firenfluxhandmade
Tucson, Arizona ·
firenfluxhandmade
Wheel thrown ceramic pottery & sterling silver jewelryTucson, Arizona 442 Sales On Etsy since 2012
Announcement We specialize in cast, strung and wire wrapped sterling silver and gold jewelry featuring stones of labradorite, iolite, sapphire, and pearl, and wheel thrown stoneware pottery featuring lots of colors textures and patterns which are carved by hand. Necklaces, vases, earrings, bowls, cups, rings, bottles, jars, bracelets and more. Thanks for looking around and feel free to contact us with questions if you don't see the information you are looking for.
Announcement
We specialize in cast, strung and wire wrapped sterling silver and gold jewelry featuring stones of labradorite, iolite, sapphire, and pearl, and wheel thrown stoneware pottery featuring lots of colors textures and patterns which are carved by hand. Necklaces, vases, earrings, bowls, cups, rings, bottles, jars, bracelets and more. Thanks for looking around and feel free to contact us with questions if you don't see the information you are looking for.
Reviews
lokifrost on Apr 2, 2018
Absolutely wonderful. Love that knitting bowl <3. Was very well packed and survived the long journey to germany without a crack!
shannodin on Apr 2, 2018
Very pretty and well made bowls. Thanks for making them so special!
Updates
About
2 artists who share an aesthetic and think it's more fun to work together to create great useable works of art.
We have known each other for almost 10 years now and have worked together at our "real" jobs for that time. We quickly discovered that we both loved to create one of a kind usable art and started to learn from each other. Dana has been teaching Emily to throw pottery on the potters wheel and she has been teaching Dana about all the beautiful stones she uses in her jewelry. About 3 years ago we thought we could do some crossover work together. Dana started making ceramic beads and pendants to use in Emily's jewelry and she started adding embellishments to Dana's pots. It wasn't long after that we decided to set up shop. Our name comes from our shared use of fire to create our work and the double meaning of flux as change and also as a tool in creating Emily's jewelry.
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Pottery making 101:
We start with premixed clay and portion it into the weight's we will use to make our pieces. Before we can start to work with it, it must be conditioned (wedged) to remove any air bubbles from the clay. Then it's formed into bowls, bottles, mugs, jars and more using Dana's potters wheel. After the finished forms are partially dry (leather hard) the fun part begins. Handles and spouts and thrown or hand-built and added, designs are sketched onto the surface and carved using loop tools, colored slips are painted on and then carved through. After the pieces are completely dry, they are fired to a temperature of about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit in Dana's electric kiln. But wait, there's more! Now we can put the finishing touches and color on each piece and ensure it's safe for food and the microwave and sturdy for everyday use. It's time to glaze. In our shop, we use a combination of commercially purchased already mixed glazes and glazes we have mixed ourselves from raw ingredients (think making a cake from scratch without the box but a lot less tasty). Because our work is highly detailed, we can not simply dip the pieces in a bucket of glaze and call it done. Each color is painted on by hand with multiple coats to ensure it's thick enough to produce the color we want. Once this is done, the pieces take one last ride in the kiln this time to a temperature of about 2200 degrees Fahrenheit which takes about 24 hours from start to when it's cool enough to open up the kiln and take out the finished pieces.
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Jewelry Making 101:
Emily's jewelry is made using a variety of different processes and techniques depending on the piece. They all start with a beautiful semi-precious stone that she has purchased from the huge gem and mineral show which stops in Tucson twice a year. After selecting the stones she wants to use, she lays out her design and decides what method to use to create the finished piece. Some pieces are strung on one wire and finished with a handmade or commercially purchased clasp which Emily attaches herself. Some stones she wire wraps individually and attaches together forming a chain. Some pieces contain components which we have cast out of sterling silver. These pieces generally take the most work. We start with actual leaves or a block of wax. If it's a real leaf we want to cast, we have to thicken it up a bit in order for it to come out in silver. In order to achieve this, the back is painted with wax in multiple coats. Some of the pieces were carved out of a block of wax or created with a hot glue gun. Then, we attach wax sprues to each piece and create a mold using a plaster like casting medium. Lastly the wax or organic material is burned out in a kiln leaving the hollow impression of the item in the mold. The metal is heated until molten and injected into the mold. Since we do not have the facilities to cast pieces in our homes, these items were made at the Tucson Parks and Rec facilities where we took a class to learn to make items in this way. We do everything ourselves other than pouring the metal into the mold. Once the pieces come out of the mold, the sprues are cut off with a jewelers saw or a Dremel tool then filed and polished. Any stones that have to be set in place is also done by hand.
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We put a lot of work into all of our items with our own 4 hands to ensure they are very well made. All of our items can outlast all of us and be passed down from generation to generation. We hope reading about our process helps to shed some light on what goes into your finished product. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for reading!
Shop members
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Emily Adams
Owner, Maker
I first discovered my fascination with semi-precious stones and jewelry as wearable art when I began attending the annual gem & mineral show. I immediately wanted to work with and embellish the beautiful treasures I found there.
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Dana Paredes
Owner, Maker, Etsy Site Obsessor
Earned bachelor of fine arts in ceramics from Edinboro University in 2003. I love that pottery is functional art. All my pieces are wheel thrown and hand carved because I want them to be pleasing both to sight and touch.
Shop policies
Shipping
Payment options
- Accepts Etsy Gift Cards and Etsy Credits
Returns & exchanges
- Custom or personalized orders
I accept returns I do not accept returns
I accept exchanges I do not accept exchanges
I accept cancellations I do not accept cancellations
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Privacy policy
- To communicate with you about your order
- To fulfill your order
- For legal reasons (like paying taxes)
More information
Frequently asked questions
International shipping times
Please keep in mind it can sometimes take several weeks to receive something sent to an international destination and typically tracking of these items is unavailable.
Can you change the length of the necklace I buy?
In most cases this is not a problem. Just contact us prior to purchase with the length you need and we will let you know if it is possible. In most cases there would be no additional charge unless the length you require is much longer than the necklace in the listing.
I see something you sold previously that is not for sale currently. Can you remake another one?
We are happy to remake things we have sold before assuming we still have the necessary supplies to make them. Contact us with your request and we will advise if this is possible. For made to order pottery items, it make take 4-6 weeks to complete your order.