Happy Friday!

I’m in a much better mood than last post! LOL I’ve decided that the camera from hell (even though it is a VERY pretty shade of dark purple) is not for me. I gave it to dh, and told him that I will use it when I want to take pics of the kids at Xmas, or the cats when they’re being cute, but for jewelry it SUCKS!! I’m sticking with my old Nikon Coolpix – that isn’t really that old!! Nuff said!! Still haven’t heard a word about my adapter for my laptop. I’ll have to phone LG on Monday, I don’t have time to deal with customer service peeps today! I’m heading to the gallery to drop off some custom work (nothing pretty or fancy, or I’d take pics!) and pick up a couple of commissions to do. I thought I’d pop in here before I go and tell you about one of my students. Well, one of my former students I guess is more accurate!!!
Matt at Just Screwing Around took my beginnner’s silversmithing class last year. We got to talking about certain tools that I really liked and he took it upon himself to start creating them! It has definitely snowballed since then!! The tools I’m talking he now sells on Etsy (cheater link! LOL). The first one he came up with is the Bracelet Bending Pliers.

With these things, you take a strip of metal sheet (heavier gauge like 18 or so), texture is, shape it into whatever you want your cuff bracelet to look like, then grab one end between the big blue tubes, bend til the metal looks like a candy cane. Then release, take the other end of the metal and bend it the same way. Sounds utterly confusing when I write it, but trust me, once you’ve used these babies, you’ll NEVER go back to a mandrel for making cuffs again!! There’s no taper, there’s no trying to hold onto the mandrel, the hammer and the metal all at the same time. There’s really not much of a learning curve at all!! LOVE these things!!!
The next one he came up with is brilliant if you ask me!!

The Interchangeable Texture Hammer. This little baby is TOP quality! I don’t even know how to explain it better – this is NOT the cheapy interchangeable hammer you can get with the yellow plastic head, brass head, etc. This hammer is made to last, trust me, it’s worth every penny!! Each metal face is heat-treated so that it will last a life time. You unscrew the metal ring that holds the head in place, put your textured head of choice in, screw that ring back on, and voila. Instant texture change! Seriously, these are SUPER cool. I’m not ‘in love’ with the textures he’s chosen for the basic set (although if maybe Matt gave me mine, I could fall in love with it, hint, hint!!), however (here’s the really cool part!!), he is developing more heads even as you read. Well, he’s probably working at his day job, but you can bet he has textures on his mind! Starting in January 2009, he is going to release a new head each month!! So you’ll already have the hammer with the four basic heads (square, round, ‘V’ and a hard plastic one), you can just buy the additional heads that you like, or you can join is soon-to-be-coming ‘texture of the month’ club – or some such thing!!! I’m jumping the gun, but oh well!! LOL Suffice it to say, I think these hammers will be a great addition to those that LOVE to beat things – I mean texture things!

Oh, and before you think I’m done bragging on this stuff, check out his Leather Sand Bags.

Heavy duty leather, double stitched and glued, perfect to muffle the sound of your bench block. He has those too! I use my sand bag all the time. LOVE it!!! And I find my 4 inch bench block to be invaluable – I can always find it, it’s not so heavy that I don’t want to take it to classes with me, plus it’s bigger than that stupid 2 inch one I bought years ago that’s too small and makes me crazy. But that’s me! LOL
Anyway, super guy, super tools, check them out!
Now, I’m off to the gallery, in the rain (I love rain! ), hope you have a fantastic Friday!! Cheers!

What a day!!

Yeesh!! Today started out with best intentions and has slowly degraded to hoping I at least get the most important stuff done asap. BLech!! On a plus note, my oldest son is taking the break up all in stride. While he’s not happy, he’s resigned himself to the fact it’s over (which in itself is a sign!) and he has moved out of the apartment and in with a buddy. So all is okay on that front!!
My laptop needs a new adapter – they’ve sent me one that should have fit the computer, but doesn’t and we (the computer company and I) have no idea why not. So I spent the day taking pictures of the pieces, labels, tags, etc and emailed it to them. But back that up a bit – first I had to figure out my new camera (I’ve had it a month and still hadn’t uploaded any pics from it!). Well, that in itself was a production! ARGH!!! I HATE the new camera!! I wanted a new version of my Nikon Coolpix, and unfortunately that’s what I bought. BUT!!! The macro (super close up) function works a little differently than my old camera and I can’t get nearly as close with it as I did with my old one. I’m going to have to think about this now – I think it’s too late to take it back, but I hate it. My friend says it’s because I hate change! LOL No, I hate things that don’t work the way I want them to!! LOL!! Anyway, after the hours it’s taken to get the software installed for the camera to upload the pics, edit them a little (they don’t need to see my messy table!), write the email, send off said email, and all the while answer several important calls (hi Sandra!!!), I’m now so far behind I think I’m first! But you know what? I don’t care!! I wanted to post the pics of the two pieces I finished this moring (before the adapter drama! LOL). So here you go!!
The first is a pendant with a marquise blue/green tourmaline.

The second one is a pendant with a teardrop turquoise – not my usual choice of stone, but I think I like this one!

Now, I must run! I have to get ready to head to class tonight. It’s a great group and I really look forward to it. Just have to remember to bring a few specific things – yes, must get going! Have a great day!!

A little sad today…

My oldest son called me this morning to tell me that he and his girlfriend have broken up. They’ve been living together for quite a while. But he is now going to go stay at a buddy’s house and try to move on. When he phoned, he sounded all choked up (naturally) and sooooooo sad!!!! I’m in tears for him. He always tries to be so tough and strong, never wanting to show he actually cares about stuff. Deep down, I know he’s a big marshmallow, a real softy, but goodness knows he doesn’t want anyone else to know!! My first instinct of course is to rush to go comfort him, but he does live too far away (an hour and a bit one way?) and in all honesty, he has a fantastic network of friends and buddies. I do know he’ll be fine, and this is one of those life lessons that everyone has to go through, but it doesn’t make it any easier on this poor mom!! I think I’ll head down to the studio and create – that always makes me feel better. Hope you’re having a better Monday!

Finally a little bit of jewelery!

Well, it’s about time! I’m sure someone is saying that! LOL Here’s a pic of the earrings I made for Tanis at Studio Indah. I LOVE the way they turned out – sorry for the kind of blurry picture.

And while I’m on a roll, want to see the gemstones I bought the other day? I went a little crazy, but it was so much fun! LOL Dh doesn’t know how much I spent and we’re not going to tell him, are we?!?!?

I bought three cards of stones – or was it four? Rectangular red jaspers, square rose quartz, triangular carnelian …… oh and square carnelian – yup, it was four! The pic doesn’t show the relative sizes of the stones – here’s a pic of just the fancier stones.

The labradorite (bigger rectangles and teardrops) are huge! I want to say the rectangles are about an inch and a half in length alone – close enough. The four rounded squares with purple are fluorite. I don’t usually go for fluorite, but these were just too pretty not to. The pic doesn’t do them justice – you should see then in sunshine! Wow!! The little squares are apatite – they’ll go well in earrings (like Tanis’ garnet ones, only multicolored stones). The two rectangles are matte finished (not shiny) sandstone, and the two ovals are some kind of jasper. Now I need to source out some higher end fancy cabs. Wish we had decent gem shows up here – the closest one is in Seattle, and there’s no way I’ll make it this month but there’s another one in March. I might make it then.
Anyway, I promised Naaz that I would avoid the computer until Dh gets off work at 4 since I’ve been having such a hard time getting into the studio to work. And I totally admit that the computer sucks up WAY too much of my time and energy! But I had some business that HAD to get done, and I’ve been waiting for the answer to an email question. But I have the answer, so I will get off the computer and get into the studio. I promise! Check back later this week for more jewelry!! Cheers!

Hello again! It seems that I’ve been tagged!! Thanks Janice!. To be tagged is kind of like a chain letter without the ominous threat of the world ending or the totally cheezy ‘pass this on or have bad luck’ thing that most chain letters encompass. Don’t ever send me a chain letter – I will break the chain for sure, probably won’t even read the email!! But as this is fun, I’ll keep this tag going! I love to read different things about people I know, so hopefully those that I tag in turn will follow through so I can read cool stuff about them!

The purpose of being tagged this time is to tell you (my oh so patient readers!) 7 random things about myself. Janice was much more creative – she posted 7 things that make her smile. Hmmmm, tough call but I think I can certainly come up with 7 random things about me – mainly because I always smile and that would be boring to read about!!

1. I LOATHE snow – while it looks pretty outside, it is cold, sticky, icy, cold, blech!! I grew up in Alberta, and we had some pretty long winters – not like here in BC where snow only hits us once or twice a year (much more civilized than months at a time!).

2. I absolutely LOVE rain. It could rain day and night for days, weeks on end, and I would love it just as much the last day as the first. I often stand on the back deck and just let the rain fall on me.

3. Many years ago, I owned a reptile import/wholesale business (I imported reptiles and sold them to pet stores in BC and Alberta). If you think I live in a zoo now, back then it was INSANE!!!! I would go through 20,000 crickets every couple of weeks, hundreds of mice a month, etc. So my little collection of 8 lizards now is nothing!!

4. I moved in with Randy after knowing him for only 4 days. Two weeks later I got pregnant with our first son. Now, 25 years later, we’re still not married, have four sons, two grandkids, a mortgage, lots of fur kids, and we’re still crazy about each other – guess it’s a good thing that I needed a place to live back then! LOL

5. I used to be so incredibly shy, it was painful. I had panic attacks – those are NOT fun – the last one was after our third son, Randy wanted me to go next door to the neighbor’s house (that we didn’t know) to borrow a cup of milk. I had a complete melt down. I am SO not that person anymore!

6. I hate bacon! And avacados! And fish (double blech on this one!)! I’m not fond of eggs, but I don’t hate them. Turnips are disgusting, as is Barbie Cabbage (Brussels sprouts). Cooked cabbage of any kind is blech! I guess I have to admit that I’m a picky eater, though I really don’t mean to be.

7. I was a cocktail waitress when I was 17 (legal age in Alberta at the time was 18). The manager of the bar didn’t know how old I was, I was really good at it, but I didn’t drink – I was paid in tips as I was really only helping out, not really ‘hired’! When the manager finally found out I was underage, she actually phoned my mom (who was the manager of the only other bar in town at the time) and apologized for having to make me leave the bar and my waitressing job – that was the end of my cocktail waitress career. I never went back to it! LOL I was also a taxi cab dispatcher that year – even drove taxi for a few shifts (no license, but that was a minor technicality at the time). No, the owner didn’t know I was 17 and didn’t know I only had a learner’s permit. ROFL! What a rebel I was back then, huh?!? Don’t tell my kids!

Now, I think I shall tag a few of my friends – in no particular order!! Hopefully they’ll be a little more exciting than I am!

1. Brendalee
2. Janine & John
3. Pam
4. Rita
5. Cheryl
6. Andee
7. Angela

Now, back to relaxing for the evening! Oh and I have to pass on a great big congratulations to the United States and their election of Barack Obama for president. That’s the only political thing you’ll hear from me! Cheers!!