitchen in Raleigh from time to time to have their root vegetable fries.  They are amazing! You can find my review of Fiction Kitchen here.

Root Veggie Fries at Fiction Kitchen in Raleigh
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


This was my attempt to replicate.  I failed miserably.  :P


I started out with a bunch of beets and a turnip.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Peel each and slice into "fries"

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Beets will stain your hands and any cutting boards and what have you.  You may want to wear gloves or wash up quickly.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
I then tossed them in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and some salt.  They were not crispy at all and they really didn't turn out well.  I honestly thing the best way to have "fries" is just to fry them.  I know not that healthy and all that but if you want fries.  Have some damn fries and be done with it.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

So that's the fries part of this blog, now for the filigree.  


This week I have started making my Valentine's Day Special pieces.  I will have two copper and two sterling silver for the holiday.  This is the first one.

This piece is tarnished copper and rose quartz wire weave heart pendant.  She turned out amazing. This one is available for purchase on my Facebook page.  If you think you'd like this one reach out fast. This is a one of a kind.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


Weaving Wednesday - Tarnish

Over the last few weeks I shared two pendants without applying the liver of sulfur (LoS).  LoS is a tarnishing solution that gets into the weave of the pendants and really brings out the detail.  Here are those same two pendants.  I'll share a before and after.




Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson




Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson


Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson




Here is a video of each of the finished pieces.





Weaving Wednesday - Labradorite Tear Drop

This is a laboradorite tear drop I worked on a few weeks ago.  I'm adding the raw photos first and then will follow up with the tarnished ones.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson













Back to Copper - Weaving Wednesday

Due to the flood I've been taking a few weeks off to get things back together.  I decided to start with a copper piece to get back into my flow.  This is the first piece I did.  This one hasn't been tarnished yet, but this is how it looks so far.


Here's the finished product

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson


I started with a base weave on 6 wires and wrapped them around the tear drop shaped stone.



Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Next I joined the top together and circled the back to create the frame.  Using the weaving wire I created the bail by using a simple figure eight weave.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
 Once the bail wires reach the back I pulled them around to continue to access the front of the piece.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
 Here the bail wires are woven with a three three pattern and then attached to the front frame of the piece.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
 The second set of wires are also woven with that same three three pattern and attached to the frame.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

 This photo shows the back of the piece where the stone is framed in as well as the spirals I created along the opposite side of the stone.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
 And the finished piece.  I still need to tarnish the copper.  I'll be doing a video of that for the blog a bit later.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
 You can find all of my creations for sale on my Facebook page shop - www.facebook.com/baublesmith