If I Had a Million Dollars...

so, the metalsmithing class continues, and so do i! the third class is finished, and i'm feeling pretty good about it! i continue to push through the pins and needles in my fingers, and it isn't bad at all. we've conquered sawing, piercing, filing and polishing - and now we're onto soldering!

so, of course, i started dreaming about the world-famous jewelry designer i'm going to be (ha ha) and surfed the internet for the things i would need for my studio. Lacy and Company here in Toronto has a FABULOUS deal - everything you need to equip your jewelry studio can be purchased there! (see picture above) and even the jeweler's bench is perfect for me - there is a lovely, half moon shape cut out. just for my belly! LOL!

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The ETSY Baby Shower!

some of the sellers on ETSY do this wonderful baby shower for new mommies who also belong to the ETSY community! although the mini-muffin will arrive too late to be a recipient at this shower, i was totally honoured to give a gift to the fabulous jemjoop (http://jemjoop.etsy.com) who just had her third son! her nest egg necklace is pictured above... three little blue eggs, one for each boy in her brood!

each seller who participated donated an item to a new ETSY mommy, and a virtual shower was held yesterday. yay mommies and babies!

a gift guide currently celebrates everyone who donated something - so go take a look!

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Bye Bye, Navel Ring...

i got my belly button pierced about 15 years ago, and have only taken it out two times - once on our honeymoon after the husband accidentally broke the original ring, and the second time when i replaced that replacement with one like the ring in the upper right hand corner of the photo here.

today i removed it with my favorite jeweler's pliers (wow, who knew i'd be using them for this type of "operation"!) because my belly is getting quite round and it was starting to itch. and god forbid i wake up one morning with it still in the sheets!!!!!!!! let's hope that i'll be able to put it back in after the baby comes!

today i also go for my glucose test at the lab - gestational diabetes and all. because it's a test that requires fasting, i'm starving!!!!!!!!!! any suggestions for keeping my mind off my hunger??

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The Joy of Metal... and Overcoming Crafters' Block

i shared last week my frustration with my carpal tunnel and my metalsmithing class... well, this week was MUCH better! as embarrassed as i am to share the picture above, i'm showing the "piece" i completed in the first class (on the left) and the much more acceptable one on the left. yes, i know we were learning the basic techniques of sawing, piercing and filing - but i was kind of disappointed to come home with the little rectangle. i showed it to the husband, who gave me a sweet little look of pity and said that he could probably do that. (how supportive!) he also said that the little squiggle in the middle - my attempt at piercing - looked like a - *ahem* - sperm. i suppose it does.

anyway, this week, we starting working on our first official project, which is a pendant in brass or copper. i chose a simple heart design - both in tribute to my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day, and to keep my frustration level down. and you know what? it turned out much better than i thought! i wish i could have tackled something more elaborate, but figure that since i'm just learning, i should try to get my technique down before i attempt to sculpt the Paris skyline in sterling silver. i don't know if i'm just more used to the pins and needles and pain in my triceps now, or if i just forced myself to push through, but i wasn't half as frustrated as i was the week before. and NO, i DIDN'T stop at McDonalds!!!!! YAY!!!

since i've started the class, i've also realized that for a while i must have been experiencing a little bout of "crafters' block". since we got pregnant, i feel that i've slowed down a little in regards to creating. the first trimester, i was so sick and tired that i couldn't THINK of new designs, much less sit in the basement and make anything, and the second trimester came with all the holidays and this carpal tunnel syndrome and all the baby excitement. i spent a lot of time (and $$$) just relisting items in my etsy shop but not really making anything new. now, i think (and hope) that the creative drought is over! i found myself in the bead store with a little basket of goodies and the latest issue of Stringing magazine, and i've been thinking about new things... such as the dragonfly necklace above! i'm really happy with it and hope that this means that i'll be back to intensive jewelry making!!!

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