Obsessed with Solder... and Procrastination at it's Best!

the act of soldering is quite mediative. turn on the crockpot to warm the pickle solution. set up the firing brick. turn on the exhaust fan. cut the metal, apply the solder paste. place on the brick. fire up the butane torch, adjust the flame. apply heat, watch the metal and solder heat up and flow together... then, just at the right moment... quench and throw in the pickle solution. i think i'm becoming obsessed with the way that the solder flows into the metal, and the forms that are created - even with a simple ring! i love how the solder polishes up to a high shine just like the rest of the ring when i throw it in the tumbler - it really lends a handmade, organic quality to it! i'm definitely not making a "perfect" ring, but they way these turn out, is perfect to me! they still turn out as comfortable to wear as if i had sanded them for hours, and have a lovely, rustic look to them!

i'm also working on my bezel settings... not the easiest thing in the world to master, but the "Starry Starry Night" ring above didn't turn out too badly. i did add some adhesive to the underside of the cabochon to add some security, but i wore it to work on Thursday and it survived the whole day! i'm quite thrilled at how this one turned out!

obviously i am too busy playing with fire to get all of my documents ready so that i can get my taxes done... we DEFINITELY need the money before the baby comes, but it's too much fun playing in the meth lab! i am also pretty certain that i owe some GST money to the Government... geez. this is what i get for not setting up my business paperwork ahead of time! i have vowed to pop in a Grey's Anatomy DVD and take the grocery bags full of receipts and forms to sort through tonight. sigh! the joys of owning a small business, working full time, and not being organized! i DID clean out the fridge (no, not by eating) and realized that we had a lot more condiments than actual FOOD! who does that?

fyi - if anyone is looking for something etsy to do, the TradeAHolics' team is having a Trade and Stay event starting tomorrow! check out the team blog here: http://etsytradeaholics.blogspot.com/ and join us! i'm probably not going to trade this time around - i'm trying to get my shop stocked up before the mini-muffin comes - but it's ALWAYS a blast.

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For the Love of Metal...

the husband did a wonderful job of painting the bathroom and cleaning up the baby's room - and they say that men don't get that "nesting" feeling! i tell you, he is so fabulous. as much as we both feel a little twinge of regret that we didn't start our family earlier, we will probably be better parents the age we are now than if we had started 10, even 5 years ago... i feel a little badly for him because all i want to do is solder and think of new designs for my etsy shop! but seriously, do you think it's possible to love your spouse even more than you did when you married them? i do!!!! (thanks, beb, for all the work you've done this week! the baby and i love you!)

i'm sitting in the basement after a fabulous session in the "meth lab" (as my makeshift metalsmithing area in the kitchen shall now be known!), nursing my dry, cracked hands and listening to the items i fired up this evening rustling around in the tumbler. the mini-muffin is bubbling around in my belly... she probably has picked up on my creative excitement! and in the meantime, the husband is sleeping! i've been working on a new design of ring - inspiration courtesy of the cabochons and sterling silver wire that came in the mail today! tonight is the first night in two months that i haven't had a metalsmithing class, and i miss it! i know i've said it before, but i am sooo glad that i stuck it out and finished the course!


i have to admit that with this little bit of downtime i have - my full time job is winding down as i prepare to go on maternity leave, and metalsmithing class is done - i've been considering making some changes to my shop, as well as to my "style" of jewelry making. when i look at where i started in July 2007, i feel that i've moved and grown! i've been thinking about taking things a little more seriously. i printed out several "success" stories from etsy's blog, The Storque, and am taking notes. kind of exciting... a new business direction and a baby!

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The View from the "Meth" Lab...

i am going to admit that i think i'm addicted to soldering now. sigh! i KNEW something like this would happen... :) anyway, here is the view from my guerrilla "meth" lab setup in the kitchen. and no, we are not going to eat those bagels.

the rustic eternity circle pendant above was made by me! i love the way it catches the light.

here are the sterling stacking rings after spending some time in the tumbler. they are so bright and shiny, while being delicate and ethereal at the same time.

off to hunt down some more metal!

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