Ditherella's Workshop

Cast from nature

I’m often inspired by nature, but sometimes I just want to recreate it just as it is. That’s when I get it cast in silver.

If a piece is dry, or will dry without losing shape, and is reasonably robust and not too hollow then (after weeks of deliberation over which is the absolute best one!) I will pop it in a box and send it to be cast.

If a piece is more delicate or tricky, like the thinner-than-paper vacated butterfly chrysalis, then I will fill the shape with resin so that it will be robust enough to cast. I will also fill deep hollows and thicken particularly thin sections that could cause problems with casting.

Sometimes I make my own moulds, especially where an item will shrink or wrinkle in the time it would take to get to the caster. I fill these with resin to make a master to send to be cast.

My Instagram posts @ditherellasworkshop will give you some insights into the process of making.

When the cast pieces are returned to me I need to saw or file away what remains of the sprue, and sometimes re-texture the surface in that area. Then I need to decide what to do with it. Sometimes it is as simple as soldering on earring posts or a ring for a chain. More often more work is required before the casting. or castings, become a finished piece.

Fabricated pieces

Fabricated doesn’t mean made up, just made. This is where the piece starts out as sterling silver sheet, wire, or tube, or one or more found objects. I saw, file, shape, texture, solder and assemble using a variety of hand tools, and a few powered tools like my pendant drill.

Serendipity

This comes in when I do things like water casting. Any scrap silver that I haven’t managed to make into even smaller jewellery I melt down into tiny silver balls, or nuggets to use with impression dies, or melt and pour the molten silver into water for water casting.

Nothing is wasted.

Chains and findings

I buy chains by the metre, cut them to length and solder on jump rings and catches. I use both bought catches and handmade S hook catches.

Other things I buy pre-made are findings like smaller jump rings, earrings posts and butterfly backs, and some ear wires. I rarely use pre-made finished elements or charms. (I had to change this from “don’t use” to “rarely use” when I found some wonderful patterned silver “ribbon”!)